Olive Press research paper # 54.
I’m always interested when Kelvin Crombie brings out a new book – or in this case a ‘booklet’ – at just 55 pages. It’s downloadable free, and constitutes an excellent summary of immediate importance. See links below.
Writer
Kelvin Crombie is the former official historian of the Church’s Ministry Amongst Jewish people (CMJ) and has a rare quality; he is a professional historian who brings a biblical Christian (and prophetic) insight to God’s purposes being outworked through, and in, the seemingly random events we characterize as ‘history’, or as ‘the march of history’.
Crombie has already written scholarly works of some note, about the Holocaust, the ANZACs and their role in ending the Ottoman rule over Syria/Israel, about El-Alamein and the way that battle avoided a Holocaust in ‘mandated Palestine’. Beyond these he has also written seminal works on the biblical Covenants, such as “In Covenant With Jesus” (340pp), and “Three Sons of Abraham”, about three disciples of Jesus instrumental in the foundation of the modern Messianic Jewish movement. These are works of considerable historical stature, and well worth reading.
Timely
Crombie’s latest booklet is timely, given the Simchat Torah murders (07 October 2023) leading directly to today’s conflict (ongoing at the time of writing this review), and all that shall flow from it. The book looks briefly at a range of historical questions especially:
- explanations of terminology
- declaration of personal interest
- broader spiritual dynamics behind the conflict
- why is Man’s heart prone to deceit and evil
- God’s plan of redemption worked out through Covenant
- God’s Covenants
- The first coming of Jesus
- Birth and Growth of Messianic Israel (AKA ‘the Church’)
- The second exile
- Islam, and Islamic imperialism
- Birth pangs of restoration
- End of Ottoman-Islamic occupation
- Intensifying opposition to Israel
- 1967 and 1973 wars
- “Settlements” as an issue
- the present crisis (2024)
- What is true peace?
- What role for the church?
- Conclusion
- Endnotes (some 29)
So, the scope is broad and thorough. Crombie outlines the nature of anti-Semitism from a biblical (Christian) standpoint. He raises blunt questions about whether ANY concessions by Israel will ever be enough to secure true peace. He challenges, in any case, our normative understanding of ‘peace’ and posits the only solution ever likely to result in true peace (shalom). Finally Crombie sets out six tasks for ‘the Church’ within its’ God-ordained mandate in the pursuit of TRUE peace:
- reveal the true Jesus
- comprehend the principles of Covenant
- renounce false teaching that ‘the church’ is ‘Israel’ (AKA ‘fulfillment theology’)
- renounce ALL forms of anti-Semitism
- recognize that when aligning with anti-Israel agendas, it endorses the Islamic agenda
- heed apostle Paul’s instruction to provoke Israel to jealousy (Romans 11:11)
How does YOUR church measure up to these standards?
Eight refusals
In terms of historical reportage, Crombie’s summary of the Arab (or ‘Palestinian’?) refusals to reach a settlement with Israel (and indeed the Jewish community in the Land prior to 1948) is helpful (pp 33 to 45, essentially the history of ‘peace’ explorations through to today). Although Crombie does not cite it in the way my review does immediately below, he comments of the repeated Arab rejections (‘refusals’) of peace overtures. In Crombie’s text I counted eight:
1937 – British offer a small Israel ‘state’ and a much larger Arab state – accepted by Jews, rejected by Arabs (under Haj Amin el-Husseini, later to become a key ally of Hitler). Refusal # 1.
1947 – UN vote carried for establishment of Jewish and Arab states – collective Arab leaderships/Arab League refused, and then attacked the fledgling Israel State. Whilst the ensuing war was a violation of UN intentions, the UN did nothing tangible on Israel’s behalf. Refusal # 2.
The Arab nations refused to allow ‘Palestinians’ displaced by the war to assimilate in the countries to which they had sought refuge – a social position that persists to this day (Israel integrated Jewish refugees displaced from Arab countries at the same time, in roughly the same numbers) Refusal # 3.
1964 – PLO established in tangible refusal of the State of Eretz Israel. Refusal # 4.
1967 and 1973 – two more unprovoked pan-Arab attacks on Israel, led to more Arab ‘refugees’, and Israel found herself in possession of Jerusalem for the first time (prior to this, Jerusalem and the ‘west bank’ was occupied by the Jordanian army).
1967 – Arab League declared ‘no peace with Israel, and no negotiations with Israel’.
(At this time the UN issues Resolution 242 which essentially created today’s ongoing and unresolvable problems) Refusal # 5.
1994 – Israel cedes control of administered Arab-majority areas (basically the West Bank and Gaza) to the newly formed PA (Palestinian Authority). ‘Palestinian’ terrorism grew from this point, with several ‘intifadas’. So, Israel’s ‘move’ on sovereignty was met with refusal. Refusal # 6. (Crombie acknowledges Israeli counter-terrorism (page 42)).
2000 – Camp David agreement – significant concessions offered to Arafat/PA, but refused and ‘second intifada’ begins. Refusal # 7.
2002 – security fence erected to thwart ‘Palestinian’ terror attacks.
2005 – Israel unilaterally withdraws from Gaza. PA and Hamas fight-out who will control. Despite much Western investment in Gaza, terror attacks continued. Refusal # 8.
Commenting on today’s crisis, Crombie states that the Palestinian leadership has demonstrated little interest in the welfare of their own people (page 46). The Simchat Torah murders on October 07 2023 were bound to lead to war, with inevitable ‘civilian’ casualties. Crombie asks of the Hamas leadership, simply, “So why do it?”.
Searing – powers and principalities
Crombie’s analysis of the required role of ‘the Church’ makes for searing reading. This is where Crombie outlines his six tasks for ‘the Church’ within its’ God-ordained mandate in the pursuit of TRUE peace (see above). Our collective consciences should be seared, for the institutional churches have not risen adequately to the spiritual challenge, and where they have responded, it has almost always been in a manner that simply affirms the secular agenda. There is no prophetic insight in the ‘Churches’’ collective responses, and absolutely no acknowledgement of spiritual powers and principalities. Whilst Crombie does not state in this blunt way, that is a key overall impression I gained from his 55 page thesis.
Whilst Crombie is not in ignorance of the suffering of the ‘Palestinians’, and specifically warns against the idolatry of (some) who seem to worship Israel rather than the God of Israel, he is blunt in his assessment of responsibility and of reality. The booklet is replete with quotable quotes. This one perhaps summarizes the core message of Crombie’s thesis: “No other nation has received more condemnation and negative resolutions than has Israel. This itself is clear evidence that Israel’s restoration as a nation is a challenge to the powers and principalities that control nations and political entities in the world”.
RECOMMENDED! See download information below.
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The Foundational Reasons Behind the Conflict in the Land of Eretz Israel (Kelvin Crombie):
Website:
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Review – Peter Sammons, author, “The Prince of Peace”, also downloadable as a PDF free of charge, here: https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/PRINCE_20141110_FINAL.pdf
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For anyone seriously wanting to get to grips with ‘Fulfillment Theology’, David Lambourn’s “The Forgotten Bride” has to be a great starting point. Just Google it. Meantime, here are some key questions for Christians about Eretz Israel, and about ‘fulfillment theology’ (AKA ‘replacement theology’). Scroll to foot of page and download two PowerPoint presentations, with key questions: https://christian-publications-int.com/default-2.html?id=66
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