The United States is in a state of decline, and our problems and challenges are increasing at an ever-accelerating pace.  And while our nation is being weakened both from the outside and within, the dangers in the world are increasing.  Nuclear weapons are spreading.  Militant Islam is becoming more dangerous.  China, intent on taking control of Taiwan, which the United States is legally committed to defending, is increasing in wealth and military strength.  Russia is returning to her previous role of aggressiveness against her neighbors and enmity with the United States.  North Korea is defiant towards the United States and is working to develop long-range nuclear missiles.  And the European Union is increasingly viewing us as a competitor nation rather than an ally.

The United States military is strained to its limits.  Both our budget deficit and our balance of trade deficit are ballooning out of control, and the dollar is declining to the point that it seems it will soon be replaced by the Euro as the exchange and reserve currency of the world.  If that happens, the cost of imports into the United States will rise, including the cost of oil, and gas prices will go through the roof.

And while these things are developing, America's morals are in free fall.  We are becoming more and more godless in our culture, our lifestyles, our entertainment, our legal system, our educational system, and our government.

Nations and empires rise and fall.  So history teaches us.  And it appears America is no exception to that pattern.  We have grown from small beginnings and become great, and now we are in decline.  And the same history that shows us this pattern also shows that when a nation or empire declines, it can sometimes collapse suddenly and catastrophically.

Will this happen to us?

We long for peace, prosperity, and security.  And we also want to know what the future holds, not just for ourselves, but for our children.  We hope that the peace and prosperity we have enjoyed will continue.

It will not, as I will show you.

It is in the face of these mounting problems and anxieties that many have an interest in Bible prophecy and what it predicts for the world.

The Bible has much to say about what the future holds.  Since you are reading this article, you are probably aware that there is much Bible prophecy about future events in the world.  But did you know that Bible prophecy has something to say about the United States and other English speaking nations in particular?

You will not find the term "United States" in the Bible.  Nor will you find the words, "Great Britain," "Canada," or "Australia."  But you will find the names of our ancestors, and it is the prophecies about the descendents of our ancestors that apply to us today.

This article will answer the questions of who we are, where we have come from, and which prophecies in the Bible apply to us in particular.  And in so doing, it will unlock the meaning of most Bible prophecy to your understanding as never before.  Because surprising as it may seem, the fate of the English-speaking nations plays a central role in Bible prophecy for the times we live in.

This article will also show you how fulfilled prophecy proves that the Bible was inspired by One able to predict the future.  For, the events of the last two hundred years, the explosion in scientific and technical knowledge, the quick growth in power and wealth of the English-speaking peoples, have been predicted thousands of years ago by prophets inspired by God who wrote their prophecies in books you have in your own Bible.

Most of you probably own one or more Bibles.  You may have read large portions of it, and some of it you might understand.  But most people in this country do not understand prophecy or where our nations are identified in the Bible.  Most people do not know, even in general terms, what lies ahead.  But you will be able to know, by the time you finish this article.  You will not only be able to know what is coming, but why.  You will be able to fit what is happening in this country and the world into the framework of Bible prophecy.  You will know where current events are leading.  You will be able to know what the root causes of our problems are, what the solutions are, and how and when those solutions will come.  All of this is revealed in the Bible.  You will also be able to know what actions you need to take to get through the challenges ahead.

But there is a condition and a price you must pay to know these things.

You will be able to know these things, but only IF you are willing to believe what God says in the Bible.

Most people are not willing to pay that price.  Are you?

Most people do not believe what God says.  They believe their own opinions.  They believe the traditions they were taught as children.  They may believe what other people tell them.  They might believe their ministers.  But they do not believe God.

I can show you, if your mind is open, how you can prove that the Bible is God speaking.  But it is your choice whether to believe God or not.

I will show you what the Bible says will soon happen to the United States.  But it is your choice to believe the Bible or not.  And it will be your choice to act on what the Bible says, or not.

The Hidden Message

God is able to know the future before it happens. He knew thousands of years ago the fate of nations today. I do not know if this is because God can directly see into the future or if He knows because He works things out to cause the events to happen as He chooses. It is probably both.

God, who knows the future, has sent a hidden message to mankind for this generation. It is hidden in the pages of your Bible, waiting for thousands of years to pass and for this generation to come into existence. It could not be understood until modern times because it required the unfolding of historic events in the last two centuries to help reveal it. But it was written thousands of years ago by prophets inspired by God and preserved in the books of the greatest best seller in all history - the Bible.

So the message is there. If you have a Bible in your home, you have the message. And this message reveals what will soon happen to the United States and the whole world. It shows the problems we will face, what the causes of those problems are, and what the solution will be. And the message also shows you what you need to do to prepare for these events and to get through them in the best way possible.

This article will show you how to find that message in your Bible and how recent historical events will help you understand to whom the message applies.

But you will be tested. The test is, will you believe God? Because, just reading the message is not enough. You won't know the truth or understand the message if you do not believe what the Bible says. You won't know until it happens, and then it will be too late to prepare or escape.

Perhaps you do not believe the Bible. Maybe you laugh at the idea of a real God who inspired the Bible and can predict the future. Ok. Read this anyway. Laugh at it if you want to. Enjoy yourself.

