WHO ARE THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL?
BY W.H. BROWN

 

The Jews Are The Tribe Of Judah, Where Are The Other Eleven Tribes?

 

God said unto Jacob, “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. 35:1 1). In the history of the world, when did a company of nations ever come out of the loins of Jacob?

Ephraim was to become a multitude of nations (Gen. 48:19). Ephraim was carried away captive with the ten lost tribes of Israel. At no time in history does Ephraim ever become one nation. much less a multitude of nations.

It is impossible for God to lie. Jacob did become a company of nations. Ephraim did become a multitude of nations. The ten tribes were only lost to history. they were never lost from God.

Jacob called unto his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days” days (Gen. 49:1). The things that Jacob said would happen unto his sons in the last days have happened, just like Jacob said they would. The last days were not 700 years before the birth of Christ. when the sons of Jacob disappeared from history, the last days are now.

 

THE APPLE OF HIS EYE

“I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first born (Jer. 31:9).

Why did God choose Ephraim? Whatever me reason you and fare doubly blessed because of it. The firstborn receives a double portion from his father (Deut. 21 :17).

The name Ephraim means doubly fruitful. The right of the firstborn was a double blessing from the father. God said, “Ephraim is my firstborn.”.. The nation of Ephraim is blessed twice as much as his brother nations of the children of Israel, and a thousand times more than some of me third world nations. it is no accident that the United States of America is the most favored nation mat ever existed. God has made his face to shine upon us. We are me apple of his eye, his dear son, his firstborn. If you don’t believe that me United States is doubly blessed of God, men you may as well not read any further.

The United States has built the most prosperous nation ever known, with the highest standard of living for the greatest number d people. Two centuries ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation. From nothing we have grown to be in agriculture, in commerce, in civilization, and in natural strength -the first among nations existing or in history. A super nation unparalleled in the annals of history. A giant, lying between the big waters of the Atlantic end Pacific Oceans mat cover more than 3 million square miles.

But size alone does not account for the greatness of the United States. We have superabundant natural resources and people mat are smart enough to turn those natural resources into food, clothing, houses, luxuries, and gadgets.

The people of the United States are industrious; they have get up and go. They do things with vigor. They are active, on me move. The rocking chair may be evidence of an inability to be still even when at rest.

It required determination, initiative, and self-reliance to push the frontier to the west, north, and south, across the plains, over mountains, and through deserts to reach the Pacific Coast. It also required determination and enterprise to uncover and exploit the resources of the Land.

The United States became a super nation because they are big and because they have superabundant natural resources, and because the people are smart, and because God put me superabundant natural resources in the big land and gave it all to Ephraim his firstborn.

Symbols of preeminenceare every where, from me skyscrapers of the cities, with buildings scraping me clouds, to the fertile valleys with some of the richest farm land in the world.

Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place (Host 9:13). We don’t have frigid cold weather like Canada or heat of the tropics like our neighbors to me south. The United States occupies a most favorable distance from the equator. We are planted in a pleasant place.

I saw Ephraim as Tyrus of perfect beauty (Ezak. 27:3; Hos. 9:13). We have fertile valleys, placid rivers, productive prairies, arid plains, rolling hills, mountains with peaks mantled in snow, shining lakes, majestic waterhils, inland seas, and oceans whose farther edge touches the ends of me earth. Out of nature’s seven greatest wonders. over half are found in the United States. We live in a land of God’s most awesome scenic creations.

Ephraim is my firstborn and a double portion goes to him. The United States mines over two fifths of the world’s coal and possesses half the world’s coal reserves. Giant dams harness great rivers, and we generate a third of the world’s electric power. More than a quarter of me known iron ore of me world is to be found within me continental limits of the United States. The lion’s share of me world’s supply of crude petroleum is produced in me United States. The United States produces at least a third of the world’s pig iron and more than half its steel. Americans produce over half of me world’s lumber, and three fifths of me world’s motor vehicles. We have a third of all highway mileage. and a third of the world’s railroad/racks. Nearly three fifths of the world’s telephone instruments are in the United States.

The fertile soils of the United States yield half of the world’s corn crop and roughly a quarter of all the world’s cereals. The United States produces roughly a third of the world’s tobacco. Half the cotton in me world is grown between the Ohio River and the Gulf of Mexico.

It was in America that most of the inventions were developed, and it was in America that all of them were applied to the fullest extent The lion’s share of the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, medicine, peace,. Literature, and economics, has gone to Americans. The only human footprints on me moon were made by Americans.

