In the beginning God created the world and all that is in it. Since then He has always had His own special people, a people to whom He gives His blessings along with their responsibilities. His relationship with man has always included a covenant; not a covenant that is formed through diplomatic negotiations between God and man, but one in which the Supreme God defines the conditions. God is altogether dependable to keep His part of the covenant. When God’s promised blessings do not come to pass, it is man that has caused a breach of covenant.
An example of God’s covenant is the way He dealt with the first people on earth, Adam and Eve. He was their God, their everything; yet included in His covenant was the promise of death should they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). When they disobeyed, they died a spiritual death, were driven out of Paradise, and became subject to physical death, as well as to the hardship and sorrows of a now imperfect earth.
In the ensuing generations, while the majority followed the course of fallen and sinful human nature, there were always those who were faithful to God, such as Abel, Seth, and Enoch. Almost 1600 years after Adam’s fall, the Scriptures focus on Noah, who found grace in the sight of God (Genesis 6:8-18). The Lord spoke to him and said, “With thee will I establish my covenant.” Noah obeyed God and his family was preserved from the devastation of the flood that annihilated all other people on earth.
Around 500 years after the flood God chose Abram (later Abraham), a Mesopotamian (or Syrian) with whom He entered into a covenant relationship. He told him to leave his father's country, promising that, “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). Also, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). Abraham became known as a man of faith because he believed God.
God promised a son to Abraham in his old age, of whom He said, “Thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him” (Genesis 17:19). Isaac, the son of promise, and later his son Jacob (Israel), carried on the lineage of God’s Covenant People.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived as foreigners in the land of Canaan, but God promised that this land would some day be their own. He said to Abraham, “Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt (a small seasonal stream on the southwest border of Palestine flowing into the Mediterranean Sea) unto the great river, the river Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18-21; Numbers 34:3-7). This included today’s Lebanon, most of Syria, Jordan, part of Iraq, as well as Palestine. But first the Israelites would need to go southwest into Egypt, where they would be brought into bondage. After 400 years God led them out with a mighty hand, devastating the power of the Egyptians. He led his people to the promised land via a circuitous route, going by Mount Sinai where He gave to them His Law through the instrumentality of Moses.
God said of His people, the Israelites, “I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:4-6). The Jews' uniqueness was not because they were a different race, or because of inherent qualities, or because they were a populous and influential nation, but because they were God’s Covenant People. In Deuteronomy 7:6-8, God said, “The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you.”
As long as the Jews were obedient to God, they had a high standard of clean and righteous living. This standard of righteousness was embodied in the law given to the people through Moses. The Israelites had great advantages over all other peoples, because to them, as the Covenant People of God, were committed the oracles of an omniscient God. Civilization was brought to God’s people during a time when much of the world ranged from savage to barbaric. The commandments of God kept them from the moral aberrations common in the nations around them and gave them a foundation by which they could be preserved. Even today, many modern laws are based on the righteous standard of God’s law given to the Israelites millenniums ago. Indeed, the most serious problems in the world today exist because the wisdom contained in the Holy Scriptures is ignored. The law of Moses also had a deeper purpose than a code of conduct. There will be more on this below.
God’s people were also protected from devastating diseases long before man discovered penicillin and the advantages of sanitation. They were kept safe from their enemies, spared the self-destructive civil conflicts common to man, and were jealously protected as the “apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10), as long as they were faithful to God’s covenant. They were called not only to be a special holy ecclesiastical body, but also a civil and secular nation that was authorized to enforce the rules that God had given them—with capital punishment and bloodshed in war.
When the Jews worshipped God in truth, they always prospered and prevailed over their enemies, but when they forsook God and became idolatrous, invariably the Lord would punish them, quite often by letting enemy nations bring them into servitude. As they came under God’s chastisement, a remnant would turn to God, who would hear their penitent cry, “Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them” (Isaiah 26:16).
The kingdom of Israel came to the height of its glory during the time of King David and King Solomon. The glory of David and Solomon’s kingdom endured for less than a century, because, unfortunately, Solomon did not maintain his part of the covenant, but took to himself foreign women and his allegiance to God became divided. After this period there was a split between the tribes of Benjamin and Judah and the other ten tribes. These were two distinct monarchies that were eventually overpowered by hostile neighbors. The ten tribes were dispersed sooner than Judah—around 700 B.C.E., by the Assyrians. Around 586 B.C.E. the Babylonians conquered Judah, destroyed Solomon’s temple, and took many Jews to Babylonia as captives.
About 50 years later the Persians defeated the Babylonians and Cyrus, king of Persia, allowed the Jews to return to their land. This action of Cyrus was by the providence of God, who exercises a certain control within the kingdoms of this world. The Jews’ return to Canaan (Palestine) and the rebuilding of Jerusalem was undertaken with courage, but under great adversity. The builders labored with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. However, with God’s blessing, in time the temple services were resumed and the restored nation served God with greater devotion than their ancestors before the captivity.
In the next two centuries, even though they existed within a battleground in which various nations and cultures prevailed at different times, the Israelites were able to maintain a secular kingdom and there was a remnant that feared God.
In 168 B.C.E. Antiochus Epiphanes became king of Syria. He was determined to not only subjugate the land of Palestine, but to root out Jewish faith and practice and replace it with Greek culture and practice. Then followed years of struggle during the era of the Maccabees. Beginning with the heroic revolt of Mattathias and furthered by his sons, especially Judas Maccabaeus, Jewish rule was restored and the nation prospered for a time. But as always, the nation was subject to the quality of its leadership, and a few generations later a decadence developed that eventually culminated in civil war between Jewish factions. Around 65 B.C.E., the Romans, led by General Pompey, came on the scene and subdued the Israelites. This ended the domain established by the Maccabees and Palestine became a Roman province with a nominal Jewish king appointed by the Romans.
During this time Herod, of Jewish background, became the greater authority over the Jews. He was a shrewd ruler who did much for the Jews, but he also was intensely hated because of his strong-armed and bloody ways. His later years were marked with domestic conflicts, in which he dealt in a very cruel manner with his wives and sons, as well as others.
After the year 6 C.E., Judah no longer had a Jewish ruler. Here we find the Jews chafing under Roman rule, within a Greek culture, hoping for the Messiah whom they believed would again provide heroic leadership and restore a Jewish kingdom. In spite of their trials and tribulations, a remnant of God-fearing people was preserved.
In this setting, about the year 26 C.E., John the Baptist arrived in the desert of Judea. He lived an austere life and preached repentance to the people. When John was asked whether he was the Messiah he denied that claim and said he was simply the voice of one crying in the wilderness, to prepare the way of the Lord, as foretold in Isaiah 40:3. About two years after John began his ministry Jesus of Nazareth came on the scene. John testified of him: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me” (John 1:29, 30). Was Jesus really the Messiah?
Jesus appeared among a people that had seen years of civil conflicts and oppression. There were continual seditions raised by would-be deliverers, which were readily accepted by a people anxiously waiting for deliverance. Jesus of Nazareth did not fit the messianic expectations of the Jews. He did not appear as a mighty king, or a warrior like Judas Maccabaeus, who would restore the kingdom to Israel. Contrary to these expectations, Jesus taught a way of submission and nonresistance, that one should deny himself and do good to those who hate him, and that man should repent of his sins, and be forgiving to others. He went about helping people and performing miracles. He taught His followers not to seek after the wealth or fame of this world, but gather treasures in heaven. He also taught there is a final day of judgment coming at which time all these earthly things would pass away.
