{"id":55,"date":"2017-10-15T09:55:20","date_gmt":"2017-10-15T07:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/?p=55"},"modified":"2017-10-15T09:55:20","modified_gmt":"2017-10-15T07:55:20","slug":"how-to-destroy-the-jews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/2017\/10\/15\/how-to-destroy-the-jews\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Destroy the Jews"},"content":{"rendered":"

I will bless them that bless you, and him that curses you will I curse:<\/em><\/p>\n

Genesis 12:3<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

This study is divided into eight sections after the introduction. The first section details the Abrahamic Covenant;<\/span> sections two through six look at various parts of Scripture and history to see the outworking of the principle of this covenant on an individual level, on the national level, in the New Testament, in post biblical history, and in prophecy; sections seven and eight answer the question, \u201cHow does this apply to bel<\/span>ievers today corporately and individually?\u201d<\/p>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

This study is provocatively t<\/span>itled, \u201cHow to Destroy the Jews.\u201d The question is not, \u201cCan the Jews be destroyed?\u201d in the manner it is often asked in these types of studies. But for the purpose of this study, the assumption will be that the Jews can be destroy<\/span>ed, and the question is merely a matter of \u201chow.\u201d When one deals with any question that concerns Jewish survival or Jewish destruction, one is at the same time concerned with a specific philosophy of history.<\/span><\/p>\n

On a personal note, I learned exactly what this meant in a unique experience of puzzlement when I was a high school senior in Los Angeles. As I began looking forw<\/span>ard to a college career, I started writing to various colleges requesting their catalogs. I was looking for a particular college that would permit me to major in both Greek and Hebrew at the same time. Eventually, I found the school that allowed for this. I also knew that I would need to take courses in other departments in a liberal arts curriculum as well an<\/span>d I began to look through college catalogs to see what types of required courses were offered. As I looked through the philosophy courses, I noticed how certain things struck me as being somewhat strange. I noticed that often in philosophy departments two courses would be offered, always <\/span><\/span>listed as separate and distinct courses yet they were very much the same. At least they sounded the same to me. One course was called \u201cThe History of<\/span> Philosophy\u201d and the other \u201cThe Philosophy of History.\u201d This cute inversion of words made no sense to me at that point in my life.<\/p>\n

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Two years later, I was sitting in one of these required college cours<\/span>es called \u201cThe Introduction of Philosophy.\u201d At that point, both the textbook and the professor explained the difference between those two seemingly similar courses. The course called \u201cThe History of Philosophy\u201d was pretty much what it sounded like. We had to go through<\/span> history from the Greek Period to our modern day while both the textbook and the professor explained to us how different men tried to give the meaning of life, the source of knowledge, and other questions with which philosophy wrestles. The other course, \u201cThe Philosophy of History,\u201d was somewhat different. It too would scan history, but it would try to extract certain principles from history, principles by which history could be understood. Based upon one\u2019s philoso<\/span>phy of history, a certain philosopher would look to the future, and, by applying his own principles of philosophy of history, predict the way the future would turn out. The search was for one unifying principle by which history could be understood. That was when I learned that communism was more than just a big, political bear in Russia. It was very much a specific philosophy of history because it sees history developing as the eventual revolution of the working class rebelling against the ruling class and then synthesizing into a socialistic state. When a communist looks toward the future, he sees the whole world evolving into a one world socialistic system.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I. The Abrahamic Covenant<\/p>\n

In dealing with the issue of Jewish destruction or Jewish survival, the concern should be with one specific philosophy of history as expounded by the Word of God itself. In particular, this is found in Genesis 12:1\u20133<\/a>: Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father\u2019s house, unto the land that I will show you: and I wil<\/em>l make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and be you a blessing; and I will bless them that bless you, and him that curses you will I curse: and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed.<\/em><\/p>\n

In this covenant, God is essentially promising Abraham three things: first, that from him will come forth a people or a nation; secondly, that to this nation God will give a land; and thirdly, that God will bless those who bless this nation and curse those who curse it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Today, the people or the nation that came forth from Abraham is called the Jewish nation or t<\/span>he Jewish people. A very simple but biblical definition as to who or what is a Jew, is as follows: a Jew is any descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all such descendants are Jews. It is irrelevant what an individual Jew may believe or <\/span>disbelieve, he will always remain a Jew. He could choose to be Orthodox or Reformed. He could choose to be atheistic, agnostic, or a communist. He could also<\/span> choose to believe in the Messiahship of Yeshua (Jesus). Nothing can change the fact of his Jewishness.<\/p>\n

To this nation, God has promised a Land. Once it was known as the Land of Canaan, but in more mo<\/span>dern history it is the Land of Palestine. Again, it becomes irrelevant whether the Jews are in the Land or outside the Land, by divine grant or divine right, the Land belongs to the Jewish people.<\/p>\n

Ver<\/span>y early in human history, God laid down a specific divine principle of His philosophy of history in verse 3<\/a>: I will bless them that bless you, and him that curses you will I curse.<\/em><\/p>\n

God\u2019s principle is:<\/span> Those who bless the Jews will be blessed, and those who curse the Jews will be cursed. Understanding this principle will help explain much in history that cannot be explained any other way.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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II. The Outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant on the Individual Level<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Abrahamic Covenant begins to work its way out immediately in Genesis 12:10\u201315<\/a> and 17<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Verses 10\u201315<\/a> state: And there was a famin<\/em><\/span>e in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know tha<\/em><\/span>t you are a fair woman to look upon: and it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see you, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save you alive. Say, I pray you, you are my sister; that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair<\/em><\/span>. And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh\u2019s house.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Verse 17<\/a> states: And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh a<\/em><\/span>nd his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram\u2019s wife.<\/em><\/p>\n

If anyone can be said to be at fault here, it is certainly not the king of Egypt. Abraham comes into Egypt telling a half truth, with th<\/span>e result that Sarah is taken from him and put into Pharaoh\u2019s harem. At least this one time in the long relationship between the Jews and the Egyptians, the Egyptians are not at fault\u2014at least this once. Nevertheless, in the outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant, God begins to operate on Abraham\u2019s behalf.<\/span><\/p>\n

