America and Israel: Spiritually Connected
Part 3 – Twin Nations of Prophetic Destiny - continued
Today we are going to continue our study entitled America and Israel: Spiritually Connected. The last two weeks we’ve looked at the question “Is America Found in Bible Prophecy?” And as I’ve told you, if you are looking for a direct reference in the textual writing of the Bible, then the answer to this question is NO. There are many theories out there that place America in Bible verses that discuss end-times prophecy and some of them are very compelling. But none of them can be accepted with complete assuredness that they are referring to the United States of America.
Then I told you where I believe America’s prophetic destiny can be found. I personally believe we can find out a lot about our country and where we may be headed by studying the ancient nation of Israel. Because America and Israel are two nations that are incredibly linked in many ways, as we started to see last week. Today we are going to continue to look at the parallels that can be found between America and Israel.
Just as a brief review, last week I showed you some of the unique connections that can be found in the history and the founding of these two prophetic nations. And then we looked at the prophetic picture of the Tabernacle and its furniture and how it correlated with the map of the United States. Today we are going to look at some more unique historical connections between America and Israel as well as exploring two more pictures of Hebrew patterns that can be found on our Eastern Coast and in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. (So get ready for a history lesson like you’ve never had before.)
I. America’s Foundation
First, we’re going to look at the founding of our nation.
A. Christopher Columbus
The Almighty God raised up America following some of the same spiritual patterns as He used with His chosen nation, Israel. Our earliest history is often traced to Christopher Columbus and his famous journey to the Indies, which ended up as a journey of prophetic destiny.
Many of us know the basic story of Christopher Columbus sailing west in order to find the East Indies and instead discovering an entire new continent. But did you know that many researchers now believe that Columbus was a Jew, his parents Italian Jewish refugees living in Spain? The name, Columbus, came from the name Colon, a commonly used name among Jews living in Spain.
Several interesting aspects of this man’s life lend to the possibility of a strong Jewish link, either in his ethnic background or in his religious belief. In 1492, Columbus spoke of the Jewish Temple in the time of Christ as being the Second House, a term used among the Jews of his day. He also dated the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem at 68 AD instead of in 70 AD, which was a Jewish belief of his day.
As Columbus set out to make his journey, he wrote some very interesting things in his diary. (I have placed this quote in your handouts. He wrote, “It was the Lord who put it into my mind, (I could feel His hand upon me), the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures. I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps. It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied (from The Diary of Christopher Columbus).”
Even the dates that Columbus set sail and spotted land are Hebraic links between Israel and America. Columbus set sail on the 9th of Av on the Hebrew calendar. This was a day of fasting for all Jews to commemorate the destruction of the Temple. It is considered the worst day of the year, throughout Jewish history. Columbus actually delayed his departure date for one day so that they could set sail on this specific date.
After 70 days on the sea however, he realized that a mutiny was about to occur. On the 71st day, they spotted land. That day on the Jewish calendar was the last day of the Jewish feast of Tabernacles. On this day a special prayer is prayed, remembering how God directed Israel across the sea and saved them from destruction. And on this day God directed Columbus safely across the sea, saved his ships, stopped the mutiny, and provided the climax for the journey.
B. Promised Land
Another Hebraic link found in our early history is that fact that when the Puritans crossed the Atlantic Ocean to find a new land where they could practice religious freedom, they believed that God was leading them to their own Promised Land just as He had lead the Israelites centuries before. One of the Founders of America even suggested that our national seal should depict Israel crossing the Red Sea and Pharaoh being drowned in the waters.
And here’s another little known fact - just as Israel was delivered from Egypt during the first Passover, America initiated her liberation from England during the same Jewish feast of Passover.
C. Hebrew Language
Another connection comes in the form of the language of the Jews – namely Hebrew. Many of the Puritan ministers were well versed in the Hebrew language. William Bradford, a Pilgrim, intimated that he studied Hebrew intensely so that when he died he would be able to speak the “most ancient language, the Holy Tongue in which God and the angels spake.”