Later we shall see that all the tribes of Israel are blessed more than the other nations because God said, I am a father to Israel. and Ephraim is my firstborn” (Jer. 31:9). They are all mine, but Ephraim gets a double portion.

The United States is the richest nation the world has ever known. Ephraim has received double of the natural wealth that God promised to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Blessed shall be the fruit my body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of my cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure. the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all me works of shine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. The Lord shall make thee the head, and not me tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath. The Lord shall cause shine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before my face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways (Deut 28:4, 7, 12, 13).

The United States is me bread basket of me world. We lend unto many nations but never borrow. Since World War II we have poured more man 150 billion dollars in foreign aid into nations that were in need. God said, “I will make you me head and not the tail.” The United States has no equal; they stand head and shoulders above all the nations of the earth. Ephraim knows that he is rich, but like the hog under the acorn tree, he doesn’t know mat me acorns come from above. Ephraim said, “I am become rich, I have found me out substance” (Host 12:8). Ephraim has exalted himself in Israel (Host 13:1). Instead of saying, The Lord maketh rich. (I Sam. 2:7), he said, “I did it, I have found me out substance.”

Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin (Host 8:1 1). The United States has more churches than any other nation, but a lot of the people who do pray at the altars on Sunday are praying they will have a crop failure for the wild oats they hew been sowing the other six days of the week.

God has watched aver our nation from its infancy. We hew won our wars and grown great in the earth because God led us by the hand. “I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them” (Host 11:3).

The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses (Deut. 28:8). You don’t need a saddle if you don’t have a horse. A storehouse is a place to store food. The United States spends millions of dollars each year just to store its abundant grain harvest A new survey by the Department of Agriculture straws that the United States has enough elevators and farm storage facilities to store more then 16.9 billion bushels of grain.

God treats his firstborn son like most fathers treat theirs. He brags about trim when he is good end scolds him when bed end and for him when he is wayward, and shows mercy when he repents. “Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him stir; therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord” (Jer. 31:20).

The United States is the melting pot of the world. The Statue of Liberty has lifted her lamp to millions yearning to breathe freely. We have many nationalities and ethnic groups in this country because Ephraim is a mixer. Ephraim, he ham mixed himself among the people (Host 7:8).

Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. Manassehah all 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 of nations (Gen. 48:19, 20).

Manasseh was older man his brother Ephraim, just like England is older than the United States. Manasseh was to become great. The British Empire was one of the greatest It could tee said in truth, The sun never sets on the British Empire.” They are still called Great Britain. They are still a great nation.

It didn’t seem possible that the British Empire would ever be surpassed, but Jacob said, Truly his younger brother shall be greater than he,” and along comes the United States and builds a super-nation unparalleled in the annals of history.

Ephraim was to become a multitude of nations. Ephraim was a small boy when Jacob blessed him. He became a half tribe in the small nation of Israel. He is among the ten tribes that disappear from history. At no time in his history does he ever become one nation, much less a multitude of nations. But notice what Jacob said, “And Jacob called his sons, and said, gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days” (Gen. 49:1). Ephraim wasn’t supposed to become a multitude of nations until the last days. Our last two states. Alaska and Hawaii, were admitted to the union in 1959, and if fifty states under one flag isn’t a multitude of nations. then when did Ephraim ever become a multitude of nations?

Ephraim started becoming a multitude of nations in 1776. Before that he was only thirteen colonies stretched along the eastern seaboard of what is now me United States. The thirteen colonies united together and formed the government the United States. It was 3,000 miles from the east coast where the new nation dwelt, to the west coast where they desired to push their border. There also were giants in the land: France, England, Spain, Russia, Mexico, and Indians. None of these things deterred them, however; it was ‘westward ho the wagons,” and, Lordy. never ask us why!

I believe it was Divine Providence for the new nation to extend its boundaries westward to the Pacific Ocean. It is amazing to know that the great theme of the early history of the United States was “manifest destiny.” Manifest destiny was the idea that the United States was certain to extend its boundaries westward to the Pacific.

With the adding of Alaska, United States expansion on the North American continent was complete. The country now stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, from the Atlantic to the Pacific without a single break. The United States had acquired, sometimes by diplomacy, sometimes by purchase. sometimes by force, a great empire. Ephraim had become a multitude of nations, just like the Bible said.

Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death. Of Joseph. he said, “Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the head of him that was separated from his brethren. 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 they are the thousands of Manasseh” (Deut. 33:16, 17).

