The Chosen People
Who Was the God of the Old Testament?
Ominous Trends in Israelite Nations
Who lives in the modern nation of Israel? Are all Israelites Jews? Is the territory that the small, beleaguered nation of modern Israel currently occupies the entire fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Are there yet unfulfilled covenantal promises that God will perform with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? What of Joseph and his descendants? What of the supposed “Lost 10 Tribes” of Israel? What does the Bible say about Israel in prophecy? What if anything does the Bible say about America, Britain, Germany, Russia, Egypt and other key nations in prophecy? When Jesus Christ said go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, what did He mean? Where were His apostles to go?
You will be amazed to learn the answers to these vital questions. These answers to these questions will affect those living in Israel today, and people around the world in the coming years! This ministry has understood and taught these well-documented, Scriptural Truths for many decades. Request your free copy of our powerful, well-documented book – “The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy” which explains where the supposed “lost 10 tribes” of Israel really are, and what is ahead for the small nation of modern Israel and the English-descended peoples! You can understand the answers to these and many more crucial questions relating to Israel in Bible prophecy!
God inspired the prophet Zechariah to write, more than 2,500 years ago, that "it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces" (Zechariah 12:3). For nearly a century, Jerusalem has fulfilled this prophecy.
Many cities around the world are from time to time the focus of violent conflicts. But the city of Jerusalem—especially its Temple Mount—is again and again at the center of world attention. This is no surprise to anyone familiar with Bible prophecy. Dozens of prophecies indicate that the city of Jerusalem will dominate news headlines just before Jesus Christ's return and the end of this age.
In recent years, seemingly endless political negotiations have been launched in pursuit of Middle East peace. Yet success has eluded every effort, just as the Bible predicted! God inspired the prophet Zechariah to write, more than 2,500 years ago, that "it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces" (Zechariah 12:3). For nearly a century, Jerusalem has fulfilled this prophecy. Britain, Israel and the United States have all tried—and failed—to bring peace to this troubled city and its region. Now the Europeans, the Russians, the United Nations and even the Vatican want to try to solve this age-old problem. According to Bible prophecy, all who try will fail—until Christ returns!
Zechariah recorded another end-time prophecy. "Behold, the day of the Lord is coming… I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city" (Zechariah 14:1–2). This prophecy appears to be on the verge of fulfillment. Jerusalem was devastated by the Babylonians in the seventh century bc, and by the Romans in 70ad. Later the Arabs, and then the Ottoman Turks, controlled the city. However, the prophesied end-time conquest and devastation will come at the hands of "all the nations." In previous sieges, the entire city was conquered and laid waste, but in the last days only half the city will be conquered. This could well be the Jewish half, if the other half—East Jerusalem—becomes the recognized capital of a full Palestinian state, as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has proposed.
Abbas, like most Palestinians, wants Arab-dominated East Jerusalem—which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and has annexed in spite of international objections—to be the officially recognized capital of a Palestinian state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has tried to focus on other less contentious issues when negotiating with Palestinian leaders; as a spokesman for Olmert's Kadima party noted, "The issue of Jerusalem is very sensitive and in this regard it is preferable to begin with issues that have a chance of achieving understanding rather than starting with issues where the disagreements initially are large." However, negotiations over the status of Jerusalem cannot be avoided indefinitely. As those negotiations proceed, it will become more and more obvious that conditions are developing in Jerusalem which could see key Bible prophecies fulfilled in the near future.
Jeremiah records another of God's prophetic warnings to the people of Jerusalem, "I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth" (Jeremiah 15:4). Jerusalem has been dominated by individual nations at different times, but never by all the kingdoms of the earth. However, if United Nations observers and peacekeepers enter the picture, this prophecy will be fulfilled in a remarkable way. The Bible also reveals that Jerusalem's future devastation will come suddenly at the hands of a multitude of nations (Jeremiah 6:26; 15:8; Isaiah 29:5; 30:13). Recent decades' developments in high-tech warfare, and anti-Israel hatreds inflamed by Arab nations and their allies, add ominous relevance to this prophecy.
Jesus Christ revealed an even greater significance of these Old Testament prophecies. When Jesus' disciples asked Him, "what will be the sign of Your [second] coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3), He told them to watch for one particular development involving Jerusalem: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near" (Luke 21:20). Christ went on to reveal that "Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). The Bible indicates that this end-time Gentile domination of Jerusalem will last for 42 months—three-and-a-half years (see Revelation 11:2). Since 1948, the UN agenda has included an intention to place Jerusalem under international administration. This idea is gaining credence today, and variations of it have even been offered by popes and U.S. diplomats. In conjunction with numerous other prophesied end-time events, this should alert us to the real significance of the times in which we live (see Matthew 16:3; 24:32–34)!
The Temple Mount is a focal point of religious interest in Jerusalem for three major religions. Though it was once the site of Solomon's temple and of the Herodian temple during Jesus' human lifetime, Jews are now forbidden to worship on the Temple Mount, which is now occupied by Islam's Dome of the Rock! The Temple Mount has been called "the most volatile spot on the face of the earth." Bible prophecy indicates that significant events will occur on the Temple Mount just before Jesus Christ's return. These events will be a warning—for those who have eyes to see—that the end of this present age is near!