But if you believe in God and claim to believe the Bible, and if you do not already know about these prophecies, you will surely be tested on this more than you expect. By the time you finish this article, or afterwards if you follow up and check out what I say, you may have to face the toughest test of your claim to believe the Bible.

It is easy to claim that you get your beliefs from the Bible. Anyone can say that. The real test is when you find something in the Bible that you didn't expect. Probably about ninety-nine percent of people who make that claim fail the test when they read something in the Bible that is very different from the traditions they were taught by the ministers of their church. Maybe one out of a hundred is willing to change his or her beliefs and be taught and corrected by the Bible. After you finish this article, you may determine if you are that one out of a hundred.

And this could affect the rest of your life.

And whether you believe the message, or laugh it to scorn, you will remember it.
 

God's Master Plan for Mankind

The secret of the general course of events just ahead for the world is revealed in God's master plan for mankind.

Many people who question God's existence do not understand how an all-powerful, all-benevolent God could allow so much human suffering as has occurred and continues to occur. If God is all-powerful, He could stop such suffering. And if He is good, He would do so. So if He exists, why doesn't He? So goes the question. In the minds of many, the evils and suffering in this world are evidence that the God of the Bible does not exist.

Even some Christians face a dilemma, similar in reasoning, but different in details. For Christians, it can go like this: The only way a man can be saved is by believing in and accepting Jesus Christ as savior. Yet millions, even billions of people on this earth have been born, have lived out their lives, and have died without ever hearing the name of Jesus Christ or the true gospel in their entire lives. Therefore they are lost. But if God is just, how can He condemn billions who never had a chance for salvation because of circumstances of birth over which they had no control? And if God is all-powerful and all merciful, why hasn't He made sure that all people on earth hear the true gospel and have a chance to believe in Jesus Christ and be saved before they die?

This is something most Christians cannot explain.

But there is an answer, one that traditional religion has not known.

God is working out a master plan, in stages.

Why does God allow suffering?

God wants what is best for mankind for all eternity, not just this life. And as loving parents sometimes discipline their children, or let their children face tough challenges that cause some discomfort but teach valuable lessons, so God has worked out a master plan for mankind that will teach people lessons that will pay off in happiness for all eternity. Those lessons can be painful. But the end result will be worth it.

For the good that God has in mind to give mankind in the end exceeds our wildest imagination.

But we have to get through some rough times first.

We are near the end of about 6,000 years of human history on this planet. This is the age of man. This age is about to close and a new age will begin.

It was prophesied that near the close of this age there would be an explosion in human knowledge and transportation. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" (Daniel 12:4, King James Version throughout). That prophecy has been fulfilled in our time. Knowledge in all areas has exploded, and we are nearing the end. Also, there is significance in the number of 6,000 years since Adam, according to Bible chronology, as I will explain.
 

God's Magnificent 7,000 Year Plan

Before God made mankind, He made angels. God is love, and God made the angels to share with them His joy and to give them lives that would be happy and rewarding and to use them in managing the universe.

But for the angels to be happy, they needed to understand and follow the way of life that leads to happiness. That way of life is the way that God Himself lives. It is the way of love, of outgoing concern for others, of cooperation and teamwork, and the way of truth. God created all the angels including Lucifer and taught them the right way of life, and they started on that way of life.

God's law defines His nature and His way of life. It can be summarized by the two great commandments to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). For mankind, it is further detailed in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and in the teachings and example of the life of Jesus Christ, both of which teach us HOW to love God and neighbor. The law of God teaches us the way of life that brings happiness and everything good. It is the violation of that law that brings unhappiness, destruction, and death. Sin is the transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4), and sin is the cause of all the problems, evils, and suffering in this world.

God taught His law, the law of love towards God and neighbor, to Lucifer and the other angels so they could be happy and work as a team in obedience to God's direction. But God gave the angels free moral agency, and at some point Lucifer turned to vanity, lust, greed, deception, and enmity towards God and His ways. Lucifer, now become Satan the devil, also led about a third of the angels to follow him in his rebellion against God. He chose the way of life that leads to destruction and pain by sinning against God and breaking God's law of love. He chose vanity and selfishness, loving himself more than God or neighbor. Why? Perhaps Lucifer did not believe what God taught him. Perhaps he thought that vanity and selfishness would lead to greater happiness for himself and he decided to experiment with sin. In any case, he made his decision, and his angels with him (now become demons), and now his mind and character have become totally perverted and he cannot go back. And since God made angels immortal, they cannot die.

God then made man. But God has a plan for dealing with mankind to prevent the kind of catastrophe that happened to Lucifer and the demons.

First God made man mortal. Man can die, both body and soul, so that any man or woman who makes a permanent decision to reject God's way of life that leads to happiness and chooses instead the way that leads to misery and destruction can be destroyed forever and cease to exist. God can put such a human being who rebels against God out of his misery forever.

But also, God has allowed mankind an opportunity to learn from experience that Satan's way of life leads to unhappiness and destruction, and only God's way of life leads to happiness in the long run. That opportunity is what God's 7,000 plan is all about.

