Great Britain ruled over the largest empire in history, but you can’t find the name mentioned in the Bible. The United States of America is also not mentioned by name. The key is to realise the Bible does not refer to the various nations by their modern names. For example, Persia is mentioned in the Bible, although we know that ancient name is associated with Iran today. Similarly the site of ancient Babylon would be where Iraq is located.
With that in mind it has been possible to identify Bible prophecies specifically identifying Britain and America — especially prophecies dealing with the end of this age, just before Christ returns.
The search begins in the Book of Genesis when God made promises to Abram, whose name was later changed to Abraham. In Genesis 12:1-3 God tells him to go to a land God would show him and declares, “... I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and I will make your name great and…I will bless those who bless you. I will curse him who curses you and in you… all the families of the earth would be blessed.”
In Genesis 17:6 God reaffirms this promise and reveals Abraham and his sons will be the ancestors of more than one nation: “I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you and kings shall come from you.”
Many think the Jews fulfilled these prophecies, but the Jewish people have been relatively small throughout history and are only one nation. The twelve tribes of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, Abraham’s son, split into two nations. The ten tribes in the north formed the Kingdom or the House of Israel. The two tribes in the South, Judah and Benjamin, and some of the tribe of Levi, formed the smaller Kingdom or the House of Judah.
Because of their disobedience to God the Northern Kingdom was taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 BC. These people never returned to their homeland and became known as the lost 10 tribes of Israel. Judah, the Southern Kingdom, also eventually became so sinful that God allowed it to be conquered and carried off by the Babylonian Empire in 586 BC. Unlike the lost ten tribes, the Jews retained their identity and were re-established as the modern State of Israel in 1948.
The promise of national greatness was never fulfilled by Judah or Israel in ancient times, and is also not fulfilled by the modern State of Israel. So how were these promises fulfilled?
Jacob told his son Joseph that his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh would be the ones to grow and become great powers on earth. In fact Jacob passed the promises, originally given to Abraham, down to them. We can read about this in Genesis chapter 48:16 when Jacob asks God to bless Ephraim and Manasseh, “Let my name be named upon them and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
After this we are told in chapter 49:1 that Jacob calls his sons together to bless each of them and “… that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.” — that is the time leading up to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Those descended through his son Manasseh were prophesied to become a great nation. Those who would come through his other son Ephraim would become a group, or a multitude of nations, and both of them would dominate the earth for a period of time. These are the descendants that would become the nations of Great Britain and its colonies and also the United States of America.
Other prophecies reveal these nations would ultimately turn away from God. God blessed Abraham because of his obedience to God and his law but unfortunately, the more these nations have prospered the more sin has increased. As a result God warns those blessings can also be revoked. One of the purposes of these prophecies is to wake people up, and help us change and repent and humbly seek God.
God’s purpose has always been to lead all peoples, no matter what race, into a permanent relationship with him. Although the nations of the United States and Great Britain have been greatly blessed, these blessings will be removed if we continue to turn our backs on God and His Way of life.
