Just before his death Jacob blessed each of his sons: "And Jacob called his sons and said, 'Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you IN THE LAST DAYS . . . ' " (Genesis 49:1-2, NKJV throughout)
The phrase "in the last days" (or "latter days") is an often repeated expression in the Bible for the time period just preceding the Messianic Age (return of Jesus Christ). The Bible has specific prophecies about the Israelite tribes in its prophecies about the "last days." However, there are no nations in the modern world called "Manasseh," "Ephraim," "Assyria," etc., yet the Bible uses those names to describe nations in latter or last days prophecies. The Bible is most emphatic that the tribes will be prominent, identifiable nations in the last days and it gives us many specific clues to help locate them. Those who maintain that the "lost ten tribes of Israel" no longer exist or cannot be identified are actually denying and opposing the Word of God. Are the lost tribes really LOST? The history of the twelve tribes has been obscured by artificial gaps in their migratory history. The first artificial gap occurs with the fall of the Northern (Israelite) kingdom in 723 B.C. Historical accounts imply that these "suddenly disappeared" into Asia, or became "lost." Yet we have Scythians, Parthians, Gauthei, and related peoples "suddenly appearing" in Asia with Hebrew names and customs just after the Israelites migrated to Asia. The next artificial gap in history occurs in the third century A.D. when history texts (if they mention Parthia and its empire at all) depict the Parthians as disappearing from their Asian homelands, although there are records the Parthians fled to the northwest. Prior to the fall of the Parthian Empire, we find many Semitic tribes living within its borders and in the Scythian regions of South Russia. Many of these tribes (the Sacae, Saka or Saxa), Kermans (Germanii), Jats, and Alani migrated out of Asia into Europe via the Caucasus and the Black Sea region of the Getae (or Gauthei) after Parthia’s fall. In Europe, many of these migrating tribes were called the Saxons, Germans, Jutes, Alani (Alans) and Goths. Who are the modern-day descendants of Joseph? Ephraim and Manasseh were the chief tribes, and the Bible offers considerable information about them. The tribe of Joseph was subdivided into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (the two sons of Joseph), and they jointly received the birthright blessings from their father Jacob. This division of the tribe of Joseph resulted in there being thirteen tribal units. When the Scythians and Parthians migrated to Europe, the names "Sachse," or "Saxons," ("Saac’s sons") remained upon them as they settled in the British Isles, but this name also remained on some related tribes who stayed on the mainland (i.e. "Saxony" in Germany and "Alsace" in France). In Genesis 48:19, Jacob prophesied that Manasseh "shall become a people, and he also shall be great," but added that Ephraim’s descendants "shall be greater than [Manasseh], and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." With these words Jacob prophesied that Manasseh and Ephraim would receive the blessing of Genesis 35:11 that the "birthright" promises would eventually include "a nation and a company of nations." Genesis 48:19 specifically foretold the descendants of Ephraim (the younger brother) would become the "multitude of nations" while Manasseh’s descendants would become the single great nation. The modern descendants of Joseph's son Manasseh is the United States. The descendants of Ephraim are Great Britain and her Saxon Commonwealth nations (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc).These nations have perfectly fulfilled all prophecies about the birthright tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. |
