There are many Herbert Armstrong (Worldwide Church of God) break-off groups that still teach his original message. One such church is The Church of God, the Eternal. In 2002, the group published an article questioning the validity of the Noahide Laws and stated they were leading to one world government and religion.
https://www.cogeternal.org/transcripts/fundamental-of-belief-16-part-h-the-politics-of-british-israelism/
Edited Sermon Transcript
Jon W. Brisby; 4-6-2002
This afternoon, brethren, we want to start to wind down this rather long series that I’ve been completing on number sixteen of the Fundamentals of Belief of the Church of God, The Eternal. As you know, this is the fundamental that relates primarily to the topic we call British Israelism. It was one of those fundamental teachings that Mr. Armstrong did confirm as a means for us to understand the way to put into perspective many of the prophecies that are written within the Bible. Mr. Armstrong called it a key to understanding Biblical prophecy. As I’ve repeated a number of times during the last seven sermons, that is not to be confused with thinking that it is the most important doctrine of the Church. It certainly is not. Herbert Armstrong certainly did not originate the understanding of the topic of the lost tribes of Israel and the role of the United States, the British Commonwealth and the other democracies of Northwestern Europe as those descendants of the ancient Israelites. That was not new information, but Mr. Armstrong certainly capitalized upon it because God led him to understand that it was indeed true. Therefore, it had significance for us in understanding the context of many of the Biblical prophecies concerning Israel, both in ancient times and, most importantly, in the last days. So it did become a key. It opened up much understanding to us.
So we’ve gone through in a synoptic fashion, and yet it’s taken a number of sermons to cover the details of our understanding from the Bible of that which God promised through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, and a certification that God did indeed fulfill His promises to those patriarchs, which is the main purpose for which I have spent so much time on this topic. There are many who do engross themselves in the details of all kinds of speculative thought concerning British Israelism as a topic, and that we do not do. We accept literally that the most important aspect of this topic is the fact that God made promises through Abraham, and God fulfilled those promises and is still fulfilling those promises. That’s why it’s important for us to understand, because we can have absolute confidence in the veracity of God. He did not lie when He promised those twofold promises to Abraham concerning the Birthright and the Scepter.
We’ve gone through each of those promises now in detail. So, in winding down this topic, this sermon and one more sermon to follow should complete fundamental number sixteen. Today, I want to put all that we have covered concerning the teaching of British Israel in context of the modern political times in which we live. If you want to give this a title, I would entitle it “The Politics of British Israelism in the Last Days.” I want to set the stage, just synoptically, this afternoon to provide an overview of the circumstances in which we live and how significant this single doctrine called British Israelism will probably be on the world scene. It is a belief that is embraced by a number of different groups with political motives. I can tell you, the fact that we share what these other groups consider a belief in an aspect of British Israelism is going to bring us to the limelight. It is going to make us the focus and may be very much the source of our persecution in the last-day Church. Now, obviously, there will be a lot of things that will bring it about, but I personally suspect that our belief and adherence to the idea of what they call the “British Israel doctrine” may become very fundamental in the persecution of the Church in times ahead. So it’s important for us to understand those political aspects.
So, to begin this sermon, the first part of it, we’re not going to hear much from the Bible. I’m going to give you a whole lot of quotes from certain writers and my explanation to help you put those things into context. Then, we’re going to go to the Bible and compare the fallacy of these other movements who embrace British Israelism and show where and how they are wrong according to what God has said.
To begin with, many radical religious and political groups believe in a form of British Israelism. They certainly do, and you can bet, brethren, that it is a topic that Satan is very much aware of. He would love to hide from existence the knowledge of who those chosen people are in the flesh, as well as who those spiritual Israelites are—those members of the Church. Satan has created a scenario on the face of this earth to confuse everyone as to the identity of God’s chosen people, both physically and spiritually. How does he do that? Well, first he makes the idea of a doctrine or a truth of God seem absurd. Many on this earth absolutely believe that the idea that there are ten lost tribes of Israel who are now reconstituted and organized into the British Commonwealth, the United States and other Northwestern democracies, and that those are descendants of the ancient Israelites, is preposterous and absurd. Satan has made it appear just that way. At the same time, Satan has motivated others to embrace this knowledge, not in truth, but with all kinds of nefarious twists to use it for their own diabolical reasons, which makes it appear that much more dangerous for those who believe it. So here we are, then, as those faithful of God who ultimately will be caught in the middle between these forces that are coming to bear. Yes, many radical religions and political groups believe in a form of British Israelism.
Let me just read a couple of quotes to you to set the stage. First, from an article appearing in the Eugene Register-Guard. Now, this was back several years ago. Some of you will remember the Freemen’s organization up in Montana that had a standoff with the government. This was an article written back at that time. “The present standoff in Montana has reinforced the image that many Americans have of the loose network of angry outfits that people the far-right fringe. They are armed and deeply crazed. Common to the movement are ‘Old Testament style’ religious references and tortured legalisms.”
So, this right-winged patriot group up in Montana that resisted the government was said to believe in the validity of the Old Testament and tortured legalisms. Might you also be considered in the same classification, brethren? “Their approach to the Constitution is the same as their approach to the Bible—a literal interpretation and an attitude of, ‘you don’t need experts to tell you what its meaning is.'” Don’t we seem the same way? We don’t depend on experts to tell us what truth is, do we? We certainly don’t appeal to Biblical scholars of this world to teach us what the Bible says and what God requires of us, and yet, as this reporter puts it, that’s one of those signs of being a part of a far-right fringe group.
Continuing, “They also have in common a troubling racial theme which comes from an obscure religious belief that many adhere to, known as Christian Identity.” One of the main factions we’re going to talk about today is this movement called Christian Identity. I’m not going to define it as much here, but we will in just a few moments. Start by understanding, brethren, that we are not part of a Christian Identity movement. We have nothing to do with these people who are under this Christian Identity label, although many will, and already have, lumped us into the same pot with those that are a part of this movement. “They also have in common a troubling racial theme which comes from an obscure religious belief that many adhere to, known as Christian Identity—a derivative of an obscure and relatively benign 19th century sect known as British Israelism. Christian Identity has emerged in far more virulent forms. It provides the underpinning for white supremacist groups.” Now, that’s absolutely true. There are a number of these neo-Nazi, fascist groups—patriot groups, militias, whatever you want to call them—in this country that absolutely have attracted and adopted the belief of the identity of Israel today in modern times.
