Ephraim and Manasseh

Critics of the Israel Truth movement have assumed that we teach the total separation of Ephraim and Manasseh. In fact, this never happened. Many people of the tribe of Manasseh left England to come to the new world, but not all. Today there are people of the tribe of Manasseh living in England. If not, then 100 % of an immigrant’s relatives would have had to follow him to America, but we know there were always some left behind. Likewise, I suspect there are people of the tribe of Ephraim living in the United States. However, most Ephraimites probably stayed in England and forced others to leave. One prophecy concerning Ephraim and Manasseh was, “His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh.” Deuteronomy 33:17. Many Ephraimites probably got pushed out of England as well, and made their way to the colonies.

So, why do we call the United States Manasseh? We believe the tribe of Manasseh became the leaders in the United States and gave that country its character. However, they are not the only tribe there, and it is certain that all twelve tribes are living in the United States of America. Their citizens came from all over the world, and within that multitude were the descendants of the tribes of Israel. By projection of this thought, you could say that all twelve tribes are present in Canada, in Australia and a few other countries. Looking back in history, we see that the people who settled in the British Isles came from various parts of Europe. So, there was a gathering to that location as well. This would mean that all twelve tribes are present in the United Kingdom. For hundreds of years there has been an admixture of the tribes, and we have become one people, not individual tribes. Surely this was the Lord’s doing. Also, many of us in North America can claim our ancestry from all four British groups: the English, Irish, Scotch, and Welsh, due to the mixing of those ethnicities.

It has been said in Israel Truth writings that the Dutch people are descendants of the tribe of Zebulun. However, for hundreds of years the Dutch have been coming to America, South Africa, and other Israelite nations and intermarrying with the people there, and today many of them are heading to Australia. At the end of the Second World War many of them came to Canada and intermarried with Canadians because Canadians liberated them from Nazi oppression. So, they have experienced the same integration into the new world Israelite nations that we have.

The Anglo-Saxon and related people are still divided into two groups, called Ephraim and Manasseh. As explained, Ephraim is made up of twelve tribes, and Manasseh is made up of twelve tribes. The tribe of Manasseh became prominent in the United States and gave that county its character. In the other Israelite countries the tribe of Ephraim became prominent and gave those countries their character. Some might ask, “If the United States is Manasseh, why do two thirds of all the Anglo-Saxons live there and only one third in the rest of the world?” This is simply because Manasseh was the elder brother, and so inherited a double portion. This was in the law given to Moses and also before Moses. The father had to honor the elder son, “by giving him a double portion of all that he hath; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.” Deuteronomy 21:17. The only way Manasseh could lose this double portion was by sin, as Reuben did by his act of adultery (Genesis 35:22), but there is no evidence that Manasseh lost the double portion. This is also why the United States has tremendous wealth, far above that of the other Israelite nations. A double portion of wealth is theirs as part of their inheritance, and we see how they have used their tremendous wealth to spread the Gospel throughout the world. God’s plan for the descendants of Israel has been truly amazing, preparing the world for the coming reign of Jesus Christ.

This spreading of the Gospel in the past was spearheaded by the British Empire, a Protestant entity that took the Bible wherever they went. It was said of them, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” This fulfilled a prophecy about Ephraim that “his seed shall become a multitude of nations.” Genesis 48:19. Most of those African, Asiatic, and other peoples were not Israelites, but those colonies were still regarded as possessions of Ephraim, according to the above scripture.

So, where are we today? Our people need to repent. They need to have a vision of who they are. I heard years ago that an Anglican clergyman stated, “The best Christians in my congregation are the British Israelites.” This is not unusual, because the knowledge of Israel Truth turns a person’s heart to God’s laws and the worship of Jesus Christ, our King. Also, we become more receptive to the Holy Spirit, who is, “the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father,” John 15:26. Wherever truth is proclaimed, there the Holy Spirit is welcomed. If you think the Israel Truth message makes sense, then accept it, and pass it on to your family and friends.