The same thing happens all over again in Genesis 20:1\u20132<\/a>, only here, a different country and a d<\/span>ifferent king are involved: And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the land of the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my <\/em><\/span>sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.<\/em><\/p>\n

Once again, the same half truth half lie is told. Once again, the result is the same; Sarah is taken from him. Again in the outworking of the <\/span>Abrahamic Covenant, God begins to operate on Abraham\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n

Verse 3<\/a> states: But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, Behold, you are but a dead man, because of the woman <\/em><\/span>whom you have taken. For she is a man\u2019s wife.<\/em><\/p>\n

Perhaps the above two passages indicate the first real attempt to destroy the Jews. God had already promised that He would bless the Gentiles through the <\/span>Jews and that the Jews would continue through Abraham\u2019s son, Isaac. Both of these incidents occurred before Isaac was born, and a definite attempt can be seen here to keep Isaac from being born by taking away his future mother. If Satan could keep Isaac from being born, then the Jews would die out with the death of Abraham. Unknowingly, Abimelech curse<\/span>d Abraham in such a way as to destroy the Jews, and now God curses Abimelech. When God operates on the cursing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant, He works on the sub principle: Curse for curse in kind.<\/span><\/p>\n

The specific type of curse used against the J<\/span>ews will now be used against the \u201ccurser,\u201d as seen in verse 18<\/a>: For Jehovah had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham\u2019s wife.<\/em><\/p>\n

It was now the House of Abimel<\/span>ech that faced possible extinction because of the inability of the women in his household to give birth. After Abraham prayed for Abimelech upon the latter\u2019s restoring Sarah, the curse was lifted. This attempt to destroy the Jews <\/span>failed, and Isaac\u2019s birth is recorded in the following chapter.<\/p>\n

Just as the cursing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant had begun to operate on the individual level, so did <\/span>the blessing aspect. This is seen in the life of Jacob in Genesis 30:25\u201330<\/a>: And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto my own place<\/em><\/span>, and to my country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go: for you know my service wherewith I have served you. And Laban said unto him, If now I have found favor in your eyes, tarry: for I have divined that Jehovah has blessed me for your sake. And he said, Appoint me your wages, and <\/em><\/span>I will give it. And he said unto him, You know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me. For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased unto a multitude; and Jehovah has blessed you whithersoever I turned: and now when shall I provide for my own house also?<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At the outset, one thing should be made very clear: Laban was no worshipper of the true God. He worshipped many gods and had many idols. When his nephew Jacob came bringing the<\/span> God Jehovah, Laban, being a very ecumenical individual, was happy to include Jehovah among his many other gods as well. Nevertheless, this pagan recognized something; he recognized that this God of Jacob, whoever He was, was blessing him because of his relationship with Jacob the Jew. So to the oft-repeated question of whether God can bless the ungodly, the answer is \u201cyes.<\/span>\u201d There are some blessings of God that are <\/span>determined by the spiritual status of the one blessed, but there are others which are conditioned on other matters. The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant are based purely on the r<\/span>elationship with the Jews. Thus Laban the pagan was blessed because he had a proper relationship with Jacob the Jew.<\/p>\n

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Another example of the blessing aspect of this covenant is found in Genesis 39:1\u20135<\/a>:<\/span> And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh\u2019s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites, that had brought him down thither. And J<\/em><\/span>ehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found favor in his sight, and he ministered unto him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that<\/em><\/span> he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the Egyptian\u2019s house for Joseph\u2019s sake; and the blessing of Jehovah was upon all that he had, in the house and in the field.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Once again God\u2019s blessing of a pagan, an Egyptian, is seen because of his proper relationship with Joseph the Jew.<\/p>\n

Among other things, the Book of Genesis is a record of the outworking of the A<\/span>brahamic Covenant on the individual level. God\u2019s philosophy of history had begun to operate on the principle of blessing those who bless the Jews and cursing those who curse them in kind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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III. The Outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant on the National Level<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Book of Exodus begins to deal with the national level of God\u2019s philosophy of history; that is, with Israel as a nation rather th<\/span>an with individual Jews. In Exodus 1<\/a>, Egypt sets out to curse Israel. The curse is in two phases. The first is found in Exodus 1:8\u201311<\/a>: Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. And h<\/em><\/span>e said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falls out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and figh<\/em><\/span>t against us, and get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Egypt has a unique distinction; she is the first nation that can be called truly anti Semitic in the modern sense of the term. In the first phase <\/span>of her curse against Israel, she puts the Jews into slavery. But after a while this is not enough.<\/p>\n

Later, a second phase is initiated in verses 15\u201316<\/a> and 22<\/a>: And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew <\/em><\/span>midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth stool; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a<\/em><\/span> daughter, then she shall live.<\/em><\/p>\n

Verse 22<\/a> states: And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every da<\/em><\/span>ughter ye shall save alive.<\/em><\/p>\n

Not only is Egypt the first anti Semitic nation, she is the first nation to attempt genocide against the Jews. So now, in this second phase, she is out to destroy the newbo<\/span>rn sons by means of drowning.<\/p>\n

Now God waits and He waits. He waits four hundred years before delivering His people. Yet another sub principle involved in the Abrahamic Covenant is: Sometimes God will <\/span>delay a long time before keeping His promise to the Jews, but sooner or later that promise will be kept. Finally, after four hundred years, God begins to work, and again the sub principle, curse for curse in kind, is seen in <\/span>Exodus 4:22\u201323<\/a>: And you shall say unto Pharaoh, Thus says Jehovah, Israel is my son, my first born: and I have said unto you, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and you have<\/em><\/span> refused to let him go: behold, I will slay your son, your first born.<\/em><\/p>\n

Egypt\u2019s curse against Israel was to kill the newborn sons by drowning. Now God sends ten plagues upon Egypt, the last resulting i<\/span>n the death of every first born Egyptian son. As Israel leaves Egypt and the Egyptian army chases in hot pursuit, God destroys the Egyptian army by means of drowning. It is curse for curse in kind.<\/p>\n