When Adam sinned, the 7,000 year plan of God went into effect. Adam rejected God's rule over him and instead chose to make his own decisions about right and wrong, good and evil, but under Satan's influence. God allocated 6,000 years for mankind to be cut off from Him, to be under Satan's rule, and to be allowed to live lives of rebellion and sin. This present evil world filled with suffering and violence is the result.

But at the end of the 6,000 years, which are almost up, God will send Jesus Christ to rule the earth God's way. Satan will be put away, locked up, and not allowed to deceive or influence mankind anymore. Christ will rule the earth and teach mankind the right way of life for 1,000 years without Satan being around. The result will be unprecedented peace, prosperity, health, and happiness for all mankind (Daniel 2:44, Acts 1:11, Isaiah 11:4-9).

The 1,000 year reign of Christ will follow the 6,000 years of man's self-rule under Satan's deception and influence, just as the seventh-day Sabbath follows the six work days of the week. The seven-day week therefore is a model of the 7,000 year plan of God. As Peter wrote, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8).

This 6,000 year age of man will end in a climax of death, destruction, and suffering just prior to the return of Christ, as the book of Revelation shows. Then Christ will return, save the human race from destroying itself, and set up the kingdom of God on the earth to bring peace, happiness, and salvation to mankind for 1,000 years.

At the end of this time, mankind can look back at results and see that God's way for 1,000 years is better than Satan's way for 6,000 years. This will be evidence that God's way is right. In effect, this life is a kind experiment, a demonstration to prove to mankind that willing submission to God's rule and obedience to God's commandments and instructions is the way that leads to maximum happiness.

But how will that happen?

What is the fate of the billions who have lived and died during the 6,000 year age of man?

That is a dilemma for most Christians. They do not understand. They teach that only by accepting Jesus Christ and believing the true gospel can anyone be saved, yet it is obvious that billions of people have lived and died on this earth without ever hearing the name of Jesus Christ or the gospel. Are these billions condemned because of circumstances of birth? The Bible is clear that God is love, yet how can these people be saved? And since God is love, how can they be condemned? This is a mystery to traditional Christianity.

But God is indeed love, and He has all wisdom and power! There is nothing too difficult for Him (Genesis 18:14, Matthew 19:26). God gives the answer in Ezekiel chapter 37 and Revelation 20:11-15.

At the end of the 7,000 years, the billions who have lived and died will be resurrected back to physical, mortal life on this earth. Jesus Christ will teach them the true gospel. They will be able to look back on the history of the 7,000 years, and they will remember their own lives during the 6,000 year age of man, and they will be able to make the comparison and see that God's way is best. But each individual will still have free moral agency and will have to make his or her own choice. Those who choose God's way will be given the gift of immortality and will live forever in God's kingdom and share an eternity of happiness and fruitful accomplishment in managing the universe. The Bible does not reveal what creative accomplishments God has in mind for eternity, but God did not create man to be eternally idle and bored. It may be that God will bring life to the other planets in the universe, and mankind, as immortal beings in the kingdom of God, will participate in that. But whatever we do, it will be as a family and as a team, and there will be the joy of harmonious accomplishment. There will be no rebellion, no more Satans, in that kingdom.

But those who reject God's way will be destroyed entirely, body and soul, in the lake of fire, and will cease to exist forever (Matthew 10:28, Malachi 4:3, Ezekiel 18:4, Obadiah 16). They will no longer exist to practice Satan's way of life and bring misery to themselves and others.

How great is the love and wisdom of God!
 

Identity of Nations

To find out what prophecies from the Bible apply to the United States or any other particular nation we have to be able to identify where our nations are mentioned in the Bible.

You will not find the names of most modern nations in the Bible. Names change and people move around. You have to find the names of our ancestors as they were known in Bible times. You have to know who our ancestors are. And in some cases, you cannot know by studying history because historical records are not complete, and because history is written by men, it can be in error.

But with some nations the Bible gives clues by describing their end-time characteristics. God has given prophecies that tell us not only what will happen in the future, but what has happened in the last two hundred years. The Bible shows us what to look for. By matching up modern characteristics of nations with what was prophesied for the descendents of certain individuals, we can match up modern nations with their ancient ancestors.

Bible prophecy centers on Israel and mentions other nations primarily as they come into contact with Israel. There is more prophecy about Israel than other particular nations.

What most people do not know is that there are particular prophecies for EACH TRIBE of Israel that pertain to the end times we are in.

The nation of Israel started with Jacob who had twelve sons, each son to become a tribe (in the case of Joseph, two tribes). Jacob is the ancestor of all Israel. Jacob's name was actually changed to "Israel." So prophecies referring to "Jacob," or "Israel," or "children of Israel" for the end times can refer to all Israel, that is, the descendents of Jacob and his twelve sons, or to part of Israel. I will explain later.

But there are also prophecies that apply to PARTICULAR tribes of Israel, not all of Israel. These tribes had different destinies and have become different nations in our time today. Not all are Jews. This is a key to understanding Bible prophecy that mainstream, traditional churches do not understand or believe.

There is a definite connection between the United States and prophecies pertaining to Israel, a connection deeper than the alliance that the United States and the state of Israel have had in the past several years, and I will explain that connection as we go along. It is this connection that shows what is immediately ahead for the United States and several other nations in the world.
 

