>On Tuesday, August 08, 2006, The Trumpet.com republished an article by Ryan Malone and Stephen Hill titled “The End of the Free World,” an article in which the writers describe the role the United States and Great Britain will play in the events of the last days. They wrote:
One of the most astounding secrets of the Bible—that the United States and Britain are two of the most prominent nations mentioned in prophecy—may initially appear startling, or even preposterous, to some of our readers.
The reason “the United States and Britain are two of the most prominent nations mentioned in prophecy” is because Britain, the nations of the British Commonwealth, and the United States of America are the remnant of Ephraim and Manasseh, two of the lost ten tribes of Israel.
Malone and Hill wrote:
Before we can understand the prophecies pertaining to the United States and Britain, an understanding of the identity of these countries in the Bible is essential. The abundant material blessings eventually to be bestowed on the U.S. and the British Commonwealth of nations were initially conveyed to the biblical patriarch Abraham because of his obedience (Gen. 22:16-18). He then passed them on to his son Isaac, who later did the same with his son Jacob. In due time, Jacob conferred this birthright promise to his son Joseph’s sons—Manasseh and Ephraim.
This is the reason, according to the two writers, that Old Testament prophets like Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Hosea provided specific detail about what is to happen to the United States and Britain.
The view advocated in this article is called “British-Israelism.” British-Israelism is the view that teaches that Great Britain and the United States are the remnant of the ten lost tribes of Israel. Thus, those who have adopted this view believe that the United States and Great Britain are God’s Chosen People.
The advocates of British-Israelism believe that biblical prophecies about the future of Israel and Judah are in reality prophecies about the destiny of America and Great Britain.
The concept of the ten lost tribes of Israel came into existence after the exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by Assyria. In 722 B.C., after the death of Shalmanassar V, King of Assyria, Sargon II finished the conquest of Israel. The capital of the Northern Kingdom, Samaria was conquered and thousands of people were deported to other parts of the Assyrian Empire.
The advocates of British-Israelism believe that the people of Israel who went into exile eventually migrated from their places of exile into the British Isles. These refugees eventually dispersed to America and Canada, thus establishing an Israelite presence in the Anglo-Saxon world.
Among the evidence given by the advocates of this view is that the word “Saxons” is a corruption of the expression “Isaac’s sons.” The advocates of this view also say that the word “British” is formed by the Hebrew word brit which means “covenant” and the word ish which means “man.” Thus, the word “British” means “covenant man.”
According to British-Israelism, America and Great Britain are heirs of God’s promises to Israel and because of that, many biblical prophecies have been fulfilled in the lives of these two nations. America and Great Britain have been blessed with prosperity and material wealth and have become two great superpowers.
But because of disobedience to God’s law, America and Great Britain have begun experiencing God’s judgment:
Also prophesied for America and Britain was the gain of strategic sea gates (Gen. 22:17) only to be lost as these nations reaped curses for disobedience. This too has already largely occurred. The 20th century saw Britain’s and America’s loss of sea gates such as the Suez Canal, Malta, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Falkland Islands, the Cape of Good Hope and the Panama Canal. Gibraltar will undoubtedly be added to the list soon, as Britain is being bullied by the European Union to relinquish control of this strategic territory, under threat of horrendous fines.
The views proposed by British-Israelism find no support in the Bible even though its proponents use many biblical passages to prove their point. A careful study of the Old Testament will show that the lost tribes of the Northern Kingdom were never lost.
When Sargon II deported the population of the Northern Kingdom, he deported only a portion of the population. According to the Sargon Inscription, when Sargon captured Samaria he took captive 27,290 people, but many more were left behind.
