The rise of America, believed to descend in great part from the patriarch Joseph, particularly his son Manasseh, is seen as fulfilling physical prophecy. Jacob declared to Joseph that his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, would become great nations, with one being a great commonwealth of nations and the other a great single nation, and the elder would serve the younger. The founding of this nation is considered no mere chance, with many twists and turns in history guided by God Himself to bring about His purpose. Despite these blessings and guidance, this nation, like others, is not seen as God's country, for it is made up of men whom the Father has not called, and thus it remains cut off from Him.

A related matter concerns the tribe of Ephraim. Some have thought that this tribe is not mentioned among the 144,000, but Ephraim is indeed included. Both the tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Joseph are listed. Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph. Since Manasseh is one of the two tribes descended from Joseph, the tribe of Joseph mentioned must refer to Ephraim. From this, it is clear that Ephraim, as the leading tribe of the house of Joseph, sometimes bore the name Joseph.

The United States and Britain share a deep bond known as the Special Relationship, rooted in a connection that extends beyond politics or language. This bond traces back to the Israelite tribe of Joseph, which Jacob, by divine inspiration, divided into the half-tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, naming them as his heirs. Jacob prophetically described Ephraim as a multitude of nations and Manasseh as a great nation, reflecting the British Commonwealth, once an empire, and the United States of America, respectively. Their Special Relationship thus represents a brotherhood with origins stretching back nearly four millennia to Joseph's prominence in Egypt.

In the prophecy of Hosea, Ephraim and Manasseh are highlighted as significant representations of Israel's unfaithfulness and the consequences that follow. Ephraim, often used interchangeably with Israel, exemplifies the worst of the nation's rebellion against God, turning away from Him more severely than any other tribe. This tribe stands as a symbol of the broader spiritual decline among God's people, embodying their rejection of His covenant. Manasseh, alongside Ephraim, is considered among the descendants of Israel, reflecting the national identity that has strayed into sin and secularism. Both are part of the Israelitish nations that face judgment for their disobedience, as seen in their historical and ongoing moral and spiritual failures. God's omniscience pierces through their attempts to hide, exposing their sins and their futile efforts to seek Him without true repentance. Despite their waywardness, God's love persists, as He sends warnings and chastisements, likened to a moth and a lion, to draw them back to Him. Ultimately, there remains a hope for deliverance and healing for Ephraim, Manasseh, and all of Israel, contingent upon genuine confession, repentance, and a return to God's ways, with the promise of His freely given love awaiting their restoration.

Modern-day Ephraim and Manasseh stand as foremost examples of the great nations that have descended from Abraham. Their ascendancy as hegemonies in this age constitutes a typical national fulfillment of the promises of population, land, and kingship recorded in Genesis. These fulfillments also include the possession of enemies' geographic gates. Such developments confirm the physical and national dimensions of the promises, as seen in the kingdoms of David and Solomon. Yet these instances remain types that point beyond themselves. The promises ultimately proclaim the gospel of God's salvation through faith, directing attention to the eternal spiritual nation and Kingdom that will never end. The faithful in Christ, as Abraham's true seed, inherit this final reality rather than any temporary national expression.

For many years Herbert Armstrong presented in his booklet The United States and Britain in Prophecy the claim that the two tribes descended from Joseph form the Anglo-Saxon English-speaking nations. Manasseh corresponds to the United States while Ephraim corresponds to the British Commonwealth including Britain Canada Australia New Zealand and part of South Africa. These identifications rest on biblical and secular history together with prophecy and demonstrate that the supposed lost ten tribes remain intact though unaware of their own identity. The tribe of Judah appears scattered among the nations with many now residing in the modern state of Israel while the remaining tribes receive similar though more general national placements. National traits and historical patterns support the main accuracy of these assignments even though gentiles have settled among the Israelite nations and borders do not always match ethnic lines.

In Genesis 48 Jacob, on his deathbed, receives Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim for a blessing. Invoking the Angel who redeemed him, Jacob places his right hand on the head of the younger son Ephraim and his left hand on the older son Manasseh, declaring that his name and the name of his fathers will rest upon both lads. He states that Manasseh will become a great people, yet Ephraim will be greater still and his seed will become a multitude of nations. These two sons therefore represent the two great nations descended from the house of Israel. Scholars identify Manasseh with the United States of America and Ephraim with Great Britain. Because the prophetic books contain duality of former and latter fulfillments, the spiritual decline described in Hosea 4 applies directly to these modern descendants. The same pattern of rejecting knowledge, gradual withdrawal from intimacy with God, and resulting defeat that overtook ancient Israel now threatens Ephraim and Manasseh, warning that their lampstand can likewise be removed unless repentance restores the intimate relationship required of a priestly people.

Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, with Manasseh as the firstborn and Ephraim as the second. Their names carry descriptive force: Manasseh indicates one made to forget, while Ephraim signals fruitfulness or prosperity. These traits mark their descendants, who tend to look forward rather than backward and to turn circumstances into productive gain, all under the overarching Joseph characteristic of increase. Jacob adopted both grandsons as his own sons and elevated them above Reuben and Simeon in the birth order of inheritance, granting them the status of joint firstborns within his household. When he blessed them, Jacob crossed his hands so that his right hand rested on Ephraim, the younger, and his left on Manasseh. He refused to reverse the arrangement, declaring that Manasseh would become a great people yet Ephraim would become a multitude of nations and would be set before his brother. Through this act the physical birthright promises descended to the two tribes: abundant population, fertile and well-watered lands, military strength supplied by God, and authority among the nations. The same blessings appear in the extended prophecies concerning Joseph, which emphasize fruitfulness, strength, divine favor, and separateness for special use. Ephraim and Manasseh therefore stand as the primary bearers of the name Israel and receive the greater share of the national promises first given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This placement continues the consistent pattern in which God selects a later-born son to carry forward His purpose, a pattern that reaches its prophetic expression in the end-time role assigned to these tribes.

Ephraim and Manasseh, two tribes of Israel, played a central role in the separation of the British Isles and the American colonies. These tribes, regarded as brothers, had long squabbled and fought while united under one nation. When migration from England to the colonies began, entire villages departed together because their inhabitants belonged to the same family line of Ephraim and Manasseh. God brought Manasseh to these shores, and the resulting division produced two distinct nations. This separation proved beneficial, as the two tribes enjoyed closer relations afterward than they had as one people. They became close allies through two world wars and multiple regional conflicts. God therefore accepted the separation between these significant peoples. The example illustrates how God sets and permits boundaries among nations descended from Israel, allowing such divisions when they align with His purposes. It connects to the larger pattern of separations throughout history, where God ultimately controls outcomes and uses them to advance His plan for the future Kingdom, while His people focus on spiritual preparation rather than political involvement.

Ephraim and Manasseh illustrate the continuing shift in the biblical use of the term firstborn from a literal designation of birth order to a title of preeminence granted by divine choice. When Joseph brought his sons before Jacob for blessing, Joseph expected the right hand of greater honor to rest on Manasseh as the literal firstborn. Jacob instead placed his right hand on Ephraim, declaring that the younger would become greater and that his descendants would form a multitude of nations while Manasseh would also become a great people. This direct intervention established Ephraim in the position of firstborn despite natural birth sequence. The event reinforces the pattern already seen with Reuben, Esau, and Joseph, confirming that God sovereignly assigns the title and its privileges according to His purpose rather than chronological order. In this way the account of Ephraim and Manasseh contributes to the larger development of firstborn as an honorific that ultimately extends to the entire church, which is registered in heaven as the assembly of the firstborn.