Biblical prophecies describe two prominent individuals appearing on the world stage in the end times (see Revelation 20:10). One is a powerful and persuasive political figure called the Beast (see Revelation 13:1–10; 17:12–13). The other is a highly influential religious figure known as the false prophet or man of sin (see Revelation 13:11–18; 2 Thessalonians 2). The Bible reveals that they will focus their attention on Jerusalem—and on the Temple Mount in particular. These two Satan-inspired leaders will orchestrate two distinct events repeatedly mentioned in Scripture. They will cause the daily sacrifices to cease, and they will defile the temple sanctuary (see Daniel 8:11–12; 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). These two distinct actions will take place in Jerusalem just before Christ's return (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). However, before the daily sacrifices can be stopped, they must begin! And before a sanctuary can be defiled, it must be established! These two events will also be extremely significant.
Remarkable as it may seem to secular minds today, plans are well underway in Jerusalem that may lead to the fulfillment of these ancient prophecies. Since 1967, Jewish scholars have been studying the location of previous temples on the Temple Mount, selecting and training priests and preparing the vessels necessary to reinstitute the daily sacrifices previously carried out in the temple. All that is needed is a place to erect a sanctuary, and permission to begin the sacrifices—which the Bible indicates will happen just before the end of this present age!
Daniel writes of a coming leader who will deceitfully enter into a covenant (Daniel 11:31–32) with the Jewish people—a covenant that appears to include the resumption of sacrifices and the construction of a sanctuary (Daniel 9:26–27), perhaps in exchange for ceding East Jerusalem to the Palestinians. This agreement, however, will be abruptly broken after three years (ibid.)—probably in an effort to enforce religious uniformity. The rebuilt sanctuary will then be defiled in some way (ibid.). Antiochus Epiphanes' actions in 168bc can be understood as a prototype of end-time events. Antiochus attempted to exterminate the Jewish religion by placing a pagan idol in the temple and offering swine's blood on the altar. Scripture describes the coming false prophet taking similar actions. He is described as one who actively opposes biblical religion and "sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4). These long-foretold activities will take place in Jerusalem just before Christ's Second Coming. Millions, unaware of these events' true significance, will be deceived. However, this deception will end, Jerusalem will be liberated and peace will finally be established when Jesus Christ returns to establish the kingdom of God (Zechariah 12:7–9; 14:3–11).
You can avoid being misled by these momentous events if you understand what the Bible clearly reveals about the end times. Study your Bible, watch world events, request our free booklet The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor or Soon-Coming Reality? if you have not done so already—and keep reading Tomorrow's World, where you will see prophecy come alive!
Millennia ago, God made promises to His "chosen people" which are affecting world events even today. Yet many do not know who His chosen people are—or the amazing future He has planned for all whom He will choose.
Who are they? Why were they chosen? What does their future hold?
What do you really know about the chosen people? How does this concept relate to your life? Did certain cultures simply imagine or invent this idea to enhance their own self-esteem, or justify their grandiose desires? Are the Jews the sole claimants to this title? Could you be part of a people God has chosen?
Over the years, much has been written about the chosen people—but much has been forgotten! Kings, queens, politicians and presidents once believed deeply in this concept, and guided their nations accordingly. Yet few today realize how this idea has driven the course of history, and affected the lives of millions of people around the globe—because they have never been told! Schools, churches and governments that once recognized the existence of a "chosen people" now ignore the idea altogether. Modern academics and theologians dismiss the subject as the wishful thinking of fanatics, and assume or assert it has been thoroughly discredited—without ever studying the subject!
Some recent books have claimed that the idea of a chosen people is not only fanciful fiction based on false assumptions, but that is a dangerous, deceptive and divisive notion that fosters prejudice, a false sense of superiority, and is a serious threat to world peace! However, this much maligned and misunderstood subject sheds remarkable light on the story of mankind. The concept of a "chosen people" explains why certain nations have flourished and why others have not. As one journalist wrote, "the religious dimension has in the past answered questions about national identity and purpose that still have not been adequately been answered in any other way" (Chosen People, Longley, p. 10). This concept is a key to understanding Bible prophecies that reveal how major events that lie just ahead will impact the lives of nearly everyone now living on the earth. This is a subject we cannot afford to ignore!
One reason the idea of a "chosen people" is so misunderstood is that it comes directly from the Bible. Numerous studies indicate that most people today—even in so-called "Christian" nations—know little about the actual content of the Scriptures. When many hear the phrase "the chosen people" they think only of the Jews, yet this is a serious misconception that ignores what the Bible actually says, and obscures a much bigger picture.
God's first "chosen people" were the Israelites. In the book of Exodus, God told Moses to "say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians… I will take you as My people, and I will be your God" (Exodus 6:6–7). Later, the Israelites were told that "if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people… you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:5–6). Just before entering the Promised Land, Moses told the children of Israel that "you are a holy [set apart] people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself" and "the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people… He will set you high above all the nations" (Deuteronomy 7:6–7; 14:2; 26:18–19).
