We have known that the United States and British Commonwealth ARE THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL.
Below is a summary of the biblical and historical case of this view.
Followed by a detailed study that assembles the scriptural case alone.
1. Israel and Judah became two separate nations
After Solomon's death:
- Judah consisted mainly of Judah, Benjamin, and many Levites.
- Israel consisted of the other ten tribes.
1 Kings 12
The Bible thereafter consistently distinguishes between:
- House of Judah
- House of Israel
- This distinction remains throughout prophecy.
2. Israel was taken captive—but never returned as a nation
Around 721 BC:
The Assyrians conquered Israel.
2 Kings 17
They were taken to:
- Halah
- Habor
- River Gozan
- Cities of the Medes
Unlike Judah, the ten tribes never returned as a national body.
This raises the question:
Where did they go?
History shows they migrated northwest through Europe.
3. God promised Abraham physical greatness
Genesis 12
Genesis 13
Genesis 22
God promised Abraham:
- Nations
- Kings
- Land
- Great wealth
- Military victories
Genesis 22:17
"Your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies."
We see Britain's historical control of:
- Gibraltar
- Suez Canal
- Cape of Good Hope
- Malta
- Singapore
- Hong Kong
as fulfillment.
4. Joseph received the birthright
Genesis 48
Jacob placed his hands upon:
- Ephraim
- Manasseh
He said:
Genesis 48:19
Manasseh shall become a great people.
Ephraim shall become a multitude of nations.
This identifies:
Manasseh = United States
Ephraim = British Commonwealth
because:
America became one great nation.
Britain became a company of nations.
5. Jacob gave prophetic blessings
Genesis 49
Jacob said these blessings applied
"in the last days."
This describes many modern English-speaking nations.
6. Moses blessed Joseph
Deuteronomy 33
Joseph receives by far the longest blessing.
Including:
- richest land
- blessings above all brothers
- military strength
- enormous prosperity
We see that America and Britain fulfilled these blessings more than any other nations.
7. Ephraim became greater
Genesis 48:19
"His younger brother shall become greater than he."
Britain ruled the largest empire in history.
America later surpassed Britain economically and militarily.
8. Israel would become numerous
Genesis 35
Genesis 48
Genesis 28
The promises include:
- millions
- innumerable descendants
- many nations
This occurred only in the English-speaking world.
Historical Proofs
The Assyrian Deportations
Israel disappeared from Palestine.
Later history records new peoples appearing north of Assyria.
These peoples were Israel.
The Cimmerians
Greek writers mention:
Cimmerians
Some argue:
Gimirri
resembles:
Omri
because Assyrians often called Israel:
"The House of Omri."
This is one of the strongest historical proofs
The Scythians
Ancient historians describe Scythians appearing shortly after Israel disappeared.
This shows:
Israel became Scythians.
Migration into Europe
Migrations through:
Black Sea
↓
Eastern Europe
↓
Central Europe
↓
Western Europe
↓
British Isles
The Celts
More Proof:
Celts descended from Israelites.
Evidence includes:
customs
tribal organization
certain names
religious similarities
The Stone of Scone
Jacob slept on a stone.
Genesis 28
This shows:
that stone became the Stone of Destiny
used in British coronations.
David's Throne
Jeremiah 33
God promised David's throne would never cease.
This proof teaches:
Jeremiah brought a daughter of King Zedekiah to Ireland.
The Davidic throne continued there.
Later:
Ireland
↓
Scotland
↓
England
↓
British monarchy
National Characteristics
More Proof:
Britain:
- greatest empire
America:
- greatest single nation
Both:
- unprecedented wealth
- military power
- missionary activity
- global influence
- agricultural abundance
This matches Joseph's blessings.
Prophetic Identification
Tribe | Modern Nation |
Ephraim | Great Britain |
Manasseh | United States |
Zebulun | Netherlands (proposed by some) |
Dan | Ireland/Denmark (various proposals) |
Asher | Belgium (various proposals) |
Naphtali | Sweden (various proposals) |
Conclusion
The proof presented in Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright and The United States and Britain in Prophecy is a coherent theological framework that connects biblical promises to the rise of the British Empire and the United States. It shows biblical prophecies, that show distinction between Judah and Israel, the promises to Abraham and Joseph, and historical migrations through the Cimmerians and Scythians into Europe.
