I hadn´t seen these specific teachings in quite some time.
British-Israelism, i.e., Anglo-Israelism has been refuted as false prophecy for decades by thosands of devout Christian pastors and bible believers.
The fantasy of an Anglican Israel in a tribal descendancy from the lost tribes of Israel existing today in the English speaking peoples of Europe and America is a cultish phenomenon which had its emergence in England in the latter part of the eighteenth century, making its appearance in North America after the turn of the century, first in Canada, later in the New England states, and more recently in the regions of the Pacific coast from British Columbia to California.
An obscure person named Richard Brothers who lived in England between 1757 to 1824 is credited with the origination of this farfetched fantasy. He was true to the form of religious fanatics and his movement was strikingly parallel with Joseph Smith and the Mormons. There is a distinct similarity in the origination of these episodes, a resemblance in the characters of the men, and in the cues to their religious fictions, particularly in the purported saga of the ten tribes of Israel upon which the respective movements were founded. The religious lunacy of these men was nearly identical in degree, the difference was in the circumstances of Richard Brothers' commitment to an asylum and Joseph Smith to a jail.
Neither the British government nor the British people, not even the Church of England, make any claim that Great Britain is Israel. Neither does the United States government lend any endorsement or encouragement to the Mormon claim that the original Americans are the ten tribes of Israel. Like Mormonism, therefore, Anglo-Israelism is just another unbiblical "ism" that has been exposed to those who have ears to hear. It is a false theory of late origin, the fallacies of which are manifest when they are compared with the facts of both history and Scripture. It is similar in origin to all other late isms.
Over a hundred years ago, occultist, Joseph Smith made the false claim of receiving special divine revelations, published a bogus book and Mormonism was born. A few years later Ellen White fell victim to delusions which she called visions. Her followers thought her revelations were divine, named her their inspired prophetess, published her visions, and Seventh Day Adventism was born.
At nearly the same time ecstatic Mary Baker Eddy found it profitable to dream dreams and to see visions, so she brought forth her system which she called scientific, in the form of a creed called "Science and Health with a Key to the Scriptures," and "Christian Science," (falsely called) was born.
In this same era of "visions" and "revelations," in England, Richard Brothers, another misguided soul, also made himself believe that he was the subject of special revelations; and he conjured up the notion that the Anglo-Saxon people, not the hated Jews, were the real Israelites and Anglo-Israelism was here. Being a Britisher himself, and fond of the Anglo Saxon idea, it was not hard for Brothers to believe that they were Israel, - in other words,¨we are it.¨
Thus Anglo-Israelism was born, and like Mormonism, Adventism, Eddyism and all other humanisms, it has nothing in history, scripture, or common ordinary sense upon which to stand.
In the 1930 - 1940 decade, Southern California was subjected to an accentuated radio propaganda campaign under the leadership of the Doctor John Matthews, an ex-Presbyterian clergyman, whose challenges were accepted by the elders of the Central Church of Christ, in Los Angeles.
Then Herbert W. Armstrong, the chief proponent of Anglo-Israelism, claimed to be a prophet, an apostle and the "Elijah who was to come". In fact he was a deluded false teacher claiming direct revelation from God, when God had not spoken to him.
Deut. 18:21-22 ¨You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously so do not be alarmed."Ronald Weinland, Armstrong's successor of a splinter group called, Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom of God (CG-PKG). Like Armstrong he claimed to be a prophet, one of the two witnesses of Revelation, an Apostle and Elijah to come. When Ronald Weinlands failed in predicting the end of the world in 2008, the future of Armstrongism looked bleak. "If it doesn't come to pass...starting in April, 2008, then I'm nothing but a false prophet ... (Ronald Weinland, 2008 - God's Final Witness, Church of God) Even worse, Ronald Weinland refused to give up his date setting and set a second failed date of May 27, 2012.
Jeremiah 14:14 "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries, and the delusion of their own minds."
