Judaism

God Is Not Done With Israel

Ken

God is not done with Israel. “I say then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1 KJV). When the LORD established His covenant with Abraham, He unconditionally promised, “I will make of thee a great nation [Israel]” (Genesis 12:2), but He further promised, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed [the Church]” (Genesis 12:3). Both Israel and the Church were foreseen. And, no, the OT Mosaic law and feasts are not necessary for the salvation and sanctification of the Church. “In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old [literally, obsolete]” (Hebrews 8:13). Remember, humanity is equal in the sight of God — “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16) — but, He still has a special place in His heart for Israel — “Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen” (Isaiah 43:10) — and in His prophetic program — “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). 

It was no accident that the Gospel message started first “in Jerusalem, and [then spread] in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). All the first converts to Jesus were Jews, who crucified their Messiah. “Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matthew 27:25). Peter’s instructions to the Jews at the beginning of the Church, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-39), which includes the rest of us Gentiles, who have come to Messiah Jesus. 

The essence of Bible prophecy is God’s before-it-happens-certain-declarations of future events. If the OT Jews misread prophecy and missed the Messiah the first time, then shouldn’t the Church pay closer attention to prophecies to prepare for the return of Messiah Jesus the second time? “So Christ [Greek, Christos, anointed one, the Messiah] was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). Isaiah reveals God’s special relationship to Israel. “1 O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. 4 Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:1, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19). 

That “new thing” (Isaiah 43:19) prophesied by Isaiah was spoken of by Jeremiah, as well. “For the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man” (Jeremiah 31:22). “Created” (31:22) implies divine intervention. “Woman” (31:22) indicates an individual, not a collective noun. “Man” (31:22) compares to Isaiah 9:6, where it refers to God. Jeremiah 31:22 was believed by many in the Early Church as a reference to the Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14) of the Messiah: a virgin womb encircling a man without the necessity of a man’s participation, yielding the miraculous result of a Savior. As difficult to believe as this narrative, it would eventually result in Israel becoming a nation spiritually at Messiah’s Second Coming. “Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8). 

Paul asked the Romans, “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision” (Romans 3:1). What strategic advantage had the Jews over the rest of the world? The Jews superiority was their possession of the Word of God. “Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God” (3:2). But, you say, Nearly everyone today has access to the Word of God, so where is the advantage? Scripture has no practical benefit to us unless understood and obeyed. “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified” (2:13). Intelligence is valuable in society, science, government, military, and business, as well. It is not what you know, but what you do with the Word of God. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2Chronicles 16:9). 

We must remember, the Jews have long been the subject of prophecies: (1) that they would be subjected to the Babylonian captivity of Judah, i.e., “shall be carried to Babylon” (Isaiah 39:6), and (2) that they would be held in the Babylonian desolations for seventy years, i.e., “And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jeremiah 25:11). 

But, the Jews were also told: (1) when “Messiah the Prince” (Daniel 9:25) would appear, He would be “be cut off, but not for Himself” (9:26), answering to Christ’s atonement [First Coming of the Messiah], and (2) they were also told the Son of Man would have an “everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away” (7:14), answering to the Millennial Reign of Christ and beyond (Revelation 20:4) at the end of the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:26-27) [Second Coming of the Messiah]. 

In summary, the Jews were responsible for the custodial care of the Divine Scriptures (Romans 3:2), furnishing the bloodline of the House of David for the Messiah (Matthew 1:1-17), for the political rebirth of the modern nation of Israel (1948), and providing us a prophetic clock for the reappearance of the Messiah. “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” (Romans 11:25). 

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6). 

Father, You have not cast away Israel, the “apple of [Your] eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10). We pray for Your success in winning back the hearts of Your Chosen People Israel. Cause us the Gentiles to provoke Israel (32:21) to faith in the Messiah (Romans 11:11). We ask that our eyes would be enlightened, and we would not follow Israel’s former example of unbelief. May we see our victories in the immediate inspiration of Your Spirit inciting us to obedience (Ezekiel 36:27). May Jerusalem see Your peace. Messiah Jesus, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

What Can Your Living Jesus Do?