The original Jewish language is Hebrew. It is interesting that some of America’s founders considered making Hebrew the official language of the United States. Can you imagine if they had succeeded? We would probably all be speaking Hebrew as well as English today.
The language seemed to play an important role in the development of early New England. Hebrew is found on the seals of schools such as Columbia and Dartmouth. Harvard University, founded by the Puritans in 1636, considered Hebrew to be a critical part of higher learning. From Harvard’s beginning, Hebrew was taught by the presidents, of whom it was said that some were better Hebraists than the Jews.
John Endicott wanted to make the Law of Moses the basis of law in the colony of Massachusetts. Hebrew Scriptures were at the heart of Puritan society, and Hebrew, the language of Israel, was emphasized in America.
In fact, in Hebrew, “The United States of America” literally means The Covenant Lands of America. Just as ancient Israel was the “Land of the Covenant,” America is also “The Land of the Covenant.”
D. Parallels With Early Founders
The founding fathers and early leaders of America were aware of the spiritual significance of what they were doing and how God was directing their destiny. Because Jews were scattered throughout the world at the time of America’s founding, some suggested that America should provide a section of land to which the Jews could immigrate and form a nation of Israel inside of America.
Even early settlers considered themselves “spiritual Jews” who were settling a new Promised Land. The fact that so many of the rural towns in early America were given Biblical names is evidence that early settlers were very conscious of Holy Scriptures and God’s Hand in their plans.
II. God’s House In America
We can also find an interesting picture parallel in the landscape of the area where the Pilgrims first landed in America. This parallel has to do with the Hebrew letter “beit” and God marking America as His home.
A. The Hebrew Letter Beit
The Hebrew letter beit is composed of three lines resembling a square, yet open on the left side. (See Figure 1) From the perspective of the Torah, the top line faces east, the right side faces south, the bottom side face west, and the open side faces north. Placed on a map this would make the letter beit look like it was turned on its side and looking like an English letter ‘U’. (See Figure 2)
The “beit” is the first letter used in the Bible in Genesis 1:1. The first word is b’reshit. Rabbis have wondered why God began creation with the “beit,” which is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet instead of the first letter, the “alef.” Rabbis say one reason might be because the letter beit represents a house.
You see, in Hebrew, each letter of its alphabet doesn’t just make a sound like it does in English. Each letter also had a special meaning and numerical value attached to it. And the “beit” means “house” or “dwelling place.” All through the Bible, God’s interaction with man has been an effort to establish and maintain a relationship whereby God might dwell among men.
Exodus 25:8, “And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.”
The Temple in Jerusalem came to be known as the bet mikdash, meaning the house of sanctuary, where God would dwell among the children of Israel.
So, if the interpretation of the Bible that teaches that America will serve as God’s vineyard is correct, then you would think God would have a dwelling place, or a house, in America as well.
Deuteronomy 12:5 states, “But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come.”
God chose a specific place in Israel to place His home. The place of His habitation was in Jerusalem upon the Temple Mount. Looking at an aerial photograph of the Old City, you will discover that the three valleys near Jerusalem form the Hebrew letter “shin.” The “shin” looks similar to our English letter “w.”
According to rabbinical Judaism, this letter represents the name of God. God literally placed His name in the landscape where He would dwell among His people in Israel. Would you be surprised to learn that the landscape of America also shows God’s signature? Only instead of His name, He has placed a symbol marking America as His house in the shape of the letter “beit.”
B. Cape Cod and the Letter Beit
When the Pilgrims first landed in America they reached the area of what is now called Cape Cod. This area was actually about one hundred miles north of their intended destination. (See Diagram 1) If you look at a map of Cape Cod, starting at the top of Provincetown where the Pilgrims first landed, and follow it around to Plymouth, you will find the peninsula forms the letter “beit,” or a house. Notice that the open side of this geographical “beit” is on the north side, which correlates with the perspective of the Torah.
