Joseph and his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh

Joseph

Joseph was the eleventh of Jacob's twelve sons. He was also Jacob's favourite and this caused his brothers to hate him. This hatred was heightened when at the age of seventeen Joseph had two dreams indicating that he would rule over his family (Genesis 37:5-10).

Matters came to a head when Joseph was sent to check Jacob's flocks. However, Reuben, the oldest of Joseph's brothers, was able to defuse a scheme to murder Joseph devised by his other nine brothers. Instead of killing him, they sold him to Ishmaelite merchants for twenty pieces of silver. Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold as a slave to Potiphar, an Egyptian official (Genesis 37). Although Joseph was a slave in Egypt for eleven years and then a prisoner in the palace dungeon for another two years, he never lost confidence in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had two disturbing dreams which his magicians could not interpret. Pharaoh's butler recalled Joseph's ability to explain dreams. As a result, Joseph was released from prison and presented to Pharaoh who then related his dreams to Joseph. The interpretation that God gave through Joseph was that Egypt was to enjoy seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph then suggested the way to prepare for the impending disaster and Pharaoh was so impressed that he made Joseph his deputy.

During the famine, which extended into Canaan, Jacob sent his ten eldest sons to Egypt to buy food. There they stood before the brother they had sold some twenty years earlier and did not recognise him. However, Joseph knew them, and put them through a series of character tests. He found that their attitudes had changed and when he could contain himself no longer he revealed his identity. His brothers were afraid, but Joseph, who held their lives in his hands, bore no grudges. He understood that he was carrying out God's will (Genesis 45:7-9). Joseph organised the migration of his family to Egypt and settled them in Goshen.

Just before his father's death, Joseph presented his two sons for blessing. He stood the young men so Jacob's right hand would be upon Manasseh, the first-born, and his left on Ephraim. The nearly blind old man crossed his arms placing his right hand on Ephraim's head. Jacob declared that the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh would be tribes in Israel of equal status to those arising from his own sons. Because Jacob had twelve sons, and Ephraim was given precedence, Manasseh became the progenitor of the thirteenth tribe in God's Israel nation.

Jacob then blessed his sons and prophesied about their future. The descendants of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh were singled out for particular blessings:

• they were to be very fruitful;

• although severely tested in war, God would maintain them;

• Jacob's anointed pillar - the shepherd stone of Israel - was to be in the care of the descendants of Joseph;

• Joseph's descendants were to be abundantly blessed with the good things of the earth; and

• the Abrahamic birthright was to be directed through Joseph (1 Chronicles 5:1).

Moses added one more item to these benefits:

• the descendants of Joseph were to have " ... the strength of a unicorn" and would "... rise up as a great lion" (Numbers 23:23-24).

At Bethel God promised that Jacob's descendants would be multitudinous and would spread to the four points of the compass. In His second blessing at Bethel, the Lord said that Israel would be a nation and a company of nations. When Jacob nominated Ephraim and Manasseh as tribes he prophesied that they would be a company (commonwealth) of nations and a great people. It was God's intention to build Israel on these two birthright tribes.

Joshua, of the tribe of Ephraim, was one of the twelve men sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan. Only he, and Caleb of the tribe of Judah, recommended that Israel should invade Canaan as directed by God; the others brought back negative reports and persuaded the people not to risk it. As a result, Israel then spent forty years in the wilderness until all those who were twenty years and older at the time of the Exodus had died, Caleb and Joshua being exempted. God chose Joshua to succeed Moses and lead the Israel nation into Canaan.

Ephraim

Ephraim's insignia was the ox (later a unicorn) and an ox's horn. The ox or bull is found on coats-of-arms of clans and counties in Scotland and England as well as in Iceland, Denmark, and Sweden. The term "John Bull" is a well known representation of the British people. The insignia of a horn is widespread in England and Scotland, and also in Denmark and the Netherlands. The unicorn is a heraldic emblem of the utmost significance. On the British coat-of-arms, a unicorn and a crowned lion support a shield bearing the heraldic devices of the United Kingdom. Above these two creatures is one crown signifying the fulfilment of Ezekiel's prophecy that in Israel's new home the House of Judah and the House of Israel (represented by the lion and the unicorn) would again be united under one king, a descendant of King David (Ezekiel 37:19-28).

The two creatures stand on the motto "Dieu Et Mon Droit" - God and my right, indicating Ephraim's claim to the Abrahamic covenant. Around the shield lies another motto, "Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense" - evil be to him who evil thinks - which was a part of that birthright promise. Above the crown stands another crowned lion symbolising the Lord Jesus Christ - the Lion of the tribe of Judah - who will one day return to this world, take up the throne of His father David at the appointed time, and rule over the house of Jacob (the twelve-tribed nation of Israel) for ever.

Manasseh

Manasseh was the thirteenth and junior birthright tribe. Manasseh's heraldic insignia were an olive branch, a bundle of arrows, and the number thirteen. Although arrows are depicted on coats-of-arms of some cities in England and clans in Scotland, all of these emblems appear on the Great Seal of the United States.

On the obverse side of this seal, the eagle holds an olive branch with thirteen leaves and thirteen berries in its right claw, and thirteen arrows in its left. On its chest is a shield of thirteen stripes, it holds a motto of thirteen letters in its beak, and over its head is a constellation of thirteen stars. On the reverse side stands a thirteen layered pyramid over which is suspended a divine capstone. It is significant that the capstone, symbolising the Lord Jesus Christ, is separated from the incomplete pyramid which represents national Israel.

The bottom of the pyramid shows the number MDCCLXXVI - the year AD 1776 - which was the year of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. Over the capstone is a motto of thirteen letters. Although historically the highlighting of the number thirteen occurred because thirteen colonies existed at the time of the American War of Independence, God has utilised this heraldry prophetically to identify the great people of His original prophecy to Jacob-Israel. The motto held in the eagle's beak is "E Pluribus Unum" - one out of many - which is prophetically significant because Manasseh was a tribe of Israel.

Because the U.S.A. is a republic, the royal regalia of Britain is not used to demonstrate Jesus Christ's authority, yet this authority is displayed in the star of David, which is the arrangement of the constellation of thirteen stars suspended over the head of the eagle.

• More than 3,400 years ago Baalim prophesied that a star would come out of Jacob. This was a prophecy about Jesus the Messiah and ultimate King of Israel.

• At Jesus' birth the wise men came because they had seen His star in the east.

• In Revelation, Jesus said: "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star" (Revelation 22:16).

The upper motto on the reverse side is "Annuit Coeptis" - He prospers our undertakings. This statement is in accord with the Abrahamic birthright blessing.

The lower motto, "Novus Ordo Seclorum" - a new order of people - is a prophetic gem with two applications. Nationally, this motto refers to the unconditional national fulfilment of Bible prophecy relating to the completion of the seven times (2520 years) punishment of the Israel people resulting from their persistent idolatrous activities (Leviticus 26:18). This motto particularly alludes to the tribe of Manasseh, from the time of its capture and deportation by Assyria in 745 B.C. to the Declaration of Independence in A.D.1776.

Spiritually speaking the new order of people comprises Spirit-filled men and women who are the members of the Church. When Jesus returns, these people, dead or alive, will be resurrected and revealed as such. For the next thousand years (the millennium) they will, under Jesus' direction, restore national Israel to a people who love God and obey His commandments, and under these conditions Israel will be open to all who wish to enter. It is through the Church that Israel will again be joined to her rightful King (Revelation 21).