BRITISH ISRAELISM.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 158, 24 March 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

BRITISH ISRAELISM.

A SIMPLE STATEMENT OF THE CASE.

(By R. A. NEAUM.) i

Tlio difference that separates a Bri-tish-Israel thinker from an ordinary Bible 6tudent is in reality very small indeed; in fact, it in not strictly a difference at all—it is really a degree. Both are in perfect agreement up to a point, lor whereas both go together in believing the promises of God may have a spiritual meaning, identity "believers take the promises 1" have as well a literal meaning; and, in doing so, whilst not detracting one iota from the former, give them in addition the material element. A momenta consideration of this result will bring to mind the fact that we accord to the Word of God an even greater power and regard than the spiritual application alone does. Let me try to show that a literal application of God's promises in addition to the spiritual is permissible, and not only permissible, but essential. The whole edifice of the British-Is-rael truth rests upon the initial promise of God to Abraham. There are many subsequent amplifications of it right through the Scriptures to the end; but if once we can fix in its true bearing this first promise of God. then all the rest falls into its place as a matter of course. Now try, if possible, and put yourself in the place of Abraham before God called him, and imagine it was to you that these things happened. Abraham was a plain-speaking man, living the ordinary life, speaking the ordinary language —a man who would, in short. call a spade a spade. God called Abraham (or you) and told him to leave hi.s homo and people anl go to a iond that He would show him. Now when God told Abraham to go to a land, Abraham, of course, understood Him to mean a land, actual terra finna, not something of an ethereal and spiritual nature, and naturally Abraham was quite right in this belief. He was led to a land —the Land of Canaan. So far, then, the promise of God to Abraham had been literally fulfilled; but as time went on, God made other promises to Abraham, one of them being (and that of primary importance to Abraham just then) that he should have an heir. This also was fulfilled literally; consequently, when the time came that God promised Abraham that He would give unto lus seed the land he saw, from ''the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates"; and promised him a multitudinous seed, etc., etc., and changed his name (to Abraham), because "a father of many nations have I made thee - '; and when, later on still. God amplified these promises, it is not conceivable that Abraham (or you) would for a moment have hesitated to place upon the words a strict literal interpretation of them. Further, Abraham ha s been called the friend of God, an honour that has not been bestowed upon any other human being. Now Abraham was. as we have already said, an ordinary man. used to the ordinary meaning of words, and God must have known when He spoke those words of yromise that Abraham would attach to them the common, ordinary meaning they bore. This we can gather he undoubtedly did, by the care he bestowed upon Isaac ; and proof that the value of these promises had been imparted by him to Isaac is evidenced by the blessing he bestowed upon his son Jacob. If God. therefore, had intended these promises to be applied (.nly spiritually, He was willingly allowing Abraham —His friend —to be deceived. A mere human would not so wlingly deceive his friend; how much less God ! The very thought is beyond coniiception. These promises of God, 100, were not given to Abraham condit:onally, such as "if your seed continues to serve Me I will do this' - ; or ' if your seed disobeys My voice I will take away these promised gifts.'' No: they were given quite without '3serve; in fact, more in the nature—if I may say it with al! reverence —for services rendered. When Abraham offered up Isaac, God declared, "By Myself have I sworn, for because thou hast done tin's thing, and hast not withheld thy son. Tiling 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 seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My voice." Surely Abraham would take these sobinn words, clearly spoken, at their ''lace value,/ as meaning exactly what they said, in tlio common accepted terms of meaning, between one person and another. Now I think if we look at this point with a perfectly open mind, free from preconceived notions we may have had upon the subject, we cannot fail to see with perfect clearness that the promises made to Abraham must, for vers truth's sake, have a material fulfilment, which Abraham undoubtedly by his faith believed would be the case. Wo Christians, Loth Israelite and those of non-Israelite descent, can claim through Jesus Christ (one of Abraham's literal seed) a spiritual fulfilment of the promises also; and that is one further proof of the Dicine power, which instead of lmiting the Word, adds to and amplifies it. Having now come to the only logical conclusione possible—viz., that the promises to Abraham and his seed were literal and material (as well as spiritual, through faith in Jesus Christ), We have not much further to go. Wo know that when God promises a thing Hi> intends to perforin it. "If those ordinances (the sun, moon and stars) depart from before Me. Faith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever' —showing that Israel must exist as long as the sun continues to give light, etc.; and that being the case, Israel must, of coarse, be ex siting U')U" According to the promise, we must expect the present-day Israel to possess certain characteristics. They were to be a people that would rule over many nations: a people successful in war: their land should become *oo small for them, and they would spread out to the ends of the earth ; they should possiv; tlio gate of their enemies; they should lend to many nations, but'borrow of none: they should become wealthy, carriers of the Gospel, relievers of the oppressed, and many other tilings. All those characteristics were to be found in this people in "the latter days." It is agreed by ail students of"propphecy that these "latter days" arc running now, and coincide _ with the "times of the Gentiles," which period is to end with the ceasing of the i leading down of Jerusalem by the Gentiles. This period is very rapidly drawing io a close, as evidenced by events connected with the present war. History tells us that no nation nns existed in the p.'Ni which possessed Hi.-so characteristics. and with (lie times of the Gentiles drav, : ng to a cln*o there is not new space Cor a new ration of Israel's character (o arise; therefore it follows thai the nation must be ill existence to-dav. \\ liere is it ? -for it mu-t be fif no me oi ■mow Ih ! " A nat'on and a company of nations," a* the "sand upon the <■■< nshoro." Which of the nalioiifi of the world fulfils the condil'ons to-day 0 One, and only one—the British.