Supersessionism - Part IV
May 2016
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Modern day Israel is nothing less than a miracle. For many centuries Jews lived in diaspora, as God promised they would, for their disobedience to the covenant that He made with them.
“And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known … And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the Lord shall give thee a trembling heart, and failing eyes and sorrow of mind: and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life. (Deut. 28:64-66)”
Since the time of Roman occupation of Israel to the time of the Reformation, Jews had to survive in foreign lands while suffering persecution, ridicule, and much discrimination. Both Roman Catholicism and Islam viewed the Jews negatively and oftentimes blamed them for all of the problems in the world. Take for example Martin Luther. Luther is recognized as one of the great primary reformers, but he had embraced the sentiment of his time when it came to Jews. In Martin Luther’s book, About the Jews and Their Lies, Luther writes:
Herewith you can readily see how they understand and obey the fifth commandment of God, namely, that they are thirsty bloodhounds and murderers of all Christendom, with full intent, now more than fourteen hundred years, and indeed they were often burned to death upon accusations that they had poisoned water and wells, stolen children, and torn and hacked them apart, in order to cool their temper secretly with Christian blood.
And:
Now see what a fine, thick fat lie that is when they complain that they are held captive by us. It is more that fourteen hundred years since Jerusalem was destroyed, and at this time it is almost three hundred years since we Christians have been tortured and persecuted by the Jews all over the world … so that we might well complain that they had now captured us and killed us—which is the open truth. Moreover, we do not know to this day which devil has brought them here into our country; we did not look for them in Jerusalem.
JEWS VIEWED AS A RACE
Luther’s picture of the Jews is that they want to rule the world and are archenemies and killers of Jesus Christ and all Christendom. This attitude toward Jews was fostered from a history of maltreatment by the Roman Catholic Church and carried into the mind-set of reformers. With great significance again in Germany, this protracted hatred manifested not long before World War I.
In 1895, there was an anti-Semitic faction in Germany that opposed Jews, not because of their religion but because of their race. Later, Hitler would see them no differently than the 16th century clerics who viewed them as hostile, or the 19th century anti-Semites who were influenced by late 17th century caricatures of Jews depicted with racial characteristics. These unique physical attributes where further characterized with racial qualities that included the Jewish race as “being evil.”
German Reichstag speaker Hermann Ahlwardt would say, “What God does not improve with such terrible blows, that we should not change with words and deeds.” He was saying that there was some evil in Jews that even the fires of God could not extinguish. The Jew “cannot help himself” because his racial qualities drive him. The Jew was viewed as antisocial and unchangeable.
JEWISH HOMELAND
Theodore Herzl formed the World Zionist Organization and promoted Jewish migration to Palestine/Israel in an effort to form a Jewish state. The phrase, “if you will it, it is no dream” became a popular slogan of the Zionist movement.
Herzl would publish books to reveal his desire to create a secular Jewish state. His primary reason was this: “It is the restoration of the Jewish State…. The decisive factor is our propelling force. And what is that force? The plight of the Jews….”
Herzl did not view the Jewish question as a social or religious one but a national one. He said, “We sincerely tried everywhere to merge with the national communities in which we live, seeking only to preserve the faith of our fathers.” He added, “Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland.”
DELAY
Although God had scattered Jews throughout the world, He also never lost sight of them. He promised that a remnant would remain. However, Europe and the Middle East would be changed with the onslaught of World War I. Nations would ally with nations and tremendous fighting would create new loyalties, but it would also reinforce anti-Semitism.
The ambition and zeal of Jews seeking their new nation seemed inevitable after the Great War, and new hope emerged with the Balfour Declaration awarding land to the Zionists for their return.
The promise was not fulfilled speedily, or under the British Mandate. Instead, large awards of land were given to Arab leaders for their assistance to the Allies.
Herzl, now passed away, and his goal of creating a new Israel with his brand of “mutualism”—a blend of capitalism and socialism with people of every origin, descent, and religion being welcome—was squashed. Jews in Palestine/Israel began to suffer pogroms—organized killings of Jews by Arab Muslim leaders, initiated by Haj Amin al-Husseini. Islamic religious fervor kept a constant stride against hopeful Jews from settling back into their land peacefully. Hostilities would increase against the Jew in Germany, which would make the German nation ripe for Adolf Hitler.
PREPARATION FOR A NATION
God was working to bring His people back to their land. The greatest miracle of all time might well be that of Israel returning to her homeland— the return of a people scattered throughout every culture of the world in every climate, yet they retained their ethnic and religious identity and formed a nation— Israel.
In next month’s article, we will look closer at the rise of Adolf Hitler and his efforts to fulfill Satan’s plan of exterminating the Jew. Satan failed then and he will fail now. He missed the primary one who conquered him through death, the one made of a woman and born under the law—Jesus Christ, the Messiah! He ever lives, and He is why Israel will prevail.
COMMENTS
| Karen R says:
August 30, 2016
May 14th, 1948. To be in a home, of people who truly understood the significance of what just happened on this day...the joy and celebration would be off the charts! I would love to hear some of the stories of those that witnessed their parents and grand-parents reactions to this miracle!
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