The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. Britain and the United States Inherit Josephs Birthright Benjamin Disraeli: Maestro of Empire In a remarkable coincidence one of the chief architects of the British Empire, Benjamin Disraeli, literally bears the name of Israel. Or is it coincidence? God often names things what they are. Adams name literally means red earth, the substance from which God formed and shaped the first man (Genesis:2:7). God gave Abram a name—Abraham (Genesis:17:5)—that connoted his fatherhood—father of a multitude (verses 4-6). Solomon, whose name derives from the Hebrew root word for peace, presided over one of the most peaceful periods in Israelite history (1 Kings:4:24). Is it so strange to think that God might still provide us similar signposts along the way through our history? (Malachi:3:6). One possible example of this is in the development of the British Empire and a remarkable man named Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881). This son of a Jewish family that had converted to Christianity rose to the pinnacle of British political life and served twice as prime minister (1868 and 1874-1880). Historians sometimes describe him as the maestro of empire, the British statesman who gave the late-19th-century British Empire a renewed emotional force. During Disraelis second administration England underwent a revival of interest in empire and territorial expansion. Acting boldly and with remarkable independence, Disraeli paid nearly four million pounds—money borrowed from the Bank of Rothschild with the British government as security—for the purchase of 44 percent of the shares of stock controlling the recently constructed Suez Canal (1869). Otto von Bismarck of Germany, the iron chancellor, aptly described the passageway as the spinal cord of the British Empire. The next and perhaps most grandiose expression of Disraelis imperial policies was in connection with the linchpin of the Empire, India itself. On May 1, 1876, Disraeli saw that the Royal Titles Bill made Queen Victoria empress of India. In January of the next year, with fanfare and ceremony, the viceroy of India pronounced Victoria empress at a grand celebration in her honor. Later that same year Disraeli annexed the mineral-rich Transvaal in South Africa. Three years later, at the Congress of Berlin, he acquired the strategic outpost of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. In a remarkable coincidence one of the chief architects of the British Empire, Benjamin Disraeli, literally bears the name of Israel. Or is it coincidence? Given what we know about the promises to Jacobs end-time descendants and the timing of the issuance of the physical, materia and national promises to Abraham, the name Disraeli reads more like a providential signpost. Advocates of British-Israelism Focusing on the biblical promises, some scholars have undertaken extensive research to advance the knowledge that Gods promised blessings to Abrahams descendants have largely been fulfilled in the British and American peoples. The prosperity of Britain and the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries fueled the popular belief that the British and American peoples are in fact the descendants of the lost 10 tribes. This movement came to be popularly known as British-Israelism. In the United States, where the idea of manifest destiny—the belief that it was the nations destiny to expand from shore to shore—was already firmly entrenched, advocates of British-Israelism promoted the biblical explanation for the nations unexplained growth and prosperity. Britain and the United States, they concluded, were recipients of the unconditional birthright of Joseph. In recent times some have associated British-Israelism with the modern negative connotations of imperialism. Critics even allege that those who embraced this reasoning were only seeking a salve for their conscience to justify their imperialist tendencies. Such accusation, however, is simply not in keeping with the thinking of the 19th century. Those who project todays political sensitivities on a past audience that viewed the world far differently are incorrect and unfair in their assessment. In the mid-19th century British subjects did not perceive imperialism as negative. They viewed it as a magnanimous gesture —that they were extending the blessings that had made their nation great to less-fortunate peoples around the globe. Indeed the British Empire provided many blessings to the peoples who became part of the empire. Another criticism—this one accurate—aimed at British-Israel advocates is that some of their proponents incorporated racism into their beliefs. Prejudicial racist views have tarnished their reasoning, thus discrediting the historical aspects of their teachings. This is both regrettable and biblically unacceptable. Racial bigotry is most definitely not what the Bible teaches. God is not the author of such a point of view. He loves all people and commands us to do the same. The central issues we need to consider are whether many of the