Totten

HISTORY and TIMES of THE KINGDOM

The Roots (Cont.)

Prof. Charles A.L.Totten: An Introduction

"I judge that God has blessed the two great nations of the Anglo-Saxon race--England and the United States--and given them preeminence [so that]... they may spread abroad the knowledge of the glory of God"
C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Treasury of the Old Testament, vol. 2, p. 145

Charles Totten was the author of a series of journal articles entitled "Our Race" in the early 1890s, and it is at about this same time that he garnered Frank Sandford's attention. Totten did not invent the theory, though he was one of the late nineteenth centuries chief exponents of it. One of Sandford's earliest supporter's Dr. Peck also was a staunch advocate of Totten's theories on Anglo-Isreal. For the un-initiated, Anglo-Isreal or, more recently referred to by Herbert W. Armstrong as British-Isrealism, is the theory that the "lost 10 tribes" of Isreal, which dispersed after the Assyrians were defeated by Alexander the Great, migrated to northern and western Europe and there established themselves, merged with the indigenous peoples, and eventually became the super powers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In a book published in 1992 by Frank S. Murray entitled "All Israel Restored", Murray, Frank Sandford's biographer, goes to great lengths in a Bible study/proof of the core validity of Totten's work, while knitting the Sandford theology of the Restoration of All Things into Totten's basic thesis. It should be noted however, that Totten's credibility may today be considered not entirely reliable. Totten was certain, as indicated by his other works, that the second coming of Christ was to occur at or near the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century, a "prophecy" Sandford also endorsed.

I can remember attending one Kingdom feast as an adolescent where the subject of Anglo-Israel was developed in a sermon, and having never heard of the concept (it was not promoted widely while I was growing up) queried my parents on the subject. They informed me that it was something that Mr. Sandford believed, as well as several of the existing church leaders, that it was controversial and not to be considered a "worry stone" for sincere Christians. (similar to Sandford's prophetic Elijah status)

To the left in the word buttons are "Pro" and "Con", for your further research into the topic, which are self explanatory

Below are several exerpts from websites with regard to Totten and Anglo-Isrealism.

Charles Totten, the Yale military science instructor who came up with alleged calculations proving "Joshua's Missing Day" (later turned into an urban legend about NASA by Harold Hill), was also an advocate of British-Israelism (promoted in his journal Our Race ) and a pyramidologist.

http://talkorigins.org/faqs/racism.html

Totten was a West Point graduate who, after completing several assignments on active duty, taught military science and tactics at Yale University from 1889-92. The next year he resigned from the army to pursue full time his interest in certain biblical questions. An Adventist (though not, I think, of the Seventh-Day variety) and a Zionist who believed that the ten lost tribes of Israel became the Anglo-Saxons, Totten spent much of his time investigating a wonderful conglomerate of unusual beliefs such as spiritualism, Swedenborgianism, and the pyramid theories of Piazzi Smith (which he endorsed). In Joshua's Long Day he used a wholly absurd argument based on wild assumptions to "prove" that 23 hours and 20 minutes were lost out of time when the sun stood still for Joshua, and an additional 40 minutes were lost when the sundial went backwards for Hezekiah--a story resurrected in another guise by a NASA engineer named Harold Hill around 1970. (Astrophysicist turned biblical scholar Robert C. Newman and sociologist Tom McIver have written at some length on both of these episodes.) Both Rimmer and Gook appealed to this ridiculous story to show that the long day of Joshua had been established as a scientific "fact". Rimmer in addition embellishes his version with a story presumed to come from Totten (but not actually found there) of how Totten convinced an astronomer of the validity of his claim, whereupon the man embraced Christianity.

In each place Rimmer concluded his defense of the historical veracity of the book of Joshua with a summary of a book (which he cites, but not by name) written by Charles A.L. Totten in 1890, entitled Joshua's Long Day and the Dial of Ahaz.

British Israelism - Preliminary Points:

    British-Israelism¹ has until recently lost much of its zest. The year 1939 was held by followers of its teaching to be of great significance when the Prince of Wales (called Prince David) became monarch. It was said at the time that he would live a long prosperous life which would result in the advent of the Messiah. The Prince of Wales, however, married the twice-divorced Mrs. Simpson and his abdication dealt a temporary blow to British Israelite doctrine.

    Now that Britain is ridden with agnosticism and loss of influence in the international world one would have thought that British-Israelism would have little to offer. But recently through the mass media of radio on a world-wide basis, Herbert W. Armstrong's "World Tomorrow" broadcasts have given new life to British-Israel teaching. A number of Bible passages are cited in support of its doctrine and special publications on the subject have circulated since 1954.

    In brief, British-Israelism (with some variation) is the belief that modern Britain and the Anglo-Saxon peoples of Canada, the U.S.A., Denmark, Sweden, Holland, France, Germany and Northwestern European nations comprise the "lost" ten tribes of Israel. The following underpinnings are noteworthy:

~ That the term "Jew" as used in Scripture applies only to the two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) and not to the "House of Israel"---the ten tribes. The terms "Israelite" and "Jew" are not synonymous for British-Israelites.

~ That the return of Jews under Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah to Palestine from their captivity was limited to the two tribes.

~ That David's throne is presently the throne on which Queen Elizabeth sits in London, England.²

~ That the "stone of Israel" of Gen. 49:24 was the pillow used by Jacob and carried by him into Palestine. When Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land of Israel in 606 B.C., the daughter of Zedekiah, King of Judah, fled to Egypt with Jeremiah the prophet, taking the stone with her. From Egypt it was shipped by Jews to Ireland, then Scotland and finally found its place in the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey.

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Footnotes:

1 The term "British-Israelism" is used instead of "Anglo-Israelism" since Herbert Armstrong's doctrine is popularly known by the former term. Return

2 Some astounding conclusions have been drawn from British-Israelite doctrine. Edward Hine, one of the greatest promoters of its teaching said: "It is an utter impossibility for England ever to be defeated. And this is another result arising entirely form the fact of our being Israel." Edward Hine, "The British Nation identified with Lost Israel", p. 73. Robert Roberts, former editor of the Christadelphian Magazine, engaged Hine in a three-nights' debate in Exeter Hall, London, England, 1879. The debate was subsequently published. See, "Are Englishmen Israelites?", (Birmingham: C. C. Walker, 1919). Return

We would re-iterate that we, the editors, are not promoting the information shown on these Totten/Anglo-Israel related pages as facts per se, but provide them, along with the various links that are associated with them, only as points of reference. The Editors