Bu<\/span>t no sooner does Israel leave Egypt than another nation comes to curse the Jews. The method used here to destroy the Jews is war in Exodus 17:8<\/a>: Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.<\/em><\/p>\n

I<\/span>n return, God curses Amalek in Exodus 17:14\u201316<\/a>: And Jehovah said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of<\/em><\/span> Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah nissi; And he said, Jehovah has sworn: Jehovah will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.<\/em><\/p>\n

Amalek de<\/span>clared war on Israel, and now God declares war on Amalek. Once again, God waits about four hundred years, until Israel receives her first king, before He does anything about bringing the war to its end.<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 15:1\u20133<\/a> states: And Samuel said unto Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken you unto the voice of the words of Jehovah. Thus says<\/em><\/span> Jehovah of hosts, I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Although the crime was committed four hundred years earlier, God nevertheless marked it down, and<\/span> now the first king of Israel is ordered to bring the war to a close.<\/p>\n

But when Saul goes out, he runs into a problem. When Amalek cursed Israel four centuries earlier, another group called the Kenites<\/span> had blessed them. By Saul\u2019s time, the Kenites were living among the Amalekites, but, of course, they were not under the curse. The problem is solved by a delay in the attack, as seen in 1 Samuel 15:5<\/span>\u20136<\/a>: And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed ki<\/em><\/span>ndness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.<\/em><\/p>\n

It can be seen from these two passages in 1 Samuel how the Abrahamic Covenant w<\/span>orked itself out in the lives of two nations both in its blessing and cursing aspects. Another attempt to destroy the Jews failed.<\/p>\n

One book in the Scriptures that portrays beautifully the outworking o<\/span>f the Abrahamic Covenant is the Book of Esther. This book has one very unusual feature about it. Try as one may, he will not find a single reference to God in it. There is no mention of Him, no prayer to Him, nothing. In fact, a careful reading of the Book of Esther wi<\/span>ll show that it is going out of its way to avoid mentioning Him.<\/p>\n

So when Mordecai argues with Esther about trying to save the Jews,<\/span> he states in Esther 4:14<\/a>: For if you altogether hold your peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place.<\/em><\/p>\n

All Mordecai says is another place. He does not me<\/span>ntion the word \u201cGod.\u201d Such a statement indicates that the writer is purposely abstaining from using the word. If this is true, then what is this book doing in the Scriptures? Just this: although God is not mentioned, He can be seen working. But God i<\/span>s not working in just any old way; He is working specifically according to the Abrahamic Covenant.<\/p>\n

In Esther 3:1\u20132<\/a>, and 5\u20136<\/a>, a man by the name of Hama<\/span>n sets out with his curse against the Jews: After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were wi<\/em><\/span>th him. And all the king\u2019s servants, that were in the king\u2019s gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 5\u20136<\/a> state: And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made know<\/em><\/span>n to him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.<\/em><\/p>\n

Because one Jew will not bend his knee<\/span>s to him, Haman is so angry that he wants to destroy all the Jews in the Persian Empire. This would also mean all the Jews in the whole world because, at this point in Jewish history, all the Jews of the world lived within the confines of<\/span> the Persian Empire.<\/p>\n

Haman\u2019s method of destroying the Jews is spelled out in Esther 3:12\u201313<\/a>. Briefly, this passage states the following: Haman seeks to destroy th<\/span>e Jews by making anti Semitism the official government policy. He issues a decree stating that on a certain day, of a certain month, anyone who wants to kill a Jew may do so and suffer no legal penalt<\/span>ies for it. In fact, the law now encourages the killing of Jews. This decree is signed with the king\u2019s ring and sent out to the whole bureaucracy of the Persian Empire. Under Persian jurisprudence, a decree so signed could never be repealed. Not even the emperor of Persia himself had the authority to repeal a decree that was sealed <\/span>with his own ring. Therefore, this decree making Jews fair game can never be repealed; and so it stands.<\/span><\/p>\n

One would think that this would make the anti Semite happy, but it does not. He wants special treatment for Mordecai, the one who made him angry in the first pla<\/span>ce, but he does not know how to handle the situation.<\/p>\n

He receives advice from his wife in Esther 5:13\u201314<\/a>: Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king\u2019s gate. <\/em><\/span>Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak you unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go you in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be m<\/em><\/span>ade.<\/em><\/p>\n

This simple counsel of his wife is followed, and Haman goes to bed waiting for the morning when he ca<\/span>n ask the king for Mordecai\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

Chapter 6:1<\/a> opens with an incident that occurs the same night the gallows are being built: On that night could not the king sleep; and he commanded to bring the boo<\/em><\/span>k of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king.<\/em><\/p>\n

Some time before this fateful night, Mordecai had saved the king\u2019s life (Esth. 2:21\u201323<\/a>). Although neither the king nor Haman knew ab<\/span>out this, some faithful scribe had recorded it in the Chronicles of the Persian Empire. When chapter 6<\/a> quietly opens with the words On that night<\/em>, the beginning of the work of God on the basis of the <\/span>Abrahamic Covenant is contained in those three words.<\/p>\n

As the scribe reads to the king from the Chronicles, he soon comes to the account of Mordecai\u2019s deed. This is the first time the king has heard ab<\/span>out it, and he wants to know if Mordecai has been rewarded. The answer is \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n

At this time, Haman comes in to ask for Mordecai\u2019s head, but before he has a chance to make his request, the king first <\/span>asks a question in verse 6<\/a>: So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman said in his heart, To whom would the king delight t<\/em><\/span>o do honor more than to myself?<\/em><\/p>\n

