Israel and the Church:
God’s Sovereignty and Human Responsibility:
And How About A Little Common Sense?
Human Bias
Presenting biblical material
from one particular viewpoint is human and permissible, however it presents a problem because
understanding of the scriptures is dependent upon a persons theological viewpoint of the relationship
of Israel and the church, and also eschatological issues.
There are valid points to
dispensationalist theology and there are valid points to covenant theology. Unfortunately, the holders
of these points of view fail to recognize the validity of the other points of view.
Our Roots In Jesus Christ
God made specific promises
to the nation of Israel. Scripture is also very clear that if a person is truly saved by their faith in Jesus
Christ that they are the true Jews regardless of their race, ethnicity, culture or previous religious
beliefs (Romans 2:26-29; 9:6-8; Galatians 3:26-29; 4:28-31; 5:1-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; 11-22; Phillipians
3:2,3; Colossians 3:11; 1 Peter 2:9,10; Revelation 2:8,9).
This “spiritual”
Israel has its origin in the nation of biblical Israel, however, it’s equally plain in scripture that
both of our roots are in Jesus Christ. The church of Jesus Christ does
not have “Hebrew Roots” as some teach. The church of Jesus Christ has its
“roots” in Jesus Christ. If our roots in Jesus Christ were more firmly entrenched we would
not make such a mistake as to say the church has “Hebrew Roots.”
“For if the firstfruit
be holy, the lump is also holy: and
if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being
a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the
olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root
thee” (Romans 11:16-18).”
Note the firstfruit and the
root are holy. Who is the firstfruit and
who is the root? Judaism? And some of the branches of Judaism have been broken off, even if holy?
And the Gentiles now partake of this Judaistic root? And this root now bearest the Gentiles?
I think not. Judaism is not
holy and the Gentiles are not to partake
of Judaism. Therefore Judaism doesn’t now bearest the Gentiles.
Are we then talking about
Abraham and his seed? Abraham is
our father in the faith, but not our flesh. Jesus is the Root of David whose (fore)-father was Abraham
(Revelation 5:5; 22:16). “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and
heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). As the Ryrie Study Bible mentions in a note
on this passage: “The root of the tree is the Abrahamic covenant which promised blessing to
both Jew and Gentile through Christ.”
There are Jews and there
are Gentiles—who were formerly
a wild olive tree—that have been grafted in among them because they received Jesus Christ
as their Lord and Saviour. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye
in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding
therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6,7).
Therefore our roots as a
Christian are in Jesus Christ. Jesus is
also our foundation (Matthew 7:24-27; 1 Corinthians 3:11), and our cornerstone upon which our
foundation is built (Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:6). And the lump and
branches are holy in that we “... as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 2:4). And
we “... are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light:” (2 Peter 2:9).
“National” And “Spiritual” Israel
The nominal
“church” is not “spiritual”
Israel. Out of this group, God will call a remnant, just as He will with national Israel. Both of these
groups are the true “ekklesia” of God.
God has a timetable for
dealing with the nation of Israel and
God has a timetable for the grafted in Gentile Christians. Both dispensationalist and covenant theology
views contain truths and also exclude truth. Because of this they contradict each other. We must
simply accept the truths contained in these viewpoints as an antinomian concept which we are incapable of understanding on this side of glory.
The promises of God to
national Israel and
“spiritual” Israel will be fulfilled according to God’s timing, in His way. Neither
identity has “replaced” the other. The working dynamics of this spiritual process are
unknown to us.
Like it or not, national Israel
will have to become
“spiritual” Israel (in accordance with Paul the apostle’s scriptural definition of
a Jew). In the nation of Israel today, there are many who are atheists, many who are totally dedicated
to orthodox Judaism, and others who are of differing religious beliefs. There are also Ashkenazin
Jews—a very considerable number of them influencially dominating the cultural, political and
religious scene—who don’t trace their lineage back to Abraham, and the Sephardim Jews
who trace their lineage to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Out of this group will come a
“spiritual” Israel when they accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord. Out of this
nominal “spiritual” group of national Israel will come a remnant, just as in the nominal
“spiritual” group of Gentile Christians.
Those Christians who recognize this truth are not
“anti-Christ.” Such a charge is a response by some Jews who have converted to Christianity who
have a paranoid fear that their claim to be “superior” Christians will be rejected by other
Christians. As far as the anti-Christ, we will all be in the same boat eventually. Anyone who names
the name of Christ will be persecuted. The coming one world government/religion/politics/society
will exclude true believers in Jesus Christ.
Both national and spiritual
Israel will undergo every experience
of the other. The blessings and the curses stated in the Bible apply to both. What spiritual Israel—the Christians—have not experienced relative to curses and blessings, they will
experience. What national Israel has not experienced relative to curses and blessings, they will experience. Again, this is an antinomian concept not easily understood. There has been a progressive and
sometimes individual application of these biblical experiences that God has prophesied for Israel—national and spiritual.
Everything we know in
the natural had a spiritual origin.
That’s understood. Having said that we see that God uses the natural things many times as
a precursor of that which will occur in the supernatural (1 Corinthians 15:46). So it is with the natural,
or national, and spiritual Israel. There is a relationship there and should be understood as such. To
think that one “replaces” the other is flawed logic.
Evolution Of Judaism And “Blindness In Part”
I’m going to try to
get to the crux of the whole issue.
Please bear with me while I trace the evolution of Judaism to this present time. I will attempt to relate
this to the inception and maturation of national Israel’s “blindness in part,” or
temporary partial hardening, as mentioned by Paul in Romans 11:25.