Another quote now, in an article appearing from The Christian Science Monitor in July of 1999 entitled “Connections between hate crimes and ‘churches.'” Brad Knickerbocker writes: “A recent spate of crimes points up a growing connection—one that is troubling to many Americans—between hateful actions and organizations calling themselves churches.” According to Knickerbocker, a book by David Neiwert entitled “In God’s Country: The Patriot Movement and the Pacific Northwest” reveals that “. . . Christian Identity [is] the thread connecting otherwise distinct extremist groups.” What this author is writing, and what is supported by a number of people, is that when you’ve got a lot of these white, right-wing, fringe, racist-labeled groups—although they all have a variety of beliefs under the sun—one of the common things that seems to give them cohesion is their belief in Christian Identity, whose basis, it’s claimed, is British Israelism. According to Neiwert, “Adherence to it is probably the single greatest common denominator among all the various fragmented factions of the radical right wing in America.” These beliefs, he says, are “. . . so far astray from those of mainstream Christianity—and so repellent to average Americans—that they induce in the religion’s followers a cult-like closed mind-set: a sense of persecution coupled with self-righteousness.”
No, brethren, we are not a Christian Identity group, because all of these groups that embrace Christian Identity, as we’re going to see, use British Israelism and then launch into all kinds of false conclusions about what rights and benefits that allows them. We adhere to none of it.
Unfortunately, many of these cult-watch groups lump Herbert Armstrong, the Worldwide Church of God, and its offshoots who still adhere to our original belief in British Israelism right in with these fringe groups.
Here’s a quote from “Cultwatch: A look at cults in America” by the Institute for the Study of American Religion, and here’s what they say: “What has come to be known as the Identity Movement was previously termed Anglo-Israelism or British-Israelism.” You see, that’s a false statement, but it’s a strong perception in the minds of many—that the Christian Identity Movement and these right-wing fringe groups in the United States are synonymous with British Israel believers, and it’s not true. “It is composed of those individuals and groups who identify the present day Anglo-Saxon people as the direct biological descendants of the ancient Israelites and, as such, God’s chosen people, the heirs of all God’s promises to Abraham and his progeny.”
Now, is that what we believe? No, I went into great detail, brethren, to show you that the promises to Abraham were twofold. The first, the Birthright promise, was to the physical house of Israel, specifically the sons of Israel named Ephraim and Manasseh. The second and most important part of that promise, which we just covered last time, was the promise of grace through the one seed, Jesus Christ, through whom all nations of the earth are to be blessed. We’re not talking about God making particular physical racial stock the only ones to receive salvation. Not at all. We understand that the Gentiles have an incredible role in becoming a part of spiritual Israel, the Church. Here, this writer from this cult group lumps it all together and says that anyone who believes that there are physical descendants of the ancient Israelites in modern times, is automatically a racist and believes that all of God’s promises come only to those physical people. That’s not what we believe at all, but a lot of these right-wing fringe groups certainly do believe that. They want to attract to themselves all of the promises of God, including salvation.
Continuing the quote, “J.H. Allen’s book Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright, published in 1902, became the single most important instrument in spreading Anglo-Israel thought into Adventist and independent Bible student circles. Through the efforts of Merritt Dickinson, who had read and accepted the arguments in Allen, Anglo-Israelism thought entered the Church of God (Seventh Day).” And now, they specifically mention Herbert Armstrong. “Herbert W. Armstrong, a minister in the group, as leader of the Worldwide Church of God, subsequently became the most successful exponent of Anglo-Israelism.”
So, they recognize that up until the ministry of Hebert Armstrong, the very concept or the knowledge, understanding and acceptance of the identity of Israel in modern times was relatively limited. It was not until Herbert Armstrong understood it and proclaimed it that it really took off. Well, unfortunately, all of these other individuals, for their own nefarious purposes, have latched on to that understanding for the wrong reasons. You can bet, brethren, that Satan is behind that. He doesn’t care how he destroys. He doesn’t care how he hides God’s Truth from the masses of the world, whether it is to make the Truth look absurd and ridiculous, or to encourage others to embrace it with twists and falsehood to corrupt it, destroy it and make it evil. He has worked on both fronts, both to ridicule outright, and to pervert and corrupt it among those who embrace any idea of the doctrine of modern Israel’s identity.
So, what are these various movements, and how do these different political movements extant today compare to God’s Truth? Now, I can tell you, this is actually a very complex subject. To try to study and identify all of the different silos of thought is very, very difficult to get our hands around. We’ve done a lot of study to actually try and condense this down.
To start off with, I’m going to give you three broad categories of political movements that include an element of acceptance of British Israelism. Each is on a collision course with the others, and you can bet that the Church is right in the middle of it. It’s probably oversimplification just to limit it to three because there are many combinations of thoughts from people that embrace parts of this thought and parts of the other and put them together in different combinations. As many human minds as you have to think of an idea or to create a doctrine, that’s how many doctrines you’re going to have. So, it is difficult to try and limit it; but I think that there are primarily three broad categories of thought that can help us put a lot of these things into perspective so that when you see, hear or read about different movements or ideas, you’ll have a way to organize that information in your mind and know what train of thought that idea comes from.
The three overall groups that I want to talk about today are, first, the Jewish Roots Movement, including religious Zionism; then, the Christian Identity Movement, which we’ve already mentioned a little bit; and last, what we call the elitists or the Gnostics.
Let’s begin with the Jewish Roots Movement. What is the Jewish Roots Movement? Basically, in a nutshell, we’re talking about people who believe that the religion of Judaism is still the authorized religion before God and that the physical Jews today still have authority granted by God to preserve and to teach the truth. Therefore, whether you think you’re an Israelite or a Gentile, it is looking, in essence, to the Jews and their traditions of Judaism as an authority for a close relationship with God. Now, you’ve got a whole lot of different people who look to the Jews, to Judaism and to aspects of Judaism, to one degree or another, and they don’t agree at all. There’s a lot of conflict within the ranks of all of these different movements. So I want to look at two specific subdivisions within the Jewish Roots Movement.