Prophecies Pertaining to Israel

The Bible is filled with prophecy about Israel, but most of this prophecy falls into two categories: the suffering Israel will go through just prior to the end of this age and the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the happiness and prosperity Israel will enjoy during the millennium.

Jesus said that before the end of this age there would be a great time of trouble and suffering in the world greater than any time before or after. This time of trouble is called the great tribulation. The Old Testament refers to this same time of trouble, but adds the information that it falls primarily on Israel, or "Jacob."

The disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of His coming and the end of this age. You can read the whole account of what Jesus said in Matthew 24:4-46. I want to draw your attention to one statement. In Matthew 24:21-22 Jesus said, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened." Jesus said that there would a time of trouble (tribulation) greater than any time of trouble before, and it would be so bad that unless the days were cut short no flesh would be saved.

The parallel verse in the Old Testament also speaks of a day of trouble so great that none is like it. Notice Jeremiah 30:7: "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it."

There cannot be two times of trouble greater than any other time of trouble. Jesus and Jeremiah must be referring to the same tribulation or time of trouble. But Jeremiah adds the information that it is JACOB'S trouble. Jacob is Israel (Genesis 32:28, Genesis 35:10).

So the first thing to remember is that a tremendous amount of trouble and suffering will fall upon Israel prior to the return of Christ and the end of this age, a time of suffering greater than any other in world history. I will show later how great this suffering will be. It will be worse than what the Jews suffered through in Nazi concentration camps.

But who is "Israel?"
 

"Jews" Not the Same as "Israel"

I am going to make a statement that will seem astonishing to most people who have not known this before, but is easily proved in the Bible.

All Jews are Israelites, but most Israelites are not Jews!

Biblically speaking, only part of Israel is the people known as Jews. Most of ancient Israel in Bible times were never Jews and are not the ancestors of the Jews today.

And today, most of Israel does not know that they are Israel! In fact, many of you reading this may be Israelites and not even know it, even if you are not Jews!

This is vitally important to understanding the biblical identity of modern nations and the particular prophecies that apply to these nations.
 

The United States and Britain in Prophecy

The great tribulation will be the time of Jacob's trouble (Matthew 24:21, Jeremiah 30:7).  This will occur just prior to the return of Christ (Matthew 24:29-30), which will mark the end of 6,000 years of human history and the beginning of the millennium, which is just ahead.  Jacob is Israel.

Israel was destined to become more than one nation.  Notice the blessing upon Jacob:  "And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.  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 and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins" (Genesis 35:9-11).  Notice that a nation and a company of nations were to come out of Jacob.  Israel was eventually to be more than one or two nations.

Jacob had twelve sons, each of which became the father of a tribe in Israel, except Joseph who became the father of two tribes because he had two sons and each of his sons became a tribe.  Jacob actually adopted Joseph's sons making them equal with his other sons (Genesis 48:5-6).

In Genesis 49 Jacob prophesies about the end time characteristics of each of his twelve sons.  Notice what he says about Joseph:  "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:  The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:  But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)  Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:  The blessings of 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, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren" (Genesis 49:22-26).

If you read the prophecies for each of the other sons of Jacob, you will see that none receives the blessings of prosperity and greatness that Joseph's children received.

Notice what else Jacob prophesied about the children of Joseph.  "And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.  And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.  And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him.  And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.  And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel 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.  And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.  And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.  And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall 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" (Genesis 48:11-19).

Did you catch that?  One of Joseph's sons, Manasseh, was to become a great people or nation and the other son, Ephraim, was to become a multitude of nations.

In Genesis 35:9-11 we saw that a nation and a company or group of nations were to come from Israel.  In this passage, we learn the further detail that it is Manasseh who was to become the great nation and Ephraim who was to be a multitude or group of nations.

This never happened in Bible times.  Ephraim was never more than a single tribe within the nation of Israel.  But in these last days, Ephraim would be a multitude of nations.  This cannot refer to the Jews.  The Jews have never been a great nation and a great company of nations.  Nor could it refer to Israel in ancient times.  It refers to our time today, but not to the Jews.

Were the children of Ephraim and Manasseh Jews?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  NEVER!  It was the children of Judah who were to become the Jews.  This is what was prophesied for Judah:  "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.  Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.  Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk" (Genesis 49:8-12).  The main promise for the Jews is that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would come from the Jews, but there is no prophecy of tremendous national prosperity and greatness for the Jews as there is for the descendents of Joseph.

Can you see how the destinies of the children of Joseph and the children of Judah differ?

The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were never known as Jews and are not known as Jews today.  This will become clear if you read the history of Israel in the books of I Samuel through II Chronicles. 

If the Jews are not all of Jacob's descendents and are not the descendents of Joseph through Ephraim and Manasseh, who are the Jews?

The Jews are primarily the descendents of Judah and Benjamin.  The very term "Jew" is a nickname for "Judah." 

