Exploring Anglo-Israelism, Part 2: Where are the Lost Ten Tribes?

This is the second in a series of articles in response to a particular issue discussed in a book called Preach the Gospel. This issue is British-Israelism. This is the doctrine or belief that the British nation together with its Commonwealth of Nations and the United States constitute the lost ten tribes of Israel (of at least a portion thereof). This is an intriguing proposition, but I have some reservations about accepting this teaching. I have only read the first chapter of the book, so the author may have already addressed some of these reservations.

My first inclination is to say that the lost ten tribes aren’t really lost. I think that the Samaritans, though they were intermarried with other races, were at least a major portion of the descendants of the northern kingdom of Israel. And there were descendants of the lost ten tribes in Judea at the time of Christ (Luke 2:36).

In 1 Chronicles 9:1-3 we read:

So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression. Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims. And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh.

So this is definite proof that at least a portion of the “lost” ten tribes returned to Israel as they were supposed to, according to the Scriptures.

But what about the promise that there would always be a son of David on the throne in Israel? Well, for one thing, the British throne is not in Israel. For another thing, the One being referred to here is obviously Jesus Christ. This is proven by Hosea 13:9-11 which says, “I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?” See also Hosea 3:4-5.

Some British-Israelists say that the kings of England are descended from Zedekiah. But Jeremiah 22:28-30 says, “Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not? O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.” Therefore any descendants of Jeconiah (Coniah), the father of Zedekiah can’t be the ones which fulfill the prophecy concerning the everlasting throne of David. The reference to him being “childless” obviously means that his line has come to an end. Jesus was not a descendant of Zedekiah (see Matthew 1 and Luke 3).

Read more here. Click here to go on to the next article in this series.