Let me emphasize now that
there is to be no condemnation for
this blindness, or hardening. It’s a sovereign act of God, and each and every Gentile who has
come to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord must recognize this sovereign act of God as a personal
salvific benefit.
Starting at the beginning,
the very center of Jewish religion in
the wilderness was the tabernacle, and in the promised land the center of Jewish religion was the
temple Solomon built. As captives in Babylon the Jews no longer had a pivotal central point for their
religion. Thus was born a man-made form of religion based upon human wisdom. James says human
wisdom is “...earthly, sensual and devilish.” Note that about two million Jews were taken
to Babylon, but only about 50,000 returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple, and after destruction
of the temple in 70 A.D., many of the Jews then in Jerusalem fled to Babylon.
This, I believe, was the
inception of the blindness, or hardening,
and began in Babylon. Again I emphasize, this was done according to Gods sovereignty, as part of
His plan to bring the Gentiles into the kingdom of God.
In Babylon, with no temple
or rituals, the teachers, or scribes,
created new laws, thus perpetuating the Jewish religion. Eventually, the interpretive skills of these
scribes were recognized as authoritative and legal, even when contradicting the Old Testament.
The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia says “A method of exegesis (Midrash) had to be
evolved that would permit the interpretation of the Torah beyond its literal meaning.” When
contradictions were encountered the rabbis “...attempted whenever possible not to abolish it,
but to introduce some legal fiction whereby the authority of the law was upheld and yet at the same
time rendered null and void for all practical purposes.”
Roughly five centuries after
Christ, the Talmud was born in print
from oral tradition, also known as Traditions Of The Elders. Composed of the Pharisees
opinions, laws, customs, traditions and etc. which began in Babylon, it became the new
“center” of the Jewish religion. More catalyst was now added to produce firmer hardening. I’m discussing the Babylonian Talmud, as the Jerusalem Talmud is another subject and
relegated to a position of inferiority.
A system was created
whereby scripture could be contradicted
and yet loyalty to it professed. As one writer says “... unique to rabbinic hypocrisy.”
So now the Mosaic law could be upheld and revered and at the same the Pharisees could do as they
desired. The same author says “... one of the most amazing feats of evasion ...”
It could now be boldly
proclaimed that God created the universe
with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and also the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Furthermore, it was taught that there was a literal interpretation of the letters of the Torah, and also a
“mystic” interpretation hidden away in the letters and spaces of the Hebrew alphabet.
And, of course, only the Pharisees understood all this. The most eminent rabbis were exalted as having
lived in heaven previously and were now recalling this hidden, mystical, secret knowledge. More
catalyst was added for hardening ... emphasizing again, according to God’s sovereignty.
Out of this occultism came
the secret oral law and the authority
of the Pharisees. And only exalted rabbis could further exalt fellow rabbis. Claiming succession from
Moses, they also claimed his authority. And so the prophetic unction was given to this select
group—with authority to overrule even the Old Testament prophets. And so, another paradigm
shift according to the Talmud, i.e., the Jewish religion now centered on this special class of people.
God’s purposes of
the Mosaic law—modifying
external behaviour, by the temple, its rituals and sacrifices—had been cancelled out by the
Pharisees by devices of their own making. When Jesus made His earthly appearance to transit us from
law to grace—to modify the internal behaviour of our hearts—His purposes were challenged
head-on by the Pharisees. They continued in attempts to modify their external behaviour according
to the desires of their own human hearts.
The Pharisees never grasped
the concept of the Gospel. Instead
they pursued their own agenda. By attacking Jesus head-on, we can see the further partial hardening
being set firmer.
The Talmud says that it
is permissible to “indirectly”
murder another (Sanhedrin 76b-77a). Sex with the wife of a minor or a heathen is not adultery (Sanhedrin 52b). A priest can marry and have sex with a child three years and one day old (Yebamoth
60b). Intercourse with a child and someone asleep is permissible (Kerithoth 11a-11b). Even within
the pages of the Talmud there is much conflict, with rabbis contradicting rabbis relative to these
obviously erroneous and immoral concepts which reveal the “earthly, sensual, devilish”
human wisdom manifested.
So the revelation of God
was replaced with the fruits of rebellion
of man. The partial hardening was now almost complete.
Hasidic, Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews all view the
Talmud differently. Most of the Conservative and Orthodox Jews view the Talmud as their final
authority. The Orthodox position is taken by the State of Israel—“national” Israel,
if we may so call it.
However, there are many
practitioners of the Jewish religion
who are unaware of the perverted teachings of the Talmud. In his book Israel Our Duty ... Our
Dilemma author Theodore Pike says, “... Modern Jews are almost as much victims of
ignorance and misinformation concerning their beliefs as modernistic Christians. In fact the present
stage of distortion and whitewashing of the true nature of Rabbinic Judaism is so pervasive that it
could almost constitute a separate Jewish tradition in itself—a third great phase of Judaism. Thus,
the first phase, established at Sinai, comprised the highest ethical system known to man. The second
phase, Rabbinic Judaism, involved the complete perversion by the Pharisees of everything the former
dispensation had tried to establish. The third phase, which we are in now, consists of the marketing
of a white-washed facsimile of Judaism for the benefit of the unsuspecting world, but which bears
little resemblance to what went before it, just as Rabbinic Judaism bore little resemblance to the old
Hebrew religion ...”