You can study how these tribes were separated in the histories of the house of Israel and the house of Judah in the following passages:  I Kings chapters 11 and 12, II Chronicles chapters 10 and 11, II Kings chapter 17, II Kings chapters 24 and 25, and II Chronicles chapter 36.  After the death of King Solomon, Israel split into two kingdoms, the house of Judah in the south made up of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, probably most of Levi, and a small number of individuals from the other tribes, and the house of Israel in the north made up of the rest of the tribes including Ephraim and Manasseh.  The house of Israel in the north was conquered by Assyria and taken captive around 720 B.C.  The population was taken to the land of Assyria, far to the north of Babylon.  The southern house of Judah, the Jews, was conquered and taken captive by Babylon around 586 B.C., more than a century later, and taken to the area around Babylon.  These were separate captivities, separated by time and distance.  Many of the Jews eventually returned to Palestine, but not the tribes from the northern kingdom.  The house of Israel lost its identity as Israel and became "the lost ten tribes."

Where are they today?  Particularly, where and who are the descendents of Manasseh and Ephraim, the great nation and company of nations?

Most history books will not tell you what happened to the ten tribes and where they went.  Most historians do not know.

But you can identify where Ephraim and Manasseh are today by their prophesied characteristics and recent history.

There are a number of identifying signs.  In this summary article, I will focus on what I regard as the four most important.

Two of them we have already covered.  They are to be exceedingly prosperous, and they are to be a great nation and company of nations.  Joseph's descendents will come into tremendous prosperity in the end times as a single great nation and a great company of nations.  They come into their prosperity together, like brother nations, because Ephraim and Manasseh are brothers and Jacob blessed them together, saying, "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel 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" (Genesis 48:15-16).

There are two more indications to look for to identify the great nation and company of nations descended from Manasseh and Ephraim.

If you read the scriptures referenced above explaining the separate histories of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, you may have noticed why the kingdom of Israel had split into these two houses.  The reason for this split had to do with a special promise God made to King David.

God promised David that David's dynasty over at least part of Israel would be unbroken.  God said to David, "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 stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.  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 for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever" (2 Samuel 7:12-16).  Psalm 89:3-4 says, "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations."  And Psalm 89:30-37, "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;  If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.  Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.  My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.  Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.  His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.  It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven."

God's commitment to David to continue his dynasty ruling over at least part of Israel is illustrated by the history of the events that took place after this.  Solomon was David's son who became king of Israel after David, and Solomon was the one who built God's temple.  And Solomon did sin.  "And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father" (1 Kings 11:6). 

As a result of Solomon's sin, God determined to take the kingdom away from Solomon's son.  But God had already promised David that his house and his throne would be established forever.  So in order to keep his promise to David, God had to allow David's dynasty to rule over part of Israel so that it could continue unbroken, even though most of Israel was taken away from Solomon's son.  So God divided the kingdom of Israel into two kingdoms, the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah, for the very purpose of allowing David's dynasty to rule over part of Israel (1 Kings 11:9-13).

The whole split between the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah and their separate histories occurred precisely because of God's commitment to continue David's dynasty forever, even when David's sons were unfaithful.  It was a way God could show his displeasure with Solomon's sin and punish David's line, but still allow the line to continue ruling over part of Israel.

God promised that David's dynasty would rule over at least part of Israel forever.

That dynasty appears to have ended with the Babylonian captivity.  But God promised that it would not end, and after Judah was conquered and taken into captivity, God inspired Jeremiah to write that the king's daughters were not taken into Babylonian captivity.  The throne could have been transferred elsewhere through the king's daughters by Jeremiah.  Jeremiah was specifically commissioned by God to "build and to plant" (Jeremiah 1:9-10), and in Ezekiel 17:22-23 God uses the analogy of a tree with twigs and says He will take a "tender" branch and plant it in the mountains of Israel, this after establishing the context in the preceding verses in chapter 17 of using trees and branches to represent kings and kingdoms.  The northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered and taken captive by Assyria more than a century before and could since have migrated anywhere.  Did Jeremiah "plant" the king's daughters to continue David's dynasty wherever Israel had migrated?  He must have.  God promised that David's dynasty would continue ruling children of Israel forever.  If God is faithful, that dynasty should exist someplace today ruling over part of Israel, not necessarily the Jews.

Finally, there is prophecy that shows that God's punishment of Israel when He sent them into captivity would begin to be removed around 1800 A.D., clearing the way for the destined prosperity to begin.

In Leviticus 26:1-45, God pronounces blessings for Israel for obedience and curses for disobedience.  Notice Leviticus 26:18: "And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins."  And Leviticus 26:23-24: "And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins."  There are several places in this chapter of Leviticus where God uses the phrase "seven times."  This can refer to seven times greater intensity of punishment.  But there is another possible application.  A prophetic "time" in fulfillment is a prophetic year with each day of the year representing an actual year in fulfillment.

A prophetic year is 360 days.  An example of the number of days in a year in the Bible is given in the account of the flood in Noah's day (Genesis 7:11).  The flood started on the seventeenth day of the second month.  After 150 days, it ended on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (Genesis 8:3-4).  From the seventeenth day of the second month to the seventeenth day of the seventh month is exactly 5 months.  It was also 150 days.  One hundred and fifty days divided by five months is exactly 30 days per month.

There is also a year-for-a-day principle in the Bible.  A prophetic day can represent a year in fulfillment.  In the book of Numbers is the account of how Israel refused to enter the promised land because they did not trust God to protect them and help them against the inhabitants of Canaan.  It took the spies from Israel forty days to spy out the land of Canaan.  The full account is in Numbers chapters 13 and 14.  After they returned, they gave a bad report of the land to the people because they didn't trust God to help them to take the land from the inhabitants.  Then the people rebelled against God and Moses and wanted to return to Egypt.  As a result, God pronounced judgment on them and said that they would bear their guilt by wandering in the wilderness for forty years, a year of punishment for each day  (Numbers 14:32-34).

