Anglo-Israelism (also called British Israelism) is the British nationalist, pseudoarchaeological, pseudohistorical, and pseudoreligious belief that the people of Great Britain are "genetically, racially, and linguistically the direct descendants" of the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel.
We would like to go into this subject at length and show how the Scriptures themselves will not allow such a doctrine. For this, as well as any other subject, we must search the Scriptures, deeming them as the final authority.
On every hand, one hears the expression, the ten lost tribes. But it is not a Biblical expression, and there is nothing in the Bible to support the notion. It is like the term Spiritual Israel, which also is not Scriptural. But these two notions have become a foundation for a great structure of errors. And this we seek to prove.
Some would attempt to build upon a colloquial usage of Jew and Israelite. But this, too, is without any Biblical foundation, as we will show.
Now note page 59 of the Appendices of the Companion Bible, Appendix 50, Chronological Charts and Tables - Chart V. Section e. From the Kingdom to the Captivities, 1000-426, you will see that Hezekiah began his reign a few years before the termination of the Kingdom of Israel. Then, read in 2 Chronicles 29-31 the deeds of Hezekiah and the revival at Jerusalem. When the temple was cleansed, and the Passover was about to be observed, he sent invitations throughout all Judea and Israel for all to come. In 2 Chronicles 30:25, we read of many strangers who came in from the land of Israel, and in 2 Chronicles 31:1, we see that these Israelites helped to cleanse the land of Judah from its groves and idols. It is true that many later returned to their own possessions and cities in Israel at that time. But were they visitors at the Passover, or were they those that dwelt in Judah? We find the answer back in 2 Chronicles 11:16-17. After idolatry was set up in Israel by Jeroboam, we read that many of the folks from Israel came up to Jerusalem to worship the true God and so strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam strong. This explains many things that later happen, even in the NT.
In 2 Chronicles 15:9, we read that there dwelt at Jerusalem, strangers from Ephraim, Manasseh, and from Simeon. This was in the time of King Asa.
In 2 Chronicles 19:8, we find that the chief of the fathers of Israel dwelt at Jerusalem. These are again mentioned in 2 Chron. 23:2. In 2 Chron. 31:6, we read that the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah brought their tithes and made heaps of them.
So, from a close reading of the 2 Chronicles, we must conclude that the godly of Israel joined with Judah and dwelt with them. Then we can see that many of Israel were in Babylonian captivity, and most certainly, many returned with the remnant that rebuilt the city and the temple. And since the chief of the fathers of these people were in Judah, we can readily see that the ten tribes were not lost but were preserved along with Judah.
Finally, notice in 2 Chron. 34:1-7, that in the reign of Josiah, he went up into Israel and destroyed the idols, taking away all the abominations from the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all present in Israel to serve the Lord. This shows that when Israel was taken captive, it was not complete. Many were left behind.
Those who know the Scriptures cannot for a moment go along with the idea that the ten tribes went into captivity and were lost, never returning to Palestine, but were scattered among the nations, especially in Ireland.
In Ezra 6:16, the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites kept the dedication of the house. Ezra 6:17 tells of the offering of 12 goats for a sin offering, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. Note later in Ezra 6:21 that it speaks of all the children of Israel that came out of captivity. In this chapter and the next note the usage of the term God of Israel. Then, in Ezra 7:13, the king of Persia made a decree concerning the people of Israel and the priests and Levites. The next verse speaks of Judah and Jerusalem. Ezra 7:15 speaks of silver and gold, which the king gave to the God of Israel, whose habitation was in Jerusalem (not Samaria).
Using the concordance, it is easy to find that in the Book of Esther, which is about the ten tribes, they are spoken of as Jews about six times. What of the notion that Israel and Jews are distinct and separate terms? It just does not hold. The same people that are called Israel in Ezra are called Jews in Esther. No distinctions whatsoever.
Now, in Luke 1:80, we read that John was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel. Did he go to Ireland, England, Denmark, or some other place to shew himself unto Israel? Or was Israel in the land? What saith the Scriptures?
On the road to Emmaus, the two disciples had thought that Jesus of Nazareth was the one who should have redeemed Israel (Luke 24:21). And the Lord declared that he had not found such faith in Israel as He did in the centurion (Matt 8:10). Evidently He had been among Israel some time here on earth.
In Romans 11:1, Paul declares that he is an Israelite and, at the same time, of the tribe of Benjamin. Now, these folks declare that this is an impossibility for Benjamin to be with Judah, and so would be called Jews. Either the Book or somebody is wrong! But to further mix it up, Paul also declared that he was a Jew (Acts 22:3)!
The woman at the well in Samaria said that the Lord was a Jew (John 4:9), while Nathaniel once said that He was the King of Israel (John 1:49). So, according to the Word of God, a Jew is an Israelite.
The Lord came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He sent His disciples to the same, and they returned. There is no record that they ever visited Phoenicia, Denmark, or even Ireland.
Much of the claims made on this false assumption that Jews and Israelis were different are too foolish to mention in our limited space. But a couple more references should suffice to show the fallacy of such assumptions. James addresses his epistle to the 12 tribes scattered abroad (that is, from Jerusalem). Paul speaks of the 12 tribes and their hope (Acts 26:7). It is wise to be as the noble Bereans, searching to see what is truth.
Not knowing the Scriptures, these unfortunate folks do not know that Israel is not the chosen people today (Eph 1:4). They do not know that Israel was set aside (Acts 28:28) and that there is a Church program today. So they claim that they are Israelites, thereby hoping to come into blessings. But in doing so, they have denied the blood of Christ (do they ever mention it?) and then try to get the blessing by claiming a blood relationship. This is the fruit of ignorance.
They do not know that the Apostle Paul finished the canon of Scripture (Col 1:25) and that no revelation has come from God since that time. So they bring into the picture a coronation stone, which the Bible knows nothing about, and try to substitute this stone for the Rock of Ages. And they seem to worship this stone even as Israel did the brazen serpent in later years, and which King Hezekiah destroyed when it was 835 years old (2 Kings 18:4). The worship of relics is a heathen practice.
Of course, the Word does not speak of a return of the ten tribes as it does of Judah for the simple reason that only a few, the leading families of Israel, were led into captivity. The great bulk of them were left in the land. But all of Judah was taken away, and none left. The land was desolate.
So, it is that the Scriptures speak of all 12 tribes without distinction in this matter. James writes to the 12 tribes (James 1:1). Paul speaks of the worship of the 12 tribes (Acts 26:7). In Luke 2:36, we read of a prophetess of the tribe of Asher. The reader can take a concordance and look up other references to the various tribes in the NT.
Now, Anglo-Israelism has one thing to commend it. It did revolt against the old system of spiritualizing the Scriptures. But in doing so, they failed to rightly divide. So, not finding an Israel today to whom they could apply the prophecies of the latter days, they had to invent an Israel if they had known that this is The Church age and that Israel's prophecies would be taken up again when the times of. the Gentiles have run out; they would have been spared all this confusion and the necessity of inventing a lot of stories to make their theory stick. This is not honesty.
Like many of the various sects and isms, they first state their theory and then quote here and there from the Bible without regard for the context to prove said theory. This is called text-garbling. To find truth, one must use the Scriptures as a foundation and draw from the teaching.
They declare that there is a fine distinction between Jew and Israelite and between the house of Judah and the house of Israel. But we find the term house of Israel used in the Bible 13 times before the dividing of the Kingdom. Likewise, we find the term house of Judah used four times before the division. We have already remarked on the usage of Jew and Israelite. Everywhere we turn, we find that their story is an invention, a myth.