The author also says,
“Modern apologists of Judaism
continuously hold up such phrases as “the exalted ethics of Judaism,” “the flawless
logic of Judaism,” as if Judaism rested on pillars of marble. The truth, as the preceding passages
from the Talmud have shown, is that Rabbinic Judaism rests upon a foundation only as stable and
trustworthy as those whom Christ described as “liars,” “murderers,”
“blind guides,” and “whited sepulchres”—a sleazy substratum laid
out upon the broad boulevards of Babylon. How much better for Judaism (even if it did not accept
Christianity) to simply go back to the pure commandments of Moses, forgetting everything the Pharisees so tragically added! ...”
There are also some sections
of the Talmud which contain blasphemous statements relative to the person of Jesus Christ. The
following is an example of this.
“So also it was the
Rabbis who, after hiding from the
people the meaning of the sacred tradition at the moment of its fulfillment, afterwards poisoned that
same stream for future generations. Abominable calumnies on Christ and Christianity are found not
only in the Cabala but in the earlier editions of the Talmud. In these, says Barclay—“Our
Lord and Saviour is ‘that’s one’, ‘such an one’, ‘a
fool’, ‘the leper,’ ‘The deceiver of Israel,’ etc. Efforts are made
to prove that he is the son of Joseph Pandira before his marriage with Mary. His miracles are attributed
to sorcery, the secret of which He brought in a slit in His flesh out of Egypt. He is said to have been
first stoned and then hanged on the eve of the Passover. His disciples are called heretics and opprobrious names. They are accused of immoral practices, and the New Testament is called a sinful book.
The references to these subjects manifest the most bitter aversion and hatred.” [Joseph Barclay,
The Talmud, pp.38, 39; cf Drach, op. cit I.167] (Omni Publications, 1964, p.18-19).
In summary, the partial
hardening is now complete with the
center of modern day Judaism being the Talmud, not the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The
Judaism of today is not the Judaism of the Old Testament. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia
says: “Thus the ultimate authority for orthodoxy is the Babylonian Talmud. The Bible itself
ranks second to it in reality, if not in theory.”
This brief, condensed history
lays bare and exposes the flawed
occultic human teachings and practices that are the root and foundation of modern day Judaism. So
we see the source of blindness, or hardness in part, relative to Israel, come into modern day maturity
“until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25) of which Paul spoke.
God’s Sovereignty
So far, we are still within
the framework of God’s sovereign will being done as far as the partial hardening of Israel.
We must recognize this and every Gentile
who names the name of Christ must acknowledge this and not censure, blame or persecute Israel for
this state of affairs.
So, what is to be the Gentile
attitude towards the Jew? One of
recognition of what Paul has stated clearly in Romans chapters 9-11. And to evangelize those Jews
who do not know Christ as Saviour and Lord of their life. Why? If nothing, else, out of a sheer sense
of gratitude that the Jews have responded just as God planned for them to and as a result, the Gentiles
are now grafted into the olive tree. And in recognition of the fact that the Jews are the natural
branches, though some were broken off, and that the Gentiles are grafted in. And that it is now the
Gentiles place as biblical, scriptural “spiritual” Jews to bring salvation to the
“national” unsaved Jews “for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).
Evangelism Of The Gentile Church
There is a problem, however,
because in the “Hebrew
Roots,” “Sacred Name”/“Yahwehism” Movements, these same
unscriptural and unbiblical sources, teachings and practices of manifested “earthly, sensual,
devilish” human wisdom are being introduced into the Gentile Christian church as if they were
part and parcel of being a disciple of Jesus Christ! To a lesser degree, this is true even for those Christian converts from Judaism who are not involved in these movements. There is no fine line, however,
between the practitioners of these Movements and those who are not, as there is some interaction
between the two.
They are teaching that
Christianity has “Hebrew
Roots” in these unscriptural, unbiblical sources, teachings and practices, when in fact, Christianity has its roots in Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I had referenced Colossians 2:6-7 which reads:
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up
in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Note the warning of verse 8: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy
and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ.” However, they are also teaching Christians to wear contemporary Jewish clothing and
religious symbols. Teaching Jewish phrases, dances, customs and Judaistic religious practices.
Who is evangelizing who
here?
We have to obey the clear
teaching of scripture that salvation
can only be through Jesus Christ. When a Sephardic Jew, or a Ashkenazic Jew, or a Sabra, or a Moslem, or a Buddhist, or a Jehovah’s Witness, or a Mormon, comes to a saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, then they must accept the Bible as the final authority in their lives
as being inspired, infallible, and inerrant in the original autographs. And that from all evidence that
can be possibly accumulated by human beings in 1,900 years, today’s Old Testament is almost
100% pure and today’s New Testament is at least 99.5% pure in their purposes of revealing
their original message.
A Moslem cannot bring
Mohammed and his practices into Christianity with them. A Buddhist cannot bring Buddha and his
practices into Christianity with them.
A Mormon cannot bring Joseph Smith and his practices into Christianity with them. A Jew cannot
bring the Talmud or Judaistic practices into Christianity with them.
A professing Christian
cannot come into a Christian gathering
and began to teach the people about Mohammed and observing the various customs, traditions, laws,
observances and etc. of the Moslem religion. He cannot evangelize, or proselytize converts to some
form of “Moslem Christianity.” He may be totally sincere in his personal belief—but he would be contradicting what the Bible teaches.
