Merits & Shortcomings of British-Israel, Part #16
This is the 16th and last critical review of the beliefs known collectively as British-Israel, and as with the first fifteen, we will address statements which W.H. Poole made in his book entitled Anglo-Israel Or, The British Nation: The Lost Tribes Of Israel (hereinafter A-I/BN). The purpose of this series is to confirm this belief system where it is correct and to give constructive criticism where it is in error. With this paper we will explore more of the topics which Poole addressed, and we’ll evaluate whether his premises are valid or flawed. We will start this session by quoting Poole on page 75:
“THE HARP.
“As to the unicorn, it is an un-English animal. It is probably the equicerous of Cuvier, or the hippelaphus of Aristotle. It was usually sculptured in profile, on bas-reliefs; its two horns, being erect, looked like one. On our standard it combines somewhat the figure of a horse and of an antelope or hind. These were both emblems of the Saxons. In this combination we have the horse of Dan, and the hind of Naphtali, see Genesis xlix, 21, ‘Naphtali is a hind let loose.’ (Dan is always seen on a fine looking horse, like King William, Prince of Orange in our day.)”
My critique: The unicorn as part of Britain’s coat of arms was addressed in part #15 of this series. Back to Poole:
“The harp on which David loved so well to play, was the national emblem of Ireland centuries before Christ, and, on down through the ages for 2000 years, it was seen floating on her castles. It was stamped upon her shields and upon her coin. That harp and its angel guardian was the only standard she would own until the union of the three realms of England, Ireland and Scotland in one kingdom. Then the harp is seen with its angel protector associated with nine lions, and an antelope, or unicorn. Then the cross of St. Andrew, the cross of St. George, and the cross of St. Patrick became the Union Jack.
“If you trace that word ‘jack’ to its origin, you will find the French Jacques, the Latin Jacobus, and the Hebrew Jacob, The ‘Union’ that flag represents, was the union of Jacob’s posterity in the ‘Isles of the west.’
“Hayden says, ‘The Cumry of Wales had the harp on their coat of arms, which they received from Ireland,’ ‘The harp was brought into Ireland by the Tuatha de Danaan, 719 B.C., see books of Leacan and Ballymote.
“That crowned lion is none other than the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The other eight upon our standard may represent the young nations, or colonies, in loving alliance to the power of the old lion – ‘the young lions of Tarshish.’ Sound the timbrel, tell it in France, publish it in Austria, send the echo to Besika Bay, to Constantinople, to all the Russias, to Egypt, to India, to the Ameer of Afghan, tell it to the hosts of Britain’s might and chivalry on land and sea: that our heraldry, so proudly borne by army and navy, was given millenniums ago, by the God of Israel, to our forefathers, and has been handed down from generation to generation, as a grand security of his abiding presence with us and with our children for ever!
“I use the word ‘Britain,’ rather than the minor word England; for Britain, like Israel of old, is formed out of many tribes, all resting peacefully under one flag. Her national character is powerful because composite, and England, Ireland, and Scotland equally have contributed to her glory. If England gave Britain a Nelson, Ireland gave Britain a Wellington, and Scotland gave Britain a Colin Campbell. Each country increases the glory of the other.”
My critique: More information concerning the emblems of Judah can be found in the book Symbols Of Our Celto-Saxon Heritage by W.H. Bennett, starting at page 97. Surely the harp of David displayed on page 99 would be a symbol of the house of David, and Jeremiah may well have transported it from Jerusalem to Ireland along with Jacob’s pillow stone and one of Zedekiah’s two daughters. But caution is advised on these matters as some families may have adopted the harp or other symbols not belonging to them. Back to Poole:
“OUR GATES.
“About 3,750 years ago, the promise was made to Israel’s grandfather that ‘thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies,’ Genesis xxii, 17: also Genesis xxiv, 60:–
“‘And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.’
“Bishop Patrick says, ‘‘Gates’ are cities and consequently the country, strongholds, or fortified places. If the gates are taken and cities surrendered, the country is conquered. What nation, or people, are now the gate holders of the nations? We hold Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, Acre, Port Sayyud, Suez Canal, Aden, Perim, Socotra, Babelmandeb, or Gate of Tears, Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, Peshawan, Kaurachee, Rangoon, Penang, Malacca, Singapore, Sarawak, Hong-Kong, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, nearly all the African Coast, Halifax, Quebec, Vancouver, etc. For 500 years Britain has been the gate-holder in the lands of those who hate her, and Constantinople is now virtually ours.
“But of our own ‘gates’ the Lord says, (Isaiah lx, 11):
“‘Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night.’
“When did any one hear of London, or Liverpool, or Dublin, or Glasgow being blockaded or shut up?
“Some say, this gate question refers to the passport system; doubtful, but, if so the same is true still, the British Consul holds the key for all those Gentile countries. Go to any country in Europe, and be sure you look well after your passports.
“Did anyone ever hear of a passport in order to travel in England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada or the United States? Not likely! Those Anglo-Israelites or Saxons can take care of themselves without passports. ‘Thy gates open continually;’ the reason given is, ‘that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.’ ‘Forces,’ the wealth of the Gentiles.”