—————
Here is a detailed study that assembles the scriptural case alone
THE BIRTHRIGHT OF JOSEPH
Are the United States and British Commonwealth Modern Israel?
A Scripture Study of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ephraim and Manasseh
“And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk… bless the lads; and let my name be named on them.”
— Genesis 48:15–16
INTRODUCTION
One of the most remarkable themes running through Scripture is the promise Yahweh made to Abraham and then passed through Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh.
Those promises included far more than the coming of Yeshua through Abraham’s descendants. They also contained promises of:
- enormous populations,
- nations and a company of nations,
- extraordinary agricultural abundance,
- military strength,
- strategic geographical advantages,
- national greatness,
- kings and rulers,
- and blessings extending into the “last days.”
The argument presented in this study is that these physical promises were ultimately fulfilled on an extraordinary scale in the English-speaking peoples—particularly the British Commonwealth and the United States.
This is not stated explicitly in Scripture by the modern names “Britain” or “America.” Rather, we reach the identification by following the biblical birthright promises and asking:
Where did those promised national blessings eventually appear?
1. YAHWEH MADE UNCONDITIONAL PROMISES TO ABRAHAM
The story begins with Abraham.
Genesis 12:1–3
Yahweh told Abram:
“I will make of thee a great nation… and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
Two kinds of promises begin appearing.
There are spiritual promises associated ultimately with salvation through Yeshua.
But there are also unmistakably physical and national promises.
Yahweh said Abraham's descendants would become:
a great nation.
That promise grows considerably as Genesis continues.
2. ABRAHAM WOULD BECOME MANY NATIONS
Genesis 17:4–6
Yahweh said:
“Thou shalt be a father of many nations.”
And:
“I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.”
Notice the plural:
NATIONS.
The promise was not merely that Abraham would produce one small nation.
His descendants were destined to become:
- nations,
- kings,
- great populations.
Yahweh even changed Abram's name to Abraham, meaning father of a multitude.
3. ABRAHAM'S DESCENDANTS WOULD BECOME IMMENSELY NUMEROUS
Genesis 22:17
Yahweh promised:
“I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore.”
This language represents enormous population growth.
The same verse adds another striking promise:
“Thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.”
In ancient times, a city's gate represented control over access, trade and defense.
Those who hold the gate control what enters and leaves.
History shows this in the later British control of strategic world passageways and sea routes.
At different periods Britain controlled or dominated access near such strategic locations as:
- Gibraltar,
- Malta,
- the Suez route,
- the Cape of Good Hope,
- Singapore,
- Hong Kong,
- major Atlantic and global sea lanes.
These are the specific “gates” spoken of in Genisis that show the British Empire fulfillment.
4. THE PROMISE PASSED THROUGH ISAAC
Abraham had more than one son.
But Yahweh specifically established the covenant through Isaac.
Genesis 17:19
“My covenant will I establish with Isaac.”
Then Yahweh repeated the promises directly to Isaac.
Genesis 26:3–4
Yahweh promised:
“I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven.”
The Abrahamic promise therefore continued through:
Abraham → Isaac
5. THE PROMISE PASSED TO JACOB
Isaac had two sons:
Esau and Jacob.
The covenant promises continued through Jacob.
Genesis 28:13–14
Yahweh told Jacob:
“Thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth.”
Then He said Jacob's descendants would spread:
“westward, and eastward, and northward, and southward.”
Again we see geographic expansion and tremendous population growth.
6. JACOB'S NAME WAS CHANGED TO ISRAEL
This point is essential.
Genesis 32:28
Yahweh changed Jacob's name:
Jacob → Israel
Therefore Israel originally refers to a man.
Jacob's descendants became:
the children of Israel.
Jacob had twelve sons.
Those sons became the ancestors of the twelve tribes.
7. ISRAEL WAS PROMISED A NATION AND A COMPANY OF NATIONS
Years later Yahweh appeared to Jacob again.
Genesis 35:10–11
Yahweh said:
“Thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name.”
Then came an extraordinary prophecy:
“A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee.”
This phrase becomes extremely important in the British-Israel interpretation.
Jacob's descendants would eventually produce:
A NATION
and
A COMPANY OF NATIONS.
This shows:
United States — one enormous nation
and
British Commonwealth — a company or family of nations.