Ken

That our dead Mohammad can’t? (1948). Spoken to Paris Reidhead, Jr., a Christian missionary in Northern Africa among the adherents of Islam. Legitimate question. My answer: Righteousness. Islam may reply: Anyone can claim to have righteousness. I would respond: That is true, but since the Living God is the only Source of True Righteousness —  “O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto Thee” (Daniel 9:7 KJV) — righteousness can only be found in a right relationship with Him. 

It is true of any religion, any attempt to establish righteousness simply by means of keeping commandments is self-righteousness. When anyone attempts to prove to themselves their righteousness based upon the keeping of commandments and not their love, devotion, and attachment to the Living God, then we are self-righteous. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3). If the Jews, who had the Law, could be found guilty of unrighteousness, then that is a demonstration that righteousness is not a devotion to keeping commandments, but a devotion to the person of the Living God. 

Not simply the Jew or follower of Islam, but we who name the name of Christ fall into the deception of heart to judge our righteousness as rule keeping. Foremost, we need to return to love and devotion of God with a continual heart seeking of Christ. “Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:7).

All religious philosophies and personal practices must stand to be judged by God for valuing even the keeping of commandments more highly than God and a right relationship to Himself. But, how does this convince the Islamic questioner of Paris Reidhead (1948)? That is the job of the Holy Spirit. “And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). If anyone is to be converted to the righteousness of Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit must do the convincing. Preach and teach the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and a right relationship with Him, and let the Spirit of God be let loose to do His convincing work, His wonderful work, His awesome work, His soul cleansing, world changing work, bring in the Kingdom of God work. He has been waiting all this time for us to understand and ask Him to do it! 

LORD, You are righteous in all Your ways and holy in all Your works (Psalm 145:17). Convert whomsoever You will, for unto You belongs all the glory, power, and honor. Magnify Your name. Transform this world. Bring to pass Your Kingdom on this Earth. Lord Jesus, return quickly. Amen and amen.

False Prophet: Beast Out of the Earth (Revelation 13:11)

Ken

Appearing with the religious character of a lamb, the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20) speaks like the devil, and he is no different from the Antichrist. “And I beheld another [Greek, allos, another of the same kind] beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon” (Revelation 13:11 KJV). He purposely directs the worship toward the Antichrist (13:12), who the world knows is empowered by the dragon (13:4). How could religion be used so zealously against the righteous? Christianity began with the martyrdom of Jesus at the hands of the unbelieving Jews. Yet, Judaism continues to be the root of the tree. “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15). Typically, a prophet comes before in order to introduce the one appointed to receive the attention, just as John the Baptist came before Jesus of Nazareth. It should not surprise us to find a religious figure prior to the Tribulation with deep ties to historic anti-christianity, which especially depicts the adulteress character of the Thyatiran Church Age (representative of the center and bulk of Church History), who could answer to the description, the False Prophet (Revelation 16:13). This False Prophet would be active long before the Antichrist ascends to the throne of the World Temple in the middle of the Tribulation Week. Father, Your Son taught us to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Cause us to be those doves, as we advocate for Your Son. Cause the sting of the enemy’s objection to be thwarted by the power of Your Spirit blessing the message, preserving the messenger, but, most of all, justifying You. Return quickly, in Jesus’ name, we pray, amen. 

Exposing Antisemitism

Ken

Disagreeing with Israeli conduct in Gaza is not necessarily antisemitism. Differing with a Two State Solution does not necessarily oppose or support the Jews. Antisemitism is hatred of the Jews because they are Jews. Jews are racially traced back to the biblical Hebrews, are religiously adherents of Judaism, or both. Antisemitism is sin because it hates the Jews for being Jews, whom God loves. “Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 10:15 KJV). Even in the NT, God continues His love for the Jews. “I say then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1). “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6). Not only will you find peace, but Gaza will, too.