Two Stick Theology

Introduction

What is Two Stick Theology

Two Stick Theology is a recycling of a rather bizarre doctrine invented by cults, called British Israelitism. Two Stick THeology makes a point of saying they AREN’T British Israelitism, but it’s really hard to make that defense when they’re teaching the exact same Herbert Armstrong Worldwide Church of God theology detail for detail.

I can’t make the claim that it’s a case of plagiarism - I haven’t taken the time to research the text of the books by Batya Wooten and see if it’s actual plagiarism. I will say that not only is it bad history it’s also really bad theology.

I’m saying this knowing I’m going to offend you. I’m saying this as one of the people who originally was exposed to these teachings. Of all the influence my Rabbi David Hargis had on Messianic Judaism - and yes, I can tell you pretty authoritatively that many of his writings have been plagiarized in the Messianic movement - This is the one theology he pushed that managed to stick. And I told him right from the start it was a farce, it was cultish and it was bad theology.

Rabbi Hargis did indeed repent of it before he died, literally purging anyone from MBI who was two stick teachers.

So, how did this theory come about?

It was some time after I started attending Rabbi Hargis’s synagogue, originally called Star of David. I think I’d been a member about a year, and I was already the Cantor, but not yet assistant Rabbi. I remember everyone was talking about Batya Wooten’s book. my memory is a little fuzzy on whether Angus and Batya began attending then, or after. The Shammash of the synagogue - I don’t know why they called him that, he never really did any of the Shammash work there - told me about it, and lent me his copy of the book. There were two, if I remember right.

The Judah-Ephraim theology is derived from the southern kingdom of Judah, and the northern kingdom of Israel. It’s called Ephraim because that is where the capital of Israel was, and where Jehoram instituted a counterfeit Temple dedicated to idolatry, all to consolidate his rule.

We all know - if you’ve made it through your first read through of the Bible - that Babylon invaded the northern kingdom and carried them away. When Babylon conquered Judah and carried them away into captivity, legend has it there was no trace of the northern kingdom. I’ll mention that Babylon/Assyria is roughly the area of modern Iraq, which stretches from the Tigris/Euphrates river all the way to the Persian Gulf. If you end up in Shushan, it’s pretty obvious you’re never going to run into uncle Shlomo who’s been taken to Ur. Remember, in those days, the average distance someone traveled in their lifetime is twenty miles. Today, we’ve got some athletes who run that distance every day before breakfast.

Nevertheless, Two Stick theology maintains that the “Ten lost tribes” were assimilated into Babylon, and no trace of their Jewish origins known of by the survivors.

It’s kind of dumb. Sorry. At some point, little Billy is going to ask mom, “Are we Babylonian? Why are we different? Are we from here?” And Mom is going to remember Batya Wooten’s theory hangs on this, and keep silent?

Nope. Mom is going to say, “We were slaves in Egypt”, just as the Torah requires. The Exodus spoken of, Israel, God, ten plagues, whole nine yards.

Let’s not forget that Paul is one of the ten lost tribes, which suggests maybe they weren’t lost at all.

The premise of the books are this: That if you believe in Jesus Christ, you are spiritually Ephraim, or maybe physically. The book was very unclear, because Batya Wooten made a BIG deal in the book about physical inheritance as well. I think what she was implying was essentially, if you’re drawn to Christ, it’s because you’re physically a descendant of Ephraim - but she realized how controversial this is. It ends up soaking into all the followers of this belief, so it’s implied in the text.

I would like for Batya Wooten to clarify her teachings on this. I’m not the only person who’s picked up on this.

If all the Gentiles are Ephraim, and all the Jews are Judah, then everyone drawn to Messianic Judaism is therefore physically Jewish. Does everyone grasp this is the logical outcome of the teaching?

It’s very attractive to Gentiles in the Messianic movement to want to believe this. Gentiles get this ache in their heart, because they like the Jewish flavor of Messianic stuff. They long to be Jews. my answer to this is - you’re what God made you. Be thankful He saved you. As we go along, I’ll reinforce this teaching and prove you didn’t choose God - God chose you.

Batya Wooten also makes some really uncomfortable claims that the Elder must serve the younger, and that Ephraim is the younger. Meaning Judah, the Jews, are inferior to Ephraim, who are in her teaching the real Jews. In the printing of the book I read, she made a big deal about “all it takes is one lying Grandmother.” meaning, if there was infidelity among all of Judah even once, they’re not really Jews. They’re the gentiles.

But the Gentiles - Ephraim - aren’t affected by the same standards. No, the Ephraim-ness endures throughout all generations.

That’s kind of not consistent. At all.