Authored By :
Bill Kochman
Published On :
September 21, 2011
Last Updated :
September 21, 2011
NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.
Mahmoud Abbas' Decision To Approach The UN Security Council, Strong Resistance From America And Israel, Barack Obama's Big Mistake, Is Israel Really America's Ally Or Is America Really Israel's Biggest Fool?, Israel Is Only For Israel, Gentile Puppets In Hands Of The Jews, American Fixation With Israel, "Chosen People" Or Children Of Hell?, Jews Lost The Kingdom When They Rejected Christ, Children Of The Kingdom, Grafted Into The Same Tree, All One In Christ Jesus, One Fold And One Shepherd, We Are God's Holy Nation, Israel Is A Jewish State And Not A Christian Nation, Modern Judaism Has Roots In Pharisaism, Antichrist Israel Slew Her Own Prophets And Her Messiah, Patriarch Abraham Was Babylonian From Ur, In Thee Shall All Families Of The Earth Be Blessed, Jesus Is The Physical And Spiritual Descendant Of Abraham Through The Tribe Of Judah, Jesus Is The Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah, Unbelieving Jews Are Not True Children Of Abraham, What Are The Works Of Abraham?, Faith In Action And Faith To Believe
As you may already know, despite extreme pressure from the governments of the United States of America and Israel to desist, as well as advice from other world governments to approach the United Nations General Assembly instead, the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, announced on Palestine TV that very shortly, he will approach the United Nations Security Council, and request global recognition for a Palestinian State. Abbas noted that nothing short of full membership in the United Nations will do. "We need a state, a seat at the United Nations," he said. In other words, the spirit of his words seems to be that asking for anything less is a weak compromise of true Palestinian aspirations.
While fellow Palestinian officials in the West Bank gave Abbas a standing ovation due to his bold decision to go directly to the United Nations Security Council, come what may, in contrast, threats of annexation came from Israel, and powerful Republican lawmakers in the USA threatened to withdraw financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. Should we have expected anything less from the Jews, or from the Jewish lobbyists' tools in Washington, DC? And, of course, for months now, American and Israeli naysayers and prophets of gloom and doom have been warning us of all of the dark, terrible things which will happen if the Palestinians do acquire statehood, or especially if they don't.
While my position will no doubt raise the ire of some of my fellow Christian brethren in the United States, I have to salute Mahmoud Abbas for his bravery and his tenacity. He is a very smart man. Aside from the fact that the Jews and the Americans have manipulated the Palestinians for far too long, and have denied them a homeland for almost two decades now, I think that it is great that someone finally has the guts to get in America's face. I am glad that Abbas is putting Barack Obama on the spot, and making him choose sides once and for all. We will find out within twenty-four hours whether or not President Barack Obama has simply been bluffing, just hoping that the Palestinians wouldn't call his bluff, or if he truly intends to make what may possibly be the biggest mistake of his political career. In my view, it will indeed be a very huge mistake if he does in fact veto the Palestinian request for full membership in the United Nations.
Think about it. We constantly hear all of this rhetoric regarding how Israel is America's friend and ally, as well as a strategic partner in the Middle East. Yet, at the same time, if you have been around for a while, as I have, and have watched how the Israeli leadership has treated the United States over the decades, then you cannot help but question where Israel's heart really lies. The fact of the matter is that the Israeli leadership has defied, betrayed and humiliated America's leadership, as well as made fools out of other American emissaries and diplomats, time and time again. In more recent times, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has to be the worst of the bunch.
If you haven't realized it yet, learn this lesson now: Israel is only for Israel. Period. As I explain in such series as "The International Jew and the Protocols of Zion", non-Jews, or Gentiles, are merely puppets in the hands of the Jews. The Jews will manipulate us, and use us, as much as they possibly can for their own gain, if we let them. They've been doing it for many decades now, as any well-informed individual already realizes.
In my view, there is something unnatural and unhealthy about America's fixation with Israel. So many misguided American Christians appear to be drunk on Israel. It is as if they have been bewitched by her. They act as if Israel can do no wrong because, after all, the Jews are still God's "Chosen People"; at least so say many American Christians who have been mesmerized by her. How can they ignore so many verses in the New Testament where Jesus Himself and the Apostles referred to the unbelieving Jews as the children of Hell, antichrists and the synagogue of Satan? Why do they refuse to recognize that the Jews lost the Kingdom when they chose to reject their Messiah, and then proceeded to murder Him through mob rule, and by pressuring Pontius Pilate? Jesus Himself made this truth very plain in the Gospel of Matthew when He said the following:
"And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom [the Jews] shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 8:11-12, KJV
"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."