Moses ascribes thousands to Manasseh, but ten thousands to Ephraim. England has 56 million people. The United States has 247 million people. Moses also said that the two sons of Joseph were to push the people together to the ends of the earth. The influence of the British and American people on the rest of the world is unsurpassed. There are about thirty nations in the British Commonwealth of Nations. A confederation of independent nations, with their dependencies, united under the British crown: and there are about a half million Americans in uniform that are on duty overseas. They are scattered around the world. They are in Europe, in the Pacific, in the Far East, in Latin America, and in other areas of the world pushing the nations together to the ends of the earth.

The United States is number one in the world of nations because all the blessings of Joseph were to fall upon his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Now Jacob loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors (Gen 37:3). He loved Joseph more than all his children, and when he blessed his sons before he died, he put Joseph above them all. lathe blessings thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph. (Gen. 49:26).

Not only did Joseph receive the lion’s share of his father’s blessing, the birthright also fell to him. Reuben was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph (I Chro. 5:1).

What is the difference between the birthright and the blessing? There is a difference. Esau said of Jacob, he took away my birthright and behold. now he hath taken away my blessing (Gen. 27:36). The birthright was a double portion of the father’s goods (Deut. 21:17). The blessing was something that only God could bring to pass. Jacob blessed Ephraim and said he would become a multitude of nations, but only God could bring it to pass.

Manasseh was older than Ephraim, but God led Jacob to put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and sit him before Manasseh (Gen. 48:14-20) because God had chosen Ephraim for his firstborn. You talk about the chosen people of God, and most people will think you are talking about the Jews. The United States is the most favored nation existing or in history. We are under the spout where the blessings come out The birthright entitles us to a double portion, plus all the blessings of Joseph fall to us.

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 coucheth beneath. and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph. (Deut. 33:13-16).

God helped us to become strong militarily. Of Joseph he said, “His bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; even by the God of thy father, who shell help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, and blessings of the deep that lieth under. (Gen 49:24, 25).

Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall (Gen. 49:22). This scripture speaks well of our nation. We are fruitful (the bread basket of the world), planted in a pleasant place (by a well), and our branches run over the wall (reaching a helping hand to those beyond our borders). Over half of the nations of the world receive economic assistance from the United States.

God told Abraham, “Behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations; and I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee” (Gen. 17:4, 6). God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and 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. 35:10, 11).

How did Abraham become the father of many nations? When did Jacob become a company of nations? The twelve tribes of Israel became the nation of Israel. Out of this nation was formed two kingdoms. The kingdom of Judah, two tribes, and the kingdom of Israel, ten tribes. More than 700 years B.C. the ten tribes are carried away captive by the King of Assyria and completely disappear from history (II Kings 17). Later the kingdom of Judah is also scattered through the nations of the world. History of the Jews has remained until the present day; but at no time in history did the twelve tribes of Israel become the many nations that God told Abraham he would make him the father of.

It is impossible for God to lie. All the twelve tribes have become nations, they are all very much alive at the present time. The Jews, which are the tribe of Judah, became a nation in 1948. Ephraim celebrated his 200th birthday in 1976. Abraham is the father of many nations.

When Jacob blessed his children before he died, he said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. (Gen.49:1).We are living in the last days, and so are the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus told the apostles, “When the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matt. 19:28). How could the apostles judge the twelve tribes if the twelve tribes didn’t exist?

The nation that is called Israel today is just the tribe of Judah. In my thirty years of studying the Bible, I have concluded that the other eleven tribes are Ephraim (the United States), Manasseh (England) — these two make up the tribe of Joseph — Reuben (Sweden), Zebulun (Norway), Issachar (Finland). Asher (Canada), Naphtali (the Netherlands), Benjamin (Switzerland), Simeon and Levi (Germany and Austria), Gad (Australia), and Dan (New Zealand).

I didn’t draw those names out of a hat. There are some good reasons, scripturally, why the nations mentioned could be the tribe nations. God said, “I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborns (Jer. 31:9). This is reason enough to expect these nations to be blessed more than other nations, and blessed they are. The nations that I have ascribed to be the twelve tribes of Israel are the most cultured end highly developed
nations in the world. Their illiteracy rate is negligible. Their standard of living is the highest in the world. Life expectancy in these nations is the highest in the world. They all have life expectancy above seventy years. Sweden is at the top of the list. People live longer in Sweden than any other nation, 72.1 years for men and 77.5 years for women. Moses blessed Reuben (Sweden) with long life. “Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few” (Deut. 33:6). Compare this with the nation of India where the people worship everything from rats to cows. This life expectancy is 41.9 years for men and 40.6 years for women.

