God's Birthright People

Mr John Meakin, 09-Jly-05, Devon UK

 

I would like to begin the sermon today with the first few words of a booklet produced by Mr Herbert Armstrong, back in the Worldwide Church of God. This was the first booklet that I received from the Church back in 1965 - just 40 years ago.

 (READ ENTIRE 1945 VERSION AT END OF THIS DOCUMENT)

 

"People of the Western world would be stunned - dumbfounded - if they knew! The governments of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australasia, South Africa would set in motion gigantic crash programmes - if they knew! They could know! But they don't! Why?"

 

Then the first paragraph in the book states:

 

"A staggering turn in world events is due to erupt in the next few years. It will involve violently the United States, Britain, Western Europe, the Middle East. It's already rather late for the free world to come awake to the real meaning behind current world events! Why do not the world's leaders fully see what is coming? Why are the world's best minds often unseeing - the heads of state, scientists, educators, editors, news analysts, bankers, industrialists, leaders in business and commerce?"

 

In this booklet, Mr Armstrong goes on to develop the idea of the identity of the United States and the British peoples in Biblical prophecy as the major key to unlock prophecy and give us an understanding of our modern world.

 

This book and the thesis that it contained essentially established our "world view" as a Church. Where were we coming from? What was the basic framework that we were operating within?

 

Mr Armstrong died 19 years ago. Was Mr Armstrong right in what he said? When it comes to the timing involved, the answer has to be, "no." He expected everything to take place within five, ten or fifteen years. He died in 1986 before the Berlin Wall fell, before the Soviet Union imploded and the Cold War ended.

 

He died before China and India, the newly emerging economic super-powers in the East begin to take advantage of globalisation. He died before the Internet, the Worldwide Web, fibre optics and the digital revolution.

 

In 1986 Mr Armstrong's book recorded that:

 

"Since the first printing of the United States and Britain in Prophecy in 1942, at least five million copies of the English language version have been distributed worldwide, free of charge."

 

Following 1986, additional numbers were printed and distributed.

 

That booklet and the thesis that it contained, was one of the reasons the Church grew so rapidly. We identified who modern nations were in Biblical prophecy. Britain was Ephraim. America was Manasseh. Together, the sons of Joseph were the rather undeserving recipients of the blessings to father Abraham. Our nations have been INCREDIBLY blessed. Together they have dominated the world since the late 1500s. Despite our manifest failings and our many sins who can deny that these nations have been a stabilising force for good in the world?

 

Britain and America have driven world politics and influenced the formation of governments. Parliamentary democracy, London's own Parliament - being the mother of parliaments - has been copied and implemented around the world.

 

Our nations have led and have driven science and technology like none other. Which countries lead in the granting of patents for new inventions, for example? The Anglo-Saxon nations are in the forefront. Whenever I go to the Royal Institution for events, they always begin with the same words:

 

" For any of you coming here for the first time, perhaps it helps to understand that at least ten of the natural elements were discovered right here in this building."

 

... the building that the Royal Institution occupies in central London.

 

The Worldwide Web was invented by an Englishman. The Internet developed initially as "Arpanet" in the United States.

 

Britain and America have dominated economics and finance with their ideas and practices: the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund.

 

After the Second World War, they with others gave the world the United Nations as an effort at global governance and solving problems on a global scale.

 

The United States lifted Europe off its knees following World War Two and enabled it to rebuild in a way that would not otherwise have been possible, in one of the largest and greatest acts of benevolence the world has ever seen - the Marshall Plan.

 

The point of saying all this is to make the observation that this very year marks a most significant coalescing and a converging of events, anniversaries and circumstances. Here, at the beginning of the 21st century, and in these years around now, is an opportunity to remind ourselves of Britain's history and its influence and especially its values, which inform our world view in the church.

 

I would like you to consider the following, and the way that all these different elements over the past few weeks and months, and in the months ahead, all seemingly fit together.

 

Last weekend (July 2nd) the "Live 8" concerts, initiated by two Irishmen, Bono and Bob Geldof reprised the "Live Aid" concerts of some 20 years ago for the Ethiopian famine relief. The Live 8 concerts were designed to influence the G8 Summit (in the week following), to prevent the number of Africans dying and "Make Poverty History" (which was its slogan). It was a campaign hugely influenced by Jeffrey Sach's book, "The End of Poverty," which, itself, carried a Foreword from Bono.

 

Scenes of happiness, joy and enjoyment predominated at the ten or more concerts which took place around the world with high hopes of influencing the G8 to make significant progress. Ironically these concerts also served to divert attention away from the emerging famine calamity in the African country of Niger.

 

Those concerts were followed just a few days later (Wednesday 6th July) by Britain's surprise win of the 2012 Olympic Bid for London, beating the UK's archrivals, France. The French had been the clear favourites. Lord Sebastian Coe and Tony Blair himself are both credited as hugely influencing the result because of all their manifest efforts on behalf of the UK. Perhaps President Chirac's unfortunate negative comments about the "English Finnish Cuisine," may have played their part.

 

There were feelings of wild ecstasy. I was in Trafalgar Square and saw and experienced the celebratory mood. Wild ecstasy and happiness prevailed in London. Deep gloom descended upon Paris. It was even reflected in the weather. It looked as though it would rain in London, but it didn't. It turned out to be a fantastic, sunny day. In France it rained. The weather almost seemed to back up the decision.

 

The major place in London where the results of the bid were received was none other than Trafalgar Square, under the benign gaze (and no doubt, approval) of Admiral Lord Nelson himself. Trafalgar Square was the centre of celebrations.

   

In Trafalgar Square, the British effectively have a shrine that was erected to the memory of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson who, in 1805, defeated the combined French and Spanish fleet between Cadiz and Cape Trafalgar off southern Spain near Gibraltar.

 

To celebrate the 200th anniversary, a few weeks ago (on 28th June), about a quarter of a million people assembled down in Portsmouth. This was not at all encouraged either by the government, or by the BBC which didn't even bother to cover the event on terrestrial channels.

 

A hundred and sixty seven ships from 35 navies all assembled together in what will probably be the largest collection of ships, unlikely to be repeated. They all came together to honour a great soldier, not so much a great victory, because the French would have a problem with that. They all came together to honour a great soldier whose victory heavily influenced Britain's future role in the world.

 

Leaders of 57 navies lunched on board Nelson's famous ship, Victory. The day finished with a re-enactment of a Trafalgar-like battle between the "Reds" and the "Blues," and an unbelievable £4 million firework display of 10,000 fireworks.

 

What was all that about 200 years ago? In the years following the French Revolution which began in 1789, Napoleon took control and proceeded to establish a French land empire in Europe. He invaded the German Rheinland and defeated Prussia and Austria.

 

His great ambition was to invade Britain. And to that end, in 1804, he amassed an army of as many as 200,000 troops along the northern coast of France, ready to invade. He had 2,000 landing craft available to do the job.

 

In the French and English rivalry over empire building, Britain, whose aim was not to build an empire but to build up trade alliances rather than territory, did everything in her power to stop Napoleon. They "bank rolled" anybody and everybody on the continent who would come with them to resist the French.

 

To that end, in 1797, Britain defeated the Dutch, who at that time were the allies of France, at the Battle of Camperdown. Spain, an ally of France, was also defeated at the battle of St Vincent off the coast of Portugal in 1797.

 

Nelson defeated the French at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, a battle in which he was severely injured. Amongst other injuries, he lost an arm and an eye.

 

Britain knew that its only hope of forestalling invasion was to destroy the French fleet which otherwise would be used to protect the invading French flotilla as it came across the Channel. Napoleon had famously declared:

 

"It is necessary for us to be masters of the sea for six hours only and England will have ceased to exist."

 

Trafalgar was to be the crucial cockpit that would deliver the decisive killer blow to forestall French ambitions. So Nelson became the superstar of his age. He was a charismatic and great leader whose victories essentially changed the course of history.

 

At that celebration a couple of weeks ago (28th June), I noted that the Sky News 24-hour rolling channel, was continually asking the question: "What's the point of all this? What are we to learn from all this?"

 

The answer kept being repeated, "We must never forget that we are an island race."

 

Even today, 95% of UK trade comes by sea. If the UK doesn't have a navy, it can't protect the seas, it cannot trade, and it cannot survive. The British navy continues to be important.

 

The historical significance of Trafalgar was huge. It ended Napoleon's dreams of conquering Britain. The actual order of events is that Napoleon firstly received news that the Austrians were on the march and were linking up with the Russians.

 

He was faced with a very difficult decision. "Do I continue on with my invasion of England, or do I put that on hold, and take care of the Austrians/Russians first?" That is what he did. He delayed his invasion plans and he went off to fight the Austrians and the Russians.

 

In the meantime, the English took care of his fleet, and as a result of that, dominated the seas.

 

Napoleon went on to win his greatest victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in December of 1805 against the Austrians and Russians.

 

Britain now had control of the seas and Napoleon now controlled all the land of Europe. It would take another ten years before that hold was finally broken by the British (with the Prussians helping) at Waterloo.

 

The result of that gave Britain dominance to pursue her trading empire, and build up that empire. And it gave the world 100 years of Pax Britannica with Britain ruling the seas.

 

This is hugely important. Trafalgar thwarted French dreams then, just as now in a way, losing the 2012 Olympic bid did also, all under the watchful eye and the gaze of Nelson in Trafalgar Square.

 

I was in London that day for a different reason. I was at the London Maritime Museum in Greenwich, opposite Greenwich Park where the equestrian events for the Olympics in 2012 are going to be held. I was there because this was the first day of a most remarkable exhibition of Nelson and Napoleon in both English and French. Once again, the connections involved are amazing.

 

As we went through this exhibition, I saw two teenagers being filmed under television lights. The boy, about 5 foot, 6 inches tall, with a great mop of ginger hair, turned out to be the great, great, great, great, great grandchild of Nelson. He had taken the day off school. His sister was also there, and together they were being photographed. Everybody was comparing the similarities of their physiognomy with a portrait of Nelson on the wall right behind them.

 

I spent time with their mother and their grandmother. It was amazing to see and to sense all these connections. When I asked about the ginger hair, the grandmother piped in, "Yes, early pictures of Nelson showed he had some ginger hair." He got quite grey early so we don't see that in the pictures which depict him.

 

Later on we stood in front of a display case which housed the coat of Nelson himself - the very coat he died in. There on the left shoulder epaulet was the hole where the bullet, a musket ball, went in. And there was the very musket ball itself. It came in on the left and pierced his lungs, severing an artery.

 

When he collapsed on the floor, he said to Hardy, "I'm done for. My back is broken." The musket ball had sliced through his back, and then lodged in his right side. He drowned in his own blood as it filled his lungs over the next four hours. We saw locks of his hair that had been cut off and sent back to Emma Hamilton. All this was incredibly powerful stuff - it was visceral, you could reach out and touch it - and somehow incredibly connected to today.

 

As I mentioned, Britain went on to rule the waves, unchallenged for over a hundred years. The Empire ensued. World trade blossomed. A remarkable era of globalisation took place. Britain went on to invent, adapt and popularise many of the modern sports we enjoy today - numerous of which will feature in the Olympics. How many sports are coming home in 2012 to the country of their origin or at least adaptation and popularization? So many of them were popularised as a result of our Empire - tennis, badminton, boxing, soccer, golf, cricket, table tennis, squash, rugby to name but a few. Would they have developed to the same extent without our influence? Probably not.

 

Let's take a different tack. This coming week (10th July) also marks the official 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two. Britain stood alone in 1940, almost defenceless against a rampant and victorious German military machine.

 

I bought a book the other day entitled, "Five Days in London: May 1940," by John Lukacs. It was about five days that changed the course of world history.

 

Back then, following Dunkirk, 350,000 or so British troops, by an amazing miracle, were repatriated from Northern France. The Germans simply stopped advancing and inexplicably gave the British troops time to escape. The English Channel was dead calm like a duck pond. British troops only had their hand weapons with them. All the heavy weaponry of the army had been left behind. The men came back but they had nothing left to fight with.

 

The planes weren't ready. The Armed Forces hadn't fully been rebuilt. Day after day people woke up wondering, "Will today be the day when the Germans invade?"

 

But the invasion didn't happen. Churchill had only recently been elected as Prime Minister - against opposition from almost everybody. The King didn't want him as Prime Minister. His own party didn't want him as Prime Minister. The Opposition didn't want him as the Prime Minister, and yet he was the only man in England who could do the job.

 

People all around him were pressuring him with words to the effect, "There's no way of defeating Hitler. We should sue for peace. We should sue for terms. We must give in."

 

Churchill didn't do that. He rallied the country with his sterling leadership, with his stoical, inspired speeches, to fight to the bitter end; and not only that they would fight to the bitter end, but that they would win.

 

One quote phrases it something like: "a white light of lightning swept the country." All of a sudden people were now being told the truth. Churchill said, "I promise you nothing but blood, toil, tears and sweat." People had been denied the truth for so many years. Churchill had been the voice in the wilderness saying, "No, no, no. This is not it. We must do things differently."

 

To say all of that, not only that we will fight on, but that we would win, somehow resonated with the national character of resilience and resistance. They would resist and they would go on to win - and so they did.

 

In connection with the convergence of all these things, this year is also the 40th anniversary of Churchill's death. He died the year I was first introduced to the Church. He was given the greatest funeral of a Briton possibly since Nelson.

 

His leadership was truly inspiring. It saved Britain even if it was principally the Russians and the Americans who came in on our side who actually went on to win the war. Britain wouldn't have done it without them.

 

But here, too, is a wonderful, inspiring story as Churchill, against all the odds, was appointed Prime Minister at the vital hour - the only man in England who could have performed that role with such leadership and eloquence.

 

Shifting our focus again, a few weeks ago (Sunday 29th May), against all the odds, it was the French who voted, "Non," to their own French inspired E.U. Constitution document.

 

Yet, as was pointed out on numerous occasions in the press, it was largely because of Tony Blair that any of this came about, albeit inadvertently, due to his own unprincipled volte-face (about-face). Some time previously, Chirac had come to Tony Blair and said, "Are you going to show solidarity with the E.U. Constitution? Are you going to support it? You're NOT going to go for a Referendum, ARE YOU??"

 

Mr Blair said, "Yes I am going to support the Constitution, but no, we will not have a Referendum." The French didn't want to give a Referendum to their own people. That was the last thing they wanted to do.

 

But being the creature of change that he is, Mr Blair was then forced to give in to pressure by the Conservative Party, to pressure from his own Foreign Secretary who said, "Prime Minister, it is INCONCEIVABLE that we would go into Europe without having a Referendum on this Constitution."

 

They were facing a General Election, so Tony Blair to everyone's surprise gave in and then promised a Referendum.

 

This shamed Chirac into also providing a Referendum. And for the first time, the French had every opportunity to say how they really felt about the Constitution, about the French elite, and the E.U. elite. They voted, "Non!"

 

Coincidentally again, all this was on the eve of the UK's six-month revolving presidency of the E.U. Quite predictably, a row promptly broke out about the values of the E.U.

 

Chirac professed belief in so-called French values over Anglo-Saxon values. He called the Constitution "the daughter of 1789, the daughter of the French Revolution, and the Code Napoléon" which was spread to the German Rheinland states when Napoleon invaded.

 

Anglo Saxon values versus Rheinland values were thus catapulted to the fore in a most sublime moment of clarity and light. For over fifty years the UK press has reported all sorts of lies and untruths from the British leadership about the nature of the developing E.U.. The truth has been clouded and obfuscated. We hadn't really seen what was going on. "It's only an economic union," they said. "Political?" "No, no, no, it's not political!"

 

Mr Blair does an amazing about-face. Now he is criticising the E.U., an arch Euro-sceptic, at least until the next time he changes. Now he has the presidency for six months and he is in a position to say, "Non," to a French Federal kind of Europe which is what the French government wants, based on French/German Rheinland values.

 

And the E.U. is thrown into chaos.

 

Those who know, say that the cause of a Federal Europe has possibly changed forever. These are hugely important events with the greatest significance.

 

Has anything changed? Has anything really changed, because the British are still doing what they've always done. The British have stood for their values against all other values. They have resisted any and every attempt to foist alternative values upon them, or to be snaffled up by other powers because they were determined to protect their own independence. All of this is truly amazing.

 

There are about seven things here: the Second World War, Churchill, Live-8, G8, the Olympic Bid, Trafalgar, the E.U. Constitution. We could throw in others. Over this period of time, 400 years ago, the English Bible was in preparation (1604-1611). The King James Bible came out in 1611.

 

Towards the end of the 1500s and into the early 1600s the English nation was literally "soaked" in the Word of God, more than at any other time, and the English language was being formed, in a way that it never had, by the English of Tyndale and his version of the Bible, and by Shakespeare.

 

Under the leadership of Elizabeth 1st, the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588.

 

There has been very few times that England has been threatened quite as severely as it was in 1588, as it was in 1804/1805 and as it was in the First and Second World Wars, particularly in the Second World War in 1940.

 

All this information has come piling in, in terms of anniversaries and history, to impinge on the British national consciousness, and to help them understand what this is all about. Except they don't. But we in the Church do.

 

I don't have the time to cover all this history today, but I just want to hit some of the high spots. How does one explain this extraordinary history and influence far in excess of what might be expected from a small island race?

 

We believe that it is because God has blessed our nations because of His promises to the patriarch Abraham, and because of the values that we held dear. We believe that any nation that honours God, and lives by His law, will be blessed. The Scriptures say: "Righteousness exalts a nation," - any nation.

 

It became Britain's privilege and opportunity to somehow accept that for what it was, and make it their own, as imperfectly as they did, going back much earlier to Alfred, to the Magna Carta, and to the things that enshrined many of the principles of God's law in English Common Law, which formed the backbone of the nation.

 

We in the Church believe that our peoples represent the descendants of ancient Israel. Britain is Ephraim. America is Manasseh. Together in the world we refer to them as Anglo-Saxons, and enshrined within them, apart from the English language, were the values of the Bible and belief in God. Our country was an imperfect force of liberty and freedom, often representing God's way of life as a "shell", rather than actual substance as we in the Church would understand. The blessings came to us, not because of ourselves, but in spite of ourselves.

 

I have a book called, "Chosen People," written by Clifford Longley, a commentator on religious matters. He said:

 

“You cannot understand the history of Britain and America unless you also understand that they saw themselves as the chosen people of God, and that this identity was expressed in the biblical language of “Israel” and involved the responsibility of representing a way of life to the world.”

 

In other words, the history of Britain and America is explained in the language of the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel fought against all the nations round about. "We are God's people and we represent God's way of life to the world."

 

Clifford Longley doesn't believe that himself. He believes that it is contrived, backward engineering. But he says, "You cannot understand the history and the significance and the impact of Britain and America on the world unless you understand that that's how they thought."

 

They may not think that now. Britain certainly doesn't think that now, but there is a residue and that residue is the values that Britain held dear and which we have heard this past week in connection with many of these anniversaries. Britain holds them dear. They don't want to part with those values.

 

We in the Church believe that God has blessed our Anglo-Saxon peoples because of the faithfulness of our ancient fathers, often in spite of ourselves, and despite our own national weaknesses and manifest UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

 

The world has been a better place for our nations' benign influence. But things are changing. They are not changing as fast as Mr Armstrong thought they would. In those early chapters of "The United States and the British Commonwealth in Prophecy," he said: "America has won its last war."

 

That was wrong. America has won other wars since. But what is the greatest war that our nations fight? The 9th July issue of The Spectator, had an article by Mark Steyn. He comments on what they are doing to commemorate Ground Zero in New York. He says:

 

"The post-9/11 world is not primarily a war between civilisations - the West vs Isslam - but a war within one civilisation: ours. It's a long existential struggle between those who believe that Western values - or, to be more precise, the values of the English-speaking world ...

 

... Anglo-Saxon values, or residue of Biblical values ...

 

"... the values of the English-speaking world - are one of the great blessings of this world, and those 'counter-tribalists' who believe those values are the source of most of the world's ills. The latter are a relatively small group, but their numbers are bolstered by legions so immersed in the sappy therapeutic culture of the age that they've been persuaded that the best way to 'celebrate diversity' is to abase oneself before moral relativism and non-judgmentalism."