Yes, he may call you an
“anti-Moslem” and accuse
you of engaging in all the activities associated with that prejudiced viewpoint. But are we to deny
the truth to him or attempt to teach him truth? Are we to embrace his Moslem faith and practices so
as to not offend him and then incorporate his Moslem faith and practices into our Christian beliefs?
May it never be!
If we are concerned for
his soul, we will want to teach him the
way and the truth and light of Jesus Christ. He also has the Old Testament, but rejects the New Testament, and he also has years of traditions and customs and etc. But to be a disciple of Christ, he has
to recant all the former religious teachings he’s learned over the years relating to the Moslem
faith. Teachings that were truth to him, and comfortable to him and familiar to him. But it’s
still error according to the Christian faith—biblical and scriptural error—and he
won’t be a truly saved Christian.
There is no such thing as
a Moslem Christian, a Buddhist Christian, a Mormon Christian, a Jehovah’s Witness Christian,
a Messianic Jew, a Completed Jew
or a Judaistic Christian.
There may be a Negro
Christian, a Chinese Christian, a Hebrew
Christian an Argentinean Christian, a Brazilian Christian, or an American Christian. This is a matter
of nationality, or ethnic background or citizenship. This is not a syncretism of different religious
beliefs.
Imagine a voodoo practitioner arriving for a Christian church
meeting, complete with body painted, head dress and various other necessary accoutrements hanging
from his garb and person for his voodoo expression. Accompanying him is a symphony of voodoo
drum beaters, pounding their cadences into the unwilling ears of those assembled in the name of Jesus
Christ. And, of course, we have the problem of the dozen or so sacrificial live chickens strutting about.
We watch as this person enters into a trance and shouts “Hallejah Jesus” as he lurches
about slitting chicken throats as sacrifice to his new found God. Then he spiels off an incoherent
announcement preceded by “Thus saith the Lord ...”
Ridiculous? No more so
than paying homage to an ancient oral
tradition founded upon human wisdom with its attendant ritual garb and garbage—read:
“dung.”
In fact, the body of Jesus
Christ is made of just such a homogenous gathering of the saints as mentioned above. All cultures,
ethnicities, races and colors constitute
the “ekklesia” of God. We are to find unity in that diversity—the diversity
of being able to appreciate and enjoy the external “differences” while at the same time
truly fellowshipping in the Holy Spirit of God.
Ministers may come into
our meetings, perhaps from Greece,
Africa or from a native American Indian tribe each in their native ethnic and tribal costumes and/or
gear. Having a different perspective because of that part of the world and society they regularly inhabit, they may share some of those perspectives with us. Hopefully, this type of exchange will help
those with intolerant or prejudicial attitudes appreciate their “other” brothers and sisters
in Christ.
It’s the same when
a converted Hebrew minister comes
into our midst. They, too may have native ethnic costumes and/or gear. And if they have a good
knowledge of Jewish habits and customs and can relate them to the Christian experience then all are
blessed. They may have prayer cloths, or shawls, shofars, books they have written, or any number
of things to sell us as memorabilia of their visit and also of Israel. We may use these items as ministry
tools to the body of Christ. However, they don’t replace anything in our biblical doctrines—they simply augment them.
In each and ever instance
the focus is upon the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, and Him crucified. There is no attempt to drag the audience into permanent participation of
their particular individual culture and lifestyle, be they Greek, African, American Indian or Hebrew.
The types and shadows
of the Old Testament are the anti-types
and substance of the New Testament. As we study the New Testament, we can then look back at the
Old Testament and see what it was “hinting” at through those types and shadows. We
can take the biblical practices delineated in the Old Testament, along with those of the New Testament, and apply them to our lives and ministries, also as augmentations, not replacements of sound
biblical doctrines.
However, it would be a
mistake to take contemporary Jewish
cultural and societal influences and attempt to “biblicize” them and then think that we
are emulating biblical Jewishness. When the exile began the Jews were taken to Babylon. Under
Babylonian rule they learned their language and culture. Subsequently Persia conquered Babylon
and Cyrus allowed the Jews to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. But many of the Jews
didn’t return and settled in other parts of Persia. Persia was ultimately defeated by Greece.
Under Greek rule, the Jews adopted the Greek language and culture. The Romans eventually came
into control of the Greek empire. The Greeks had brought cultural changes, and the Romans assimilated the Greek ideas, language and culture and stabilized society with law and order through their
political system. During the approximate 500 years the Jewish people lived under foreign rule after
they returned to their own land from Babylon, all of these changes have heavily influenced Jewish
society. Babylon, Persia Greece, Rome—all these societies have effected tremendous changes
in Jewish society.
The Bible provides us a
rich resource for descriptions of biblical
worship. A study of the definitions for words applied to activities gives us a vivid picture of the enthusiasm and heart-felt gratitude expressed through different forms of such worship. However, specific
forms, patterns, musical notes, harmony and cadences of the biblical dances and forms of worship
are not delineated. To accept today’s contemporary Jewish culture and society as being typical
of biblical Jewish culture and society would be like comparing apples to oranges.
In our own country of the
United States, only 224 years old,
look at the societal changes since 1776. Technology, customs, occupations—you name
it—have all undergone radical changes. And we have not been influenced by being ruled by
four different foreign powers over a period of time. Can we compare today’s society with the
society of 1776? Again, we are comparing apples and oranges.
The question arises that
since we have a new and better covenant
with better promises (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8-10) why are we restricting our forms of worship
to that which were the fruit of the old covenant? Within the kingdom of God there is love, life and
liberty under the new covenant which is better and with better promises. Our God is a Creator, and
His people are creative people. There is a wide variety of contemporary Christian worship music and
expressive styles that have been developed over a period of time, many of them Holy Spirit inspired.