On the three continents of Europe, Australia, and North America, the people are healthier, wealthier, and wiser than in the other nations of the world. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy. and wise is a bunch of baloney. The twelve tribes of Israel live on these three continents, and that is the reason for the better health, more wealth, and educated wisdom.

Former President Lyndon Johnson was talking about the three continents of Asia. Africa, and South America when he said:

On three continents, in dozens of countries, hundreds of millions of people struggle to exist on incomes of little more than a dollar a week. Many people have less to spend each day on food. shelter, clothing and medicine than the average American spends at his corner drug store for a package of cigarettes. They live in run down country shacks of tar paper. They live in city slums They live without heat, water, sanitation or hope. Their children have no schools. They have no doctors or hospitals. Their life expectancy is between 35 and 40 years of age. They see no escape from the ancient cycle of misery and despair.

Another reason for believing the tribe nations are who I believe they are is because “birds of a feather flock together.” Nations that have things in common also flock together. About twenty Arab nations formed the Arab League. There are seven Communist nations in the Warsaw Pact. Some of the twelve tribes of Israel are in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is a military alliance led by the United States. Australia (Gad) and New Zealand (Dan) do not belong to N.A.T.O., but in 1951 they formed a military alliance with the United States. These three nations are pledged to respond to aggression against any of the alliance members. Israel (Judah) has a special commitment from the United States. President Jimmy Carter said, “The United States will remain faithful to its historic commitments to the security of Israel.. You can see these twelve birds flocking together, and why shouldn’t they stick together? They are brothers.

This historic commitment between the United States and Israel is probably more historic than President Carter realizes. From ancient times Ephraim has come to the aid of Judah. When 200,000 Jews were taken captive, Ephraim stood up against them that came from the war and said unto them: “Ye shall not bring in the captives hither.” So the armed men left the captives and the spoil, and the men of Ephraim took the spoil and clothed them and shod them and gave them to eat and drink and sent them on their way (II Chron. 28:8-15). In that day, Judah’s best friend was Ephraim. In our day, Judah’s best friend is Ephraim. In the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when Judah was about to go down the drain, the United States was the only nation that offered to help. The United States flew in thousands of tons of tanks, guns, and missiles, and in a few days the Arabs were forced to agree to a cease-fire. Premier Golda Meir spoke of “the miracle of the immense planes from the United States that meant life for our people.”

The oil embargo of 1973 mace the Arabs look like giants to ten of the tribes. Joshua and Caleb said, ‘We are well able to take the land.. Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim, and Caleb was of the tribe of Judah (Num. 13:6, 8, 16).

Juda may vex Ephraim from time to time (lsa. 11:13), but to destroy the little nation of Israel, you will have to walk over the United States. I like what President Carter said: “From time to time we have our transient differences with the leaders of Israel, but the United States will never waver from our deep friendship and partnership with Israel, our total absolute commitment to Israel’s security. For thirty years we have stood at the side of the proud and independent nation of Israel. I can say without reservation as the President of the United States of America that we will continue to do that not just for another thirty years but forever.”

Throughout history, the presidents of the United States have been uniformly warm to the Jews. It took President Harry Truman just eleven minutes after Israel became a state for him to officially recognize it. Today, America can boast there has never been an official expulsion of Jews or official ghetto for Jews. No major European country can say the same. This is probably why more Jews live in the United States than in any other country. America’s Jewish population is twice that of Israel: six million in the United States and only three million in Israel.

The Jews have been the most persecuted people in the world. “Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her” {Jer 12 9). A vote in the United Nations against Israel was a 131 to one. Moses knew that Judah was going to have a row to hoe. When he blessed the tribes, he said of Judah, “Hear Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies” (Deut. 33:7). God heard the prayer of Moses, the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off (Deut. 15:11, 13). In that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it (Zech. 12:3). The Jews have survived wars, ghettos, expulsions, concentration camps, and Hitler’s ovens; and when the dust settles from the battle of Armageddon, the Star of David will still be fluttering in the breeze.

Of the twelve tribes of Israel, Judah is the easiest one to identify. The Jews have kept their identity for thousands of years. Judah prevailed above his brethren and from him came the chief ruler. (I Chron. 5:2). The Chief rulor is Jesus Christ. Jesus was a Jew. The woman of Samaria knew Jesus was a Jew. Thou being a Jew, askest drink d me, which am a woman of Samaria” (John 4:9). Paul knew Jesus was a Jew. He said, “For it is evident that our Lord sprang from Juda” (Heb. 7:14).The Jews are the tribe of Judah. Today, the nation of Israel is just the one tribe of Judah.

