2023 Nov-Dec Zion's Fire Magazine

Post-War Gaza: What to Watch for in the Middle East Flashpoint GeoProphecy Report

Theodor Herzl’s “The Jewish State”

Adopted Into God’s Family

Galatians Part 10

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Zion’s Fire Magazine

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INSIGHT FEATURE GEOPROPHECY REPORT 4 11 16

Post-War

Gaza: What to Watch for in the Middle East

David Rosenthal

Look for Arab nations working with Israel to establish a stable Gaza fueled by the international influx of dollars, resources, and peacekeepers. Whatever the scenario, one thing is certain: The changes that will soon occur are setting the stage for the end of the age.

COVER FEATURE

Has the Church Replaced Israel?

David Ettinger

Replacement Theology teaching nullifies God’s promises to Israel, calling into question His very character. God promised ultimate salvation and redemption to Israel at the end of the age. If replacement proponents are correct, does this mean God has changed His mind? Is He not unchangeable?

Herzl’s “The Jewish State”

Dr. Gary Cohen

Theodor Herzl’s The Jewish State gave direction and life to the Zionist Movement that called for the creation of a Jewish homeland. This document so moved the idea of a Jewish State that it propelled the actions which years later became the modern nation of Israel.

INSIGHT FEATURE

Adopted Into God’s Family

Marv Rosenthal

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WHAT'S NEXT IN THE MIDDLE EAST?

WHICH NATIONS ARE THE KEY PLAYERS IN GOD’S PROPHETIC PLAN FOR THE LAST DAYS? IS THE WAR IN GAZA A PRELUDE TO THE END?

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Following the cross-border massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists against 1,400 innocent Israeli citizens, Americans, and other foreign nationals this past October, no one was surprised by Israel’s strong initial military response. Few, however, expected to see the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) implement an extended, multiphased military campaign in Gaza. This protracted response, which included a brief cease-fire to facilitate the release of hostages, made it clear that Israel is no longer willing to live with the status quo in Gaza.

Israeli citizens have endured the constant threat of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad along their southern border for decades. Since 2001, tens of thousands of rockets have rained down on Israeli communities – while the world has said very little in condemnation of these attacks. Israel’s response has been to retaliate with targeted missile strikes against Hamas leaders, their strongholds, bomb factories, and tunnels –but only for a brief time due to the constraints of global pressure and concerns over inciting a larger war.

The massacre of October 7, however, has awakened the citizenry and government of Israel – uniting them in resolve to finally bring Hamas’ reign of terror to an end. During the past few months, the IDF has successfully weakened the terror organization and destroyed a significant portion of its infrastructure.

Eliminating Hamas, however, is by no means a foregone conclusion. The IDF has been tasked with what many believe to be an impossible mission: Root out and destroy terrorists – who don’t wear military uniforms – who attack from an underground labyrinth of tunnels, and who hide behind women and children within their own civilian population.

Despite the uncertain outcome of the ongoing military campaign, many are looking ahead and asking these questions:

■ “If Israel eliminates Hamas, what will post-war Gaza look like?”

■ “Who will be able to bring stability and security to this narrow strip of land inhabited by more than two million Palestinians?”

These are extremely difficult and thorny questions to answer –not only for Israel, but for the surrounding Arab world as well. However, before attempting to answer, let’s consider the current dynamics within the surrounding nations:

Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, is deeply worried that Palestinians fleeing Gaza will flood into northern Sinai – bringing both civilian chaos and Hamas into Egypt. The Egyptian economy is already stretched to the breaking point, and it can ill-afford additional security costs and a potential humanitarian crisis within its borders.

Jordan already has a large Palestinian population, which poses a continual and growing threat to Jordan’s king. He is not a Palestinian, but a descendant of the Hashemite dynasty that has ruled the region since 1921. His queen is a Palestinian, and he knows he must show outward support for the Palestinians in Gaza to quell the anger within his own population.

But for pragmatic reasons, he has no desire to allow more Palestinians into Jordan.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia don’t share the same security and financial pressures Egypt and Jordan are facing during the current war in Gaza. However, the UAE must walk a political tightrope due to reestablishing ties with Israel in 2020 through their signing of the Abraham Accords. The UAE must respond to the war in Gaza with skillful precision so as not to anger the Muslim world or alienate its new economic partner, Israel.

Saudi Arabia, in many ways, has the most to gain, but also much to lose in respect to the outcome of the war in Gaza. Here are the reasons:

Saudi Arabia is being targeted for destruction by two powerful enemies. The first is no secret – Iran. As the center of Shia Islam, Iran has ambitions to dominate the Islamic world and reestablish the greatness of its former Persian Empire. Rival Saudi Arabia, which is the center of Sunni Islam – with its religious cities of Mecca and Medina – stands in the way of Iran’s path to power.

The second enemy of the Saudi kingdom is Turkey. The President of Turkey has for years been quietly surrounding the Arabian peninsula with Turkish military assets along the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Similar to Iran, Turkey has ambitions to reestablish the greatness of its former Ottoman Empire, and to retake control of the land it once controlled. These areas include Jerusalem and the cities of Mecca

and Medina in Arabia.

Essentially, these threats are catalysts driving the Saudi monarchy toward making peace with Israel.

Both the Saudis and Israelis are being overtly targeted by Iran, and tacitly targeted by Turkey. Israel, and, by extension, the United States have the military presence and advanced technological weapons systems to arm and protect the Saudi kingdom from Iranian military threats. (Turkey, on the other hand, is part of NATO, which creates a very complicated problem for the U.S.)

In addition, Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations stand to benefit economically by normalizing relations with Israel. A major new trade route, intended to counter China’s Belt and Road system, was recently announced in the Middle East. The land-and-sea route will link India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel with Europe.

In light of these and other obvious benefits from Saudi-Israeli normalization, why has the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia not yet signed onto the Abraham Accords with Israel? It may be for one reason. His father, the King has repeatedly issued a long-standing prerequisite for making peace with Israel. Israel, he has said, must agree to a pathway for Palestinian statehood – essentially agreeing to a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

I suspect the war in Gaza may continue for some time. But I believe a plan will begin to emerge from the shadows that may include similar components to former President Trump’s Peace to Prosperity plan, which he released in 2020 before the Abraham Accords were signed.

Though his plan had detractors (which included Palestinian leaders), it was touted by many others as a viable plan for improving the lives of the Palestinian people and providing

safe and secure borders for Israel. The 180-page proposal detailed an economic and political strategy based on a step-by-step process that would require Palestinians to adhere to specific criteria, including the acceptance of peaceful coexistence with Israel. In return, international investment funding would then flow into Gaza and the West Bank for the purpose of rebuilding infrastructure and creating improved economic conditions.

One of the biggest challenges to the plan when it was released back in 2020 was Hamas. Foreign governments and investors were averse to investing significant funds into Gaza with an Islamic terrorist organization in power.

Flash forward to today. If Israel is indeed successful in eliminating Hamas, a post-war plan may emerge that calls for a multi-national Arab force to provide security within Gaza for the purpose of facilitating a stable Palestinian government.

It would also not be surprising to see Saudi Arabia and the UAE among the largest financiers of a new Palestinian endeavor in Gaza and the West Bank. And, as part of the arrangement, Egypt may be coerced into giving up a small portion of the Sinai to relocate displaced Palestinians – providing the land necessary to eventually create an economically viable Palestinian State.

In this potential scenario, Saudi Arabia would be able to make the claim before the entire Muslim world that it is a champion of the Palestinian cause in Gaza and the West Bank, and has acted in their best interest. Most importantly in the minds of the Saudi monarchs, they would then be able to move forward with their pragmatic desire to sign the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel.