Applying the year-for-a-day principle to God's statement that He would punish Israel "seven times" for their sins gives us a period of time of 2,520 years of punishment.  Israel went into captivity around 720 B.C.  2,520 years after that would be around 1800 A.D.  So if the "seven times" punishment means seven prophetic times of duration, then the punishment of the ten tribes, including Ephraim and Manasseh, would end around 1800 A.D., and the prophesied blessing to come upon the sons of Joseph, that Ephraim would become a great company of nations and Manasseh would become a great nation, could begin to be fulfilled starting around that time.

Is there a great nation and company of nations today that fulfill all these characteristics?

The United States and the British Commonwealth of Nations have received the greatest blessings of wealth and prosperity of any nations in the history of the world.  They came into this wealth and greatness starting around 1800 A.D.  And Britain is one of the very few modern nations to have a monarchy and dynasty that can be traced to ancient times.

Every indication therefore is that the United States is Manasseh and Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are Ephraim.  After the ten tribes of Israel were resettled by the Assyrians, they began to migrate to northwestern Europe.  Ephraim settled in the British Isles and Manasseh was settled in various European lands eventually to migrate to North America.  God said He would sift Israel through the nations like wheat (Amos 9:9).  Speaking of Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob said, "let my name be named on them" (Genesis 48:16).  The prophesied great tribulation that is "Jacob's trouble" is coming upon us (Jeremiah 30:7).

Why the Tribulation?

If you want to know what the tribulation will be like and why it will occur, I encourage you to read all of chapter 28 of Deuteronomy. In this chapter, God pronounces a curse on Israel if they break God's commandments. This chapter gives some idea of the severity of the punishment that will be part of the tribulation. Some of this has been fulfilled already when Israel went into their first captivity, but some is yet to be fulfilled in the tribulation to come. These prophecies describe drought, famine, disease, conquest by enemy nations, and captivity as a result of disobedience to God's commands.

God sent Ezekiel as a prophet to the house of Israel to warn them of God's punishment, but the house of Israel had already been punished a long time before Ezekiel was given his message. This was not for the ancient house of Israel in Bible times, but for us today. Ezekiel delivered the message, not by taking it to the house of Israel in his day, but by writing the message in the book of Ezekiel that you have in your Bible. It is a warning to you and me, and you can read his message in your own Bible.

During the great tribulation, perhaps about nine out of every ten of us will die, and the rest will suffer greatly in captivity and slavery. One third will die from famine and disease, one third will be killed in war, and one third will go into slavery, and most of those who go into slavery will not survive (Ezekiel 5:1-4, 12-17, Amos 5:1-3). This exceeds in scope and intensity even the Holocaust that happened to the Jews at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. The Jews will also go through this tribulation, and the tribulation will be a second holocaust for them (Jeremiah 30:3-9, Hosea 5:5).

Why such severe punishment?

We have turned away from the God who has blessed us. Our land is filled with violence, murder, and adultery. We ignore God's laws concerning marriage and family life. Lying is so commonplace that employees are expected to lie as their employers instruct them. We do not keep the seventh-day Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset as a day of rest for drawing closer to God, nor do we observe God's annual holy days as God commanded our ancestors, days which were intended for all mankind and days that Christ will teach all mankind to keep when He rules the earth in the millennium (Leviticus 23:1-44, Mark 2:27, Zechariah 14:16-19).

We teach atheistic evolution in our public schools and ridicule those who believe in God and the Bible. We make a god out of pleasure, recreation, and entertainment, and we spend more time with these things than in seeking the God who created us.

We murder tens of millions of unborn innocent lives (Jeremiah 2:34).

God commanded, "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain" (Exodus 20:7). Yet the taking of God's name in vain, using it disrespectfully as an expression of emotion, is common in the workplace, in conversation, and in entertainment.

Even among churchgoers and religious people, there is a turning away from the Bible. Members of mainstream churches trust and believe their ministers and their traditions more than God. In effect, they make an idol out of their churches and traditional religious beliefs (Mark 7:7-9). Many use images in worship, contrary to God's command (Exodus 20:4-6). We have abandoned the annual festivals and holy days God commanded, and instead substitute days and practices from paganism such as Easter and Christmas, which God forbids us to do (Deuteronomy 12:29-32, Jeremiah 10:1-5).

But God is not going to punish us just in a spirit of vengeance. He has our long-term good in mind. The purpose of the tribulation is to bring us to repentance. At the end of the tribulation, our people will be in a repentant, teachable attitude.

The tribulation occurs just before the Day of the Lord and the beginning of the millennial rule of Jesus Christ. After Christ returns, He will teach the world God's law and way of life, and our peoples, Israel, will have a vital part it that. Israel will be set up as the model nation, the right example, for other nations to follow in the beginning of the millennium. This was God's intent for Israel from the beginning, but we have never fulfilled that role (Deuteronomy 4:5-8). But after the tribulation, we will have learned our lessons and we will be ready to obey God and serve as the model nation in the millennium, an example for all the nations of the earth to follow.