But first, an official definition of Jewish Roots: “Jewish people and the rabbinic authorities of whatever branch of Judaism, but especially the orthodox Lubavitchers, and no one else . . .” So, who is it that has the authority? The Jewish people, and specifically rabbinic authorities—and most especially certain of these orthodox sects of the Jews, especially the one sect called the Lubavitchers. They, and no one else, “. . . are still the faithful custodians of God’s revelation and the rightful teachers of its mysteries to the rest of mankind—including the lost ten tribes, which they still regard as Gentiles—including rabbis who are willing to acknowledge some of the truth of British Israel doctrine.”
Now, this is an amazing thing. There are actually certain segments of the Jews, certain rabbis, who believe and accept the idea that there were ten lost tribes who are not now in Palestine with the Jews. Now, this is causing all kind of infighting between most of the sects of the Jews who totally reject the concept that there are ten lost tribes. They believe that all of those lost Israelites who went into captivity, either by the Assyrians or by the Babylonians, migrated back and are a part of the modern-day state of Israel. But there are segments of certain rabbis who believe in ten lost tribes that are now organized in other countries, even as we believe. So, they are opposed to one another; but even those rabbis that accept that there are biological descendants of Israel in these other countries still consider them Gentiles, however they make those kind of leaps in mind. In one article we read, it said that until their Messiah comes and points out who is a true Israelite and who is not, they will all be treated as Gentiles.
Now, what about Christianity? You’ve got a very broad movement, a very strong movement, among those who accept Jesus Christ. As you know, the Jews do not accept Jesus Christ as divine at all. They believe that He was a prophet, but they do not give Him any more preeminence than any other prophets; and so they do not believe that He was the Son of God at all, and certainly not the Messiah. So, what about those who claim to be Christians? They accept Jesus Christ by name. Are any of them involved in the Jewish Roots Movement? You better believe it. In fact, brethren, there are a large number of our former brethren that came out of the Worldwide Church of God who have embraced a faction or a form of Jewish Roots belief. Even though they believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, they still believe that it is the Jews and many of the traditions of Judaism which are God’s authority today to which we should be adhering.
One evidence of that is in keeping Pentecost. The Jews who keep Sivan 6 do not do a true 50-day count to arrive at the correct day of Monday at all. They don’t even count as the ancient Sadducees do to arrive at a Sunday Pentecost. No, they keep a statutory date of Sivan 6 because of the way they count. There are many former members of the Church who learned the significance of the Sabbath and the Holy Days, including Pentecost, from Mr. Armstrong, who have now totally rejected him as having any revealed truth from God, and have embraced instead the authority of the Jews today and the traditions of Judaism, including their day for keeping Pentecost and their way of keeping the Sabbath and other Holy Days. They’ve embraced many elements of the Talmud and these other man-made, non-inspired writings of the Jews as their authority for drawing close to God. “With regard to Christianity, it is commonly said that Christ was, after all, a Jew.” This is their reasoning. “Christianity must, therefore, be evaluated through the lens of Judaism, and certainly not through the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong,” they say, “to regain its footing in the truth from which its Jewish roots is said to have strayed.”
So now, with that overview, let’s look at two segments within the Jewish Roots Movement—those who accept British Israelism, the idea of modern-day descendants of Israel extant today, and those who reject British Israelism. Let me start with those who reject British Israelism. I can’t break down the percentages, but this is definitely a very strong and significant portion of those who look to the Jews and to Judaism for their religious authority. These believe that Gentiles should still accept the Jews as God’s chosen people and religious authority. Even if you’re Gentile, God made the Jews those to whom all humanity should look for religious authority. They adhere to what is called the Noachide or the Noahide laws, which are applicable to all humanity.
What are we talking about when we’re speaking of the Noahide or the Noachide laws? We don’t have time to turn to it, but you’ll remember that in Genesis chapter nine, after the flood, when Noah and his family descended out of the ark, God made a covenant with Noah. And you remember, as a part of that covenant, as a certification that God would never again destroy the earth with a flood, He put that rainbow in the sky. Now, what are these Noachide laws? They are seven laws that the Jews have interpreted out of Genesis 9. Now, how they did it is beyond me, but basically they have come up with seven laws which they say apply to all humanity; because, you see, all human beings alive today are descendants of Noah and his sons, right? So, therefore, when God made a covenant with Noah, that covenant applied to all humanity, not just to the Jews or the Israelites who came along later as a special covenant people. See, they claim that all humanity is bound together under obligation to keep the Noachide laws—the seven laws that God gave in a covenant to Noah and all of his descendants, including all people who are alive on the earth. And if you recognize that this is one of the things that is being used now as a basis for this movement toward one-world government and one-world religion, you got it. It’s a basis of saying that no matter what race, creed, background or culture we are from—from around the earth—we all descend from one of the sons of Noah and are subject to the covenant God made with Noah.
What are these seven Noachide laws? Number one: Thou shalt not engage in idol worship. Keep in mind when I read these, some of these are going to sound like, well, that sounds fine. They sound absolutely true, and we don’t have a problem with them except, brethren, as in all things that men create, they also interpret them in very sinister ways—in some cases, to achieve just the opposite of what the law or the rule seems to say. Keep that in mind.
Number one: Thou shalt not engage in idol worship. Number two: Thou shalt not blaspheme God. Number three: Thou shalt not shed innocent blood of any human nor fetus nor ailing person who has a limited time to live. Number four: Thou shalt not engage in bestial, incestuous, adulterous, or homosexual relations nor commit the act of rape. Number five: Thou shalt not steal. Number six: Thou shalt establish laws and courts of law to administer these laws, including the death penalty for those who kill, administered only if there is one testifying eyewitness. Number seven: Thou shalt not be cruel to animals.
