The Jew

by N.D.W.Miller | Category: General | Jan 1936

Empires-great and mighty, have in past ages crumbled and fallen. Nations many have been born, and having fulfilled their little day, have passed off the scene. Peoples too-who have never attained to nationhood, have gone the way of all, the earth, well-nigh forgotten. But

THE JEW REMAINS.

He is with us to-day, more virile than for many centuries, and becoming more and more virile with amazing rapidity.

TO-DAY, in spite of all the hysterical anti-Semetic outbursts in Germany, Austria, Roumania, Russia, and America, the Jew presses on, and has now the satisfaction of seeing in the land of his fathers, which for long centuries has lain fallow and unattended, such far-reaching developments as might well stagger any but the keenest observer of the signs of the times.

Why such miraculous preservation? Why is it an absolute impossibility for man or kingdom-however strong, to exterminate the Jew? The reason is this, the Jew is predestined by God Almighty to assume World power and dominion. But this will be brought about by no mandate from the Gentile Powers, nor yet by ability and strength of arm on their own part. PRESENT DAY HAPPENINGS IN PALESTINE,

AND IN WORLD-WIDE JEWRY, ARE PREPARATORY.

"I THE LORD will hasten it in its time" (see Isaiah 60.).

* * * * * *

THE JEW INTRUSTED WITH THE ORACLES OF GOD.

THE NATION, THE BOOK, THE PERSON.

The word Jew, and the term the Jews, are used in this article in the light of the New Testament usage of the same, meaning, I submit, Israel. (See 1 Kings 18. 31; Malachi 4. 4; and compare, e.g., Matthew 8. 10, 10. 6; Acts 2. 36, 3. 12, 10. 36, 26. 7; Romans 9. 3, etc.).

"What advantage then hath the Jew... Much every way: first of all, that they were intrusted with the Oracles of God" (Romans 3. 1, 2). "Our fathers received living oracles to give unto us" (Acts 7. 38). These Living Oracles were Divinely inspired-every word animated with the breath of GOD. Fierce and long has been the hostility to the Book of books: the waves of infidelity have for long lashed out their fury against the impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture; and yet to-day THE BIBLE is the World's "best seller." "The Word of our God shall stand for ever" (Isaiah 40. 8, and compare 1 Peter 1. 25).

And what of the Jew-the Nation that received those Oracles ?

Nationally they are to-day far from God. "As touching the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake" (Romans 11. 28).

Without, at the moment, going into the cause, the Jew, all down the ages has been peeled and scattered; trodden down, and mercilessly persecuted; butchered and outcast; and yet- like the Book which God intrusted to them, they remain to this day a living witness to the absolute veracity of the contents of that Book; and they are becoming increasingly a live force in World affairs.

Those Living Oracles, intrusted to the Jew, bear testimony to ONE PERSON above all others; and they foretold, centuries before His birth, that He would be of the seed of Abraham-" Who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom is CHRIST as concerning the flesh, WHO IS OVER ALL, GOD BLESSED FOR EVER. AMEN" (Romans 9. 1-5).

And what of Christ? "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? " Few, comparatively, in the days of His flesh, knew or understood Him. He was misrepresented, persecuted, threatened, and reviled. He received for His love, hatred: for the good He ever did, evil: and at last all the venom of the human heart was let loose upon Him-religious and irreligious thirsted to imbrue their hands in His blood. He was buffeted; spit upon; stricken; smitten; scourged; crowned with thorns; cast out; and crucified. He died, to all appearances, like a criminal. But where do we behold Him now? Enthroned in Heaven at the Right Hand of Power. "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore" (Revelation 1. 18). Wonderful Nation! Wonderful Book! And still more wonderful PERSON.

THE JEW AND THE LAND.

Then there is the Land-the Land of Israel. For the Book asserts that the Jewish Nation has the Divine right to the land of their fathers. "Remember His covenant for ever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations; the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac; and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant: saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance" (see 1 Chronicles 16., Psalm 105.). That irrevocable promise will assuredly be verified. The Land was defined, as to its dimensions, by the Promise; decreed by the Covenant; and confirmed to Abraham and to his Seed (see Galatians 3. 16) by the oath of Jehovah, the Lord of the whole earth.

The Book, the Nation, and the Person, are unique; so also is the Land. There is no land like the Land of Israel. God says it is "a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands" (Ezekiel 20. 6). It is "the LORD's land" (Hosea 9. 3). God's eyes "are always upon it" (Deuteronomy 11. 12). It is not only a good land, it is also "A large" land (Exodus 3. 8), and not merely the strip which we are accustomed to speak of as Palestine.

It is "the Holy land" (Zechariah 2. 12). In that land JESUS, the SON OF GOD, was born: there He lived, there He died, from that land He ascended to Heaven, and to that land He will yet return in "Power and Great Glory" to set up His Kingdom, and to reign for the Divinely appointed period of 1,000 years. (See Zechariah 14. 4; Matthew 23. 39; 25. 31; Revelation 20. 6.)

Our space forbids detail; but geographically too, the land is unique. It is situated "in the middle of the earth" (Ezekiel 38. 12), and having an all-round natural boundary it is in very deed like a garden enclosed.

Reverting then to the Jews-the Jewish Nation-about the year 785 B.C., Hosea the Prophet wrote, "the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice . . . afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall come with fear unto the LORD and to His goodness in the latter days " (Hosea 3. 4, 5).

It is a remarkable fact that during Messiah's life upon earth, there was no outward idolatry in the land of Israel. Their boast was, "We have one Father, even God" (John 8. 41). The unclean spirit of idolatry had gone out of the land, and in this respect the land appeared to be empty, swept, and garnished (see Matthew 12. 43, 45, and compare Zechariah 13. 2). This is very important in view of what shall yet take place in that very land.

Keeping in mind Hosea's word-" Israel shall abide many days without king," the day came at last, when, amid the waving of palm branches, the great Zechariah prophecy was fulfilled-" Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt" (John 12.). It was an ecstatic moment. What did it mean? Was it His coronation? Did the ivory throne, and the crown of fine gold await Him? Alas ! Alas ! " 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem " " If thou hadst known!"

About the sixth hour of the day of the preparation of the Passover, Jesus stood before the Roman Governor-robed in purple, and crowned with thorns, and Pilate said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" Fateful moment! And oh! fatal choice! "We have no king but Caesar. THEN therefore he delivered Him unto them to be crucified" (see John 19.). Truly "He came unto His own, and they that were His own received Him not" (John 1. 11). And thus, having nationally made their choice that day, Hosea's prophecy remains as true of the Jewish Nation to-day as when it was spoken. They have no king; no prince ; and no sacrifice (I am referring to the Nation as such, and not to the salvation of God as presented to both Jew and Gentile, as in the Acts, etc. Nor am I forgetting the inspired word of Caiaphas in John 11. 49-51.)

What then was the Lord's attitude towards the Nation consequent upon their rejection of Him? It is, I suggest, tersely summed up in Hosea 5. 15-" I will go and return to My Place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face : in their affliction they will seek Me earnestly" (then note chapter 6. 1-3). All this corresponds with Matthew 23. 39

I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord."

The Great War; the overthrow of Ottoman Rule; the Mandate; the return of Jews to the land of their. fathers- these are all now matters of history. In connection with their present state it is good to know that some are being saved by grace, through faith in Christ-"A remnant according to the

election of grace " (see Romans 11. 5). Others, although not saved, are not unfriendly to the New Testament Writings- are awaking to anticipate a long expected Messiah; and, after "the Church, the Body" has been caught up to meet the LORD, there will be people so wrought upon by the Spirit and Word of God, as to eventually take their stand as the faithful Remnant which God will bring through the terrible "time of Jacob's trouble." But the vast majority of the Jews to-day are atheistical, and the bulk of the Nation will assuredly become a ready prey for Anti-christ when He cometh.

Messiah, when lie was here, told the Jews plainly, "I am come in My Father's Name and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive" (John 5. 43). Is there one such coming? Without a doubt! Listen! "Even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that are perishing; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thessalonians 2.). Thus, by coupling 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2., with Revelation 13. 14, we see the last terrible phase of Idolatry-the unclean spirit returning with seven other spirits more evil than itself; and so the last state of Israel, prior to the Millennium, becomes worse than the first, worse even than in Manasseh's day, for they shall have "changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man "(see Romans 1.23; Revelation 13.4, 8, 15.h

With all that is happening in this our day-however interesting it may be-we do well not to forget the solemn indictment laid against the Jews by the inspired Apostle when he wrote that they "both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and drave out us, and please not, God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins alway: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost" (1 Thessalonians 2. 15, 16).

Under that charge, I submit, they still lie, and will lie, until the Remnant-representing the Nation-shall, during Daniel's "seventieth week," take their stand in testimony (see Revelation 12. 17) and shall ultimately, from fear-wrung, yet longing, hearts, cry-" Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the LORD." Then shall they look upon Him Whom they pierced (see Zechariah 12.).

The Zionists to-day have done much, under God's over-ruling and providential hand, to bring about in the land of Israel definite preparation in connection with the fast approaching "time of the end."

When the Zionist Movement began to take shape, it met with a cold, and a mixed reception, because its aim-" A visible head in a defined locality," seemed so impossible, then, of accomplishment. At that time, too, Rome was "riding high," and putting forth many pretentious claims. An old" cutting "which I have before me, and value, reads- It is not for a Gentile to take part in the dissensions of the Jewish Community; but I may be permitted to express my sympathy with a noble idea, and to do so in the words of a brilliant Israelite- I do not bow to the necessity of a visible head in a defined locality; but, were I to seek for such, it would not be at Rome. When Omnipotence deigned to be Incarnate, the Ineffable Word did not select a Roman frame. The Prophets were not Romans; the Apostles were not Romans; she, who was blessed above all women-I never heard that she was a Roman maiden. No, I should look to a Land more distant than Italy, to a City more sacred even than Rome."

These are choice words. And the brilliant Israelite, whose they are, was Benjamin Disraeli-Lord Beaconsfield.

One can well understand a man-whose words here recorded make it plain had bowed in heart, and accepted Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ of God; and having thus, in common with us, heavenly aspirations, not being " a Zionist " ; but, had he been, "the visible Head" would, to him, have been none other than the INCARNATE AND INEFFABLE WORD; and His Seat-" the defined locality "-JERUSALEM, in the Holy Land-THE LAND OF ISRAEL.

N.D.W.Miller | Jan 1936
General