A Nation and a Company of Nations

One assurance Abraham received from God was that he would be the father of many nations, as recorded in Genesis 17:4–6. This promise of forming a nation was eventually passed on to Jacob, although not exclusively. When told to Jacob, according to Genesis 35, God made this promise of nations more specific. God informed Jacob that he would be “a nation and a company of nations.”[1] Anglo-Israelists believe this series of words fits well with the British Empire, which, through its means of colonization, birthed many nations, such as the United States, Australia, and Canada.[2] They believe this promise was passed on from Jacob to Ephraim through the assurance of “a multitude of nations.”[3]

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However, the expression “a multitude of nations” does not equate to Ephraim forming nations, but rather only points to the tribe filling nations. In understanding this, what is interesting is that the specific promise given to Jacob of becoming “a nation and a company of nations” was not passed on to any of Jacob’s sons, nor was it given to Joseph’s sons, including Ephraim. The reason for this is that the promise was fulfilled in Jacob. The phrase “a nation and a company of nations” perfectly describes what Israel is. They were, at least at one point, a collection of distinct tribes living together as one nation. They were “a nation and a company of nations.”

 

[1] Gen. 35:11.

[2] “Ephraim-Britain: A Company of Nations,” www.britam.org/Company.html.

[3] Gen. 48:19.