These are the seven Noachide laws which all humanity should share agreement with and be in subjection to. Those who believe in the Noachide laws and who reject that there are any lost ten tribes of Israel alive on the earth today, treat all peoples on the earth that are not accepted as Jews, as being Gentile. Even though they cannot be Jews and should not keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days because those are supposedly reserved for the Jews—for Israelites only—yet, the rest of the world should still look to the Jews for their religious authority, and they should be under the seven Noachide laws. Those seven Noachide laws should be the basis of international law across national boundaries. These condemn British Israel doctrine as a mark of a virulent cult, but they pledge their loyalty to the nation of Israel and the Jews as custodians of the Old Testament oracles.
Are there any examples of significant people today who have embraced this idea of Jewish Roots, who, thinking of themselves as Gentiles, believe that they should look to the Jews for religious authority and be subject to the Noachide laws? Well, did you realize that if you’re a citizen of the United States, you are under a government that has already embraced the seven Noachide laws as the foundation of our legal system? Did you realize that? Former President George Bush, Sr. publicly acknowledges that his religious orientation is defined by the fact that he considers himself a Noachide. He sponsored legislation in 1991, which was passed by both houses of Congress, that enshrined the Noachide laws as the legal foundation of not only the United States, but of international law and world government. It’s public law #102-14 if you want to look it up. It establishes the seven Noachide laws, which come right out of the Talmud, as the legal foundation for the laws of the United States.
So that, my dear brethren, is a significant branch of the Jewish Roots Movement that you can bet is going to have significant influence in shaping world events as we draw nearer to the return of Christ. This is the strong division that rejects the idea of British Israelism and considers anyone who believes in modern-day descendants of Israel, outside of the Jews—let alone that you might be one of those modern-day descendants—as being part of a virulent cult. If you will not embrace the Noachide laws, consider yourself a Gentile, and be subject to Jewish authority, then you will be considered a part of one of those very virulent cults.
Ok, what’s the second part of the Jewish Roots Movement? The second major division of the Jewish Roots Movement includes those who absolutely accept that the lost ten tribes are here today and that they are distinct from the Jews, just like we believe. This includes Messianic Jews—you’ve heard that term—Sacred Name groups and Sabbatarian groups, including many former members of our parent organization. There are many who have moved to and been attracted to Sacred Name and other Sabbatarian groups who still hold to the British Israel doctrine. They still believe that the United States and the British Commonwealth are the modern-day manifestations of Ephraim and Manasseh, but as I’ve said, they accept the Jews as the authority for religious interpretation and teaching. So, thinking themselves as being part of Israel, they consider the Jews their kinsmen and they still believe, then, that God has left with the Jews the responsibility to enshrine and to teach His Holy Word. So, even believing that they are Israelites—even believing in Jesus Christ—the Messianic Jews, then, accept a combination, a patchwork, of the ideas of Judaism and Christianity.
In either case, what are Jewish Roots advocates trying to accomplish? What’s their idea about salvation? This is very important. Jewish Roots advocates seek to establish the Kingdom of God through the authority of the physical Jews. You see, they are not looking for the return of Christ. Well, the Messianic Jews are certainly looking for the return of Christ. But in a nutshell, they look to the Jews as the source, physically, through which the Kingdom of God is going to be extant on this earth in the future. The current physical Jews and their religious traditions are going to become, in essence, the guides and directors of that which brings about all of the benefits of the Kingdom of God on earth. They’re looking for a physical fulfillment of the promises that God gave through Christ to come about through their own means. That is the common theme of all of these groups that we’re going to see. They all are trying to bring about the Millennium, the Kingdom of God, through their own physical means—totally rejecting the very way that God set it down in His perfect plan.
So that’s the Jewish Roots Movement. So much more could be said, and I know I’m probably missing a lot. Some people might take exception with me for oversimplifying it in those short terms. But next, we want to move on to this Christian Identity Movement.
Who are those who adhere to Christian Identity, and what do they want to accomplish? One, they seek to bring about the Kingdom of God themselves, claiming to be the rightful heirs to the Birthright promises. They believe that they are the physical descendants of the lost house of Israel, and they accept that it was to Ephraim and Manasseh that the Birthright promises were given. They believe that they are part of those countries—the United States, the British Commonwealth and other Northwest democracies—who enjoy the Birthright promises, and that it gives them the right to all of the promises, including salvation. They are destined to be the ones who are going to rule either the countries they live in or else the world. Many of them are absolutely racist. By comparison to the Jewish Roots Movement, Christian Identity, by and large—not exclusively, but by and large—hate the Jews. This is one of the ways you can most easily identify the distinctions in these groups, because you can get them all mixed up. But ask the question, do they or do they not hate the Jews? If they like and accept the Jews as their authority, they’re more than likely part of the Jewish Roots Movement. If they hate the Jews and embrace British Israelism, then they’re probably inclined to be part of one of these Christian Identity Movements.
Now, some of these groups hold to what is called the Two-Seed doctrine. What’s the Two-Seed doctrine? It’s the belief that only white people are descended from Adam—that all other people, other than whites, are what they call the “mud races.” What are these mud races, supposedly? They say that these people came from either an illicit sexual union between Satan and Eve—that Satan and Eve had these evil spawn children who became the Africans, the Asians and the Jews—or else that these “mud races” came from the union between angels and the daughters of men. So, other groups teach about the lost ten tribes. But what do they teach? They teach that these lost ten tribes actually are Aryans, personified especially in the Germanic peoples. What you have is the very same movement that became the Nazi movement, the fascist movement, in World War II. Now, in its modern-day equivalent, it has embraced British Israelism as one of its fundamental doctrines. By virtue of saying that they are Israelites, they justify their exclusive racial rights as the supreme, divine people.