 

The war is within! One of the first books I remember being introduced to when I came to Ambassador College in 1966 was "The Suicide of the West," by James Burnham. He pointed out that The West was killing itself from within because we are surrendering our values. We HAVE surrendered our values. In Britain, we have gone through the most fundamental change, particularly in the last 50 years. God has largely gone. Many of the churches are empty - sold off to become shops or for other uses. Others languish with diminished congregations.

 

Science and evolution are the new "gods." The values that made this nation great, that made America great, have been progressively eroded - more so in Britain than in America, but America is going in the same direction.

 

These are amazing things which seem to have all come together. We heard echoes of them again by Prime Minister Tony Blair in the days following the terrorists' bombs in London (7th July), as he said, "We will not be cowed. We will not surrender our values. We will not give in to the forces of terrorism which seek to change us by violent means. We will simply not do it."

 

How do we link all these things together, and how do we relate them to the Scriptures and to the world view of Britain and America being the descendants of Israel?

 

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation ...

 

... any nation, or indeed any individual who exalts God and His laws will be blessed, and will prosper.

 

Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule ...

 

Proverbs 22:29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings ...

 

... diligent in fulfilling those principles that the Proverbs discuss.

 

Let's remind ourselves of the heart of the essential background. Jacob, on his deathbed, is passing on the birthright blessing to Joseph. He takes Joseph's two children, Ephraim and Manasseh. He crosses his hands so that his right hand is going to the younger, Ephraim, and not the older, Manasseh.

 

Genesis 48:18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

20 So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!'" And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

 

Earlier on, he had said:

 

16 ... Let my name be named upon them ...

 

The name of "Israel" would be named on Ephraim and Manasseh.

 

In Genesis 49, Jacob relates God's blessings to each of his children. Of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), he says:

 

Genesis 49:22 "Joseph is a fruitful bough,

A fruitful bough by a well;

His branches run over the wall.

23 The archers have bitterly grieved him,

Shot at him and hated him.

 

... what interesting language!

 

24 But his bow remained in strength,

And the arms of his hands were made strong

By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob

(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

25 By the God of your father who will help you,

And by the Almighty who will bless you

With blessings of heaven above,

Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,

Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26 The blessings of your father

Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,

Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.

They shall be on the head of Joseph,

And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

 

These are amazing words. Joseph would be fruitful in a way that Jacob's other descendants would not. The results, from attitudes and the character of the people involved, and especially from God's blessings, are no accident.

 

I still think that to an extent, God is still blessing Joseph's leadership today. Mr Armstrong said that America had won its last battle. That was a little too severe. It's not necessarily wrong, to the extent that if our nations depart from the ways of God, then they depart from the blessings that obedience to God would bring. But it's a process. It doesn't suddenly happen overnight.

 

In the 1580s, the Spanish were defeated by the English. All those countries allied to those who came against us were also defeated. The French were defeated at the Battle of the Nile and at Trafalgar. The Spanish were also involved with Trafalgar. So the French and the Spanish were seen off. The Dutch were seen off. A hundred years later, the Germans were seen off.

 

After World War Two, now with America taking over the mantle from an exhausted Britain, but working together, following the same principles, the Russians were seen off, and the Soviet Union collapsed. And the Japanese were seen off during the war. Everybody who has come against Britain and America, has essentially been seen off - indeed in spite of ourselves. We often talk about the British "muddling through" in SPITE of ourselves.

 

"We won the war! How did that happen?" "We have an empire! Where did that come from?"

 

These are the verifiable facts. Britain woke up from sleep one day, and found itself with an Empire - because it never set out to create an empire, not as Napoleon aspired to. They set out to create a trading empire, and because of feelings about who they were, and what their responsibilities were, they went out spreading those values. They saw it as their bounden duty before God.

 

And it is still happening to an extent. Anglo-Saxon values still dominate the world for good in many, many ways. But their strength is truly waning. Hosea talks about; "grey hairs here and there upon him, and he knows them not."

 

Our nations are getting old. They are getting tired. They've lost enthusiasm for those values. They've lost allegiance for God. But it's not yet all over. It's a process that is continuing.

 

Here is Britain, "fighting" against Europe again as they seek to impose THEIR view of how things should be upon us, and swallow Britain up. And Mr Blair would have had it so, only now he has suddenly changed, and is now working for a somewhat different outcome. This is remarkable. He didn't do it. It didn't happen because he planned it.

 

And in those chapters which discuss the blessings and the curses (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28), God says, "If you obey Me, these are the blessings that will come. And if you don't obey Me, these are the curses that will come." That is every bit as alive and strong today as it ever was.

 

God talked about; "strangers rising up among you" sapping your strength. The article in The Spectator says the same thing.

 

We live in a multicultural world. I am not preaching against it. I am simply saying that multiculturalism dilutes national values. People now say, "You can't foist OUR Christian values upon those who don't believe that way. After all, 'they are Muslim.' 'They are Hindu.' 'They are atheists.' 'They are homosexuals.' 'They are this, and they are that.'"

 

Our nation thinks they must somehow reduce down the values they stood for to a sort of irreducible core. What have they defended? They defended freedom. They defended liberty. They defended democracy because that's the best bulwark against tyranny. They've defended liberal financial and economic principles. We call that capitalism. They've defended the rights of the individual to be free.

 

Here we are in a world where things are moving so fast. We can hardly keep up with it. We reel from one mega event to the next in our globalised world.

 

After Abraham was willing to offer up Isaac, God said to him:

 

Genesis 22:16 ... "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son -

17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven ...

 

I am terribly struck by the fact that it should have been the French who inherited North America. They had Quebec to the north. They had New Orleans to the south. They had forts on all the waterways. They controlled all the communications. They had everything stitched up - except for one thing. They couldn't get the French to emigrate from France.

 

It was Joseph who was "streaming over the wall," whether because of highland clearances in Scotland or potato famines in Ireland, or for whatever reason.

 

When finally, ultimately, the War of Independence took place in America against America's "favourite monarch," George III, the English said, "Okay, well if America is denied us, we will continue to trade with you, and we'll go looking to expand our influence elsewhere - to India, to South Africa, to Australia, to New Zealand, and to strengthen it in Canada."

 

What did the British do wherever they went? The strong values that they believed in went with them.

 

17 ... and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.

18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

 

We in the Church made a great deal of that phrase, "the gate of their enemies." These gates are the choke points of strategic value. Once Nelson had defeated the French and the Spanish at Trafalgar, then Britain controlled Gibraltar. After the Battle of the Nile, the British controlled the Nile. Britain controlled the whole of the Mediterranean.

 

And as the Empire got established, then there was the Suez Canal, the Straits of Malaka and Singapore. Britain established bases all around the world. The sea gates were the first choke points.

 

But now they have been replaced by air bases: Incirlik, the US air base in Turkey, Diego Garcia, Subik Bay, and Midway. Although they continue to be indispensable, latterly even they have become of less importance (some have closed) because now we have "floating islands" in the form of aircraft carriers that can project power almost anywhere on earth, and "floating arsenals" - nuclear powered submarines that together project power around the world.

 

So America can "take out" a country like Afghanistan, pulverise the Taliban, and "take out" Al Qaeda, half a world away.

 

Notice God's words to Jacob earlier:

 

Genesis 35:11 Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.

 

It was Mr Armstrong's thesis, his world view, that Britain and America were a fulfilment of these amazing prophecies. When you understood these things, and when you understood the values that they stood for and represented, you could understand the world. You could understand the Bible's approach and attitude towards the world.

 

You could also understand the conflicts of the world in this simple way: those who were FOR these values and those who fought AGAINST them.

 

Genesis 35:11 tells us that a great nation and a great company of nations would arise. It doesn't say when. It doesn't say who they would finally manifest themselves as, but we believe that this is what it is.

 

And the negative is also worth saying: that it's not the French, it's not the Germans, it's not the Japanese, it's not the Arabs, it's not the Russians, it's not the Muslims, it's not the Chinese or the Indians YET, although Revelation talks about armies of two hundred million in the future.

 

Europe has not yet produced its amalgam of ten nations and the beast power to fulfil prophecy that leads up to the return of Christ.

 

So are we to conclude that Mr Armstrong was wrong in his thesis? I don't think so. Was he wrong in his timing? Yes. He was (forgivably) a little too eager to see the way world events were panning out. If you had been in his shoes midway through the Second World War, you could be forgiven for saying absolutely everything he said, because that's what it looked like.

 

So there is more time yet and there are many more events yet to occur to fulfil prophecy. Of course it could happen in a short time. Look how fast things happen today. Look at the emotional extremes that Britain went through at the beginning of July - the highest of highs and the lowest of lows just a day or two later. That should tell us something.

 

Time could be short. Time could be longer. We simply don't know. It will be in God's own time:

 

Matthew 10:5 These twelve (the disciples) Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.

6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

 

Matthew 24 tells us that the Church's commission is to preach the gospel to the whole world as a witness. Other Scriptures break that down a bit, and say that the gospel goes to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. If you preach the gospel to the world, it is going to include the lost sheep of the house of Israel, wherever they may be. So in fulfilling that commission, we fulfil the more involved commission.

 

The Bible is not a book of the world. It is a book of Israel. It gives the history of Israel. It gives the development of Israel. It gives the prophecies relating to Israel, and it gives the ultimate outcome of Israel: Israel the physical nation, and Israel the spiritual nation, the Church.

 

The Church is composed of Israelites. When Gentiles come into the Church, they become spiritual Israelites. The Gentiles and the Israelites all keep the law of God.

 

As Mr Hulme strongly pointed out in the programme about Paul, there isn't one religion for the world and another for the Church. There's not one religion for the Jew, and another for the Gentiles. There's not one religion for Israel and something entirely different for everybody else. It's one religion for everybody, and it's within the framework of all that God revealed to Israel.

 

The Church, spiritual Israel, against all of this background, is given the opportunity to preach the gospel to the whole world as a witness to it, leading up to the return of Christ.

 

Just as God slowed down man's progression to evil with the Tower of Babel, I would venture to say, indeed who could argue against it, that Britain and America, because of the values they held, and their allegiance to God such as it may be, have held back the evil of this world.

 

What kind of a world would it be without their influence over these past hundreds of years? Arguably it would be more evil and it would be a more unhappy place even assuming it had survived.

 

What kind of a world would it have been, dominated by the Nazi regime, for example,  who were intent on establishing a thousand year Reich based, not on Christian values, but on their own perverted values? Every indication shows the policy they would have followed. If you didn't have the right colour hair, the right colour eyes, the right outlook, then you would have been dispensed with.

 

We can be very thankful that God didn't allow it. Why didn't He allow it? Because it wasn't His plan to allow it, but there were people around who He had placed there and blessed and enabled to be in such a position to prevent it.

 

All of that has enabled the preaching of the gospel.

 

Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

 

No one has done more to aid the preaching of the gospel than the United States and Britain. The British and Foreign Bible Society and the various American Bible societies have sent out more Bibles in more languages to this world than most others. Britain and America have been in the forefront, creating the background, the finances, the freedoms, the values, which have enabled this kind of activity to be fulfilled.

 

But the point of Matthew 24 is that one day, this will no longer be the case. In the fullness of time, whether that is sooner or later, whether it is now or whether it is a long time ahead, when the sins of our nations have caught up with us, and the power of other nations eventually conspires to overwhelm us, one day the end will come. And evil will so dominate at that time that Christ will have to intervene to save humanity.

 

21 "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

 

The elect is spiritual Israel, the Church. Perhaps at a physical level it's also our nations.

 

So we continue to have a window of opportunity to preach and to live the gospel. I think we need to be thankful for our physical and spiritual heritage. We should continue to use that heritage and to capitalise on it to the full for the greatest good, and continue to preach the gospel to the world.

 

Mr Armstrong believed that this understanding of who we were, this world view of where we were coming from, probably did more to cause the Church to grow than anything else. He read some of this material from a book entitled, "Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright," by J.H. Allen. The author of that book said the same thing: that wherever that information went, it somehow caused growth to an unparalleled extent to take place.

 

Make no mistake, we are in a war. The reaction of some people to the terrorist attacks in London is to emphasise that yet again. I think that one of the profound pictures during the G8 conference at the beginning of July was Mr Blair commenting on the terrorist attacks in London, surrounded by a group of the world's most powerful politicians and leaders. The head of the World Bank was there, as was the head of the United Nations and the President of the European Commission. All the leaders of the top eight economies in the world, and the next four or five invited to attend, were all there, all standing to attention behind Blair, all expressing solidarity and support for Tony Blair in his finest hour as he simply stood there and said, "We will not give in to all these terrorists."

 

It is a war, and it is a war of values. If we are to win that war, we have to hold onto our values. I appreciate that the values that Mr Blair was talking about are not the values that we would hold dear to the same extent. But there's a kind of residue, a basis, a kind of shell of the same values.

 

I also believe, frankly, that we are not as hypocritical as he is. He says one thing in such a well-meaning and powerful way in front of all the world's leaders, and yet in policy, underneath it all, he is doing the opposite. He is working against trade with Africa. He is working against the family, although he professes to believe in the family. That is either deception, double-dealing, or it's really not knowing up from down and right from wrong.

 

He is, after all, the essential post-modern man who makes the best of every circumstance.

 

We are in a war - a war of values. To the extent that it is, it's a war of the values of God versus the values of satanic forces who want to impose an alternative to those values. This is a war that eventually we are going to lose at a human level. But it's a war that God is going to win for us, because He is going to send His Son Jesus Christ to rescue us and allow those same values to flower, to blossom and flourish in a way that they have never done before.

 

It's a victory that God is going to give us, but I suspect it's a victory that God has manipulated, allowed and enabled all along - sometimes working through us, sometimes almost in spite of us in order for His plan to be fulfilled.

 

I believe that world view is still there. And I believe that in so many ways over this period of time, with all these anniversaries and events, it comes crashing in again: how do you understand all of this?

 

I think you understand it through a prism of the Bible and the values of God versus the values of Satan. And that tells us we must stick to those values even when those around us are compromising them.

 

We have a job to do to project those values to the rest of the world, and to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world before there comes a time when that will no longer be possible.

... John Meakin09 Jly 05

If WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ CAN BE PROVEN FALSE THEN WHY BELIEVE ANYTHING THE BIBLE SAYS!!!!

The United States in Prophecy

published 1945 without copyright

 

 

The Prophecies of the Bible have been grievously misunderstood. And no wonder! For the vital KEY, needed to unlock prophetic doors to understanding, had become lost. That KEY is a definite knowledge of the true identity of the American and British peoples in biblical prophecy. Here, condensed in a nut-shell, is the most fascinating story ever told. Whether skeptic, atheist, church member, or Spirit-hidden. It is startling revelation. While condensed and brief, it is plain, simple, understandable, and a truth that stands PROVED. No story of fiction ever was so strange, so absorbing, so packed with suspense, as this gripping story of the Bible.

 

By HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG

 

Where is the UNITED STATES mentioned in Bible prophecies? Or is it mentioned at all? We are the wealthiest of nations. And, potentially at least, the most powerful. We are the same people as the British, and, with them we possess more than two-thirds of all the wealth and resources of the world. All other nations, combined, have little more than a fourth divided between them all. And we have acquired nearly all of it since 1800.

     Never has there been anything like it in history. Never did a nation or people spread out and grow so rapidly to wealth and power. Never was a nation or people so rich. WHY?

 

Could Prophecy Ignore Us?

 

Consider, too, our people today constitute the HOME -- the last defense, of Christianity. It is our people who have sent missionaries into every land on earth -- our people who have printed and distributed the Bible by unbelievable millions of copies in the language of all peoples.

     We know Bible prophecies definitely refer to the Russia, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Ethiopia, Libya, Egypt, of today. Could they then, ignore modern kingdoms like Britain and America? Is it reasonable?

     Assuredly it is not. Nor are we ignored. The fact is, we are mentioned more often than any other race. Yet our prophetic identity has remained hidden to the many. Modern nations are not spoken of in their modern Names, except in few cases. Usually they are referred to by the names of the ancient ancestor from which they sprang. Thus Turkey is referred to in prophecy as Esau or Edom, because the Turks are the descendants of Esau. In like manner, the Arabs are spoken of as Ishmael, the Russians are Magog.

     The Bible story of our ancestry, and our modern prophetic identity, is the most amazing -- yes, astounding -- the most fascinating and interesting story ever told. It is really the story-thread of the Bible itself, from Genesis to Revelation.

 

Our Wealth Promised Abraham

 

     Centuries ago, this same wealth power and national greatness was promised by the Almighty to Abraham. Yet few have ever noticed this astonishing fact of Scripture.

     The promise of the Messiah, and of salvation thru Him is well known by the most superficial Bible student. But God made also another, entirely different, most amazing promise to Abraham. Notice how God called Abraham, and the two-fold nature of His promise: "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I will! make of thee a GREAT NATION ... and in thee shall all the families of the earth to be blessed. (Genesis 12:1) Notice the Two fold nature of the promises:

 

1 ) the Dreamless his flesh-born children promise of RACE;

 

2) the spiritual promise aisle GRACE: "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed," or, as the same promise is repeated in Gen. 22:18 "in thy seed shall all the nations of earth be blessed" This promise refers to GRACE, thru Christ, the "one seed," as clearly explained in Galatians 3:8. And Jesus of Nazareth was a son of Abraham.

 

                     RACE, as well as Grace

 

     But that the "great nation" promise refers alone to race -- not to the one seed, Christ, but to the plural, multiple seed of natural fleshly birth is made certain by God's repetition of His promise in greater detail later.

     "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect, and I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly ... thou shalt be a father of MANY NATIONS. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of MANY NATIONS have I made thee" (Gen. 17:1-5).

     Notice, the promise is now CONDITIONAL upon Abraham's obedience and perfect living. Notice, the "great nation" now becomes MANY NATIONS -- more than one nation. This cannot refer to the "one seed," Christ. The following verses prove that.

     "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make NATIONS of thee, and KINGS" (more than one) "shall come out of thee" (Verse 6). Notice, these nations and kings shall come out of Abraham -- generation -- multiple seed, not just one descendent thru whom scattered individuals may become Abraham's children, by adoption (Gal. 3:29). The scattered, individual Christians do not form NATIONS. This is speaking of RACE, not grace.

     "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in THEIR generations" (Verse 7). The "seed" is PLURAL -- "in their generations."

     "And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land of Canaan (Palestine) for an everlasting possession: and I will be THEIR God" (Verse 8).

     Notice, the LAND -- material possession -- is promised to the PLURAL seed, of whom He is THEIR, not his, God. The plural pronoun "their" is used again in the 9th verse "and thy seed after thee in their generations."

 

                      Not Fulfilled in Jews

 

Again, notice carefully, -- the JEWS have never been more than one nation. They are not, and never have been, MANY nations. So here is an amazing prophecy -- a Solemn promise from Almighty God, that could not he fulfilled in Christ, in Christians, nor in the Jews. We must look for a number of NATIONS apart from either the Christians or the Jews. Amazing as it is we must do it or deny God's promise! God put Abraham to the test, and Abraham, thru faith, OBEYED -- even to being willing to sacrifice his only son, if need be. And after that the covenant no longer was conditional. Now, it became UNCONDITIONAL.

      "By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord for BECAUSE thou hast done this thing and has not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of His enemies;" (so far the material, national promises of RACE); "and in thy seed" (Christ) "shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (this promise spiritual of GRACE); "BECAUSE thou hast obeyed my voice" (Gen. 22:16-18).

     The promise now is UN-conditional God has SWORN to make it good. Abraham already has performed his part of the agreement. Now God MUST perform His part without fail.

     Notice an additional detail of the promise -- the nations who are-Abraham's racial deescendants are to "possess the gate of his enemies" A gate is a narrow passage of entrance or exit. When speaking nationally, a "gate" would be such a pass as the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar. This promise is

repeated In Genesis 24:60.

 

                A Nation and a Company of Nations

 

     These tremendous promises were re-promised to Isaac and to Jacob, Ishmael, and Abraham's other sons were rejected from this birthright. Esau, Isaac's son and Jacob's twin brother, sold it and was rejected. The promise, as confirmed to Isaac is recorded in Gen. 26:1-5. To Jacob in Gen 27:26-29, where MATERIAL blessing of wealth in the things of the ground is added, with the prophecy that heathen nations shall be ruled by the birthright nations of Israel. And again in Gen. 28:13-14, where the still added detail that these nations of Israel shall eventually spread around the world is added.