descendants of the 10 tribes of Israel reside in the British-descended nations today and, if so, what God expects of them. Focusing on the biblical promises, some scholars have undertaken extensive research to advance the knowledge that Gods promised blessings to Abrahams descendants have largely been fulfilled in the British and American peoples. Although many have contributed to the basic research, here are a few people who have made significant contributions to the advancement of this area of study. John Wilson, Anglican layman from Cheltenham, England, published Our Israelitish Origin in 1840. This work was the first full-blown thesis connecting the Anglo-Saxons to ancient Israel. Wilson drew on the best of contemporary scholarship and methodology. He made particular use of the work of Sharon Turner (1768-1847), a monumental figure in British historiography whose multivolume work, The History of the Anglo-Saxons, traces the Anglo-Saxons back through Europe to the Balkan countries and ultimately to the Crimea and Caucasus Mountains—exactly what we would expect according to 2 Kings:17:6 and 1 Chronicles:5:26. Edward Hine, a banker and successor of Wilson, wrote Forty-Seven Identifications of the British Nation With Lost Israel (1871). Hine claimed to have addressed 5 million people on this topic during his lecture-circuit career. John Harden Allen, Methodist minister from the U.S. Pacific Northwest, wrote Judahs Sceptre and Josephs Birthright (1917). T. Rosling Howlett, Baptist minister, had pastorates in New York City, Washington and Philadelphia. Charles Piazzi Smyth (1819-1900) was the royal astronomer of Scotland and emeritus professor of astronomy at Edinburgh University. Col. John Cox Gawler (1830-1882) was the keeper of the British crown jewels. Herbert Armstrong (1892-1986), founder and chancellor of Ambassador University, wrote The United States and British Commonwealth in Prophecy, published in several editions until 1986. Steven Collins wrote The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel...Found! (1992), later expanded into a four-volume series. Yair Davidy authored The Tribes: The Israelite Origins of Western Peoples (1993), Ephraim (1995), Ephraim: The Gentile Children of Israel (2001) and Joseph: The Israelite Destiny of America (2001). Raymond McNair, minister of the Global Church of God, wrote America and Britain in Prophecy (1996). John Ogwyn, minister of the Living Church of God, wrote Whats Ahead for America and Britain? (1999). The Bible In British and American History Is it possible that the Bible so influenced the people of Britain and the United States because this book is their history book? When King James of England commissioned the translation of the Bible into English from its original languages, the massive undertaking was accomplished by a large committee of scholars representing the best interpretative skills then available. For almost 400 years this monumental work, completed in 1611, has been recognized as one of the premier translations ever undertaken. Although the Bible has been translated into almost every language, this English version remains the most influential of all. Why is it that the Bible has been so predominant in Britain and the United States? The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy notes that the Bible is the most widely known book in the English-speaking world...No one in the English-speaking world can be considered literate without a basic knowledge of the Bible (Hirsch, Kett and Trefil, 1988, p. 1). In Britain it was rated as one of the top 50 most-interesting books. In the United States it is perennially a best seller and the single book that Americans say has most influenced their lives. The Bible is quoted by people of all walks of life including statesmen, politicians, philosophers, poets and even astronauts. Here are a few comments from some respected leaders: • It has been my custom for many years to read the Bible in its entirety once a year (John Quincy Adams). • A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education (Theodore Roosevelt). • If we abide by the principles taught by the Bible, our country will go on prospering (Daniel Webster). • I believe the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go (Abraham Lincoln). • It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible (George Washington). • The Bible is the rock on which our republic rests (Andrew Jackson). • We reject with scorn all these learned and labored myths that Moses was but a legendary figure. We believe that the most scientific view, the most up-to-date and rationalistic conception, will find its fullest satisfaction in taking the Bible story literally (Winston Churchill). Is it possible that the Bible so influenced the people of Britain and the United States because this book is their history book? Significantly, it tells not only the story of their distant ancestors but also their future. To be continued....
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 13:14:58 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015