I Yesterday, T o d a y a n d F o r e v e r By Evangelist Ted R. Weiland PUBLISHING INFORMATION First Edition: April 1994 Second Edition: March 1995 (Revised and Expanded) Third Edition: September 1997 .. (Revised and Expanded) Published by: Mission to Israel Ministries P. 0. Box 248 Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69363 United States of America All rights reserved (except for public access news items used as exhibits) Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 93-80944 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... i CHAPTER 1: GOD'S PLAN FOR PHYSICAL ISRAEL TODAY .............................................. 1 CHAPTER 2: ISRAEL IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ......... 33 CHAPTER 3: SPIRITUALIZING ISRAEL .......................... 43 CHAPTER4: ARETODAYSJEWSTRUE ISRAELITES? ................................................ 57 CHAPTER 5: ISRAEL'S SCRIPTURAL IDENTITY NATIONAL ASPECTS Part 1 ................... 75 Israel to Continue as a Nation Before YHWH Forever ... 76 Israel to Become a Great and Mighty Nation ................. 79 Israel to Become a Vast Multitude of People .................. 85 Israel to Become a Multitude of Nations ......................... 91 Israel to Rule Over Other Nations ................................... 95 Israel to Be Feared by All Nations ................................... 97 CHAPTER 6: ISRAEL'S SCRIPTURAL IDENTITY NATIONAL ASPECTS Part 2 ................... 99 Israel to Be a Blessing to All Nations ofthe Earth ......... 99 CHAPTER 7: ISRAEL'S SCRIPTURAL IDENTITY GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS ..................... 143 Israel to Have a New Home ............................................ 143 Israel to Be Gathered From Remote Countries, Coasts and Islands .................................................... 147 Israel to Colonize and Spread Abroad ........................... 150 Israel to Find Native Inhabitants Diminishing Before Her ................................................................. 154 Israel's New Land to Be Restored From the Sword ......................................................... 155 \ Israel's New Land to Be Inhabited by a People Israel to Be Known by the Blessings Gathered From Many Nations ................................. 158 and the Curses of YHWH ......................................... 313 Israel's New Land Had Previously Been Israel (When Disobedient to YlfWH and His Laws) a Continual Waste .................................................... 159 to Be Devoured by Strangers and Not Realize It .... 319 Israel's New Land to Be Inhabited by a People Israel to Be Blind to Her True Identity .......................... 326 Who Would Live Securely ......................................... 163 Israel to Be Called by a New N arne ................................ 328 Israel's New Land to Have Cities and Villages Without Walls, Bars or Gates .................................. 165 CHAPTER 12: CORROBORATING EVIDENCE ............... 331 Israel's New Land Described as the Archaeological Testimony ............................................... 335 Camp of the Saints .................................................... 16 7 Historical Testimony ....................................................... 343 Israel's New Land to Be Bordered by an Eastern Jewish Testimony ............................................................ 367 and Western Sea ....................................................... 168 Israel's New Land to Have Great Agricultural CHAPTER 13: DOES IT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE? ..... 371 Wealth ....................................................................... 17 0 CHAPTER 14: THE CHOICE IS CLEAR! .......................... 379 CHAPTER 8: ISRAEL'S SCRIPTURAL IDENTITY Anti-Semitism ................................................................. 379 SPIRITUAL ASPECTS Part 1 ... ............ 179 Racism .............................................................................. 380 Israel to Have a New Religion and to Be Saved White Supremacy ............................................................ 380 by YlfWH ................................................................... 179 APPENDIX 1 CHAPTER 9: ISRAEL'S SCRIPTURAL IDENTITY The Talmud: The Jews' Religious Book SPIRITUAL ASPECTS Part 2 ............... 215 of Faith and Law ....................................................... 38 7 Israel the Only People Known as YHWH's (As Sheep) to Recognize Yhshua as Her APPENDIX2 Savior/Shepherd ........................................................ 215 Eleven Current State Constitutions .............................. 393 • Israel to Recognize YHWH as Her God .......................... 233 Israel to Possess YHWH's Holy Spirit ............................ 245 SOURCE NOTES ................................................................... 