     Still later, God appeared unto Jacob, whose name was changed to ISRAEL, still further defining the make-up of these "many nations" thus: "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; A NATION and a COMPANY OF NATIONS shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins" (Gen. 35:9-12).

     So the "many nations" are eventually to take shape as A NATION  -- one great, wealthy, powerful nation; and another COMPANY OF NATIONS -- a group, or commonwealth of nations allied.

     This Promise never has been fulfilled in the Jews. It could not pertain to the Church, for there is but ONE true Church acknowledged in the Bible, and it is not a nation or a group of nations, but a collection of called-out individuals scattered thru ALL nations. Yet this amazing promise MUST stand fulfilled, unless we are to deny the Bible and God's sacred Word!

 

                 The BIRTHRIGHT and the Sceptre

 

     Now we come to a most vital distinction, and a bit of Bible truth, known to but very few. Note it carefully.

     The spiritual promises, -- the promise of the "one seed,"t; Christ. and of salvation through Him -- the Bible calls the SCEPTRE." This promise as nearly everybody knows, was handed down through the Jews. Jesus Christ was of the tribe of Judah, and the House of David. "Salvation," Jesus said, "is of the JEWS" (John 4:22). To the JEW first," explained Paul, "and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).

     This fact is confirmed in Genesis 49:10; "The SCEPTRE shall not depart from Judah."

     BUT -- and here is the astonishing vital fact so few ever seem to have noticed "but the BIRTHRIGHT Was Joseph's." Yes, Joseph who was sold by his brothers down into Egypt, where he became food administrator and prime minister -- Joseph who was called "a prosperous man," even as his descendants were destined to become. "For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler" (Sceptre promise), BUT, the birthright was Joseph's" (I Chronicles 5:2).

     The birthright which Esau sold to Jacob -- the promise of national greatness and material wealth -- never was handed to the Jews who are of the tribe of JUDAH. So naturally we should not expect to find this promise fulfilled in the Jews today.

 

                   The Birthright is JOSEPH'S

 

     And just what is a birthright. It is that which comes by right of birth. The term "grace" means UN-deserved un-merited favor -- something that is NOT one's right, NOT inherited by birth, but bestowed as a free gift. But a "birthright" is inherited by birth, as one's RIGHT- Consequently, the term "birthright" includes only the inheritance of MATERIAL blessings, passed on from father to son -- those blessings one cannot take with him, when he dies.

     And what is a "Sceptre?" It is the badge of royal power, kingly office. The Sceptre was God's promise of a continuous dynasty of KINGS, culminating in Jesus Christ who shall be king of Kings, and therefore the Sceptre included the promise of eternal salvation THRU Christ.

     So notice carefully, please! The Sceptre, which is the spiritual promise of GRACE, thru which ALL nations may be blessed went to JUDAH, while the BIRTHRIGHT went to JOSEPH. And the birthright includes possession of the land, Palestine, possessing the material "gate" of material enemies, inheriting the heathen for a possession and ruling over heathen peoples, spreading and colonizing around the world! The two phases of the promises to Abraham now are separated into two different tribes of Israel!

     The interesting story of the Passing on of this Birthright from the aged Israel to the two sons of Joseph is found in the 48th chapter of Genesis. You should read it there entirely.

     Notice, Jacob adopted these two lads, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own legal sons because they had an Egyptian mother. Notice verse 16 he says, "let my name be named on them." Hence, THEY were to be called. "The House of Israel." It is THEY who rightfully own the name of ISRAEL, not the Jews! " ... and let THEM grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth, continues Jacob, administering the blessing. Let WHO grow into that promised multitude? Notice it,  -- NOT Judah, not the Jews, -- but the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh and THEIR descendants.

     Together they were to grow to a multitude. But eventually, as indicated by another prophecy, Isaiah 49:20, to be explained later, the descendants of these two lads were to separate, and Ephraim would lose Manasseh, then to become a separate nation -- So, continuing, speaking of Manasseh, Jacob said "he also shall become a people, and he also shall be GREAT- but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude (or a company or commonwealth) of nations. (Verse 19).

     And so EPHRAIM, the son of Joseph became the BIRTHRIGHT holder.   WHO today are the descendants of Ephraim, and of Manasseh? Somewhere? Ephraim must be a group, or Commonwealth of nations, while Manasseh must be the greatest single nation on earth! Either it is so, or the BIBLE is not true.

 

David Takes the Throne

 

     After the death of Jacob and his twelve sons in Egypt, their children grew in four hundred odd years to a population probably between three and six million in that land. Then God raised up MOSES fitted him in a special way to lead these Children of Israel out of the bondage that had come to them in Egypt.

     When they reached Mt. Sinai, in the peninsula wilderness, God made a covenant with them establishing them as a NATION -- His nation -- among the kingdoms of the world. Their government was theocratic, with the Civil, as well as the spiritual and religious laws, given direct from God. God Himself was their king and He

ruled them by a system of Judges.

      But soon the Israelites demanded a man for king, even as the Gentile nations around them. And so God gave them Saul as their first human king. Saul however, was not a good king, nor was his heart right with God -- Saul was dethroned.

     His dynasty ended -- with him. Then God placed DAVID, a man after His own heart, of no relationship to Saul, upon the throne of Israel. Because of his obedience and sincerity and honesty of heart, David, like Abraham, received a most astonishing UNCONDITIONAL promise from God, as little known as the Birthright

promises to Abraham.

 

The Davidic Covenant

 

     We have space to quote but briefly from the Scriptures setting forth this amazing. Davidic Covenant. Like the covenant with Abraham, God made the Davidic Covenant Unconditional and unbreakable.

     David wanted to build a great Temple, as God's house in Jerusalem. The Almighty replied, " ... when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom" (II Samuel 7:12). This, of course, was his son

Solomon, who succeeded David to the throne.

     "He," God continued, "shall build an house for my name." -- and it was Solomon who did build the Temple, -- "and I will establish the throne of his kingdom FOREVER" (Verse 13).

     Notice it! The throne of David, occupied by Solomon, was to be established FOREVER! If that throne ever ceased to exist, then God's promise has failed!

  But some say the promise was conditional upon the obedience of Solomon and the future line of kings or their people.

Notice the scriptural answer to this:

     "I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men BUT" -- Yes, notice this BUT -- "my mercy shall not depart from him AS I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee" (Verses 14-15). Saul's dynasty ceased. God promises He will never take away this throne from David's line in this manner. David's dynasty SHALL NEVER CEASE! Continuing, next verse, "And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established FOR EVER before thee: thy throne shall be established FOREVER."

 

Through ALL Generations

 

     Not only was that throne established FOREVER, it was to exist continuously forever, -- through ALL GENERATIONS!

     "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed" (his dynasty) "will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations" (Psalm 89:3-4). That throne was to stand forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven" (verses 28-37).

     "For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel" (Jer. 33-17.) So far as is historically known, the last king of David's dynasty to sit upon that throne was King Zedekiah of Judah, who died in 585 B.C. with the Jews a captive people, with all his sons, and all the nobles of Judah killed. There is no historic record of any continuance of that throne from that year. Did David want for a man to sit upon his throne, and continue his dynasty, from that day on?

     Some say Christ took over the throne. But He didn't. Instead He was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to heaven. He SHALL come, and soon now, to sit upon that throne as the King of kings and Lord of lords. But HOW can Jesus Christ, when He returns again to earth, take over and sit upon a throne that long ago ceased to

exist?

 

Will Christ Come to a Non-existent Throne?

 

     IF the throne of David ceased with Zedekiah, then it does not exist today. And if it does not exist, how shall Christ sit upon a non-existent throne. See Luke 1:31-32. And, since it was to continue through a generations, how about those many generations between Zedekiah and the birth of Jesus?

     "Thus saith the lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there Should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne" (Jer 33 Verses 19-21). Day and night still continues. Does David's throne?

     But what do the people say? "Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord hath chosen," (Israel and Judah), "he hath even cast them off? Thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them" (Verses 24).

     But what does GOD say? "Thus saith the Lord," (verse 25), "If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; THEN will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

     Strong words, those! Unless you can stop this old earth from turning on its axis -- unless you can remove the sun and moon and stars from heaven, says the Almighty, you cannot prevent Him from keeping His covenant to maintain continuously, though all generations, FOREVER, from the time of David and Solomon, a

descendant of David in one continuous dynasty on that throne!

     Not necessarily ruling over ALL the House of Israel, or of the Jews -- but at least some of them, and enough to form a nation.

     Remember again, the SCEPTRE promise, which includes this line of kings until it culminates in CHRIST at His Second coming: "The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver (margin, ruler's staff) from between his fee, UNTIL SHILOH (Christ) COME; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be" (Gen. 49:10).

 

The Test of Bible Truth

 

     Has the Sceptre departed from Judah?

     Has the throne ceased? Or does it, as God so bindingly promised, exist today so that Christ can take over and sit upon a living, going continuous throne when He comes?

     The infallibility of the Bible is at stake! God's word is at stake!

 

                            PART TWO

 

     THE HOUSE of ISRAEL is not Jewish! Those who constitute it are not JEWS, and never were! That fact we shall now see conclusively, beyond refute.

     After David's Death his son, Solomon, succeeded to the throne. Solomon taxed the people excessively, reigned in a gorgeous splendor probably never equalled before or since. And because he also married Gentile wives, sacrificed to their idols, and committed other sins God said, "I will surely rend the Kingdom from thee, and give it to thy servant .... Howbeit, I will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake" (I Kings 11:11-13).

 

ISRAEL Separates from David's Throne

 

     Note it! It is THE KINGDOM, not part of it, which is to be rended away. It is the PART, one tribe, which is to remain. That tribe, Judah, must remain subject to the throne -- why? "FOR DAVID''S SAKE!" David's dynasty must not be broken. God will not break His covenant!

     When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam succeeded to David's throne. The people at once demanded the heavy taxes be reduced. Their spokesman, Jeroboam, (Solomon's servant), pleaded with Rehoboam: "Thy father made our yoke grievous; now, therefore, make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee" ((I Kings 12:1-5).

     "My father," came Rehoboam's reply "chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions" (verses 6-14).

     Israel rebelled.

     The command to the people wa, "To your tents, O Israel!" The challenge to the royal house was, "Now, see to thine own house!" (verse 16).

     "So Israel rebelled against the House of David unto this day. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over ALL ISRAEL: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of JUDAH only" (I Kings 12:19-20).

     Then "Rehoboam ... assembled all of the HOUSE OF JUDAH, with the tribe of Benjamin" (verse 21). Rehoboam started to fight to subdue and bring back the House of Israel, but God said, "Ye shall not ... fight against your brethren the children of Israel ... for this thing is from me" (verse 24).

 

Israel Divided into TWO NATIONS

 

     Notice it carefully! The House of Judah, now including the tribe of Benjamin, under King Rehoboam of David's dynasty, was about to fight against the other ten tribes, headed by Ephraim and Manasseh. DIFFERENT AND SEPARATE NATIONS. The term Jew is merely a nickname for "Judah." It applies to the one nation, or House of Judah ONLY -- never to the House of ISRAEL.

     The first place in all the Bible where the word "JEW" is used is in II Kings 16:6. Notice it!

     Ahaz began to reign as king of JUDAH (verse 1) He sat on DAVID'S throne (verse 22). At this time a man named Pekah was king of ISRAEL. With King Rezin of Syria as an ally, this king of Israel came against Jerusalem in war, and besieged King Ahaz of Judah but could not overcome him (verse 5). "At that time, Rezin, King of Syria" -- the ally of ISRAEL, fighting with ISRAEL against Judah -- "recovered Elath to Syria and drove THE JEW'S from Elath" (verse

6).

     NOTE IT! The first place in the Bible where the word "JEW" is used, we find ISRAEL at war against THE JEWS! Israel's ally, Syria drove THE JEWS out of the town of Elath!

       Certainly this proves that the JEWS are a different nation altogether than ISRAEL. It is WRONG to call the Jews of today "Israel." They are not Israel. -- they are JUDAH! And wherever ISRAEL is today, remember that ISRAEL does not mean Jew! Whoever the lost ten tribes of ISRAEL are today they are not Jews! Wherever you see the name "Israel" or "House of Israel" or "Samaria," or "Ephraim." Used in prophecy, remember this -- IT NEVER REFERS TO THE JEWS, but to Israel who was at WAR against the Jews!

     No place in all the Bible does the term "ISRAEL" refer to the JEWS The term "Israel" alone, or "children of Israel," may, and sometimes does, include the Jews, where all twelve tribes are included. Jews are Israelites just as Oregonians are Americans. But MOST Israelites, are not Jews, just as most Americans are not Oregonians. The Jews are the House of Judah only! A PART of the Israelites. But when these people are spoken of as NATIONS rather than as collective individuals, the term "Israel; never refers to the Jews. "House of Israel" NEVER means "Jews" The two tribes at Jerusalem under the Davidic king are called, merely, the House of JUDAH. But of Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, the dying Israel had said, "Let my name be named on them." And truly they now BEAR the name of ISRAEL. It is the TEN tribes that are called "ISRAEL."

     From here on, the tribe of Judah, with Benjamin and a portion of the priests of the tribe of Levi, are called "JUDAH" not Israel. The TEN tribes, headed by Ephraim and Manasseh, from this time on are called "ISRAEL" They are not Jews, and never were called Jews!

     From this time on, the children of Israel, twelve tribes in all, are divided into TWO NATIONS!

     And now, for the first time, the BIRTHRIGHT goes into one nation, ISRAEL, headed by Ephraim-Manasseh; while the SCEPTRE remains in another nation, called the "House of JUDAH." The two phases of the promises to Abraham now are separated into TWO ENTIRELY SEPARATE NATIONS!

     For many generations Israel and Judah remained as separate nations, in adjoining territories, having their own separate kings. Why should ministers and professed Bible students be in ignorance of this, when four whole Books of the Bible, I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles are devoted to explaining it and recording the history of these separate, rival kingdoms? Look at the maps in the back of your Bible. There you will see the territory of each nation plainly shown.

     Judah retained the city of Jerusalem its capital, and the territory known as Judea. Israel occupied the territory north of Judea. Samaria became its capital city, and the House of Israel often is called "Samaria" in prophecy. This, too, is a vital key to understanding of prophecy. "Samaria" never refers to the Jews in prophecy -- but always the TEN tribes, the House of ISRAEL.

 

House of Israel NOT Jews

 

     We want to impress, here, that Israel and Judah are not two names for the same nation. They were, and still are, and shall be till the second coming of Christ, TWO SEPARATE NATIONS The "House of Judah" ALWAYS means "Jew."

     This distinction is vital, if we are to understand prophecy. Because most so-called Bible students are in ignorance of this basic distinction, they are unable rightly to understand prophecy!

     The next place where the term "Jew" is mentioned in the Bible, the House of Israel had been driven out in captivity, lost from view, and the term applies ONLY to those of the House of JUDAH. There are NO exceptions in the Bible!

 

ISRAEL Driven Out and LOST!

 

     Immediately on becoming king over the House of Israel, Jeroboam (tribe of Ephraim) set up two golden calves, introducing idol worship in the kingdom. The account is found in I Kings 12:28- 33.

     This idolatry, with Sabbath-breaking (Ezek. 20:10-24), was the great national sin, which became such a curse to Israel. Generation after generation, God pleaded with the House of Israel to turn from tradition -- from their fathers' ways, and to return to keeping God's commandments. But, through seven different dynasties under 19 kings, Israel continued these national sins, -- sins SO GREAT in GOD;S sight, that finally God caused them to become a conquered, captive nation.

     And in the year 721 B.C., the House of Israel finally were driven out of their own land -- out of their homes and cities -- and carried captives to Assyria, on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea!

     "Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only" (II Kings 17:18).

     In Leviticus 26 we find God's solemn warning to all the children of Israel. IF they would worship Him alone, avoiding idolatry, and keep His Sabbath, walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, they would inherit the national material promises to Abraham. They would become a great, rich, and powerful, -- the dominant nation of all earth. But, if they refused and rebelled, they were to be punished SEVEN TIMES -- a duration of 2520 years -- in slavery, servitude, and want. <

     The House of Israel now entered -- 721 B.C. -- (remember this date) -- upon their 2520 long years of national banishment, to last until 1800 A.D.!

     And BECAUSE the Hose of Israel lost their identifying SIGN -- the Sabbath -- the sign which identified them as ISRAEL -- THE UTTERLY LOST THEIR IDENTITY! They llost knowledge even of their national name. They came to be considered GENTILES!

     In Exodus 31:12-17 it is recorded that God made the Sabbath the covenant SIGN between Him and Israel. A sign identifies. At creation God rested on, blessed, made holy, and set apart for man the one day for man's rest and worship which could keep him always in the true worship of the true God -- the day that pointed back to CREATION. Creation is the PROOF of God. It identifies Him as the true God. It was intended to keep man in the true knowledge of the true God. When Israel threw aside God's Sabbath, Israel soon threw aside God Himself, and went into idolatry. The Sabbath identified Israel as God's own people because all other nations long since had departed from its observance and gone into idolatry. Israel was the only nation which kept it. Because they rejected this SIGN, they were driven out, and lost their identity. (Read Ezek. 20:10-24).      Judah, too, went into captivity largely because of Sabbath- rejecting. (See Jer. 17). But those Jews who returned 70 years later under Ezra and Nehemiah had learned their lesson. They became legalistically-strict Sabbatarians -- adding so many of their own restrictionns to it that Jesus had to sweep aside this maze of man- made rules, saying "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." To this day orthodox Jews have retained the original Sabbath. And BECAUSE those Jewish people who descend from the Ezra- Nehemiah leadership have retained God's covenant identifying SIGN, the world today looks upon them as ISRAEL! And yet they actually are only a part of JUDAH! Those of the captivity who did not return under Ezra and Nehemiah lost their identity, too, though the world does not realize it.

     So "the Lord removed Israel out of His sight ... So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria" (II Kings 17:23). They LEFT the land of Samaria, never yet to return! Gentiles were placed in their homes and cities, (v. 24), and it is these Gentiles who were known as Samaritans in the time of Christ. A more detailed account of the captivity of Israel is found in II Kings 18:9-12, and 17:5-18.

     Now the House of Israel began to "abide many days without a king," (Hos. 3:4). Since THEY were the people who carried the title "Israel," it is THEY, not Judah, who must become LOST in identity! Now they must lose their language, their religion, their land. Isa. 8:17; Isa. 28:11; Isa 62:2; Isa. 40:27; Hos. 2:5-6; Jer. 16:13;Hos. 1:8-10).

 

ISRAEL Never Returned

 

     They did NOT return to Palestine with the Jews in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, as some erroneously believe. Those who returned to rebuild the temple and restore worship in Jerusalem at that time. 70 years after JUDAH'S captivity, were only those of the House of Judah whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried to Babylon.

     Note well these facts.

     1) In 721 B.C. ISRAEL was "carried away out of their own land to Assyria" (II Kings 17:23). They were ALL removed -- completely. "There was none left but the tribe of Judah only," (II Kings 17:18). JUDAH, only, remained.

     2) More than 130 years later, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon carried the Jews -- JUDAH -- who only remained in Palestine of the 12 tribes, away to Babylon. So NONE of the House of Israel dwelt in Palestine at the time of this captivity of Judah.

     3) Those who returned to Palestine to rebuild the temple and restore worship 70 years after Judah's captivity, were ALL of the House of Judah -- all JEWS, -- ALL of those whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away. They returned again "unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city (Ezra 2:1).

     ONLY those of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi, who constituted the house of JUDAH returned at that time (Ezra 1:5). Consequently those in Jerusalem in the time of Christ were of these three tribes, NOT of the House of ISRAEL. And most, if not all, of those converted were of the tribe of Benjamin, as Paul said he was.

     The House of Israel became known as the LOST Ten Tribes! Now known by ANOTHER name, speaking a different language!