God chose the children of Israel as His special people, and said that He would elevate them above all the peoples of the earth. However, many forget that the nation of Israel was composed of 12 tribes. The Jews come from only one of those tribes—the tribe of Judah. When God made His covenant with the children of Israel, it included all 12 tribes—not just the Jews! The Bible also reveals that the Israelites were not chosen because they were superior—but because they "were the least of all peoples" (Deuteronomy 6:7). They were chosen to learn to live by the laws of God, and provide a practical example to the world of the benefits that come from obeying the laws of God (Deuteronomy 4:1–10). God said they were to be "My servant… a light to the Gentiles" (Isaiah 49:3–6). They were chosen to show the world a better way to live—it was not that they were better!
The idea of a "chosen people" is also an important theme in the New Testament. Jesus chose 12 men to be Apostles (Luke 6:12–16), and He told them that "you did not choose Me, I have chosen you" (John 15:12). Jesus also said that "many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 20:16), and that He would return to gather His "elect" [chosen] (Matthew 24:22–31). The Apostle Paul added a spiritual dimension when he wrote of the New Testament Church as "the Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16). Paul indicated that Gentiles, too, can become spiritual Jews—part of spiritual Israel—through repentance (Romans 2:28–29; Galatians 3:29). This precious truth, however, has led many to assume wrongly that the idea of a "chosen people" is only a spiritual concept, and that it is no longer relevant that God chose the Israelites as His special people. Yet such a wrong assumption ignores the biblical and historical evidence behind a concept that has driven the course of history, and that will have a dramatic impact on the future. But is it possible to identify the Israelite nations today? If so, why is this important?
The Bible indicates that Jesus, the Messiah, would come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Hebrews 7:14). The Bible clearly states, however, that the Israelites would inherit vital physical promises made to Abraham and his descendants (Romans 9:1–5; Galatians 3:29). What were these promises? They would become a great and generous people dispensing aid and spreading benefits around the world (Genesis 12:1–3). They would multiply into many nations and be the progenitors of kings (15:4; 17:5–7). They would gain possession of the gates of their enemies (22:17–18; 24:60)—such as Gibraltar, Suez and Singapore. Their prestige would exceed other nations' (27:28–29) and they would expand around the globe as a great colonizing people (26:3–4; 28:13–14).
Ancient Israel was comprised of ten tribes whose descendants today are found primarily among the nations of northwest Europe, and among the British-descended peoples, including those of the United States, Canada and Australia. Genesis 49 contains a remarkable series of prophecies about unique characteristics of the Israelite tribes that would be seen in "the latter days." These prophecies point to nations in northwest Europe. For more about these "lost" ten tribes, see Prophecy Comes Alive, "Where Are the 'Lost' Tribes of Israel?" on page 18 of this issue.
However, Scripture explains that the physical blessings of the birthright promises would be focused on the descendants of Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Manasseh would become a great nation, and Ephraim would become a company [multitude or commonwealth] of nations (Genesis 35:10–12; 48:19). These very specific promises have found fulfillment in the United States of America and the nations of the British-descended peoples (Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa). America has become the most powerful nation the world has ever seen, and the British assembled an empire and a commonwealth that girdled the globe. No other nations on earth have fulfilled these ancient promises—and done so at the very time prophesied in the Scriptures, 2,520 years after Israel was sent into Babylonian captivity. For more detail on this topic, please request your free copy of our informative booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.
When the Bible was translated into English, many in England began to recognize their true identity as Israelites. However, this was not a new discovery, or a novel idea invented by Protestants, as some critics claim. Gildas, a Briton writing in the 6th century—a thousand years before the Reformation—described Britain as God's "latter-day Israel" (The Ruin of Britain, Winterbottom, p. 28). The biblical connection—that America and the British-descended peoples are the descendants of the brothers Ephraim and Manasseh—provides the real basis for the "special relationship" that exists between the Anglo-American peoples.
Some of the most visible and informative material connecting the peoples of northwest Europe with their Israelite roots are place names and ancient legends about national origins. The Bible records that the children of Israel were carried as captives into what is now northern Iraq between the Black and Caspian Seas around 720bc. Historians describe waves of migrations into Europe from the east in later centuries, which would have included the Israelite tribes. The biblical description of the tribe of Dan as "a serpent by the way" (Genesis 49:17) refers to its habit of leaving its name on lands it occupied (Joshua 19:47). Place names like the Dardanelles, Danube, Dniester, Danzig and Denmark provide evidence of Dan's migrations across Europe. While some critics suggest that this is merely playing games with words, such criticism ignores the historical significance of ancient place names. The Danube and Dniester river basins were major migration routes into central Europe from the Black Sea. Danzig (Gdansk) was a major port on the Baltic at the mouth of the Vistula River, and Denmark was a springboard for peoples that came to the British Isles. This trail is not hard to follow.