My critique: It is difficult here to determine in what context Poole uses the term “Gentiles” under the topic of “Our Gates”, but he has brought up one of the most important matters in his entire book of 82 pages. If W.H. Poole were living today, he would be awestruck by how both Britain and America have lost control of their waterways, especially the Suez and Panama canals. It wasn’t until the British empire, on which the sun never set, together with the United States in the 1800’s when piracy was driven almost entirely from the seven seas, that the prophecies of Gen. 22:17 & 24:60 were finally fulfilled. To his credit, W.H. Poole’s evaluation of “Our Gates” on the part of Britain is stated quite well. Since W.H. Poole wrote his book in 1879, and the Panama canal was not finished until August 15, 1914, with the official opening July 12, 1920, we will have to forgive him for not foreseeing America’s part in the “Gate” prophecies of Gen. 22:17 & 24:60. The reason I am so wholeheartedly in agreement with Poole on the subject of “Our Gates” is because I believe it is a sign of the near coming of the Second Advent of Christ. Although these “Gates” are temporarily taken from us, they will be restored at His coming to rule over us. Back to Poole:
“An English financier says one hundred million sterling a year finds its way to Britain from those nations.”
“MONEY LENDERS.
“11. The Lord appointed his Israel to be the great treasure house of all nations and all peoples; Deuteronomy xv, 6, and xxviii, 12, 13:
“‘6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. ...12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.’
“These promises were forfeited once by disobedience, but when Israel returned to the Lord, and sought him, and were restored to his favour, the promises all hold good, and all become ours. He says, ‘I will do better to you than at the beginning.’ ‘Lend unto many!’ The Westminster Review says, ‘Foreign countries have during the last thirty years added three thousand million pounds sterling to their debts, and the British people are the great lenders!’
“Emmerson says, ‘The creation of wealth in England during the last century is a main fact in modern history. The wealth of England determines prices all over the Globe.’
“Carpenter says, ‘The amount of interest paid on our enormous loans in England, alone exceeds six million sterling in a single month.’
“And while we have lent and are lending at two and three per cent, the amount of unemployed capital is so great that borrowers cannot be found. ‘Shall not borrow!’ Who can tell me the time, when Britain asked a loan from any Gentile nation? Why, such an idea would be laughed at all over the nation.”
My critique: It appears that W.H. Poole is wittingly or unwittingly ignorant of Britain’s financial history. It also appears that this person named “Carpenter” is a bad source of information, for in the time period to which Poole is referring, the Canaanite-jews had gained financial control over Britain through the maneuvering Oliver Cromwell who invited them to return to England and institute the Bank of England in 1694. Therefore, any interest paid on loans would have been collected by the Canaanite-jewish owned Bank of England rather than the British government! Hence, this was not a blessing to the White Caucasian Israelite people of Britain, but a curse, or Gen. 22:17 & 24:60 in reverse! Back to Poole:
“MISSIONARIES.
“12. The Israel of God are to be the great missionary agency to the world, ‘I will bless thee and thou shalt be a blessing.’ ‘In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.’ The primary meaning is Christ, and his redeeming work; but as human instruments that agency is largely to be Israel, ‘this people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise,’ ‘I will send those that escape of them, unto the nations to Tarshish. ... Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.’ – Isaiah lxvi, 19. Note the agency and the ‘escaped’ who have found a home in Tarshish and the far off isles. The mission is to be to the Gentiles. It could not mean the Jews, for they have not yet been ‘bent’ to Christ. It must mean some portion of Abraham’s family, and that portion of them must be christianized.
My critique: I have read enough from W.H. Poole and Edward Hine to determine, when they refer to the term “Judah” they are confusing the true racially pure Judahites of tribe of Judah with the Kenite-Edomite-Canaanites who were later proselyted to Judaism! British-Israel is still making that same mistake today! Actually the Kenite-Edomite-Canaanite-jews are descendants of Cain who was fathered by Satan, and are thus the “seed of the serpent”! When W.H. Poole used to the word “bent” as found at Zech. 9:13, it pertains to the racially pure tribe of Judah and has absolutely nothing to do with the Kenite-Edomite-Canaanite-jews whom British-Israel embraces! Back to Poole:
“To Israel the Lord says, lsaiah xlix, 6:–
“‘I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.’
My critique: In the Late Latin period (150-700 A.D. – Jerome translating the Vulgate in the 4th century) the Latin term “gentilis” had the meaning of “the same clan or race.” Later, during the Middle English period (1150-1475 A.D.), the meaning was corrupted to mean “non-jew”. So Paul was sent to the nations of his own Israel race, and no one else! Back to Poole:
“Hear Paul and Barnabas, Acts xiii, 45:–
“‘But when the Jews [?] saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles [?]. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles [?], that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles [?] heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.’ [question marks mine]
“Here was Israel, and not Judah [?], at missionary work for God. And all the great missionary agencies of our century are sent by the Saxon races: the names alone of great missionary organizations would fill pages. It is literally Britain and America that are engaged in blessing all the families of the earth. They are the missionaries of the world. These two nations are the ‘light of the Gentiles.’ They maintain more than twice as many foreign missions as all the Gentile nations put together.
