Christians vs Orthodox Jews

Friday, April 19, 2019

God warned: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). And in God’s Kingdom, the sower is the one who scatters God’s Word abroad; leaders, pastors and teachers. And just as Moses will be the “accuser” of unbelieving Jews (John 5:45), Christ will be the Accuser and Judge of all who lead people away from His testimony. In that context, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, [genealogically] there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:28–29).

Just as the Spirit made clear that believers “are all one in Christ Jesus”, so to the Spirit makes clear that “There is one body” (Eph. 4:4), not multiple bodies of believers being gathered and given rewards at multiple gatherings of God’s elect as taught by false dispensationalism. That dispensationalism has led to multiple abominations, is an understatement.

One of the many deceptions today is the spiritual co-mingling of Orthodox Jews and Christians. The gospel of Christ came first to the Jews, but as a nation they openly and with malice rejected the Son of God. And Jesus said to them “If God were your Father, you would love me…You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth” (John 8:42–44).

Christ lamented over ancient Israel to whom He came, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate” (Matt. 23:37–38). Don’t miss that Jesus prophesied that! Christians need to wake up to the massive deceptions being imposed by false teachers!

Since the time of Christ’s earthly ministry, there has not arisen a more openly hostile spirit of anti-Christ than that of Orthodox Jews, second only to Satan himself. It’s no wonder Jesus said of them: “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matt. 23:33). And as a nation Israel has NEVER repented. Not surprisingly, then, Christ prophesied Jerusalem would be made “desolate” and destroyed, and that occurred in 70 AD. Israel ceased from being a nation, and its people, the Jews, were scattered across the face of the entire world.

To this day Orthodox Jews still hate Christ, they just haven’t had the deceit, funding, political influence and power to promote the spirit of anti-Christ as has Roman Catholicism. Starting on May 14, 1948, however, the Jews began returning from their dispersion to the land of Israel, not by their own desire, but the power and divine will of God pulled them back just as prophesied at Ezekiel 37 to fulfill the times of the end of this present age. Consequently the Jews have gained notoriety on the world stage, but still lack the influence and power

of the Vatican.

Orthodox Jews are among the “many deceivers [who] have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ…[and carefully note that] Whosoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2 John 1:7–11).  [bold emphasis added] Dear saints, we must pay close attention to this, but many refuse!

Though Orthodox Jews loathe Christ, false teachers gush from their pulpits that Christians should support Israel financially, politically, and militarily, and donate money to build Israel’s third temple, which is an abomination, for it’s the seat of Antichrist. Some Christian men even prayer with the Jewish prayer shawl over their head! NO! DO NOT PARTICIPATE! Orthodox Jews will profane their temple by animals’ blood for the remission of their sins, though Christ shed His blood, a Sacrifice “once for all” (Rom. 6:10; Heb. 7:27, 9:12, 10:10; Jude 1:3).

In their fear of man, false teachers even tell their followers that Christians should not try to convert Jews, because they don’t need to be saved by faith in Christ. They teach heresy! God is clear that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). And the Apostle Paul speaking of his own people the Jews, said “I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites…For they are not all Israel, who are of Israel” (Rom. 9:3–4, 6). [emphasis added]

Today’s Orthodox Jew and heretical Christian co-mingled beliefs is a result of John N. Darby’s (1800–1882) and Cyrus I. Scofield’s (1843–1921) dispensational pre-tribulation rapture heresy. They birthed a new false doctrine. These two men perverted the Words and testimony of Jesus Christ. They deceived the Church by peddling an ear-tickling, anti-biblical, anti-Christ doctrine. Not a single verse of Scripture speaks of a pre-tribulation rapture. Nor does Scripture teach that God has broken up His body of believers into dispensational groups. It’s all a convoluted lie!

Spiritually, true Christians have nothing in common with Orthodox Jews, including, even, the Old Testament. Jesus told the Jews that Moses, not Him, would be their accuser, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46). God identified the true Jew, clearly saying: “he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Rom. 2:28–29).

Further, Jesus Christ said of unbelieving Jews, “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie – indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you” (Rev. 3:9). There is only one religion that has as its house of worship a “synagogue”: Orthodox Jews. They say they are Jews, but they’re not, because they have not been spiritually born again by faith in Jesus Christ.

Dispensational teachers also reject the shift God made from O.T. Jews to New Covenant saints. God first said to Jews: “if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, [which they did not] then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people…And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo. 19:5–6); but post-Calvary, God’s Spirit said to true Christians: “you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people …who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9–10). [bold emphasis added]

Is God finished with Jews? No, “if they do not continue in unbelief, [they] will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again” (Rom. 11:23). And in the tribulation God seals 144,000 from the tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:4–8). But Jews must gain salvation like any other unbelievers, which is this: “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9–10); however, “he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John

3:36b).

Contrary to popular evangelical belief God does not love Orthodox Jews more than other people, and neither can we, His saints. We must love and witness Christ to all people equally, including Orthodox Jews, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. BUT, not the temporal peace Antichrist brings! We pray for that future, permanent, post-tribulation peace that comes after Christ, the Prince of Peace, descends from heaven at the last trumpet, at the last day, at the first resurrection, to restore everything! It’s near, but we don’t look forward to Antichrist’s false temporal peace of “the covenant with many” (Dan. 9:27), for it ushers in the seven-year tribulation and Satan’s wrath against saints. Beyond that, we look for our eternal Zion, the New Jerusalem from heaven!

Marlin J. Yoder