WHAT’S
SO SPECIAL ABOUT BEING JEWISH?
Analysing
present realities for today’s Jews and for Israel as
PRESENT
fulfillments of God’s PAST Prophecies, which
in turn
guarantee a great FUTURE for them.
This
article is dedicated to the millions of true, Jewish born people,
(whether living in Eretz Israel or not), but are not
‘religious’ at all.
As a Jew you do have
the respect of thousands of
Bible-Believers, Jewish and
non-Jewish, including the sponsors
of this article who only
want ‘the very best’ for you!
This is
article will focus on the PRESENT
actual prophetic circumstances
of the Jews.
Introduction.
Since
the re-establishment of Israel in their own Land in 1948, the
interest in Jewish People, by many Jewish and non-Jewish people with
a ‘world view’ has greatly increased. Many people have
lived to see ~ or know of really significant events ~ especially for
Jews in the Middle East over the last 100+ years.
>>
The ‘rebirth’ of Israel as a Nation
State was seen as one of the most significant.
A
new, worldwide fascination with all things ‘Jewish’.
There are several reasons why literally millions of
people have a great interest in Jews and Israel. Jews themselves
have a new focus for their interest or more, even making ‘aliya’.
[For meanings of Hebrew words see here.]
When
Israel does well, with discoveries in archaeology, science and
military victories, they are very pleased. But when Israel faces the
criticism in the media and threats and terrorist actions of radical
jihadists against her, many Jews do have religious, social or
political reasons for caring about their ‘national homeland’,
although they may not have close contacts, or really want to live
there, (yet). Of course several million Jews have made aliya in the
last 60 years, even if later they moved away again. Jewish Population
2008, (out of almost 7.5 million), is 5.5 million, 69% ‘Sabras’,
who were born in Israel.
The Internet especially is
overflowing with sites on a myriad of subjects to do with Israel or
Jewish beliefs, or social activities. It is thought there are about
15 million Jews, worldwide. Most Jews are influenced by their family
or community to participate in Jewish life, but this can bring
tensions, too. This is partly why 70% choose to be ‘Secular
Jews’. Which is not a bad choice, in many ways. It is important
to understand that being ‘Jewish’ does not depend on
being ‘religious’.
People who are against
Israel and Jews.
Sadly, this is a bad area of knowledge and
concern, in every way, which we will not enlarge on here. The modern
political stance of almost every nation is aware of, or influenced by
this anti- Semitic, anti-Israel, anti-Zionist view, including the
UNO. Many Islamists hate Jews. So the reality is that most of the
world is either for or against Israel, with very few who are not
interested, even when they are in ‘distant islands’.
Two exceptions, as far as Nations are concerned are
Micronesia and the USA that support Israel.
Another group
from many nations, of many millions of people have a
special, caring, interest, even love for Israel and Jewish
People! They show this in their generous financial giving and in many
other ways. We don’t know how much you might know about this.
Most of these pro-Israel friends would be called ‘Evangelical
Christians’. They are quite different in many ways from the
‘Orthodox’ Churches. [For more info see here.]
These
people are NOT limited to national boundaries, and are sprinkled
widely over the entire world. Their Biblically based Faith is what
binds them together as ‘Evangelical Christians,’ and
this is also the reason for their interest in Jewish people,
culture, past history and Israel’s future.
Of course
there are differences among them, but most have a sincere concern for
the Jewish people. They believe (as we do) that Jewish people have
been honoured to have had and will have a very important role in the
future of this world ~ for great good, (even if there are big
divisions among Jews at present)! So, they would like you to
appreciate being really Jewish by your birth, and family history!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
BUT
WE WONDER IF ~ YOU KNOW ~ WHAT A GREAT HONOUR IT IS TO BE
‘JEWISH’?
For a
few years, this writer was privileged to give free hospitality to
Jewish, Israeli young people, who were ‘back-packing’
through our country. It was quite a lot of fun, as we exchanged news
and views, and learnt from each other. Of course we had some
interesting discussions about Israel, and maybe a little about
Judaism, and touched on why we had an interest in Israel. Having been
able to visit Israel and even live there for a time, we had some idea
of the background life in modern Israel. This was added to by our
extensive reading, and viewing of films, and by hearing a number of
speakers, (representing different causes in Israel), so we felt we
had a basic understanding of what it means to be a Jewish Israeli.
It would be dishonest of me, not to say that our interest
was underlined specifically by our love for the Tanakh. It
gave us our interest in places in Israel, and enthused us as
we matched our hopes for a bright future for the Jewish
people of Israel, to our own future, as we understood it from
the Tanakh. There are many promises and explanations of the
role of Jewish people, there! This is because we believe totally
in the God of Israel Who never, ever lies, but always keep His
Word! *
Because, you see, if the True, Holy, ADONAI, “God of Israel” [called this many times in the Tanakh] could not keep all His promises as in the Tanakh* to Jewish people, then He could not keep His promises to millions of “those who Fear the Name of the LORD” (such as evangelical Christians) who depend totally for their Faith on the Bible.
