Excerpts from the revealing book by Garner Ted Armstrong explain the end time roles of the United States of America and a powerful United Europe. When we understand the promises made by God to Abraham and who the beneficiaries of those blessings are, we find how modern man fits into the plan of prophecy and what our future holds.
In many ways, the Bible could be called the story of “one man’s family.” In only a few short chapters, one sixth of all the history of the world is covered; from creation until the flood of Noah, a period of approximately one thousand years.
Then follows the account of the overspreading of the earth by Noah’s children; the attempt at racial amalgamation and the tower of Babel; the dividing of the nations and confusion of their languages — all within but a few chapters. By the twelfth chapter of the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we begin reading of a man named “Abram,” who was called of God for a great mission in life. Turn to this vital twelfth chapter, and read it with your own eyes.
“Now the Eternal 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 I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen.12:1-3).
What a promise!
“And I will make thy seed [your children—your progeny to follow] as the dust of the earth [numbering hundreds of millions]: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered” (Genesis 13:14-16).
God is not promising that Abram’s children would become but a small, struggling nation in the Middle East! This is not a description of “Israel” of this modern time—a nation surrounded by hostile Arab nations, struggling for survival.
The Jews in modern Israel hardly comprise a nation so large; a people occupying all points of the compass who number “as the dust of the earth.”
Later, God expanded on this marvelous promise to Abram! He promised Abraham’s grandson, Jacob (whose name was changed to “Israel”), “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed!”
Jacob had twelve children. The story of Jacob’s two wives, Leah and Rachel, is found in chapter 28 through chapter 31 of the book of Genesis.
Leah was the mother of the following children: Dinah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.
Rachel’s maid, Bilhah, bore Jacob two sons, Dan and Naphtali. Zilpah, Leah’s maid, bore Gad and Asher.
Finally, Rachel, Jacob’s choice for a wife and the one for whom he had labored so long, bore Jacob two sons, Joseph, and Benjamin.
Now we come to a Bible truth so simple, and yet so profound, that it is surprising that millions of churchgoing, professing Christians do not understand it! That has to do with the identity of “the House of Israel,” and “the House of Judah.”
Few seem to understand that not all Israelites are Jews! Just as all Americans are not Texans, yet all Texans (legal residents) are Americans, so it is true that all Jews are Israelites! But all Israelites are not Jews!
The term “Jew” is a nickname for the progenitor of the Jewish race, “Judah.” Judah is one of the children of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel.
Later, God appeared unto Jacob, “And God said unto him, thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but ISRAEL shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.
“And God said unto him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation [singular] and a company of nations [multiple nations!] shall be of thee, and kings [plural] shall come out of thy loins!
“And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac to thee I will give it, and to thy seed [multiple seed—millions!] after thee will I give the land” (Genesis 35:10).
The promises which had been made unconditional to Abraham now passed on to Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel! Much of the remainder of the book of Genesis is taken up with the story of how the jealous brothers sold Joseph, Israel’s favorite son, into Egypt; how God allowed this to happen in order to provide a place for the family to endure the searing drought which would take thousands of lives in Palestine, and how the result was the birth of a new nation in captivity.
Toward the end of the book of Genesis is a fascinating chapter (chapter 49) giving strong clues as to the modem identity of the many tribes of the “House of Israel.”
In the preceding chapter (Genesis 48) is the vitally important account of how the name of Israel passed upon Ephraim and Manassseh, Joseph’s two sons! But the most important verse is verse 16. Read it again!
“The angel [messenger] which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and LET MY NAME BE NAMED ON THEM, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
Which tribes, then, according to your Bible, should wear the name of Israel? Judah? No. Simeon or Levi? No.
The name of the House of ISRAEL was very clearly passed down to the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, in that order!
Ephraim was prophesied to become a company of nations, and his brother, Manasseh, a great single nation!
These two brothers were to possess the names of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or ISRAEL! They, uniquely among the other children of Jacob, were to have the name of “ISRAEL” upon them!