Back in 2020, the political pieces on the chessboard were not yet

aligned for this pivotal move to be played. But the war in Gaza, and the potential for Hamas to be eliminated by Israel, may pave the way for the Saudis to make peace with Israel. If this happens, it will be an absolute “game-changer” in the Middle East. Most importantly, it will catapult the Middle East ever closer to the North vs. South alignment of nations described in the last-days invasion of Israel in Ezekiel 38. u

EDITOR’S NOTE: From a biblical perspective, the Promised Land was given by God to the Jewish people – Abraham’s descendants through Isaac and Jacob – as an everlasting inheritance. Any attempt to divide the land is in direct conflict with God’s desire. Nonetheless, I believe it’s crucial for believers to stay apprised of the current situation in Israel and any potential developments in the region that have bearing on biblical prophecy.

CONNECT

Post-War Gaza: What to Watch for in the Middle East

David Rosenthal

Has the Church Israel? Replaced

For most of Church history, the place of Israel in God’s present and end-times scenario has been controversial, divisive, and egregiously flawed.

It was Catholic theologian Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430), better known as Saint Augustine, who spread the teaching that though God had chosen the Jews as a special people, their dispersion by the Roman Empire in A.D. 70 was a fulfillment of prophecy.

Augustine believed God allowed the Jewish people to survive this “scattering” as a warning to Christians regarding the consequences of disobedience to God. Subsequently, Augustine began to question those portions of the Bible relating to Israel and erroneously surmised those passages were allegorical (figurative, or a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning) rather than literal.

He concluded, for instance, that the 1,000-year kingdom of which Revelation 20 speaks cannot be literal, but rather spiritual. The kingdom of God, he declared, is “in the hearts” of faithful believers, but was never intended to find its fruition in actuality – a physical kingdom on Earth over which Christ will rule.

Augustine’s beliefs led to his allegorizing much of the Bible, the prophetic sections in particular. In Augustine’s approach, the Last Days were no longer the Last Days; Israel was no longer Israel; Jerusalem was no longer Jerusalem; the house of David was no longer the house of David; and 1,000 years

did not mean a literal 1,000 years. Under this allegorical system of interpretation, the Bible became subjective – it could mean whatever the reader wanted it to mean.

This system allowed the Church to become a “new Israel” and, in so doing, acquire for herself all of the blessings promised to the Jewish people, while at the same time assign to the Jewish people all of the divine curses. Augustine’s teachings gave rise to theological anti-Semitism; the worst kind of anti-Semitism because it attacks the soul. In other words, physical anti-Semitism causes physical wounds; but theological anti-Semitism says to the Jewish people, “You killed Christ, and therefore you must pay the penalties – both physical and spiritual – for it.”

Such false and despicable accusations created revulsion in the heart of the Jew toward Christianity. The Catholic Church’s “anti-Semitism,” which began with Augustine, was among the leading contributors to the Jewish people being unreceptive toward the Gospel. Tragically, this theological anti-Semitism is still very much intact today in many churches and denominations, and continues to be a primary stumbling block keeping Jewish people from accepting their own Messiah. Logically speaking, why would the Jewish people want to convert to or accept a belief system that has deemed them cursed by God and deserving of destruction?

Tragically, centuries later, the Reformers of the 16th century embraced Augustine’s allegorical views of prophecy and subsequent condemnation of the Jewish people. Yes, such men as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and their fellow reformers were instrumental in helping worshipers break free from the corruption and false doctrine of Roman Catholicism and embrace a more biblical Christianity. However, they continued to staunchly hold to Augustine’s distorted view of Israel in God’s redemptive plan and their understanding of prophecy.

Luther was at first warmly disposed toward the Jewish people. However, in the 1540s, his viewpoint drastically changed as the Jewish community did not embrace him and his break with Rome. He turned on them and had a change of heart regarding

how the Jewish people should be treated. Luther advocated the confiscation of Jewish writings, the destruction of Jewish homes and synagogues, prohibiting rabbis from teaching, and eventually the expulsion of Jews from Europe.

Did all reformers share Luther’s views? Not to his extent. However, no significant figure of the Reformation came forward with a compassionate understanding of the Jewish people’s place in God’s program of history. The Reformers upheld the distorted view that although the Church had declared the Gospel to them, the Jewish people had their opportunity and rejected it.

Sadly, this mindset has carried on through the centuries. Most of today’s mainline denominations trace their origins back to the Reformation, erroneously adhering to the Augustinian/Reformist view of Israel and the Jewish people.

This brings us to what we, without reservation, label the abhorrent doctrine of “Replacement Theology,” with its primary tenet that the Church has “replaced” Israel and all of God’s “good” promises to Israel have been transferred to the Church. The word abhorrent is not too strong for this growing and fraudulent belief system. For instance, how can some words, such as “God,” “sin,” “salvation,” “redemption,” “Jesus,” “justified,” and “faith” mean exactly what they are said to mean, but “Israel” does not mean “Israel”? How is it that “faith” means “faith” and “sin” means “sin,” but somehow “Israel” means “the Church”?

Ultimately, what makes Replacement Theology so difficult to digest is that it nullifies God’s promises to Israel, thereby calling into question the very character of God. Can He be trusted? God promised ultimate salvation and redemption to Israel at the end of the age. Replacement proponents say, “No, He didn’t.” Yet, the Old and New Testaments are filled with these promises. If Replacement adherents are correct, does this mean God has changed His mind? Is God not unchangeable?

We read: “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent [change His mind]: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Written by David Ettinger

Why would the Jewish people want to convert to or accept a belief system that has deemed them cursed by God and deserving of destruction?

?

Ultimately, what makes Replacement Theology so difficult to digest is that it nullifies God’s promises to Israel, thereby calling into question the very character of God. Can He be trusted?

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

- Matthew 3:1-2

The Bible speaks clearly of this physical kingdom which will be instituted on planet Earth, one that will exist for 1,000 years.

(Numbers 23:19). If God has changed His mind without telling us, how then can we trust anything He has said? If Israel is no longer Israel, as Replacement Theology asserts, then what can we trust? Does “salvation” mean “salvation”? Does “redemption” mean “redemption”? Does anything in the Bible mean what it says? Do we really have an authoritative Word from God, or are we treading in quicksand?

The Amillennial/Preterist

Fallacy

One of the reasons Replacement adherents believe as they do is because of their view of the “kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33), also known as the “kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 3:2). The question has to do with the “literalness” of the kingdom: is it a real, physical kingdom with subjects, a geographical land, and a ruler, or does it exist solely in the hearts of God’s followers?

This denial of a literal 1,000-year kingdom is called “amillennialism,” the letter “a” offsetting what follows. Just as the word “amoral” means “no morals,” so the word “amillennial” means “no millennial.”

Most Replacement proponents also subscribe to a viewpoint called “preterism” – the belief that the vast majority of biblical prophecies have already occurred. Therefore, with the exception of Christ’s return and the rapture of the Church, preterists consider all other prophecy as fulfilled – including all promises to Israel.

Much of preterism – especially the belief of no physical kingdom – centers on Jesus’ statement to Pontius Pilate in John 18:36: “My kingdom is not of this world.”

Preterists reason: If Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, then it must be spiritual only, hence no physical millennial kingdom. However, this is not what Jesus inferred. His

Replacement proponents, that is, amillennialists / preterists, for the most part deny a literal millennial (1,000-year) kingdom, and with it, any future significance regarding Israel.

John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). The term “at hand” can also be read “is here” or “has come.” The kingdom was at hand because the King – Jesus –was present. John the Baptist preached repentance from sin in order for the kingdom to be ushered in. However, the people of Israel rejected the King, and no kingdom was established. Christ’s kingdom awaits His Second Coming.