He
would not be the true GOD at all. [For
* Scriptural sources see here.]
But this is only part of the argument for a bright future for Jewish
people.
However ~ two concepts or
attitudes did come through very clearly from young Jewish friends.
1.
Pride in being a Jewish Israeli –
(even for some being ‘a Sabra’), was very important to
them!
Perhaps this was from their family background –
as many parents or grandparents had made ‘aliya’ at some
time in their lives, from many different parts of the world. So, of
course it was a big thing to become part of a new nation! In a very
few cases, their country of origin was of some importance, (but the
young people especially) had little real interest in them, and
without exception were proud to either have been born in Israel, or
being part of it in the present. [Those who are ‘Jewish’
by conversion to Judaism are NOT the subject of this discussion, as
our definition of ‘Jewish’ is those who by birth are
ethnically Jews.]
2.
Secondly Jewish people seemed to have a deep sense of
nationhood.
Although in one way, (being part of a modern, democratic nation) they did enjoy the pleasure of being individuals in their choices of careers, work, friendships, etc. they obviously were far more ‘patriotic’ (it might be called) to the facts of Israel being a Jewish nation, for Jewish people, * than many other peoples of the world.
In many cases, people are struggling to leave their own countries, whereas the big emphasis in Israel is to encourage Jewish people to go ‘back’ - (to make ‘aliya’) to Eretz Israel.
Also the sense of nationhood has been the result of every young person in Israel, being required to train in the IDF, as soon as they turn 18 years old. This is a time of ‘blending together’, because everyone must speak Modern Hebrew, and swear loyalty to Israel.
But even more, - is the shared dread of wars, and terrorist attacks that so many have experienced as Jewish Israelis, if not themselves – someone they know. Wars have welded Jews together in a special way. Even Jews in the Diaspora often feel this way.
When you read the information about the ‘Society of Humanistic Judaism’, founded by Sherman T. Wine, or the ‘International Federation of Humanistic Jews’ (which includes 3 big organisations), you can see that the most important thing is ‘being Jewish’.
Yet
any realisation that being Jewish was a special privilege
was
missing, or was rejected!
(Do yourself a favour – see
our paper on
‘I’m
glad I’m Jewish, but…’)
YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT
BEING ‘SPECIAL’.
There is a wonderful reason
and hope inherent in this concept!
Wanting
to be like any other nation or race of people.
Without
realising it, wanting to be “just like any other Nation”,
is a fulfilment of the very prophecies the Tanakh* makes about the
nation of Israel. So, woops! You may not believe in the Tanakh, but
you are living proof that it is true. But we could see and understand
why for most young Jewish people, being Jewish can be a problem.
While those I talked with, were very proud of being Jewish
(by their physical descent from Jewish parents and grandparents) they
would not accept – our belief – that being Jewish made
them a special race of people. Yet that is the plain,
inescapable, historical truth. *
They simply quoted Holy
Scripture * (without knowing it), by saying, “but we want to be
like all the other (good) nations in the world”. [*For actual
Refs, see here*]
They really felt they were the same as any other ethnic group
of people.
BUT! Only the Jewish
people, as a racial group of people, have the exquisite privilege
of being DESTINED TO RULE A PEACE FILLED WORLD! *
This
is a great fact that we would long for every truly Jewish person to
accept!
Yet we can understand the reasons this is either not
accepted, or only reluctantly, or even with anger! Or perhaps a faint
hope, very reluctantly for some vague far-off time that will never
come? The suffering of the Jewish race ever since the
Diaspora, when Jerusalem and the glorious Temple were destroyed by
the Romans in 70CE/ AD, is a tragic story lasting 2000 long, awful
years!
The horrific expulsions, persecutions, inquisitions,
pogroms and finally the Holocaust (‘Shoah’) right up to
the 1940’s have been an almost unbelievably tragic, seemingly
never-ending scenario of trouble and agonising stories – for
Jewish people, all over the world.
And now there are even
people who want to deny the ‘Holocaust’ ever happened!
What is worse is that Islamists are threatening and believing they
have some ‘divine mandate’ to eliminate ‘the
Zionists’ –meaning Israel and all Jews. For a special
reason they hate Jews.
And
it is clear from history - the persecution was only
because the
people were or are ‘Jewish’!
BUT!
VERY SOON WHAT HAPPENS IN ISRAEL
WILL BE GREAT FOR JEWISH PEOPLE.
These are only meant to be brief
summaries of BIG topics, for busy people who don’t have time
for long, ‘in-depth’ articles – so forgive us if we
seem to be jumping over a whole lot of difficult questions.