Though some of the Jews accepted Jesus, most did not. His messianic claims were rejected by the leaders and eventually they had him arrested and taken in to the Roman court of Pontius Pilate. Here Pilate reluctantly caved in to the pressure and gave orders that Jesus should be crucified, though he attempted to absolve personal responsibility by ceremoniously washing his hands before the people. Jesus’ followers were also persecuted, but in spite of this, the Christian movement was established. Beginning with a small Jewish nucleus, it eventually spread also to the Gentiles.
In 70 C.E. the Jews suffered unprecedented tribulation when Jerusalem was devastated and their temple destroyed. Even though their center of worship was destroyed, the Jews still exercised considerable influence in Judea until around 429 C.E. Even then, the Jewish nation, though brought low, did not give up. They remained a distinct people with a strong influence that continues to this day.
Today we find two distinct peoples in the world who both claim to be the people of God: the Jews and the Christians. Was Jesus Christ the Messiah or is the Messiah yet to come?
Let us observe some history. In 313 C.E. the Roman Emperor, Constantine, embraced Christianity. After this the Jews, who had suffered much oppression by the Romans and others, became the objects of a more treacherous persecution. Before this, Jews and Christians alike were persecuted by the heathen; now the Christians were a powerful state church and began to use state powers to coerce the Jews to accept Christianity or face death.
After the demise of the Roman Empire in 476 C.E., during the Dark Ages another sinister factor was introduced into the lives of the Jews and Christians. This came with the advent of Mohammed in the early seventh century. Mohammed was born in Mecca in the year 570 C.E. and was orphaned when he was quite young, whereupon his uncle took him in. He worked as a shepherd for his uncle and later became a camel-boy, and eventually a caravan leader. Employed by a wealthy widow to manage her caravans, he was so successful that the widow, though much older than Mohammed, offered to marry him. Through this marriage he obtained great wealth. It seemingly was from his contact with Christians and Jews in the various lands to which he traveled that he developed the ideas for the religion of Islam. Mohammed taught that there is but one God. He also claimed to be the greatest of prophets, greater than Moses or Jesus Christ, who he admitted were prophets of God. He provided the Qur’an (Koran) as the holy book for his followers, who were later known as Moslems or Muslims. It is not known with certainty who wrote the Qur’an.
In Mecca, Mohammed had few converts among the Arabs. In 622 C.E. he went to Medina, in Arabia. He expected the Jews there would join his new religion but they rejected him. As a result Mohammed killed many of the Jews in Arabia. But the Arabs in the area were more receptive and many joined his movement. He slaughtered those tribes that refused to submit. Though he only lived ten years after leaving Mecca, at the time of his death he practically had full control of the Arabian Peninsula. The death of Mohammed did not stop the spread of his religion. In less than a century the banners of Islam and their flashing swords had been carried far in all directions. Jerusalem was captured, and Mohammed’s followers erected a temple on the site of the former Jewish temple.
From the very beginning, the cause of Mohammed has been propagated with bloodshed and violence. Today Islam officially claims Jesus as “one of the righteous” and a prophet of God. This constitutes a serious inconsistency, because throughout history the actions of Islam were diametrically opposed to the teachings of the one who they claim to be a righteous prophet of God. Jesus taught that a person is to love his enemies and do good to those who hate him, to not resist evil but rather suffer wrongfully. Unfortunately, the Christians also took up the sword.
After the Dark Ages came the age of the Crusades in which bands of Christians made repeated efforts to regain Jerusalem from the Moslems by way of war and bloodshed. Jerusalem was eventually conquered, but only for a relatively short time. These Crusades were originally encouraged by Pope Urban II during the eleventh century and were marked with cruelty, plundering, and bloodshed, in the name of Christ. All manner of people, young and old, many of whom had only selfish interests, joined these Crusades. They not only targeted Moslems, but Jews as well. Participants massacred whole Jewish communities, some using as an excuse the need to avenge the blood of Jesus. At times they would ask money of the Jews to guarantee their security; then after they had their silver they would turn on them, breaking down their doors and slaughtering men, women and children. The Crusades lasted over a period of nearly two hundred years, through which not only the Jews and Moslems were slaughtered, but the Crusaders themselves sustained tremendous suffering and loss of life.
During the Middle Ages thousands of Jews and other religious dissenters were tortured under the influence of the state church. They were stretched till they were almost or altogether torn apart, beaten, tied to the wheel, drowned, crucified, beheaded, burned at the stake and tortured in many other ways. This was the fate of both Jews and Christians who would not bow to popular Christianity.
In the mid-fourteenth century, a devastating plague appeared in Europe, called the Black Death. This outbreak ultimately killed a fourth of Europe’s population. Eventually the Jews were blamed for causing this plague by poisoning the water of the European countries, in spite of the fact that the Jews suffered the plague as others did, and drank the same water. Thousands of Jews were slaughtered and burned in at least 200 towns. Though innocent, some confessed under torture. Some were offered amnesty if they accepted Christian baptism. Reportedly, in the city of Strasbourg about a thousand accepted baptism. Others, in their extremity, set fire to their houses and cremated themselves.
From 313 C.E., when Constantine embraced Christianity, through the next 1400 years, hundreds of papal bulls were issued, advising the powers of the government to eradicate the Jews as well as Christians who did not give their allegiance to the church in power. In many cases the religious leaders and priests themselves were involved in means of torture.
In 1523, Martin Luther, who recognized some of the errors in the state church, wrote, “If I had been a Jew and had seen such idiots and blockheads ruling and teaching the Christian Religion, I would rather have been a sow than a Christian. For they have dealt with the Jews as if they were dogs and not human beings. They have done nothing for them but curse them and seize their wealth. . . . I would advise and beg everybody to deal kindly with the Jews and to instruct them in the Scriptures; in such a case we could expect them to come over to us. If however, we use brute force and slander them. . . and treat them like dogs, what good can we expect of them? Finally, how can we expect them to improve if we forbid them to work among us and to have social intercourse with us, and so force them into usury?”[1]
Twenty years later, after he was unable to win the Jews, and was quite secure in the state church of Germany, he had changed his position. At that time he wrote, “What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews?. . . Since they live among us and we know about their lying and blasphemy and cursing, we cannot tolerate them if we do not wish to share in their lies, curses, and blasphemy. . . . First, their synagogues or churches should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or spread over with dirt so that no one may ever be able to see a cinder or stone of it. . . . Secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed. . . . Thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer books and Talmud in which such idolatry, lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught. Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach anymore.”[2]
Luther ordered ferocious attacks against the Jews for not accepting his religion. This was the common trend: When the defenders of popular Christendom could not effect what they wanted through persuasion, they fell back on the sword and thus enforced what they thought to be the truth. In many cities the Jews were forced to live in separate communities called ghettos. They had to pay special taxes, and were not allowed to own land or practice certain occupations.
Through the Roman Catholic inquisition efforts were made to annihilate the Jews. For many years there were terrible atrocities, especially in Spain. Even in the New World, while Spain ruled Mexico, the Jews were not exempt from the Inquisition of the sixteenth century. In some of these cases it is difficult to determine what really was the motivating force behind the persecution; whether it was religion, or if religion was used as an excuse to confiscate the Jews’ possessions.
In the year 1648 the Chmielnicke Massacre in the Ukraine occurred. In this savage and relentless campaign the Jews were demanded to convert to Christianity. Some did in order to save their lives, but most refused. It is estimated that 100,000 Jews were killed and 300 communities were destroyed.