“GOD’S INHERITANCE.
“13. Israel is God’s inheritance and possession, and we must be prepared to acknowledge the fact. Moses prayed, ‘O Lord take us for thine inheritance,’ and He said, ‘The Lord hath taken you for an inheritance’ and again, ‘O Lord destroy not thine inheritance.’ ‘They are thy people and thine inheritance.’ David prayed, ‘Bless the inheritance of the Lord,’ ‘And the people whom thou hast chosen for thine inheritance.’ Isaiah says, ‘O Lord return the tribes of thine inheritance,’ ‘Israel mine inheritance,’ ‘Ask of me and I will give the heathen to thine inheritance.’
“Now, note, our British people through their national church, claim to be the very people here spoken of. Hear them throughout all the land in the beautiful service of the prayer book. In the Confession they say, ‘We have erred and strayed, from His way like lost sheep,’ and they use the very terms by which God had all along spoken of them, ‘lost sheep.’ ‘His people, my people, my servants, thy heritage,’ ‘thine inheritance,’ ‘the sheep of thy pasture,’ ‘thy chosen people,’ ‘thy people Israel,’ and the like, and they say, ‘We are the people of thy pasture and the sheep of thy hand,’ ‘O Lord save thy people and bless thine inheritance,’ ‘And make thy chosen people joyful,’ ‘O let Israel bless the Lord. Bless ye the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people,’ ‘And they call upon the Lord to remember his holy covenant, and to perform unto us the oath which he sware to OUR forefather, Abraham.’ Indeed, that is pretty good. If Abraham be our forefather are we not his children? ‘He hath holpen His servant Israel, as He promised to our forefather Abraham that He would give us.’ ‘O God we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us the noble works that thou didst in their days and in times of old.’ What fathers are here meant? Gentile chiefs? Indian chiefs? Anglo-Saxon Idolators? Old Druids? No! not by any means; farther back still: go to the Patriarchs and Prophets.
“MUST OWN UP.
“‘O Lord spare Thy people, and let not Thine heritage be brought to confusion, so that we that are Thy people and the sheep of thy pasture, shall give Thee thanks for ever, &c.’ ‘O Lord mercifully receive the prayers of Thy people.’
“In the service for the 20th of June, in a prayer for the Queen, they say, ‘Let there never be one wanting in her house to succeed her in the government of this kingdom, that our posterity may see her childrens’ children, and peace upon Israel.’ What does all this mean? Coming from the Archbishops, Bishops, Ministers, Deans, Curates, and the nation they represent, I would not for a moment think that they do not mean it. Many hundreds of them are among the most devoted of all God’s people; but while they say it on the Sabbath, in their cathedrals and churches, I would have them own up to the same glorious truth on week days, and in all the walks and ways of life, and be prepared to incur the responsibilities of his Israel.
“Then, note the Wesleyan Methodist Minister as he calls upon his people by tens of thousands to sing the praises of God, and to mean what they sing, as he gives out the 546th hymn [?]:–
“‘The sheep of Israel’s fold
In England’s pastures feed.’
“Of course they do, and it is safe and good pasturage too. And then the Presbyterians, of all branches, sing right lustily:
“‘We are His people, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.
We are His people, and the sheep
Within his pastures fed.’
“And the Baptists and Congregationalists catch the same strain, and indulge in the same sentiment.
“CHAIN BREAKERS.
“14. Mr. Wesley was far in advance of his times. He called the slave trade ‘The sum of all villianies.’ God issued a high commission, a divine command to His Israel, ‘To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that ye (Israel) break off every yoke’.”
My critique: Mr. Wesley may have had the right idea concerning the “slave trade”, but he directed his efforts toward the wrong color of people! Back to Poole:
“Compare the death penalty incurred by a British subject infringing the laws of his country by engaging in the slave traffic, with the law laid down to Israel in Exodus xxi, 16:– ‘He that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.’ Other nations limit the/pp style= punishment for this nefarious practice to imprisonment, when not absolutely winked at.
“Britain is a high court of appeal for all lands and all nations, and with one voice her sixty colonies do unite in singing, ‘Britons never shall be slaves.’
“At one of my lectures, having read this paper, a gentleman came to the front, somewhat excited, and said ‘Mr. Poole, you say ‘That the British people, consisting of the English, Irish, Scotch, and the Americans and Canadians are to be put in possession of the land of Canaan, that land promised to Abraham and to his seed,’ why they would not find standing room in such a small country as that.’ To quiet the fears of our friend, we read for him the promise of God found in Jeremiah iii, 14: ‘I will take you one of a city, and two of a tribe, and I will bring you to Zion.’ [critique: “Zion” = America]
“‘The Lord’s redeemed with joy shall come
From lands afar to Israel’s home–
From every tribe a chosen band,
To worship in the Holy Land.’
“That looks very much like representation by population, Our excited friend grew more calm, and said that he would have no objection to Jerusalem.”
With this series, many of the merits and shortcomings of British-Israel have been brought to the fore. It is now the reader’s responsibility to analyze these merits and shortcomings for themselves!