Other groups within this philosophy teach variations on lost Israel as well, but there are two things they all have in common. There are many, many different variations of doctrines they put together, but there are two things they all have in common. 1) a belief that the Aryan people are racially superior, and therefore worthy inherently of themselves to dominate the earth, and 2) a complete rejection of the Jews, either because the Jews rejected Christ and crucified Him, or else because of the mud race doctrine. So, whatever their reason is for rejecting the Jews, by and large, those that are part of the Christian Identity Movement hate the Jews. Does that cause you a little bit of trouble from those earlier quotes that said that Herbert Armstrong and those that believe in British Israelism are considered part of Christian Identity, when the Christian Identity Movement is absolutely racist, hates the Jews—which we do not—and seeks to physically establish their version of paradise, the Kingdom of God on earth, by their own means?
This can be seen in an excerpt from an article by Cephas Ministry, a mainstream Christian organization that professes underlying love and respect for the modern nation of Israel and the Jews as God’s chosen people. This is a mainstream Christian group who absolutely opposes the idea of a British Israel doctrine. Let me read certain passages from this article entitled “British Israel and Christian Identity.”
“British or Anglo-Israelism would seem a near kinsman to Christian Identity as both claim to be descendants of the House of Israel. Christian Identity is rabidly anti-Semitic and makes no pretense of sharing the coveted Birthright with Jews. However, the replacement theology of British Israelites also cannot be other than inherently anti-Semitic.” Now, what is this replacement theology? What is it that British Israelites believe that is so repulsive? Well, remember what we went through concerning the overturning of the throne? Remember that the throne was taken away from Zedekiah and was replaced into the house of Israel, the lost ten tribes established in the British Isles, as Jeremiah transported that throne? It was overturned through Ireland, Scotland, and ultimately to England. So it is the idea, then, that the throne of David is not resident within the ranks of the Jewish people today at all, but instead has been replaced and is now part of the lost ten tribes, and that the authority of that throne is not in the Jews. That’s what they call the replacement theology. So they say, “The replacement theology of the British Israelites also cannot be other than inherently anti-Semitic.” Even if we don’t have bad feelings towards the Jews because we accept that they are God’s people, the fact that we believe that they no longer have the authority of the throne and that they were never given the Birthright promises of great wealth and riches, is considered anti-Semitic. Go figure. I don’t think that’s hatred of the Jews; I think that’s just what the Bible says.
Continuing the quote, “The false prophets of British-Israelism may have taken the rough edge of anti-Semitic rhetoric off this movement [recall that Herbert Armstrong . . . was once an advertising executive] . . .” So they’re saying, “Oh yes, Herbert Armstrong’s brand of British Israel doctrine was much more sublime. It wasn’t racist, at least on the surface,” they say, “because there was no hate speech toward the Jews.” That was never a part of God’s Truth and still isn’t today for those who are faithful. No, but they say that what Herbert Armstrong taught is still very, very dangerous and that its core is still very much racially anti-Jew. “. . . [recall that Herbert Armstrong . . . was once an advertising executive], but British-Israel is all one piece of cloth with the Christian Identity movement, and all are anti-Semitic to the core. Michael Barkun, author of Religion and the Right: The Origins of the Christian Identity Movement, contrasts British-Israelism and Christian Identity with respect to their political aspirations.” So this man at least makes a difference in his assessment of those who believe in the modern descendants of Israel versus those who are part of this militant, racist Christian Identity Movement. “While Christian Identity movements tend to encourage insurrection at the slightest provocation, the British-Israelites, composed of the middle-class educated, have in the past tended to uphold law and order.”
And that’s a true statement, but here’s a quote from Michael Barkun: “Clearly then, the desire to model the American legal system after the legal system supposed to have been authorized by God in the Bible in practice led to behavior that ranged from advocacy and civil disobedience to attempts to disable the existing system through threats and violence.” That’s precisely what these Christian Identity people are trying to do. They are trying to replace what they consider the left-wing liberal laws of this nation with laws that are based upon their interpretation of the Bible, and considering themselves the descendants of Israel, they believe that they have the right of God—the Birthright promises—to bring about the Kingdom of God. Continuing the quote, “Examples of intimidation and threats of violence are exclusively found in Christian Identity, and appear never to have been present in British-Israelism itself.” You see, this man understands that there is a difference between those that believe in the descendants of modern Israel versus those who politically use that as a means to justify themselves and their anarchist, political motivations. “In this as in other cases, Christian Identity exhibits a far greater propensity for violence.” He doesn’t rule out that British Israelism is dangerous, because many consider that even if you’re not part of one of these racist groups, if you believe in British Israel, you are already walking on dangerous ground.
“Indeed, Herbert Armstrong preached obedience to the governing authorities as powers ordained by God, quoting all of the appropriate verses—that is, until he was ordered by the State of California to put the assets of the Worldwide Church of God in receivership [Remember, that happened in 1978.] thereby yielding corporate documents for investigation pursuant to the complaint filed on behalf of Church members. Armstrong then remonstrated that the State was conducting an attack upon religion—a protest commonly heard today in the Religious Right.”
Even though Herbert Armstrong’s teachings of British Israelism were benign—they weren’t politically motivated; they certainly weren’t used to teach hate against the Jews—and he taught the members of the Church to uphold the laws of the land, yet this man uses this example of 1978 of the state of California putting the Church in receivership as when Mr. Armstrong made a decision and said, “Well, I abide by the law of man only if it doesn’t conflict with the Law of God.” So when God’s laws supposedly came into conflict with man’s laws, then he was willing to break the law. That’s what he is trying to say—meaning that anyone, then, who takes that kind of approach, that legalistic view of the Bible and the laws of God, is in danger of becoming an anarchist somewhere down the road. That is a common thread, they say, of those who believe in the modern descendants of Israel.
“Citing Bruce Barron’s Let’s Not Change the World, Let’s Run It: Movements and Ideologies of Social Takeover within the New Christian Right, Michael Barkun, who wrote his book in 1995, considered at that time the unhappy prospect that, should the Reconstruction/Dominion Theology movement—the Christianized version of British-Israelism—expand beyond its narrow base, it would be possible to mainstream the Christian Identity demand for government based upon Biblical law.” Now, what did that just mean? One, what is this Reconstruction/Dominion Theology movement? These, brethren, are those who do not accept the British Israel doctrine at all, but are, what you might call, your moral majority, right-wing Christian groups today. You might go so far as to say they include men like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and some of these who have a strong feeling that we should base the interpretation of law in this country—in the United States—upon the Bible. With that, of course, you find these staunch advocates against abortion—even to the extent that these people, for the sake of their cause, are willing to burn abortion sites, kill doctors and do all of these things that make the newspaper headlines all the time. These are part of those who are considered to have an affinity with this idea of reconstructing the laws of the land according to the Bible. They’re not British Israelites. They believe themselves to be Gentiles, but they still believe that the Bible should be the basis of the laws that govern us.