Genesis 35 establishes the biblical pattern that shows this.
8. JUDAH AND ISRAEL ARE NOT ALWAYS THE SAME THING
This is one of the most important distinctions in the entire study.
After Solomon died, the kingdom divided.
Read:
1 Kings 12
The northern tribes formed the kingdom commonly called:
Israel
The southern kingdom became:
Judah
From that point onward Scripture repeatedly speaks separately of:
- the House of Israel,
- the House of Judah.
Therefore, after the division, the word Israel does not always mean Judah.
This becomes extremely important when reading prophecy.
9. THE NORTHERN HOUSE OF ISRAEL WAS TAKEN INTO ASSYRIA
Because of persistent rebellion against Yahweh, the northern kingdom was conquered.
2 Kings 17:6
The king of Assyria:
“carried Israel away into Assyria.”
The Israelites were placed in:
- Halah,
- Habor,
- by the river Gozan,
- cities of the Medes.
This occurred centuries before Judah was later conquered by Babylon.
The northern House of Israel therefore disappeared from its ancient territory.
10. JUDAH LATER RETURNED—THE TEN TRIBES DID NOT RETURN AS A KINGDOM
Judah went into Babylonian captivity.
But Yahweh permitted many from Judah to return.
This is recorded in:
- Ezra,
- Nehemiah.
The northern kingdom of Israel, however, never reappeared in the land as its former ten-tribe kingdom.
This creates the historical question:
What became of those Israelites?
They continued migrating and eventually became incorporated into peoples moving toward northwestern Europe.
The Bible itself does not give a complete migration itinerary into Britain.
That requires historical arguments outside Scripture.
But Scripture does indicate that Israel would continue existing somewhere.
11. YAHWEH SAID ISRAEL WOULD NOT CEASE BEING A NATION
Jeremiah 31:35–36
Yahweh speaks of the ordinances of the sun, moon and stars and declares:
“If those ordinances depart from before me… then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.”
The argument is simple:
Israel disappeared from the ancient historical stage.
Yet Yahweh said Israel's descendants would continue.
Therefore the tribes must have survived somewhere among the nations.
12. ISRAEL WOULD BECOME SCATTERED
Yahweh repeatedly foretold Israel's scattering.
Amos 9:9
“I will sift the house of Israel among all nations.”
Notice:
Israel would be scattered.
But Yahweh would not lose them.
This becomes one of the keys to the entire prophecy:
LOST TO HUMAN HISTORY
does not mean
LOST TO YAHWEH.
13. THE BIRTHRIGHT DID NOT BELONG TO JUDAH
Many people naturally associate every promise to Israel with the Jewish people.
Scripture makes an important distinction.
1 Chronicles 5:1–2
Speaking of Reuben, Scripture says:
“his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph.”
Then:
“Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's.”
This is crucial.
Two different lines emerge.
JUDAH
From Judah came:
- the royal line,
- David,
- ultimately Yeshua.
JOSEPH
Joseph received:
the birthright.
The national and material blessings therefore became especially associated with Joseph's descendants.
14. JOSEPH HAD TWO SONS
Joseph's sons were:
- Manasseh,
- Ephraim.
Before Jacob died, Joseph brought the boys to him.
What happened next becomes one of the foundation passages of this prophecy.
15. JACOB ADOPTED EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH AS HIS OWN
Genesis 48:5
Jacob told Joseph:
“Ephraim and Manasseh… are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.”
This effectively elevated Joseph's sons to tribal status.
Joseph therefore received a double portion through:
Ephraim
and
Manasseh.
16. ISRAEL'S NAME WAS PLACED UPON EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH
Genesis 48 contains one of the most striking statements in this entire subject.
Jacob said:
Genesis 48:16
“Let my name be named on them.”
What was Jacob's new name?
ISRAEL.
Therefore the name Israel was particularly placed upon Joseph's sons:
Ephraim and Manasseh.
This is one reason major end-time references to “Israel” need not refer exclusively to the Jewish people.
17. MANASSEH WOULD BECOME A GREAT NATION
Joseph placed Manasseh, his firstborn, toward Jacob's right hand.
But Jacob deliberately crossed his hands.
Genesis 48:19
Jacob said concerning Manasseh:
“He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great.”
Notice:
Manasseh would become:
A GREAT PEOPLE.
