Due to having whole-heartedly embraced the religious heathenism and social customs of the people among whom they had settled, the 10 tribes of Israel came to be totally Gentilized. “Gentile” is the Hebrew word for heathen. The sins that brought them to this God-rejecting station in life were many and varied. But according to Scripture, one of those sins was uniquely responsible for ancient Israel’s separation from God. The same sin–rejection of His Sabbath–separates their modern descendants from Him today. The world’s Jews are identified by their keeping of His 7th day (Saturday) Sabbath. Their biological brethren–the self-proclaimed Christian nations of the world–are known for observing Satan 1st day (Sunday) Sabbath–the day sun worshipers honor their god–Tammuz. The modern church unwittingly worships a pagan god.

That Israel’s fall was due primarily to her rejection of God’s Sabbath is brought out in Ezekiel 20:10-24. In verses 12-17 of that passage God stated that keeping His Sabbath was the “sign” that they were His people and He was their God. In Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 the Lord gave the people His Ten Commandment Law. Here He commanded the recently freed Israelites to “… remember THE Sabbath and keep IT holy ….” His use of the Words “the” and “it” (definite articles) meant that His weekly Sabbath was to be observed on that day ONLY. The Word “REMEMBER” reveals that He was referring to THE Sabbath that HE had established in the Garden of Eden. Note also that of the Ten Commandments, the 4th Commandment is by far the longest. God had more to say about His Sabbath Commandment than about any other commandment. This should tell us something. Note also that it was not until 325 A.D. that the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday, and that the Catholic Church made the change. FOR ALMOST 300 YEARS THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH HAD KEPT THE 7TH DAY SABBATH. Neither Jesus nor the apostles had mentioned a future change. Jesus said that “… not the LEAST OF THESE COMMANDMENTS” could be changed or done away with. But the Counterfeit Church has done away with the LARGEST COMMANDMENT and replaced it with Satan’s commandment.

However, God had prophesied through Abraham’s grandson Jacob (Israel) that Jacob’s grandsons– Ephraim and Manasseh–would become a commonwealth of nations and a great nation respectively. It was not until the 1800’s and early 1900’s that Britain became “Great Britain” and the United States became the most powerful nation on earth. Why, one might ask, did it take the Almighty so long to fulfil this prophecy? The answer to the question involves a return to the Old Testament and a bit of prophetical math.

Before entering into this subject, we must be reminded that God made His promise of Israelite greatness to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the two sons of Joseph based solely on Abraham’s obedience. However, maintaining their exalted international status would depend on their obedience to Him. This is brought out in no uncertain terms in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. Here God told Israel, then and now, that if they would obey Him He would bless them abundantly. However, if they disobeyed Him He would punish them “seven times over.” In Bible speak a “time” equals one year. A Biblical year equals 360 days. Therefore a prophetical “time” equals 360 years. God warned that He would punish Israel “seven times over.” Seven times 360 years equals 2520 years. Recall that Israel was defeated and enslaved because of her sins. Israel’s punishment began in 720 B.C. when she was defeated and enslaved. Adding 2520 years  to 720 B.C. brings us to 1800 A.D.–the time when Britain and the United States began to become  what Jacob had prophesied they would become. Britain would soon become Great Britain–the only commonwealth of nations in world history. At the same time the United States was becoming the greatest nation in world history. Ephraim and Manasseh had become exactly what God said they would–the two greatest nations the world would ever produce. Economically and militarily they had no equal. Why? Because Abraham obeyed the Lord. Truly Leviticus 26:1-13 and Deuteronomy 28:1-14 had come to pass as promised. But let us not forget THE OTHER PROMISES WRITTEN IN THOSE CHAPTERS. L.J.