Yet millions of professing Christians remain blissfully ignorant of these vitally important scriptures which clearly identify the “lost ten tribes,” or the “covenant people,” prophesied to inherit the national greatness promised to the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
The history of God’s new nation is unfolded in the books of Joshua when they entered into the promised land; Judges; the period under God’s system of Judges, like a theocracy under God, culminated in the rebellious call for a KING to rule over them in I and 2 Samuel, like other nations. That king was Saul. Under Saul, Israel found itself heavily taxed; military conscription of young men occurred, warfare ensued, and the people had no real peace.
The books of I and 2 Samuel detail the reign of Saul; his evil character. While issuing a royal decree that any witch was to be put to death or expelled from the land, Saul sought to the infamous Witch of Endor in an attempt to receive a message from Samuel, then dead. He continually tried to kill David, becoming jealous of him because of his military prowess; his popularity.
Then comes David’s accession to the throne, and the enlargement of the kingdom.
David, as the grandfather of Rehoboam, the first king in a long line of rulers over the southern kingdom, was given an unconditional promise from God.
The covenant with David had nothing to do with the birthright promise; the promise of RACE. Instead, it concerned the sceptre promise, the promise of GRACE; the lineage through which Christ would be born.
For a full understanding of the covenant God made with David, turn to and read all of 2 Samuel the seventh chapter.
Notice particularly verses 12 through 17: “And 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.
“He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
“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 my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
“And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.
“According to all these words, and according to this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.”
The genealogy of Jesus Christ proves how God kept this promise to David. Read Luke 3:23 to the end of the chapter and you will read of Jesus’ “legal” genealogy through His foster father, Joseph, back to Adam. Verses 31 and 32 include Jesse, David’s father, and David himself.
Each year, at “Christmas” time, little children are schooled in repeating the angelic enunciation of the birth of Jesus Christ. Millions hear these words repeated each year, yet none seem to understand what they mean.
The angel said to Mary, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.
“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS.
“He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the House of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).
What does this scripture tell you?
It tells you, in incontrovertible and plain language from the inspired Word of God, that the throne of David will still remain as a viable throne—meaning a position of rulership over a nation—right up until the second coming of Christ!
Notice! “Behold the days come, saith the Eternal, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
“In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel [a different nation] shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD IS OUR RIGHTEOUSENSSS” (Jeremiah 23:5, 6).
David’s throne will still be extant at the time of the second coming of Christ. David himself will be resurrected at that time, and sit on a throne over the 12 tribes of Israel, yet under authority of the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is prophesied to come to “inherit the throne of His father David,” proving that throne still exists.
David is followed by his son, Solomon, and the temple is built; the kingdom further expanded, until it reached its zenith; a prosperous, wealthy, vibrant nation which was the greatest known on earth at that time.
Under Solomon, metals were mined from far away England; Solomon’s ships sailed into the Atlantic; circumnavigated Africa. They brought strange and exotic birds and animals from India and from Africa. The Queen of Sheba, probably Hatshepsut of Egypt, was overwhelmed at Jerusalem, with its terraced gardens, fountains, magnificent temple and buildings; splendid homes, great treasuries of gold, silver, and precious stones.
But Solomon became corrupted in his old age; he built temples to the pagan gods of his many wives and concubines, neglected the affairs of government, allowed other forces to prevail. As a result, one of Solomon’s servants, Jereboam, brought the northern ten tribes to the brink of civil war with Judah, and those associated with the Jews in and around Jerusalem, including Levi, Simeon, and portions of Benjamin, who had contiguous borders.
The kingdom was divided; Jereboam set up a provisional government in Samaria, to the north, and Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, continued on the throne in Jerusalem, as the king of Judah.
Now, there were two distinct nations; The House of Israel, to the north, with the capital city of Samaria, under Jereboam, and the House of Judah, consisting mostly of those of the tribe of Judah, together with many Levites and Simeonites, with their capital city of Jerusalem. Never were those of the ten tribes to the north called Jews! The “Jews” were of Judah, from which the term “Jew” derives.
Not one percent of ministers know about the separate national histories of Israel and Judah; about the removal of Israel into captivity; about the subsequent loss of their identity down through history; about the seven times which would expire while they were deprived of their national inheritance. Therefore, they cannot know of the actual identity of Britain and the United States in the Bible; cannot know of God’s repeated warnings to our peoples.
This is but a brief look into Garner Ted Armstrong’s eye-opening book Europe and America in Prophecy; see the back cover for information on how to order your own free copy today!