This Shows:
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
One enormous, extraordinarily wealthy and powerful nation.
18. EPHRAIM WOULD BECOME A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS
Jacob continued:
Genesis 48:19
“But truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.”
Ephraim would become:
A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS.
This identifies Ephraim with:
GREAT BRITAIN AND THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH
At its height Britain stood at the center of an extraordinary family of territories, dominions and nations spread around the globe.
Thus advocates see the prophetic pattern:
MANASSEH → great single nation
EPHRAIM → company/multitude of nations
19. WHY DID EPHRAIM RECEIVE THE GREATER BLESSING FIRST?
Manasseh was older.
Joseph expected him to receive the primary blessing.
But Jacob crossed his hands.
Joseph objected.
Jacob refused to change them.
Genesis 48:19
Jacob said:
“I know it, my son, I know it.”
This was deliberate prophecy.
Ephraim would rise first into exceptional greatness.
Later Manasseh would also become great.
This shows an interesting historical parallel:
Britain became a global power before the United States.
The British Empire reached extraordinary prominence.
Later the United States surpassed Britain in economic, military and geopolitical influence.
20. THE PROPHECY CONCERNED THE “LAST DAYS”
Jacob then gathered all twelve sons.
Genesis 49:1
“Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.”
This statement is extremely significant.
Whatever else Genesis 49 meant for the tribes anciently, Jacob specifically frames his prophecy in terms of:
THE LAST DAYS.
Therefore we should expect identifiable tribal characteristics to appear in later history.
21. JOSEPH WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARILY FRUITFUL
Genesis 49:22
“Joseph is a fruitful bough… whose branches run over the wall.”
This shows expansion beyond original boundaries.
We see parallels with the enormous overseas settlement and expansion of British-descended peoples.
Britain's population spread through:
- North America,
- Australia,
- New Zealand,
- southern Africa,
- and numerous territories throughout the world.
22. JOSEPH WOULD FACE ENEMIES YET REMAIN STRONG
Genesis 49:23–24
Jacob said:
“The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength.”
Joseph's descendants would experience conflict but maintain strength.
This imagery shows the extraordinary military endurance and power of Britain and America.
23. JOSEPH WOULD RECEIVE BLESSINGS FROM HEAVEN AND EARTH
Genesis 49:25
Jacob speaks of:
“blessings of heaven above”
and:
“blessings of the deep that lieth under.”
This language has been interpreted to include:
- favorable climate,
- rainfall,
- rivers,
- fertile land,
- mineral resources,
- underground resources,
- maritime resources.
America and the British-descended nations possess remarkable natural resources.
24. JOSEPH'S BLESSINGS WOULD SURPASS THOSE OF HIS BROTHERS
Genesis 49:26
Jacob declared:
“The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors.”
Joseph's blessings were extraordinary.
They would be placed:
“on the head of Joseph.”
Among all the tribes, Joseph received a uniquely abundant national birthright.
25. MOSES ALSO GAVE JOSEPH AN EXTRAORDINARY BLESSING
Before Moses died he blessed the tribes.
Read:
Deuteronomy 33:13–17.
Joseph again receives an exceptional blessing.
Moses mentions:
- precious things of heaven,
- dew,
- the deep,
- precious fruits,
- precious things of the earth,
- strength,
- power over peoples.
26. AGRICULTURAL ABUNDANCE
Deuteronomy 33:13–16
Joseph would receive extraordinary productivity from the land.
Consider the agricultural regions possessed by the English-speaking peoples:
- American Midwest,
- Great Plains,
- Canadian prairie provinces,
- Australian agricultural lands,
- New Zealand farmland.
For generations these regions have been among the greatest food-producing areas of the world.
These facts matche Joseph's blessing.
27. MILITARY POWER
Deuteronomy 33:17
Joseph is compared to a powerful animal whose horns would:
“push the people together to the ends of the earth.”
Then Scripture identifies:
“the ten thousands of Ephraim”
and
“the thousands of Manasseh.”
This is another picture of extraordinary geopolitical and military power possessed historically by Britain and the United States.
28. “A NATION AND A COMPANY OF NATIONS”
Now return to Jacob's earlier prophecy.
Genesis 35:11
“A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee.”
Place this alongside Genesis 48.
Manasseh:
“A GREAT PEOPLE”
Ephraim:
“A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS.”