395 CHAPTER 10: ISRAEL'S SCRIPTURAL IDENTITY AU TH0 R INDEX ................................................................... 447 SPIRITUAL ASPECTS Part 3 ............... 24 7 Israel to Have a New Heart and Spirit JEWISH AUTHOR INDEX ................................................... 453 and to Be Born Anew ................................................ 247 Israel to Carry the Gospel to All the World ................... 265 SUBJECT INDEX .................................................................. 45 7 Israel to Be the Only People Given YlfWH's Laws, Commandments, Statutes and RELATED TAPE AND BOOK LIST ..................................... 463 Ordinances ................................................................ 269 Israel to Have an Inner Awareness ABOUT THE AUTHOR ......................................................... 465 of Biblical Morality ................................................... 292 CHAPTER 11: ISRAEL'S SCRIPTURAL IDENTITY SPIRITUAL ASPECTS Part 4 ................ 313 INTRODUCTION The Israelites, as God's chosen people, have always been in the forefront of everything God has planned since the time Abraham was called to be a father of many nations. As a result, Israel has always been center stage when it came to world events. This was not only true in the past, but it remains true today. God's eternal plan for Israel comes as no surprise to most Christians; as a matter of fact, many of them have been preaching this for decades. However, there remains a question as to whether the majority of Christendom has correctly identified God's covenant people. If Israel has been mis-identified, there is no doubt that major errors in doctrinal interpretation and application of Biblical prophecy have been made. The resulting confusion from this mis-identification would be quite significant. Many of our people are angry, while others are bewildered; science and technology advance, but confusion and despair dull the heart of our nation. Turmoil reigns in our land as never before. Nonetheless, the Prophet Daniel foretold of a time when "many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." (Daniel 12:4*) It is my conviction that we live in such a time, and that as this age advances, we will see this turmoil disappear. As knowledge is acquired and more truth is revealed, lines will be drawn more definitively, and our course of action will become clear. One truth that is opening the eyes of the people of this and other Christian nations is the discovery of the true sons of Israel. For centuries the identity of the Israelites has been "lost." However, truth-seekers are uncovering the clues to their whereabouts and dispelling the confusion that results from mis-identifying modern-day Israel. My purpose in writing this book is to be a voice that will help to dissipate that confusion and to instill within our people the same purpose and resolve we once had at earlier times in our history. Bible quotations are taken from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise noted. i Introduction From the days when the early pioneers of true Christianity in America were bold enough to stand upon the Word of God and declare: "Where the Scriptures speak, we speak, and where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent," there have been and there are those chosen few who dare to do the same. These are the people who are striving to keep themselves pure and uncorrupted by the false religious standards of the day, people who want God's way or no way! Far too often we put on our pious robes and think to ourselves that we have arrived at perfect truth, and that no one else has anything to add to it. As a result, we slam the door to further "revelation" from God. The Apostle Paul prudently reminds us that: ". .. knowledge makes arrogant.... If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know." (1 Corinthians 8:1-2) With this in mind, the purpose of this book is fivefold: 1. This book will prove that God continues to have a plan for physical Israelites under the New Covenant. 2. This book will correct the commonly taught fallacy of a "Spiritual Israel." 3. This book will prove who Israel is not, thus exposing the imposters. 4. This book will prove who Israel is from the Scriptures, archaeology and history, thus revealing the true identity of Israel today. 