Matthew 21:42-45, KJV
Please understand that when Jesus says "the children of the kingdom", He means those Jews who erroneously think that they are the children of the Kingdom, and not those people who truly are; that is, people such as you and I, who are Believers in Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus also says "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you"; because it was in fact taken from the Jews who rejected Christ, and given to the believing Jews and Gentiles. In God's Divine Foresight, these two -- believing Jews and believing Gentiles -- have been grafted into the same tree, so that there is now just one fold and one Shepherd, exactly as Jesus said there would be. This is the nation that Jesus is referring to in the previous verses. It is a holy nation which consists of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles. Please consider the following additional verses:
"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
Luke 17:20-21, KJV
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"
1 Peter 2:9, KJV
"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee."
Romans 11:13-21, KJV
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 3:28, KJV
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
John 10:16, KJV
Please note that in the previous verse the Apostle Peter is not addressing the unbelieving Jews. In describing them as a "chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people", Peter is in fact addressing his fellow Christian brethren, which consists of both believing Jews and Gentiles. While many early Christians were flesh Jews, as was Jesus Himself, we also know that once Peter's world vision was expanded in Acts chapter ten, and Paul began to preach widely to the Gentile -- or non-Jewish -- nations, there was a huge influx of other nationalities into the Early Church. As we saw a moment ago, believing Jews and Gentiles were grafted into the same tree, and became God's new nation of born-again believers in Jesus Christ.
Allow me to share another important point with you regarding the previous verses. Please notice that in his Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul writes "for ye are all one in Christ Jesus". The key phrase here is "in Christ Jesus. In other words, Paul is not saying that we are one with the antichrist, unbelieving Jews of Israel. He is clearly saying that we are one only with those Jews -- and Gentiles -- who are in Christ Jesus; that is, with those individuals who have embraced Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So once again we see how modern Christians who are totally infatuated with antichrist Israel, are in fact acting contrary to the Bible. We are not one with, and there is no spiritual unity between, the Christ-hating Jews and Bible-believing Christians. Jews who reject Christ, who curse with His Name, and who spit at the mention of His Name, are not our friends.
Some of you Israel-supporting Christians need to wake up and realize that Israel is not a Christian nation. In fact, it is very antagonistic towards anyone who attempts to preach the Christian Gospel there. Yes, it is true that there are some Messianic Jews in Israel who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior; and while they are a minority, nevertheless, we should be thankful for those who have acknowledged Christ in their lives. However, at the same time, the Israelis have publicly stated many times that they have every intention of preserving the nation of Israel as a Jewish state. Exactly what is a Jewish state? Quite simply, a Jewish state is one in which Judaism is the official religion. What is Judaism?
Without delving into a long detailed discussion concerning the Halachic laws, traditions and beliefs which govern Judaism, the main point that I wish for you to consider is that Judaism, as practiced in Israel today, is simply a modern version of ancient Pharisaism. What is pharisaism? It was the legalistic religion of the Pharisees, who were a religious sect who rose to power in Israel prior to the time of Jesus Christ. If you are a Bible-believing Christian who is familiar with the writings of the New Testament, then you will know that many of the ancient Pharisees rejected the Divinity and the Messiahship of Jesus Christ -- and had a hand in His Death -- just as most Jews continue to reject Jesus today as well. Judaism is simply another antichrist religion, just like so many other false religions in the world today.
In short, while Israel is just as antichrist as much of the rest of the world, many of you American Christians seem to dismiss this point, and continue to blindly support her, despite her ungodly nature, her blatant defiance of God's Son, her military, social and economic oppression of the Palestinians, and her decades-long illegal occupation of their land. In fact, as I mention in a few other articles, personally, I view the Jews as being even more antichrist than other non-Christian people, because they were the first ones to be given the Law and the Prophets, the Messiah and God's Plan of Salvation. And what did they do with these precious gifts from the Lord? Most of them rejected it all, and even slew their own Prophets, as we see by the following verses:
"Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth."