While the Jews were suffering atrocities at the hands of the Christian people, it was not unusual, over the centuries, for Christians to wage war against other Christians. According to history, in 1572 the Rhone River actually flowed red when thousands of mutilated corpses were thrown into it during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in France. In this religious war, the Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots) fought against each other, with the Catholics winning the battle. According to Christian History, Vol. 20, No. 3, “Catholics in Rome and Spain celebrated news of the massacres. The pope issued a special medallion to commemorate the ‘holy’ event. To many, the death of so many ‘heretics’ was a miracle.”
Not long after, the Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648) was also caused by deep-seated hostility between the Protestants and the Catholics. This conflict in Central Europe brought devastation to cities, villages, and farms, from which it took around 200 years to recover.
For the Jews, the most atrocious of persecutions, since the destruction of the second temple, took place during World War II, when, it is estimated, around six million Jews were murdered in various inhuman ways in what is commonly called the Holocaust. This was led by Adolph Hitler, a native of Austria who later came to power in Germany. There is some historical data that would indicate Pope Pius XII, (Eugenio Pacelli, [1876-1958]) was not altogether opposed to Hitler’s cause.
During the Holocaust the Jewish people were mercilessly executed or misused in forced labor, sparing not even children, the old, or infirm. This campaign against the Jews is different from previous ones, since it is well documented by eyewitness accounts and photographs. To view pictures of a child perhaps six years old frantically trying to wake up a younger sibling who had died by its side in confinement, or people, young and old, who were herded into trenches and executed by the hundreds, should move anyone to compassion.
The Jewish people, through much of their history since 70 C.E., came to accept it as normal to live in a state of anxiety, whether in the Diaspora (dispersion) or in the “Homeland” (Palestine). There have been periods in which they enjoyed relative peace and tranquility. But the terror of persecution always lurked in the background. As they were subjected to persecution, most went stoically to their deaths in hope of a better after-life. Others, to escape torture and death, caved in to their persecutors, which included the Roman Catholic church. Some capitulated because of disillusionment. They were shocked and confused by God's apparent indifference to their plight. They wondered, why did God remain silent? The atrocities of the Holocaust, especially, dealt a heart-wrenching blow to the faith and security of the Jews as a whole. For some, as Eliezer Wiesel wrote in his book, Night, God "died," because they could not believe that, if there is a God, He would have allowed such suffering to come upon them. Lack of fulfillment has influenced many Jews (and Christians as well), to turn their backs on God. Because God seems far away, they have turned away from Him and have become “secular Jews,” engrossing themselves in materialism and pleasure seeking.
Today, in the twenty-first century, nearly two millenniums of hopes and dreams have come and gone since the destruction of the second temple in 70 C.E. Through the influence of Satan, the enemy of all mankind, there has been, and continues to be, untold confusion in the religious world. People within Christendom have been responsible for much abuse and persecution, for shedding the blood of millions, including that of the Jews. Many Jews are convinced that this can’t be right, and as a result are strengthened in their belief that the true Messiah is yet to come, or at least that Christendom is not the answer. Surely an apology is in order to the Jewish people for the abuse they have been subjected to by Christianity at large. We repeat the age-old question: What is truth?
It is an incontrovertible truth that God’s Covenant People are those who keep His covenant, who obey His teachings. Men who persecute others, regardless of what they call themselves, are not following the teachings of God, regardless of the fact that they may be very numerous, influential, and powerful.
Unconditional faith in God and resulting obedience was the hallmark of Abraham and all faithful believers since him. It seems that for many Jews (as well as for many Christians) the most authentic link with heaven is the study of Scriptures. Jesus himself spoke of this when He said (John 5:39-40): “You pore over the scriptures, believing that in them you can find eternal life; it is these scriptures that testify to me, and yet you refuse to come to me to receive life!” (New Jerusalem translation) The study of Scriptures, though highly recommended if done humbly and honestly, will not bring us closer to God if it only increases knowledge and does not produce faith and humble obedience.
Regrettably, not all professing Christians are really followers of Jesus Christ. Many have accepted the Christian religion as one would accept a political party, or by way of inheritance or tradition. A genuine Christian does not merely accept the Christian religion; he has a vision of his sinfulness, he repents, and surrenders his life to his Master. A true Christian keeps the commandments of his Master, Jesus Christ. We can learn that there is one God and many truths about Him, but one is not a real Christian until, through the power of God, he is made into a changed person from the inside out, and by the grace of God is kept pure in a sinful world.
Many allegations against Christianity found in various Jewish writings unfortunately are true. Furthermore, even as the Jews are divided into many factions with great differences in dogma, so are there many different beliefs among those who claim Christianity. Many of these ideas are human inventions without any scriptural basis. This causes much confusion, to Satan’s delight.
The original and true Christians obeyed the teachings of Jesus to not resist evil, and to love all men, including their enemies who persecuted them. Jesus, when before Pilate, said, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36). Earlier the Jews had raised the objection shown in the following quote from John 11:47-48: “Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? For this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone all men will believe on him; and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.” They felt by such defenselessness they would be overrun and crowded out by the Romans. They chose rather to crucify Jesus and thus do away with what they considered His undermining influence and potential disaster. However, we will take note as to what happened less than forty years later, at another place.
It has never been Jesus' will that His followers should take up arms, to shed their fellowman’s blood, and those who obeyed His teachings have never done so. He taught that His followers are to love their enemies as well as their neighbors. Unfortunately many in Christendom do not even love their neighbors or fellow church members. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). In war it is common that a Christian in one country will be fighting against his Christian brother from the enemy nation. This is not consistent with the teachings of Jesus. He is the Savior of all the world, without national bounds. True Christian loyalty to the Master transcends national loyalty.
Jesus’ followers have differed from certain pacifistic activists. They have taken no part in demonstrations and other efforts to bring coercion upon those in authority. Though they at times pled for consideration, they simply left the administration of the secular government to the rulers of this world whom they still respected, and submitted themselves to God’s spiritual kingdom. This is illustrated in the following quotation from Christ and the Caesars, by Ethelbert Stauffer: “Early Christianity scorned all political means to power and all political means of fighting. It avoided all political provocation, and even renounced any form of political protest. ‘God loves the confessors,’ said the martyr-bishop Cyprian, ‘and not demonstrators.’ The Christians could be attacked, persecuted, tortured to death without uttering a word that could be called political polemics. They did not need to fear anything more, for death was certain. But no revolutionary words came even from the dying. There can be only one reason for this: the hearts of these men were free of all thoughts of hostility to the State.”[3]
Through every century in the Current Era, there have been Christians who followed the teachings of Jesus as stated above. Accounts of them can be found in historical writings such as the Martyrs Mirror and other religious histories. Such Christians still exist today. They have always been a minority, and usually not popular, though generally well-liked by their neighbors because of their kind ways. They have quite often been driven underground and persecuted by popular Christendom. Through much of history, the true Christians had this in common with the Jews: they gathered for worship in secret, in homes, in the forests, in caves, in the catacombs, etc. True Christians had no part in the Holocaust or any other misuse of the Jews. They, on the contrary, shielded them from their bloodthirsty persecutors at the risk of their own lives.