During the reforms of Josiah in 622 B.C., Josiah made an attempt to extend his religious reforms to the remnant of the Northern Tribes. According to 2 Chronicles 34:8-9, Josiah contacted Israelite people who lived in Ephraim and Manasseh:
In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God. They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the temple of God, which the Levites who were the doorkeepers had collected from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant of Israel and from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The reference in Chronicles to the people of Manasseh, Ephraim, and the entire remnant of Israel may reflect the Chronicler’s view that all Israel was still a viable option. However, this reference clearly indicates that during the time of the Chronicler, the remnant of the tribes of Israel were not lost.
As for America and Great Britain, they are not found in the oracles of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Hosea. Only through the process of eisegesis, reading one’s view into the biblical text, is America and Great Britain found in the Old Testament.
British-Israelism is not supported by the teachings of the Bible. The interpretation of biblical prophecies showing that America and Great Britain are the lost tribes of Israel is false.
Christians who are interested in prophecy and the events related to the last days must be careful not to be deceived by false teachings. Believers should always be aware of the words of Christ, that in the last days “there will be false prophets, and they will give signs and wonders in the hope of turning even the saints from the true way” (Mark 13:22).
If you want to read about the fallacy of British-Israelism online, read British-Israelism: A Mirage by R. P. Nettelhorst.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
UPDATE: For additional information on this topic, read my post The Myth of British-Israelism
Tags: Prophecy, British-Israelism, America
Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament 
>Claude,Well done! This movement also has given birth to Christian Identity theology which is the foundation for white supremacy.Best RegardsJoe
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>A “well done” from me also. Thanks for the courage to point out this fallacy.
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>Joe,Thank you for you nice comment. I decided not to include the issue of white supremacy in the article. I always appreciate your comments.Claude Mariottini
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>Rick (at The Blind Beggar),Thank you for your comments. I believe it is necessary to educate our readers on issues that are not well known outside academic life.Thank you for your comment.Claude Mariottini
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>It should be noted that DNA seems to demonstrate the Western Europeans came from a different “father” than the Jews and the Arabs.The article was very well done.
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>Good stuff. Thanks for the post.
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>I suppose that this article on this link http://www.truthinhistory.org/Frank%20Sandford.htmcould only make sense for those who believe that God acts in and indeed shapes our history.This concept (that God shapes our history) is threaded throughout scripture, that is, if you accept the Bible and that God is Almighty.He plans his work, and works his plan. This is what scripture teaches. Finding that his will is done, is simply awesome. It is carried out according to scripture, ‘in all things’. Just carefully read Romans 8-11, Eph. 1 and many more, with an open heart. Man is mere clay in the potters hand. Where is the power? Where is the control?When one looks at such articles as in the link above, this does make sense in fulfillment of God’s word and that he does indeed act in the affairs of men.Stdavid
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>In the conquest of Samaria by Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser boasts that he destroyed 591 cities and carried away all their inhabitants and possessions to Assyria.” Even a king cannot make such a frightful lie and expect anyone to believe it.There were a bare minimum of 5 million people involved (probably a lot more) and not even the most ignorant peasant could fail to notice that their victorious king didn’t bring 5 million people into his country.Look up “Tiglath-Pileser” in Unger’s Bible Dictionary, which I’m sure you use and trust.All historical sources agree that the ten tribes were carried away to Assyria. To equate a tiny remnant who escaped capture, with the millions who did not, is a shalow, superficial, unsupported mistake.
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>Furthermore, we have the Word of the Lord Himself.”For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘At first my people went down to Egypt to live. Lately, Syria has oppressed them. And now what do I have?’ declares the Lord. ‘For MY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY for nothing, and those who rule them mock,’ declares the Lord.”Isaiah 52:4-5So who do I believe? The Lord who says they have been captured by Assyria, or you who says they haven’t?
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>There are endless places where God speaks through His prophets about the captivity of the Ten Tribes. To deny that it happened is to call God a liar. I expect more from my bible teachers.