While some of these are not truly biblical and may not be appropriate because of excess, there are
many, many worship types and ministries that have added a huge variety of innovations by which
we can express our love to, and worship of, our God.
If the Jews are truly saved,
why are they hanging onto their
“blindness,” and partial hardening and attempting to impart that same Pharisaical blind
“dung” to Gentile Christians? Or attemping to convert and commit the Gentile church
to their newly updated current social customs, culture and ethnic practices as being biblical and somehow more pleasing to God? Doesn’t that carry with it an overtone of a works mentality? Why
haven’t they learned, as Christians, to place their full confidence and faith in the Bible and
in Jesus Christ, and Him crucified? And join their brothers and sisters in Christ in contemporary
Spirit-led worship And even older traditional styles of worship? Why are they attempting to syncretize
human wisdom, which is “earthly, sensual, devilish” and divine wisdom, which is
“first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy?” This type of thing is analagous to the Jehovah’s
Witnesses and Mormons who come knocking on our doors and attempt to proselyte Christians to
their unbiblical points of view.
This is also a case of the
blind leading the blind. Biblically illiterate converted Jews teaching biblically illiterate Christians.
These biblically illiterate Jews are romancing those Gentile Christians who have succumbed to the
dumbing of Christianity and have thrown
aside the centuries old practice of theological critique as good Bereans in favor of having their ears
tickled by the promise of some new emotional experience.
These nominal Gentile
Christians are ever learning and never
coming to a knowledge of the truth. Instead of spending hours reading and studying the Bible and
being in fellowship with the Holy Spirit of God to further spiritually reveal Gods written word to
them, they spend hours and days and weeks in travel to and from places that entice them with allurements of even greater ear tickling.
They have also been erroneously taught that a Jew who converts
to Christianity has some kind of spiritual “advantage” over a Gentile Christian. The fact
is, they have no more “advantage” than a converted Moslem, Buddhist, Mormon or
Jehovah’s Witness or anyone else who has a background that is not rooted and grounded in
the scriptural truth of the Bible.
A Hindrance To Salvation
The question must be asked
if this is not hindering the ultimate
salvation of those very Jews who are perpetrating this error. As these beguiled Christians lose their
focus on Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, and the Bible, in favor of extra-biblical sources and activities
based on “earthly, sensual, devilish” human wisdom they actually are putting their very
own salvation experience in jeopardy. Regardless of one’s theological viewpoint on
“eternal security” it should be clear that this practice will certainly result in loss. As
this doomed romance continues between biblically illiterate Jew and biblically illiterate Gentile—nominal Christians—is this not also hindering the “fullness of the Gentiles” to come in and be grafted into the olive tree? Is it not hindering the very will of God and
in fact, running counter to His will for Jew and Gentile alike?
We could talk about doing
the devil’s work here, but we
must be extremely careful that we don’t inadvertently attribute the work of the Holy Spirit
to the devil or the work of the devil to the Holy Spirit. We all understand the dire consequences of
such judgment.
Why are paranoid attempts
made to invalidate and negate 1,900 years of solid, proven scholarship by the leaders of these
aforementioned movements? God, in His wisdom, had the Bible written in contemporary, living,
dynamic, changing languages to suit His purposes. His goal is for each one of us to have a Bible to
read to comprehend the Gospel of Jesus Christ for ourselves. Why this cry of alarm proclaiming
prejudiced Gentiles have hidden the truth of the origin of the Bible? Obviously, there is not a shred
of evidence for this accusation. Just because a couple of minor “scholars” made a decision that historical, archeological and biblical facts didn’t suit them doesn’t make them
right. All the evidence is against them.
(A parenthetical remark
here—have the Jews been persecuted horribly throughout recorded history? Obviously the answer is yes. And by many different
human instrumentalities? Again the answer is yes. God, however, uses human instrumentalities and
nations to bring about his justice. And woe unto those that He has so used! But, obviously they were
predisposed for that cruelty. So the curses of Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy chapter 28 have
been manifested according to God’s sovereignty. It’s quite possible that those who have
been such instruments will one day suffer those same curses. And Israel—spiritual and national—will one day enjoy the blessings contained in those verses. Derek Prince, in his
“Foundation Series” makes an interesting observation: “In considering this special
judgment of Israel” (he is here speaking of the tribulation judgment of Israel), “it is
helpful to observe two general principles, according to which God deals with the human race, in
blessing and in judgment. These may be briefly stated as follows. First, a principle of blessing: God
normally blesses the Gentiles through the Jews, but He blesses the Jews direct. Second, a principle
of punishment: God normally punishes the Jews through the Gentiles, but He punishes the Gentiles
direct.”
(There is a possibility that
should the “Hebrew
Roots,” “Sacred Name”/“Yahwehism” Movements proliferate and
become a part of the “one world religion” that’s coming, we may see persecution
of Bible believing, Jesus-centered Christians by Jews involved in that movement and those Christians
who have affiliated with their Judaistic practices or Judaism itself.)
A Rose By Any Other Name ...
There is no indication in
scripture that God or Jesus must be
called by a specific name, much less pronounced in a specific manner, other than what you understand
it to be in your own language as translated by reputable translators. In fact, if we had to use a particular word and to say it in a particular way in order to be saved, it would put that practice into the category of salvation by works. The Bible does not teach any part of our salvation by works.