The simple question, \u201cWhat is to be done for the man whom the king wants to honor?\u201d causes a response in the mind of Haman, \u201cWho could the king possibly want to honor o<\/span>ther than myself?\u201d Haman\u2019s humility is beginning to show through! Believing that he is the one the king wants to reward, he proceeds to ask for the king\u2019s horse, the king\u2019s clothes, and the king\u2019s cro<\/span>wn\u2014very humble gifts. But these are not all. These things are to be delivered to the one Haman calls one of the king\u2019s most noble princes<\/em> in verse 9<\/a>, which happens to be Haman\u2019s chief competitor. This<\/span> competitor is then to dress Haman in these clothes, put him on the horse, and lead him through the main street of the city shouting: Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor<\/em>, <\/span>also in verse 9<\/a>. Having said all this, Haman is ready and primed to hear the words, \u201cYou are the man.\u201d And upon hearing those words, he intended to fake a surprised look.<\/p>\n

What happens next is found in<\/span> verse 10<\/a>: Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as you have said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sits at the king\u2019s gate: let nothing fail of all that<\/em><\/span> you have spoken.<\/em><\/p>\n

The surprised look on Haman\u2019s face was not faked! God had begun to operate by humbling Haman.<\/p>\n

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But, in the end, it is curse for curse in kind, as stated in Esther 7:9\u201310<\/a>: Then said Ha<\/em><\/span>rbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. And the king sa<\/em><\/span>id, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king\u2019s wrath pacified.<\/em><\/p>\n

Even with Haman dead and swinging on the gallows, the probl<\/span>em was still not solved for Mordecai. A decree had been passed that could never be repealed; the Jews were still fair game whenever that certain day of that certain month arrived. Since the decree could not be repealed, a second one\u2014also sealed with the king\u2019<\/span>s ring\u2014was passed. It stated that on the same day of that same month, the Jews would be free to take up weapons to defend themselves (Esth. 8<\/span>:9\u201314<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The results of this decree are found in Esther 9:5<\/a>: And the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and with slaughter and destruction, and did what they would unto them tha<\/em><\/span>t hated them.<\/em><\/p>\n

The sub principle, curse for curse in kind, is seen again.<\/p>\n

The grand finale of the whole episode, according to verse 26<\/a>, is a new Jewish holiday, which is still celebrated today: Wherefo<\/em><\/span>re they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur.<\/em><\/p>\n

The chief propagandist for the Hitler regime was Julias Streicher who, through his Nazi newspaper, spread Jew hatred over all of Europe. After W<\/span>orld War II, he was captured by the Allied Forces, tried at Nuremburg, and sentenced to be hung. As he went up the scaffold, he spoke his two, final words, \u201cPurim 1946.\u201d Julias Streicher recognized the part he played in history. He tried to destroy the Jews, but now, in the closing minutes of his life, he realized that the Jews he had tried t<\/span>o destroy would celebrate his failure as they have Haman\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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IV. The Outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant in the New Testament<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The New Testament demonstrates the continuity of the Abrahamic Covenant and the principle of God\u2019s philosophy of history. An example o<\/span>f this is found in Luke 7:2\u20135<\/a>: And a certain centurion\u2019s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick and at the point of death. And when he heard concerning Jesus, he sent unto him elders of the Jews, as<\/em><\/span>king him that he would come and save his servant. And they, when they came to Jesus, besought him earnestly, saying, He is worthy that you should do this for him; for he loves our nation, and himself built us our synagogue.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

At this point in history, the Romans were not friends of the Jews, but there was something different about this particular Roman. The Jewish leaders themselves testified that h<\/em><\/span>e loves our nation, and himself built us our synagogue.<\/em><\/p>\n

Thus, in the outworking of the blessing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant verse 10<\/a> states: And they that were sent, returning to the house, found<\/em><\/span> the servant whole.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here, Jesus honors the faith of a Gentile Roman soldier\u2014a centurion no less\u2014because of his relationship with the Jewish people, with whom he was living in the city of Capernaum.<\/p>\n

A <\/span>second example involves another Roman centurion. In Acts 10<\/a>, the first Gentile is received into the Church, as a Gentile rather than a proselyte. It should be noted that of all the Gentiles God could <\/span>have chosen as the first to come into the Body of Messiah, He picked one that was a righteous man and one that fears God, and well reported by all the nation of the Jews<\/em> (Acts 10:22a<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Throughout the <\/span>Scriptures, the blessing and cursing aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant among the Gentiles is seen over and over again in their relationship with the Jews, both as individuals and as nations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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V. The Outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant in Post Biblical History<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Many events in history that are labeled peculiar, unusual, or impossible to understand can best be understood if viewed as a result<\/span> of the outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant. There have been numerous attempts to destroy the Jews, and all have failed. Essentially, the four methods that were used during the biblical period have been the same ones used ever since, and these methods will always fail in destroying the Jews. Like Abimelech, the Crusaders took aw<\/span>ay wives. Like the Egyptians, the Spanish Empire killed the sons. Like the Persian Empire, Germany made anti Semitism the official government policy. Like the Amalekites, the Arab states have declared war upon the Jews.<\/span><\/p>\n

These methods cannot and will not work in destroy<\/span>ing them. After two thousand years, numerous examples can be given of how the Abrahamic Covenant has worked itself out, but this study will be limited to four: Spain, England, Germany, and Jordan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>A. Spain<\/p>\n

Because of its great Armada, the Spanish Empire controlled vast parts of the world. The fact that every nation south of the United States except Brazil speaks Spanish is an indication of what<\/span> the Spanish Empire once was. The Spanish economy was strong, and as a result so was everything else. In 1492, the same year that Columbus set sail for America, the Spanish Edict of Expulsion ordering<\/span> all Jews to leave the country was issued. With this act, Spain blundered. When she expelled her Jews, she expelled her scholars, doctors, and bankers. The Spanish economy thus began to crumble and collapse. Finally, the source of Spain\u2019s strength, the Armada, sailed against England and was<\/span> destroyed, not so much by the British navy as by a storm at sea. The Abrahamic Covenant had worked itself out. She, who expelled the Jews, was then expelled from her holdings in the western hemisphere until nothing remained.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another point involving Spain shows the blessing aspect beginning to work as well. <\/span>The story of how Queen Isabella sold her jewels in order to buy the three ships for Columbus breaks down under some cool historical research. It was not Queen Isabella\u2019s jewels, but Queen Isabella\u2019s \u201cJews\u201d who purchased the three ships for Columbus. History shows that two Jewish ban<\/span>king families bought the ships. Many of the men on the three vessels were Jews fleeing Spain as a result of the Edict of Expulsion. According to Columbus\u2019 own diary, the first one to spot land was a Jew sitting in the crow\u2019s nest. Also, according to his diary, the first one off his ship was his interpreter, Louis de Torres, a Spanish Jew. As Europe was slowly beginning to close its doors to the Jews, the New World was discovered that was eventually to become the greatest haven f<\/span>or Jews fleeing persecution around the world in the form of the United States. The United States became and remains what she is today mainly because of the blessing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>B. England<\/p>\n