“The theme of Bible-centered law cannot be left before examining one final element: the striking resemblance between the concept of Bible-centered law in British-Israelism and Christian Identity, on the one hand, and its counterpart among some contemporary evangelicals on the other.” So, they’re talking about political groups within this country that have nothing in common in many ways except that they both believe that our laws in this country should be based upon the Bible. You have these Christian Identity folks, these radical racists, who think that they’re the modern descendants of Israel and, therefore, that gives them their rights. Then, you have the mainstream evangelical moral majority who consider themselves Gentiles, but who also want to see the Bible become more of the basis of the laws of the land. Both of these groups, who oppose each other in every other way, share this one idea in common.
“These so-called ‘Reconstructionists’ are part of the dominion theology movement that urges the reconstruction of society on Christian lines prior to the Second Coming.” So, what’s going on here? More people politically motivated to bring about the Kingdom of God without Christ. They’re trying to create paradise on this earth. They’re trying to solve the evils of the world through their own means, through their own religious and political motivations. “The Reconstructionists, including such figures as Rousas John Rushdoony, David Chilton and Gary DeMar, consider biblical law binding and wish to see American law recast in biblical terms. There is, however, no evidence of any connection between the small but influential Reconstructionist movement and the British-Israel or Identity groups considered here.” So they’re not working together. They don’t share anything in common at all except for the fact that both of these—Christian Identity and these evangelical moral majority reconstructionists—also want to see more laws cast with the Bible as the basis.
“Indeed, there is no evidence that either is even aware of the other. Where British-Israelism drew legal inferences from its claim of Israelite ancestry, Reconstructionism formed scholars and institutions.” Oh yes, they have all kinds of very strong lobbying institutions in the moral majority, trying to affect and influence policy on Capitol Hill. “Nevertheless, should Reconstructionism expand beyond its currently small coterie, it may create a climate of opinion from which similar Christian Identity doctrines will inadvertently benefit.” So, even though these moral majority right-wing people want to see the Bible as more of the basis of our nation’s laws, they don’t realize that to the extent that they’re successful, they’re actually helping the racists and the Christian Identity Movement. “Since Reconstructionist leaders are trained intellectuals (something Identity figures are certainly not), the rigor of their approach may confer a halo of respectability on all ideas of Bible-centered law, including Identity’s, despite the latter’s completely separate origins.” These are some of the political ideologies that are extant just within the United States.
The final part of this quote now, “Considering the veritable groundswell of Evangelical discontent and even antipathy toward [government] . . .” Remember what we learned from the last presidential election when they did all of the breakdown of the analysis of the way people voted? You saw a 50-50 split down the middle of this country around ideology concerning religion and morality. Basically, the urban centers of the country voted for Al Gore, and the rural areas of the country voted for George Bush. Now, neither one of them is truly conservative, but the media commented significantly about the absolute split in ideology of the American people. And in the midst of it, you’ve got all of these different political organizations that are vying for the dominant positions to influence our policies.
“Considering the veritable groundswell of Evangelical discontent and even antipathy toward [government]—a posture based upon the unscriptural perception that the State must conform to a Biblical worldview and the Old Testament legal system—and that this view is gaining momentum beyond the narrow parameters of Christian Identity, engulfing even the mainstream of Evangelicalism, it is incumbent upon Christians to examine the interlocking leadership . . . [called the] Council for National Policy, which should be encouraging obedience to the governing authorities, but is instead leading an opposition movement against them.” This author is concerned about what he sees shaping up—a major clash between these ideologies. And guess what? British Israel doctrine is right in the middle of it.
Now, what’s the third major group? We started with the Jewish Roots Movement and its two factions. We’ve addressed Christian Identity and reconstructionist fundamentals in the United States. The third category is the elitists or the Gnostics. Who are these? These are very, very influential world leaders who absolutely believe, accept, and incorporate the authority of the Jews in their plans to try and globalize religion and economics. One of the most interesting and significant perversions of the British Israel doctrine—one which is likely connected to all of the things that we’ve been mentioning above—is the increasingly publicized notion that all the royal houses of Europe, as well as certain prominent families in the United States, and not just England, are descended from Judah.
What do these elitists believe? They don’t believe that the masses of the people of the United States, the British Commonwealth and other European democracies are all Israelites; no, they believe that just an upper crust of royal houses in Europe and certain elite families in the United States are descended from Judah. How do they use this knowledge, and why do they believe what they believe? They believe that they’re descended from Judah through a supposed physical union of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. These elitists do not believe at all what I went through and explained concerning the settling of the Israelites in the British Isles or, legitimately, in Jeremiah’s transplanting of that throne through the authority of God into the British Isles. They believe that Christ was never crucified, that He actually had children by Mary Magdalene, and that He was an authoritative Jew with that crown. They believe that Christ actually had the authority of the kingly line of David. But it is the offspring of these children from Christ and Mary Magdalene that is this continuing bloodline of the royal house. The current English royal family is said to attribute their Jewishness and right to the throne of David to this legend, and not through any knowledge of the transplanting of the royal seed of Judah to the British Isles by Jeremiah.