     By WHAT name are they know today! Whoever they are, wherever they are, it is THEY, and not the Jews, who are the BIRTHRIGHT possessors. IT is THEY, not the Jews, who, after the ending of their punishment in 1800 A.D., must inherit the UNbreakable promises to Abraham of national greatness, resources, wealth and power. It is MANASSEH who, after 1800 A.D. was to become the world's greatest single nation -- Ephraim a still greater

COMMONWEALTH of nations! Who can they be, today?

 

PART THREE

Jeremiah's Strange Commission

 

     When Israel was driven out of Assyria, 721 B.C. Judah had not yet sinned as a nation. Through Hosea, God said, 'Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend" (Hos. 4:15).

     But later "her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also," and God finally said, "The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous sister Judah"

(Jer. 3:8-11).

     And so, 117-140 years after Israel's captivity, the time came when God drove out the Jews, too, in national captivity, and banishment, for their 2520 years of national punishment.

     For this purpose God raised up a very special prophet, whose real call and commission few, indeed, understand. This prophet was Jeremiah. He was one of the three men, only, who were sanctified before they were born. The other two were John the baptist and Jesus Christ. (See Jer. 1:5).

     Jeremiah, when first given his vital call and commission, was a young lad of 17. Before he finally completed it, he was an aged white-haired patriarch. The commission is recorded in Jeremiah

1:10:

     "See," God says to Jeremiah, "I have this day set thee over the nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, TO BUILD, AND TO PLANT."

     There it is! Jeremiah was set over THE nations -- more than one. He was a Jew, living in Judah. He was set a prophet over Judah -- but not Judah alone. Over THE nations -- Judah and ISRAEL! He was set over them to do two things: to tear down something, and then to build and to plant something.

     Jeremiah was used of God as a prophet to warn Judah of their sins. and of the coming invasion and captivity at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon unless they repented. He was used as a mediary, a go-between, between the kings of Judah and Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean king. It is well known that Jeremiah

was used in destroying the kingdom of Judah.

     But -- note it in your Bible! -- he also was commissioned to PLANT and to BUILD! What was he to plant and build? Why, naturally, that which was pulled down and rooted out of Judah -- the THRONE OF DAVID. He was set over THE KINGDOMS -- Israel as well as Judah. He was used in throwing down that throne from Judah. Then what was he commissioned to do in ISRAEL? Ah! Note it! The second half of his strange and little understood commission -- to PLANT AND TO BUILD!

     So far as the world knows, the last king to sit on that throne of David was Zedekiah of Judah. He was thrown down off it, and the throne rooted out of Judah in the year 585 B.C. -- nearly 600 years before Christ!

     What, then! Did God forget His covenant with David? Did the throne CEASE? True, the KINGDOM -- the GOVERNMENT of Judah ceased, as had the kingdom of Israel more than 130 years before! But see what else Jeremiah was commissioned to do -- to PLANT AND TO BUILD! To plant and re--build among the House of Israel, lo, these many days without a king -- among LOST Israel, now supposing herself to be GENTILE! Therefore the identity and location of the re-planting must remain hidden until this Time of the END in which we live today!

 

JUDAH Taken Captive to Babylon

 

     If you will carefully re-read the important Book of Jeremiah, you will notice the first few chapters are devoted to his ministry in WARNING the Jews of their impending invasion and captivity

unless they would repent. But they would not repent.

     And so, finally, the invasion came. The first siege was in 604 B.C. On the exact date corresponding to December 9th (as calculated by the Roman calendar) Nebuchadnezzar marched into Jerusalem, taking it captive. However, he did not at once drive out all the Jews. He did not even drive out their king, Jehoiakim, but made him a vassal king, the servant of Nebuchadnezzar. As such he continued on his throne, as did two more kings after him, Jehoiachin, his son, and Zedekiah, his brother, until the year 585 B.C. (Read II Kings 24).

     In that year, Zedekiah's 11th year as king, the Chaldean armies again besieged Jerusalem, entered it, the city was broken up, the palace and temple destroyed. ALL the sons of King Zedekiah were killed before his eyes. That there would be no man to carry on his dynasty, all the princes of Judah were killed. King Zedekiah's eyes were put out, and he was bound in chains and carried to Babylon where he died. You will read of all this captivity in II Kings 25, II Chronicles 36, Jeremiah 39, and 52.

 

Jeremiah's Mysterious Movements

 

     And now the first part of Jeremiah's strange commission is accomplished! So far as the world could see, or has seen since, the dynasty of David had ENDED! No king remained on the throne. Judah's last king was dead. All his sons were dead. All other princes, who might be possible heirs to carry on the dynasty, had been killed. No possible heir to the throne, so the world then believed, remained alive.

     But how about the SECOND part of Jeremiah's great commission? Was God able to keep His covenant with David? Was he able to PLANT, and REBUILD that throne? Jeremiah was among these captive Jews. Yet he must remain free to carry out the second part of his mission. So, "the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him ... behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good to thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear; behold all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go .... So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward (expense money) and let him go" (Jer. 40:1.5).

     Jeremiah was left FREE, to perform the second half of his commission. Where did he go? We come now to an amazing, fascinating, thrilling part of the Book of Jeremiah which has been almost entirely overlooked.

     "Then went Jeremiah unto Gedeliah ... to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land (6th verse).

     Now this Gedeliah had been made governor over a remnant of Jews in the land by the king of Babylon, and since Jerusalem was destroyed, had made Mizpah his headquarters. But the king of Ammon plotted with a Jew named Ishmael to assassinate Gedeliah. The plot was executed, the governor, and part of the Jews, were slain.

Jeremiah was among the survivors.

     "Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard (from Babylon) had committed to Gedeliah ... and carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites" (Jer. 41:10).

     Ah! Did you catch it? Read that passage again. Among these Jews were the king's daughters! Daughters of Zedekiah, King of Judah and of David's dynasty!

     King Zedekiah had died. All his sons had been killed. All the princes of Judah had been killed. All possible heirs to David's throne had been killed -- except the kings' daughters! Now we see why Jeremiah went to Mizpah!

 

Jeremiah, with Royal Seed for Replanting, Escapes

 

Soon a man named Johnanan replaced Ishmael as leader. And in fear of reprisals from Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldean army, they appealed to the prophet, "and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Ket, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the Lord thy God ... that the Lord thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk" (Jer.43:2-3).

     The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, and He told them not to fear, that He would protect and deliver them. But the people wanted to flee to Egypt. This the lord warned them not to do. If they did, the sword of Nebuchadnezzar which they feared would overtake them there, and they would die. (Jer.42:7-16).

     But, as people usually do, they rejected God's warning.

     "Thou speakest falsely," Johanan answered Jeremiah. (Jer. 43:2-3).

     And so Johanan "took all the remnant of Judah ... even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters ... and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch, the son of Neriah (Jeremiah's scribe, or secretary). So they came into the land of Egypt" (Jer. 43:5-7).

     Baruch was Jeremiah's constant companion and secretary. It is important to note here God's promise of protection to him: "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee O Baruch .... Behold, that which I have built I will break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land ... but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest" (Jer. 54:2-5). His life, like Jeremiah's, was under divine protection!

     On reaching Egypt, God warned these Jews again through Jeremiah that they should die there by the sword and famine, and "none shall return but such as shall escape!" (Jer. 44:12-14). yes, a few in this company are under divine protection. A divine mission is to be performed. They shall ESCAPE! The Lord continues: "Yet a

small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah" (Jer. 44:28).

     Jeremiah, Baruch, and the royal seed for replanting and rebuilding David's throne, all under divine protection, were to escape, and return to the land of Judah!

     Then Jeremiah and his company were to journey to a strange land which they knew not (Jer. 15:11-14).

     Now let Isaiah complete this prophecy:

     "For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this. And the remnant that escaped of the house of Judah shall AGAIN TAKE ROOT DOWNWARD, AND BEAR FRUIT UPWARD" (Isa. 37:32, 31).

     This remnant with Jeremiah -- at least one of the king's daughters -- shall take root downward! That is, BE RE-PLANTED

     And then bear fruit upward! Be BUILDED!

     Has God failed in His solemn covenant to keep alive David's throne? Where was this planting and building? Can we find it in God's Work?

     We can! The place, and the people among whom the throne was re-established, are clearly identified!

 

PART FOUR

The Mysterious "Breach"

 

     WHERE did Jeremiah go, with Baruch his secretary and one or more of the royal daughter of the king?

     History stops short at this point. Enlightened students of Bible history have long known that the Ten Tribes -- called by the name "House of ISRAEL" -- have been lost, and exist today among the Gentile nations, unrecognized.

     Their identity, and location, is one of the things God has hidden from the world. Yet, in this end-time, when knowledge is to increase, when the "wise" are to UNDERSTAND (Dan. 12:4,10), we shall find the secret revealed thru PROPHECY which could not be understood until now.

     But first, we must now consider a mysterious "breach" that occurred in the days of Judah, son of Jacob.

     Judah was the father of twin sons. The first born was royal see, for thru him the SCEPTRE promise was to be carried down. It seems the midwife knew twins were about to be born. It is recorded that just before birth on of the twins "put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying 'This came out first.' "But the child drew back his hand, and the other was actually born first. The midwife exclaimed, "How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: (margin, wherefore hast thou made this breach against thee?) therefor his name was called Pharez," meaning "Breach" (Gen. 38:27-30).

     WHY should this strange occurrence be recorded in Bible history, unless this breach was to be HEALED between the sons or their descendants at some future time? Yet it never occurred in their life-time.

     Zarah, of the scarlet thread, had five sons (I Chron. 2:6). Only Solomon was wiser (I Kings 4:29-31). Did a descendant of Zarah finally get the throne, in a manner healing the breach?

     David, Zedekiah, Christ, all were of the PHAREZ branch -- none of Zarah. Now consider, 1) the fact of the breach means the transfer of the Sceptre from the Pharez to the Zarah line. 2) such transfer never occurred before King Zedekiah of Judah, who was descended from Pharez. 3) Therefore it had to occur after Zedekiah's death. 4) Since David's line (Pharez) is to remain on the throne thru all generations FOREVER, it could only occur at an OVERTURN of the throne by a marriage between a Pharez heir to the throne and one of the Zarah line, thus healing the breach.

     History shows the descendants of Zarah became wanderers, journeying to the northwest and founding the Scythian nation, their descendants joining the Ten Tribes.

     But meanwhile, the Pharez-David-Zedekiah line possessed the Sceptre -- was HIGH -- exalted. The Zarah line feeling it rightfully should possess the Sceptre, and some day would, was low, abased -- so far as royal power was concerned.

 

The Three Overturns

 

     Now consider a much misunderstood passage of prophecy:

     If you will begin reading at the 18th verse of the 21st chapter of Ezekiel, you will see plainly that Jehovah is here speaking of the captivity of Judah by the king of Babylon. And, beginning with the 25th verse, He says: "And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel (Zedekiah), whose day is come, when iniquity shall

have an end, Thus saith the Lord God; 'Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: (as did happen, thru the first half of Jeremiah's commission). This (the crown) shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.'"

     Let us understand that clearly.

     "Remove the diadem, and take off the crown" King Zedekiah, of David's dynasty, had the crown. This says it is to be removed. It was removed. He died in Babylon, his sons and all the nobles of Judah were killed.

     "This shall not be the same." The diadem is not to cease, but a change is to take place -- the throne is to be overturned -- another is to wear the crown. God's PROMISE to David is not to go by default!

     "Exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high." Who is "high?" King Zedekiah of Judah. Now he is to be abased. He is to lose that crown. Judah has been "high," while Israel has been "low," -- lo, these many years without a king (Hos. 3:4). The Pharez line has been "high" -- the Zarah line has been "low."

     "I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more until he come whose right it is." What was to be overturned? The diadem, and the throne. Not once, it is to be OVERTURNED three times. Overturned by abasing Zedekiah, the House of Judah, the Pharez line, and exalting, now, the House of Israel, and one of the

Zarah line! The first of the three overturns was accomplished as the first half of Jeremiah's commission.

     "And it shall be no more." Does this mean the throne -- the crown -- is to cease to exist? Not at all! How could it be OVERTURNED three times -- that is, TRANSFERRED from one to another, if it ceased to exist? How, after these three transfers of the crown, could it be given to Him -- Christ -- whose right it is, at His second coming, if it ceased altogether to exist? How could he who was "low" be now exalted by the crown, if that crown was to be no more? No, the meaning is, "It shall be no more overturned until the Second Coming of Christ!" and then it shall be once again overturned, and given to Him! God will not break his unalterable promise made to David! Thru every generation David shall have a son wearing that crown! The SECOND half of Jeremiah's commission must now be performed. That throne must be transPLANTED, and again BUILDED. The crown must be overturned -- transferred to another!

 

But WHERE? To WHOM?

A "Riddle" and a "Parable" Tells!

 

     The strange TRUTH of the PLANTING and the REBUILDING of David's throne is revealed in a "riddle and a parable," couched in symbolic language never understood until this latter day. yet it stands, today, so clearly explained a little child could understand!

     It fills the 17th chapter of Ezekiel's prophecy. The whole chapter should be carefully read. Notice, first, this prophetic message is addressed, NOT to Judah, the Jews, but to the House of ISRAEL. It is a Message to give light to the lost Ten-Tribed House of ISRAEL in these latter days!

     First, Ezekiel is told to speak a riddle, and then a parable. The riddle is found in verses 3 to 10. Then, beginning verse 11, Jehovah explains its meaning.

     "Say now to the rebellious house," God says, -- the "rebellious house being Ten-Tribed ISRAEL (Ezek. 12:9), to whom Ezekiel is set a prophet (Ezek. 2:3; 3:1, etc.) "Know ye not what these things mean? tell them ... " and then the riddle is clearly explained. A great eagle came to Lebanon and took the highest branch of the cedar. This is explained to represent King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who came to Jerusalem, and took captive the king of Judah. The cropping off of the cedar's young twigs and carrying them to a land of traffic is explained to picture the captivity of the king's sons, "He took also of the seed of the land," means Nebuchadnezzar took also of the people, and the mighty of the land of Judah. "He set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature," means the Jews were given a covenant whereby, although they were ruled over by the Chaldeans, they might live in peace and row. The other "great eagle" is explained to represent Pharaoh of Egypt.

     Thus, the riddle covers the FIRST half of Jeremiah's commission. Now notice what is revealed concerning the SECOND part- -the PLANTING of David's throne!

     It comes in the parable, verses 22-24.

     "Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar." From God's own explanation we have learned that the cedar tree represents the nation of Judah; its highest branch is Judah's king. The riddle told us Nebuchadnezzar took the highest branch -- the King. The parable now tells us God --

not Nebuchadnezzar, but GOD, will take of the highest branch. Not the branch, but OF the branch -- of Zedekiah's children. But Nebuchadnezzar took, and killed, all his SONS.

     God, thru his prophet Jeremiah, is now going to take OF this highest branch, and "SET IT" (verse 22).

     "I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will pant it upon a high mountain and eminent," continues the Almighty! Ah! "A tender young twig!" The twigs of this highest branch represent the children of King Zedekiah! Certainly a tender young twig, then, represents a DAUGHTER!

     "... and will PLANT it." Could symbolic language say plainer this your Jewish Princess is to become the royal seed for the PLANTING again of David's throne? Where?

     "... upon a high mountain and eminent," says Jehovah!" A "mountain" in symbol always represents a NATION. But WHICH nation?

     "In the mountain of the height of ISRAEL will I plant it," answers the Eternal! David's throne now is to be planted in ISRAEL, after being thrown down from JUDAH! Could language be PLAINER?

     "... and it (the tender young twig -- the king's daughter) shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar:" Did David's throne cease with Zedekiah of Judah? Did God forget His covenant? NO! Compare this language with the passage in Isaiah 37:31-32: "the remnant that escaped of the House of Judah shall

again take root downward (be planted) and BEAR FRUIT UPWARD." It was PLANTED in ISRAEL, who removed from Judah! After this Hebrew Princess is "planted" on the throne, now in ISRAEL -- lost from view- -that throne is to BEARR FRUIT. She is to marry, have children, and her sons are to continue David's dynasty!

     "... and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell" (Verse 23). "Lost" Israel, now having acquired the throne and become again a self- ruling nation, shall, in time, spread around the earth gaining dominance and power. They shall inherit the unconditional promises of the BIRTHRIGHT, according to God's covenant with Abraham!

     "And all the trees of the field" (verse 24). A "tree" in this riddle and parable is likened to a nation. In other words, "All the nations of the earth."

     "... shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree." Judah, the high tree, having the throne for 131 years after Israel had been taken captive, now is brought down to the low stature of slavery.

     "... have exalted the low tree." For 131 years Israel had been a "low tree." Now Israel is exalted, becomes again a nation with a king.

     "... have dried up the green tree" -- JUDAH, "and have made the dry tree to flourish." Israel, headed by the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, who possessed the BIRTHRIGHT, now shall flourish, become prosperous in due time. "I the Lord have spoken and have done it." Yes, that BIRTHRIGHT is in ISRAEL. Tho LOST -- tho supposed to be a Gentile nation, they are the people who were to grow into the promised multitude -- the great nation, and the company of nations, possessing the gates of their enemy nations, becoming a colonizing

people spreading around the world, being blessed with national resources and wealth. And, when they become thus powerful and nationally dominant, remember David's throne is transplanted among them!

     But WHERE did Jeremiah, with his royal seed for the transplanting, go to find the lost House of Israel? WHERE are they today? HOW was the "breach" healed, and how did a some of Zarah ascend to throne? Can we tell?

     We CAN! The exact, precise location is revealed in Bible prophecy! We can pick up Jeremiah's trail in actual history, besides!

 

PART FIVE

Israel's New Land

 

     We are ready, now, to search out the actual location of the lost tribes of the outcast House of Israel. We know they exist today as a nation, and a company of nations; powerful; looked upon as Gentiles. And when we find them, we shall find a king, still today occupying the throne of David!

     Many passages of prophecy tell of these people in these latter days. Prophecies not to be understood until this "time of the end." Prophecies containing a Message to be carried to these people by those to whom God reveals it!

     First it is necessary to fix in mind these facts:

     The prophet Amos wrote, in the days of the 13th of the 19 kings of the House of Israel, (Amos 1:1): "Behold the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom (House of Israel -- Judah had not yet sinned), and I will destroy it ( the kingdom, or government, not the people) from off the face of the earth. For, lo, I will

command, and I will sift the House of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth" (Amos 9:8-9).

     This prophecy usually is applied to the scattered condition of the Jews. But it has nothing to do with the Jews, or the House of JUDAH, but refers to ten-tribed House of ISRAEL -- driven to Assyrian captivity, then migrating from there and scattering among other nations BEFORE the Jews were taken to Babylon. This prophecy says that ISRAEL, (not Judah), was to be sifted among other nations -- these Israelites losing their identity -- yet God has protected and kept them -- "not the least grain shall fall upon the earth."

     It was during this time that the children of the House of Israel were to "abide many days without a king," (Hos. 3:4). That these people did sift thru all nations is clear. Many New Testament passages indicate this. Although many of them still were scattered among various nations in the first century, A.D., a portion of them had become established in a definite location of their own by Jeremiah's time -- 131 years after their original captivity.

     But these Israelites who possessed the Birthright eventually were to come to a new land of their own. Jehovah says, in II Samuel 7:10, and I Chron. 17:9: " Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will PLANT THEM," (Jeremiah was commissioned to do the PLANTING of the throne among them.) "that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more." The context of the whole passage shows this refers, not to Palestine, but a different land where these scattered Israelites were to gather, after being removed from the promised land of Palestine, and while that land was lying idle and in possession of Gentiles.

     Notice carefully! After being removed from Palestine, being sifted among all nations, abiding many days without a king, choosing their identity, they are to be "planted" in a far-away strange land now to become their own. And, NOTE IT! -- after reaching this place, they are to move no more! That is, of course, during this present world.

     While other prophecies indicate these Birthright holders were to become a colonizing people spreading around the world, it is plain that the spreading out must be from this appointed place, which must remain the "home" seat of government for David's throne.

     Mark this clearly! Once this "place of their own" was reached, and the throne of David planted there, THEY WERE TO MOVE NO MORE. Therefore, the location of this people TODAY is the place where Jeremiah planted David's throne more than 2500 years ago!