Of Reuben he said, “Reuben unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it; he went up to my couch” (Gen. 49:4). You can see the moral standard of Reuben is very low. Take a look at Sweden’s standard of sexual permissiveness, and you will see they are as unstable as water, taking the path d least resistance. They also are unstable in other ways. In two world wars Sweden took the path of least resistance and played the neutrality game. There also is instability in organized labor; workers in defiance of union leaders. There also is political instability. Through an oversight the number of seats in the parliament was set at 350, making a parliamentary deadlock possible. (That was exactly what happened in their 1973 elections.) If there is a nation in the world today that is as unstable as water, it is Sweden.

Of Zebulun he said, “Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships” (Gen. 49:13). Norway also has been notable for ships since the days of the Vikings. Today, the Norwegian merchant fleet is among the largest in the world. If there is a nation in the world today that dwells at the haven of the sea and is a haven for ships, it is Norway.

Of Issachar he said, “Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens. He saw that the rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear. and became a servant unto tribute” (Gen 49:14, 15). There was a war between Finland and Russia in 1939–40. Finland lost the war, and Russia made him bow his shoulder to bear and become a servant unto tribute. There was nothing left for Finland to do but bow his shoulder to bear. Finland paid the Soviet Union the heaviest reparations ever imposed on any modem nation.

Of Asher he said, “Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil” (Deut. 33:24). “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties” (Gen. 49:20). Canada has dipped their foot in oil. They are in the top ten of world oil producers. Their bread is fat, they are rich in natural resources, their living standard is high, they also yield royal dainties: The Royal Canadian Air Force. the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to name a few.

Of Naphtali he said, “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words” (Gen. 49:21). The Netherlands could very well be the tribe of Naphtali. They are a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are a very tolerant people. have much to say, they are not a bunch of blabber mouths, but when they do say something people listen because “he giveth goodly words.” It was the Netherlands that formally began the long-brewing self-analysis of N.A.T.O. in 1973. The Dutch plan was considered significant by the N.A.T.O sources because the proposal called for the alliance to reaffirm its principles of representative democracy, social justice, and respect for human rights. As far back as 1899, the minister of foreign affairs of the Netherlands issued a call to the principal nations of the world to come to The Hague, capital of the Netherlands, for a conference concerning the problems of maintaining universal peace, reducing armaments, the conditions of warfare, and to set up an International Court of Arbitration. The Hague is well known the world over for giving goodly words and settling controversial issues between nations.

Of Benjamin he said, “Benjamin the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders” (Deut. 33:12). As you can see, the Lord is going to take good care of little Benjamin.

Wars have raged all around Switzerland, but no enemy has ever attacked them nor have they sent their troops into foreign wars since 1515 -over 460 years of peace. They dwell between the shoulders of the Jura mountain range and the Alps. These mountains are uninviting as a battleground — another reason for the safety of Benjamin. The very fact that Benjamin is the beloved of the Lord, and the Lord carries him around on his shoulders, and the Lord keeps him covered all the day long, guarantees his safety and well being. Switzerland has overfull employment amid growing joblessness in much of the rest of the world, and it ranks among the world’s wealthiest countries.

Of Simeon and Levi he said, “Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. In their anger they slew a man, and in their self will they digged down a wall. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. (Gen. 49:5-7). Because these two are so much alike, they are blessed, or rather cursed together. It is not very hard to see that these two are bad medicine. Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. They are killers. In their anger, they slew a man. They are destructive. In their self will, they digged down a wall.

What can be more cruel than war? What could be more destructive, both in life and property, than wet? There have been two world wars, and Germany and Austria stuck together in both of them. Both nations speak the German language. Hitler was born in Austria and his father was an Austrian. The first World war was started by Austria in July 1914, when Austria declared war on Serbia It eventually became a global war involving thirty-two nations. Casualties among the dead, wounded and missing totaled over 37 million, with another 10 million among the civilian populations. World War I was the costliest in human life and in material destruction that the world had known up to that time.

World War II was started by Germany in September 1939, when Hitler sent his goose steppers into Poland. Before it was over seventy-two nations were involved in an unparalleled struggle. No statistics relating to the loss of lives and property in World War II can possibly indicate the enormity of the tragedy. The untold cost in suffering and sorrow, in broken homes and orphaned children, the travail of people rendered homeless, the years of imprisonment of millions of prisoners of war—these things do not show up on statistics. World War II lasted six years and claimed about 45 million lives.

