Chuck Cohen from Jerusalem comments. This is an extract from Chuck’s news release # 3, December 2024. Section headers added by Christian Comment.
FARCICAL COMEDY?
The well-known Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “I cannot understand how you theologians and preachers can apply to the Church Scripture promises, which, in their plain meaning, apply to God’s chosen people, Israel, and to Palestine [Ed, the common name for the land of Israel in centuries past]; and which consequently must be future…The prophetic books are full of teachings which, if they are interpreted literally, would be inspiring, and a magnificent assurance of a great and glorious future; but which, as they are spiritualized, become farcical…as applied to the Church they are a comedy.”
A FINAL SOLUTION
I agree except that I would change “a comedy” into “an anti-Semitic tragedy”, because that is exactly what this theology of replacement has produced. This was clearly seen in Hitler’s referring to Martin Luther’s view of the Jews as justification for the Nazi’s “final solution” to the “Jewish problem.”
Even today far too many – just one would be far too many – Western evangelical churches still cling to this anti-God theology. The Jews are viewed as “the bad guys”, “white European colonizers,” but their Islamic terrorist murderers gain the sympathy – if not the outright support – of multitudes of born-again yet biblically illiterate Christians.
ISRAEL IS THE WORLD’S ‘JEW’ TODAY
Living in Israel makes me and my family a target for most of the nations in the world, especially post-Christian Western and Arab Muslim nations. I can understand the Jew-hatred by those possessed of an Islamic spirit, but exactly why do Western humanists also hate us? Is it jealousy, or scape-goating, or is it actually something much more sinister?
Psalm 83 pinpoints the real issue. The hatred of Jews is a fruit of their hatred of the God of the Bible who has chosen the Jews as His special treasured possession (Deut. 7:6). Yet He chose them so that through the Jewish race blessings – especially, but not exclusively, the good news of Messiah Yeshua – would go out from Jerusalem to the rest of the world (Acts 1:8; cp. Isa. 2:3).
BECAUSE HE SENT HIS SON
Paul writes that God’s promise to bless the families of the world through Abram and his seed (Gen. 12:3b) is today known as “the gospel to the gentiles” (Gal. 3:8). Gentiles can now be in relationship with the One True God because He sent His Son to be born to a Jewish family in Bethlehem, in the land of Israel (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6, 20-21; John 7:42).
The Lord Yeshua never left the land of promise during His years of ministry, although as a boy his parents took him to Egypt. King Messiah both died and rose from the dead right here in Jerusalem. [Sometimes I sing to myself, “On a hill down the block, stood an old rugged cross…”]
RETURNING TO JERUSALEM
Messiah Yeshua ascended to glory from Jerusalem and will be returning to Jerusalem, most likely sooner than many believers think. Then He will sit on King David’s throne (1 Sam. 7:12-13; Psa. 89:35-37; 132:11; Isa. 9:7; Luke 1:32; Acts 2:30) as the prophesied Greater Son of David and rule the world from Israel – whether they want it or not (Psa. 2:7-12; 72:8; 82:8; Zech. 14:16-19; Rev. 12:5)!
He is not coming back to win an election as the world’s president, or prime minister. He is coming back to take His rightful place as the Supreme Ruler of the world, the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords (Matt. 28:18; Acts 10:36b; Rev. 19:11-16). So during this time of global upheaval, massive condemnation of Israel and rising anti-Semitism throughout the world, the prayer at the end of the Bible is very appropriate for all believers to recite: “Come quickly, Lord Yeshua!” (Rev. 22:17, 20).
Chuck Cohen Watchmen from Jerusalem – A biblical perspective on the news #3 2024
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