     Therefore prophecies pertaining to this day, or the location of this people at Christ's return, will tell us the location of Jeremiah's planting. The House of Israel is yet to return, at Christ's coming, to Palestine -- yet to plant grapes in Samaria their original country. Prophecies telling where they shall, in that future day, migrate FROM, will reveal the location of "lost" ten- tribed ISRAEL! The two succeeding "overturns" of the throne, too, must be located in this same place.

 

Lost ISRAEL Located

 

     Without further suspense, let us see where prophecy locates these Birthright holders, now possessing the throne of David and earth's richest national blessings.

     Remember they are distinguished from Judah -- the Jews -- bay various names, "Epphraim," "Joseph," "Jacob," "Rachel," (the mother of Joseph), "Samaria," their former home, "Israel," etc.

     According to Hosea 12:1, "Ephraim followeth after the east wind." And "east wind" travels west. Ephraim must have gone west from Assyria.

     When the Eternal swore to David to perpetuate his throne, He said: "I will set his hand (sceptre) in the sea" (Psa. 89:25). The throne is to be "set," planted, "in the sea."

     Thru jeremiah the Eternal said: "Backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these word toward the NORTH and say, Return thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord" (Jer. 3:11-12). Israel is clearly distinguished from Judah. And in these last days messengers are to go "toward the NORTH" (of Jerusalem), in order to locate lost Israel and proclaim this warning. So the location, we now find, is toward the north, also west, and in the sea.

     The 18th verse, same chapter, says: "In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, (margin, to the House of Israel), and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers." At the future Exodus, at Christ's coming, they are to return to Palestine out of the land of the NORTh!

     After saying, "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?" the Eternal, speaking thru Hosea, says: "then the children shall tremble from the WEST" (Hos. 11:8,19).

     Again: "Behold, I will bring the from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth" (Jer. 31:8). This prophecy is for consideration in the "latter days" (Jer. 30:24; 31:1), and is addressed to "Israel," (verses 2, 4, 9), to "Ephraim," (verses 6, 9). and "Samaria," (verse ?). Here is added another hint -- "the coasts of the earth" -- evidently they are dominant at sea.

     Referring to the House of ISRAEL (not Judah), (Isa. 49:3, 6), God says: "Behold these shall come from far: and lo, these from the NORTH and from the WEST; and these from the land of Sinim." (Isa. 49:12). In the Hebrew, the language in which this was originally inspired, there is no word for "NORTHWEST," but this term is designated by the phrase, "the north and the west." It means, literally, the NORTHWEST! The Vulgate renders "Simin" as "Australi," or "Australia." So we now have the location NORTHWEST of JERUSALEM!

     Hence, Israel TODAY -- Israel of the day of Jeremiah's "planting" of David's throne -- is located specifically as NORTHWEST of JERUSALEM, and IN THE SEA!

     Let us locate this land more specifically!

     The same 49th chapter of Isaiah begins with this: "Listen, O Isles, unto me." The people addressed, Israel, are called "O Isles" in the first verse and "O Israel in the 3rd verse.     

     The 31st chapter of Jeremiah, locating Israel in the "north country," says "I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first born .... Hear the word of the Lord O ye nations" -- (Ephraim,

Manasseh) -- "and declare it in the isles afar off" (Jer. 31:9-10).

     Again: "Keep silence before me, O islands ... thou, Israel, art my servant Jacob whom I have chosen" (Isa. 41:5-8).

     In Jer. 31:7, the message to be declared "in the isles afar off" (verse 10), is to be shouted in "the CHIEF OF THE NATIONS."

     So, finally, today, as in Jeremiah's day, the House of ISRAEL is IN THE ISLES, which are "in the sea," the CHIEF of the nations, NORTHWEST of Jerusalem. A coast-dwelling, and therefore sea- dominant people!

     Certainly there can be no mistaking that identity!

     Take a map of Europe. Lay a line due NORTHWEST of Jerusalem, across the continent of Europe, until you come to the sea, and then to the islands in the sea!

     This line takes you directly to the BRITISH ISLES!

 

PART SIX

The "Serpent's Trail"

 

     OF PROOF that our white, English-speaking peoples of today -- Britain and America -- are actually and truly the Birthright ttribes of Ephraim and manasseh of the "lost" House of Israel, there is so much we shall have space for but a small portion of that proof in this booklet.

     A most interesting fact is the Hebrew origin of the names of the British people.

 

Britain's Hebrew Names

 

     The House of Israel is the Covenant People. The Hebrew word for "covenant" is "beriyth," or "berith." After Gideon's death, Israel followed the false pagan god Baal. In Judges 8:33, and 9:4, the word "covenant" is used as a proper name coupled with the name "Baal." This is quoted in the English text, Authorized Version, without being translated, as "Baal-berith," meaning (margin "idol of the covenant."

     The Hebrew for "man" is "iysh," or "ish." In the original Hebrew language vowels were never given in the spelling. So, omitting the vowel "e" from "berith," but retaining the "i" in its Anglicized form to preserve the "y" sound, we have the Anglicized hebrew word for covenant, "Brith."

     The Hebrews, however, never pronounced their "h's." A Jew, even today, in pronouncing the name "Shem," will call it "Sem." Incidentally this ancient Hebrew trait is also a modern British trait. They leave off their "h's" where they belong, and often put them in where they do not belong -- and this very habit comes from their ancient Hebrew ancestry. So the Hebrew word for "covenant" would be pronounced, in its Anglicized form, as "Brit." And the word for "Covenant man," or "covenant people," would, therefore, be simply, "BRIT-ISH." And so the true covenant people today are called the "BRITISH." And they reside in the "BRITISH ISLES!"

     The House of Israel not only was to lose its identity, but its name. It was to be called by a new name, since they no longer were to know their identity as Israel, as God said plainly in Isa. 62:2, referring to these latter days.

     To Abraham, God said, "In ISAAC shall the seed be called," and this name is repeated in Romans 9:7 and hebrews 11:18. In Amos 7:16 they are called "The House of ISAAC."

     They were descended from Isaac, and therefore are Isaac's sons. Drop the "I" from "Isaac," (vowels are not used in Hebrew spelling), and we have the modern name, "SAAC'S SONS," or as we spell it in shorter manner, "SAXONS."

     Dr. W. Holt Yates, Yale University, says "The word 'Saxons' is derived from 'sons of Isaac,' by dropping the prefix 'I'."

 

                      Dan a Serpent's Trail

 

     If the Eternal intended that "lost" Israel was to be located and found in these last days, we should expect some kind of signs or waymarks to have been left along the trail by which ancient Israel journeyed from Assyria, the land of their original captivity.

     Speaking to Ephraim, (verse 20), the Eternal says in Jer. 31:21, "Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps; set thine hear toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: In Scripture we find the "waymarks," or highway signs which they sep up along the road they travelled.

     In Gen. 49;17, Jacob, foretelling what should befall each of the tribes, says, "Dan shall be a serpent by the way." Another and better translation of the original Hebrew is: "Dan shall be a serpent's trail." It is a significant fact that the tribe of Dan, one of the Ten Tribes, named every place they went after their

father, Dan.

     The tribe of Dan originally occupied a strip of Coast country on the Mediterranean, west of Jerusalem. "And the coast of the children of Dan," we read in Joshua 19:47, "went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, ... and called Lesham DAN, after the name Dan

their father."

     In Judges 18:11-12, it is recorded that Danites took Kirjath- jearim, "and called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day."

     A little later the same company of 600 armed Danites came to Laish, captured it, and "they called the name of the city DAN, after the name of Dan, their father" (verse 29).

     So notice how these Danites left their "serpent's trail" by the way -- set up way marks by which they may be traced today.

     Remember, in the Hebrew, vowels were not written. The sound of the vowels had to be supplied in speaking. Thus, the word "Dan" in its English equivalent, would be spelled, simply, "Dn." It might be pronounced as "Dan," or "Den," or "Din," or "Don," or "Dun," -- and still it is the same original Hebrew name.

     The tribe of Dan occupied two different districts, or provinces, in the Holy land before the Assyrian captivity. One colony lived on the sea-coast of Jerusalem. They were principally seamen, and it is recorded "Dan abode in ships."

     When Assyria captured Israel, these Danites struck out in their ships and sailed west through the Mediterranean, and north to Ireland. Just before his death, Moses prophesied of Dan: "Dan is a lion's whelp; he shall leap from Bashan" (Deut. 33:22). And David declared of Dan, "He breaketh (driveth) the ships of Tarshish with an East Wind." an East wind travels west. Along the shores of the Mediterranean the left their trail in "Dens," "Don," and "Din." In the Peninsula of Spain their "waymark" name "Me-din-a Si-don-ia" remains to this day.

     Irish annals and history show that the first settlers of Ireland, at just this time, were the "Tuatha de Danaans," which means, translated, "Tribe of Dan." And in Ireland we find they left these "waymarks:" "Dans-Laugh," "Dan-Sower," "Dun-dalke," "Dun- drum," "Don-egal Bay," "Don-egel City," "Dun-glow," "Lon-don- derry," Din-gle," "Duns-more," (meaning "more Dans,"), etc., etc.

     The name "Dunn" in the Irish language means the same as "Dan" in the Hebrew; "Judge."

 

                       The Overland Trail

 

     But the northern colony of Danites were taken to Assyria in the captivity, and thence with the rest of the Ten Tribes they traveled from Assyria by the overland route.

     After leaving Assyrian captivity, they inhabited for some time the land just west of the Black Sea. This we know from the fact this land is bounded on the south by Mace-don-ia and the Dar-dan- ells, and on the north by the river Dan-ube. Then we find the rivers "Dnieper, Dnister, and the Don."

     Then in either ancient or later geography, we find these waymarks" Dan-au, the Dan-inn, the Dan-aster, the Dan-dari, the Dan-ez, and Don, the Dan, and the U-Don; the Eri-don, down to the Danes, and the Scan-din-navians. "Denmark" means "Dan's Mark."

     When they came to the British Isles, they set up the "waymark" names of Dun-dee, Dun-kirk, Dun-bar, Dun-raven, in Scotland, and E- din-burgh is it capital. The British capital is Lon-don, and the Dans, Dons, and Duns are as prolific as in Ireland.

     And so the "serpent's trail" of Dan sets up waymarks that lead directly to the British Isles!

 

                    Ancient Annals of Ireland

 

     Now briefly let us consider what is found in the ancient annals, legends, and history of Ireland, and we shall have the scene of Jeremiah's "planting," and the present location of "lost" Israel.

     The real ancient history of Ireland is rather vague, now colored with some legend. But, with the facts of biblical history and prophecy in mind one can easily sift out the legend from the true history in studying ancient Irish annals. Throwing out that which is obviously legendary, we glean from various histories of Ireland the following:

     About, or prior to 700 B.C., a strong colony called "Tuatha de Danaan" (tribe of Dan) arrived in ships, drove out other tribes, and settled there.

     Later, about 585 B.C., (date of Jeremiah's transplanting), an elderly white-haired patriarch, sometimes referred to as a "saint," came to the most northern province of Ireland, Ulster. With him was the princess daughter of an eastern king and a companion called "Simon Brach," spelled in different histories as "Breck," "Barech," "Brach." "Berach," etc. The princess had a Hebrew name, "Tephi," -- a pet-name, her full name being "Tea-Tephi."

     This royal party brought with them some remarkable things. including the harp, an ark, and a wonderful stone called "Lia- Fail," or "stone of destiny." A peculiar coincidence (?) is that Hebrew reads from right to left, while English reads from left to right. Read this name either way -- and it still is "lia-fail."

 

     Another strange coincidence -- or is it just coincidence? -- is that every king in the history of Ireland, Scotland, and England has been coronated sitting over this stone, -- including the present king. The stone rests, today, in Westminster Abbey in London, and the Coronation Chair is built over and around it. A sign beside it labels it "Jacob's pillar-stone" (Gen. 28:18.)

     The Hebrew princess was married to a young prince named Herremon, after which he became King Herremon, of ancient Ireland. The son of this king and Hebrew princess continued on the throne of Ireland, and this same dynasty has continued unbroken, through all the kings of Ireland; was overturned and transplanted again in Scotland; again overturned and moved to London, England, where this same dynasty continues today in the reign of King George of Great Britain!

     The present king was crowned, in the coronation ceremony, broadcast to the whole world, as "KING OF ISRAEL" by the Archbishop of Canterbury! WHY?

     The crown worn by King Herremon and the sovereigns of ancient Ireland had TWELVE POINTS!

 

                  King George on David's Throne

 

     In view of the linking together of biblical history, prophecy, and Irish history, can anyone deny that this Hebrew princess was the daughter of King Zedekiah of Judah, and therefore heir to the throne of David? -- That the aged patriarch was in fact Jeremiah, and his companion Jeremiah's scribe, or secretary, Baruch? -- And that King Herremon was a descendant of Zara, here married to the daughter of Pharez, healing the ancient breach? -- That when the throne of David was first overturned by Jeremiah, it was re-PLANTED in Ireland, later overturned a second time and re-planted in Scotland, overturned a third time and planted in London, from where it cannot be overturned or moved again UNTIL THE COMING OF CHRIST, when it once again shall be overturned and transplanted back in Jerusalem?

     King George of the British Commonwealth possess a chart showing his ancestry, every generation, back to Herremon and Tephi, to Zedekiah, on back to David. and thru the scriptural genealogy clear to Adam! The writer has a copy of this chart, and also his own genealogy for each generation back into the line of ancient

British kings, and therefore has the complete record of his genealogy thru the House of David clear to Adam -- believe it or not!

 

                   David's Throne Still Lives

 

     When Christ returns to earth to sit on that throne, He shall take over a LIVE, existing throne, not a non-existent one.

     God's Word still stands! Almighty God has kept all His promises!

 

                           PART SEVEN

 

     The Most overwhelming modern fulfillment of Bible prophecy, in proof of Divine origin and inspiration, is the sudden sprouting forth of two nations; -- or, more properly, of "a nation," and "a company of nations," from comparative obscurity to positions of world dominance, unprecedented wealth and power, during the past 140 years.

 

                       Withheld 2520 Years

 

     In the 26th chapter of Leviticus, Israel (then on nation of 12 tribes) was given The promise from the Eternal that if they followed His civil statutes, obeyed His Commandments and ordinances, they should immediately INHERIT the vast national promises of the Birthright. God promised to bless their land -- give them rain -- make them wealthy and prosperous. They were to become so powerful they could defeat every enemy -- five of them chase a hundred; a hundred of them put ten thousand to flight.

     But, beginning verse 14, if they disobeyed, God warned them they would become the slaves of other nations and go into national punishment -- the Birthright blessings being withheld for a duration of 2520 long years! (verses 18,21,24,28).

     For a while the Israelites went God's way -- but not long. Soon they were adopting tthe customs and ways of the gentile nations around them. After Solomon's death Israel rejected her king, and Judah split off from Israel in loyalty to King Rehoboam, thus splitting the twelve tribes into two nations.

     The House of Israel sinned first. And after seven dynasties beginning with Jeroboam, and the reigns of 19 kings (not David's dynasty, which was now in Judah), Israel was uprooted from its homeland of Samaria, and taken captive to Assyria. Then, in the year 721 B.C., began the 2520 long years of national banishment from the Birthright inheritance.

     It must be emphasized that the Birthright promises, to be fulfilled only in Ephraim and Manasseh, could not be inherited until the end of their 2520 -- years' national punishment. By this 2520 -- year punishment, God punished the people for their sins, yet kept his promises to Abraham. The promises, then, must be fulfilled only AFTER the duration of this punishment. The House of Israel went into Assyrian captivity in 721 B.C. Therefore it could not come into the vast national wealth and resources of the Birthright until the period beginning 2520 years later, or 1800 A.D.

 

             The "NATION," and "COMPANY of NATIONS"

 

     Notice again the original promise: "A nation, and a company of nations shall be of thee" (Gen. 35:9-12)

     Remember, in passing on the Birthright the dying Jacob (Israel) said of Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, "let my name be named on them" (Gen. 48:16). Hence it is THEY, not the Jews, who rightfully own the name "House of ISRAEL." Continuing, Jacob added, "and let them grow into a multitude."

     Then, speaking of Manasseh and his descendants alone, Jacob said prophetically: "he also shall become a people (nation), and he also shall be GREAT but truly his younger brother (Ephraim) shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a MULTITUDE (a company, or COMMONWEALTH) of NATIONS" (Gen. 48:19).

     In 1800 A.D. England and the United States were small and insignificant among the earth's nations. England had only the British Isles, a very small part of India, and a small part of Canada. The United States consisted only of the original 13 colonies and three added states. Neither possessed any great wealth or power.

     But beginning in 1800 these two little nations began to sprout and to grow into vast national riches and power such as no people ever grew. Soon the United States grew into the GREATEST single nation on earth. Britain's empire spread around the world, until the sun never sets upon her possessions. Canada, Australia, South Africa, were given dominion status -- made free and independent of England -- a company, or commonwealth of nations joined together, not by legal government, but solely by the throne of David!

     And the British Commonwealth of Nations in the only COMPANY OF NATIONS in all earth's history. Could we so exactly fulfil the specifications of the Birthright, and not BE the Birthright people?

 

                  The United States Is Manasseh

 

     Some will say, "I can believe that the British are Ephraim, but how can the United States be Manasseh?

     From the prophetic blessings passed on by the dying Jacob, it is apparent that Ephraim and Manasseh were, in a large measure, to inherit the Birthright jointly; to remain together for a long time, finally separating. In Genesis 48 Jacob first passed the Birthright on to the two sons of Joseph jointly, speaking of them both together. Then, finally, he spoke of them separately -- Manasseh was to become the single GREAT nation, Ephraim the COMPANY of nations.

     And in his prophecy for these latter days Jacob said "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall" (Gen. 49:22). In other words, Joseph -- Ephraim and Manasseh jointly and together -- was to be a colonizing people in this latter day, their colonies branching out from the British Isles around the earth. Our people have fulfilled this prophecy.

     Now turn again to the 49th chapter of Isaiah. It is addressed (v. 1), "O Isles," and (v. 3), "O Israel." Begin now with the 19th verse: "Thy waste and thy desolate places and the land of the destruction, shall even now be too narrow (crowded) by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up (Assyria) shall be

far away." This is the time when they were to colonize and branch out -- long after they had left, and now are far away from Assyria.

     The children thou shalt have (colonies) after thou hast lost the other, (13 colonies which became the U. S. A.), shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell" (20th verse).

     Notice Israel in the Isles, far from Assyria, loses her first colony, and then her other children expand and colonize AFTER she has lost her first people. The first colony which she "lost" -- which separated from her -- as Manasseh was finally to separate from Ephraim -- was called "NEW England," andd now the United States. Together Ephraim and Manasseh grew into a multitude, then separated, according to Jacob's prophetic blessing of Genesis 48.

     But, so many ask, how can we be Manasseh when a large part of our people have come from many nations besides England? The answer is this: A large part of Manasseh remained with E until the separation of NEW England. But our fore-fathers were to be sifted thru many nations, as corn thru a sieve, yet not a grain to fall to the earth, or be lost. (Amos 9:9). Our people did filter thru many nations. Ephraim and much of Manasseh finally immigrated to England together, but many others of Manasseh who had filtered into and thru other nations did not leave them until the came, and immigrants, to the United States AFTER the New England colony had become the separate nation. This does no mean that all foreigners who have immigrated into this country are of the stock of Manasseh, but undoubtedly many are. Israel, however, always did absorb Gentiles, who became Israelites thru living in Israel's land and intermarrying.

     Thus we have become known as the "melting pot" of the world. Instead of refuting our Manasseh ancestry, this fact actually confirms it.

     The proof that we are Manasseh is overwhelming. Manasseh was to separate from Ephraim and become the greatest, wealthiest single nation of earth's history. We alone have fulfilled this prophecy. Manasseh was, in fact a thirteenth tribe. There were twelve original tribes. Joseph was one of these twelve. But when Joseph divided into TWO tribes and Manasseh separated into an independent nation, it became a thirteenth tribe. It started with thirteen colonies.

 

                      The Birthright WEALTH

 

     Read again the prophetic promises of Genesis 22:17, and 24:60. Since the Birthright pertains to NATIONS, the "GATE" of our enemies would be such passes as Gibraltar, Suez, Singapore, Panama Canal, etc. Britain and America came into possession of every such major "gate" in this world! So we MUST be modern Israel. This war hinges on the "gates." They have become not only strategic passes, but the world's greatest fortifications.

