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For April-June 2003
Volume 6 Number 2 (continued)
The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy
Have the prophetic identities of Ephraim and Manasseh been reversed? Proponents argue that the prophetic identity of the USA, which they claim is a "company of nations," is Ephraim. This role has been that of Great Britain.
Are the United States of America and Great Britain mentioned in biblical prophecy? The equation of America, Britain, and various northern European nations with specific Israelite tribes serves to impart an exciting prophetic hermeneutic for understanding why the world is the way it is and what is going to happen in the course of future events. This paradigm is, of course, not without controversy.
Prophecy buffs who prophetically identify the United States of America and Great Britain as the end-time Israelite tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim face a new challenge. Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Jacob's son Joseph, were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their grandfather Jacob adopted them. Several advocates of the theory claim that the prophetic identities of the two tribes must be reversed. The switch has raised the hackles of some.
The controversy surfaced in the pages of The Journal, a monthly religious newspaper published in Big Sandy, Texas. The paper publishes material of interest to the Churches of God. Most of these churches are derivatives of Herbert W. Armstrong's Radio Church of God later known as The Worldwide Church of God. Armstrong taught on his World Tomorrow radio and television programs that the prophetic cipher for America is Manasseh and Britain as Ephraim. Armstrong drew heavily from Judah's Scepter and Joseph�s Birthright by John H. Allen (Allen 1917, 1946). In the early 20th century Allen was one of the major advocates of the view that Great Britain and the United States are the modern descendants of the Israelite tribe of Joseph. With this equation Armstrong developed an elaborate scenario of end time events leading to the return of Jesus Christ to establish his world-ruling government�the Kingdom of God.
In "Trading Places: Could America be Ephraim in Prophecy?" [The Journal, Aug. 30], editor and publisher Dixon Cartwright discussed, among other things, the content of a Virtual Church Program hosted by Kenneth Westby on August 17, 2002 (Cartwright 2002:8). It was a phone-panel discussion with Westby as Moderator�and with Dixon Cartwright, Clyde Brown, and Gary Arvidson participating. The question at issue was: Is Ephraim the United States of America? Writing from England, Lewis and Kathleen McCann in a letter to The Journal [Nov. 30] ask:
Who said America is "vastly greater" than Britain? Where was the United States of America between about A.D. 900 and 1900? How do we measure greatness? By gross national product or the size of the military arsenal? Historically Britain's power was greater than America's has ever been. We have all heard the saying that "the sun never set on the British Empire." In 1900 Britain owned 20 percent of the land area of the earth, and 23 percent of the world's population was ruled by the British monarch. What land of any consequence has America ever ruled outside of North America? (McCann 2002:4.)
Similarly, Geoff Neilson writing from South Africa wrote: "If America was the leading tribe of the house of Israel, then the royal line of Davidic kings would be in the U.S.A. Instead we find them in the territory ruled by England, further evidence that England is Ephraim" (Neilson 2002:4).
The leading proponent for the America = Ephraim and Britain = Manasseh identification has been William F. Dankenbring the founder-leader of Triumph Prophetic Ministries. His position is set forth in "Heraldic Emblems Prove the Modern Identity of Ephraim! (Dankenbring 2002c:3) and "A New Look at End-Time Ephraim!" (Dankenbring 2002d:21). Dankenbring credits Greg Doudna, a former student at Armstrong's Ambassador College as the originator of the idea (Dankenbring 2002b:4). The present day "reformed" Worldwide Church of God no longer makes such a claim and has rejected the concept on a number of grounds. The belief does, however, remain as a common thread among many of its derivatives including the United Church of God, the Living Church of God, and the Philadelphia Church of God. Each of these entities have published material espousing the doctrine.
An international conference on prophecy, being organized by Kenneth Westby, is to include a section on "Trading Places for Ephraim & Manasseh." Arvidson, a principal advocate of the USA is Ephraim in prophecy dogma has challenged writer Steven M. Collins to an oral dual over the issue: Which entity is Ephraim: The United States or Britain? Collins authored The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel..Found! (Collins 1995).
The Ephraim-Manasseh issue is only part of the greater equation of the northern European peoples with the lost tribes of ancient Israel. "In short," says Arvidson, "the "Lost Tribes" must be found in order for any of us to make sense out of current world events." The tribes became lost with the collapse of the Assyrian empire.
Under the reigns of David and Solomon the people of Israel formed a single nation through the union of the twelve tribes into a united monarchy. David captured Jerusalem, then called Jebus, and made it his capitol. The united monarchy ended at the death of Solomon when the tribes separated into two independent states. The northern Kingdom of Israel separated itself from the Kingdom of Judah at the beginning of the reign of Solomon�s son Rehoboam. The northern tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel. The tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi made up the Kingdom of Judah to the south.
In BCE 722 the Kingdom of Israel fell to Sargon II and the Assyrians. The conquerors deported the substantial majority of its inhabitants and relocated them in Assyria as captives, exiles, and slaves. This began the Diaspora. At this time some members of the northern tribes, a remnant, fled to the south and joined themselves to the Kingdom of Judah. Evidence of this refugee movement into Judah are new neighborhoods and building programs at Jerusalem constructed at that time. Absorption of the refugee population resulted in some admixture of the tribes. This kingdom, which later fell to the Babylonians in BCE 587, added the Jews, that is the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Levi, and the remaining remnant of the Ten Tribes to the Diaspora.
The Assyrian empire declined and eventually collapsed with the rise of the Chaldean empire. The latter then fell to the Persians then the Greeks and finally the Romans. Nearly all the literature dealing with the fate of the Israelite tribes suggests either their absorption into Gentile populations, where they perished as a people with their genes swamped and their culture abandoned, or their assent to nationhood as the Americans, British, and other northern European peoples.
In "Who Are the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel?" (Perspectives 1998) I acknowledged that the descendants of the northern tribes of Israel are with us today but asked where they are? The question remains can we identify the descendants of these ancient Israelite peoples and, if so, how? So far "Archaeology, history, and linguistics fail to explain their fate. No more than soft evidence is available and none of it is scientific. While interesting the evidence is not compelling." If there is a solution I hold that the answer does not lie in theological speculation but in molecular genealogy.
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