Another connection between the Israelites and the British Isles involves some of the earliest peoples to settle in Ireland—the Tuatha de Danaan. Modern historians describe these settlers as mythological people of the goddess Danu, and gloss over the obvious biblical connection to the tribe of Dan. Modern scholars dismiss as groundless fables the ancient legends that these Danite peoples came from Egypt, around the time of Moses, by way of Greece and Spain (see The Story of the Irish Race, MacManus, chap. 3). Yet Josephus, a Jewish historian in Roman times, quotes from letters between the Greek Spartans and Jews in Jerusalem acknowledging they were kindred peoples (Antiquity of the Jews, XIII:V:8). The ancient legends also mention that Danite ships brought a Jewish princess and a stone to Ireland, over which Irish kings were crowned—a custom also practiced by the ancient Israelites (2 Kings 11:12–14). The legends say that this stone was eventually brought to Scone in Scotland, where Scottish kings were crowned over it for hundreds of years. In the 1300s, Edward I carried the stone off to London, where British monarchs have been crowned over it—continuing this ancient Israelite practice for centuries before the stone was returned to Scotland in 1996.
Additional evidence about the national origins of peoples in the British Isles points in the same direction. In the Scottish Declaration of Independence, issued at Arbroath in 1320ad, the Scots describe their origins: "We know and from the chronicles and books of the ancients we find… the Scots… journeyed from Greater Scythia by of the Tyrrhenian [Mediterranean] Sea and the Pillars of Hercules, and dwelt for a long course of time in Spain… Thence they came, twelve hundred years after the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea, to their home in the west where they live today." This was no trivial document. It was created by educated leaders of Scotland, and delivered to the Pope in Rome as part of an appeal to counter attempts by Edward I to subjugate Scotland. While Edward employed lawyers in England and on the Continent to support his right to take over Scotland, the Pope eventually decided in favor of the Scots. This passage from the Declaration of Arbroath is hardly ever cited today, because historians prefer to view it as a fable fabricated by the Scots (see A History of Britain, Sharma, p. 218). But the British historian Bede, writing 500 years earlier, also mentions that the early peoples of Scotland came from Scythia (The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, p. 5). Scythia was the area, between the Black and Caspian Seas, where the children of Israel went into captivity.
Numerous sources also indicate that the Britons and the Saxon peoples who settled in England originally came from Scythia. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, dating from the time of Alfred the Great (880ad), records that the Britons came from ancient Armenia (the area between the Black and Caspian Seas—also referred to as Scythia). Around 800ad, the Welsh historian Nennius documented that the Saxons came from Scythia. The Greek writer Herodotus calls the Scythians "the Sacae" (The Histories, 4:76) which comes from the Hebrew name Isaac (the son of Abraham)—a designation that the Bible states would be applied to God's people (Genesis 48:16). The Behistan Rock, engraved in three languages at the time of Darius, King of Persia (contemporary of the prophet Daniel), refers to the Scythians as Cimmerians (or Gimiri). The Celtic Welsh still preserve this name today—referring to themselves as the Cymry or Cymru. The link between the ancient Israelites—God's chosen people—and the inhabitants of the British Isles, is certainly not farfetched or fiction. The connections are definitely there!
Considering the Bible's emphasis on God's chosen people, the clear description of their role—and the mention of specific qualities the 12 tribes would possess in the last days—why is this subject dismissed by most theologians and historians? The main reason is that it comes directly from the Bible, and the Bible is no longer considered a source of truth! Rationalism, evolutionary science and secular worldviews have generated doubts about the existence of God and the credibility of the Bible. Liberal intellectuals who dominate the fields of education, literature, theology and the media do not take biblical subjects seriously. Theologians no longer take the Bible literally. Agnostic academics, and skeptics in the media, are often hostile to religious topics. If the Bible is not meant to be taken literally, there is no need for concern about who God may have chosen as His people. If there is no God, there is obviously no people He has chosen!
Historian Edwin Jones (a Welsh Catholic) is among those who challenge the idea of the English being an elect nation. He considers the idea of America and the English-speaking peoples being the modern-day Israelites a narrow Anglocentric Protestant worldview, based on false and misguided assumptions. He claims that this idea is a "great myth" that has imprisoned the English and isolated them from their European neighbors, having fostered a sense of superiority, a false identity and xenophobia among the English. In Jones' view, "many Americans have been afflicted by the old 'English disease'—thinking of themselves as 'chosen', different and superior people" (The English Nation: The Great Myth, p. 362). Ignoring the role of God in history, Jones attributes the rise of England and America to great power status solely to the influence of history and geography. He indicates that the idea of an elect nation is "now dead" among scholars (p. 292) and is termed "bigotry" by ecumenical theologians. He seems committed to expunge from the minds of the English the idea that they are the inheritors of God's promises. Professor Jones then proceeds to offer a "new" myth—that England's real future lies with the European Union—in contrast to what Bible prophecy reveals!