Jesus Himself called God
“Abba, father” an Aramaic
term conjoined with a Greek word. Paul the apostle urged us to consider the viability of the idea.
These biblical statements reduce the posturing of the “Sacred Name” movement to
semantic silliness.
How Will All Israel Be Saved?
By biblical definition those
of us who have accepted Jesus Christ
as Saviour and Lord of our lives are now Jews. Argument against this biblical truth is fruitless.
As to who constitutes
“national” Israel there is much
controversy. Is it a nation of atheists, Orthodox Jews, Ashkenazin Jews, Sephardim Jews, agnostics,
unbelievers and a handful of remnant Christians occupying only a portion of the land that God has
given to them by a divine title deed? Is that national Israel? Or is it those of Hebrew ancestry scattered
throughout Europe, the United States, Africa, Ethiopia, South America, the Far East and etc.? How
are they then a nation?
My understanding is that
there will be a group of people sufficient to be called “national Israel,” referring to the
nation as a whole. There will, however, be some
individuals excluded from that definition and also the remnant spoken of in Romans 9:27. However,
only God truly knows the answer
to the question of what constitutes “national Israel.”
This is a case of
God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. He is sovereign and we are responsible. So therefore He is responsible for His sovereignty and
we are sovereign in our responsibility. In exercising that sovereignty for my responsibility I choose
to believe the Bible and believe in Jesus Christ. If a person doesn’t believe in Jesus and is not
His disciple, then they are not a Christian and are not “spiritual” Israel. And if they
don’t become “spiritual” Israel, then they will never become the
“national” Israel of which Paul said “And so all Israel shall be saved:
...”
Let’s take a closer
look at Romans 11:25-27:
25 For I would not, brethren,
that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel,
until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall
be saved: as it is written, There shall
come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant
unto them, when I shall take away
their sins.
In verses 26 and 27 Paul
refers to Isaiah 59:20, 21; 27:9 and
Jeremiah 31:33.
For an understanding of
what Paul meant here, let’s take
a look at the passage in Isaiah:
Isaiah 59:20-21:
20 And the Redeemer shall
come to Zion, and unto them that
turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.
21 As for me, this is my
covenant with them, saith the Lord;
My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy
mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from
henceforth and for ever.
We can see here that the
Deliverer/Redeemer refers to Jesus
Christ. How will Jesus “ ...turn away ungodliness from Jacob:?” Isaiah says “
...unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob ...” The word “transgression”
here is pesa, which according to Nelson’s Expository of the Old Testament
means “transgression; guilt, punishment; offering.”
Excerpts from this source
tell us “Basically, this noun
signifies willful deviation from, and therefore rebellion against, the path of godly living. This emphasis is especially prominent in Amos 2:4: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will
not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not
kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have
walked.” Such a willful rebellion from a prescribed or agreed-upon path may be perpetrated
against another man: “... Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my
sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?” (Gen. 31:36—the first occurrence of the
word). Jacob is asking what he has done by way of violating or not keeping his responsibility (contract) with Laban. A nation can sin in this sense against another nation: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four ... because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments
of iron” (Amos 1:3). Usually, however, pesa has immediate reference to one’s
relationship to God.”
With this understanding
of the word “transgression”
it would appear that the New International Version’s translation of Isaiah 59:20 conveys the
intended meaning: ““The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent
of their sins,” declares the Lord.”
Upon repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour and
Lord, immediately following in verse 21 we see God’s Holy Spirit upon them, and they, and
their posterity, speak the words God puts in their mouth for all of eternity—which is the promise
of the New Covenant.
W. E. Vine’s comment in this passage in his book
“Isaiah—Prophecies · Promises · Warnings” (Lamplighter Books),
reads: “The
chapter closes with the promise of the new covenant (verse 21). It is based upon God’s
words to Abraham in Gen. 17:4. The message “My Spirit that is upon thee ...”
is addressed to the restored nation, who will testify for the Lord continually. They will never cease
to declare His word and bear witness for Him. The terms of the covenant are fully given in Jer.
31:31-4, and Heb. 8:10-12 and 10:16,17.”
In view of the full meaning
of Paul’s references to, and
the actual text of, Isaiah 59:20,21, the point that emerges very clearly from Romans:11:26,27 is that
Jesus will come to Israel as Deliverer/Redeemer. And there will be those Jews who will repent of
their “rebellion against ... the path of godly living,” clearly defined in the New Testament
as Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life.
This understanding underscores Romans 9:27: “Esaias
also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea,
a remnant shall be saved:” It also provides an impetus for Romans 10:14-15: “How then
shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom
they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except
they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and
bring glad tidings of good things!”
We see there is no mass
conversion of the “nation”
of Israel indicated in these passages. In accordance with true New Testament doctrine, salvation is
an individual personal matter. Paul’s reference to “all Israel” is simply a broad
usage to indicate a group of people who have been so identified previously many, many times in the
Old Testament.
Paul verifies the thought
of individual repentance and salvation
on the part of Israel in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18:
12 Seeing then that we have
such hope, we use great plainness
of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which
put a veil over his face, that the
children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were
blinded: for until this day remaineth
the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in
Christ.
15 But even unto this day,
when Moses is read, the veil is upon
their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it
shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be
taken away.
17 Now the Lord is that
Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with open
face beholding as in a glass the glory
of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
Verses 15 and 16 make
it clear that when Moses is read, the veil
is in place upon their heart. Nevertheless, in verse 16 when “it,” i.e., their heart (verse
15), turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. The “it” indicating heart would stress an
individual person.
