Supersessionism - Part VIII
Oct 2016
|
The Puritans coming from England viewed their voyage to America as a virtual reenactment of the Hebrew Exodus out of Egypt. England was a type of Egypt and the king, a type of Pharaoh. The Atlantic Ocean was to the Pilgrims as the Red Sea was to the Hebrews. America was the Promised Land and the Indians a type of the Canaanites that inhabited the Promised Land. In 1621, the first Thanksgiving was conceived as a parallel to the Hebrew Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).
The earliest legislation of the New England colonies was based on the Bible.
According to John Davenport: “Scriptures do hold forth a perfect rule for the direction and government of all men in all duties which they are to perform to God and men as well as in the government of families and commonwealth as in matters of the church.”
There are many historical references of how the Mosaic code of law and the Bible were part of early legislation and legal codes. For example, in 1641 the Massachusetts assembly formed the Capital Laws of New England based on Mosaic law.
The educational system developing in America, including, Harvard, Yale, William and Mary, Rutgers, Princeton, Brown, Columbia (formerly known as King’s College), Johns Hopkins and Dartmouth, to name a few, required Bible studies with some learning in Hebrew for all students. Many of America’s Founding Fathers were products of these universities. To this we can be assured that many who graduated from these institutions were well acquainted with Hebrew.
At the time of the Revolution, a rumor circulated that some members of Congress sought that the use of English be formally prohibited in the United States, and Hebrew be substituted in its place; found in The Biblical Heritage of American Democracy.
JEWISH AND HEBREW INFLUENCE ON THE U.S.
The founding documents display the many prominent ideas that were taken from the Bible and Jewish thought. Those concepts helped to shape the political arena in the United States. The Declaration of Independence exhibits the enlightenment of such biblical contribution:
“We hold these truths self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Jews have been a part of America since Columbus sailed. In 1654 Jewish refugees from Brazil arrived in New Amsterdam (New York). America’s independence may not have been possible if it was not for Haym Salomon who personally supplied the financing that was necessary for the War of Independence to continue. In Georgia the first patriot killed was a Jew. The first synagogue opened in Rhode Island in 1790 and was remembered by George Washington by using Bible quotations found in Micah 4:1-4 and Isaiah 2:2-4.
ISRAEL AND THE KINGDOM
When I look at early American history and see the contributions that were made by the small Jewish community, I realize what a blessing they were, and are, to our heritage. With loving respect and wisdom we must analyze the Word of God carefully to properly understand why this small population of people is so important to God. Did God remove his covenant promises from Israel and strip the kingdom from them eternally, as some claim? Certainly not.
The fruit our Lord sought for the nation of Israel was the witness they could supply to the world. The church would become the nation that would supply the fruit—the witness and testimony of God’s grace to the world through Messiah—while Israel was scattered throughout the world because of unbelief. We have previously explained this in recent articles, mostly from the Old Testament. We will now begin to look at some New Testament evidence of God’s restoration of Israel. In the book of Romans, chapters 9-11, Paul makes his case for Israel but also uses them as a warning to the church to not end up in unbelief. The Lord had warned that a nation that was not a nation would inherit the kingdom of God. The stone that the builders rejected would be a stone of stumbling, and judgment.
“Upon this rock I will build My church,” Jesus said, speaking of Himself and not Peter. He came unto His own—Israel—and His very own that He came for would reject Him. The church was built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). Although God had to set aside Israel for their unbelief, He plans to graft them back into the vine once they believe. The promise of salvation though is to everyone who believes, Jew or Gentile. The promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are for national Israel. This national promise includes the land and the continued responsibility to be a witness for God. This will take place after the seven-year tribulation and will last throughout the millennial reign of Christ on earth.
ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH
The church will be resurrected/raptured before the great tribulation. The world will then experience tribulation for seven years. During this time, there will be companies of believers that will be subsequently raptured: the man child (Rev. 12:5) and the martyred saints (Rev. 6:9). Jesus returns to earth with the saints at the end of the seven-year period and destroys the Antichrist and his false prophet and sets up His one thousand year reign from Jerusalem.
During this time, Israel will be fully restored to her land in peace and will be the vessels to go into the world and bring them to Jesus Christ in Jerusalem (Isa. 60-66; Zech. 12-14). Why doesn’t the church continue to be a witness during this time? The church, which consists of Jews and Gentiles, will be glorified due to the resurrection. Those on earth that survive the tribulation and are born afterward during the millennium will not have glorified bodies yet. God will use the remnant of Israel that will be saved at His return for the purpose of their original calling.
Romans 11:29 tells us, “For the gifts and the callings are without repentance.” Israel was set aside until the “times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Now Israel will once bare the fruit that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 21:43.
|
|