Journalist Clifford Longley recognizes the anti-biblical and anti-supernatural bias of modern scholars who tend to relegate the subject of modern-day Israel to the realm of extremists and fanatics—yet he falls into the same trap. After expressing his own doubts about God and the Bible, he then concludes, regarding the idea of God's "chosen people," that "while it is still influential, it is simply not true—and never was" (Longley, p. 281). Longley suspects there are no chosen people because he assumes—contrary to what the Scriptures reveal—that "God (if we agree there is a God) does not operate that way" (ibid. p. 277). He argues that the idea of a "chosen people" allowed certain nations (British, Americans, Dutch, etc.) to believe they had a right to pursue their interests at the expense of others and that "if the Chosen People theory were true, then God could be relied to punish such a nation that abused its privileged status… [however] in the real world no such divine corrective operates" (p. 281). That is a dangerous assumption!
In spite of the doubts and theories of modern scholars, there is a real God who has made known what lies ahead for His people, and the nations of the world (for more on this subject, please request our free booklet The Real God). Long ago, God warned that Israelite traits—being independent-minded, stubborn and rebellious, having a proclivity to forget their covenant with God and pursue corrupt, pagan practices (Deuteronomy 9:6–13)—would lead modern-day Israel into major difficulties "in the latter days" (Deuteronomy 4:30; 31:27–29). Misguided leaders would be influential in leading Israelite peoples astray. Ezekiel describes a "conspiracy" among leaders who violate [corrupt] the laws of God and "hide their eyes" from biblical truths, who fabricate visions of the future and dispense lies to gain or retain power and influence—and that these false ideas would be believed (Ezekiel 22:25–29; also Jeremiah 5:31). The words of misguided leaders, coupled with the Israelite tendency to "do their own thing" (Judges 21:25; Jeremiah 7:24; 11:8) and rationalize their decisions (Jeremiah 23:17), would lead to widespread disbelief, disobedience and eventually a state of national blindness regarding the plan of God and their blessings as His people (Isaiah 1:2–3; 29:9–14; Jeremiah 5:20–21; Romans 11:8–10, 20–32)—the exact condition we see today!
Jeremiah explains that because latter-day Israelites reject the laws of God, wallow in sexual indulgence and scoff at the notion of divine correction, God will use foreign nations to chastise them (Jeremiah 5). This period of tribulation is referred to as "the time of Jacob's [Israel's] trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). God's instruments of correction will be ten nations in the heart of Europe led by Germany (Isaiah 10:5–11; Revelation 17:12)—who will in turn, be chastened for their pride (Isaiah 10:12). The sudden and catastrophic demise of modern-day Israel (Isaiah 29:4–7; Jeremiah 6:26; 15:1–8; Hosea 5:5) and the subsequent demise of resurgent Gentile powers in Europe will be a sobering witness to the world that there is a real God who intervenes in history, and that His purposes will stand (Deuteronomy 29:24–29).
The biblical concept of God's chosen people is not a trivial issue. It explains why certain nations have been the recipients of so many physical blessings. The Scriptures reveal God's purpose for selecting the nation of Israel, and provide clues to its current identity and location. Bible prophecies indicate that the modern Israelite nations will bear the brunt of the coming tribulation because of their national sins. However, no matter what anyone's national heritage, all who repent—change their lifestyle—and begin to live according to the laws of God, can become part of God's chosen people (1 Peter 2:9), and reign with Christ in the coming Kingdom of God.
Many Christians try to distinguish the God of the Old Testament from the person of Jesus Christ. Yet your Bible shows that Jesus Christ, who pre-existed with God the Father from eternity, was the One who spoke to Abraham and Moses and gave the Ten Commandments!
Most religious scholars and commentaries know the clear scriptures we will be discussing in this article. They are aware of what a number of biblical passages make very clear. But most of them avoid these scriptures like the plague! Or, on the other hand, they may do a little verbal "dance" around them—touching on them in their technical commentaries—but then gliding on to "safer" subjects without fully explaining them one way or the other.
Why should professing Christian leaders be afraid of the fact that the One who became Jesus Christ pre-existed with God the Father from eternity? That He was the God of the Old Testament—the God who spoke to Abraham and Moses—the God of David, the One who actually spoke the Ten Commandments? Why be fearful of these clear biblical teachings?
We will explain the dark origins of this fear later on. But first, we need to understand the genuine origin of Jesus Christ—the One who died for our sins. Who was Jesus Christ, really? Where did He come from? Why is His life so valuable as to constitute a payment for all of our lives—BILLIONS of us—put together? The truth about this topic is very important to understand. And it is truly inspiring!
The Apostle John makes it clear that the One who became Jesus Christ existed from eternity: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:1-3).
Here John points out that the Word—the Logos or Spokesman—had been with God from the beginning. He was the creative agent—acting for God the Father in making everything that is. Later: "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (vv. 10-12).
In several scriptures the inspired Apostle Paul makes the same point. In Colossians 1:15-16, Paul speaks of Jesus Christ: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." And the book of Hebrews tells us that God, "has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:2). And again, "But to the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom'" (v. 8). And finally, "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands" (v. 10).