At that time our people will be blessed with greater peace, prosperity, and happiness than ever before. The Bible is filled with passages that describe the happiness that Israel will experience after Christ returns (Isaiah 2:2-4, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:24-29, Isaiah 30:23, Zechariah 8:12).

How long will the tribulation last? There are indications that once it begins, it will last for two and a half years followed by a one year period known as the Day of the Lord when God punishes the whole world for its sins. Then Christ will return to rescue Israel and save mankind from destroying itself (Daniel 12:6-7, Revelation 11:1-3, Revelation 12:6, Revelation 13:5).

God does not give dates as to when this will occur, but I believe that the proximity to the end of the six thousand year age of man plus deteriorating conditions in our countries and the world suggest it will begin soon, probably in the lifetimes of most people reading this article.
 

To the Skeptics

I know as I write this that the vast majority who read this will not believe it. Probably less than one percent of all who read this will actually take the time to check up on these things in the Bible and in history and believe the truth and understand that these prophecies are real and that the United States and other English-speaking nations are headed for a disaster of unprecedented proportions. The vast majority will not believe or take this seriously. I hope I am wrong about that.

But even if no one believes it, I want everyone to read it so every person will know that God was fair to give everyone a warning before it happens. You won't have the excuse later on, "No one warned me this would happen!"

Some will not believe because they believe there is no God. Others may believe God exists but do not take the Bible seriously. They think the Bible is myth or they think the prophecies in the Bible are symbolic of spiritual lessons only and should not be taken as literally true. Some may simply be too lazy or too preoccupied with the responsibilities of day-to-day living and the pleasures of this life to check up on these things to see if they are true.

But there may be some who do not believe this warning because they are not convinced that the Bible and history show that the English speaking peoples are Israel. They may know their Bibles, but they believe that historical events I have described are just coincidence and are not sufficient to prove that the English speaking nations are descended from Joseph. It is to this last group that I want to address these closing comments.

If you feel I have not shown sufficient evidence in this summary article from the Bible and from history that the United States and the British nations are part of Israel, I encourage you to read The True Gospel and the Ezekiel Warning. This free online book goes into this subject in more detail. It may be that you will find answers to your questions or objections in this book. More information is at the end of this article.

But if you are still not convinced, consider this. If the Bible is inspired by God, our nations are in trouble EVEN IF WE ARE NOT ISRAEL! Why? Because the prophecies God gave concerning Israel shows how God thinks! God does judge nations and punish them for their sins. Israel is the most prominent example of how God punishes nations for their sins, but God punishes other nations as well. Read the book of Jeremiah, especially Jeremiah 25:12-38 and Jeremiah chapter 46 through chapter 51. These things in the Old Testament are given to us as examples for our instruction, according to Paul and other New Testament writers (1 Corinthians 10:6-11, 2 Peter 2:6, Jude 7). It is God's way to punish nations for their sins with drought, famine, disease, war, conquest, and captivity and slavery. He has done so in the past and He will do so in the future.

Few if any nations have declined in morality and turned away from the God of the Bible as rapidly as the United States has in the last half-century. God has blessed us with abundant prosperity, natural resources, freedom, and protection from enemies, and this is how we have repaid Him! As a nation, we despise the Bible, scorn God's commandments, and murder our own children, who are really God's children, by the tens of millions. Will He not punish us for what we have done and continue to do?

After condemning Judah and Jerusalem for its sins, notice what God says in Jeremiah 5:9: "Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"

Did you catch that? "Such a nation as this." Not just Israel. Any nation "such as this." ANY nation that commits these sins.

The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are guilty of the very sins for which God condemned and punished ancient Israel. If God did not spare ancient Israel, why would He spare us?

You can also look at the example of the pre-flood world and how God destroyed it in the flood for its wickedness and violence during the time of Noah (Genesis 6:5-7, 11-12), or how God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins of pride, idleness, love of prosperity, failure to strengthen the poor, and their abominations (Ezekiel 16:48-50, Genesis 18:20-21, 19:13).

God punishes nations for their sins.

And as we get closer to the end of the 6,000 year age of man, our punishment is coming rapidly, if we do not repent in time.

 

The Purpose of this Warning

Why has God included these prophecies in the Bible?

One reason, I believe, is to show through fulfilled prophecy that the Bible is inspired by God. The prophecies concerning these last days that have been fulfilled in history show that they have been inspired by a God who can foresee the future. One or two of these could be a coincidence, but the combination of an explosion in knowledge and transportation just prior to the end of six thousand years of human history as prophesied in the book of Daniel (Daniel 12:4), the coming into greatness of the United States and the British Empire starting around 1800 A.D., 2520 years after their original captivity as prophesied, the fact that America and the British Commonwealth of Nations are a great nation and company of nations, and the fact that Britain has one of the very few monarchies among modern nations that can be traced to ancient times and can be a continuation of the dynasty of King David which God promised would endure forever, all these show the fulfillment of prophecy and the authenticity of the Bible as God's word.

But besides this, there is another reason.

God wants us to be warned.