Zechariah chapters 12-14
is an example of how they attain the
faith and belief in Christ to accept Him as their Messiah.
Human Responsibility
I discussed God’s
sovereignty in relation to a
“blinding,” or partial hardening of Israel. And I discussed the Gentiles responsibility
to evangelize the Jews. National Israel is continuing as Paul the apostle explained in Romans 9-11.
However, the Gentile church is defaulting in its responsibility to evangelize and assimilate the Jews
into Christianity by allowing those Jews to evangelize them and to be assimilated into Judaist practices, if not Judaism itself.
When will the Gentile
church realize they are going against
God’s will? I find no culpability in the Jews in this matter. They are within God’s temporary sovereign will. The culpability lies in shallow nominal Christians who fail to curb their fleshly
desires for emotional, i.e., soulish, satisfaction, as they act out, in a carnival atmosphere, the exotic
teachings they are being exposed to. They are doing this at the very time they should be expounding
more thoroughly to the Jews the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in season and out of season.
If they want to fantasize
to escape the reality of the pressures
of the world and of being a Christian, they may be well advised to limit their play-acting times to
a Mardi Gras, or Carnival such as they have in Rio de Janeiro. Or spend some time at a Disneyland
equivalent.
Earlier, I pointed out the
apples to oranges comparison of these
practices and attempting to assume the contemporary Jewish language, clothing, religious practices,
dances and food and etc. In addition to which such is not their ethnicity, culture or societal upbringing
and smacks of blatant hypocrisy.
There is a parallel here to
be found between “white”
churches and “black” churches in this country. I can only comment, first, that this is
totally unscriptural and also that the desire of “white” ministers to affect what they
consider to be “black” styles and characteristics is apparently based on their personal
fears and insecurity of being rejected.
As children growing up,
we all have assumed various “role
playing” in searching for our own personal identity. “When I was a child, I spake as
a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish
things” (1 Corinthians 13:11). This speaks volumes concerning the immaturity of today’s
church, particularly those engaging in these childish practices.
Their desire for the acceptance, approval and appreciation of
the Hebrew who has publicly confessed Christ apparently is much greater than the desire to thoroughly root and ground him in the word of God. Fear of rejection must run strong in them, however,
the Christian experience is preparation for rejection, ridicule, torture and crucifixion of our fleshy
life. Or did our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ live out His life as our human example in vain?
There has been a progression
in the Pentecostal/Charismatic
camps over the years away from that of doctrine and revelation, i.e., the doctrine of the Bible, and
subsequent Holy Spirit inspired revelation based upon study of the truth of the word of God. The
shift has included more emphasis upon tradition and customs, with an attempt to syncretize these
with doctrine and revelation. More recently, the pendulum has swung even wilder towards now including personal experiences into that cauldron of error, flavoring this mixed pot to being almost indiscernible from that of New Age teachings and practices.
Let the good times roll,
church, and go ahead and fellowship
based upon scriptural error, false unity, and fleshly love! The ecumenical councils of many years
ensure the biblically prophesied apostasy shall come to pass. And when the “one-world”
syndrome hits, don’t fight ’em, join ’em and maybe you’ll avoid the coming persecution!
But what you won’t
avoid is the coming judgment. Judgment for not having been the salt and light and witness and martyr
for Christ that you should have been.
Loosen up, you say ...
aren’t we allowed to have some fun in the church?
Sure. Indiscriminately laugh
yourself silly, roll in the aisles. Haphazardly stagger like a drunk, have an animal party, roar like a
lion, bark like a dog, strut like a chicken. Aimlessly roll in your gold dust, flash golden smiles, fall
all over yourself and each other. All those hours of no Bible study and no praying leave plenty of
room for the sweeping, purposeless, wholesale imaginative activities being taught and promoted.
Do all these negative comments about the modern day saint sound unreasonable, harsh, unyielding, rigid, and inhuman?
Yes. So is hell for those
tormented souls who will feel the same
way and, for all eternity, cry out your name asking, “Why, why, why didn’t you teach
me truth instead of placating my anger, pretending to be like me, and perverting your witness to
me?”
In reference to Ephesians
4:11, if there are apostles why aren’t they going to where they are sent? If there are prophets,
why aren’t they speaking the mind and counsel of God instead of the imaginations of their
own hearts and the words of other men? If there evangelists, why aren’t they preaching the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved? If there are shepherds, why aren’t they shepherding
in plurality, instead of creating one-man kingdoms and keeping Christians in prolonged babyhood
and dependency upon one human shepherd? If there are teachers why aren’t they teaching
the word of God as recorded in the Bible instead of specializing in ear tickling devices?
Continuing in Ephesians,
whatever happened to “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ:”
Have we lost sight of
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:”
So “That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, ...”
Does “ by the sleight
of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” have any meaning
for us today?
Have we totally forgotten
“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ:”
Does anybody recall
“From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint
supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the
body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
When Paul said “This
I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the
vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through
the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have
given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not
so learned Christ;” he was talking to the church. The same church that Jesus said “...
I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Paul also said “If
so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off
concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created
in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his
neighbour: for we are members one of another.”
And you want to keep the
party going, church?
What Is “Anti-Semitic?”
Webster’s New
Twentieth Century Dictionary, Unabridged, Second Edition, defines anti-Semitic as: 1. having or
showing prejudice against Jews;
disliking and fearing Jews and Jewish things 2. discriminating against or persecuting Jews.