Much of the Jewish race has been assimilated by the general populace and many have become unbelievers and agnostics. Yet there are many observant Jews who are looking forward to a deliverer, to the coming of the Messiah and a restoration of the kingdom of Israel. This is emphasized in various prayers, such as the following from the Traditional Prayer Book, P. 300: “Because of our sins we have been exiled from our country and have been driven far from dwelling on our land. We can not go up to appear and prostrate ourselves before Thee and thereby fulfill our duty in Thy chosen Temple, Thy great and holy House called by Thy name, because of the violent hand that was stretched forth against Thy sanctuary. May it be Thy will, Lord our God, God of our Fathers, merciful King, to turn and show pity to us, and in Thy great compassion again show pity to Thy sanctuary. Rebuild it soon, and make it great in glory. Our Father, our King, speedily reveal the glory of Thy rule over us, and shine forth and be exalted over us in the eyes of all living. Recall our dispersed from among the nations, and gather our scattered people from the ends of the earth. Bring us with joyous song to Zion Thy city, and with joy everlasting to the home of Thy sanctuary, Jerusalem. Only then in Thy presence shall we bring the sacrifices enjoined on us, the regular daily burnt offerings according to their order and the additional sacrifices according to their regulations. . . .”
The Jews had their hopes for the Messiah revived from time to time. During the first two centuries in the Common Era there were several who claimed to be The Deliverer. The strongest of these appeared in 132 C.E., with the advent of Akiva ben Joseph. He gained enough influence to stage a revolt under the leadership of the warrior Bar Kokhba whom he had declared the messiah. The revolt actually continued for around three years during which time Bar Kokhba led a Jewish government in Jerusalem. However, the Romans crushed the revolt and later executed Akiva ben Joseph. Only three of the Messianic movements have outlived their founders: Jesus Christ, Shabbetai Zevi, and Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
Shabbetai Zevi (also Tzevi, Zebi, Zvi) came on the scene in the early seventeenth century, at Smyrna (Izmir) in the Ottoman Empire. There is much history about him available for those who wish to study his life. He was well learned in language skills, but had emotional difficulties and experienced periods of depression and melancholy, alternating with spells of euphoria. In his times of euphoria he sometimes committed acts of blatant desecration. As a result he was expelled by the rabbi at Smyrna and later also at Salonika and Constantinople. In his restless wanderings he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem where he met with young Nathan Benjamin who was supposed to be a spiritual healer. Instead of bringing peace to Shabbetai’s troubled soul, he began to teach that Shabbetai Zevi was the messiah and he himself his forerunner prophet.
Shabbetai was rejected at first by the Jews at Jerusalem, but the messianic idea was received with enthusiasm at Gaza and spread from there. His acts of blatant desecration continued, but were overlooked by many in deference to his assumed messianic authority. Eventually over half the Jewish people, from southern Asia to Holland, from bankers to beggars, embraced him as the messiah, including some who had formerly expelled him. Shabbetai predicted that June 18, 1666 would be the day of redemption. Many were full of expectation, discontinued normal life and prepared to be wafted by the messiah to the Holy Land. All this excitement attracted the attention of the Turkish vizier, Ahmed Köprülü, and before June 18 arrived, Zevi found himself in prison. However, his incarceration did not altogether diminish the enthusiasm. Many came to visit him in prison, and there was eventually an explanation for this turn of events. In prison he continued his propaganda, calling himself the “firstborn son of God” and at times signing his name, “I am the Lord your God.”
Seeing that his influence continued, the vizier had Shabbethai brought into court on September 15, 1666, where he was given the ultimatum to convert to Islam or be executed. He caved in and accepted the Moslem religion, at least superficially. This produced profound shock and paralysis among Jewish leaders and followers alike. Now they were faced with a dilemma: to admit that their belief was all wrong, or to cling to their belief and look for an explanation. Pages were removed from Jewish records. Nathan, his original prophet, crafted an acceptable explanation to settle the questions in the minds of enough of his followers to keep the movement alive. Shabbetai, after his conversion to Islam, was made a missionary for the Moslems, in which position he led a double-faced life as a leader of a corrupted Jewish-Moslem following. The Moslem Turks became aware of his double life and immoral conduct. They considered executing him, but chose instead to have him deported in 1673, three years before his death. His influence died slowly. According to history, Shabbeteanism persisted for more than a century.
The dream of the messiah was revived in the latter part of the twentieth century in Brooklyn, New York. Here many proclaimed the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, to be the messiah. Apparently he never believed in his own messianic calling enough to launch out on any bold moves, such as going to Palestine to proclaim the coming of the kingdom. His supporters were disappointed when he was felled by a stroke and died, in 1994. But some made a correction in their understanding and concluded that he would again reappear as the messiah. Others are not so sure that he will arise before the general resurrection. His grave has an honored place inside a granite edifice in the Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, New York, where many consider it a privilege to take part in a continual prayer vigil. Thousands of Jews, worldwide, apparently support the movement; others simply ignore it. Some scoff at it, while others are deeply disturbed or even angered at the Lubavitcher adherents. Volumes have been written, by both those who support Schneerson and those who oppose this movement.
Has the Messiah come, or do we continue to wait until one comes who fits the qualifications set up by the rabbis? Following are their Talmudic qualifications quoted from The Book of Judges, Kings and Wars 11:1, 3: “King Messiah will arise and restore the kingdom of David to its former state and original sovereignty. He will rebuild the sanctuary and gather the dispersed of Israel. All the ancient laws will be reinstituted in his days; sacrifices will again be offered; the Sabbatical and Jubilee years will again be observed in accordance with the commandments set forth in the Law. Do not think that King Messiah will have to perform signs and wonders, bring anything new into being, revive the dead, or do similar things. It is not so.” The following two specifications were added later: “The Jewish Messiah is truly human in origin, of flesh and blood like all mortals.” Also: “Judaism cannot accept a Messiah who dies in the midst of his redemptive mission.”[4] Some who recently have adamantly risen against the Messianic claims of the Lubavitcher movement have especially seemed disturbed by the fact that he did not meet this last qualification. Why is this such a controversial issue? Could it be that the main impetus behind the opposition is not so much against the Lubavitcher movement, but the fear that by accepting him, one of the mainstays of the opposition against Jesus is undermined and will come to naught?
Also, it is noteworthy that the rabbis included, as quoted above, “Do not think that King Messiah will have to perform signs and wonders, bring anything new into being, revive the dead, or do similar things,” and, “The Jewish Messiah is truly human in origin.” What motivated them to include this? The Israelites had always appreciated signs and miracles. In fact the Pharisees and Sadducees requested a sign from Jesus to prove Himself (Matthew 16:1-4). Was this possibly based, again, on a defense against the One who claimed to be of divine origin and performed many miracles?
Many Jews acknowledge, with the Muslims, that Jesus was a good man, even a prophet, but not the Messiah. Let us take another honest look at this Jesus who claimed to be the Christ (Messiah), the Son of God. Generally, the account of Jesus and His movement as recorded in the New Testament is accepted as dependable history. That does not seem to be a great issue. The issue is whether Jesus was really the Messiah or a good man who took too much upon himself.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Also, “If ye do not believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). If Jesus was not the Messiah, these and many other statements He made would have manifested an extremely haughty spirit of an audacious impostor. One would have to conclude that Jesus was either a liar, insane, or actually the Messiah. A liar or a deceived person could not have also been a good man or a prophet of God; it is dishonoring God to suggest that He would have such a prophet. Jesus could not have taught and lived the lofty principles and performed the miracles He did without God being with Him. (Signs and wonders alone would not vindicate a prophet [Deuteronomy 13:1-3].) An insane or devil-possessed person (as Jesus was accused to be) could not have lived a consistent life as He did.
In John 6:15 we read, “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.” This shows two things:
1. Jesus was different from other would-be messiahs; He did not want to become a ruler of an earthly kingdom.
2. Evidently Jesus’ followers had much the same expectations as the rest of the Jews. They also were looking for a literal deliverance in which the Messiah would restore the kingdom to Israel.