Jeremiah 7:25-28, KJV
"Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD."
Jeremiah 29:19, KJV
"I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me."
Jeremiah 35:15, KJV
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
Matthew 23:29-39, KJV
"And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy."
Revelation 16:5-6, KJV
"Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."
Revelation 18:20-24, KJV
I suspect that due to my personal lack of strong support for the nation of Israel, some diehard supporters of Israel are probably going to respond by mentioning the following verse which is often quoted within pro-Israel circles:
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
Genesis 12:3, KJV
Many people automatically -- and erroneously -- assume that this verse is speaking about the Jews. If this is also your assumption, then it may surprise you to know that it most certainly isn't. In fact, the progenitor of the Jews -- that is, Jacob's son Judah, who was obviously the leader of the tribe of Judah from whom the Jews arose -- wouldn't be born until many years after this statement was made. The truth of the matter is that in that verse, God is speaking personally to the Patriarch Abraham -- who was then known as Abram -- who was actually a Babylonian from the city of Ur in the land of the Chaldees, or Chaldeans. Today, this area of the world forms the southernmost portion of Iraq, and possibly even Kuwait. Consider these verses:
"And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. But Sarai was barren; she had no child. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there."
Genesis 11:28-31, KJV
"And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it."
Genesis 15:7, KJV
"Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;"
Nehemiah 9:7, KJV
So God was making a personal promise to Abraham. It had nothing to do with the Jews, because they didn't even exist yet. What does the Lord mean when He says "and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed"? The answer becomes rather clear when we study the genealogy of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. You see, the families of the Earth have indeed been blessed through Abraham, because Abraham's son -- Isaac -- was the seed of faith who was miraculously born in Abraham and Sarah's old age. As you may know, from Isaac was born Jacob -- or Israel -- who in turn fathered a son named Judah. Leaping forward in time, we discover that not only is Jesus referred to as the son of David, but He is also called the son and seed of Abraham as well. The word "son" simply signifies that Jesus was descended from them. Furthermore, Jesus was in fact descended from the tribe of Judah, which is why He is called "the Lion of the tribe of Juda" in the Book of Revelation, as we see by the following verses:
"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren . . . So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations."
Matthew 1:1-2, 17, KJV
"For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham."
Hebrews 2:16, KJV
"Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?"
Genesis 49:9, KJV
"And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever."
Revelation 5:1-14, KJV
As Jesus and the Apostle Paul both clearly taught, the unbelieving Jews are not the true children of Abraham. We Christians are; because like Isaac who was born through an act of faith, we are also spiritually reborn through our faith in the atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This cannot be said of most of the flesh Jews who reject the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Consider the following verses:
"And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."
Matthew 3:9, KJV
"I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham."
John 8:37-39, KJV
"Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."
Romans 9:6-8, KJV
"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham . . . That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith . . . And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Galatians 3:7-9, 14, 29, KJV
"Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."
Galatians 4:28, KJV
What does Jesus mean when He uses the phrase "the works of Abraham"? Exactly what is it that Abraham did, which the unbelieving Jews were not doing two thousand years ago, and most of whom are still not doing today? The New Testament provides us with a very clear answer by reflecting back on the events of the Old Testament.
In a word, Abraham demonstrated faith in God's Word, and he put his faith into action. When God told Abraham to leave his father's family behind and to strike out by faith not knowing whither he went, Abraham obeyed. When God promised Abraham a son in his old age, Abraham had the faith to believe. When God instructed Abraham to take the only son of his bosom, and sacrifice him on Mount Moriah, Abraham did not hesitate, but rather took Isaac to that place, knowing in his heart that God must have some better plan. We are told that because Abraham was willing to do these things, his faith was counted unto him for righteousness. Consider the following verses:
"For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness . . . Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness . . . For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith . . . And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness."
Romans 4:3, 9, 13, 19-22, KJV
"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable . . . By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."
Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19, KJV
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God."
James 2:21-23, KJV
Thus we see that the "works of Abraham" were acts of faith, plain and simple. The "works of Abraham" simply means faith to believe. So, in a word, what Jesus was saying to those unbelieving Jews, is that they did not have the faith to believe that He is their long-awaited Messiah. If you still doubt that this is what Jesus meant, then consider this verse:
"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
John 6:29, KJV
Please go to part two for the continuation of this series.
⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .