The Prophecy of the Two Sticks
Ezekiel is now told to take two sticks and write upon them. One stick was to be labeled with the name Judah and the Children of Israel his companions, the other tribes. The other stick was to be labeled with the name Joseph and Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions, again the other tribes. In general, Ephraim is used as a synecdoche (part referencing the whole) to refer to the whole Northern Kingdom of Israel. The tribe of Ephraim inhabited the northern part of Israel. Jeroboam I, the first king of the Northern Kingdom was from the …