What then was the difference between the Jews who believed in Jesus and those who did not? There are several scriptures in the Bible showing us that God reveals His will to those who are humble, honest and contrite. We will quote a few here: “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14). “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15). The Law of God was not merely given to keep order within God’s Covenant People; it was intended to portray God’s perfect righteousness and man’s inability to fulfill this perfection. This proclaimed man a sinner in need of continual sacrificial offerings as prescribed by the Law. Those who were properly affected by the Law showed a humble, contrite spirit. On the other hand, the hard-hearted and proud credited themselves for their righteous keeping of the Law. In their self-righteousness they were blind to their deep inner need and looked down on others. God speaking through Ezekiel the prophet said: “I will seek that which was lost, and bring that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.” We need to know which category we are in, are we fat and strong—self-satisfied, or do we find ourselves sick and broken, in need of a messiah?
There are probably few Jews living today who would justify the actions taken against Jesus and His early followers. What is important to know, however, is that physical abuse and rejection has its basis in an inner spirit. We may possess this same inner spirit, which in bygone times would have spawned mob action; but in today’s politically correct society is controlled, diplomatic, and subtle. This spirit, which led to the rejection and abuse of Jesus, is not honest, is not tender, not humble. It is not the spirit described in the Scriptures above. Rather, it is dishonest, proud, aloof, and self-righteous, a spirit that is often reinforced by anger. God speaks to man through His Word and deep inner feelings. To be able to understand God we need to approach Him with a humble will and spirit, surrendering all to Him, with a willingness to follow His plan instead of our own.
Those Jews who believed in Jesus were people who were humble and contrite; individuals who felt they were sinners with an inner need, which they were willing to look at honestly. Later, when their understanding was opened, they saw that the New Covenant is a spiritual kingdom and not a literal one. They saw that Jesus’ greatest mission was to save His people from their sins, as prophesied before His birth. The Jews at large were looking for a powerful king, a military leader. Few, if any, were looking for a crucified Messiah. They did not understand the prophecy of Isaiah that foretold how the servant of God would be an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). They did not recall how God had said to Abraham that He would provide the sacrifice for the burnt offering (Genesis 22:8).
For some reason the following prophecy recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34 did not register with them: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord; But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Note, that this was a prophecy about a New Covenant. Nothing is said about a literal kingdom being restored. Note the basis of the people’s relationship with God (knowing God): “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), for which we can read instructions in Leviticus 16, was a major event in the worship of God’s Covenant People. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest first had to make atonement for himself and his house, then for the tabernacle itself because it was defiled by the sins of Israel; then for the people. Their sins were ceremoniously dealt with by selecting two goats: the first goat died as a sin offering; then the high priest confessed the iniquities and transgressions of Israel over the scapegoat, which was then released and bore “upon him all their sins into a solitary land.” The purpose of the day with its ceremonies seems to have been fourfold: First, to show God’s hatred for sin, that the wages of sin is death, and that it takes the shedding of blood to provide remission of sins. Second, to show the contagious nature of sin, for even the Holy Place had to be cleansed (Leviticus 16:16), “because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins.” Third, to point forward by types to the death of “the Lamb of God,” the coming Savior. Fourth, by its repetition year after year, to signify that the way into the very presence of God had not yet been revealed.
What is the greatest need of man? Is it to have the powerful kingdom of David and Solomon restored? The real need of man is an inner need, to be delivered from a life of guilt for past sins and the bondage of present sin. David speaks on this in Psalm 32:1: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” We have all sinned—more than enough to deserve God's condemnation, who is altogether righteous and holy. The only way we can be blessed is if our sins are forgiven; we cannot make ourselves good enough.
Let us take another look at Isaiah chapter 53. We encourage the reader to read all of this chapter, but will here quote verses 3 through 5: “He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Learned men have taken the scripture in Isaiah 53 and have endeavored to show that this was not speaking of the Messiah. Are you honestly convinced that Jesus the Christ did not fit this description? Does it not make sense that His supreme sacrifice would fulfill the sin offerings that were continually made for hundreds of years before and after the giving of the Law?
Jesus said in John 8:24 “For if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Again, sin is the issue; Jesus did not come to be an earthly king. When the angel spoke to Joseph, the betrothed husband of the virgin Mary, he said that “He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God” (Isaiah 58:1-2). Then in the next chapter, verses one and two, He says: “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” If we do not find a solution for our “sin problem,” there will be an insurmountable barrier separating us from a righteous God.
While modern Jews highly value the Torah, actually traditional Judaism is far removed from the religion of Moses and the prophets, and rather reflects the religion of the rabbis who lived and taught precepts (that varied widely) in much later times. There is a tendency to look at Talmudic writings as being ancient and the New Testament as being “new.” The truth is that most of the Talmudic writings are much newer than the New Testament. The Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch), considered the authoritative guideline of Jewish conduct, was completed early in the sixteenth century. Moses, the giver of the law, would need to have the various Jewish practices of today explained such as wearing of the talit (prayershawl), the yarmulke (skullcap), or the various ceremonial washings, the regulation for the right shoe to be put on first, etc. He would wonder why all this, and why the more central parts of the Law are neglected (such as the sacrifices)? He would wonder, why is the shofar not sounded on the Sabbath, and about many of the complex dos and don’ts of modern-day Sabbath observance. The biblical religion of God’s Covenant People was centered around sacrifice and atonement through the shedding of blood. The Jewish religion of today, while it has great variations, has this in common: it has become a religion without sacrifice or atonement.
God spoke through Isaiah the prophet: “The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:1-3). Good works, ethnic pride and satisfaction of achievement will not bring real spiritual fulfillment, nor give deliverance from guilt and sin. Now is the acceptable year of the Lord. God is inviting the Jews, as well as all others, to experience the promises in the above scripture. God is faithful; His Word is the highest authority on earth. When we come to Him in humility and in true repentance, He will not reject our pleas for mercy. Did not God always hear the Israelites of old when they were surrounded by their enemies as they turned to God in humble repentance? We need to humble ourselves, surrender our pre-conceived ideas, and be willing for God to have His way.
Today the door of salvation is open for all, whether Jew or Gentile. God has only good in mind for all. He wants all to surrender their lives to Him, to be blessed in this life with His peace within, and have the hope of eternal life. Do you yearn for a meaningful relationship with God, an inner peace and joy? Surely, it is God's will that we have this today, that we do not merely look with yearning to the past when God's people were recipients of such blessings. Are your prayers and service to God a daily chore or do you pray to Him from the deep inner recesses of your heart?
At one point the Pharisees asked Jesus “when the kingdom of God should come?” He answered them, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Other translations say, “The kingdom of God is among you.” He simply told the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God was already in their midst, it would not arrive with a big display. Many could not accept one who came in the lowly way in which Jesus came on the scene. They did not understand the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” This was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem shortly before His crucifixion, on a donkey that had never before been ridden.
There has been much manipulation of information within the religious world in the Current Era. Some have skillfully lumped Shabbetai Zevi and Jesus into the same category because they both died before establishing the literal Jewish kingdom. Some writers like to say that Jesus’ followers changed their strategy when Jesus failed to establish the literal kingdom. There are many writers and teachers in Christendom (especially since early in the 19th century) who teach similar dogma. Such take scriptures out of Daniel, Revelation and other prophecies that are presented in metaphorical terms and misinterpret clear scriptures. They advocate (with varying interpretations) a second coming of Jesus to a literal reign on earth. For those who love the present world, this is an attractive idea.