5. This book will disclose why this revelation is of such significance. • • 11 CHAPTER 1 GOD'S PLAN FOR PHYSICAL ISRAEL TODAY Two basic, but very important, questions will be addressed in this book: "Is God still working with physical Israel during these New Covenant times?" and "Who are the Israelites today?" Chapters 1 through 3 address the first question; chapters 4 through 12 address the second question. It is easy to get the proverbial "cart-before-the-horse." Most ofus would certainly become excited if we discovered that we were of the physical lineage ofA braham, Isaac and Jacob. However, there are those who sincerely believe that God no longer has a plan for physical Israelites; in which case, it really would not matter whether we descended from those early patriarchs or not. Consequently, it must first be demonstrated from the New Testament that God still has a plan for, and is working with, physical Israel today. Once this has been established, we can then address who these Israelites are and are not. IS GOD STILL WORKING WITH PHYSICAL ISRAEL DURING THESE NEW COVENANT TIMES? God's plan for the Israelites under the Old Covenant is obvious to anyone who will take the time to read about it. Few, ifa ny, question the fact that God chose Israel for a special task under the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants of the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 14:2 is one of a multitude of Scriptures which makes this fact clear: ... you are a holy people to YHWH* your God; and YHWH has chosen you** [Israel]*** to be a people for His own • Where the Tetragrammaron (four Hebrew characters which represent the personal name of God) has been incorrectly translated as "the LORD" or "GOD," this author has taken the liberty to correct those passages and insert the letters YHWH (pronounced Yahweh) as should have been done by the English translators. •• Emphasis (bold print) in quoted material is made by this author unless otherwise noted . ••• Comments within [ ) brackets in quoted material are made by this author. 1 God's Plan for Physical Israel Today GOD'S COVENANT PEOPLE - CHAPTER 1 This is the question which began my study into Israel's identity. possession out of all the peoples [nations and races] I have always believed in giving Scriptural answers to Biblical who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 14:2) questions, but when I was initially asked this question, I gave an incorrect answer to which no Scriptural verification could be A similar promise was made to Jacob whose name was changed to provided. If you are a Christian and this is the first time you have Israel by God, and who became the progenitor of the Israelites: been faced with this same question, I suspect your answer will be very similar to mine and will probably go something like this: "The Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth, New Covenant was made with the Church or with those being and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and saved." Ifthis is how you would respond, you are then required to to the north and to the south; and in you [Jacob] and in provide Scriptural support for your position. I will save you the your descendants [the Israelites] shall all the time, for you will search in vain to find such support. So what is families [nations and races] of the earth be blessed. the Bible's answer to this question? (Genesis 28:14) .. .if that first covenant had been faultless, there would It is non-debatable that God dealt with Israel in a very special way have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding in the Old Testament and that He called them out for a special fault with them, He says, "Behold, days are coming, says task. However, it should also be asked: "Is there a plan for Israel under the New Covenant era?" In other words: "Does God still YHWH, when I will effect a new covenant with the house oflsrael and with the house of Judah; not like have a plan for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day today?" or "Did G:od's plan for the Israelites cease when the Old when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land Covenant ended and the New Covenant began?" of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not care for them, says YHWH. For this is the There are certainly many who would answer that question in the same manner as found in the book Clouds Over America. Therein covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says YHWH: I will put my laws into their Leonard C. Lee declared: minds, and I will write them upon their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall God rejected the Israelites as a nation [at the commence not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his ment ofthe New Covenant]. ... 1 brother, saying, 'Know YHWH,' for all shall know Me, The Israelites have now passed offthe stage ofaction .... 