Prejudice carries with it
the idea of injury or harm as by judgement, opinion or action in disregard to contradictory facts.
Discrimination indicates
observing the difference between persons, i.e., selecting them apart from others.
Persecution is the act or
practice of constant and persistent unwelcome harassment, affliction, oppression, annoyance and the
infliction of pain, punishment or
death.
In summing up: An
anti-Semitic displays judgements, opinion
or actions contradictory to known facts out of dislike and fears and inappropriately singles out Jews
in order to persistently harass, afflict, oppress, annoy and inflict pain, punishment or death.
How can any true Christian
be anti-Semitic if they acknowledge
themselves to be a Jew? How can anyone consider themselves to be a Christian if they are not a
disciple of Jesus Christ, and don’t leave all their former religious teachings behind? Paul called
it his “dung” and he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees!
This “dung”
and all the divisions that are being
nursed, rehearsed and cursed in order to perpetuate division between members of the body of Christ
are the things that are clearly of the devil. I know, without a doubt, that I am a Jew and that I am
blessed by God, and what God has blessed cannot be cursed.
My theology is not perfect.
I may find opposing points of view
of scripture that have merit, but cannot be reconciled by human wisdom. Until we learn that
God’s wisdom is eternally greater than ours we find it difficult to live with that tension. But
that is the very thing that we must learn to do.
God’s Eternal Purpose
Let me back off of this issue
for a while. The overriding, big
picture here is eternal salvation which can only be attained through faith in Jesus Christ. I may have
an agenda, you may have an agenda, they may have an agenda. But our priority in this life is to accomplish God’s agenda.
Jesus gave us the divine
summary of the law to love the Lord
our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And to love our neighbor as ourself. With those
two statements, as a Christian we can do anything we want to do as long as it encompasses these two
parameters. James called it the law of liberty and the royal law. That means we’re free to do
anything we want, and that we’re sovereign in our decisions of what to do and not to do, but
only insofar as they express and demonstrate our love for God and fellow man. That changed the
concept of learning not to break 613 laws. It put the monkey on our back in a new way. It made it
real simple. You don’t rob, cheat, steal, deceive and bend the truth because that doesn’t
show your love for God. You don’t covet your neighbors wife because you have as much love
for him (and her) as you do for yourself. And you don’t covet his home and his car for the same
reason.
The only instructions we
have are those recorded in the Bible.
So that has to be our Operating Manual. Nothing else. If the church can’t agree on that then
we will never agree on anything. We all have a problem in that we want to convert, commit and
control people to our way of thinking and doing things. Because that’s comfortable for
us—not them—but us. And so we must change that facet of the old man and become a
disciple of Christ and learn to give people what is good for them, rather than what we think is good
for us. By good, I mean beneficial, utilitarian, valuable and desirable. So we have to put our own
ideas, opinions, convictions and etc. aside. And be salt and light and witnesses for our Lord. If we
can help another living soul escape the destiny of eternal hell, that is a good thing for that person.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
is good. Jesus said: “But seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”
(Matthew 6:33). What is the kingdom of God? It’s that place where God’s rule is acknowledged and voluntarily submitted to. That kingdom is within us. And that’s the Gospel,
the good news. The kingdom of God has arrived. And it can be within us. It starts in each one of us.
And it will spread to all those who will receive the good news, the Gospel, and it will last for all of
eternity. What is God’s righteousness? It’s His holiness expressed by His condemnation
of sin. One practical definition of sin is anything contrary to God’s character of love, or contrary to His compassion, exemplified by His grace and mercy, or contrary to His conscience, which
is his wisdom, judgement and justice.
Our unity will come from
a knowledge of the truth of God as
recorded in scripture. That’s why there is unity in the Godhead. Father, Son and Holy Spirit
are the essence of Godly truth and are in a state of unity within that truth. Our love for one another
will grow from that same unity based upon truth that we can only learn by studying the truth of
God’s word, the Bible. From that study of God’s truth as stated in the Bible we will
receive further revelations by spending time with God through His Holy Spirit, Who, only then, can
teach us all things—all the things in God’s written word. There is love among the Godhead, and in fact, God is love, because the Godhead is One in love based upon unity in the knowledge
of Godly truth. Only then we will have true fellowship, which word in the Greek encompasses sharing,
socializing and supporting. That’s why there is true fellowship in the Godhead. It’s based
on Godly truth, unity and love.
This Godly truth, unity,
love and fellowship is a dynamic demonstration of God’s eternal purpose: “To the intent
that now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According
to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” (Ephesians 3:10-11).
That eternal purpose was
stated in Ephesians chapter one:
“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which
he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together
in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”
(Ephesians 1:9-10).
God, through Christ and
His church, will bring all things in
heaven and in earth together in one, in Christ. We understand that doesn’t include fallen, unsaved mankind and/or fallen angels and the devil.
There are two spirits constantly at work 24 hours a day, seven
days a week: the spirit of the accuser (Revelation 12:10) and the spirit of the intercessor (Romans
8:34; Hebrews 7:25). If a person chooses to show their alliance with the spirit of the accuser, they
are working against God’s eternal purpose. A choice to intercede identifies us with the unchangeable priesthood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:24).
Can we center our religious
activities and worship around the
Bible and the person and ministry of Jesus Christ together? And grow in biblical truth, unity, love
and fellowship?
And become the true
“ekklesia” of God
as His church, and work towards fulfilling the eternal purpose of God?