God’s plan of redemption was foreordained before the creation of the world, and it was fulfilled with accurate timing. There never was a change in plans. It is true that Jesus’ disciples did not understand many of the truths that Jesus taught them until after His resurrection, when the Lord opened their understanding. They did not fully comprehend the whole truth until they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. At this point they were illuminated and, as Jesus had promised, the Holy Spirit brought back to their remembrance the truths that He had previously told them.
Some have tried to prove that Jesus was not divine, did not even claim it Himself, and that His divinity was an invention of His followers. Jesus, for various reasons, did not always refer to Himself as the Son of God, possibly less than Shabbatai Zevi did. However, for those who really want to know, it is clearly found in the Scriptures, in the prophetic ones as well as the New Testament. Evidently the Jews in His day noticed it. When Jesus hung on the cross the chief priests and others, mocking Him, said, “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God” (Matthew 27:43). When before Pilate, the high priest said to Jesus, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus, who remained quiet when he could have defended himself, this time answered distinctly, “Thou hast said (or, ‘it is as you have said’): nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Upon this the high priest rent his clothes, and said, “He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?” (Matthew 26:63-65)
Some writers have cast a shadow on the sacrifice of Jesus saying that God’s law forbids the offering of human sacrifices. Jesus took upon Himself our sins and therefore incurred the punishment of a just God, who has said that the soul that sins shall die. Sacrifices for sin were an integral part of the Torah. Also, even before the Law was given, Noah, Abraham, and others of God’s people were impressed to offer sacrifices. In spite of these facts Jewish teachers often minimize the need for such offerings. They teach that even though these offerings are no longer made, God somehow manages to forgive our sins without any sacrifice. Is the almighty God no longer powerful enough to maintain His worship in a manner that accords with His Word?
We can study God's Word and pray for years on end, but if we are not willing to surrender our will and way to Him unconditionally and accept the conditions of His covenant, we will fail. We will then, in blindness, come up with all manner of explanations that make sense to us. But God is not mocked; He will not compromise the standard of His Word to accommodate our self-will. It has always been characteristic of God to abhor hypocrisy and divided allegiance. We cannot straddle the fence and hope to have the advantages of “both worlds.” The reason so many who profess religion fail to find satisfaction in their worship of God is that they do not give Him their complete devotion. Thus God leaves them on their own with sad consequences. He has no obligation to bless such people with the good things promised to His Covenant People. Through the ages, when it has seemed that God’s promises were not fulfilled as expected, many have resorted to doing things contrary to His Word, such as propagating their religion with the sword. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
It is only when we surrender all to God, that we experience the peace and joy that remove confusion and darkness from our inner being. Experiencing God’s grace and power within themselves is what convinces true Christians that the plan of God in Jesus Christ is real. Knowledge we gain through study has its place, but we need a deeper anchor. The indwelling Spirit of God is what gives true Christians strength, courage, and joy in tribulation and persecution, even when they face life’s many difficulties, or death. Such people separate themselves from the evil elements of this world, but this does not make them aloof or standoffish. On the contrary, the Spirit of God within them, makes them loving and kind with a desire to reach out and help others.
It has always been the tendency of religious professors to substitute true devotion to God with external service of some kind. Cain was an early example of this. He and Abel both brought their offerings to God, but Cain’s heart was not pure. When God showed him the sin in his life, rather than trying to fill that need, Cain overrode the voice of God and his own conscience and killed his brother in a jealous rage. God has never been satisfied with outward works that come from a divided heart. Today religious traditions are upheld by those who have little devotion for God, including agnostics, who think that if there is a God, He will be favorably impressed by their works. Apparently this mentality has been advocated by leaders in the past. Jewish author, Arthur Hertzberg, writes about such people when he says, “The ancient rabbis had the boldness to put this very idea in the mouth of God: ‘I would not mind if they forsake Me provided that they adhere to My commandments’ (Eichah Rabbah Petichah 2).”[5]
Israel (Jacob) prophesied that “the scepter would not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come” (Genesis 49:10). We understand that “Shiloh” is referring to the Messiah. While the Jews were weakened and downtrodden by the heathen, the scepter did remain with Judah until 6 C.E., after which they no longer had their own ruler. They still had some degree of power when Jesus arrived, and were able to carry on the temple worship. Regular temple worship was discontinued some time before the second temple was destroyed in 70 C.E. After that the Jews have never been able to again institute the worship as defined in the Law of Moses.
We will quote an interesting passage from the Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 39a. Talmudic tradition has it that in the days of Shimon the Righteous, the western lamp in the temple, the only one whose lip faced the Holy of Holies remained lit after all the others would burn out, in spite of the fact that the same amount of oil was put into all the lamps. Also, in the Day of Atonement ceremonies, a strip of combed wool that had been dyed red was tied to the head of the goat Azazel (scapegoat). This strip would miraculously change from red to white, signifying that God had forgiven the sins of Israel. Now the quote: “The Rabbis taught in Baraisa: During the forty years prior to the Destruction of the second Temple, the lot inscribed ‘for Hoshen’ did not come up in the Kohen Gadol’s (priest’s) right hand, nor did the tongue of red wool whiten, nor did the western lamp of the temple Menorah remain lit. And the doors of the sanctuary would open on their own. . . .” We cannot vouch for the authenticity of this passage—only that it is acceptable Jewish writ. However, one cannot help but wonder whether they ever pondered why this cessation of the miraculous signs of God’s acceptance of their sacrificial worship coincided with the time the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom (Mark 15:38), and the Lamb of God was slain, which sacrifice eliminated all need for further sacrifices.
Let us take a look at some of the prophecies of Jesus. Once as Jesus was together with His disciples, they pointed out to Him the remarkable beauty of the temple. He responded by saying that not one stone would be left on top of the other. When His disciples asked how this would come to pass, He shared with them some prophecies about that event. Referring to a prophecy by Daniel, He said that when they see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place they should immediately flee from the city. When this came to pass around forty years later, His people recognized the indicated sign and fled to Pella, north of Jerusalem. Later this flight would have been impossible. Jesus said, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be, and except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22). After the devastation of Jerusalem some seditious activities continued. So the Romans subdued other pockets of rebellion in Judea. Had this campaign not been cut short they would have killed or captured all the Jews, including those at Pella. But due to God’s provisions for the sake of His elect this destruction was cut short. Not until the year 429 C.E. was Jewish influence in Palestine eradicated.
Jesus said, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:34-38). Later Jesus was on trial before Pilate, who symbolically washed his hands before the Israelites, and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” Upon this the Jewish people said, “His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matthew 27:25).
After Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension the Jewish revolts escalated, by reason of various motives. No doubt many of them impudently claimed God’s promises for victory. The Romans did not want a war with the Jews, but preferred to let them live peacefully under Roman rule. Finally about 65 C.E. due to the continued seditions and internal conflicts that cost the lives of tens of thousands, they finally waged a full-scale war against this rebellious tributary nation. The conquest was begun by the Roman general Cestius, carried on by Vespasian, and finished by Titus.
Joseph ben Matthia (later renamed Flavius Josephus by the Romans) describes the wars during this era in his preface to The Wars of the Jews as follows: “Whereas the war which the Jews made with the Romans hath been the greatest of all those, not only that have been in our times, but in a manner, of those that ever were heard of; both of those wherein cities have fought against cities, or nations against nations. . .”