A small island just off the southern coast of this peninsula was first discovered by Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602 AD. This little island had vines growing on it, so Gosnold named in Martha’s Vineyard after his daughter. It seems that God chose this particular geographic area, a vineyard, to start building His house. Here we see the first fruit of the prophetic vineyard of America.
III. Hebrew Patterns In Our Nation’s Capital
But this was just the beginning. Even more fascinating is another picture parallel between America and Israel that can be found right in the heart of our nations capital.
The Apostle John saw a vision of the heavenly Temple and the throne room, which is recorded in the book of Revelation. Standing at the four corners of the throne were four living creatures, with the faces of a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle.
Revelation 4:7, “The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.”
The purpose of these creatures surrounding the throne of God was to worship God. Keep these four creatures in mind while we go back to the Old Testament and make a connection.
A. The Twelve Tribes
When Moses established the Tabernacle in the wilderness, God instructed the 12 tribes of Israel to be divided into four groups of three tribes each. This was to insure a more orderly way of travelling with such a large group of people through the wilderness. And each night when they stopped to set up camp they camped in these groups. Each group having a specific place in which they were to place their tents. (See Diagram 2)
Now each of these groups of three tribes was often referred to by the name of the one tribe that led the other two. For example, the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Dan traveled together as one unit and were referred to collectively at times as just the tribe of Dan. When the Israelites set up camp these tribes were positioned to the North of the Tabernacle.
On the east side of the Tabernacle was the tribe of Judah, which was made up of the three tribes of Judah, Zebulon, and Issachar. On the south was the tribe of Reuben, made up of the three tribes of Rueben, Simeon, and Gad. And on the west side was the tribe of Ephraim, which was made up of the three tribes of Ephraim, Manneseh, and Benjamin. The book of Numbers chapter two is where this information can be found. (So you can see that I’m not just making this up.)
Now, each of the twelve tribes also had a standard or an emblem that became its seal of national identity. While traveling, the tribes used the four emblems of the tribes that lead the four groups. Now, here’s our connection. (See Diagram 3)
Judah’s emblem was a lion, Rueben’s was a man, Dan’s was an eagle, and Ephriam’s was an ox or a bull. These four emblems are identical to the four living creatures standing before the Lord in John’s vision of heaven.
B. The Washington Mall and the Emblems of the Camp
What is even more fascinating is that in our nation’s capital there is an arrangement of important buildings and monuments around a large rectangular area that is referred to as The Washington Mall. The Washington Monument is in the center of this mall. To the north of it is the White House, to the east is the Capitol building, to the south is the Jefferson Memorial, and to the west is the Lincoln Memorial. And believe it or not there is a parallel between the layout of the Washington Mall and the layout of the wilderness camp of Israel.
1. The Eagle and the White House
Let’s take a closer look. (See Diagram 4) Situated at the north of the wilderness camp was the camp of Dan, whose emblem was the eagle. To the north of the Washington Mall stands the White House. The man occupying the White House is the President whose official seal is the eagle, the same emblem as given to the ancient tribe of Dan.
2. The Lion and the Capitol
Situated to the east of the wilderness camp was Judah, whose emblem was the lion. To the east of the Washington Mall stands the Capitol building, where elected officials from all 50 states meet to enact legislation for the nation. In front of the Capitol is a statue of Ulysses S. Grant, who is memorialized upon a horse, overlooking a beautiful fountain. Surrounding this fountain are four stone lions that represent the authority of the lawmakers. Judah’s emblem was a lion, and the tribe of Judah was known as the law-giving tribe in Genesis 49:10 and Psalm 60:7.
Genesis 49:10, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
Psalm 60:7, “…Judah is my lawgiver.”
Out of the tribe of Judah also came the eternal lawgiver, Jesus the Messiah, who will one day literally govern the nations.