Cursed be their wrath, for it was cruel.” You will have to search long and hard to find a people more cruel than Nazi Germany. The atrocities committed by Nazi Germany during World War II brought 20th century cruelty to its peak. Nazi murder camps systematically killed 6 million Jews, Gypsies, sick and retarded people, and others deemed undesirable by the Nazis were murdered.

Systematically is the right word for the Nazi killing machine. The old antique method of digging a big trench and then marching the victims into it to be shot had to be discarded. There were too many people to murder to use methods like this. To kill 6 or 7 million people, you have to kill 10,000 a day every day of the year for two years. The Nazis rose to the occasion. A train load of victims could be “processed” in a matter of hours after they reached the death camps. First they were stripped naked, both men and women. They were then marched to the “showers.” to be deloused. The “showers” was a large building that they were herded into, then the doors were locked, and the poison gas was turned on. In just a few minutes they were all dead.

Just as soon as the gas chamber was aired out, the bodies were removed and taken to the ovens to be burned. This job of removing the bodies from the gas chamber to the ovens was given to the able-bodied Jews. By doing this dirty work, they got to live a few weeks longer; but by and by, they went to the “showers” like all the other Jews that Hitler could get his hands on. Had not the war machine of Nazi Germany been stopped by the allied forces of the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union, many, many more millions of innocent victims would have gone up the smoke stack of Hitler’s ovens. “Cursed be his anger, for it was fierce.”

Jacob said of Simeon and Levi, “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel” (Gen. 49:7). Because of war, Germany was divided. There is now an East Germany and a West Germany. Because of war, Austria, which was once the core of the Hapsburg Empire, has been scattered to the four winds. They are now a relatively small nation of about 8 million people.

Of Gad he said, “Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad. He dwelleth as a lion, and tearest the arm with the crown of the head” (Deut. 33:20). Australia dwelleth as a lion because they tore away from the crown of England, the mother lion. “Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad” speaks of the huge size of Australia. Australia ranks number six in the world in size and is the only nation in the world that occupies a whole continent.

Of Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s whelp, he shall leap from Bashan. (Deut. 33:22). A lion’s whelp is a young lion. England is the mother lion. On the upper left-hand corner of the flag of New Zealand is the Union Jack of England. Bashan is good cattle country (Num. 32:1, 33). Strong bulls of Bashan (Ps. 22:12). Butter and milk of kine, fat lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan (Deut. 32: 14). Dan was to leap from Bashan, so a good place to look for Dan would be in cow country. New Zealand is blessed with an equable climate that permits grass to grow green throughout the year. Their country is renowned for butter, race hones, and lush scenery. The New Zealand dairy industry is said to be the most efficient anywhere, and the export of dairy products is the largest in the world.

The nations that you have just read about are the most cultured and highly developed nations in the world. Not developing nations, not third world nations, but highly developed nations in a class by themselves. “His people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Num. 23:9). They are set aside by the Lord. “For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure” (Ps.135:4).

“All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s it is holy unto the Lord” (Lev.27:30). All the tithe of the land is the Lord’s. One tenth is the Lord’s portion. For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. (Deu.32:9). The children of Jacob must be one–tenth of the population of the world to tee the Lord’s portion.

According to the World Almanac and Book of Facts, the population of the world in 1982 was four billion and six hundred million. One-Tenth of that number would be four hundred and sixty million. The combined fatal population of the tribe nations should be four hundred and sixty million. Let us check this out

The United States_______________________________247 1/2 million
Great Britain_____________________________________56 1/2 million
Canada_________________________________________25 1/2 million
Sweden _________________________________________8 1/2 million
Norway_________________________________________4 1/2 million
Finland_____________________________________________5 million
The Netherlands__________________________________14 1/2 million
Switzerland_______________________________________6 1/2 million
Germany____________________________________________60 million
Austria___________________________________________7 1/2 million
Australia____________________________________________16 million
New Zealand_______________________________________3 1/2 million
Israel_____________________________________________4 1/2 million

TOTAL ___________________________________________460 million

God fixed it a long time ago that the children of Israel, His portion, would always be one tenth. When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel” (Deu. 32:8). It doesn’t look like God has any bounds on India, with over eight hundred million people, or on China, with aver a billion people. God set the bounds on the total population of the world according to the number of the children of Israel.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath for his own inheritance” inheritance” 33:12). The United States of America is the most blessed nation that has ever inhabited the planet earth. There are many reasons for this, but the main reason is because our nation shows honor to God. God said, “Them that honor me I will honor. and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed (I Sam. 2:30).

When our fore-fathers first came to this country. they honored God by giving thanks for their good fortune to be in eland where they could freely worship God, and they had a Thanksgiving Day for their first harvest in the new world. Our nation still honors God with a Thanksgiving Day in the fall of the year, after the harvest.