The parallel is one of the strongest proofs of the prophecy:
Biblical Description | Proposed Modern Fulfillment |
Great people/nation | United States |
Multitude/company of nations | Britain/Commonwealth |
Birthright of Joseph | Ephraim & Manasseh |
Great wealth | Anglo-American prosperity |
Military strength | Britain and America |
Strategic gates | British global positions |
Agricultural abundance | English-speaking agricultural lands |
Worldwide expansion | British and American settlement |
29. WHY THE PROMISES COULD NOT SIMPLY DISAPPEAR
This is an important biblical truth:
Yahweh promised these things to Abraham.
Genesis 22:16–18
The promise was confirmed by Yahweh's own oath.
Hebrews later refers to this.
Hebrews 6:13–18
Yahweh's promise is presented as certain.
Therefore we know:
If Yahweh promised Abraham enormous national blessings…
and passed them to Isaac…
and to Jacob…
and gave the birthright to Joseph…
and divided Joseph's inheritance between Ephraim and Manasseh…
then those promises must eventually appear somewhere in history.
The question becomes:
WHERE?
30. WERE THESE PROMISES FULFILLED COMPLETELY IN ANCIENT ISRAEL?
Ancient Israel certainly enjoyed great prosperity at various times.
Solomon's kingdom was wealthy.
This extraordinary language used concerning Joseph is larger than anything experienced by the ancient northern tribes.
Consider:
- population like sand,
- multitude of nations,
- greatness,
- world-reaching strength,
- branches spreading outward,
- extraordinary agricultural abundance.
Therefore they look for a later fulfillment.
31. THE “SEVEN TIMES” ARGUMENT
Some interpret Israel's national punishment with the expression “seven times” in Leviticus 26.
They calculated a prophetic period of approximately 2,520 years.
From this we can date the rise of British and American national greatness
32. WHAT ABOUT JUDAH?
Judah received a different promise.
Genesis 49:10
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah.”
Judah carried the royal promise.
Ultimately Yeshua came through Judah.
Hebrews 7:14
“Our Lord sprang out of Juda.”
Thus:
JUDAH → SCEPTRE
JOSEPH → BIRTHRIGHT
This distinction is central to the entire prophecy.
33. THE DAVIDIC THRONE
Yahweh made extraordinary promises to David.
2 Samuel 7:12–16
Yahweh said David's throne would be established.
Jeremiah 33:17
“David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel.”
This throne eventually continued through Ireland and Britain.
Scripture guarantees Yahweh's covenant with David.
34. ISRAEL WOULD ONE DAY BE REGATHERED
Jeremiah makes repeated prophecies concerning scattered Israel.
Jeremiah 31:10
“He that scattered Israel will gather him.”
Notice that the people being gathered had first been:
SCATTERED.
Jeremiah 31 contains prophecies concerning both:
Israel
and
Ephraim.
35. EPHRAIM REMAINS IDENTIFIABLE IN PROPHECY
Jeremiah 31:9
Yahweh says:
“Ephraim is my firstborn.”
This is remarkable because Ephraim was not Jacob's literal firstborn.
Neither was Ephraim Joseph's firstborn.
Yet because Ephraim received the superior national birthright blessing, Yahweh calls him:
MY FIRSTBORN.
36. YAHWEH STILL REMEMBERS EPHRAIM
Jeremiah 31:20
“Is Ephraim my dear son? … I do earnestly remember him still.”
Even after punishment and scattering, Yahweh had not forgotten Ephraim.
This undermines the idea that the ten tribes simply vanished from Yahweh's plan.
37. HOSEA DESCRIBES EPHRAIM AMONG THE NATIONS
Hosea 7:8
“Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people.”
And:
Hosea 8:8
“Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles.”
Thus Israel could become thoroughly scattered.
Yet Yahweh still knew who they were.
38. ISRAEL COULD LOSE KNOWLEDGE OF ITS OWN IDENTITY
The Book of Hosea portrays the northern House of Israel as separated from Yahweh and deprived of its previous national identity.
Hosea 1:9
Yahweh declares:
“Ye are not my people.”
Yet immediately afterward comes restoration.
Hosea 1:10
“The number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea.”
And:
“It shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”
Israel become numerous while no longer understanding who they were.
