THE JEW’S FUTURE

Many talk and write about the Jews — their present and future. God speaks and shall accomplish in respect to them also, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” (Isa. 46:10).

The Rev. Thomas Boston has written many years ago, as follows:

There is a day coming in which there shall be a national conversion of the Jews or Israelites. The now blinded and rejected Jews shall at length be converted into the faith of Christ, and join themselves to the Christian church. There are many promises of this in the Old Testament, but I shall confirm it from Romans, Chap. 11, where the apostle purposely insists upon it.

Though that people have dreadfully stumbled, the more dreadful since Chrst was the stumbling stone to them, yet they have not fallen so as never to rise again, Rom. 11:11. “Have they stumbled that they should fail? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.” Now as their stumbling by unbelief did eventually cause the Gentile world to rise to their feet, after they had lain long immersed in ignorance of God, and wickedness: so God will make use of the grace bestowed on the Gentle world, to awaken the Jews to the consideraton of their true interest, by way of holy emulation, that they shall think with themselves as the prodigal, Luke 15:17.

The covenant made with their fathers, particularly with Abraham, Gen. 17, that He would be the God of his seed after him, secures the conversion of that people. It was with that covenant, in respect of them, as with some rivers of which it is observed that they run a good way above ground, and then are swallowed up in the earth, and so run many miles under ground, but at length break out again, and run above ground till they come to the sea. So that covenant runs visibly till the days of the apostles, but now its visible efficacy is interrupted, but it will break forth again in their conversion, never to be rejected more. So the apostle tells us, they are thereby still the holy nation, verse 16, the nation particularly dedicated to God. The national election is still their privilege, verse 28, “As touching the election, they are beloved for the Father’s sake.” And by virtue of the covenant made with their fathers, God has a love to that nation: and God’s will will certainly terminate in good deeds at length: and that because the gift and calling of that nation to the adoption and covenant are irreversible, verse 29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

The apostle expressly asserts it, verses 25, 26. In these he shews that the blindness of the Jews is only in part, and to last only to a certain time, when there shall be a national conversion, and so all Israel shall be saved. This is not meant of the Spiritual Israel, for their conversion could be no mystery as this is. But as the conversion of the Gentiles was a mystery to the Jews and to Gentiles themselves under the Old Testament, Eph. 3:3–6. So is that of the Jews, to the Gentiles and Jews themselves, under the New Testament. And as many Jews then would not believe the one, so many Christians now believe not the other.

Believe it and help it on by your prayers. Ply the throne of grace earnestly for it. Join cordially in the public prayers for it, and remember it in your family and secret prayers. Be ashamed to say “What is it to us?”

Nothing is too hard for the Almighty God. Grace can bring them back, whom their corruptions have carried quite off the foundation. So are the Jews who despise Christ as a mere man. Such a case is absolutely hopeless in itself, but grace can bring one out of it. He that hath made the rejected stone the head of the corner, can make of the rejectors lively stones built up upon Him. Compare I Peter 2:5, with chap. 1:1 of that epistle.

Grace can overcome the strongest, and root out the deepest prejudices against religion. No people in the world are so deeply prejudiced against Christianity as the Jews are. But their prejudices an out-pouring of the Spirit will totally carry away. When the eye is all affected, things appear in quite wrong colours; but it will cure the eye and then the beauty of religion will recommend itself. Song 4:9 and 6:1.

Thus far the Rev. T. Boston, but the following we read in “Christian News from Israel”:

Life is stimulating in Israel. Few countries in the world offer such activity, such vibrant life, such dedication to an ideal and purpose as are found in this land.

Daniel promised that the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. From arms to exports Israel has become a relatively strong nation. Figures of increased trade during recent years to countries of Africa, Asia and Europe are little short of amazing. It might be argued that this is the result not of the knowledge of God but rather of industry and diplomacy. Yet probably no nation in the world has given official recognition to the importance of God’s Word as has Israel. What world figure holds regular Bible study groups in his home as do the Prime Minister, Mr. Ben-Gurion, and Mrs. Ben-Zvi, the President’s wife? Where do such prominent leaders and scholars gather to discuss Scripture, as in the Annual Bible Conference convened in Jerusalem each year, and open to the public? All of this is a straw in the wind indicating how God is preparing His people for that which is to come.

Ezekiel wrote of a valley of dry bones — very dry; of how they would be joined together again, bone to its bone, and live once more. These, Ezekiel wrote, are the whole house of Israel. He then presents a survey of the history of Israel — the bones — in its exile. Separated, persecuted, defiled, hated to the extent that an Einstein, probably possessing the greatest brain ever to function in a human skull, would be “booed” down in his classes by young Nazi hooligans in the University of Berlin in the days of Hitler’s beginnings.

Now, less than thirty years later, after a slaughter of six million Jews, Israel is already gathered back into its homeland, established as a nation, prospering, growing. The Mayor of Berlin, Willy Brandt, stands in the IULA Congress in Tel Aviv and eulogizes Israel, bringing greetings from Berlin and a plea of forgiveness for the past.

The 25th Zionist Congress, held in Jerusalem at the start of this year, brought delegates from practically every land of the Diaspora except the Soviet bloc. It called to mind the First Zionist Congress, which was held in Basle, Switzerland, in 1897. At that Congress they had stood and pronounced the Hebrew blessing for first occasions, “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, for keeping us alive, preserving us and permitting us to attain this day.”

While Israel was under the dominion of others a large percentage of Agricultural products consumed in Palestine came from neighboring Arab countries. One purpose of the boycott, instituted by the Arab countries against Israel on the formation of the State and continuing to this day, was to starve this nation. The result was opposite to what they had planned, for the Arab countries lost their profitable market while Israel has provided abundantly for her needs and now profits from abundant production by exports to Europe.

The Scribes and the Pharisees were those who were learned in the Law in the days of the Lord. The Pharisees have since disappeared but the Scribes have persisted.

King Solomon’s mines (Timna), 10 miles north of Eilat on the Red Sea, are no longer a legendary spot. Since their discovery some years ago by Dr. Nelson Glueck, the mines have once again been put into operation. Last year the mine produced 6,000 tons, and a production of 14,000 tons will be reached by 1966. Two of the largest US copper producers have expressed their readiness to invest in the Timna Copper Works on a 50-50 basis to aid in further development.

Clues which led to the discovery of the ancient mines and the production of copper in Israel for the first time since Biblical days, came from passages in the Scripture and from modern archeological research.

We read in a Christian paper the following: “It is a great joy to us to see the attitude even of the Orthodox Jews here in Israel is changing. It seems as if they are beginning to reconsider the question about Jesus, and some of them are now willing to read the New Testament which they would have spurned in previous days.

Recently here in Tel Aviv Jews in the street stopped us to request New Testaments. Among them was an Orthodox Jew who came running to catch up with us. ‘Please give me a Book,’ he panted. We said ‘You must know that this is not the Old Testament but the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth.’ ‘Yes, I know!’ he exclaimed eagerly, ‘But I am shamash in the synagogue (overseer of the building), so I must have it.’ and you may be sure we were happy to let him have the Book.”

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