The Bible speaks clearly of this physical kingdom which will be instituted on planet Earth, one that will exist for 1,000 years. Revelation 20:1-7 refers to this very specific 1,000-year kingdom six times. This is called the “Millennial Kingdom,” millennium referring to a span of 1,000 years. Though Revelation 20 is the only place that speaks about the exact duration of the kingdom, the concept of the kingdom stretches throughout the Word of God.

Replacement proponents, however, deny there will be a physical kingdom.

meaning was: I could never reign over a sin-stained, unredeemed world. I can only reign over an Earth that has been cleansed, purged, and renewed. The apostle Peter speaks of our planet’s purging (2 Peter 3:10), at which time Christ will return to rule a cleansed Earth (Revelation 19:11-16).

Replacement proponents, that is, amillennialists/preterists, for the most part deny a literal millennial (1,000-year) kingdom, and with it, any future significance regarding Israel. Since Israel, they believe, has no specific role after the time of Christ and the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, Replacement adherents do not acknowledge the biblical and prophetic significance of modern-day Israel.

Reason defies such a denial of Israel’s relevance. We can only surmise that those who believe the resurrection of the modern nation of Israel during the past 75 years has no biblical or prophetic significance are spiritually blind regarding this crucial issue.

An Actual, Literal Millennial Kingdom

Replacement doctrine to the contrary, throughout the Old Testament, God promises to Israel a literal, tangible kingdom where the children of Israel – living in faith in their Messiah – can thrive in peace and safety. Several verses speak of this kingdom:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations ... (Isaiah 2:2-4).

Those who accept the Bible as literal need not apologize for taking the above passage at face value. This is what God said; why should we reduce it to symbolism when the rest of the Book of Isaiah is literal? The passage speaks of nations streaming into the established capital of God’s kingdom and being taught of the Lord, and the absence of war. Why should this not be read as literal? This promise to Israel has never been fulfilled, therefore it refers to the future. It takes a forced theology to attribute this glorious passage to metaphor.

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the ... child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the [vipers’] den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah11:6-9).

This wondrous passage speaks of the peaceful nature of God’s Millennial Kingdom that will be ruled by Jesus. This is what the Garden of Eden was like until sin led to Earth’s corruption. Following this era of history, there will be a new, 1,000-year era which will bring a reinstitution of God’s original design for Earth. Why is this so difficult to accept as literal? Why attribute it to metaphor? If God can create the universe and all it contains and design it for perfection, why can’t He restore the universe to its original state? In fact, the apostle Paul tells us that “the whole creation” is longing for such a time (Romans 8:22).

Space prohibits printing the entire Isaiah 65:20-25 passage, but as you read it, note the mention of literal long life, houses, vineyards, fruit, children, descendants, and animals. Why would the reader have any compulsion to not construe this passage literally? The answer is simple: if not prompted by skewed theology, the reader would have absolutely no reason to convert this very literal passage into metaphoric speculation.

“Okay,” you may be thinking, “that was the Old Testament; what about the New? What does the New Testament have to say about Israel?” Let’s see.

Luke 1:32: The angel Gabriel, while appearing to a startled young virgin named Mary, says, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.” The verse, of course, speaks of the Child Mary would bear, Jesus, and His future destiny. Gabriel promises Mary that Jesus will be the King of Israel, assuming His rightful place as a descendant of David. Gabriel doesn’t qualify this promise by saying, “By the way, Mary, I meant this in a figurative way. Your Son is not really going to reign over Israel as a descendant of David.” Gabriel spoke literally, and what he said was to be construed as literal.

Matthew 16:28: Jesus says, “ Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” Shortly following, Jesus is “transfigured” before three of His disciples, a “sneak preview” of how He will appear when He

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

- Romans 8:22-23

Most Replacement proponents also subscribe to a viewpoint called “preterism” – the belief that the vast majority of biblical prophecies have already occurred.

WATCH

For more teaching by David Ettinger on this topic, scan the QR code above to watch The Israel of God.

The Words of the apostle Paul:

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.

- Romans 11:1-2a

returns to Earth to rule for 1,000 years. Again, where do we read Jesus saying to Peter, James, and John that this kingdom was anything but literal? He knew the Jewish people were expecting a literal kingdom, and Jesus speaks in these terms.

Matthew 19:28: Jesus tells His disciples, “Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Where is the metaphor? There is no context for it. In very real terms and to very real men, Jesus spoke of a very real throne of His own, twelve very real thrones for His disciples, and twelve very real tribes of a very real Israel. There is no allowance for attributing this promise to metaphor – or the Church.

Matthew 20:21: James and John’s mother requests of Jesus, “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.” Jesus replies that it is not for Him to determine who does what in the kingdom to come; rather, He is more concerned that James and John are willing to die for Him (Matthew 20:22-23). Again, it is important to note that Jesus does not “correct” the dear woman’s thinking concerning the kingdom; He fully takes what she says at face value and replies in like manner. They both share the same understanding regarding Christ’s future kingdom.

Luke 23:42: The thief on the cross asks Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom. With death imminent, it’s senseless to attribute this to metaphor. Only a literal kingdom – and citizenship there via resurrection – makes sense.

Acts 1:6-7: When the disciples ask Jesus if He will restore the kingdom, He does not “correct” their thinking, telling them the kingdom is spiritual. He says, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons …” indicating the kingdom is indeed literal. In essence, Jesus is saying, “Yes, the kingdom is coming, but not yet.” He never hints at a metaphorical kingdom.

1 Corinthians 15:24: The apostle Paul writes: “Then cometh the end, when he [Jesus] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have

put down all rule and all authority and power.” The words “kingdom,” “rule,” “authority,” and “power” are all literal. Following that golden era, Jesus will deliver a literal kingdom to God the Father.

The main point of the previous verses is their “literalness”: Jesus was a real descendant of the real Jewish people, returning as “the Lion of the tribe of Juda” (Revelation 5:5) to a real world, a real people living in a real geographical region, to rightfully claim the real throne of Israel and of this world.

In Conclusion

Despite the overwhelming scriptural evidence to the contrary, to most Replacement proponents, there is no literal physical kingdom. The “thousand years” is merely figurative. Israel had her opportunity, rejected Christ, and as a result is out of God’s plan and purpose for the earth. Therefore, the modern state of Israel has no place in God’s end-time scenario and her return to the land in 1948 was merely the working of humanity, not God. As such, none of the biblical promises made to Israel are in effect. Instead, those promises have transferred to the Church.

The Book of Romans has been called the greatest document ever written. Contained within it is Paul’s assessment of Israel and the Church. In Romans 11, Paul pens this definitive statement: “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath NOT cast away his people which he foreknew” (Romans 11:1-2a, emphasis added).

This cannot be any clearer. When Paul says “Israel,” he is NOT referring to the Church. The context of Romans 9, 10, and 11 is absolutely Israel. However, it is to the Church Paul asks: “Hath God cast away his people?” Replacement proponents say “Yes!” This is tragic considering Paul answers his own question by saying, “God forbid.” This term is a powerful Hebrew idiom which, in essence, means, “Absolutely not! Don’t even think such a thought!”

So, dear reader, has God abandoned Israel and replaced her by transferring her promises to the Church? “Absolutely not! Don’t even think such a thought!” u

HERZL’S

“ JEWISH STATE”

HISTORIC WRITINGS

Occasionally, certain historic writings have propelled society to make changes; they were written at a key moment in time. Many of them were wonderful, upright, and moral, calling for justice and right action.

Some were morally corrupt, impelling civilized people to take a step backwards.

Such was Rousseau’s Social Contract, written in 1762, which gave a waiting Europe the rationale for the French Revolution by denying the “divine right” of kings and explaining that there existed a social contract of mutual obligation between a king and his people.