England provides a second example of the outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant. There was a time when England was blessed by God because of her favorable attitude to the Jews, and they were <\/span>able to boast, \u201cThe sun never sets on the British Empire.\u201d It was a Messianic believer, Benjamin Disraeli, who gained for England the two vital links that made her the British Empire: India and the Suez Canal. The Balfour Declaration of World War I showed England\u2019s favorable attitude toward establishing a Jewish national home in Palestine, later captured from the Turks. But then she mad<\/span>e an about face and turned against the Jews; England began to limit Jewish <\/span>immigration in effect annulling the Balfour Declaration. This policy trapped many Jews, preventing their flight from the Nazis. As a res<\/span>ult, the British Empire began to crumble as one nation after another declared its freedom from the Empire. Finally, the very possessions gained for her by Jews, India and the Suez Canal, were also lost. The result is that today, the sun does indeed set on the British Empire\u2014every twenty four hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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C. Germany<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Germany provides the third example. When Hitler came to power, anti Semitism became the official government policy. In 1939, as the Germans drew the world again into war, this policy began <\/span>to spread to the occupied parts of Europe. As one nation after another fell, the Jews were taken and moved into the slum sections of major cities such as Warsaw. Concrete walls were built around these ghettos, and the Jews were slowly beaten and starved. The Gestapo<\/span> had a favorite game, which consisted of taking one Jew and forcing him to kill another Jew in order to save the life of his own family. The Jews were forced to go into hiding as Nazis systematically sought them out. Six million were finally exterminated.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, after six years Germany was no longer the conqueror, but the conquere<\/span>d. For a generation, the Germans who once built walls around the Jews, had a wall cutting their once proud capital of Berlin in half. For forty years, the people who once forced Jews to kill Jews had Germans killing Germans who tried to make their escape over the Berlin Wall. T<\/span>o this day, Nazi war criminals are forced to live in hiding as they are sought out by Jews.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>D. Jordan<\/p>\n

The fourth example involves the four Arab states of Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt, all of whom combined their forces in 1967 with the avowed purpose of destroying Israel. Nasser vowed that <\/span>the Jews would be driven into the Mediterranean Sea and forced to swim back to Europe, from where they had come. King Hussein swore to move his border so as to encompass all of Palestine. After four days of the Six Day War, however, it was not the Jews but the Egyp<\/span>tians who were doing the swimming as they fled across the Suez Canal from the Israeli forces. As for King Hussein, after three days his border was indeed moved\u2014but in the opposite direction. The Arabs cursed the Jewish State with war and were defeated by war.<\/span><\/p>\n

All this provides a unique picture of the sub principle: Curse for curse in<\/span> kind. God\u2019s philosophy of history involved in the Abrahamic Covenant provides the principles for understanding how the Gentile nations are related to the Jews.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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VI. The Outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant in Prophecy<\/p>\n

In order to provide a somewhat complete picture of the Abrahamic Covenant, two examples will be cited from the realm of Eschatology.<\/p>\n

After World War II, the main persecutor of the Jews was the former Soviet Union. There were about three million Jews living within the Soviet Union. She troubled the Jews inside her territory and was allied with the Arab States in their stated aim to destroy the State of Israel. Rather quickly, the Communist Empire collapsed. As for Russia, the Scriptures in Ezekiel 38:1\u201339:16<\/a> have already declared how Russia will come to its end.<\/p>\n

A full exposition of this passage goes beyond the scope of this study except to say that the very event that begins the work of God against the Russians is depicted in Ezekiel 38:18<\/a>: And it shall come to pass in that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord Jehovah, that my wrath shall come up into my nostrils.<\/em><\/p>\n

The final straw will be when the Russians themselves invade the nation of Israel; having done that, Russia as a world power is doomed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The second example of the outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant in Eschatology is the Campaign of Arma<\/span>geddon resulting in the Second Coming of Messiah. Again, a complete exposition on Armageddon goes beyond the purpose of this study except to note that the event, which actually begins God\u2019s action against the Gentiles in this campaign, is recorded by Zechariah in chapter <\/span>12:2\u20133<\/a>: Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it be in the <\/em><\/span>siege against Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

And the prophet writes in Zechariah 14:1\u20134<\/a>: Behold, a day of Jehovah comes, when your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you. For I wil<\/em><\/span>l gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against thos<\/em><\/span>e nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The event that brings about Israel\u2019s national regeneration, the event that brings about the return of Yeshua the Messiah, is w<\/span>hen all nations come against Jerusalem to battle. This event will eventually bring the return of the Lord and the dispensing of Israel\u2019s enemies once and for all. So even in prophecy, the principle of the Abrahamic Covenant is seen working its way out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, in prophecy as well as in history, the unifying principle is the Abrahamic Covenant as seen in Genesis 12:3<\/a>: I will bless them that bless you<\/em><\/span>, and him that curses you will I curse.<\/em><\/p>\n

In conclusion, books on Jewish history written from a secular viewpoint are generally agreed that the Jewish existence is an enigma. Historians such as Oswald S<\/span>pengler and Arnold Toynbee with different philosophies of history find themselves at a loss to explain the Jews.<\/p>\n

This is pointed out by Max I. Dimont in \u201cJews, God and History\u201d:<\/p>\n

Since the history of t<\/span>he Jews did not fit into either Spengler\u2019s or Toynbee\u2019s system, Spengler ignored them and Toynbee reduced them to an occasional footnote, describing the Jews as fossils of history.<\/p>\n

Philosophies of his<\/span>tory based on non-biblical presuppositions fail to provide any answer to Jewish survival. This is clear from the very writings of those who tried to explain history by a certain system only to have it crack down in the <\/span>face of the Jews.<\/p>\n

In \u201cConcerning the Jews,\u201d Mark Twain wrote:<\/p>\n

He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the plan<\/span>et with sound and splendor, then faded to dream stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and i<\/span>s now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?<\/p>\n

A former communist, Nicholas Berdyaev, writes in \u201cThe Meaning of History\u201d: I remember how the materialist interpretation of history, when I attempted in my youth to verify it by applying it to t<\/span>he destinies of the people, broke down in the case of the Jews, where destiny seemed absolutely inexplicable from the materialistic standpoint \u2026 According to the materialistic \u2026 criterion, this people ought long ago to have perished. Its survival is a mysterious and wonderful phenomenon demonstrating that the life of this people is governed by a special predetermination, transcending the pro<\/span>cesses of adaptation expounded by the materialistic interpretation of history. The survival of the Jews \u2026 their endurance under absolutely peculiar conditions and the fateful role played by them in history; all these point to the peculiar and mysterious foundations of their destiny.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Not only have Gentile historians looking at the Jews come to a dead end in trying to explain them, but also the Jews thems<\/span>elves have not been able to explain their existence in any consistent way.<\/p>\n

The Messianic believer, however, has the answer to the secret of Jewish survival. The answer to Mark Twain\u2019s question, \u201cWhat <\/span>is the secret of his immortality?\u201d lies in the outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant.<\/p>\n

The answer lies in this cry of the last of the Old Testament prophets, in Malachi 3:6<\/a>: For I, Jehovah, change not; <\/em><\/span>therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Jewish believer, then, can give the proper explanation of the role the Messianic People play in history: their destruction is impossible. It is tru<\/span>e that great parts of them have been destroyed through various anti-Semitic campaigns, but the Messianic People as a distinct entity cannot themselves be destroyed. The Jewish believer, being part of the Messianic People, enjoys the same protection. The difference is in their knowing the source of that protection.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, the Messianic believer is a loyal member of the Jewish community, although the<\/span> community may not accept him. Knowing the exact nature of God\u2019s program for the Messianic People draws him to a greater love for his own people in a way that most Jews cannot understand. His desire to share the truths of the Scriptures with them is the result of his love for the Jew<\/span>s, not the result of any antagonism toward them.<\/p>\n

This is the reason Ariel Ministries is in existence. This is why th<\/span>ere are branches in various cities around the United States and one in Israel. This is why we continue to witness in various ways in our various branches, because we want to share with our own people the good news of the Messiahship of Yeshua.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, the Messianic believer\u2019s alliance with the Jews does not make him blind to the fact that the Jewish community is not always right. Nor do<\/span>es it blind him to the fact that the basic cause of Jewish suffering is their disobedience to the revealed will of God and unbelief in the Person of the Messiah. These things are countered by witnessing to the Jews. At the same time, the believer is the best defender of the Jews against all forms of anti-Semitism, teaching God\u2019s attitude toward it and wa<\/span>rning of God\u2019s judgment if it persists.<\/p>\n

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For <\/span>the anti-Semite who cannot be persuaded by the Scriptures to drop his anti-Semitism, the Jewish believer has some useful information. He can be told that it will not work to take away Jewish wives, to kil<\/span>l Jewish sons, to declare war on the Jews, or to make anti-Semitism the official government policy. These four methods, consistently used against the Jews throughout history, cannot and will not destroy them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Messianic believer can provide the one method that will work in destroying the Jews. It is found in Jeremiah 31:35\u201337<\/a>: Thus says Jehovah, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the<\/em><\/span> ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea, so that the waves thereof roar; Jehovah of hosts is his name: If these ordinances depart from before me, says Jehovah, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation<\/em><\/span> before me for ever. Thus says Jehovah: If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then will I also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says Jehovah.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The message of the Messianic believer to the anti-Semite is: if you want to destroy the Jews, then you must first de<\/span>stroy the sun, moon, and stars. Then, and only then, according to the promise of God, can the Jews be destroyed.<\/p>\n

As Isaiah the Prophet once stated in chapter 54:17<\/a>: No weapon that is formed against yo<\/em><\/span>u shall prosper.<\/em><\/p>\n

Again, in Malachi 3:6<\/a>: For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.<\/em><\/p>\n

In summarizing what has been stated so far, the unifying principle of God\u2019s philos<\/span>ophy of history is: \u201cI will bless him that blesses you and curse him that curses you.\u201d Whether one speaks of history or prophecy, the unifying principle remains. God\u2019s philosophy, or God\u2019s principle of history is <\/span>Genesis 12:3<\/a>. It is God\u2019s foreign policy to Gentiles as individuals and to Gentiles as nations in their relationship to the Jewish people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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VII. The Application to the Local Church<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Now a question needs to be raised, \u201cWhat does all this have to do with believers today, individually or corporately?\u201d That question can be answered in two ways<\/span>: first, \u201cHow does this apply to the local church as a church?\u201d Secondly, \u201cHow does all this apply to individual believers?\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the functions of the local church or local assembly is to carry out <\/span>the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18\u201320<\/a>: And Jesus came to them and spoke unto them, saying, All authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of <\/em><\/span>all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Both Jewish believers and Gentile believers have recognized the need for worldwide evangelism in fulfilling the Great Commission. Both Jewish and Gentile believers have contri<\/span>buted heavily to it through manpower and financial support. However, Jewish believers have recognized an aspect of the biblical method of evangelism that the major part of Gentile Christianity has either ignored, denied, or <\/span>simply rebelled against. Although the Scriptures are very clear on this point of proper methodology in evangelism, whenever it is propounded, there tends to be a negative react<\/span>ion sometimes bordering on downright anti Semitism. At other times, it is quite obvious that anti Semitism is the source of the reaction and nothing more.<\/p>\n

The particular method of carrying out the Gre<\/span>at Commission, the particular method or procedure for evangelism, is clearly spelled out in Romans 1:16<\/a>: For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that<\/em><\/span> believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.<\/em><\/p>\n

There is only one verb that controls the two remaining clauses in this verse: the verb is<\/em>. It is in the Greek present tense, emphasizing continuous <\/span>action. The gospel is<\/em> continuously God\u2019s power to save, and it is<\/em> continuously to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.<\/em> If one tries to interpret this verse, as some have, to simply mean that the gosp<\/span>el came to the Jews first but this is no longer true, the verse would also have to mean that the gospel was once God\u2019s power to salvation, but no longer is. However, if the gospel is always God\u2019s power to save, then it is always <\/span>to the Jew first, and also to the Greek<\/em>. The gospel is the power of God<\/em>, and the proper procedure is for it to go to the Jew first<\/em>. This is true regardless of the particul<\/span>ar method of evangelism\u2014be it door to door, person to person, radio evangelism, mass evangelism, or television evangelism\u2014the gospel is to go to the Jew first<\/em>. In applying Romans 1:16<\/a> to the Great Com<\/span>mission, whenever the gospel goes out and by whatever means it goes out from the local church, it must go out to the Jew first.<\/em> This is the biblical procedure for evangelism regardless of the method o<\/span>f evangelism.<\/p>\n

As most believers and local assemblies participate in the Great Commission mainly through monetary giving, this principle would also require it to be applied to the Jew first. In other w<\/span>ords, not only does Romans 1:16<\/a> cover the method of evangelism, it also covers evangelism both actively and passively. This principle holds whether one speaks of active evangelism or passive evangelis<\/span>m. Active evangelism is when one is doing the work of an evangelist. Passive evangelism is when one is supporting those who are doing the work of an evangelist. The gospel, whenever it goes out, is to go out <\/span>to the Jew first<\/em> both in active and passive evangelism.<\/p>\n

What is true in the local church is also true of the missionary in the field. Some missionaries have asked the question, \u201cDoes this appl<\/span>y to us who are not called to go to the Jews?\u201d They can readily see how this applies to someone who is a missionary to the Jews, or how it would apply to those on the staff of Ariel Ministry whose full time job is to witness to Jewish people. But they say, \u201cSuppose we are called to go to the American Indians or to China, Japan, India,<\/span> South America, are we obligated to keep that particular principle as well?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul himself answers that question in Romans 11:13\u201314<\/a>: But I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry; if by any means I may pro<\/em><\/span>voke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them.<\/em><\/p>\n

A missionary must first take the gospel to any Jews who may be in the field where he is working. Regardless of his particular place <\/span>of calling, his obligation is to seek out the Jews and present them with the gospel, because no special leading is necessary where there is already a command. Although many missionaries may object, again they must go back to what Paul clearly stated in this passage. Paul points out that he himself was not called to go to the Jews.<\/span> His calling was to go to the Gentiles; he was the apostle of Gentil<\/em><\/span>es.<\/em> On this point, his ministry was clearly different from that of Peter\u2019s ministry.<\/p>\n

In Galatians 2:7\u20139<\/a>, Paul writes: but contrariwise, when they saw that I had been intrusted with the gospel of the u<\/em><\/span>ncircumcision, even as Peter with the gospel of the circumcision (for he that wrought for Peter unto the apostleship of the circumcision wrought for me also unto the Gentiles); and when they perceived the grace that was given unto me, James and Cephas and John, they who were repute<\/em><\/span>d to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Peter\u2019s calling was clearly to go to the Jews, but that was not Paul\u2019s calling. Paul\u2019s calling was to go out to the Gentiles and to establish Gentile Christianity.<\/p>\n

American chur<\/span>ches have divided missions into two categories, and these two categories almost always are home missions and foreign missions. The Bible also categorizes missions into two categories but they are not the same two <\/span>categories. According to Acts 15<\/a>, Romans 11<\/a>, and Galatians 2<\/a>, the biblical categories are Jewish missions and Gentile missions. The peculiarity about Jewish missions is that regardless of<\/span> one\u2019s calling to Gentile missions, he is still to go to the Jew first.<\/em> Even though Paul\u2019s unique calling and ministry was to the Gentiles, the great apostle recognized the principle of Romans 1:16<\/a>, a<\/span>nd everywhere Paul went, he always went to the Jew first.<\/em><\/p>\n

A very, very clear picture of this can be seen by looking at the Book of Acts. In Acts, there is the historical example of the carrying out of<\/span> Romans 1:16<\/a>. The beginning of Paul\u2019s mission to the Gentiles is found in Acts 13:2\u20133<\/a>: And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work <\/em><\/span>whereunto I have called them. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.<\/em><\/p>\n

It was in Acts 9<\/a> that Paul received his commission to be the apostle of the Genti<\/em><\/span>les<\/em>. In Acts 13<\/a>, he is commissioned and sent out by the church at Antioch to fulfill that commission. In chapter 13<\/a>, the apostle of the Gentiles<\/em> now goes out to the Gentiles. As he goes out to the Gen<\/span>tiles, without fail, he always goes to the Jew first.<\/p>\n

This can be proved by going through the Book of Acts. As has already been noted in Acts 13:2\u20133<\/a>, Paul was sent out to fulfill his calling as the ap<\/span>ostle of the Gentiles. In Acts 13<\/a>, the apostle of the Gentiles now goes to the Gentiles, but note carefully his procedure in the following passages.<\/p>\n

Acts 13:5<\/a>: And when they were at Salamis, they proc<\/em><\/span>laimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John as their attendant.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 13:14<\/a>: But they, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia; and they went into the sy<\/em><\/span>nagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 14:1<\/a>: And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of G<\/em><\/span>reeks believed.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 16:12\u201313<\/a>: and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in this city tarrying certain days. And on the sabbath <\/em><\/span>day we went forth without the gate by a river side, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down, and spoke unto the women that were come together.<\/em><\/p>\n

Since this is a Sabbath prayer mee<\/span>ting, it would have been a Jewish prayer meeting.<\/p>\n

Acts 17:1\u20132<\/a>: Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as his<\/em><\/span> custom was, went in unto them, and for three sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 17:10<\/a>: And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they<\/em><\/span> were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 17:16\u201317<\/a>: Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols. So he reasoned <\/em><\/span>in the synagogue with Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him.<\/em><\/p>\n

In this passage, there is a rather clear example of what Paul was doing. He went into Athens<\/span> and saw the city given over to idolatry. He was provoked<\/em> by those who worshipped those idols. But who was it that worshipped those idols? It was not the Jews because idolatry had ceased being a Jewis<\/span>h problem after the Babylonian captivity. It was the Gentiles of Athens who worshipped those idols and, to these Gentiles, Paul was provoked to preach. However, the principle of Romans 1:16<\/a> must stand<\/span>. In verse 17<\/a>, he went first to the Jews and, then, in verse 18<\/a> he turned to the Gentiles.<\/p>\n

Acts 18:1<\/a> and 4<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Acts 18:1<\/a> states: After these things he departed from Athens, and came to Corinth.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 18:4<\/a><\/span> states And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 18:19<\/a>: And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reas<\/em><\/span>oned with the Jews.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 19:1<\/a> states: And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 19:8<\/a> stat<\/span>es: And he entered into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the <\/em>kingdom of God.<\/em><\/p>\n

Acts 28:16\u201317<\/a>: And when we entered into <\/em><\/span>Rome, Paul was suffered to abide by himself with the soldier that guarded him. And it came to pass, that after three days he called together those that were the chief of the Jews: and when they were come together, he said unt<\/em><\/span>o them, I, brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, yet was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.<\/em><\/p>\n

To th<\/span>e very end of the Book of Acts, Paul presented the gospel to the Jew first.<\/em> Even after he returned to a city where he had already established a church, he once again went to the Jew first<\/em> without fail<\/span>. All through the Scriptures, this procedure is very clear. Still, many deny it.<\/p>\n

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One of the reasons people deny this is based upon the concluding words of Acts 28:25\u201328<\/a>: And when they agreed not among<\/em><\/span> themselves, they departed after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spoke the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers, saying, Go you unto this people, and say, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise unde<\/em><\/span>rstand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: For this people\u2019s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing And their eyes they have closed; Lest, haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles: they will also h<\/em><\/span>ear.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Because of these concluding words in Acts 28<\/a> and Paul\u2019s declaration that the gospel would go unto the Gentiles<\/em>, this passage is interpr<\/span>eted by some to mean that the gospel is no longer to the Jew first<\/em>; that God has changed His program of procedure for evangelism superseding Romans 1:16<\/a>. While it can certainly be agreed that the Book<\/span> of Romans was written before the Book of Acts, this passage does not mean that the gospel is no longer to the Jew first<\/em> or that God has changed His program of evangelism. The true meaning can be foun<\/span>d by comparing this passage with two previous passages in Acts, where these very words were spoken.<\/p>\n

For example, Acts 13:44\u201348<\/a> states: And the next sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together <\/em><\/span>to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should firs<\/em><\/span>t be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set you for a light of the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth. And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Later, Acts 18:5\u20136<\/a> states: But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the word, test<\/em><\/span>ifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out his raiment and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from <\/em>hencefor<\/em><\/span>th I will go unto the Gentiles.<\/em><\/p>\n

The true interpretation of Acts 28:25\u201328<\/a> is to be seen in these two passages that indicate only a local or geographical change, not an overall change in the program of <\/span>evangelism. In the Acts 13<\/a> passage, the Jews of Antioch of Pisidia rejected the gospel, so now Paul will go to the Gentiles in Antioch of Pisidia. In the Acts 18<\/a> passage, the Jews of Corinth rejected <\/span>the gospel, so now Paul will turn unto the Gentiles of Corinth. When he left both Antioch of Pisidia and Corinth for new territories, he once again went to the Jew first. Furthermore, in chapter 19<\/a> wh<\/span>en he returned to Corinth, he again went to the Jew first even after his declaration of the previous chapter of going to the Gentiles. The meaning of Acts 28<\/a> is that, because the Jews of Rome rejected<\/span> the gospel, Paul will go to the Jew first while in Rome. If Paul was released as some believe, after he was released he would follow the same procedure that he did in Acts 13<\/a> and 18<\/a>: he would go to t<\/span>he Jew first.<\/p>\n

The point is that the blessing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant is available to the local church that carries out the principle of Romans 1:16<\/a>, both in active and passive evangelism. The<\/span> gospel, whenever it goes out and by whatever means it goes out, should do so to the Jew first<\/em>. The way a local church can become a participant in the blessing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant is by g<\/span>oing to the Jew first<\/em> with the gospel, in both active and passive evangelism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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VIII. The Application to Individuals<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Concerning individual believers, Psalm 122:6<\/a> states: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love you.<\/em><\/p>\n

A special blessing is guaranteed to those w<\/span>ho will pray for the peace of Jerusalem. One thing the Scriptures make clear is that the peace of Jerusalem is tied in with the Second Coming of Messiah, and the prerequisite to the Second Coming is Israel\u2019s salvation. So, when believers <\/span>pray for the peace of Jerusalem<\/em>, they are praying for the salvation of the Jewish people. Those individuals who pray regularly for the salvation of the Jews are g<\/span>uaranteed certain blessings not available by any other means. That is how individual believers can become participants in the blessing aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I will bless them that bless you, and him that curses you will I curse: Genesis 12:3 This study is divided into eight sections after the introduction. The first section details the Abrahamic Covenant; sections two through six look at various parts of Scripture and history to see the outworking of the principle of this … <\/p>\n

\u201eHow to Destroy the Jews\u201c <\/span>weiterlesen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions\/56"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}