2 from the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." (Hebrews 8:7-12) Their [the Israelites'] nationality [under theNe w Covenant] is of no significance in the ultimate purposes of God. 3 After reading this passage some of you are surely asking: "How could anyone read that and deny that God is still working with Is this the correct New Covenant perspective on Israel? Further Israel?" However, many Christians will respond: "Don't you study in the Old Testament will provide the correct answer to this understand that God is working with a spiritual Israel today, question, while serious study in the New Testament will disclose people from all nationalities and races who have been saved in the plan God still has for His people Israel. Yhshua* the Christ. Those who respond to Christ from all nations and races are Israel today." That is exactly how I had always THE NEW TESTAMENT ANSWER answered this passage, but that answer does not stand up under the test ofBiblical scrutiny. A closer look at this passage will allow Let us begin in the New Testament by asking a most important question: "With whom was the New Covenant made?" • Yhshua is the Hebrew spelling of our Savior's name and is this author's preference. For a Biblical explanation of the Hebrew names of God and our Savior refer to The 3rd Commandment in the Tape and Book List on pages 463 and 464. 3 2 God's Plan for Physical Israel Today GOD'S COVENANT PEOPLE- CHAPTER 1 Israel" and "house ofJ udah" demand that the Israelites ofHebrews the Bible to identify whether those being addressed are a spiritual 8:8 be recognized as physical people, but so does the context of the group or a physical group of Israelites: entire chapter. YHWH goes on to say: " ... days are coming, says YHWH, when I will effect a new Not like the [Mosaic] covenant which I [YHWH] made covenant with the house of Israel and with the house with their fathers .... (Hebrews 8:9a) of Judah." (Hebrews 8:8) Ift he people in this passage are Israelites in only a sens.e, spiritu~l SPIRITUAL OR PHYSICAL? then it stands to reason that their fathers, who are mentioned 1n the first half ofv erse 9, would also have to be spiritual rather than Can spiritualizing the terms "house of Israel" and "house of physical. However, let us continue with the rest of the verse: Judah" be Scripturally justified? Were these terms ever spiritualized in the Bible? No, they were not. These two t~rn1s ... on the day when I took them [the Israelites] by the hand designate the house ofI srael comprised oft he ten northern tnbes, to lead them out of the land of Egypt .... (Hebrews 8:9b) and the house ofJ udah comprised oft he two southern tribes. Both houses were physical groups of people. Commenting on Jeremiah There is no question that the house of Israel and the house of 31:31 (the text from which this passage in Hebrews is quoted), Judah were physical people since these people, with whom God Rabbi Isaac Leeser makes the following valid point: makes His New Covenant, were and are the descendants of the physical men and women who were led by Moses out of Egypt. The parties are stated, not to be the nations of the earth, not a spiritual Israel, but the actual descendants Hebrews 8:8-12 is taken from a prophecy found in Jeremiah from the line of Jacob, the houses of Israel and Judah. 31:31-34. In verses 35 and 36 of Jeremiah 31, we find further If a spiritual nation were meant, the prophet would evidence that the Israelites mentioned in Hebrews 8 are physical not have particularized; for the double family is not rather than spiritual descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: I applicable to a spiritual symbol, but only, as said, to the nation that was at that time divided into the two Thus says YHWH, who gives the sun for light by day, and contending divisions.4 the fixed order oft he moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; YHWH ofhosts Nowhere in Scripture were these two terms used to imply is His name: "If this fixed order [of the sun, moon and spiritual rather than physical groups of people. The terms "house stars] departs from before Me," declares YHWH, of Israel" and "house ofJ udah" can not arbitrarily be spiritualized "then the offspring of Israel also shall cease from in Hebrews 8 or any other passage, unless justification can be being a nation before Me forever." (Jeremiah 31:35-36) found within each and every passage for doing so. Israel and Judah are described in the Bible as physical groups of people, the Is the sun still shining for light by day and is the moon still shining progeny of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Some people do not for light by night? Then YHWH is still working with physical delineate between these two houses but consider them one and Israelites today just as Jeremiah prophesied: the same- addressing either house as simply "Israel." Yet, in the Old Testament, Israel and Judah are described as sisters, and Thus says YHWH, ''If the heavens above can be measured, sisters may be of the same family, but they are not the same and the foundations oft he earth searched out below, then person. The difference between the two houses will be cover~d I will also cast off all the offspring ofisrael for all [the evil] later in this chapter because it is of utmost importance that this that they have done," declares YHWH. (Jeremiah 31:37) distinction be understood. Not only do the two terms "house of 5 4
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