Hard to Believe Award

"The United States and Britain in prophecy" is a book by Herbert W. Armstrong, the founder and leader of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). Today, this church has repudiated Armstrong's message, but his books are still distributed by other groups, most notably the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG).

Armstrong's book on the United States and Britain argues a peculiar form of replacement theology. According to the author, whenever the Bible speaks of Israel, it's not referring to the Jews. So who is Israel, then? After a long, tedious and sometimes mind-boggling exercise in Biblical exegesis and pseudohistory, Armstrong reaches the conclusion that the ten lost tribes of Israel migrated to northwestern Europe. Anglo-Saxons, Celts, Scandinavians, the Dutch, the Belgians and the people in northern France are the real Israel of the Bible. More specifically, the tribe of Manasseh is the United States, while the tribe of Ephraim is the British Commonwealth. The Germans are excluded from this European Israel. Armstrong wrote the first edition of his book during World War II, taking a strong anti-German stance. In his scenario, the Germans are descended from the Assyrians! Why the people of *southern* France aren't included in Israel, is never explained. Because they weren't conquered by the Normans?

Armstrong concedes that the Jews are part of Israel, but only a smaller part. He very consistently downplays their importance. The Jews did have the "sceptre", but this was fulfilled by Jesus (who, of course, was rejected by most Jews anyway). The right to the land belongs to all of Israel, so presumably Anglo-Saxons and other peoples of north European stock have the right to most of Palestine. God did promise that the throne of David would last forever. According to Armstrong, however, the prophet Jeremiah transplanted the throne from Judah to the ten lost tribes during a visit to Ireland! So the throne of David doesn't belong to the Jews either, but is also in European hands. The author even claims to know where the throne is today. It's the British royal throne! The Stone of Scone, connected to the patriarch Jacob by some old legend, is cited as proof.

But what is the point of this exercise? It cannot be complete anti-Semitism, since Armstrong politically supported the modern state of Israel. The best interpretation is that Anglo-Israelism is a form of British and American nationalism and exceptionalism. The Jewish idea about being God's chosen ethnic people seems to have an irresistible pull on Christians as well. Not content with being the spiritual-universal people of God, such Christians appropriate the role played by ethnic Israel in the "Old Testament" and apply it to themselves. That such an idea would evolve in the British Empire during its Victorian heyday is scarcely surprising. What's more surprising is that Anglo-Israelism has been transplanted to the United States, and taken up by a rather obscure sectarian movement with no special connection to British interests.

But perhaps there is a logical explanation to that as well. Armstrong originally regarded World War II as the end of days. If Western Europe and the US is Israel, then the Nazi attack on those nations can suddenly be given a Biblical interpretation. After all, the Bible does prophesize an attack on "Israel" during the last days. Later, this was taken to mean a Russian attack on NATO. However, Armstrongite groups still believe that Germany will eventually rise again, turn Nazi and presumably go to war against Britain and America.

A more esoteric reason for why anyone would want to construct theories about Ephraim and Manasseh is that the Bible contains a prophecy by Jacob according to which the descendants of these boys will indeed become powerful nations. This prophecy, of course, never came to pass. The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim were taken captive by the Assyrians and disappeared from history. A certain kind of fundamentalist, who believes that "every word" of scripture is "inspired", simply cannot accept this. Armstrong's solution is that the two tribes *did* become powerful nations: Great Britain and the United States. Hence the Bible is saved.

"The United States and Britain in prophecy" is an essential read for those interested in the legends surrounding the ten lost tribes, and can also serve as an introduction to the ideas of Anglo-Israelism. But is it true? Of course not. Armstrong deserves this week's Hard to Believe Award!