     Notice Genesis 39:3-23: "The Eternal was with Joseph, and he was a PROSPEROUS man ... The Eternal was with him, and that which he did the Eternal made to PROSPER." And God has continued to be with, and to PROSPER Joseph through us, his descendants.

     Consider now Moses' dying, prophetic blessing, foretelling what would happen to each of the tribes in these latter days.

     "And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that croucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof, ... let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh both) ... His glory is like the firstling (first-born -- Birthright holder) of the bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns (Great Britain's national seal today): with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh" (Deut. 33:13-17).

     Whoever is Ephraim and Manasseh today must be in possession of the earth's choicest agricultural, mineral, and other wealth -- the great gold and silver mines; iron, oil, and coal, timber and other resources.

     What nations fulfil these prophecies? Why, only Great Britain and America!

     More than half of all tillable, cultivatable temperate-zone lands of this earth are in the possession of our two great powers alone! The rich agricultural lands of the Mississippi Valley; the vast wheat and grain fields of the Northwest, of Canada and Australia; the great forest lands of the Pacific Northwest and many other parts of the world; the gold fields of South Africa, Australia, Alaska and the United States; the great coal mines of the United States and British Isles; the natural waterfalls and means of power and motivation, and consequent prosperous industrial and manufacturing districts of England and eastern United States; the choicest fruit lands of our Pacific Coast and Florida. What other nations combined ever possessed such material wealth?

     And nearly all this wealth has come to us since 1800 A.D.

 

                      The Actual Statistics

 

     Just to what extent has Almighty God fulfilled His promises in us to the descendants of Joseph in these latter years since 1800 A.D., -- promises of "the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, ... the chief things of the ancient mountains, ... and the precious things of the earth?"

     Said Charles M. Schwab, steel magnate, before the Massachusetts Bankers Association, January 5, 1921: "Our United States has been endowed by God with everything to make it and keep it the foremost industrial and commercial nation of the world."      Total world oil output is 508 million barrels. Of this total the United States alone produces two-thirds -- 66%. We mine half of the world's coal -- Britain and America together 76%. Together we possess 95% of the world's nickel (chiefly from Canada); we completely dominate the world's copper, zinc and other precious metal outputs.

     The United States Steel Corporation alone makes more steel than all Europe.

     Together, Great Britain and America have 83% of the world's gold, 63% of the world's iron and steel.

     Daily average earnings, in terms of dollars, as of 1927: U.S, $5.00; England, $3.50;Belgium, $2.25; Japan, $1.75; France,$1.50; Germany, 75c.

     Number of persons to each automobile, as of 1927 (and our lead over other nations greatly increased up until "Pearl Harbor"): U.S., 5; British Isles, 43; Argentina, 45; France, 46; Germany, 196; Chile, 221; Italy, 293.

     The United States leads the world by just as wide a margin in number of families owning radios, having telephones, electric lights and all the various electrical appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc. And in every case Britain ranks second.

     We have enjoyed material blessings and luxuries such as only kings and princes and the wealthiest classes in other nations have been able to enjoy. In 1920 the national wealth of the U.S. was 330 billions; Great Britain, 70 billions; France, 58; and Germany, 55. Per capita wealth in the U.S. was $2,091; in Great Britain, $1,489; Germany, $902; other nations less.

     Israelites always were a sheep-rasing people. Today Joseph- Israelites still lead the world, with more than 200,000,000 sheep, while all Gentile nations combined have 85,000,000.

 

                       How Did We Get It?

 

     Now how did we come into possession of all this vast wealth of the earth? Did we acquire it thru our own human wisdom, foresight, energy, ability and power?

 

     Let Abraham Lincoln answer:

     "We find ourselves," he said, "in the peaceful possession of the fairest portion of the earth, as regards fertility of soil, extent of territory, and salubrity of climate ... We ... find ourselves the legal inheritors of these fundamental blessings. We toiled not in the acquirement or the establishment of them."

     Again, in his proclamation for April 30, 1863, for a nation- wide day of fasting and prayer, this great president said: "It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the over-ruling power of God ... and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord: ... We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation ever has grown; BUT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN GOD! We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied an enriched and strengthened un; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own."

     And because Lincoln saw a nation who had forgotten God, -- a nation drunk with a success not due tto its own efforts, -- a nation taking all the credit and glory to itself, this great president called upon the nation for a day of FASTING and PRAYER to confess this national sin before God. The fate of the nation hung in the balance when he issued that proclamation. But God heard and answered that great national PRAYER OFFENSIVE -- and the nation was preserved!

     Abraham Lincoln KNEW these great material blessings had not been earned, but had been GIVEN to our people by the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel.

    And we should face the facts today and KNOW that we have been given all this vast unprecedented material wealth because God PROMISED it, unconditionally, to ABRAHAM. And He promised it to Abraham BECAUSE ABRAHAM OBEYED GOD, KEPT GOD'S LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS.

    The Birthright blessing was denied our forefathers after Moses' day because they REFUSED to live by God's laws and ways.

     And today God warns us, through many prophecies in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Micah, and many others, that unless we o this generation REPENT of our sins, and turn to Him with fastings, and with weeping, and earnest PRAYER, He will destroy our cities, all our fortresses, by the hand of the foreign sword; that He will punish us at the hand of a CRUEL ONE; that we shall be invaded, defeated, reduced to SLAVES! GOD HELP THIS NATION TO HEED THAT WARNING!

     In conclusion, we ask: If we are not national Israel -- so- called "lost" Ten Tribes -- prosperous Joseph-Israel -- Birthright blessings which were to be bestowed beginning 1800 A.D., then WHO ELSE CAN BE?

     No other nation or combination of nations do or can possess these blessings of the Birthright -- for we hold more than two- thirds -- nearly three-fourths -- of all the raw materials, resources, and wealth of this entire round earth, and all other nations combined share between them only a small par.      Do you know of stronger proof of the divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the revealed Word of the living God? Could mortal men have written, without divine inspiration, those prophecies we have considered in this booklet -- made those PROMISES to Joseph-Israel, and, after a lapse of 2520 years, beginning the exact year of 1800, have had power to bring them about in fulfillment? These are no small or trifling promises. They involved possession of the great wealth and vast natural resources of the whole earth on which we live!

     Present these facts as a challenge to your atheist and agnostic friends. Ask them to answer, if they can, whether any but the power of the Eternal CREATOR Himself could have made and had committed to writing such promises thousands of years ago, and, at precisely the promised time thousands of years later, brought about their fulfillment!

     How any American -- any English-speaking inheritor of God's choicest material blessings -- can, in face of such stupendous overwhelming fulfillment of prophecy -- such awe-inspiring demonstration of the power and might and faithfulness of Almighty God -- accept and partake of these blessings, and then carelessly ignore God's WARNING that our sins today are INCREASING, or fail to get to his knees before the great Almighty, and repent, and INTERCEDE in heart-rending PRAYER for this whole nation, and HELP in every way he can to warn this nation now of its impending PERIL, seems impossible to conceive.

     God warns us thru prophecy that our sins are fast increasing. And now the day of RECKONING is here! The foreign sword already has attacked us. In this fearful awesome atomic age, World War III will start with atomic bombs dropped on New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, without warning!

     God HELP this nation to wake up before it's too late!

     God HELP our president to see this thing as Abraham Lincoln saw it -- to call upon this nation now, as Lincoln called upon it, for the deadly-earnest heart-rending FASTING and prayer -- to issue a proclamation as Lincoln did setting apart a definite DAY for this confession of sin before God -- For REPENTANCE -- calling upon GOD to intervene and HELP and SAVE US -- putting our trust in HIM.

     Yes, we are God's chosen people ISRAEL! Think what that means! Chosen, not for favors while we defy our God, but chosen for SERVICE we have failed to perform.

     We should shout for you at the discovery of our true national identity -- and we should be brought to REPENT -- and to TURN TO GOD -- and to get back of this crusade by radio and by printed work to WARN this nation, and to CALL UPON IT FOR THE REAL HEART-RENDING NATIONAL PRAYER OFFENSIVE. In no other way can we now win the PEACE!

Written by A. O. Dugger Church of God Seventh Day

Circa 1910 AD

For Home Study and the BIBLE CLASS

The Truth About Israel

Introduction

The BIBLE stands today the world's Best Seller, and also the world's MOST MISUNDERSTOOD BOOK!  The prophecies, especially, are palpably misunderstood.  WHY?  Perhaps unwillingness to accept correction and reproof from the Scriptures is the greatest reason of all.  The tendency is to follow tradition, and to read doctrines already accepted and assumed INTO the BOOK, instead of drinking God's meaning out of it.  But there is a vital KEY, without which the door to right understanding 

of the Scriptures cannot be unlocked!  The TRUTH ABOUT ISRAEL is this key.  Not possessing it, the denominations have stumbled into a maze of traditional error, and today we have a babylon of contradiction.

        Most people today assume that "The House of ISRAEL" means the JEW. Some teach that Israel now is merely a spiritual term, applying solely to the Church.  Others have different ideas.

        In the lessons that follow will be found an amazing TRUTH, long hidden under the rubbish of tradition and theological bias.  It is a veritable "KEY" to Bible understanding.  The lessons are thrilling, interesting.  This truth will open the floodgates of a joyous new experience that will bring rejoicing to the soul. Study with OPEN mind, carefully, and without prejudice.

        "Ye shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you  free!"

LESSON I

Distinction between ISRAEL and JUDAH

Scripture reading:  Ezekiel 37:15-28.

Memory verse:  Jeremiah 50:4.

1. It is commonly believed today that Jesus "came unto His own, and His own received Him not," and that He then said, "Lo, I turn to the GENTILES!"  Did He make this latter statement?  John 1:11, 12.

2. Who was it, years later, who said "Lo, we turn to the Gentiles?" Acts 13:46.  Was Paul given a special mission, as THE Apostle of gentiles?  Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13.

3. It is true that when the Jews rejected Jesus, He turned to another people.  But strange as it may seem, and as will be proved later, this people was neither Jew nor Gentile!  To whom, then, did He turn?  Matthew 15:24.

4. Of course nearly everyone supposes that by "The House of Israel" Jesus referred to the Jews.  Most people suppose the two terms "ISRAEL" and  "JUDAH" are two names for the same people, both meaning "Jew."  Are they both the SAME?  Hosea 1:6-7, 4:15; Jeremiah 3:11.

5.Do Ezekiel's two sticks represent entirely different nations?  Ezekiel 37:15-16.

6. Does the interpretation of this symbol show that Israel and Judah have been TWO nations?  Ezekiel 37:18-20.  (NOTE: Notice, the "stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of EPHRAIM, and the tribes of ISRAEL his fellows."  Following lessons will show how EPHRAIM was the chief BIRTHRIGHT TRIBE.)

7. Have they been divided into TWO NATIONS up to, and until the time when God makes them once more ONE NATION?  Ezekiel 37:22.

8. Let us see, now, AT WHAT TIME the two nations were again to be made ONE.  Note, in verse 21, it is when God takes them from their captivity in the nations where they were scattered, and brings them into their own land, PALESTINE, once again.  Will it also be when they no longer defile themselves with idolatry, Sabbath-profaning, and all their other sins?  Verse 23.  Will David (resurrected from the dead) be king over them at that time?  Verse 24.  When thus united under David as king, will they ever again be driven out of Palestine?  Verse 25.  Will God make a NEW Covenant with them when they are thus united?  Verse 26.  Will the Gentile nations know when this happens.  Verse 28.  (NOTE: Those who deny the truth about Israel claim these two sticks were joined together in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Jews returned from Babylon, saying the king of Persia was the one king over both nations.  The above passages show how absurd and untrue this is.  Bear in mind that when David is king once again over all Israel and Judah, that Christ will be KING of kings, and Lord of lords.  There will then be kings over each nation, with David king over Israel.  Christ will be King over all earth's kings.)

9. In future lessons we shall see that the children of Israel were divided into two nations; one, with ten tribes, called ISRAEL, the other with two tribes, called Judah.  Israel has been called "The LOST TEN TRIBES."  Jesus came to His own, Judah, the Jews.  They rejected Him.  He turned to ISRAEL, the ten tribes.  Is this not brought out by the parable of Luke 19:12-14?  Notice, when His citizens, the Jews, rejected Him He turned to HIS TEN SERVANTS!

10. To whom did Jesus command the Twelve Apostles to go with the Gospel?  Matthew 10:1, 5, 6.  Did He say, "Go NOT to the Gentiles?  NOTE: The Jewish historian, Josephus, who lived during the lifetime of Christ, and into the war of 70 A.D., writes that at that time the Ten Tribes of the House of ISRAEL, were completely beyond the Euphrates, and beyond the bounds of the Roman Empire (Antiquities, Book XI, Chapter 5, Sec. 2).  He said only the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, the House of Judah, were then under Roman dominion (Antiquities XI, 5, 2).

NOTE: The House of Israel are called "Lost Sheep."  They were doubly lost -- lost in identity, supposed to be Gentiles!  Lost spiritually, in need of salvation! The original apostles obeyed Christ's commission.  After about ten years' ministry around Palestine, preaching to Jews, and especially to those of the tribe of Benjamin, or the Galileans.  Peter and the other original apostles journeyed TO CARRY THE GOSPEL TO THE LOST HOUSE OF ISRAEL -- the TEN TRIBES --beyond the bounds of the Roman Empire.  The identity and location of Ten Tribes was not to be revealed until the "time of the end" -- our generation.  This is why, after Acts 11, they seem to drop from sight, and we read only of Paul and his co-laborers, sent 

specially to the Gentiles.

11. But have the ministers, evangelists, and church denominations SINCE Peter's day obeyed the Lord's commission to search out, find the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel, and preach the Gospel to them?  Ezekiel 34:1-4.  Does the Lord say that He, Himself, will come again to earth, and search, seek, and FIND the lost HOUSE OF ISRAEL, and restore them to their own land?  Verses 10-14.  

This prophesied time, when the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of Israel (Isaiah 11:11), at His second coming, is now very near.  The Times of the Gentiles are about over.  The time has come for the blindness of Israel to begin to be removed. The time has come when we can search out, and IDENTIFY, lost ISRAEL!  The following lessons unfold the fascinating story, stranger than fiction, from Genesis to Revelation.  It is the thrilling story of GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE, and the KEYto understanding HIS BOOK, the Bible!

LESSON II

GOD'S Unconditional COVENANT With DAVID

Scripture Reading: Genesis 17:1-22.

Memory Verse:  Genesis 17:4.

1. Before God made any promises to Abraham, what did He tell Abraham to do?  Genesis 12:1.  In what sense do we, in order to become His seed through Christ, (Galatians 3:29) have to do the same thing?  II Corinthians 6:14, 17.

2. What purely national and MATERIAL promise, pertaining only to RACE, did God make Abraham?  Genesis 12:2.  What spiritual promise, pertaining to GRACE was made Abraham? Verse 3. Did this have anything to do with the Gospel? Galatians 3:8.  

(NOTE: We shall see more clearly, as we proceed with these lessons, that the promises made to Abraham were of a TWO-FOLD nature -- one phase promising material, national, racial blessings -- the other spiritual blessings of grace.  It is vitally important to distinguish  between the two.)

3. What inheritance did God promise Abraham?  Genesis 12:7.  Was this land located in heaven, or on the earth?  Verse 5, last phrase.

4. Did God repeat this promise of inheritance, and how long was Abraham to posses it?  Genesis 13:14-15; Genesis 15:18.  Is this same land the saints' eternal home and inheritance through the Gospel?  Galatians 3:29; Matthew 5:5.

5. When Abram was 99 years of age, did God propose making a Covenant with him?  Genesis 17:1-2.  Was this conditional?

6. Was Abraham to become the father of only ONE nation, the Jews? Genesis 17:4.  (NOTE: marginal rendering, "multitude of nations," also rendered "company of nations.")

7. Were these "many nations" to be the individual Gentiles converted through Christ, or Abraham's racial blood descendants?  The answer may be determined by examining whether the rulership over these nations was to be the ONE KING, Christ, or MANY kings of Abraham's blood descent.  Verse 6.

8. Is the "seed" here referred to singular, meaning  CHRIST, (as in Galatians 3:8, discussed above referring to the one seed,) or is it PLURAL, referring to MANY descendants of fleshly RACE?  Verses 7-8. (NOTE: the antecedent of "THEIR generations" is the SEED.  Also "THEIR God," not HIS God.)

9. In the promises to Sarah, do we see GRACE, and the ONE seed, Christ, or fleshly nations and kings?  Genesis 17:15-16.

10. After Abraham had been put to the test, and had performed HIS part of the covenant, were God's promises any longer conditional?  Genesis 22:16-18.  How  numerous was Abraham's fleshly race to become?  Verse 17.  Can this promise be spiritualized?  (NOTE: "Spiritual Israel" is NOT a Bible term.)

11. While verse 17 refers only to national, fleshly, RACIAL promises, do we not find spiritual promises of GRACE in Verse 18? (compare with Galatians 3:8).  This is the ONE seed.

12. Was the RACIAL promise of possessing the GATES of enemies repeated?  Genesis 24:60.  (A "gate" is an entrance. The Panama Canal, Strait of Gibraltar, Suez, are gates.)

13. If these promises of plural seed were of grace, God could not deny any human access to them.  Did He not deny all access to them to Ishmael?  Genesis 17:18-21.  Does not Esau's rejection also prove these promises are of RACE?

14. Since the children of the PROMISE had to come through Isaac and through Jacob, or Israel, can we not see that only national, material promises are referred to in Romans 9:7-14?

15. Were the promises confirmed to Isaac?  Genesis 26:1- 5.  To Jacob?  Genesis 28:13-14.  

(NOTE: additional  characteristic, to spread around the world.)

SUMMARY:  The promises were of TWO phases -- one pertaining only to RACE, plural seed, national supremacy, called the BIRTHRIGHT, as we shall see in later lessons -- the other pertaining to GRACE, promising Christ as the culmination of a line of kings, called the SCEPTRE, and giving SALVATION.

LESSON III

The BIRTHRIGHT and SCEPTRE Divided

Scripture Reading:  Genesis 48.

Memory Verse:  I Chronicles 5:2.

DEFINITIONS:   

"Birthright" -- Native right or privilege; possessions inherited at birth by eldest son. 

"Sceptre" -- Kingly office; royal power; badge of command or sovereignty.

1.To whom was the Sceptre handed down?  Genesis 49:10. 

2. Was the Birthright also given to Judah?  I Chronicles 5:2.

3. Who was the firstborn of Jacob, or Israel, and why did he not receive the birthright?  I Chronicles 5:1.

4. Of which tribe was Christ descended?  Hebrews 7:14.  Then could the BIRTHRIGHT promises have passed to Christ, and can they be inherited THROUGH Him?  Does this not prove these promises were of RACE, not of GRACE?

5. Where was Jacob, or Israel, at the time of his  death?  Genesis 47:27-29.

6. When it was reported to Joseph his father was dying, whom did he take before Jacob?  Genesis 48:1.

7.As Jacob passes the BIRTHRIGHT on to Joseph's sons,  does he mention the Sceptre, or kings, or all the earth being blessed through the ONE seed?  Genesis 48:2-4.  Was possession of the LAND given to Joseph?  Verse 4.

8. Was it necessary for Jacob to adopt, as his own legal sons, Joseph's two sons born of an Egyptian mother?  Verse 5.  Why?  Verse 6, (last two words.)

9. How did Joseph place his two sons before Jacob, and why?  Verse 13.

10. Did the blind Jacob place his hands as Joseph intended?  Verse 14.  Did Joseph try to correct his father?  Verse 17-18.  What did Jacob say?  Verse 19.

11. Who was to grow into the promised multitude?  Verses 15, 16.  Then can these promises (the many nations) pertain to "spiritual Israel"?

12. So far, the lads TOGETHER are to grow into the promised multitude.  But were they not, later, to become separate?  Verse 19.

13. Why does God call Ephraim "My first-born" (as in  Jeremiah 31:9)?  Verse 20.

14. At what time was Jacob's dying prophecy to be fulfilled?  Genesis 49:1.

15. What was to happen to the tribe of JUDAH?  Genesis 49:8-12.  When were the KINGS from the tribe of Judah to cease ruling over the children of Israel?  Verse 10.  (Fenton's translation says: "till PEACE [Christ] arrive, and the nations obey HIM.")