Note that in verse 8 above, Christ is addressed, "O GOD." He is described as the One who "made the worlds" (v. 2) and who "laid the foundation of the earth" (v. 10). There is absolutely no indication that any of these verses written by Paul or by John were "poetic" or metaphorical! They simply state the fact that the Personality who became Jesus Christ was "in the beginning" with the Father, that He was the "Word" or Spokesman for the Father and that ALL things were directly created through Him, Jesus Christ!
How did all this come about?
Turning to Genesis 1:1, we read, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." All scholars know that the Hebrew word here translated God is "Elohim," a plural noun—like church or family—one family, several members. And now notice Genesis 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'"
Note that God said, "Let US make man in OUR image." So the Father and the Logos or "Word"—who later was born as Jesus of Nazareth—were both included here. Acting for the One we call God the "Father," the One who became Jesus Christ was used by the Father from the beginning in dealing with mankind.
We see this also in Genesis 18. Here the Logos appeared to Abraham. He did NOT appear in His full glory in dealing with Abraham, Moses and others, but more in human form—yet apparently with a "difference" so that Abraham recognized that he was dealing with the "Lord" (vv. 3, 27). After the Lord had explained to Abraham His desire to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their perverted sins, Abraham asked, "Shall not the JUDGE of all the earth do right?" (v. 25).
Here Abraham was certainly dealing with the One who became Jesus Christ! For Christ Himself revealed later, "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22). Abraham was certainly NOT dealing with God the Father. For the inspired Word also tells us, "NO ONE has seen God at any time" (John 1:18).
Jesus Himself said: "'Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.' Then the Jews said to Him, 'You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?' Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM'" (John 8:56-58). The Jews recognized that the expression "I AM" referred to the God of Israel. They thought that Jesus was both lying and blaspheming. So "then they took up stones to throw at him" (v. 59). These Jews were BLINDED to the fact that the Personality who became Jesus was, in fact, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel! They were standing right there talking to the One who was their God! And they did not know it.
In Matthew 22:42-45, Jesus challenged the religious leaders: "'What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?' They said to Him, 'The Son of David.' He said to them, 'How then does David in the Spirit call Him "Lord," saying: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool'"? 'If David then calls Him "Lord," how is He his Son?'" The Pharisees were not able to answer. For they knew that King David of Israel certainly had no human "lord." This scripture had to be describing two personalities in God's Family—one greater than the other. And, as should be obvious to us, David's immediate "Lord"—the one who later became Jesus of Nazareth—was told to sit at the right hand of the Father UNTIL it was time for Him to become King of kings.
Yet the Jews had known that the coming Messiah was to be a literal "son of David." How could this one also be David's "Lord" yet having a still "greater" Lord telling Him what to do?
In 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, we read that ancient Israel was baptized into Moses and they all "ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual ROCK that followed them, and that ROCK was Christ." Again, it is clear—as a number of commentaries acknowledge—that the spirit Personality who dealt with ancient Israel was the One who became Christ. For, as we have seen, Jesus said that "no one" had ever seen "God"—obviously meaning the One we call the Father. Yet right after giving the Ten Commandments and some of the statutes to ancient Israel, we find that the "God of Israel" did indeed appear to some of Israel's leaders! "Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank" (Exodus 24:9-11). So more than 70 of the leaders of Israel "SAW the God of Israel." Could anything be more clear?
It was the One who became Jesus Christ who literally walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He was the One who dealt directly with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was the One who spoke "face to face" with Moses (Numbers 12:8). He was the One who spoke the Ten Commandments from the top of Mount Sinai!
When you understand that last sentence in the paragraph above, you can begin to grasp why so many professing priests and ministers shy away from explaining the real origin of Jesus Christ. For they have nearly all been taught that the Ten Commandments were a product of some harsh "God of the Old Testament" and that Jesus somehow "knew better" than His Father. In many cases they say, instead, that somehow the Apostle Paul "knew better" than either Jesus or the Father—and that he did away with God's law, the Ten Commandments.
These misguided men may be sincere. But they are "blinded" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)—as is the WHOLE world. Remember Jesus' instruction about most of the religious leaders of His own day: "Let them alone. They are BLIND leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch" (Matthew 15:14).
It is embarrassing—to men who have been taught that the Ten Commandments were "done away"—to admit that it was the One who became Jesus Christ who gave the Ten Commandments in codified form to Moses. He is the One who commanded, as an integral part of God's great spiritual law: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the SEVENTH day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the SEVENTH day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:8-11).
Most ministers understand that God, through Christ, specifically commanded His people to keep the seventh day—NOT just any day. They know that during His entire human lifetime Jesus kept the seventh-day Sabbath—the same day the other Jews were observing! And they probably also realized that the original Apostles kept the seventh day Sabbath. Along with scores of other respected scholars, mainstream Protestant church Historian Jesse Lyman Hurlbut acknowledges: "As long as the church was mainly Jewish, the Hebrew sabbath was kept" (The Story of the Christian Church, p. 45).
