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OBELISK OF CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK.

"Out of a dim and mystic past it shines serene."

This antique stone shaft covered with hieroglyphics, with its companion piece now standing in London, Eng, was transported some years ago from Egypt, where they had stood before the temple of On, or Heliopolis, since the days of Pharaoh, and beneath their shadow the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, no doubt often enjoyed pleasant pastime. That these pillars of witness" representing the two "lads" are now, just as the Identity is being proclaimed, put in position at the metropolis of both England and America, is another marvel.-See page 211.

THE NATIONALITY OF MANASSEH.

The tribe of Levi which really belonged to all the tribes as they were consecrated to the priestly offices; and Judah, a part of which belonged to the royal family, constituted the "House of Judah," and are commonly called Jews. These two tribes are destined ultimately to reunite with the ten tribes. The "House of Israel" is made up as follows: 1, Reuben; 2, Simeon; 3, Dan; 4, Naphtali; 5, Gad; 6, Asher; 7, Issachar ; 8, Zebulon; 9, Joseph; 10, Benjamin. These compose the ten tribes, and have ever remained distinct since the separation under Jeroboam, excepting the tribe of Benjamin, which for a time was lent to the house of Judah for a special purpose. The tribe of Joseph has never ceased as a tribe. It must exist at the time of the "Sealing" (Rev. 7:4). (Rev. 7:4). Manasseh forms a thirteenth tribe. Ephraim is not a tribe, otherwise there would be fourteen tribes in Israel, which could not be. Ephraim is sometimes spoken of as a tribe, but when so addressed, he having received the right-hand blessing, becomes synonymous with that of Joseph, who had received the birthright among the sons of Jacob (1 Chron. 5:2).

Especially in the Prophets, the name of Ephraim is applied to all the tribes north and west of the river Jordan, with Samaria as the capital city. In process of time it becomes a representative of a nationality distinct from Judah. Manasseh also becomes the representative of another nationality equally as distinct. The complete separation of these tribes is indicated by Moses in his final "blessing" on Israel, when he gives the comparative strength of each, thus, "The ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh." These round numbers indicate Joseph's fruitful branches running over the wall (Gen. 49: 22), which extend beyond the natural boundary of the twelve-tribed

kingdom of Israel, even to the formation of a thirteenth tribe, with the creation of another nationality. Thus the blessing of Manasseh, "He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great." To become a "people" is to become a nation, and his becoming great was the establishment of himself into a great nation. But while Manasseh should become a great nationality, Ephraim was to embody the ten tribes into one kingdom and thus become "a multitude (or as the Margin has it, a fullness) of nations." The empire of Great Britain is now a union of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, besides about sixty colonies, fairly representing that multitude of nations. Of Manasseh it is said, "truly his younger brother shall be greater than he." A greater nation would be made of Ephraim, since he would represent more tribes than would spring from Manasseh. Hence we have in these two boys the creation of two distinct nationalities, yet both of the same stock. Thus the double portion is assigned to Joseph. Later on it is said God would bless "Ephraim as Manasseh and Manasseh as Ephraim," i. e., although as nations they would be separate and independent of each other, yet both should be under equal favors from God, notwithstanding one would be a greater nation than the other. The blessing on both these "lads" was to be so great that it should be a proverb in Israel. "In thee shall Israel bless saying God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh," which has literally come true in the Saxon race and must include both spiritual and temporal blessings.

At the separation of the two houses Jeroboam received ten tribes, nine tribes of Ephraim-Israel and one of Manasseh, while Rehoboam had three tribes, Benjamin and Judah (Judah and Levi) (2 Chron. 11: 12-14), making thirteen tribes in all. At the time they were in Assyria

ten did go into captivity, because the tribe of Manasseh, this thirteenth tribe, was one of them. Although the halftribe was carried captive earlier it was deposited in the same cities of the Medes, Halah, Habor and Hara (1 Chron. 5: 26), where the western half-tribe of Manasseh, with the remaining tribes of Israel, soon followed. Thus at the beginning of the exile of Israel this tribe of Manasseh was still included with the ten tribes. Just at this point the Prophet Isaiah takes up the history of Israel in vision, according to the received chronology, and speaks of a certain part of the House of Israel that should, during some period of their exile, become "lost" to them, or as we may say, colonize and become independent. He says: "The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, the place is too strait for me" (49: 20). This passage can refer to nothing less than our colonization, but we now call attention to it as bearing on the Independence of the United States. The word "other" being in the singular, shows that only one tribe or class was "lost" to them. This is literally true of us, that we are the first and only colony of Great Britain that has maintained its national independence. It has also been true of the mother country that often since our Declaration of Independence in 1776 the isles have been too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and the cry has gone up, "give place." It is also intimated in the word "again," that, after the second cry for a place, these children were not lost to Israel, which is also true of all the other colonies of England, that they have ever remained subjects of British government, so it is plain that having lost one, they were to gain others which they would retain and never lose. In this beautiful and touching scene at Jacob's death-bed we have a clew to the fact that the blessings pronounced upon the heads of Ephraim

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