16. What is the condition of JOSEPH'S descendants in these last days?  Verses 22-26.  ("Branches," verse 22, means, as margin explains, "daughters."  In other words, to become a  COLONIZING people, spreading out from central headquarters.  Notice the material wealth, the national resources, the power, to be possessed by this nation and company of nations in the last days -- TODAY!)

(NOTE: The SPIRITUAL Promises of GRACE went to JUDAH, of which tribe Christ came.  These promises are called the SCEPTRE.  But the material, national promises of RACE, called the "Birthright," were given to JOSEPH, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, named after Joseph's sons.  The descendants of Manasseh were to become a GREAT nation -- the GREATEST single nation.  But the descendants of Ephraim were to become a "multitude" or a "COMPANY" of nations.  Notice particularly that the "MANY NATIONS" originally promised Abraham are to spring from Ephraim and Manasseh, not Judah.  Christ came from Judah.  Therefore the "many nations" could never be fulfilled through Christ.  We must look for natural flesh-born RACIAL descendants of these lads for the fulfillment of the multiple-seed promise made to Abraham.)

LESSON IV

The Davidic Covenant

Scripture Reading:  Psalm 89:1-37.

Memory Verse:  Psalm 89:4.

1. After the death of Jacob, what happened to the little family that survived him?  Exodus 1:7-14.

2. How long were the children of Israel in Egypt, before being led out by Moses?  Exodus 12:40-41.

3. When they left Egypt, did any of the Egyptians go with them, accepting Israel's God as a result of the plagues?  

Exodus 12:37-38.

NOTE: After formation of the Israelites into a NATION, they were ruled by judges for many generations.  Their government was a THEOCRACY, receiving laws direct from God.  Each tribe kept separate, occupying separate land; yet like our 48 states, the 12 tribes formed one nation.  The Levites were scattered among the other tribes as priests, but Ephraim and 

Manasseh were each counted as a tribe, so twelve tribes occupied separate territory.  All these years, the BIRTHRIGHT 

continued in Ephraim and Manasseh, and the SCEPTRE in Judah, divided as to tribes, but kept within the one nation.

4. Were the Israelites content to be governed God's way, or did they, like people today, want to be like worldly people 

around them?  I Samuel 8:4, 5.

5. Did Israel have a king before Saul?  I Samuel 8:7, 12:12.

6. Was Saul's DYNASTY continued in power?  I Samuel 15:17, 23.  Why?

7. David was the next king.  Was he Saul's son continuing Saul's dynasty?  I Samuel 16:1, and verses 11-13.

8. What covenant did God make with David?  II Samuel 7:12-16.

9. Was this a CONDITIONAL covenant?  Did its continuance depend upon whether Israel, or David's kingly descendants sinned?  Would the throne cease if they did?  II Samuel 7:14-15; Psalm 89:30-36; II Samuel 23:5.

10. Saul's dynasty ceased.  (A "dynasty" is a continuous reign passing from father to son.)  How about David's dynasty?  

II Samuel 7:15.  How long was the throne to last?  Verse 16.  Psalm 89:29.

11. Would the sins of the people cause God to break His covenant with David?  Psalm 89:34; Jeremiah 33:19-21.

12. Was the covenant, and the throne, established in the days of David and Solomon, or, as some claim, is it to be established, yet future, in Christ at His second coming?  II Chronicles 13:5.  Does this say "Gave to David," or "WILL GIVE 

to Christ"?  Does it say  to David and His ONE Son, Christ, or his SONS?  In which son, Solomon or Christ, was the Kingdom 

established forever?  II Samuel 7:12.

13. To how many generations was the throne established from the time of David and Solomon?  Psalm 89:3, 4; Jeremiah 

33:17.

14. But are not the people saying the Ten Tribes ceased to exist, and that the throne ceased and ended, with Zedekiah?  

Jeremiah 33:23-24.

15. What is the answer of the LORD to this?  Verses 25-26.  Does this speak of ONE ruler, Christ, or many?  Verse 26.

16. WHY did God make this covenant with David?  I Kings 15:5.

NOTE:  The word translated "seed" in Psalm 89:29, 36, etc., is translated "DYNASTY" in the Moffatt translation.  This 

is its real intended meaning, as David's seed, or sons, continuing his throne, were a dynasty.

17. Was the Sceptre to ever depart from Judah before the second coming of Christ, (Shilo)?  Genesis 49:10.

QUESTION:  We know Christ is to sit upon DAVID'S THRONE, (Luke 1:32) at His Second Coming.  How could He sit on a throne that ceased to exist and function 2500 years ago?  Unless the throne still continues TODAY, how can He do it?  Since the sun and the moon are still in the sky, does not David's throne still exist, SOMEWHERE?

LESSON V

ISRAEL Separates from JUDAH

Scripture Reading:  I Kings 12.

Memory Verse:  I Kings 12:19.

1. After David's death, who succeeded to his throne?  I Kings 2:10-12.

2. Solomon taxed the people excessively, reigned in gorgeous splendor, married Gentile wives, sacrificed to their idols, and committed other sins.  In consequence, what  did God say to him?  I Kings 11:11.  Did God say He would take away a few tribes from Solomon's throne, or was it the kingdom, or nation itself, that was to be rent?

3. Was it to be taken away during Solomon's lifetime?  Verse 12.  Why?

4. How much was to remain for Solomon's son, Rehoboam, to reign over -- the NATION, or a tribe?  Verse 13.  Why?  Will this keep David's dynasty alive, as God had promised in the Davidic Covenant?

5. Who succeeded Solomon to the throne of David?  I Kings 11:43.

6. What proposition did the House of Israel make to King Rehoboam, through their spokesman Jeroboam (tribe of Ephraim)?  

I Kings 12:1-4.

7. After consulting both the old men and the young men, how did Rehoboam reply?  Verses 13-14.

8. Then what did the nation ISRAEL do?  Verse 19.

9. Who was now the king of Israel?  Verse 20.

10. Notice, Jeroboam is now king over "ALL ISRAEL."  How many tribes were left under reign of David's throne now occupied by Rehoboam? Verses 20 (last part) and 21.  By what name were these two tribes called? Verse 21.  It is vital to notice, and remember, the name ISRAEL continues with the ten tribes, and David's throne now rules over, merely, the HOUSE OF JUDAH.  Thus the twelve tribes of Israel are now divided into TWO NATIONS, called by different names, ruled by different kings.  Now, for the first time, the BIRTHRIGHT is in one nation, ISRAEL, headed by the tribe of Ephraim, and the SCEPTRE is in a different nation, JUDAH.  Truly, Israel's name is now named on the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, as prophesied in Genesis 48:16. From here on, those of the tribe of Judah are NOT called "ISRAEL," but "Judah."

11. Jerusalem, of course, remained the capitol city of JUDAH, where David's dynasty continued.  What city became the 

capital of ISRAEL?  I Kings 16:29. 

(NOTE: It is important to remember that the name "Samaria," in prophecy, always refers to the TEN tribes, Israel, never to the Jews.)

12. The term "JEW" is merely a nickname for JUDAH.  It was never applied to ISRAEL, but only to JUDAH.  Thus the JEWS are not the House of Israel, and prophecies pertaining to ISRAEL never apply to the Jews.  The first place in the Bible where the word "JEW" is used is II Kings 16:6.  Begin reading from verse 1.  Note, Rezin, the ally in the war with ISRAEL, fighting against Judah, "drave the JEWS out of the town of Elath."  Here ISRAEL is at war against THE JEWS!  The term "JEW" does not appear again in the Bible until Israel had been driven out and lost, and in EVERY place it is used in the Bible, "JEW" applies to those of JUDAH only!

LESSON VI

The House Of Israel Driven Out -- and Lost

Scripture Reading:  II Kings 17:1-24.

Memory Verse:  Hosea 1:10.

1. After Israel and Judah became separated into two nations, what was the first act of Jeroboam, king of Israel?  I Kings 12:28, 29.

2. During the succeeding reigns of the 19 kings of Israel, divided into 7 dynasties, did the House of Israel depart from this sin of Jeroboam?  II Kings 17:22, 23; Ezekiel 20:10-14.

3. What had God told Israel their punishment would be if they disobeyed? Leviticus 26:14-18.  (NOTE:  "Seven times" is a period of 2520 years.)

4. When this penalty was imposed, and Israel was taken a captive people, were they taken to Babylon, as were the Jews 131 years later?  II Kings 18:11. WHY?  Verse 12.

5. After Israel was taken to Assyria, how many of the tribes were left?  II Kings 17:18.

6. Israel now begins to dwell "many days without a king."  Did God still have mercy upon Israel?  Hosea 1:2-6.

7. How about David's throne? Did God break His promise to David?  Verse 7.

8. Why have they became known as the "LOST Ten Tribes," while some say they have ceased to exist?  Deuteronomy 32:26.  

Could this text apply to the JEWS?

9. Did God hide even HIS face from Israel, so they were lost from Him? Isaiah 8:17.

10. Was even their language to change?  Isaiah 28:11.

11. Does the above verse apply to modern "tongue speaking," or to reading the Bible, translated into a language different 

then the Hebrew?  Verses 9-11, 13.

12. Was Israel finally to become a righteous nation? Were they to lose their name Israel, and be called by a new name?  

Isaiah 62:2.

13. In what name were they to be called?  Romans 9:7. 

(NOTE:  The name "Saxons" is merely "Isaac's Sons" with the "I" dropped, and a slightly changed spelling.  Vowels were never used in Hebrew writing.)

14. Was Israel's way ever hid from the lord?  Isaiah 40:27.

15. When Israel left Assyria, was she to find her path,  or way, or to become LOST?  Hosea 2:6.

16. They knew the land of Assyria. Were they to go from there to an unknown homeland?  Jeremiah 16:13.

17. Though Israel was sent into 2520 years of punishment, were they yet to become numerous?  Hosea 1:8-10, first part.

18.     In the faraway strange land where they would be called Gentiles, were they finally to become identified as God's covenant people, Israel?  Verse 10, last part.

19. In these very last days, when they once more become known and identified, what will they do?  Verse 11.

LESSON VII

Jeremiah's Commission

Scripture reading:  Jeremiah 1:1-10.

Memory verse:  Isaiah  37:31.

We come today to a most important and fascinating phase of this study -- a veritable connecting link between history and prophecy -- as little known as any truth in the Bible.  Today we skip 131 years, from the time of Israel's captivity to Assyria.

1. Jeremiah was sanctified.  When?  Jeremiah 1:5.  (This is a rare distinction shared only by Christ and John the Baptist.)

2. Jeremiah, when a lad 17 years old, was commissioned to do TWO things.  One was to act as intermediary, or God's agent, in tearing down the throne of David.  What was the other?  Jeremiah 1:10.

3. What he tore down was the throne of David.  What was he commissioned to build and to plant?  Was it not the same 

throne?

4. In his early years, Jeremiah, as God's prophet warned  Judah of her impending destruction unless she repented.  It was  when he had become a white-haired patriarch, in the reign of King Zedekiah, that the first half of his commission was performed.  When the Jews were taken captive, how many of the king's sons were left to continue David's dynasty?  How many of the nobles of Judah? Jeremiah 39:1-7.

5. Was King Zedekiah killed also?  Jeremiah 52:10-11.

6. Was King Zedekiah related to Jeremiah?   Verse 1 (Jeremiah 52).

7. After the Captivity, was Jeremiah given any special privileges, and liberty to make possible the performing of the 

second half of his commission? Jeremiah 39:11-12.

8. What did the captain of the guard say to Jeremiah?  Jeremiah 40:2, 4-5.

9. Where did Jeremiah go?  Verse 6.  WHY?

10. Ishmael treacherously killed Gedaliah and took the Jewish colony captive.  But Johanan recovered the captives, and 

planned to flee to Egypt.  He asked Jeremiah to ask God about it.  What was Jeremiah's answer?  Jeremiah 42:7-16.

11. How did Johanan reply?  Jeremiah 43:2, 4.

12. Besides Jeremiah and his scribe, Baruch, was any royal seed taken to Egypt, which was material for the planting 

and building of David's Throne?  Verses 5-7.

13. Was Baruch's life under divine protection?  Jeremiah 45:2-5.

14. The king's daughters was Jeremiah's great-granddaughters.  Were they also under divine protection?  Jeremiah 15:11, 14.

15. Did they escape from Egypt?  Jeremiah 44:12-14.

16. Where did they go?  Verse 28.

17. And then where?  Isaiah 37:32, 31.

LESSON VIII

Lost Tribes Located

Part One

Scripture  reading:  Ezekiel 17.

Memory  verse:  Ezekiel 21:26.

        Before proceeding with the story-thread, let us consider a "breach" that occurred in the days of Judah, son of Jacob, and the father of the kingly line of the Sceptre promise.  Read, alternately in unison, Genesis 38:24-30. Note 

marginal renderings.

        There would be no object in this incident being recorded in the Scripture, unless the breach did occur later, and a descendant of Zarah finally got the throne. But David, Zedekiah, and Christ, were all of Pharez line, according to Luke's genealogy of Christ.  So the sceptre was never transferred before Zedekiah.  It had to occur after Zedekiah's death.  And since David's dynasty can never cease, because of God's promise, the only way it could occur would be through a marriage of a SON of Zarah with a daughter of Pharez and David and Zedekiah.  If ever it occurred it must have been at the 

time of the overturn of the throne under Jeremiah.

1. Who was the wicked prince, of the kingly tribe of the children of Israel?  Ezekiel 21:25.  (King Zedekiah)

2. If the one called "high" (Zedekiah) is to be abased by losing the crown, and another who had been "low" was now to be exalted by having it, would the throne cease to exist?  Verse 26.

3. How many times was the throne to be overturned?  Verse 27.  Could this be possible if it ceased to exist at the 1st overturning?  What is to be no more, the throne, or the overturning, then?     Jeremiah performed the first overturn.  Two more were to follow later, after which it would no more be overturned until Christ comes to take over the throne eternally.

4. Who was the great eagle?  What was Lebanon?  What was the highest branch of the Cedar?  Ezekiel 17:3.  Interpretation 

from Verse 12.  (Jehoiachin, not Zedekiah)

5. Who took OF the highest branch of the Cedar?  Verse 22, first part.

6. Since this highest branch is the King of Judah, what would a twig OF this branch be?  Same verse.

7. Would a TENDER one of his young twigs be a boy, a girl?  Where was it to be PLANTED?  Same verse, last part.

8. Does this prophecy tell us WHERE Jeremiah went with the king's daughter to PLANT the throne he had torn down?  

Verse 23, first part.

9. Is this tender branch to grow and become a Cedar?  How great shall it become?  Verse 23, last part.

10. Judah has been the "high tree."  Who, then, is the "low tree" that is now exalted at this first "overturn" of the 

throne of David?  Verse 24.

11. Then does not this parable tell us that Jeremiah took the king's daughter to the Lost House of Israel, and there planted the throne of David, by a marriage between a daughter of Zedekiah (Pharez) and a son of Zarah? 

LESSON IX

Lost Tribes Located -- and United with Sceptre

Part Two

Scripture reading:  Jeremiah 31:1-37.

Memory verse:  Jeremiah 31:7.

NOTE:  We have seen how Jeremiah, accomplishing the overthrow of David's throne, took a daughter of King Zedekiah 

of Judah to the lost House of Israel, and there planted the throne of David anew.  We are now ready to search out the 

actual location and identity of the lost House of Israel.

1. At what time did Amos write his prophecy?  Amos 1:1.  Whom does his prophecy concern, Israel, or the Jews?

2. What kingdom, or government, does he say was to be destroyed, and was the House of Israel to move on among other nations, after going to Assyria, intermarrying among other nations?  Amos 9:8, 9.  (Notice, Israel, not Judah.)

3. While Israel sifted among many nations and lost their facial characteristics and identity, how about Judah?  Isaiah 

3:8, 9.  (Notice, this "show of countenance" applies to Jews only.  Those of ISRAEL do not look like Jews.)

4. While David was king IN JERUSALEM, what did God say He would do with the House of Israel?  II Samuel 7:10.

5. So Israel was to be PLANTED in another land and to move no more during this age, but were they not to become COLONIZING people, spreading out FROM this place, to the east, north, south, and west -- all over the earth?  Genesis 49:22, 

28:14.

NOTE:  Since Israel was never to move FROM this place where planted, and yet was to colonize and spread all over the earth, their headquarters, where the THRONE was planted, could not move.  So, it's location TODAY must be the same as its general location when Jeremiah planted the throne there.  Therefore the prophecies telling where the House of Israel 

finally migrate FROM, at the coming exodus at the end of the age, tell where Jeremiah went.  The two succeeding "overturns" 

of the throne must not involve a change of location in general.

6. After being carried to Assyria, which way did Ephraim go?  Hosea 12:1.

7. Where is a message sent to Israel?  Jeremiah 3:11-12.

8. Where will they come FROM, at the great forthcoming exodus? Jeremiah 3:18.  Also Hosea 11:8-10.  Also Jeremiah 31:8.

9. Where does Isaiah say they will come from?  Isaiah 49:3, 6, 12.

NOTE:  In the Hebrew there is no term for "northwest," but it is expressed "north and west."  Thus some texts say 

from the west, some from the north, and it was from the NORTHWEST of Jerusalem, Vulgate translates "Sinim" as "Australia."

10. Where did God say He would "set" or plant David's throne?  Psalm 89:25.

11. Where does Isaiah locate Israel?  Isaiah 49:1.   

12. How and where does Jeremiah identify and locate Israel?  Jeremiah 31:6, 7, 10.  Also Isaiah 51:4, 5.  Also 

Isaiah 42:3-4, 10, 12.

NOTE:  The location, therefore, is northwest of Jerusalem, in the Isles, in the Sea, now the chief of nations -- Great Britain!  She fulfills every prophecy!  The British Isles are due northwest of Jerusalem.

LESSON X

The Serpent's Trail

Scripture  reading:  Isaiah 49.

Memory verse:   Hosea 1:10.

1. What god did Israel go after, following Gideon's death?  Judges 8:33, and 9:4.  (NOTE:  "Berith" is a Hebrew word, here untranslated.  It means "Covenant." "Baalberith" means "idol of the Covenant."  The Hebrew for "man," is "iysh," or "ish."  In the Hebrew, vowels are omitted in spelling.  The h's are not pronounced.  Hence, the English spelling of the Hebrew for Covenant man is "Brit-ish.")

2. Was Israel to lose her name?  Isaiah 62:2.

3. What was the name which the mouth of the Lord named, by which they should be called?  Romans 9:7.

4. Were they ever called by the name of Isaac?  Amos 7:16.

NOTE:  All the House of Israel are truly sons of Isaac, or Isaac's sons. Dropping the vowel "I," which was not written in the Hebrew, we have "Saac's sons," or with its modern English spelling, "SAXONS."  Dr. W. Holt Yates, Yale University, says "the word Saxons is derived from Sons of Isaac.'"

5. Did God cause the House of Israel to set up "waymarks" or signs, along the trail from Assyria to the British Isles, so they could finally be traced and identified?  Jeremiah 31:20-21.

6. The tribe of Dan went with them.  What was prophesied regarding  this tribe?  Genesis 49:17.  (NOTE:  This is often translated "serpent's trail," meaning an identifying trail would be left.)