The book, "The United States and Britain in Prophecy", written by Herbert W. Armstrong, is in fact a deceitful plagiarism of a book written, "Judas' scepter and Joseph's birthright" by J. H. Allen, 1902,1917 AD.
The British-Israelists assert that "multitude" of people means a "company of nations," and Great Britain is a "company" of nations—therefore Great Britain is Ephraim. But why pick on Britain ? Babylonia, Persia, Grecia and Rome were all a company of nations.
Cyrus the Great said that God had given to him all the kingdoms of the earth—2 Chron. 36: 23. Allowing that interpretation any company of nations could be selected to be Ephraim and thereby become Israel.
The house of Israel was in Judah during the personal ministry of Christ.—Matt. 10:56.
"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.¨
Here Jesus commanded the twelve to "go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." If "lost" in this passage means that the tribes were physically lost, how could the twelve disciple "go" to them? And if the Jews were "not in the house of Israel," since it is claimed that the ten tribes were not in Judea, but were lost, to whom did the disciples "go," and to whom did they preach?
They were specifically told not to go to the Gentiles, and not to go to the Samaritans, so if they did not go to the Jews, to whom were they sent? But if they did go to the Jews, since those to whom they went were the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," it certainly follows that the Jews were "in that house" in fact, the Jews were that house.
Again, if "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" were the ten tribes only, as asserted, then the disciples did not belong to the "house of Israel" themselves, and were therefore forbidden to preach to their own tribe! "Lost sheep" did not mean literally lost, but using the expression "lost sheep of the house of Israel" denoted their spiritual condition as lost.
2. The house of Israel returned from Babylon with Ezra, Zerrubbabel and Nehemiah—Ezek. 47:13. "Thus saith the Lord God: This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions."
Here Ezekiel tells them the portion of all the twelve tribes when they return. Jeremiah said that the house of Israel would return from the north country to dwell again in their land. Jer. 23:8: "But the Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land."
Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, made a proclamation in Babylon to all the Jews "throughout all his kingdom" for any who were "of all his people" (God's people) to return. Ezra 1:1-3: "Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel; (he is the God) which is in Jerusalem."
This proclamation was addressed to Israel. God had "stirred up the spirit of Cyrus" to make this proclamation. It fulfilled all that Jeremiah had spoken concerning the return of Israel to their land, a blanket fulfillment. If the ten tribes were not included in this proclamation, they were not of "all his people"—not God's people.
They all had the opportunity to return, all Israel in Babylon, and those in the "north country"—the ten tribes —and this proves definitely that the distinction which the Anglo-Israelists attempt to make is a false distinction.
After their return to Jerusalem, Ezra commanded a sin offering for every tribe of Israel, and he referred to them as "all Israel." Ezra 6 :16-17: "And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house with joy, and offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel."
Why offer for "all Israel" if it was ¨only the Jews of Judah¨ who returned from Babylon, and not Israel at all, as Anglo-Israelites assert?
GRB777 wrote:
Why is it so difficult to understand what the bible clearly states? The country calling itself Israel is not biblical Israel. It is a piece of ground stolen by the Rothschild family. There are over 30 times in the bible it states- Judah and Israel. GOD addresses one or the other with distinction; as you should. Example-11 Kings 16:5, Judah is at war with Israel. There were 12 brothers , all sons of Jacob {Israel}.Read Gen. 32:24 thru 28, Gen. 35:23 thru 26, Gen. 49: 1 thru 27. If you live in America you live in the predominant nation of Israel. The identity of the US and England in prophesy is clear in Gen. 48: 12 thru 20; a great nation and a company of nations is fulfilled by the US and the UK. A great deal of trouble is coming on the "nations" of Israel. By the way, this time of trouble {tribulation} is three and one half years, not seven. Read- Dan. chapter 12, Rev. 12:14, and Rev. 13:5. A time, times and half a time, 40 and two months , 1260 days. Read it for yourself or go on being deceived.
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