As memories of the British Empire fade into the distant past, many think the United States is Ephraim and Britain Manasseh. There are sound historical reasons for this not being the case.
by Melvin Rhodes
It caused quite a stir when it happened thousands of years ago, so it's not surprising that there's still controversy over Israel's laying his hands on the heads of his two grandchildren, Manasseh and Ephraim, his son Joseph's boys.
Manasseh, as the oldest, should have received the bulk of the birthright promises, according to the accepted custom of primogeniture. But Israel deliberately and determinedly placed his right hand on the younger son Ephraim and promised him the greater blessing.
"Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn" (Genesis 48:14).
The prophecy is important even today (as our well-researched booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy shows in detail). The first verse of the next chapter shows that the 12 sons of Israel would be players on the world scene "in the last days" (Genesis 49:1).
Talking of his two grandsons, Israel said, "Let my name be named upon them" (Genesis 48:16), meaning that wherever Israel is mentioned in Bible prophecy in the context of end-time events, it is usually referring to the modern descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, not the Jews. (However, as Israel was the father of Judah as well as the grandfather of the two sons of Joseph, references to Israel do sometimes apply to all his sons and grandsons.)