Again, most ministers understand that the inspired writer of Hebrews tells us, "Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). And they know that neither Christ nor the Apostles ever attempted to "do away" with the biblical Sabbath. If they had made such an attempt to overthrow such a MAJOR precept coming from the very hand of God, the Jews surrounding them would have rioted, persecuted them unmercifully, NOT allowed them to continue worshipping in the temple as they did for many years, and would quickly have proclaimed them heretics and LAWLESS. The enormous UPHEAVAL that would have ensued from such an action would have made the Jewish upset over circumcision—described in Acts 15—seem like a "tea party" by comparison!
Of course, no such change in God's great spiritual LAW was ever discussed or instituted by Christ or the Apostles. For a quarter of a century after the cross, and after the Holy Spirit had come upon the early church to guide it, the original Christians were still "zealous" for the LAW (Acts 21:20). Even the Apostle Paul was still obedient to the spiritual law of God, the Ten Commandments. For notice the inspired account of the instruction given by "headquarters" Apostle James to Paul: "…this will let everyone know there is no truth in the reports they have heard about you, and that you too observe the Law by your way of life" (Acts 21:24, The New Jerusalem Bible).
If all professing Christians were taught the TRUTH that the One who became their Savior is the One who gave the Ten Commandments, perhaps their actions would be quite different. The world would probably be a MUCH safer place! All would realize that true Christianity is a LAW-ABIDING religion—a WAY of life based on the great spiritual law of God. They would learn that—although no one is suddenly perfect, and we are commanded to GROW in Christ's character—it is possible to follow Christ's inspired example through His Spirit within us.
As the Apostle Paul wrote: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ LIVETH in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20, KJV). Christians would then understand the beloved Apostle John's explanation of the very love of God and HOW it functions: "For this is the love of God, that we KEEP His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). They would read with new understanding John's inspired statement in Revelation 14:12: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of God and the faith of Jesus."
The true Christ revealed clearly in the Bible co-existed with the Father from eternity. He and the Father planned together the creation of mankind. Speaking for Himself and the Father, the Logos—who became Christ—said, "Let US make man in OUR image." About 4,000 years later, the Logos was willing to give up the indescribable glory, power and majesty He had always shared with the Father.
As correctly translated, Paul tells us that: Christ "emptied" Himself, then "taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:7-11).
Jesus said, "I and My Father are ONE" (John 10:30). So the One who had been totally "one" with God—and who was GOD—"emptied Himself" to become our Savior. Truly His life is worth more than ALL of ours combined, because He created not only the human race, but the entire universe as well. Having bought and paid for us by His death on the cross, Christ now doubly "owns" us. He is our Maker. He is our God. He is our Master.
Yet after the death of the original Apostles, a great apostasy took over the name of "Christianity." The clear teachings and examples of Christ and the Apostles began to be altered. The very concept of Christ being a real "Master" began to be undone and permanently altered. He came to be considered a "Lord" who demanded no obedience to the very spiritual LAW—the Ten Commandments—that He had given mankind. His clear and persistent teaching, "If you want to enter into life, KEEP the commandments" (Matthew 19:17), was now explained away as instruction only for the Jews. So also were dismissed the powerful statements of the Apostle John such as, "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). These clear statements were explained away as applying only to the "spirit" of the law or to some "new" commandments of Jesus. But when you study these new commandments, they are only magnifications of the Ten Commandments, which Jesus Himself gave on Mount Sinai! And again, "Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).
May God help all of you who read this to UNDERSTAND and to respond to the true Jesus Christ of the Bible. As He said, "WHY do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). If you really want to obey the Christ of the Bible, write us today and request your FREE copy of our very revealing and fully documented booklet entitled, Which Day is the Christian Sabbath?.
We, in this publication, are involved in restoring Apostolic Christianity, the religion which Jesus and the Apostles actually taught and practiced. The Living Jesus Christ—the One who existed with the Father from eternity—is the One who will guide you, strengthen you and bless you IF you determine to do what He says and worship Him not only as Savior, but as Lord and Master now and forever.
What does the future hold for the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the other English-speaking British-descended nations—the so-called “Anglo-Saxon” nations of the world? And what does the future hold for the Middle Eastern nation of Israel? In recent years, news reports have featured dramatic events that have occurred in these regions—events that are not isolated occurrences, but in fact reflect developing trends that do not bode well. While the modern secular media does not recognize a connection between modern trends and ancient Bible prophecies, the truth is that Scripture long ago foretold not only what is happening to these modern descendants of ancient Israel, but also what will happen in the future. More importantly, the Bible explains why.
In the last several years, the Gulf Coast and eastern seaboard of the United States have been devastated by major hurricanes. The same period saw severe flooding and extensive damage to property along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Currently, more than 60 percent of the central U.S. is struggling with extreme drought conditions that have depleted cattle herds and seriously reduced crop yields. Dropping water levels in the Mississippi River now threaten to stop barge traffic along this vital waterway. During this same period, the United Kingdom experienced extreme weather conditions: high winds, heavy rainstorms and serious flooding that ravaged parts of the country. Over the last several years, Australasia has seen major flooding, raging firestorms, earthquakes and a prolonged, record-breaking drought. These are not isolated events!