7. When the tribe of Dan captured Laish, how did they leave their "serpent's trail"?  Judges 18:26-29.

8. When the Danites captured Kirjathjearim did they place the name Dan in it?  Judges 18:11-12.

NOTE:  Thus we see that the Tribe of Dan left their "serpent's trail" wherever they went, by placing the name of Dan their father into every place where they went.  Since the vowels were never used in Hebrew spelling, Dan was written "Dn."  Therefore, supplying the vowel in pronouncing, it might be pronounced "Dan," or "Den," or "Din," or "Don," or "Dun."  Half the tribe of Dan lived on the seacoast east of Jerusalem, and abode in ships.  When Assyria captured Israel, they struck out in their ships, and went to Ireland.  David declared of 

Dan: "He breaketh (driveth) the ships of Tarshish with an East wind."  Along the shore of the Mediterranean they left their trail in "Dens," "Dons," and "Din," and in the Peninsula of Spain, where their "waymark" name "Me-din-a Si-don-ia" remains to this day.  Irish annals and history shows that the first settlers of Ireland, at just this time, were the "Tuatha de Danaans," and this means, translated, "Tribe of Dan."  In Ireland we find they left these "waymarks": "Dans-Laugh," "Dan-Sower," "Dun-dalke," "Dun-drum," "Don-egal Bay," "Don-egal City," "Dun-glow," "Lon-don-derry," "Din-gle," "Duns-more," (meaning more Dans), etc., etc.  The word "Dunn" in the Irish language means the same as "Dan" in the Hebrew, Judge. The other half of the tribe of Dan lived originally in the northern part of Palestine, and were taken with the rest of the Ten tribes to Assyria, thence migrated north and west.  As they went overland they left their trail. naming the "Dan-ube" River, also the "Don, the Dnieper," and the "Dnister."  After leaving Assyria they inhabited the land west of the Black Sea, as we know from the names "Mace-don-ia," and the "Dar-dan-elles."  In ancient and later geography we find also their trail by the names, "Dan-au," "the Dan-inn," the "Dan-aster," the "Dan-dari," the "Dan-ez," the "Dan," the "Don," the "U-Don," the "Eri-don," down to the "Danes," in "Dan-emerke," or "Dan's last resting place."  The people of "Den-mark" are called "Danes," and "Scan-din-navians." "Denmark" means "Dan's Mark."  When they came to the British Isles, we find the "Dans," "Dons," and "Duns" as prolific as in Ireland. There is "Dun-dee," "Dun-kirk," "Dun-bar," "Dun-raven," etc., in Scotland. "E-din-burgh" is the capitol.  Even the capitol of the British commonwealth is named "Lon-don."  Thus the "serpents trail" of Dan, setting up "waymarks," leads directly to the British Isles!

        The ancient history and annals of Ireland reveal these facts: About, or prior to 700 B. C., a strong colony called the "Tuatha de Danaan" (Tribe of Dan) arrived in ships, drove out other tribes and settled there. Later, about 585 B.C., (the date of Jeremiah's commission), an elderly patriarch, sometimes referred to as a "saint," came to the most northern province of Ireland, Ulster.  With him was an Eastern princess and a  companion called "Simon Brack" spelled in the histories as "Breck," "Bareck," "Brach," "Berach," etc.  The 

princess had a Hebrew name, "Tephi" -- a pet name, her full name being "Tea-Tephi."  This royal party brought with them some remarkable things, including the harp, an ark, and a wonderful stone called "Lia-fail," (stone of destiny).  Every king in the history of Ireland, Scotland, and England has been coronated over this stone.  It rests, today, in Westminster Abbey, London, and the Coronation Chair is built over it.  A sign beside it labels it "Jacob's Pillar-stone," (Genesis 28:18).  The Hebrew princess was married to a young prince named Herremon, after which he became King Herremon.  The son of this king and Hebrew princess continued on the throne of Ireland, and the same dynasty continued on through all kings of Ireland, was overturned and moved to Scotland, continuing through the reigns of the kings of ancient Scotland, was overturned again and moved to London, England, where the same dynasty continues today in the reign of King George of Great Britain!  The present King George was crowned, in the coronation ceremony, broadcast to the entire world, as "KING OF ISRAEL."  The crown worn by King Herremon and the sovereigns of ancient Ireland had TWELVE POINTS.

        In view of the linking together of prophecy and history, can anyone deny that this Hebrew princess Tea-Tephi was the daughter of Zedekiah of Judah, heir to the throne of David?  That the aged patriarch was Jeremiah, and his companion was Jeremiah's scribe Baruch?  And that King Heremon was a descendant of Zara, here married to a daughter of Pharaz, healing the ancient breach?  That when the throne of David was first overturned by Jeremiah, it was  PLANTED in Ireland, later overturned and planted in Scotland, again overturned and planted in London, from where it cannot be moved UNTIL THE COMING OF CHRIST?  The present King George of the British Commonwealth possesses a chart showing his ancestry, every generation, back to Herremon and Tephi, to Zedekiah, on back to David, and through the Biblical account clear to Adam!  DAVID'S 

THRONE STILL LIVES.  When Christ comes to sit on that throne, He will take over a LIVING, not a nonexistent throne.  God's Word stands!  God has kept all His promises!

9. To whom was possession of the land given?  Genesis 48:4. 

        Then it is EPHRAIM who in 1917, as Gentile Times began to end, TOOK JERUSALEM.  Since Britain then took and now holds Palestine, Britain must be Ephraim today.

LESSON XI

BIRTHRIGHT PROMISES Fulfilled TODAY

Scripture reading:  Leviticus 26:1-28.

Memory verse:  Genesis  39:2 first part.

1. What two commandments did God especially stress for Israel?  Leviticus 26:1-2.

2. If they followed His civil statutes, and kept His commandments, did God promise to make them so wealthy and powerful they would dominate over all nations?  Leviticus 26:3-13.

3. But if they disobeyed, were they to become the slaves of others, and go into national punishment?  Verses 14-17.  For HOW LONG was this national punishment, withholding the Birthright promises of national wealth and greatness, to last?  Verses 18, 21, 24, 28.  (NOTE: "Seven Times" actually designates a prophetic duration of 2520 years, not seven successive punishments.)

4. After Israel had been taken captive to Assyria, and Judah to Babylon, is it not also four times declared that "seven times" (2520 years) shall pass over this Gentile world-dominion, started by Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom?  Daniel 4:16, 23, 25, 32.  Is it not obvious, then, that the Birthright promises to be fulfilled in the tribes Ephraim and Manasseh, could not be actually realized until after their 2520 years' national punishment for sins?  Thus God punishes the people for their sins, yet keeps His promises to Abraham.  The promises, then, must be fulfilled only AFTER this duration of punishment.  The House of Israel (headed by Ephraim-Manasseh) went into national punishment 721 B. C.  Therefore, they could not come into the great national Birthright blessings until the period beginning 2520 years later, or 1800 A. D.

5. Whose descendants were to grow into the promised "multitude," or "many nations?"  Genesis 48:13, 16.  Was 

Manasseh to become the GREAT NATION, and Ephraim the still greater "COMPANY OF NATIONS?"  Verses 17-19.  Since 1800 A.D., has the United States become the greatest single nation on earth, and the British Commonwealth of Nations a still greater COMPANY of nations, and the only such company of nations in world history?

6. Read again the prophetic promise of Genesis 22:17, and Genesis 24:60. Since the Birthright pertains to NATIONS, would not "gates of enemies" be such passes as the Panama Canal, Strait of Gibraltar, Suez Canal, etc.?  It is a fact that since 1800 Great Britain and the U. S. have come to possess every such "gate" in the world.

7. When was the dying Jacob's prophecy regarding the tribes of Israel to take place?  Genesis 49:1.  What, today, was to be the national condition of JOSEPH -- the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh? Verses 22-26.  Note, verse 22, Joseph -- both tribes together -- was to become fruitful in population, and a COLONIZING people, spreading out from the British Isles.  Have the white English-speaking people fulfilled this?  Note 

verse 23.  Other nations were to make strong by Jacob's God, we were to conquer and withstand them.  Has this happened?  Notice the blessings of vast wealth and resources, verses 25-26.  Do we possess them?  Together, Britain and America own more than two-thirds of all the material wealth and resources of the world!  This is WHY the Dictator powers attack us today!  We are the HAVES, they the "Have NOTS."

8. Jacob's blessing upon Ephraim and Manasseh indicated their descendants would grow TOGETHER, later separating, after which Manasseh would become a GREAT nation, and Ephraim a commonwealth of nations. Now notice Isaiah 49.  It is addressed (verse 1) to "Oh, Isles," and (Verse 3) "O Israel."  Read verses 19 and 20. Assyria "swallowed them up."  This, then, is after they are far away from Assyria.  They are too crowded with inhabitants.  They were to LOSE their first colony, (New England, becoming the U.S. -- the separation of MANASSEH from EPHRAIM), AFTER which many other colonies were to be established.  Has this not happened?

NOTE:  Some cannot understand how the U.S. can be Manasseh, when a large part of our people have come from many nations besides England.  A large part of Manasseh remained with Ephraim, as explained above until they separated and became "New England."  Were our forefathers to be sifted through many other nations?  Amos 9:9.  Notice this refers to ISRAEL, not the Jews.  The answer is that many of Manasseh filtered into many nations, finally emigrating to the U.S., after the "New England" colony had separated from the brother Ephraim and become the U.S.A.  Thus we are called the "melting pot"of the world.  Undoubtedly a large portion of the foreign immigrants in this country are of the blood descent of Manasseh, regardless of their supposed nationality.  God has seen to it and brought it about.

9. What was Moses' dying prophetic blessing for Joseph's descendants? Deuteronomy 33:1, 13-17.  What nations fulfilled this prophecy today?  The unicorn is the British national Seal.  Our people possess the world's agricultural, mineral, timber, oil wealth.  We have the gold, silver, iron, steel, copper, tin, coal.  We have the oil, the fruit, the corn, the wheat.  And they fell into our possession after 1800 A.D.!  Abraham Lincoln summed up this great fulfilled prophecy: "We find ourselves in the peaceful possession of the fairest 

portion of the earth, as regards fertility of soil, extent of territory, and salubrity of climate . . .We . . . find ourselves the legal inheritors of theses fundamental blessings.  We toiled not in the acquirement or the establishment of them."  God simply GAVE them to us.  He has KEPT HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM, and we, his multitudinous children, enjoy these material blessings today!  If WE are not "lost" ISRAEL -- Birthright ISRAEL -- who else can be?  Can there be any stronger PROOF of the divine inspiration of the Bible, than theses mighty fulfilled promises, enjoyed by us today?

LESSON XII

Why ISRAEL Lost Her IDENTITY

Scripture reading:  Ezekiel 20:10-44.

Memory verse:  Ezekiel 20:12.

1. When God promised our forefathers vast prosperity and national dominance for obedience, and the "seven times" punishment for disobedience (which lasted until 1800 A.D. for our people), what two commandments were especially stressed?  Leviticus 26:1-2.

2. Study Exodus 31:12-17. Here is a special covenant between God and Israel -- our people.  Is it called a "covenant," and how long was it to endure?  Verse 16.  A "SIGN" is a mark of identity.  Merchants hang out signs in front of their stores, to tell WHOSE store it is, and what kind.  Was the Sabbath made the SIGN by which our people were to KNOW, or identify God?  Verse 13.  HOW could the Sabbath identify God?  Verse 17.  (NOTE:  Creation is the PROOF of God.  Thus the seventh day is the only one that could point back as a memorial of Creation and God chose the very day for assembly and worship which would thus continually keep His people in the memory and true worship of the true God.  No other day could serve this purpose.) The Sabbath also was the SIGN of Israel's "Sanctification." verse 13.  To "sanctify" is to "set apart."  Thus this day was to set our people apart from other people as GOD'S people.  Gentile nations never kept the Sabbath.  Thus it was the SIGN by which they were to KNOW GOD, and also the SIGN that  would IDENTIFY Israel as GOD'S people.  Was it holy to God?  Verse 15.  How long was it to remain a SIGN?  Verse 17.  Has FOREVER ended?

3. We have seen in past lessons that Israel's initial and continuous sin, started by King Jeroboam's golden calves, was idolatry.  We have seen that idolatry and Sabbath-breaking were the two sins our forefathers were especially warned against, lest they go into 2520 years' national punishment.  Did they commit these two great sins?  Ezekiel 20:10-13.

4. Did the Eternal patiently warn succeeding generations against following the ways of their fathers, instead of keeping HIS Sabbath?  Ezekiel 20:18-20.  Did these generations follow God's ways, or their fathers' traditions?  Verse 21.

5. WHY did God finally, after many generations, drive our people out into their 2520 years' punishment which ended only in 1800 A. D.?  Ezekiel 20:23-24.

6. Since they had refused to keep the covenant SIGN of their national identity, did God not give them over to their FALSE ways of men?  Verses 25-26.  Does God not give those who continually disobey Him and reject His truth over to believe a lie, instead of the truth?  II Thessalonians 2:11-12.

7. We have seen that our people, Israel, lost their national identity as "The House of ISRAEL," and have come to be considered as Gentiles.  Our people had a telltale SIGN, by which they should be KNOWN.  Had they kept it, they never should have become the "LOST  Ten Tribes."  Judah, also went into national captivity because of Sabbath-breaking, (Jeremiah 17:19-27, 52:12-13).  But,  learning their lesson, these Jews who returned to Jerusalem 70 years later under Ezra and Nehemiah became such strict Sabbath-keepers they added some 65 rabbinical ordinances making the Sabbath a bond of servitude.  It was these man-made ordinances Jesus broke and swept aside, saying "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; therefore the Son of man is LORD also of the Sabbath."  It is the day Jesus is LORD of, therefore it is the true LORD'S DAY.  

        The Jew has strictly kept the Sabbath since -- and has never lost his identity!  Because of it, the Jew is mistaken for ISRAEL today. But our people Israel today as well as back in the 8th century B.C., follow the tradition of their fathers instead of keeping God's true Sabbath.  What did Jesus teach about following tradition instead of God's Commandments?  Mark 7:7, 9.

8. When our people finally are restored to Palestine, at the Second Coming of Christ, will they THEN remember these evil ways, including Sabbath-breaking, which caused them to be taken captive many centuries before?  Ezekiel 20:43.  Will they then keep the SIGN by which they shall KNOW the Eternal their God?  Verses 42, 44.  Will it take the Second Coming of Christ, when He comes to RULE over us, to bring our people to the truth?  

Verses 33-35.  When Christ comes, what will happen to the rebels who refuse to keep His sabbath?  Verse 38.  By a study of Verses 33-44 you will see that our people, in our present generation, will have to turn back to the true Sabbath of God in order to be saved.  Our people, Israel, today are in "Babylon," that paganized power that has deceived all nations (Revelation 17:2 and 18:3), but today God calls us who see the truth OUT of Babylon (Revelation 18:4), and unless we come out, and quickly, we shall suffer the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES!  This lesson, we realize, has presented this subject from an entirely NEW ANGLE, which will raise up many questions.  The author will be glad to answer all such honest questions.

LESSON XIII

INVASION of Britain & RESTORATION of Israel

Scripture reading:  Jeremiah 30.

Memory verse:  Jeremiah 50:4.

1. After Israel's 2520 years' national punishment ended in 1800 A.D., our people have truly risen to all the national wealth and power promised to Abraham, and foretold for these latter days in the dying blessings of both Jacob and Moses.  How strong were we to be in war?  Jeremiah 51:19-20; Micah 5:8-9.  Never has JUDAH fulfilled this prophecy, but ISRAEL has.

2. In this same day, WHEN we have been so strong, what does God say HE will do to us?  Micah 5:10-11.

3. Study Jeremiah 30. Is the TIME of this prophecy the present LATTER DAYS, just before and during the time of restoration of Israel and Judah together, by the coming of Christ?  Verses 1-3, 24.  Is it referring to a time of peace, or a time of war?  Verses 5-7.  Are we to be saved out of this time of trouble?  Verse 7.  HOW?  Verses 8-9.  Notice, we are saved out of it only when God breaks a foreign YOKE from off our neck, bursts the bonds that shall be binding us.  We shall be serving foreigners.

4. When Israel and Judah are again gathered back to Palestine, will ISRAEL (Britain and America) come from a 

condition of prosperity and world power, or from the land of our CAPTIVITY?  Verses 10-11.  Is there any cure for the military bruise inflicted in this time of our trouble?  Verse 12.  Will Britain and America have any allies in this last war?  Verses 13-14.  ("All thy lovers" is translated as "All your allies" in other translations.)  How has God wounded us, cut off our cities (bombing), thrown down all our strongholdsand fortifications?  Verse 14.  Could Hitler be that "CRUEL ONE"?  Why is God sending this invasion and captivity 

upon Britain and America?  Last part, Verse 14, 15.  What shall be the final end of those who devour and take our people captive?  Verse 16.  Does this verse not show our people first must go into captivity?

5. Where is this warning prophecy to be shouted in these last days? Jeremiah 31:7-10.  Has not Britain been the chief of the nations, in the Isles?  When we are rescued and delivered from captivity by Christ's coming, shall it not be from a stronger enemy?  Verse 11.

6. Was Britain and America to be PREPARED, or was it the GENTILES, Germany, Italy, Russia, Japan, etc., who were to be PREPARED for war at this time?  Joel 3:1, 9-11.  Has it happened this way?

7. In the previous lesson we saw that the two outstanding sins for which our forefathers went into punishment 

lasting till 1800 A.D., were idolatry and Sabbath-breaking.  We know our people do NOT observe God's Sabbath today, but rather have been taught through the generations to sneer at it as the "Jewish Sabbath." Aside from idols in the Catholic churches, are there any idols in our land today?  Isaiah 2:5-8.  God has blessed us with greater wealth than any people ever had.  But our people set their hearts upon this wealth, and the material things made by men's hands -- fine clothes, beautiful homes, automobiles, etc., etc., instead of following God.  Thus we have turned God's richest material blessing into a CURSE and a national SIN.  God punished our people 2600 years ago for it -- now we shall be invaded and conquered for it once again!

8. At the time when Israel and Judah together, weeping in true repentance, shall be restored by the coming of Christ, what does God say had caused our people to go astray?  Jeremiah 50:4-6.  In this latter day, have our people been willing to hear God's LAW?  Isaiah 30:8-10.  (NOTE:  The margin for "the time to come" is the LATTER DAY -- today!)  In order to get a salary and feed themselves, have our preachers been willing to preach the soft and smooth things the people have demanded?  Ezekiel 34:1-4.  The preachers say "the LAW is done away."  What shall happen to them?  Verse 10.  Will Christ our Lord have to come again, and restore our people to the true faith once delivered?  Verses 11-14.

9. How many nations are today DECEIVED by the false teaching emanating from Rome?  Revelation 17:2, 18:3.  "Babylon" is the entire pagan Roman system, fostered by the Roman church.  Does the Roman church have any DAUGHTER churches?  Revelation 17:5.  By what name are they here called?  It must be remembered that "protestantism" has never protested about Rome's changing and doing away with God's Law (Daniel 7:25), but rather teaches that the Law is done away, rejects God's holy Sabbath for the original pagan day of SUN worship called SUN-day, and also retains many fundamental pagan teachings diametrically contrary to the Bible.  Truly Israel is IN BABYLON today.  In religion, in business, in society, we are in the ways and teachings of "Babylon."  Is God calling us OUT?  Revelation 18:4; Isaiah 48:20.  Should we have been keeping God's Commandments?  Isaiah 48:17-18.  Were they done away?  Psalm 111:7-8; Matthew 5:17-19.  What is our Passport to the City and everlasting life?  Revelation 22:14; Matthew 19:16-17.

10. After our people originally were scattered, and have served other gods and the work of men's hands all these years, what are we to do if we would find deliverance during the coming Tribulation in this latter day?  Deuteronomy 4:27-31. If we forsake OUR ways and turn back to God and His Commandments through Jesus Christ, shall any plague come near us?  Psalm 91:1-2, 7-10.

11. We now know our people are ISRAEL.  We now know we are to be invaded and conquered by the sword God shall send because of our sins.  When we see this sword coming upon our land, what are we commanded to do?  Ezekiel 33:1-6.  Every man and woman cannot preach or shout the warning.   So far as we know NO ONE today is shouting this warning but The RADIO CHURCH OF GOD, and The PLAIN TRUTH Magazine.  When you send regularly your tithe, and sacrifice to send the largest possible offerings, to add more and more radio stations, to publish additional thousands of copies of The PLAIN TRUTH, you are shouting this warning, and acquitting yourself before God.  Are we showing as much zeal, making as much sacrifice to this end, as others are to fight on the battlefields and to contribute money for the defense of a doomed material kingdom?  Christ is soon coming, to call each of us to account. Soon our money will be of no use, once we are invaded and conquered.  But NOW, we 

can obey God and proclaim His warning to the millions of our people, before it is too late.  But we must HURRY!  Time is short.

http://www.scripturesforamerica.org/html2/jm0003.htm

http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2004/newton.html