The Declaration of Independence, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson and implemented July 4, 1776, expressed the mind of the colonial representatives and, by its clear and eloquent presentation of reasons and evidence, helped forward the creation of the federal republic of the United States of America.

Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, which he nailed to the large door of Wittenberg church on October 31, 1517, caused the religious explosion that became known as the Protestant Revolution.

The Communist Manifesto of 1848, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, was also an earth-moving document, except in this case for evil as it gave a seemingly moral and economic basis for pent-up discontent and political revolutions to come.

So too, The Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin in 1859 was a voluminous compendium which gave a seeming scientific rationale buttressing the teaching of

organic evolution.

Of course, collections of documents, such as the Old Testament and the New Testament Scriptures have, by the Spirit of God, changed lives and nations through the centuries.

Similarly, Theodore Herzl’s The Jewish State, written originally in German in Vienna, published in 1896, gave direction and life to the Zionist Movement that called for the creation of a Jewish homeland in Israel, then called Palestine. This document so moved the idea of a Jewish State – explaining with enthusiasm that it was possible and urging its accomplishment – that it propelled the actions which years later became the modern nation of Israel.

Although only 35 years old at the time he wrote The Jewish State, Herzl became known as the modern-day Father of Israel, and he is thusly buried on Mount Herzl (named in his honor). When I first saw his simple but imposing rectangular polished marble tomb in January of 1968, I recall that the only inscription carved upon the tombstone was the four letters in Hebrew, HRZL. The guide said, “This is all that is necessary for us. We know who he is and what he meant to the creation of this country.”

Written by Dr. Gary Cohen

Although only 35 years old at the time he wrote The Jewish State, Herzl became known as the modern-day Father of Israel . . .

Herzl was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1860. He received his Jewish training from his father and attended the nearby synagogue with him.

. . . ANTI-SEMITISM WAS NOT MERELY A PREJUDICE AMONG THE IGNORANT MASSES, BUT THAT OTHERWISE EDUCATED EUROPEANS ALSO ACCEPTED IT AND ATTEMPTED TO JUSTIFY IT.

Circumstances of Its Writing

Herzl was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1860. He received his Jewish training from his father and attended the nearby synagogue with him. Around the time of his bar mitzvah, when became a “son of the commandments” at age 13, his youthful writings speak of his dreams of the KingMessiah’s coming.

His mother was more the educated woman, steeped in the knowledge of the German classics which she passed on to her son. He was all too familiar as a youth with anti-Semitism, and recalled that one of his teachers defined the word “heathen” to the class as “such as idolaters, Mohammedans, and Jews.”1

By age 18, Herzl’s family moved to Vienna and there he, along with his own voracious literary studies, began the study of law. At that time, he considered himself to be an “Austrian patriot.” In 1881, he read Eugen D¨uhring’s book, The Jewish Question as a Question of Race, Morals and Culture, which attempted to justify antiSemitism on the grounds that the Jews were a biologically inferior race. This was a shock to him as it brought out the fact that anti-Semitism was not merely a prejudice among the ignorant masses, but that otherwise educated Europeans also accepted it and attempted to justify it.2

In October 1894, a French captain of the Army, Alfred Dreyfus, was arrested after being accused of selling secret French military plans to German Major von Schwartzkoppen.

In July 1884, he was admitted to the legal bar of Vienna and entered government service for a short while. He soon decided that as a Jewish person there, his climb to success would be slow, so he decided to become a writer. He was fortunate enough to be hired by the Neue Frie Presse, an important continental newspaper, and was asked to be their correspondent in Paris. While there, Herzl encountered more anti-Semitism. Then came the decisive blow.

In October 1894, a French captain of the Army, Alfred Dreyfus, was arrested after being accused of selling secret French military plans to German Major von Schwartzkoppen. One must realize that

during this time, still 20 years prior to World War I, the French and German High Commands both feared and anticipated a war between their two countries. At the time, they believed the difference between victory and defeat lay in their plans for a rapid, full mobilization and movement of their armies during the initial days of the war. Dreyfus was accused of selling the French Army’s plans. Dreyfus was Jewish.

While covering the case, Herzl – who was a young reporter and also still a lawyer–came to believe Dreyfus was innocent and was being made the scapegoat of higher French military officers solely because he was Jewish. Herzl later wrote:

The Dreyfus case embodies more than a judicial error; it embodies the desire … to condemn a Jew, and to condemn all Jews in this one Jew. “Death to the Jews!” howled the mob, as the decorations were being ripped from the captain’s coat … Where? In France. In republican, modern, civilized France.3

Dreyfus was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island in French Guiana, a forsaken, lonely, small prison colony on an Island just north of Brazil on the northeast coast of South America.

A few years later, in 1898, French writer Emile Zola, at the risk of his career and life, rocked France and the European community when he came out with his epic work, J’accuse (“I Accuse”). This book presented

1 The Jewish State by Theodore Herzl. Notes by A. Bein & L. Lipsky. New York: American Zionist Emergency Council, 1946. pp. 23-24.

2 Theodore Herzl: A Biography; Alex Bein, pp. 25-26.

3 Herzl, p. 34.

compelling evidence that not only was Captain Dreyfus not guilty of treason, but certain French officers actually forged documents to get Dreyfus convicted.

This was done to sweep the entire incident quickly under the table and, therefore, release the French High Command from accusations of lax security. Dreyfus’ commission in the French Army was later reinstated and he went on to serve in WWI, retiring honorably with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

By November 1894, however, none of this had happened. Dreyfus was convicted and sent to Devil’s Island, and cries against the Jews were heard all over France and Europe. Herzl was in shock and, in 1895, wrote Der Judenstaat, which was published in 1896. He concluded that the battle against anti-Semitism could only be won by a mass migration of Jews back to their historic Promised Land and the establishment of the state in which Jews would be welcomed and safe.

By May of 1896, Herzl was declared by the Zionist Students of Vienna as the leader of the movement. Subsequent years brought him recognition as the father of the nation – for it was his writing, and then his speeches, actions, and organization that moved an idea into reality. Of course, Christians see the providential and sovereign hand of God as the true cause behind all of this, setting the stage for the prophetic fulfillment of end-time events, and their ultimate recognition of their true Messiah.

The Monograph: TheJewishState

The preface opens with these words: “The idea which I have developed in this pamphlet is a very old one: it is the restoration of the Jewish State. The world resounds with outcries against the Jews, and these outcries have awakened the slumbering idea.”

Herzl then explains that he is not writing a Utopian romance, but rather a serious proposal of orderly action to accomplish the result. Of writing of Utopia,

he comments, “I believe that the situation of the Jews in many countries is grave enough to make such a preliminary trifling superfluous.”4

Sadly, time would only too soon prove his correctness, as Adolph Hitler was at that time a child of seven years old and no doubt already beginning to fill himself with a diabolical hatred that would explode first in oratory and propaganda, and then in the mass murdering and extermination of the Jews of Europe. Herzl was, on the other hand, providentially preparing for the establishment of a haven for the surviving remnant of that era.

Herzl, in his 90-page text, makes it clear he is not offering still another utopian idea of a Jewish state, but rather is marshalling a definite plan for a mass migration of Jews to actually establish this state. There can be no doubt his attendance at the Dreyfus trial, and repeatedly hearing about the importance of mobilization plans – to get the Army actually assembled and moving in a planned direction – and how vital these were, helped solidify this idea in his mind.

He reasoned the rebirth of the state of Israel was necessary – due to the antiSemitism of that era, which he now viewed as nearly incurable – and it would do no harm to other nations, not even to the people in the Middle East. Then he laid out how this was to be accomplished.

