Continued-Why Evangelize Israel in This Generation and How?

In view of this serious misconception concerning inspiration, the Christian worker must present the truth on all points first from the Law of Moses and then trace its development in the Prophets and finally in the Psalms. We have to take people as they are and not as they should be.

The first and gravest error of Judaism is that which pertains to the Trinity. Misunderstanding his own Scriptures, the Jew affirms that God is one in the absolute sense of the term and at the same time declares that the New Testament and the Christian world teach that there are three Gods. It is evident that he misunderstands both the teaching of Moses and that of the New Testament. The facts in the case are that Israel's great confession (Deut. 6:4) teaches the triune nature of the God of Israel. Translated literally this passage declares "Hear O Israel: Jehovah our Gods is Jehovah a unity." This statement studied in the light of others shows that the Godhead consists of the Holy Trinity.

The second serious mistake, which hinders the Jew from seeing the truth, is his misunderstanding the doctrine of Messiah's nature and person. In the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, he reads the account of the lives of such men as Saul, David, and Solomon who are in turn called the Lord's "anointed" or "messiah." From the records he sees that these men were born by natural generation, that they were both political and religious leaders, that they served their generations, and that they slept with their fathers. Not understanding that the messages of the Prophets are of equal value with the books of Moses, the Jew passes by the predictions given in them concerning the true Messiah and formulates his idea of Him from the data concerning early kings of Israel. It is not surprising, therefore, to learn that pious orthodox parents, whenever a boy baby is born into the home, dedicate it to God and pray that their child might become the messiah to deliver the nation.

When the Christian wishes to present the truth concerning the true Messiah, he must begin with the predictions found in the Torah concerning the Redeemer and trace the development of the doctrine through the Prophets. This subject can be presented most efficiently from the Hebrew text of the Scriptures.

The third fundamental which the Jew misunderstands pertains to the outline of Messiah's redemptive career as presented in the Old Testament. The Jew is looking for only one appearance of the Messiah. In fact, some are expecting two Messiahs--one to be killed in battle and the other to take his place, to lead the Jewish armies to victory, and to re-establish the Davidic dynasty in power. With such ideas in mind the Jew can not see the truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. It becomes necessary to take certain passages in the Old Testament that present the entire career of Messiah. Such sections of Scripture as Psalms 110; 118; Isaiah 52:13--53:12 present the two comings of the one Messiah and the interval during which He is seated at the right hand of God. To the Jew it appears that the Christian is trying to make out a case for the Messiahship of Jesus when he simply takes a verse here and there from the Scriptures to show the two comings of the Messiah. Hence it is of the utmost importance to show the entire outline of Messiah's redemptive career from single passages.

The fourth error which hinders the Jew from seeing that Jesus is the Messiah of ancient prediction is his fixed idea that the Messiah is yet to come. An outstanding rabbi a few years ago stated the situation, as he saw it, and concluded that agreement between Jews and Christians could never be effected. In presenting his case he declared that there is a wide chasm between Judaism and Christianity which can never be bridged. The banks of this gulf consist of positions diametrically opposed: The Jew declares that the messianic predictions, whether they be understood personally or as referring to a golden age, yet await fulfillment; the Christian affirms that these prophecies have been fulfilled in the coming of Jesus of Nazareth. The rabbi concluded that two religions resting upon contradictory positions are irreconcilable. Hence it becomes necessary to show the Jew from his own Scriptures the time when the Messiah was scheduled to appear the first time.

When one has presented from the Hebrew Scriptures the truth on the four fundamentals concerning which the Jew is in error, he is ready to give the evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was the fulfillment of the Messianic hope. In fact, when these four errors have been exposed and the truth given, the Jew can see clearly that Jesus was the true fulfillment of the prophetic forecast. Hence it is then easy to show him the truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and the necessity of accepting Him as Savior and Messiah.