It is part of God's way of love to warn those He is about to punish while they still have time to repent and escape the punishment. God warned Adam what the result would be if he ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God warned Cain before he sinned. The whole history of ancient Israel shows that God gave repeated warnings before He sent them into captivity. God also teaches us to warn others of danger (Proverbs 24:11). God taught Ezekiel to warn Israel, saying that the blood of the people would be on his head if he didn't warn them. Warning someone of approaching danger is an act of love, and God put this warning in the Bible because He loves us and gives us a chance to escape the punishment. But if we ignore the warning, the punishment will be upon us.

We need to repent, to seek God earnestly, and to turn from our ways of sin and start keeping God's commandments. We need to study our Bibles and start to learn to live by every word of God as Jesus Christ taught (Matthew 4:4). We need to obey all of the Ten Commandments, including the test commandment, the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath (Exodus 16:4-5, 22-30, Exodus 20:8-11). We need to give up the religious holidays borrowed from pagan customs such as Christmas and Easter and begin to keep God's annual festivals and holy days as He commanded (Leviticus chapter 23). Those of us who keep or use religious pictures and statues of Christ and God as an aid to worship need to get rid of them and worship God in spirit and in truth as He commands (Exodus 20:4-6, John 4:24). We need to stop being careless about the use of God's name in conversation and entertainment, using God's name as an expression of emotion (Exodus 20:7).  We need to stop our lying, our stealing, our murders, our adulteries, our coveting, and our disrespect towards parents. In short, we need to learn to obey all of God's commandments in the letter and the spirit (Matthew 5:17-33).

What will happen to you if the nation as a whole does not repent and turn to God, but you do? Will you be spared punishment even while the nation as a whole is not spared? In speaking of end time events, Jesus Christ said, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36). God spared Lot when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-33, 19:1-29, 2 Peter 2:5-9). God saved Noah and his family when He destroyed the world by a flood for its wickedness (Genesis 6:6-22, 2 Peter 2:4-5). God is able to protect an individual who trusts and obeys him even while He punishes a city, a nation, or the whole world. There is hope for the individual who repents.

I do not expect anyone to take my word for what I say in this article. Anyone can check in the Bible to see if these things are true. You can research the answers and find out. Or if studying the Bible takes away too much of your valuable time from more important things like TV, movies, games, recreation, etc., then don't worry about it. Go on doing what you are doing if that is what you want. Feel free to bet your life that I am just making this stuff up. Your choice.

But if this article has aroused your curiosity and if you are willing to take the Bible seriously, I encourage you to do your own independent Bible study on this subject. Years ago, I was challenged on this topic, and I did my own research. It is not wrong to demand proof and read the Bible for yourself to see if it says what I say it says or to see if I left anything out.

I know it is hard to give up personal beliefs and concepts you may have held for a long time. I know it is hard to give up personal practices and life styles to obey God's commandments. I know it is hard to face persecution for obeying God from others. You may have to take it one step at a time. But the rewards in the end are worth the effort and the sacrifice.

Most of this article may seem to stress the negative, and that is the nature of giving a warning. But there is also tremendous good news, because all of the future events we will go through as a nation will work out good in the end. There is a tremendous happy future for those who learn to believe and obey God. The tribulation will not last forever, and when Christ returns to this earth as He promised He will usher in an age of unprecedented peace and happiness.

Each of us has to make his or her own choice. I have an opportunity to help warn others. But that does not get me off the hook as far as personal obedience is concerned. I have to believe and obey God. If I believe and strive to obey God to the end, I may escape the disaster. If not, I will not escape. You face the same choice. We are all in the same situation.

I intend to believe and obey God. What you do is up to you.

This article is only a brief summary of the many scriptures on the subject of the United States and the world in prophecy. The free online book The True Gospel and the Ezekiel Warning gives more detail on this subject and explains it in more depth. See below.
 

For More Information

As author, I have placed this article in the public domain. It may be freely copied.

Comments are welcome. Please send them to             

        penman@truegosp.org.

This is version 1.00 of this article, published September 2009.

The website for this article is:

        http://www.united-states-in-prophecy.org.

You can read the latest version of this article online and download this article in .pdf format from this site.  To download this article in .pdf format, which can be read with Acrobat Reader, click on this link with the right button on your mouse, then click on "Save Target As..." in the menu that appears and specify the location in your hard drive where you want to save the .pdf file:

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If you would like more information about this and related topics, please visit:

        http://www.truegospelandezekielwarning.org

for the free online book, The True Gospel and the Ezekiel Warning. This free book, like this article, is in the public domain and covers all the information in this article in more detail and more depth. You can read this full-length book online or download it in .pdf format. Topics include:

- How to prove God exists and has inspired the Bible.

- How to prove in more detail the prophecies about the    United States and the world.

- God's plan for the salvation of mankind.

- The true gospel of the kingdom of God.

- Man's destiny and reward.

- What is the fate of the billions who have lived and died
throughout history without ever having the opportunity,
because of circumstances of birth, to hear and understand
the true gospel? Are they doomed or can they be saved?

- Evidence the New Testament is inspired by God.

- Evolution vs. the creation account in Genesis.

- Are the six days of creation literal or figurative?

- How to understand the Bible.

- God's annual festivals and holy days: what they represent,
how they are kept, and how to know if they are
required to be kept by the Church today.