The only thing I can figure, because I am not an expert in any way, and have not studied the teachings of the secret societies—including the Freemasons or others—but what I think we understand is that at the lower levels of the teaching and indoctrinations of Freemasonry and others, they do teach that the royal house of England is Jewish and does sit on the throne of David by virtue of the transplanting of Jeremiah; but then when you get to the highest levels within the order of Freemasonry, they actually tell the truth about what they believe. They believe that it is not by that movement of the throne by Jeremiah at all, but because they are literally the descendants of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This secret bloodline doctrine is identified as the true Holy Grail and is said to be part of the esoteric body of knowledge preserved for initiates into the higher degrees of Freemasonry, and the Rosicrucians in particular. A future king from this bloodline is supposedly being prepared, who will assume the office of Holy Roman Emperor and maybe several other offices. If such a king were to see himself as descended literally from Jesus Christ Himself, it would not be too difficult for him to rationalize that he is divine, would it not? In this context, various legends, including Saint Patrick—who some say is a derivative of the word “patriarch”—the Holy Grail, King Arthur, Druidism, Stonehenge, etcetera, are all deliberate counterfeits intended to create as much confusion as possible about Jeremiah’s commission and the true identity of the lost ten tribes. So, these who are part of these secret societies—the Gnostics, the elitists—also believe in royal descendants of Israel among the elite, not among the rabble. They are using that as their impetus for bringing about their version of the Kingdom of God on earth—to put their own selected descendant of Christ on the throne to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Now, think about all of these three broad areas that I’ve just synoptically explained. What do you think is going on with the clash of these political ideologies, all of which, to an extent, embrace at least a portion of the belief concerning modern Israel and the lost ten tribes? And here we are, one little group, innocuous and benign as we are, not politically motivated in any way except to hold fast to the faith once delivered, and because you believe what you believe about the identity of modern Israel—even though you’re not politically motivated and you certainly are not racist—yet, do you think it possible that one day you are going to get caught up in the midst of the clash between all of these schools of political thought that are rushing together at each other right now?
Is there any doubt in our minds, or should there be, that Satan has actually crafted all of these various schools of thought for no other reason than to bring about the persecution upon God’s true people? When you see these things in the news and different reports, brethren, I hope that this synopsis at least will have given you some basis to put these things into perspective.
Let me ask the question now, and let’s turn to the Bible. Will the physical descendants of Israel attain the Kingdom of God by their own designs? Will they avoid the punishment that God has promised? Let’s turn to Genesis 22 and verse 15:
And the angel of the [Eternal] called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the [Eternal], for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies [the Birthright promise to those descendants of Israel]; [Verse 18] And in thy seed [the second part of the promise—the promise of grace] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
This is the promise of the one seed, Jesus Christ, through whom salvation was going to come to all nations on the earth. But notice that there was nothing to say that the Birthright promise of the physical blessings, possessing the gates of the enemy, was going to be perpetual in the flesh. Because of His promise to Abraham, God was going to bestow the Birthright promises of wealth and national power upon the descendants of Israel. It didn’t say they were going to keep them at all. It didn’t say that, in the flesh, in their separation from God and their hatred for His laws, God was duty-bound to continue them in it. We’ve already seen the decline of the United States and the British Commonwealth over many decades as our power and prosperity has slowly been chipped away at. It’s an indication, brethren, that God is not continuing to sustain those blessings as they were first given.
The only promise that was perpetual was the promise to David that one of his descendants would sit upon that throne forever—the promise that there would always be a son of David sitting upon the throne even down to the time that Jesus Christ assumes that throne. Then, Christ Himself, as a son of David, as a Jew, would be the final king who would reign supreme for all eternity, still sitting upon that throne of David. That’s the only perpetual promise that was given. Those in the Christian Identity movement and these others who think they have some right to the favor of God forever and ever just because they’re physical descendants of Israel are sadly mistaken. The descendants of Israel never deserved the blessings that they received. I’ve gone through that in detail as well. God prophesied that those blessings would be taken away because of Israel’s sin. Let’s turn to Deuteronomy 4:23.
Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the [Eternal] your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the [Eternal] thy God hath forbidden thee. For the [Eternal] thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Yes, He is a jealous, and He requires obedience in order to receive His blessings.
Verse 25:
When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the [Eternal] thy God, to provoke him to anger: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the [Eternal] shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the [Eternal] shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. [Verse 29] But if from thence [in this state of separation, disobedience and outright rebellion against God] thou shalt seek the [Eternal] thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days . . .
What’s the time setting here, brethren? We’re not talking about the time of the ancient Israelites. This is a prophecy for the last days and that which was going to befall Israel, both physical and spiritual. It applies to the physical descendants of Israel as much as it does to the Church who went astray, who apostatized from God’s laws, who is in a state of separation from God and paying for that separation through the penalties and the curses which God has allowed. And yet, God gave hope; but the important thing to show here, brethren, is that Israel was going to go into tribulation. They are not just automatically going to reap the good things forever and ever just because they’re physically descended or have some right. Remember, the promises of salvation do not come through the Birthright. It’s through Jesus Christ and obedience to those laws.
“When thou art in tribulation . . .” Now, all these other groups out here are trying to avoid tribulation. They’re going to bring about the Kingdom of God on their own. They don’t think they need to go through tribulation at all. They don’t think they’re wrong. God is going to humble them. They’re going to come to find out.
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the [Eternal] thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the [Eternal] thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
No, His goal is to save His people, not to destroy them. That is exactly what He’s going to do, but those who think that they’re going to bring about the Kingdom of God by their own means in the flesh and that they’re going to avoid having to make serious changes in their lives, are barking up the wrong tree.
Notice Micah chapter 5 and verse 7: “And the remnant of Jacob . . .” Who are we speaking of? Who is it that’s known by the name of Jacob who was Israel? Remember what we saw several sermons ago? Who continued to be named by the name of Jacob of Israel? The house of Israel, the descendants of the lost ten tribes headed by the Birthright tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. This is not speaking to the house of Judah; it’s specifically speaking to those lost tribes who received the Birthright promises of wealth and national power.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the [Eternal] [They certainly are scattered about the earth.], as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people . . .
Now, how are they going be in the midst of the Gentiles? Are they going to be weak, oppressed? How did they start off? Through the Birthright promises, what did God give them in the midst of the Gentiles?