As to motivation, he gave it his total enthusiasm, and trumpeted the necessity of beginning the project at once. He declared, “Everything depends on our propelling force. And what is that force? The misery of the Jews.”5

Note the wisdom and brilliance of the following statement:

I must guard against danger in setting forth my idea. If I describe future circumstances with too much caution I

4 The Jewish State, p. 69.

5 The Jewish State, p. 70.

Dr. Theodor Herzl He would later say, “At Basel, I laid the foundation of the Jewish State. After five, or perhaps fifty years, everybody will realize it.”

. . . THE REBIRTH OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL WAS NECESSARY –DUE TO THE ANTI-SEMITISM OF THAT ERA,

WHICH HE NOW VIEWED AS NEARLY INCURABLE – AND THAT IT WOULD DO NO HARM TO OTHER NATIONS . .

.

shall appear to doubt their possibility. If, on the other hand, I announce their realization with too much assurance I shall appear to be describing a chimera [an imaginary creature]. I shall therefore clearly and emphatically state that I believe in the practical outcome of my scheme, though without professing to have discovered the shape it may ultimately take. The Jewish State is essential to the world; it will therefore be created.6

Herzl explains while the Jews have been loyal and patriotic to the countries where they live, this loyalty –and even the sacrifices they make – has too often proven to be in vain as the majority in these nations too frequently have reckoned them still to be strangers and outsiders.

He explains that 100 years before, there was the Enlightenment, but “that enlightenment reached only the choicest spirits.” He is saying it is really only the few that are not filled with prejudice against his people. He goes on to explain when Jews migrate into places where there is no anti-Semitism, it eventually develops there.7

He then explains while the Jews have been loyal and patriotic to the countries where they live, this loyalty – and even the sacrifices they make – has too often proven to be in vain as the majority in these nations have reckoned them still to be strangers and outsiders. Then too, where they have resided and been treated well for a time, they have been assimilated. He notes while “this is not discreditable,” the problem of anti-Semitism is still deep. He alludes to the fact that even in certain fables and fairy tales, Jews are not pictured well.

for its necessity, argues it will not harm others, and offers suggestions on how to accomplish it. To get the movement going, he reflects, “Old prisoners do not willingly leave their cells.”9

Only one-quarter of the way through his writing, after conveying the basis for his concerns, he offers, “The Plan.” Here he implores, “Let the sovereignty be granted for us over a portion of the globe large enough to satisfy the rightful requirements of a nation; the rest we shall manage for ourselves.”10

He, with insightful vision, explains that initially the Jews must be granted a piece of land upon which to migrate and settle. This, of course, came to pass in 1947, when the League of Nations partitioned Palestine and created, on its western side, the State of Israel, which formally came into existence in May of 1948.

He then envisions a company will be created to assist and enable Jewish people who are willing to move by helping them cut their ties to their homeland. The company would perform tasks such as liquidating their businesses prior to departure to the new homeland.11

He then declares this creation of a Jewish State does not depend on any type of voting among Jews, and does not require anyone to be convinced who may be hesitant or content where they are, in order to form a majority. Rather, those who want to go will go, and those who do not wish to participate may simply remain where they are.12

Remember, Herzl is not writing to propose the idea of creating a Jewish state; he says many have already done this. He is writing to get it going!

Herzl deals frankly with economic issues. He notes that for Jews to be accepted in certain countries, they must do well economically and this, in turn, brings about more problems. He argues if Jews were to migrate out of these countries, this would not in reality harm those countries, and in fact, “There would be an inner migration of Christian citizens into the positions evacuated by Jews.”8

Remember, Herzl is not writing to propose the idea of creating a Jewish state; he says many have already done this. He is writing to get it going! He marshals reasons

Other Important Topics

Herzl also discusses the topics of “Palestine or Argentine?”, “The Jewish Company and Habits,” “The Legal Basis for the State: Negotiorum Gesto,” and “Language, Laws, Army, and Flag.” Space prevents us from delving into them here, however, you may scan the code in the margin to read the entire article online

6 Ibid, pp. 71-72.

7 Ibid, p. 75.

8 Herzl, p. 83.

9 Ibid, p. 84.

10 Ibid, p. 91.

11 Herzl, p. 93.

12 Ibid, p. 94.

His Conclusion

Herzl gives rousing arguments against various objections in his final pages. He is aware some will say, “Persecutions are no longer so malignant as they were in the Middle Ages.” We today, however, knowing Hitler’s Nazi government was yet to be, shudder at these words so oft repeated for more than 150 years.

To the objection that at first “only the poor will come to this new land,” he counters, “It is precisely the poorest whom we need at first. Only the desperate make good conquerors.” How true, too, this would become in the aftermath of World War II in the formation of a new state by those survivors of Hitler’s persecutions.

Finally, Herzl acknowledges, “Will someone say: Were it feasible it would have been done long ago? – It has never yet been possible; now it is possible. A hundred –or even fifty years ago it would have been nothing more than a dream. Today it may become a reality.”13

And finally, he writes:

And what glory awaits those who fight unselfishly for the cause! Therefore I believe that a wondrous generation of Jews will spring into existence. The Maccabeans will rise again. Let me repeat once more my opening words: The Jews who wish for a State will have it. We shall live at last as free men on our own soil, and die peacefully in our own homes. The world will be freed by our liberty, enriched by our wealth, magnified by our greatness. And whatever we attempt there to accomplish for our own welfare, will react powerfully and beneficially for the good of humanity.14

A Few Closing Thoughts

When we realize Herzl was only 35 years old when he penned this document, we are astonished at his vision. Look at the grandeur of his foresight and how much of

what he envisioned has come to pass! Of course, this was all accomplished under the sovereign wing of God’s divine providence.

Herzl, in order to write this, had to experience anti-Semitism firsthand. His training as a lawyer, and then as a writer, prepared him to compose this document. Actually, this is more than a document; rather, it is a summons to action.

So too, Herzl’s sitting and hearing the generals at the Dreyfus Trial must have shown him the need for a detailed mobilization plan to get things moving. He refers to this often in his monograph. It was, of course, the tragedy of the Dreyfus Trial that precipitated this writing.

Theodor Herzl died in 1904, two years before Dreyfus was totally reinstated to his rank and position in the French Army. Herzl did not live to see World War I, let alone World War II and its holocaust of 6 million Jews, yet in God’s providence, as Satan was raising up his monster – an antichrist for that day – so God was preparing the way for a place of survival for the Jewish people and their children who were forced out of Europe. The end is not yet, but the stage is being set, item by item, for end-time events.

In this presentation, we are not necessarily endorsing every sentiment of Herzl’s work, but rather have presented a summary to give a deeper insight into some of the events and circumstances which occurred before the official 1948 beginnings of the modern State of Israel. Only against such a backdrop can the events of the present day be rightly interpreted. We do, in any case, endorse the words of the apostle Paul, who said in Romans 10:1, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” u

Palestine or Argentine?

n Herzl makes the case that Argentina could make for a good home for the Jewish people, but it could never measure up to “Palestine” –the home of Israel’s ancient birth.

The Jewish “Company” and Habits

n A practical step-by-step mobilization plan to help settle the Jewish people in their new homeland. The “Company” will handle the initial arrangements of securing the land.

The Legal Basis for the State: Negotiorum Gesto

n With no League of Nations as yet formed, Herzl advocates for a Negotiorum Gesto – an “Emergency Administrator” to become the de facto person in charge of settling the Jews in the land.

Language, Laws, Army, and Flag

n Herzl argues for the need of the new state for laws and courts to develop, for a professional army to be established, and for a flag to be designed and approved.

13 Herzl, p. 155.

14 Ibid, pp. 156-157.

GALATIANS

DOPTED

Chapter 3 of Galatians closes with the words, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (v. 29). Paul continues this theme of “the heir” to open chapter 4: “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all” (v. 1).

