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NOTE: The author is decidedly not anti-semetic.
Please read the entire article before drawing any conclusions. Thank you.
When one reads Jewish writers, it is not surprising to find universal disavowing of responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. They totally discount statements in the New Testament to the contrary, of course. By and large, they consider the New Testament writings to be fabrications intended to seperate the Christian "cult" from mainstream Judaism.
There is no argument that it was the Romans who actually did the crucifying: however, it was done at the threatening insistence of the Jewish religious leaders (Matt 27:15-23; Mk 15:11-14; Lk 23:17-25; Jn 19:12-15; Acts 3:13) . Pilate already had some severe political problems - that's why he got the very undesirable post of Judea to start with - and if the Roman-appointed Priests were to complain to Ceasar it would get even worse. Saying the Jews were not responsible is like saying Hitler did not gas anyone. He didn't do it with his own hands but no right-thinking person would deny he was actually responsible.
It is tragic that the church, for centuries, has hated the Jews and labelled them as "Christ-killers".
Consider this: Many thousands of godly men and women have been brutally tortured and murdered by the church - all in the name of Christianity. In fact there was severe persecution within the church - Catholics against Protestants and vice versa. In light of this, no self-respecting Christian dares hold his or her head up in prideful superiority over anyone else (cf Foxe's Book of Martyrs). Germany, before Hitler, was supposedly a Christian nation. She spawned Luther, Calvin, Hess and others. Yet a demonic anti-semitism lurked just beneath the religious facade.
The nation of Israel is God's chosen people and to them belong the law and the prophets. It was through them that Jesus came in the flesh (Rom 3:1-2, 9:1-5).
The Christian Church is the "daughter of Jerusalem" (Eph 1:9-10; Rom 11:25-29) and through her has been revealed the full plan of God's marvelous grace; the mystery hidden in God.
It is tragic that Jew and Christian cannot stop bickering long enough to fellowship around commonalities: Faith in Jehovah God, holiness, righteousness and justice.
The fact is that no matter what anyone thinks to the contrary, the Bible is clear: God is not finished with Israel, His wife and chosen people (Isa 11:11-12; Ezek 37:21; Zech 12:10). Let us immediately dispel the hair-brained notion that the church has replaced Israel, what is referred to as "replacement theology". This is unbiblical and foolish and erupts from a putrid fountain of anti-semitism. This heresy, which maintains that the church has replaced Israel in God's plan, says the church has inherited all the promises God made to Israel; particularly His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
I sincerely hope the church does not "inherit" all the promises God made to Israel. For instance, I don't want to go through the "Great Tribulation" - the time of "Jacob's Trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7) ; that 7-year period of literal hell on earth. I would much rather be raptured before then. The promises the church inherited are those Old Testament promises God made to everyone - Jew or Gentile, bond or free; whenever, wherever and whomever, regardless of race.
God, in His great love and wisdom, providentially blinded national israel. It was only because Israel did not accept their Messiah when He came that the door of salvation could be opened to the Gentile.
During this present age, the Jew who comes to Christ is like everyone else. In Christ there is neither Jew or Gentile, man or woman, slave or free, etc.
What really is in store for Israel? What are God's promises to her? What is her future?
It must be understood at the outset that none of God's covenants with or promises to Israel have anything to do with Heaven or personal salvation. They are purely earthly. They encompass the territory she will occupy and her political superiority.
God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:18) in which He said, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates...". (see also Deut 11:24, Josh 1:4) Specifically, the territory God promised to the descendants of Abraham has the following boundaries: North - the border of Syria, East - the River Euphrates, South - the border of Egypt, West - the Mediteranian Sea. This covenant was somewhat fulfilled in the reigns of David and Solomon. It was almost a reality as the outcome of the 6-day war. It awaits complete and final fulfillment, however, during the millenial reign of Jesus Christ, sitting on the throne of His earthly "father", David.
God promised it through the Old Testament prophets and confirmed it in the New Testament: There will come a day when Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven and stand on the Mount of Olives. He will set up His kingdom which will last for 1,000 years, popularly called the "Millenium", and rule from the throne of His earthly "father", David. During this period of time, the nation of Israel will rule the world. This is their reward for being the nation God selected to bring forth the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
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