I recently bought a book that was, of all things, advertised in the Jerusalem Post. How this ad got into the Post is a mystery. The Jewish author was totally negative toward Judaism and Rabbinic leadership throughout the centuries and to this day. The Talmudic Rabbinic system is condemned. The Rabbis, he claimed, have created a system that includes terrible propaganda against Yeshua and keeps our people from embracing their salvation in Him.
The author notes the list of curses in Deuteronomy 28:15 ff. and Lev. 26:14 ff. He argues that Jewish history shows that our people are under a curse as a result of a profound act of rebellion and unfaithfulness in rejecting Yeshua. The author is quite fundamentalist and thus sees the great majority of Jews through the ages and today as consigned to hell fire, eternal suffering forever. He is not a proponent of replacement theology (that the Church has replaced Israel) and believes that Israel will eventually be restored and embrace Yeshua.
A radical, fundamentalist Reformed pastor (not part of any of the major Reformed denominations), who is replacement in theology, argues in a very similar way to the person I noted above. He claims that the curses have come upon the Jewish people and that their end is hell.
This is not a new point of view. It represents the historic Catholic position, Eastern Orthodox position, and much of historic Protestant thinking.
Our People Have Experienced the Curses
Yeshua Himself did note that Israel would experience cursing:
“They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:44)
And in Luke 21:24:
“They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Bleak, lost, and going to hell. That is the evaluation of these teachers. Rabbinic Judaism is evaluated as all bad. Is this the whole story?
Affirming That Which Is Good and Right in Cultures
Many years ago, Wheaton College required all of its students to read the book Christ and Culture by H. Richard Niebuhr. The book presented Wheaton’s position on approaching cultures. Niebuhr argued that all cultures are mixtures of good and evil. By the measure of the person of Yeshua and the Word, we can sort out what is good in that culture and from God and what is not of God. Then we can see that which is good transformed through Messiah.
Only thereby do we approach missions without Western chauvinism, without disrespect, or without a liberalism that simply embraces the culture in a kind of amorphous relativism. Western chauvinism mistook Western culture as God’s own preference.
A Fair Approach to the Jewish Heritage
When one approaches Rabbinic Judaism with this orientation, one finds much that is amazing and much that is troubling. One can see the same aspects criticized by Yeshua: “straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel.” The focus on minutiae is astonishing to the uninitiated and troubling to those not indoctrinated.
One of our prophetic scholars, who is very well read in Rabbinic Judaism, said that the problem is in the soul realm and that Rabbinic Judaism “fascinates, stimulates, complicates, and suffocates.” Indeed, that is certainly part of it. Sometimes the Rabbis’ debates on permitted and not permitted behavior astonish. It is based on building a fence around the Torah (laws to protect against violation of the Law), and then building a fence around the fence, and so on — all to protect the original command. This direction was set in the first century (see David Instone-Brewer on Rabbinic traditions in the first century).
Rabbinic Judaism, when it teaches about Yeshua — which is not very frequent — is very harshly opposed. So yes, this is one side.
On the other hand, Jewish Talmudic stories often have a wonderful spirit of love, mercy, and grace. Sometimes the Talmud applies the Law with great wisdom.
In the practices of Judaism, there is so much that is of God. First, there is the prayer tradition in both the daily prayer book and the Holy Day prayer book — the Siddur and the Machzor. These books are an amazing summary of prayer that is mostly coherent with biblical emphases. Salvation only by grace and mercy, repentance and forgiveness, and the rejection of the sufficiency of our good works for salvation permeate the prayer books. The confessions of faith proclaim all the promises to Israel and the nations.
I say that the prayer books are like a pre–New Testament summary of biblical theology — and an accurate summary at that.
What if Jewish people in heart respond to the Abrahamic Covenant and submit to the prayers and teachings of the prayer books? Do some Jewish people enter into a kind of pre-salvation grace that will eventually lead them on to Yeshua? This is my hope.
Suffering Due to Unfaithfulness and Suffering Due to Faithfulness
One could read the curses in Leviticus and Deuteronomy and conclude that the Jewish people have been and are under a curse and rejected. That is not the whole picture.
Paul in Romans presents the situation with a better evaluation and greater hope. We have the great teaching of Romans that the nation is still elect, is preserved, and will indeed be saved. The saved remnant — first fruits believers — sanctifies the rest of the nation (the dough) (Romans 11:5, 16). We are elect and loved for the sake of the fathers (Rom. 11:29).
For several years I was given the task of giving a lecture after our tour groups toured the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. I noted that much of Jewish suffering through the centuries could have been avoided if our people had simply assimilated or disappeared into the nations. The suffering is not only due to our failure to recognize our time of visitation. Yes, our failure affects later generations whose leaders confirm that rejection of Yeshua.
However, the other side is martyrdom due to being faithful to the covenants. Being faithful to stay Jewish has led to much suffering. Paradoxically, we suffer for faithfulness and unfaithfulness. We cannot dismiss the truth of the application of Deut. 28 and Lev. 26 — but that is not the whole story.
Now we are back in the Land, in fulfillment of prophecy. What awaits us?
Antisemitism now grows in the nations, largely fueled by propaganda from radical Islamists who are in partnership with elements of the far left. Then we have a new antisemitic thrust from the right. The surrounding nations oppose us.
If we overcome Iran, Turkey — now led by a Muslim Brotherhood–influenced leadership — is in the background, becoming more powerful, and desires our destruction. Yet will we be preserved?
The former keeper of the Garden Tomb, Jan Willem van der Hoeven, says that Israel is the safest place to be. I think that is true until the very last war. Israel will defeat our enemies until then.
However, Zechariah 12, 14, and Joel 3 describe a terrible war. At the end, Israel is delivered and embraces Yeshua (Zech. 12:10; 14:1 ff.). It will be a devastating war. The nations invade Israel, reach Jerusalem, and put the city under siege. Women are violated, houses are destroyed, and half the city flees. No doubt these troops of the antichrist will be opposed at great loss of life as they make their way to Jerusalem.
The end of this war is the deliverance that comes from Yeshua and the anointing of our people to supernaturally fight. Yes, it is then that we call upon Yeshua. This is a difficult word to hear, but this final terrible war will be brief.
So in Summary, How Should We Respond Today?
We pray for the protection of Israel — to be prosperous and then victorious in the final war.
We share the Gospel. While we accept the idea of a pre-salvation grace state and God’s election of the people, we cannot know who is responding. Even this response must lead on to Yeshua for salvation. Many of our people are not responding and are not in a significant relationship with God — both the religious and the non-religious. Without the Gospel, they are lost.
Yes, Israel is still God’s elect nation. Christians from the nations also enter into election. We join together to proclaim the Gospel, which is the way to salvation and the assurance of everlasting life.