Paul is saying that even though the heir will one day inherit all his father owns, so long as he is still a child, he is no different than a servant in a certain respect. (The Greek word used here for “servant” is doulos, which is the word “slave.” The KJV translation “servant” diminishes what Paul has in mind.) The certain respect is that the heir is “under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father” (v. 2). In other words, the child is not his own person; he is under the care of teachers and those who help organize his life, those who set his schedule and watch over him. In essence, this heir, while still a child, is no different than a slave because he is under the jurisdiction of others. Furthermore, just as servants and slaves, the heir, at this point, has no rights or authority. He is not the one who controls, but the one being controlled.

What is Paul’s point? It is verse 3: “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.” “We” refers to believers in Christ. The phrase, “when we were children … in bondage” means, “when we were under the Mosaic Law” during the Old Testament system. The “elements” here, I take it, refer to the common teachings and regulations of this world, the accepted principles of the world.

Paul continues in verse 4: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” The “fulness of time” refers to the perfect timing of Christ’s coming to Earth. There are three ways in which Christ’s coming was in the “fulness of time.”

1st Roman Roads

To keep peace in the world it captured, Rome sent its legions throughout its far-flung empire. Whenever Roman soldiers marched, Rome’s engineers built highways. However, Rome’s roads were not just for their armies; they were open to all inhabitants of the empire, including followers of the Messiah who would spread the message of their King. Roman roads were a major factor for the rapid spread and growth of Christianity in the centuries immediately following Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

2ND GREEK CULTURE

Before the rise of Rome, between the years 356 B.C. and 323 B.C., Alexander the Great conquered much of the known world. Whatever lands Greece conquered, Alexander would send his philosophers, educators, and artisans there. He spread the Greek language and culture far and wide.

“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.”

“WE” REFERS TO BELIEVERS IN CHRIST.

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” Galatians 4:4. The “fulness of time” refers to the perfect timing of Christ’s coming to Earth.

THERE ARE THREE WAYS IN WHICH CHRIST’S COMING WAS “IN THE FULNESS OF TIME.”

FIRST, ROMAN ROADS

SECOND, GREEK CULTURE

THIRD, RELIGIOUS EXPECTATION

. . . manmade religion can never satisfy or quench the deepest needs of the soul.

. . . though Jesus was born under the Mosaic Law, HIS SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD FREED US FROM THE BURDEN OF THE LAW.

This spread of a one-language, one-worldview culture made the job of sharing the Gospel that much easier. There was no need to spend two years in language study. Courses in culture were unnecessary. Travel was much safer, and the stranger was subject to less hostility.

3rd Religious Expectation

In the ancient world, worshiping false gods, participation in mystery religions, and dubious spiritual activity were widespread. However, manmade religion can never satisfy or quench the deepest needs of the soul. Historians and theologians tell us that religious anticipation was intense and widespread. There was a spiritual void, and for many, that void was filled by the Messiah.

All these factors combined to make that hour of history the “fulness of time.” Every-

section when Judah Ben-Hur is sentenced as a galley slave. As such, he would spend the rest of his life as a chained oarsman below deck in a Roman warship. Though a slave, Judah is looked upon favorably by the commander of the Roman flotilla, Quintus Arrius. Eventually, Judah’s ship is attacked by pirates, but just before that, Arrius ordered that Judah be freed of his chains. (When chained, the oarsman goes down with the ship when it sinks.)

A great naval battle erupts and Ben-Hur’s ship is rammed. As the ship is sinking, he manages to free some of the other oarsmen and then jumps off the ship as it is going under. Also in the water is Arrius, who was injured. Judah grabs hold of him and brings them both to a piece of floating debris large enough to hold them. As Arrius watches the battle, it appears the Romans are being

Everything was ready and prepared at the precise moment the Son of God chose to pay an “in-flesh” visit to the people of planet Earth. At that perfect time when Christ came, He came as a Jew under the Mosaic Law . . .

thing was ready and prepared at the precise moment the Son of God chose to pay an “in-flesh” visit to the people of planet Earth.

At that perfect time when Christ came, He came as a Jew under the Mosaic Law as indicated by the second part of verse 4: “… God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Mary, Jesus’ mother, was a Jewess of the small Galilean town of Nazareth. She was a righteous woman who lived under the Old Testament economy. She was, therefore, “under the Law,” as was her husband Joseph and earthly son, Jesus.

We Are Adopted

However, though Jesus was born under the Mosaic Law, His sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead freed us from the burden of the Law. Paul writes in verse 5 that Christ came “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

In the classic movie Ben-Hur, there is a

defeated, causing Arrius to draw a sword to his throat to take his life. However, Ben-Hur stops him.

Sometime later, a Roman ship comes by with the news that Rome won the naval battle. Rather than having to return to Rome in shame and dishonor, Arrius returns a hero and is honored with a great processional by Caesar himself. Amid the pomp and circumstance, Arrius is not too proud to acknowledge that it was a galley slave from Judea (whom Arrius took to Rome with him) who saved his life. Following the procession, Arrius throws a huge, festive party at his large home. The cream of Roman society is there; this is an elite event. During this festive event, Arrius signals for everyone’s attention to make a staggering announcement: He is adopting Judah Ben-Hur into his family as a son. No longer a galley slave, Ben-Hur is now an honored citizen of Rome. As such, Judah acquires the fame, power, authority, and privilege of his father. What belongs to his

father now belongs to him.

Similarly in Roman culture, wealthy parents conducted “adoptions” for their biological children. These children would be raised by tutors and governors. When they reached a certain point of maturity, the family would have a huge feast and conduct what was actually called an “adoption.” When this occurred, the son who was the biological offspring of the parents was declared the legal heir of the father, carrying his name and authority.

I hope you see the connection to verse 5. Paul’s point is that under the Mosaic Law we were galley slaves and heirs without jurisdiction. We were under tutors and governors. We had no authority over them. We could not tell them what to do; they told us what to do. We did not have freedom; we were under the control of those who ran our lives. However, when we came to faith in Christ, by grace we were set free from the Mosaic Law. We were set free from our tutors and governors. We were adopted into the family of God. Now we carry our Father’s name, glory, and honor. We have it all! Under the Law, we were slaves. However, in the fulness of time, God sent His Son into the world and we became adopted sons and daughters of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are heirs and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. We can almost hear Paul raising his voice to the Galatians, “Why in the world would you want to go back to the Mosaic Law when you have all the privileges of adoption?”

Paul, however, doesn’t end it there. As adopted sons and daughters, “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” I’ll never forget the first time I went to Israel and visited the home of one of our missionaries. He had three young sons, and the youngest came up to him, hugged him, and said, “Abba.” The Hebrew word Abba is usually translated “father,” but it is far more intimate than that. The best English translation for Abba I can think of is “Daddy.” This is more the sense of the word Paul has in mind. He sees us as small children going up to our heavenly Father, sitting in His lap, putting our arms around His neck and saying, “Daddy.”

This is the sense of Abba. Implied in the

word is closeness, confidence, and trust. We know our heavenly Father loves us. Paul’s whole point is that in Christ we move from the Mosaic Law, which is servanthood, to a loving and intimate Father-child relationship with God because we have been adopted into His family through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

In verse 7, Paul again brings home his point: “Wherefore [through faith in Christ] thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” We have gone from servanthood to sonship. It would seem this intimate, loving relationship with God would be enough, but there is so much more than this. As God’s adopted sons and daughters, we are also heirs; we inherit all the spiritual blessings of Christ. Why in the world would anyone want to forsake all of this for the Mosaic Law? Paul is flabbergasted. Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense want to return to a works system when God has done it all for us by grace? We are so blessed, so rich, that we can sing:

Free from the Law – oh, happy condition! Jesus hath bled, and there is remission; Cursed by the Law and bruised by the fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

Once for all – oh, sinner, receive it; Once for all – oh, doubter, believe it; Cling to the cross, the burden will fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all1 .