Our presidents honor God when they take the oath of office. It was a custom that was started by our first president George Washington. With one hand over his heart and the other upon his open Bible, he replied to the oath: “I swear– so help me God!”

God is honored in our Declaration of Independence. I will quote the last paragraph of the Declaration of Independence.. “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

God is honored in our Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. “l pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

God is honored on our money. Look at the green back of a one dollar bill. In the middle of the bill it says, “In God we trrust”.

On the right-hand side of the bill is an eagle. The eagle is the national emblem of the United States.

The flag that is on the breast of the eagle has thirteen stripes. The flag represents the thirteen original states.

In the right talon of the eagle is an olive branch. The olive branch represents peace. The eagle is looking toward the olive branch. We will first look for the way of peace; but. if we must fight, we will fight.

In the left talon of the eagle there are arrows. The arrows represent war. We will use the olive branch first. but if the olive branch doesn’t work. then we will use the arrows.

The tail of the eagle represents the judicial branch of our government meet. The nine tail feathers of the eagle represent the nine judges of the Supreme Court of the United States.

The two wings on the eagle represent the legislative branch of our government One wing with the many feathers represents the United States Senate, and the other wing with the many feathers represents the House of Congress.

The head of the eagle represents the executive branch of our government The president of the United States is the head of the eagle. The Executive Mansion is the White House, official home of the President of the United States.

Running from the beak of the eagle is a ribbon with words written on it in Greek: “E PLURIBUS UNUM.. These words mean, out of many, one. We have many states – Fifty to tee exact–but, out of the many states, we have on. nation. One nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all..

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. (Ex. 13:21).

Above the head of the eagle there are thirteen stars in a burst of light Up there like a pillar of fire to light the way, to go by night, or go by day. “I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms…” (Hos. 11:3). When we were juste little kid, He taught us to stand, and we are still guided by His unseen hand.

Over on the left-hand side of the dollar you will see a pyramid. There is a ribbon below the pyramid with the Greek words, “NOVUSORDO SECLORUM.. These words mean, “A new order of the ages”. Our form of government was new to the world. The world had never heard of a democracy, or government of the people, by the people, for the people, may. it never perish from the earth.

At the base of the pyramid are the Roman numerals 1776. That is the year that our fathers “brought forth on this continent a new nation.” It is our birthday, in the year of our Lord, July 4, 1776.

The pyramid represents our nation for durability. The pyramids of Egypt have been there so long that nobody seems to know how old they are or how they were built. The pyramids are a wonder of the world, and so is our nation. Over two hundred years with the same Constitution, with the same form of government: of the people, by the people, and for the people.

The pyramid represents our nation for strength. The pyramids of Egypt have stood for thousands of years because they are strong. There is no force from without or from within that seems to bother the pyramids of Egypt. A long time ago Abraham Lincoln said, “There was no force from without that could overthrow the government of the United States; if it happens, it would have to come from within”. The United States is strong economically, the United States is strong militarily, the United States is a super power.

The eye above the pyramid represents the all-seeing eye of God. The eye is above the pyramid, putting the spiritual above the natural. “His eye is over the righteous” (I Pet. 3:12). “1 will guide thee with mine eye” (Ps. 32:8). He will guide us with His eye, and we will follow till we die.

Above the pyramid are the words in Greek, “ANNUIT COEPTIS.. These words mean he has favored our undertakings. The Lord has favored our undertakings from the beginning. When we undertook to break away from British rule, which brought on the Revolutionary War, the Lord favored our undertaking. George Washington and his rag-tag army were no match for the well-disciplined British troops. But, by a stroke of luck, General Washington trapped General Cornwallis and 8,000 British troops at Yorktown Virginia, in the year 1781. The British at that time controlled the seas; all they had to do was send their fleet from New York up the Chesapeake and relieve General Cornwallis But, another stroke of luck, the French fleet repulsed the British fleet, which returned to New York, leaving Cornwallis without support from the sea. But Cornwallis is not done yet; he planned a daring nighttime escape by sea to a point several miles up the coast, from which he would be able to march his troops north to New York. However, another stroke of luck, on the night of the escape there came a mighty storm and blew all of his ships and rafts out to sea. A couple of days later, Cornwallis surrendered. The war wasn’t over just yet, but our independence was assured the night that the Lord blew mightily on the waters.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation.” He could have said, four score and seven years ago the God of Heaven brought forth on this continent a new nation, because the Lord has favored our undertakings.