1.
Being Jewish in the PRESENT is absolutely based on the
historical truth of the TANAKH!
In another article we have
written about the ‘Lost Temple Treasures’ ~ the
Parchments’, [see here]
meaning the original scrolls that made up the Tanakh, and were
kept in the Temple, but sadly were lost with all the other priceless
treasures. Fortunately they were preserved in other ways, so it can
be proved without doubt that all the copies we now have, are
absolutely accurate, to what was originally written. [See
www.bible-history.com/bibleonline_fallenempires.php
]
>> So
the past, present and future of the Jewish race is all vindicated by
being written 3,500+ years ago.
2.
The PAST 200 years of historical events (out of 2000+) has laid
‘foundation blocks’ of fulfilled prophecies! Did you
realise this? When these are looked at carefully they are really
amazing, and cannot apply to any other group of People in the world –
only Jews! In another paper we give you brief prophetic
statements from the Tanakh to prove the events of the recent
history of the Jews were foretold about 2,500 years ago. [See here]
or this website here.
Such
as: *
The actual restoration events foretold
for Israel, would not happen for about 2000+ years.
The
Jewish people would be preserved as a race for all time.
The Nation would be ‘born’ [declared a new
nation] in one day.
The Jewish People would
regain the homeland they were driven out of 1900 years ago.
The Jewish nation would become prosperous in every
way.
The Hebrew Language would be restored, and
used.
Humanistic Judaism says:
“Human or Jewish history is only the result of ‘human
manipulation’.”
Our reason for writing all
these articles (we hope you can see) is to encourage you right NOW by
explaining some of the things, you may not have read or heard or
thought about anywhere else. Yes, we repeat we respect you as honest,
genuine secular Jews.
For that reason we hope you are open to
these facts and explanations, (apart from the more standard religious
ideas and teachings you may have heard), yet based on TRUTH you can
check out for your self. It is not really true, as Humanistic Judaism
says, “that Jewish History is a human saga, a testament to
the significance of human power and responsibility”. We may
discuss this later, but ask yourself, “Then how come the
Jews were driven from their historical homeland in 70CE and did not
regain it for 1,900 years?”
Especially when it had
been foretold over 500 years before? Or you could ask, “Could
it be true that some ‘human beings power and responsibility’
is greater that our Jewish power and responsibility, - or greater
than Israel’s God?” Who’s power is greatest?
The prophecies about Israel, which have happened or are now true,
give the answer! See them here.
But First – think about this…
Israel’s
PAST, which can be accurately vindicated, assures all Jews of a
bright FUTURE!
This is a huge subject, and for secular
Jews brings in the great problem they have with the concept of ‘a
God’. Yet this web site hopes to overcome that problem to a
degree, by helping you accept who you are. In other articles
we plan to describe the future of Jewish people and the nation of
Israel, but we can only do this based on the Tanakh. And based
on the possibility that a Divine Force was behind this amazing
Book! [See here]
Our
summary.
Now, we hope you can see why knowing and
accepting the first two absolutely vital facts, is so important to
you as a Jewish person!
1.
That the Tanakh holds all the keys to knowing what is special
about some people being Jewish.
2.
That it is the One true and only God of Israel in particular,
who has written, preserved, and sworn in the Tanakh by His own Holy
Person, to bring great blessing to all Jewish people.
We repeat;
these facts are vital knowledge for every true Jewish person!
And
it is for a special reason!
Being
Jewish is special and important, because
Israel has
been chosen to ‘BLESS’ the entire world!
It
is because the God Who made the Jewish People
wants more than
anything ~ONE, to keep all His promises
of Blessings to them, and
TWO prove to the whole world,
as well as Israel what a great,
Loving GOD He is!
The truth is that it is a very
great privilege to be Jewish!
Here is only one
statement of HOPE, (of very many), from the Tanakh, for you:
“As
you have been an object of cursing among the Nations,
O
Judah and Isra’el, so I will rescue you,
and
YOU WILL BE A BLESSING.” [Zechariah 8: 13.]
You will know the words of the Jewish
national Anthem,
is about HOPE, that
is why it is simply called:
‘HATIKVAH’
(This
is the version we like)
“So long as still within our chests
The Jewish heart beats true,
So long as still towards the
East ~
To ZION looks the Jew,
So long as our hopes are not
lost
~Two thousand years we cherished them~
To live in freedom
in the Land ~
The Land of Zion and Jerusalem!”
Therefore
we can make a definite promise of great Hatikvah
based
on all the beliefs we have in the Tanakh,
also
in the God of Isra’el.
We
have given the fuller aspects of being Jewish,
using verses from
the TANAKH, here.
You
are welcome to contact
us,
with any questions or comments.