Going Backward

After assuring believers they are heirs of the Father, Paul returns to the core issue facing the Galatians – their desire to return to the practices of the Mosaic Law. Paul writes in verse 8: “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.” Paul tells these Gentile believers raised (spiritually) in the synagogue, that before they embraced Judaism, they worshiped pagan deities and, as a result, were in bondage to them. Paul also reminds them that these pagan deities

Written by Marvin J. Rosenthal 1935–2022

As God’s adopted sons and daughters, WE ARE ALSO HEIRS; WE INHERIT ALL THE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS OF CHRIST.

After assuring believers they are heirs of the Father, Paul returns to the core issue facing the Galatians – their desire to return to the practices of the Mosaic Law.

1 From the hymn, “Free From the Law, oh, Happy Condition” by Philip P. Bliss.

Paul writes in verse 9: “But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?”

Why, Paul asks, after coming to a knowledge of the true and living God do you insist on returning to bondage?

THE MOSAIC LAW IS WEAK AND INFERIOR WHEN COMPARED TO THE GRACE OF GOD .

were in reality no gods at all; they were nothing.

By contrast, Paul writes in verse 9: “But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” First, Paul lays out the truth that these believers have put aside pagan beliefs and have turned to the one, true God, at the same time acknowledging the fact that it is God who actually chooses us rather than we who choose Him (Ephesians 1:4). After stating this, he again voices his absolute bewilderment in their behavior. Why, Paul asks, after coming to a knowledge of the true and living God do you insist on returning to bondage. The Mosaic Law is weak and inferior when compared to the grace of God; why do you choose to chain yourselves to it?

through faith apart from the Mosaic Law, and here were the Galatians returning to the Mosaic Law. Did they not understand his clear teaching? Or, perhaps, did they understand it but simply were unmoved by it because they were never regenerated? Had they really appropriated the grace of God? Paul is wondering out loud if he has wasted his efforts on the Galatians.

But, as verse 12 indicates, he is not ready to give up on them. He pleads with them, “Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.” When Paul says, “be as I am,” he means, “be like me in that I am no longer under the Law. I am now like you – the Gentiles – in that I am no longer under the Mosaic Law.”

The Compassionate Galatians

The Galatian believers, however, took a step back and put themselves under the Law. This had Paul deeply worried and concerned.

In what ways are the Galatians attaching themselves to the Mosaic Law? The answer is in verse 10: “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.” If you know anything about Judaism, you know that its calendar is filled with very significant days, among them the “high, holy” days of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (“Day of Atonement”). Under the Mosaic Law, every new moon determined a new month, which required certain sacrifices. Certain “times”–beginning with Passover – required feasts and specific observations. There were seven of these feast times. Regarding the observance of “years,” every seven years was a sabbatical year, requiring more ritual and observances (Deuteronomy 15:1; 31:10). Also, the Israelites were to count seven sets of seven years, and the 50th year would be the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-12). This was all part of the Mosaic Law and a heavy burden to carry, but declared moot under the New Covenant. The Galatian believers, however, took a step back and put themselves under the Law.

This had Paul deeply worried and concerned. He writes in verse 11: “I am afraid [for] you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.” Paul is touching upon the notion of the Galatians’ salvation. He is wondering if they were ever really born again. After all, he had taught furiously and emotionally about salvation in Christ

Paul then reasserts his love for the Galatians when he writes in verse 13: “Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.” This is a reference to Paul’s second missionary journey when he first came to Galatia (Acts 16:6). When he arrived, he was suffering from severe discomfort, which many scholars believe was a serious eye condition (as indicated a few verses down). This severe affliction is believed to be the “thorn in the flesh” Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 12:7.

How did the Galatians react to Paul’s condition? They did so lovingly and with great compassion: “And my temptation [trial] which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus” (v. 14). Far from disdaining Paul, the Galatians welcomed him in and treated him as a true messenger of God. The word “angel” here is the Greek aggelon which actually means “messenger.”

Paul acknowledges how compassionately the Galatians treated him then; he wants to know, in verse 15, where that compassion is now: “Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.”

Paul’s reference to his eyes seems to be the most telling clue as to Paul’s affliction, his thorn in the flesh. Paul is paying the Galatians the supreme compliment.

In essence, he is saying, It was as if you

felt the same pain I felt. You suffered along with me. In fact, if you could have, you would have traded your good eyes for my bad ones. That is how wonderful you were to me when I first came to you. Part of the Galatians’ kindness was an outpouring of gratitude for Paul’s freeing message of salvation by grace apart from the Mosaic Law. The Galatians were so grateful to Paul for freeing them both spiritually and intellectually that to exhibit their appreciation they would have taken Paul’s affliction upon themselves.

But now the Galatians have turned their backs on Paul’s teaching and he is taking it personally. In verse 16 he asks, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” In other words, Paul is saying, Because I preached to you the truth which contradicts the lies of the Judaizers, have I now become your enemy? The Galatians had bought into the lie and have turned their backs on Paul’s teaching.

He continues his argument in verses 17 and 18: “They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.”

Paul is accusing the Judaizers of trying to turn the Galatians away from Paul with zealous and flattering words. Paul is telling the Galatians, Yes, they are zealous, and zealousness is good, BUT only when the purpose is good. The false teachers have no good intentions. They are trying to wrestle your affections away from me and claim hold to them for themselves. You yourselves must be zealous, Galatians, but you must be zealous for the truth which I taught you. I cannot always be with you; you must be zealous even when I am not with you.

Paul adds in verses 19 and 20: “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.” These are very strong words, and very intimate ones. Paul speaks with boldness, but also with great love and concern.

Paul has poured his heart and soul into the Galatians, but he still has serious doubts about their salvation. Have they appropriat-

ed the grace of God in their lives? Were they really regenerated? Were they really born again? Paul wishes he could change his tone, that he does not have to be so firm with them. He’d rather speak words of comfort and encouragement than chastisement and doubt

An Old Testament Illustration

In verse 21, Paul changes tack, employing a logical argument: “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?” In other words, Paul is about to give them a biblical illustration in order to prevent the Galatians from turning to the Mosaic Law. He writes in verses 22 and 23: “For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was

born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.” Paul takes the Galatians back to Abraham, the father of faith. Abraham had two sons. The first, Ishmael, was born as a result of Abraham’s union with the Egyptian slave Hagar. The second son, Isaac, was born as the result of Abraham’s union with his wife Sarah.

Of the two, Isaac was the child of promise; he would be the one through whom the promises to Abraham would be fulfilled. By contrast, Ishmael was born of the flesh. This is a reference to Abraham’s lying with Hagar, an act contrived by Sarah in the flesh and not by faith. Also, there was nothing unusual about the fact that a young woman such as Hagar could bear children. However, Sarah’s

“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?”

.

. . PAUL IS ABOUT TO GIVE THEM A BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATION IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE GALATIANS FROM TURNING TO THE MOSAIC LAW.

. . . Isaac was the child of promise; he would be the one through whom the promises to Abraham would be fulfilled. By contrast, Ishmael was born of the flesh.

“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”

THOUGH PAUL RAISED DOUBTS REGARDING THE GALATIANS’ SALVATION, HE ULTIMATELY BELIEVED THEY WERE TRULY SAVED .

. .

Upcoming Zion’s Fire: “Part 11: The Conflict Within.”

Throughout Galatians, Paul deals with the wonderfulness of grace and how it is superior to the bondage of the Law. Now he will show us how to live in the freedom we have and to shun the bondage. This is the Emancipation Proclamation of the Christian faith.

pregnancy was a miracle; it was of God because she had been barren and by the time she had finally conceived, she was already past the age of childbearing (Romans 4:19). Ishmael was a result of the flesh –Law; Isaac was a result of faith – grace.