39. PETER QUOTES THIS LANGUAGE
1 Peter 2:10
Peter writes to people:
“Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God.”
This resembles Hosea's language.
40. JAMES WRITES TO THE TWELVE TRIBES
The New Testament does not speak as though the tribes ceased existing.
James 1:1
James writes:
“to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.”
This demonstrates that tribal Israel remained a meaningful concept even after centuries of dispersion.
It does not identify Britain or America, but it does show that Scripture does not treat the tribes as annihilated.
41. YESHUA SPOKE OF THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL
Matthew 10:6
Yeshua told the disciples:
“Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
And:
Matthew 15:24
“I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
The northern tribes had been dispersed centuries earlier.
Yet Yeshua still referred to:
the House of Israel.
They existed.
They were simply:
lost.
Lost to whom?
Not to Yahweh.
Lost primarily from national and historical identification.
42. ISRAEL AND JUDAH WILL BE REUNITED
Ezekiel gives one of the clearest prophecies demonstrating that Israel and Judah remain distinct prophetic entities.
Ezekiel 37:15–22
Yahweh tells Ezekiel to take two sticks.
One represents:
JUDAH
The other:
JOSEPH — THE STICK OF EPHRAIM
Yahweh then joins them.
Ezekiel 37:22
“I will make them one nation.”
This means they must first have been separated.
The prophecy therefore preserves the distinction between:
Judah
and
Joseph/Ephraim.
Only later are they reunited.
43. WHY THIS MATTERS
If Judah represents the Jewish people…
and Joseph/Ephraim represents another identifiable portion of Israel…
then the Bible itself requires us to look beyond Judah when studying Israel's prophetic identity.
This makes the question legitimate:
WHERE IS JOSEPH TODAY?
44. THE ANSWER
EPHRAIM
became prominent through the British people and the larger Commonwealth tradition.
MANASSEH
became prominent through the United States.
These nations uniquely display the combined characteristics given to Joseph:
- enormous population growth,
- unmatched material abundance,
- possession of great agricultural lands,
- tremendous military power,
- world influence,
- maritime strength,
- control of strategic positions,
- a single great nation,
- and a company of nations.
45. WHAT SCRIPTURE PROVES
Scripture clearly establishes:
- Abraham received promises of national greatness.
- Those promises passed through Isaac.
- They passed through Jacob/Israel.
- The birthright passed to Joseph.
- Joseph's inheritance was expressed through Ephraim and Manasseh.
- Manasseh would become great.
- Ephraim would become a multitude of nations.
- Joseph would receive extraordinary physical abundance.
- Israel and Judah became separate kingdoms.
- Northern Israel was scattered.
- Yahweh did not forget the scattered tribes.
- Prophecy still distinguishes Judah from Joseph/Ephraim.
- Israel will ultimately be gathered and reunited.
46. THE STRONGEST BIBLICAL CHAIN
The proof can be summarized in one continuous line:
ABRAHAM
Father of many nations
Genesis 17:4–6
↓
ISAAC
Covenant continued
Genesis 26:3–4
↓
JACOB / ISRAEL
Nation and company of nations
Genesis 35:10–11
↓
JOSEPH
Received the birthright
1 Chronicles 5:1–2
↓
EPHRAIM & MANASSEH
Israel's name placed upon them
Genesis 48:16
↓
MANASSEH
A great people
Genesis 48:19
↓
EPHRAIM
A multitude of nations
Genesis 48:19
↓
JOSEPH'S DESCENDANTS
Exceptional prosperity and strength
Genesis 49:22–26
Deuteronomy 33:13–17
↓
SCATTERING
House of Israel dispersed
2 Kings 17
↓
ISRAEL AMONG THE NATIONS
Hosea 7:8
Hosea 8:8
Amos 9:9
↓
FUTURE RESTORATION
Jeremiah 31
Ezekiel 37
47. THE CASE FOR AMERICA AS MANASSEH
The identification rests particularly on Genesis 48:19.
Manasseh:
“shall become a people, and he also shall be great.”
Supporters point to the United States as an exceptional fulfillment:
- one federal nation,
- continental scale,
- enormous agricultural production,
- immense natural resources,
- extraordinary industrial development,
- historically unprecedented wealth,
- major military strength,
- tremendous global influence.