. . . as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
This is a remnant of people who, in the last days, has incredible power and domination upon the world scene. Why? Because of their own goodness or their righteousness? No, it is because of the faithfulness of Abraham, and for no other reason. Abraham was faithful and, therefore, God bound Himself inexorably to deliver these Birthright promises down to the very modern descendants in this day. That’s why those nations received it, and for no other reason. They were not worthy at all. They all turned to paganism centuries ago. It’s why God rooted them out of the land of Israel to begin with. It’s why He allowed the Assyrians to haul them off. They were godless. They were rebels. They would not obey and they never have obeyed, and yet God still gave them this great fulfillment of the Birthright promise because He told Abraham He would. He bound Himself, and He has fulfilled. But are they going to keep it? Are they going to keep that wealth and power?
. . . as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
And so, that’s precisely what we’ve seen happen in the last two centuries of the rise of the British Commonwealth and the United States to absolutely dominate the world. But, verse 10: “And it shall come to pass in that day . . .” Now something else is going to happen, God says in this prophecy, after they receive all of that power and dominion.
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the [Eternal], that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots.
All of that military might, all of those things which gave them such power and dominion over the earth were going to be cut off. God was going to take it away as quickly as He gave it to begin with.
And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand . . .
Have the descendants of Israel been consumed with witchcrafts and sorceries? You better believe it.
And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
He even calls His own people heathen. Oh, they’re Israel, but they’re more heathen than the heathen because of the idolatry and the paganism that they have not only adopted, but also propagated upon the face of the earth. They have used their Birthright promises and the wealth, not to serve God, but to pursue Babylonianism to the core; and God said He’s going to cut it off absolutely. So all of these groups out here, politically, that want to revel in their idea and their belief that they are descendants of Israel and that they’re going to avoid these kind of curses just because of their DNA, need to read some of these prophecies of what’s going to happen to the descendants of Israel. What we just read in Micah is a prophecy of the Great Tribulation that will punish God’s people. Notice Matthew 24 and verse 21 very quickly:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
We’re talking about a tribulation, brethren, that has never been exhibited in the last nearly 6,000 years of the history of man. Many people, every once in a while, will say, “Do you think we’re in the Great Tribulation?” I easily say, “Not even close.” We haven’t even begun to see the kind of tribulation that equals many past scourges and past wars in human history. We haven’t even come close to those, let alone what God says is going to be unlike anything ever “since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Israel is going to be humbled. They are going to put off these false religions that they have adopted, and they are finally going to be humbled to accept the very laws of God.
Jeremiah 30 and verse 1:
The word that came to Jeremiah from the [Eternal], saying, Thus speaketh the [Eternal] God of Israel [So, who is He speaking about? His own people.], saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come, saith the [Eternal], that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah . . .
Well, now, if they’re going to come out of captivity, it means that He is first going to put them in captivity.
. . . I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the [Eternal]: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. And these are the words that the [Eternal] spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the [Eternal]; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail . . .
These are not people that are being blessed. These are people that are being cursed—God’s people who are assuming and receiving the curses of their own actions and their rebellion.
. . . every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? [Verse 7] Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble . . .
This is a direct reference to that time of tribulation called “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” Remember, who is Jacob today? The very descendants of those tribes of the house of Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh, who have possessed the gates of their enemies in this modern world and who have been the superpowers.
“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” Oh yes, he’s going to be saved, but not until he is humbled completely, brought down low and made to repent. They’re certainly not going to receive those blessings and benefits from God in their current rebellious state. Verse 11:
For I am with thee, saith the [Eternal], to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee . . .
No, He’s going to give them the beating of their lives in a Great Tribulation, but He is not going to make an end of them. It is not God’s desire to destroy them, but to humble them that they might return to embrace the Truth.
. . . yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. For thus saith the [Eternal], Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.
That is the state of our modern nations today, brethren—trying to solve our problems, trying to bring about world peace, trying to bring about the Kingdom of God through our own ends, and it is impossible. To those who think that, through their negotiations and their diplomacy in the Middle East, they’re going to form a coalition that’s going to create world peace among all these various religions and racial groups, they are kidding themselves. They are not, of their own accord, according to their own false doctrines and religions, going to bring about utopia on this earth. That is only going to come by the very intervention of God and through the return of Jesus Christ to take possession with power and authority. All of these counterfeits politically working today on the earth are utterly going to fail.
. . . Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. [And so it is.] There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.
And no, neither this nation, nor the nations of Europe, nor any nation in the Middle East, or in China, or in Russia, or India or any other, has any healing medicine. There is no solution in the hands of human beings to our world’s ills.
All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy . . .
Who gave it to them? Who has cursed Israel today after He gave the Birthright promises, after we received all of these great and wonderful things, which we still enjoy to a great extent today? Who is it that is bringing about the very downfall of those same people? God Himself.
. . . I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased. Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.
So, those who think that they’re going to recline in the benefits of being descendants of Israel and are not going to have an obligation to repent and turn to God, are misguided to the full.
Will the vanity of our national patriotism deter God’s intent to humble His people? Just because there’s an attack on this nation, and we all stand around and sing “God Bless America,” does that mean God is going to do it? It’s going to require repentance; it’s going to require an obedience that hasn’t existed ever among the descendants of Israel since the time that the nation divided into two nations under Jeroboam and Rehoboam. The Israelites of the lost ten tribes were never faithful, and have never been faithful. They received the Birthright promises only because of the promise God gave to Abraham, and for no other reason. They are finally going to lose all of those benefits in that Great Tribulation, as God is going to humble them before that great and terrible day of the Lord.
Those who are attempting to bring about the Kingdom of God on this earth in their own way, will utterly fail. Their manipulation of the knowledge of our identity for their own gain will not stand. None of these groups, brethren, are going to succeed. But be prepared; because of who you are and what you believe, you are likely going to get caught up in the middle of it one day. Avoid it the best that you can without breaking God’s Law. We have to stand true to what God requires of us. Don’t allow yourselves to get roped in to agreement with these groups, whether it’s Christian Identity or Jewish Roots, and especially not the elitists. Brethren, all of them are of Satan, and only the people of God are going to avoid being entrapped within the midst of these ideologies.
Next time, brethren, will be the final sermon to complete fundamental number sixteen, with an explanation of the true reward of the saved as being this earth and not heaven.