Paul continues his analogy in verse 24: “Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar [Hagar]. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.” Paul is using the two births as an illustration for the two covenants. The Mosaic Law, the Old Covenant, was represented by Mount Sinai, where the law was given. The Old Covenant – at least, the observing of it –leads to bondage. This is represented by Hagar, whose child was conceived in the flesh through normal fleshly means.

Paul next speaks of two Jerusalems: “For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all” (vv. 25-26). Not only did Hagar represent the flesh and the Mosaic Law, but she also represented Jerusalem at the time of Paul, a city in bondage to Rome politically and under the Mosaic Law spiritually. The vast majority of the Jewish population did not accept Christ as their promised Messiah. However, the spiritual Jerusalem, the one “which is above,” the one which is represented by Sarah, is the illustration of grace, and the children of grace are those who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah.

In verse 27, Paul quotes from Isaiah 54:1: “Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.” This quotation speaks of Israel’s rich future in the Millennial Kingdom that Paul links to Sarah. Before the Babylonian captivity, Israel was like a woman who had a husband. During her captivity, Israel was like a barren woman. The woman bearing “more children” is future Israel. Paul applies this verse to Sarah who was initially barren, was later blessed with a child, and ultimately will prove to be more fruitful than Hagar through her vast

offspring (Israel) in the Millennial Kingdom.

In verse 28, Paul writes: “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.” Though Paul raised doubts regarding the Galatians’ salvation, he ultimately believed they were truly saved, just terribly deceived. His confidence in their salvation is clearly illustrated by his use of the word “brethren,” which Paul only used in reference to believers. As believers, they are the offspring of Isaac – children of promise (grace), and not of the flesh (Law).

Verse 29 says: “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” Ishmael is the one “born after the flesh”; Isaac the one “born after the spirit,” who was persecuted by Ishmael (Genesis 21:8-10). In other words, Ishmael’s persecution of Isaac was similar to the false teachers’ opposition to the Galatian believers.

But Paul tells the Galatians they are not to be turned from the faith. In fact, they should fight back, just as Sarah did: “Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman” (v. 30). This reference to Genesis 21:10 is a picture of how grace banishes Law. It is Sarah – the representative of the promise, the representative of grace–who takes precedence over Hagar – the representative of flesh and the Mosaic Law. In the same way, the Galatians should cast out the Judaizers who are trying to turn them away from the grace of God.

Paul concludes with the definitive truth in verse 31: “So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” And there it is again: we are under grace, not Law. We are children of the free woman, not the slave woman.

This concludes the second part of the Book of Galatians. The first part – chapters 1 and 2 – is autobiographical. The second part – chapters 3 and 4 – is doctrinal. The third part – chapters 5 and 6 – is exhortational, or, to put it another way, “How one should live based on the theological truth that has just been taught.”

The remainder of this series will focus on this practical section of the Book of Galatians. u

ARTICLES

A Nation Reborn

Marv Rosenthal ........................................................... Mar-Apr

A Perfect Message to Hold Within Your Heart

David Ettinger Jul-Aug

A Word From the Word: “Joyful Singing”

Dan Hayden ................................................................... Sep-Oct

A Word From the Word: “Lose Heart”

Dan Hayden May-Jun

A Word From the Word: “Perfect”

Dan Hayden................................................................... May-Jun

A Word From the Word: “Profit”

Dan Hayden Jul-Aug

A Word From the Word: “Through Faith”

Dan Hayden .................................................................... Jul-Aug

Can These Bones Live?

Marv Rosenthal Mar-Apr

Caught Off Guard

Marv Rosenthal May-Jun

Caught Off Guard, Part 2

Marv Rosenthal Jul-Aug

From the Depths of Despair to the Heights of Exultation

Marv Rosenthal Mar-Apr

Galatians Part 1: Adopted Into God’s Family

Marv Rosenthal Nov-Dec

Has the Church Replaced Israel?

David Ettinger Nov-Dec

Herzl’s “Jewish State”

Dr. Gary Cohen ......................................................... Nov-Dec.

How Dark the Night

Marv Rosenthal Mar-Apr

Portraits of Passover: Painted in Red

David Rosenthal .............................................................Jan-Feb

Post-War Gaza: What to Watch for in the Middle East

David Rosenthal Nov-Dec

Pretrib: Examining the Foundations of Pretribulation Rapture Theology

Alan E. Kurschner Jul-Aug

Pretrib Fallacy: “The Rapture Is Not Part of the Second Coming”

Alan E. Kurschner ........................................................ Sep-Oct

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030: A Prelude to Peace or War?

David Rosenthal May-Jun

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 – Part 2: A Religious Kingdom Re-Imagined

David Rosenthal ............................................................ Jul-Aug

Servant’s Heart Challenge

David Rosenthal May-Jun

The Great Tribulation, Part 1 Marv Rosenthal .............................................................. Jul-Aug

The Great Tribulation, Part 2

Marv Rosenthal Sep-Oct

The Passion of Passover

Marv Rosenthal ..............................................................Jan-Feb

The Peace Before the Storm

Marv Rosenthal Mar-Apr

The Plagues of Passover

David Ettinger Jan-Feb

The Plan & Purpose of Passover

Marv Rosenthal Jan-Feb

The Presentation of Passover

Kevin Howard Jan-Feb

ARTICLES (CONTINUED)

The Unseen War Behind the War David Rosenthal Sep-Oct

The Worthiness of God David Ettinger May-Jun

Who’s Next?

Marv Rosenthal Mar-Apr

AUTHOR INDEX OF ARTICLES

MARV ROSENTHAL

A Nation Reborn Mar-Apr

Can These Bones Live? .................................................... Mar-Apr

Caught Off Guard May-Jun

Caught Off Guard, Part 2 Jul-Aug

From the Depths of Despair to the Heights of Exultation Mar-Apr

Galatians Part 10: Adopted Into God’s Family Nov-Dec

How Dark the Night ........................................................ Mar-Apr

The Great Tribulation, Part 1 Jul-Aug

The Great Tribulation, Part 2 .......................................... Sep-Oct

The Passion of Passover Jan-Feb

The Peace Before the Storm Mar-Apr

The Plan & Purpose of Passover ......................................Jan-Feb

Who’s Next? Mar-Apr

DAVID ROSENTHAL

Portraits of Passover: Painted in Red Jan-Feb

Post-War Gaza: What to Watch for in the Middle East ......................................................Nov-Dec

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030: A Prelude to Peace or War? May-Jun

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 – Part 2: A Religious Kingdom Re-Imagined .......................... Jul-Aug

Servant’s Heart Challenge May-Jun

The Unseen War Behind the War Sep-Oct

DAVID ETTINGER

A Perfect Message to Hold Within Your Heart Jul-Aug

Has the Church Replaced Israel? ...................................Nov-Dec

The Plagues of Passover Jan-Feb

The Worthiness of God May-Jun

ALAN E. KURSCHNER

Pretrib: Examining the Foundations of Pretribulation Rapture Theology Jul-Aug

Pretrib Fallacy: “The Rapture Is Not Part of the Second Coming” Sep-Oct

DAN HAYDEN

A Word From the Word: “Joyful Singing” ................... Sep-Oct

A Word From the Word: “Lose Heart” May-Jun

A Word From the Word: “Perfect” ................................ May-Jun

A Word From the Word: “Profit” Jul-Aug

A Word From the Word: “Through Faith” Jul-Aug

KEVIN HOWARD

The Presentation of Passover Jan-Feb

GARY COHEN

Herzl’s “Jewish State” Nov-Dec

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