As the Romans were closing in on Jerusalem they learned that Jerusalem was being destroyed from within by famine and by way of diverse factions of robbers and tyrants among themselves. These competing zealots, of the Jews’ own number, were responsible for much of the unprecedented tribulation experienced by the people within the walls of Jerusalem. They killed thousands, including any who they caught with intentions to surrender to the Romans. Many of the residents would have felt it a merciful solution to the situation to be taken by the Romans, but the wicked zealots prevented their surrender.
In 67 C.E. as Vespasian and his son Titus were involved in the conquest of the Jews, they received word that the Emperor Nero was dead. He had ruined himself in wickedness, and eventually had to flee and ended his own life. He was succeeded within a year’s time by three corrupt successors, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, which put the Roman Empire into a very precarious condition. Upon this the Roman army, fearing for the empire, made Vespasian emperor, who rather reluctantly accepted. Meanwhile the Roman army suspended the Jewish conquest for a short time.
After Vespasian was established in the government, he sent his son Titus to finish the Jewish conquest. It is notable how Titus was unwilling to destroy the city, especially the temple. He and Joseph ben Matthia, who as a Jewish general had escaped death and surrendered during the siege of Jotapata, repeatedly pled with the Jews to surrender and save the city, but to no avail. The Jews hated Joseph, because they regarded him as a deserter who should rather have given his life than to go over to the Romans. The city was surrounded the 14th day of Nissan (Passover time), 70 C.E.
Below are listed in brief the factors that made the destruction of Jerusalem such an unusual time of distress and tribulation as predicted by Jesus:
When Jerusalem was surrounded there were large masses of people in the city due to the feast of unleavened bread. Among these people were several factions. Earlier, John of Gischala, a wicked and cruel zealot, had gained a following in the city. Eleazar, the son of Simon resisted John who fortified himself in the temple with a band of adherents. Later the people let Simon son of Gioras and his adherents into the city in hopes that he would subdue John. But he was equally wicked and cruel. These three factions, with John and Simon being especially innovative in wickedness, competed with each other, killing the inhabitants by the thousands, often unexpectedly. The various factions in power did have this in common: they were united in the revolt against the Romans and the opposition to surrender. The general populace was possessed with an unrelenting fear. They could trust no one; they never knew when they met someone whether it was a true friend or someone who might have a hidden weapon with which to kill his neighbor. There was continual brutal, bloodthirsty, and senseless slaughter. What made this especially unusual was the fact that this murder was carried on by those who should have been solicitous for the welfare of the city. In addition to the murder of thousands, many were burned or jumped to their deaths from burning buildings, or took their own lives in other ways.
The famine reduced many people to the level of beasts. History states that one woman killed her sucking child, cooked it and ate part of it. When the robbers smelled the cooking odor and came to investigate what kind of meat may be available here, she, without shame or remorse, showed them the remaining flesh. Children grabbed food away from their parents and parents from their children. People resorted to eating things that normally would be repulsive to even look at. Men slew their whole families to bring to an end the horrors of life in such conditions. Ironically, in all this there remained a lust for gain. Thievery was rampant. Some hoarded treasures in hiding places, only to be slaughtered by others who were hunting for such loot. Some would defect to the Romans, but before going out, would swallow pieces of gold to later be retrieved from their stools. Both the Romans and the robbers within the city became aware of this, and the Romans dissected many who escaped. Inside the city, the robbers now not only killed those who tried to escape, but also cut them open to find any treasures that might be inside their digestive system.
There was no respect shown to the dead. Thousands were carried out of the city or thrown over the wall to decompose in piles. One, Manneus, said that in 2 ½ months, from the 14th of the month Nissan to the 1st of Tamuz, he had counted 115,880 dead being carried out of the one gate he was in charge of. It was said that no fewer than 600,000 were thrown out of the city gates. When they were no longer able to carry out the dead bodies many were stacked in houses to putrefy, while others were simply left wherever they fell. The indescribable stench further served to demoralize the populace.
Increasing the suspension and disappointment was the fact that many still hoped for some miraculous divine deliverance. False prophets arose and got up some of the people’s hopes, only for all such hopes to be crushed.
Joseph ben Matthia writes, “That neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries, nor did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was, from the beginning of the world. . . . They . . . overthrew the city themselves, and forced the Romans, whether they would or no, to gain a melancholy reputation, by acting gloriously against them and did almost draw that fire upon the temple, which they seemed to think came too slowly: and indeed, when they saw the temple burning, from the upper city they were neither troubled at it, nor did they shed any tears on that account, while yet these passions were discovered among the Romans themselves” (Wars 5:10:5). Indeed, as another historian has said, the seditions within destroyed Jerusalem and the Roman army cleaned up what was left of the seditions. The Romans added to the tribulation and hopelessness by daily crucifying prisoners of war by the hundreds, in sight of the city walls.
Titus tried until the end to prevent the destruction of the temple, but was unsuccessful. Finally the beautiful building was altogether destroyed by fires that were set by the zealots and eventually spread by Titus’ own men, who could no longer be controlled because of their disgust and contempt for the actions of the Jewish warriors.
In Deuteronomy 28 is recorded the following prophesy that was promised upon the Jews’ unfaithfulness: “And it shall come to pass that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of 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: In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! And at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! For the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, thou shalt see it no more again; and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bond women, and no man shall buy you” (verses 63-68).
The above scripture was fulfilled at the time Jerusalem was destroyed. The prisoners of war were carried to many countries, including Egypt. Many were sold as slaves, but due to their multitude, the market was flooded and it became difficult to sell them.
These details of the devastation of Jerusalem are not written here with the intent to revive hurt, to fix blame, or remind anyone of past wrongdoing. Rather the account is included because it figures importantly in the overall picture of God’s Covenant People. It shows that this was a fulfillment of predictions made by both God, through Moses, and Jesus. It illustrates the justice of God, that He fulfills His promises, and that when man fails to be faithful to his part of the covenant he will have to reap the consequences as they were spoken by God. It is altogether futile for us to think that when we take our own way God will still grant the blessings included in His part of the covenant.
The ravaging of Jerusalem brought to a climactic end the literal kingdom of Israel, which included a unique combination of secular, civil, and religious authority. This kingdom had not been established by the power of conquest, as other kingdoms, but was established by God, with the instrumentality of His people, to fulfill His great plan. Now God, in the fullness of time, saw fit to let this kingdom come to an end. After this there was no need for a literal kingdom or a special holy place for the sacrificial worship.
Some people feel that later calamities suffered by the Jews, such as the atrocities of the Holocaust, were a punishment from God, still reaching back to the rejection of Jesus. We should commit this to an omniscient, righteous, and merciful God who understands all things and rules over all. Sincere Christians realize that the Lamb of God died for their sins. They do not feel to blame the instruments of this sacrifice, but are humbled by the realization it was their sins that caused the death of the Son of God, and their salvation rests on the shedding of the innocent blood of the Lamb of God.
Since the devastation of Jerusalem in C.E. 70, many efforts were made to again establish an empire, to restore the worship of God in Judah, as outlined in the Torah. Many impressive and zealous battles have been waged. The Roman general, Titus, recognized the zeal of the Jewish warriors in his day and described it as “boldness and rashness.” He felt the Roman army’s disciplined conduct to be far superior. What he did not understand was the fact that when the Israelites were fighting the battles of God, they could go forward with boldness based on faith, and would win the battles. But now God had let the literal kingdom of Israel come to an end. How sad for the tens of thousands of zealots and others who gave, and are yet giving their lives, for the sake of an Israeli kingdom, if this is not within God’s covenant!