Not long after the Revolutionary War, a restless urge to expand came over the new nation. The phrase “manifest destiny” began to creep into the printed page. One magazine said this: “It is our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our multiplying millions”. The urge to expand is one thing, but doing it is another. But with this manifest destiny belief, and that God would favor their undertakings, they set out to buy some land.

Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroe on a special mission to Paris to buy some land that included New Orleans. Jefferson had no idea of purchasing any land west of the Mississippi River. It was expected that Napoleon would refuse to sell any land at all, because Napoleon was toying with the idea of extending his empire to the North American continent.

Napoleon sent 20,000 troops to Haiti. His plan was to capture Haiti and then send his victorious troops on to Louisiana. Here is where a train of events begins which prevented the French armies from landing at New Orleans and also made possible the purchase of the Louisiana Territory by the United States.

Napoleon’s troops didn’t have too much trouble taking Haiti, but they got bogged down in guerrilla warfare, warfare, which Napoleon didn’t like: and on top of that, his troops were struck down with yellow fever; and on top of that, war with the British was imminent. Napoleon decided to forget the whole business of North America.

When James Monroe arrived in Paris, he was stunned to learn that he could buy the entire 850,000 square miles of the Louisiana Territory, enough land to carve out 13 states or parts of 13 states. From New Orleans in the south to the Canadian border in the north. From the Mississippi River, west to the Rocky Mountains.

The Americans went to bed one night and woke up to find that their nation had doubled in size. They also learned that they had made a noble bargain for themselves. $15 million — about 18 cents per square mile. This is the first accession of land by the United States but certainly not their last.

In 1819, Florida was bought from Spain for $5 million. In 1845, Texas was annexed to the United States. In 1846. the Oregon country was ceded to the United States by Great Britain. In 1848, California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, plus part of Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, was ceded to the United States by Mexico. Th is new acquisition, combined with Texas, covered more than 193,000 square miles. America had at last achieved its “Manifest destiny”. It was now a nation stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Alaska, our largest state, was bought from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, about 2 cents an acre. Hawaii, our last state, was annexed to the United States in 1898. Alaska was admired as our 49th state January 3, 1959. Hawaii was admitted as our 50th state August 21,1959. The United States undertook to acquire some land, and the Lord favored our undertakings.

It was nothing short of Divine Providence that Ephraim came from obscurity to become number one in the family of Jacob and of God. One, Ephraim was not a son of Jacob; and two, there were thirteen other men ahead of him. He had twelve uncles and one brother that were older than he. It looked impossible for Ephraim to ever obtain the blessing of the firstborn.

Here is where a train of events started to happen that put Ephraim in the driver’s seat. One. Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, forfeited his right to the birthright, and the birthright fell to Joseph. Ephraim’s father, the eleventh son of Jacob (I Chron. 5:1, 2). Number two, Jacob adopted the two sons of Joseph into his family. Jacob said, “Ephraim and Manasseh are mine, as Reuben and Simeon they shall be mine, 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” (Gen. 48:5, 16).

The birthright was passed from Joseph unto his sons (I Chron. 5:1). But since Manasseh was the oldest son of Joseph, he was entitled to the birthright.

When it came time to receive this blessing, Jacob put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim instead of on the head of Manasseh, guiding his hands wittingly. Joseph knew that his father Jacob was old and blind. Joseph thought that his father didn’t know what he was doing. Joseph said unto his father, “Not so, my father, Manasseh is my firstborn”. Jacob said, “I know it, my son, I know it. Manasseh shall be great, but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he” (Gen. 48:17-19).

Jacob guided his hands wittingly because God was guiding Jacob. It would be foolish to say that Ephraim was just lucky is why he got the blessing of the firstborn, when God said, “Ephraim is my firstborn” (Jer. 31 9)

It was nothing short of Divine Providence that the United States came from obscurity to become number one in the world of nations. There was this waste, howling wilderness to overcome. There were the mighty British to overcome. There were the mighty Spanish to overcome. There were the mighty Russians to overcome. There were the mighty Mexicans to overcome. There was the mighty Napoleon to overcome. It would be foolish to say we were just lucky. We had the mighty God to help us overcome, with His all-seeing eye above the pyramid to watch by day end watch by night. He led us on with a burst of light, like a cloud by day and a fire by night.

“Shew thy marvelous loving kindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (Ps. 17:7, 8).

W. H. BROWN

Watt Brown – 555 Garland Drive – Niles, Ohio 44446- Phone (216) 652-3858

 

THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED BY W.H. BROWN, 1990, PAGES 1-23. THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.