Over the last few decades, the influence of biblical values has faded from the public scene in the English-speaking nations as well as the nations of northwestern Europe. Church attendance has declined, public prayers have been discouraged or banned, and behaviors once branded as sins are now promoted and praised. Politicians and theologians now support and condone—and in some cases practice—not only cohabitation between unmarried partners, but homosexual conduct and same-sex marriage. Recently, the National Cathedral in Washington, DC announced that same-sex marriages would be conducted in this most prominent of places. In January, in his second inaugural address, U.S. President Barack Obama said he considered homosexual relationships “equal” to the marital love between a man and a woman. Meanwhile, Australia has become known as a “gay-friendly” country renowned for Sydney’s “Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.” Similar trends can be seen in the United Kingdom. Pornography and prostitution are widely available, and now spread around the world via the Internet—with much of it produced in the United States. Statistics, unsurprisingly, show that the English-speaking nations lead the world in divorce and in children born out of wedlock. These are not isolated facts—they are part of a bigger picture.
The United States and Britain, two nations that have dominated the world for the last several centuries, are both facing serious financial problems. To reduce deficits, they are making major cuts in defense spending, at a time when adversarial nations are increasing their military expenditures. America’s fiscal mismanagement is also threatening the future of the dollar. As the world becomes a more dangerous place, America and Britain—once the world’s policemen—find themselves less able to play a stabilizing role or defend vulnerable allies like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Other nations now act in defiance of America and its Anglo-Saxon allies. Argentina is again clamoring to gain control of the Falkland Islands. In the Middle East, Israel has had to deal with rocket attacks, threats of invasion and ongoing uprisings that threaten to tear the country apart. Leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt—echoing statements from Iran—have stated that “Israel will cease to exist by the end of the decade.”
Why are so many ominous trends coming together for these nations? The answers are found in Bible prophecy. Few today realize that the Anglo-Saxon peoples of northwest European descent have deep links to the Israelites of the Bible. God gave His laws to the Israelites—not because they were better than anybody else, but so they could be a light to the world and an example to other nations. God said they would be blessed if they obeyed His laws—laws that define marriage as a sacred relationship between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24), and reveal that He hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). God plainly states that homosexuality is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22) and that fornication—sex outside of marriage—is a serious sin (1 Corinthians 6:9–11, 15–18).
Sadly, the political and religious leaders of the modern nations descended from Israel have largely ignored—or forgotten—these biblical laws from God. In a recent interview, the Dean of Washington’s National Cathedral stated, regarding the recent sanctioning of same-sex marriages, “I have studied the Scriptures and I believe this is the right thing to do.”
What most have forgotten is that God warned of serious consequences that would befall those who disobey His laws and turn away from Him. We read, “if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes… I also will do this to you… Those who hate you shall reign over you… I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze [drought]… I will lay your cities waste… I will bring the land to desolation” (Leviticus 26:14–15, 17, 19, 31–32). Also: “if you do not obey the voice of the Lord… The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower… He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail” (Deuteronomy 28:15, 43–44). This is what is coming to pass today, yet few are making the connection between the ancient prophecies and the modern trends.
God’s prophetic messages to the ancient Israelites certainly have relevance to modern Israelite nations today. Jeremiah proclaimed, “My people are foolish, they have not known Me… They are wise to do evil… The prophets prophesy falsely… and my people love to have it so” (4:22; 5:31). Isaiah warned, “Those who lead you cause you to err” (Isaiah 3:12). Hosea delivers the charge, “The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity… They are deeply corrupted… They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind… because they have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law” (Hosea 9:7–9; 8:7, 1).
Numerous prophecies warn that “evil will befall” the Israelite nations in the last days (Deuteronomy 31:29) and that the demise and downfall of the Israelite nations will come suddenly (Deuteronomy 28:20; Isaiah 9:14; 29:5; 30:13). Hosea also foretold “The pride of Israel testifies to his face; therefore Israel and Ephraim [today the British-descended nations and the U.S.] stumble; in their iniquity; Judah [the Middle Eastern nation of Israel] also stumbles with them” (Hosea 5:5). This will be the outcome of the ominous trends developing in the modern Israelite nations today—unless their peoples, individually and nationally, recognize their sin and repent! For more information on this vital subject, read our booklet on The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.
Tomorrow’s World makes plain the Bible’s answers to the most important questions: Why were you born? What happens after death? What does the future hold? Tomorrow’s World not only provides real insight into the underlying causes behind today’s news headlines, but explains what will happen in the future, based on Bible prophecy.
Tomorrow’s World proclaims to the world the good news of Jesus Christ’s coming Kingdom (Matthew 24:14) and blows a bold “warning trumpet” of God’s impending judgment, calling for repentance and spiritual change (Matthew 24:21; Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 33).
Tomorrow’s World is sponsored by the Living Church of God under the leadership of Roderick C. Meredith, one of the original evangelists ordained in December 1952 by the late Herbert W. Armstrong. The magazine, booklets, and Bible study course published by Tomorrow’s World are made available without charge. This is made possible by the tithes and offerings of Living Church of God members, and others who have chosen to become co-workers in proclaiming Christ’s true gospel to all nations.