3. The Man and the Jefferson Memorial
To the south of the wilderness camp was the tribe of Rueben, whose emblem was a man. The Thomas Jefferson Memorial sits to the south of the Washington Mall. Jefferson was a Deist and a Unitarian. He believed in a Creator who retreated after the creation was finished and left the affairs of men to themselves. He believed that only the good nature of men and their reasoning could be trusted. Jefferson was a Humanist thinker. Today we would call him a secular humanist – someone who worships man over God.
His memorial shares the same relative position as Rueben in the wilderness camp, and Rueben’s emblem was a statue of a man. It was Rueben who forgot God’s laws and tried to act upon his own decision making and strength.
4. The Bull and the Lincoln Memorial
To the west of the wilderness camp was the tribe of Ephraim, whose emblem was a bull or an ox. The Lincoln Memorial stands on the western part of the Mall. Lincoln was the only president who shared his first name, Abraham, with the founder of the nation of Israel.
God told Abraham, “I am your shield and reward” in Genesis 15:1. God revealed that he would bless Abraham in times of conflict. God also promised Abraham that he would become a great nation and that Abraham’s seed would be delivered out of Egyptian bondage. To confirm God’s covenant, Abraham took animals and divided them in the middle. Afterward a “deep sleep fell upon him and a horror of great darkness fell upon him” (Genesis 15:12).
God shielded Abraham Lincoln’s nation from destruction as it was split between the north and the south. A “horror of darkness,” the Civil Was ensued. Abraham, the father of Israel, survived his test and Abraham Lincoln saw the end of the horrible Civil War.
Joseph’s sons were Ephraim and Manesseh. In his youth, Joseph’s own brothers sold him into slavery. In the time of Lincoln, slavery was the spark that ignited the Civil War. During the Civil War, two brothers, the north and the south, fought each other. Ephriam and Manesseh were divided between the northern and southern kingdoms in Israel. Ironically, the first battle of the Civil War was at Bull Run, in the area of Manasses, Virginia.
In the English translation of the Bible in Revelation 7:6, the tribe of Manesseh is called Manasses. Bull Run, Manasses, and a division between brothers all interconnect in Abraham Lincoln’s day, thus the Lincoln Memorial.
The four major tribal emblems coincide uniquely with the four main federal buildings located in the Washington Mall. These four emblems – the eagle, the lion, the bull, and man – are the same images found on the living creatures that worship God in His heavenly throne room. The layout of the wilderness camp symbolized God’s throne room. The same emblems surround God’s Tabernacle. Likewise, in Washington, these emblems surround the Washington Monument, dedicated to the memory of the father of our nation. Interestingly, the original plans for the Washington Monument designated it to be a temple!
5. The Cross on the Mall
An aerial view of Israel’s wilderness camp shows us that its layout formed the shape of a cross. Additionally, an aerial view of the Washington Mall forms the shape of a cross. It is difficult to determine for certain whether the Washington, D.C. Mall was purposely designed to reflect the wilderness camp. However, the many remarkable Hebraic and American parallels and cycles seem to have been Divinely planned.
Next week we are going to try to finish connecting some of the dots and concluded this series by looking at what happened to ancient Israel and what very well could happen prophetically to the United States of America.
Sources:
The Light and The Glory. By Peter Marshall and David Manuel. Fleming H. Revell Company. July, 1977.
The Story of the Capitol. By Marilyn Prolman. Chicago: Children’s Press.
The Alef-Beit. By Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburgh.
Plucking the Eagle’s Wings: America’s Prophetic Cycles, Patterns and Destiny. By Dr. Perry F. Stone, Jr. Cleveland, TN: Pressworks. 2001.
Unusual Prophecies Being Fulfilled: Discerning the Future Destiny of America. By Dr. Perry F. Stone, Jr. Cleveland, TN: Pathway Press. 2006.