In 1948 Israel was given a right to again settle in Palestine, in a part of the original promised land. Many Jews (and Christians) believed this to be the beginning of a return to power and glory, a paving of the way for the Redeemer to set up His kingdom. The Jews are divided in their view of Zionism and the “Homeland.” Some believe that Palestine belongs to the Israelis, even though others may have occupied the territory for hundreds of years. They feel authorized to force out these “squatters.” This would seem biblical if they are yet under the old Mosaic Covenant. Others have advocated that the conquest of Canaan was promised only once to the Israelites and they should not try to repeat the event.[6]
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream during the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, which left him with a special impression and therefore also an urge to know the meaning of the dream. But he had forgotten the details of the dream. The prophet Daniel, by the providence of God, finally came on the scene and accepted the assignment to recall and interpret the king’s dream. Nebuchadnezzar had seen a great image, which depicted various kingdoms, including his own. Daniel concluded the interpretation with these words, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2).
All reasonable Bible students agree that some scriptures need to be literally interpreted, and others spiritually. The image seen in the king’s dream pointed to the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman kingdoms, and encompassed an era from the time of the dream in 603 B.C.E. to some time after 476 C.E. when the Roman Empire fell. (Fragments of the Roman Empire carried on in a weakened state for some time after the powerful empire came to an end.) During this time (“in the days of these kings”) a kingdom would be established that would never be left to others, as all others have, but would exist forever. What kingdom arose in that era that has existed ever since and will exist forever? Obviously this cannot be applied to an earthly kingdom, because none such came into being. This must be speaking of the kingdom of Jesus the Messiah, which was established in the era specified and shall never end. This kingdom, which is the fulfillment of the original Abrahamic covenant, has continued as a beacon of light through centuries of persecution, of political and religious entities rising and falling. On the last Day of Judgment heaven and earth will pass away and all earthly kingdoms will come to an end, but His Kingdom will remain for all eternity.
True Christians are now in the peaceable kingdom of Christ, the New Covenant. The invitation of Jesus the Messiah is to everyone, Jews and Gentiles, to surrender to Him, and join this Kingdom; to “beat their swords into plow shares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4). One can almost hear those Jews and Christians who advocate a literal reign of the Messiah on earth speak up quickly and say, This is speaking of a literal kingdom on earth, when the cow and the bear shall feed together (Isaiah 11:6-9). We say, this scripture is fulfilled now in God’s Covenant People when hateful, murderous, lustful men become harmless, meek, and chaste men of God. Jews, Gentiles, and people of all races and backgrounds can come together and dwell peacefully. Furthermore, if you wish to take this scripture literally, then where are the literal swords and spears that will be converted to literal plowshares and pruning hooks?
God no longer is fighting literal battles for His Covenant People. Those who do so are part of this earthly kingdom. However, God rules and overrules in the kingdoms of this world. “The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Daniel 4:32). In His great overall plan He uses the “powers that be,” to execute His justice, as He used Pharaoh of old, and the Roman Empire. The day of reckoning came for the Egyptians and the Romans when the time was ripe. God’s statement to Noah has been repeatedly fulfilled: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed” (Genesis 9:6). We have a choice, to identify ourselves with the nations of this world and be among those who God sets up and puts down (Daniel 5:19), or to join the eternal peaceable kingdom of Jesus where we are God’s Covenant People who are above this world’s political fray.
Arthur Hertzberg, in his book, Jews, wrote of his concerns about modern-day Jewish zealots who wished to revive the old fervor for Zionism instead of recognizing the wisdom of others who felt it is better to live peacefully amidst hostile nations. He was simply advocating the need of using wisdom and self-restraint for the sake of Jewish self-preservation. It is striking how he foretold, pre-1998, the devastating terrorism that has since come to pass, probably in a much greater measure than he imagined.[7] In the world’s complex conditions of hatred, war, and terrorism, the only viable solution for the individual who wants security is to leave everything behind and join the Peaceable Eternal Kingdom of Jesus the Messiah. Then, should one fall prey to the ravishes of persecution or war or terrorism, he need not fear, for the Captain of his salvation will welcome home those who have joined the Kingdom of His Covenant. Of course, one can almost hear the opposition say, as the Jewish leaders of old, “If we let him thus alone. . . the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation” (John 11:18). Remember what happened in 70 C.E.! It was not the peace-loving Christians who brought on the destruction of the Jewish nation.
It is this writer’s opinion, as well as other Bible scholars, that much of prophecy cannot be fully understood until the time when it is fulfilled. Then it falls in place for those who have their wills surrendered to God. It is a comfort to them, for they can see that it all fits together. Much deception is brought about by those who try to figure out prophecy and then have the boldness to propagate their views. Many then become disillusioned and discouraged when it doesn't come to pass like they thought it would. Some will then, instead of humbling themselves and honestly admitting error, continue to hold their position with certain adjustments of interpretation. It is a fearful thing to handle the Word of God in a dishonest manner.
The Torah does not contain permission to ignore the commandments of the Day of Atonement and the other offerings. Jesus did not take away these commandments, but fulfilled them. He satisfied the righteousness of God, because no one else could do so. He died to pay the death penalty that was ours by the sins we committed. He became our eternal High Priest, the Mediator of a New Covenant. His blood is sufficient for the sins of the whole world, including those who lived before His sacrifice. But only those who submit themselves to His covenant can be partakers in the same. As the Son of God, He had the authority to bring a New Covenant or Testament, as predicted in Jeremiah 31:31-34. This covenant went into effect when it was sealed with His blood. A last will and testament is not in force until the death of the testator.
“Salvation is of the Jews,” Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:22). Jesus was a Jew Himself. The Jews were the conveyers of truth. God did not reject the Jews—His promises are irrevocable. And now He has opened the way for all to become part of God’s Covenant People, the present spiritual Israel. He cries to all, Jews and Gentiles, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He extended the canopy of His Covenant to include all nations and peoples who come to Him. Both Jews and Gentiles, who serve Jesus Christ, are now together the spiritual Israel of God, His Covenant People. By way of the New Birth (John 3:5-8) we can all be born into the spiritual Kingdom of Israel. Ethnical lineage no longer gives one exclusive privilege.
It is noteworthy that generally the rabbinical predictions about the restored kingdom of Israel focus only on the Jews. The Abrahamic promise was that in his seed all nations would be blessed. This and other prophesies clearly indicate that the door would be opened for all the world to come in.
Let us not harden our hearts when God speaks to us, for today we can still respond. We are living in a precious time of grace in which we are free to make decisions for our life, whether we want to listen to the voice of God or take our own way. The day is coming when we will see Jesus face to face, no longer as a bleeding sacrifice, but a mighty judge. Then time will be no more. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him” (Revelation 1:7). Will we then be of those who weep because we recall the times when we heard the voice of God and rejected it, or will we be of those who rejoice because we heard His voice and yielded? Today is the day of salvation, today if you hear His voice please do not harden your heart! If we take our own way, ignoring God’s word, the time will come when we will fall into the hands of a righteous God who then has no obligation to impart to us the advantages of His Covenant, regardless of our lineage or other supposed advantages.
We will close with the words of the writer to the Hebrews: “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will” (chapter 2:2-4).
[1]Jacob R. Marcus, The Jew in the Medieval World (Cincinnati: Sinai Press, 1938), P. 166.
[2]Ibid. P. 167
[3]Christ and the Caesars, P. 212
[4] The Messianic Idea in Israel, 1955, P. 520.
[5]Jews, by Arthur Hertzberg and Aron Hirt-Manheimer, P. 260.
[6]Ibid. P. 19.
[7]Ibid., P. 275