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>Dear Friend,I think you are the one who wrote the last three comments. Thank you for visiting my blog.There is no doubt that the Assyrians exiled the people of the Northern Kingdom. This is affirmed in the Old Testament.What I have objected and rejected is the idea that the British are the remnant of the ten tribes. It is also doubtful that some group in India, China, Ethiopia, and a few other places are the remnant of the lost tribes.Claude Mariottini
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>These are your words, rabbi:”When Sargon II deported the population of the Northern Kingdom, he deported only a portion of the population. According to the Sargon Inscription, when Sargon captured Samaria he took captive 27,290 people, but many more were left behind.””However, this reference clearly indicates that during the time of the Chronicler, the remnant of the tribes of Israel were not lost.”You can find these quotes in your writing above. You are denying your own words. If the Ten Tribes were lost, then your whole essay goes to ruin. If they weren’t lost, God is a liar.Your call.You haven’t presented a single scrap of evidence against Anglo-Saxon identity with the Ten Tribes. You’ve only assured me that it’s false, without the tiniest proof. Your only argument in this entire essay is that the Ten Tribes were never really captured or lost. Now you’re even denying that.Here’s what Hosea says:”Yet the Israelites will be like the sand of the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” they will be called “sons of the living God.” The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be REUNITED, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.”Questions: Has the day of Jezreel already happened? Can the current Jews in Israel be measured or counted? What is the most Christian country in the world, where people are called “sons of the living God”? Have Israel and Judah already been reunited? If so, when?
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>Dear Friend,The problem with your interpretation about the lost tribes is that you take the words of the Bible out of its historical context. When you do so, any interpretation is possible. I guess you and I may never agree on this issue.Thank you for visiting my blog.Claude Mariottini
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>Since you do not present any evidence for this contention either, it must also be discarded.I will ask you again:How many people were in the Ten Tribes before the conquest by Assyria?Were the Ten Tribes lost or not?Did God directly promise to recover the Ten Tribes?If He did promise, has it already happened?Please fulfill your calling as a bible teacher and answer these simple questions in a consistent way. You might want to carefully consider how your answers match up to the Prophets and Histories.People wonder why the Christ’s Body is so weak and divided. It is divided because it has no brain. The simplest exercises of reasoning and logic, of analysis and consideration, are deemed sinful. We read about the early church fathers who castrated themselves or put our their eyes. Today’s Christian would much prefer to cut off his whole head.If you abandon reason, you abandon Paul and his students. You abandon Luke. You must have the ability to put facts together and reach conclusions which accommodate the facts. This is not a sin – this is the calling of the Teacher.Do you remember what Christ said to Nicodemus? Do you want Him to say the same to you?
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>Dear Anonymous,I will be glad to answer your question. But, before I do, I want you to make a list and name the names of the ten tribes that were lost.Claude Mariottini
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>Okay, is this some kind of clever trap which will explain everything? I am willing to be trapped if it actually explains anything, so here goes:The aptly-named kingdom of Judah consisted of the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. There were a few faithful Levites in this kingdom as well.That means Israel/Samaria was made up of these tribes:Reuben, most of Levi, Gad, Dan, Ephraim, Manasseh, Isaachar, Napthali, Zebulun, AsherObviously this adds up to thirteen tribes. But Ephraim and Manasseh are half-tribes, descendants of Joseph’s twin sons.I have granted your request. Grant mine.
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>Dear Anonymous,Thank you for doing what I requested of you. Now, I will do what you requested of me.Give me a few days and I will write a full post in response to your comments.Claude Mariottini
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>It’s been more than a week. You wrote this column, surely you can answer the most basic possible questions about its subject?
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>Be patient; it is coming. I have many other things to do in addition to blogging.Claude Mariottini
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>If you don’t have this basic information at your fignertips, there is no point in even having this discussion. You’re supposedly a Doctor of the Old Testament, it’s hard to believe you can’t answer my questions off the cuff.
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>Dear Friend:You may read my response to your questions by reading my new post on British Israelism.Claude Mariottini
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