Thus it identifies:
MANASSEH → UNITED STATES
48. BRITAIN IS EPHRAIM
Ephraim's prophecy is different.
Genesis 48:19
“his seed shall become a multitude of nations.”
Britain eventually stood at the center of a global system of nations and dominions.
At its height the British Empire covered roughly one-quarter of the world's land area and governed roughly one-quarter of its population.
Later numerous former territories became independent members of the Commonwealth.
Thus this identifies:
EPHRAIM → BRITAIN / COMMONWEALTH
The biblical identification and the historical pattern is striking.
49. WHY BRITAIN FIRST AND AMERICA LATER?
Jacob specifically said Ephraim would become greater, while Manasseh would also be great.
Historically:
Britain rose first.
Then the United States rose to extraordinary world power.
This sequence shows Genesis 48 as prophetic of the Anglo-American peoples.
50. THE GREATER PURPOSE
Understanding physical Israel should never become racial pride.
Yahweh repeatedly warned Israel that physical blessings did not make them righteous.
Deuteronomy 8:17–18
Israel was warned not to say:
“My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.”
Rather:
“Thou shalt remember Yahweh thy Elohim: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.”
If America and Britain did inherit Joseph's birthright blessings, then those blessings came from Yahweh.
They were not earned through racial superiority.
51. BLESSINGS BRING RESPONSIBILITY
Yahweh blessed Israel so Israel could fulfill His purpose.
But national blessing could be removed through rebellion.
Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 repeatedly establish this principle:
OBEDIENCE → BLESSING
REBELLION → NATIONAL CURSES
The purpose of studying Israel's identity therefore should not simply be to say:
“Look who we are.”
The proper question is:
“IF WE ARE ISRAEL, ARE WE OBEYING YAHWEH?”
52. ISRAEL'S GREATEST PROBLEM
Ancient Israel repeatedly enjoyed Yahweh's blessings and then forgot Him.
Deuteronomy 8:11
“Beware that thou forget not Yahweh thy Elohim.”
Prosperity became spiritually dangerous.
Israel grew comfortable.
Then Israel forgot the One who provided the blessings.
That warning remains powerful today regardless of how one identifies modern Israel.
53. NATIONAL WEALTH CANNOT SAVE US
Military power cannot save a rebellious people.
Money cannot save them.
Technology cannot save them.
Political leaders cannot save them.
Psalm 33:16
“There is no king saved by the multitude of an host.”
Our trust must be in:
YAHWEH.
54. YAHWEH WILL YET RESTORE ISRAEL
The story does not end with punishment.
Jeremiah 30:3
Yahweh promises restoration.
Jeremiah 31:10
“He that scattered Israel will gather him.”
Ezekiel 37
Judah and Joseph are reunited.
Ultimately Yeshua returns and establishes Yahweh's Kingdom.
55. THE FINAL LESSON
Whether studying Abraham…
Isaac…
Jacob…
Judah…
Joseph…
Ephraim…
or Manasseh…
the center of Scripture is not national pride.
It is Yahweh's faithfulness.
Yahweh made promises.
Yahweh keeps promises.
And Yahweh expects His people to turn back to Him.
CONCLUSION
Biblical proof for identifying Britain and America with Ephraim and Manasseh rests primarily upon five passages:
Genesis 35:11
“A nation and a company of nations.”
Genesis 48:16
“Let my name be named on them.”
Genesis 48:19
Manasseh becomes great; Ephraim becomes a multitude of nations.
Genesis 49:22–26
Joseph receives extraordinary blessings “in the last days.”
Deuteronomy 33:13–17
Joseph receives tremendous physical abundance and national strength.
Add to these:
1 Chronicles 5:1–2
which explicitly says:
“the birthright was Joseph's.”
This follows the biblical pattern:
Judah retained the sceptre.
Joseph received the birthright.
Ephraim and Manasseh carried Israel's name.
Ephraim was promised a multitude of nations.
Manasseh was promised national greatness.
Britain's former world-spanning family of nations and America's rise as a single extraordinarily powerful nation shows a fulfillment of Jacob's prophecy.
But Scripture should remain the final authority.
This must always be tested against Yahweh's Word.
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:21
And most importantly:
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”
— Matthew 6:33
The purpose of prophecy is not merely to identify nations.
It is to lead us to repentance, obedience, faith and preparation for the coming Kingdom of Yahweh.
