Our Opportunities and Responsibilities Toward Natural Israel

This transcript was generated automatically. Its accuracy may vary

Short Summary
The discourse reviews the biblical message of comfort to Jerusalem, emphasizing the responsibility to share this message with the Jewish people, especially in light of historical and modern developments. It discusses the evolving relationship between Bible students and the Jewish community, acknowledging challenges such as differing beliefs, antisemitism, and the complexities of Christian evangelical support for Zionism. The speaker highlights ongoing efforts to build understanding and dialogue, while urging sensitivity to Jewish traditions and caution regarding future religious-political alliances.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on Comforting Jerusalem and the Jewish People (Based on Isaiah 41 and Related Themes):

Theme and Opening Scripture:
– The discourse centers on the scriptural encouragement from Isaiah 65:18 (paraphrased): “Be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create. Behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy.”
– The primary scriptural focus is Isaiah 41:1-2, which calls God’s people to comfort Jerusalem, declaring that her “warfare is accomplished” and “her iniquity is pardoned.”

Understanding the “Warfare” and “Double”:
– The term “warfare” or “hard service” (as in Rotherham’s translation) refers to the period of suffering and conflict experienced by Israel. This warfare will not fully end until the final battle of Armageddon, indicating ongoing struggles ahead.
– The “double” received by Jerusalem symbolizes the full measure of punishment for sins, which is completed historically around AD 1878, marking a prophetic turning point where God’s favor returns to fleshly Israel.

Historical Context and Prophetic Timeline:
– AD 70: Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy that not one stone would be left upon another in the temple (Matthew 24:2).
– The Arch of Titus in Rome commemorates this event.
– By the late 19th century (circa 1878), Jewish privileges in Palestine began to be restored, aligning with the prophecy of the “double” punishment being fulfilled and God’s favor returning.

Pastor Russell’s Role and Early 20th Century Efforts:
– Pastor Charles Taze Russell emphasized comforting Jerusalem, though he noted Jerusalem might not hear the message first (Isaiah 41:1-2).
– Efforts were made to share hope and understanding of the Jewish future, including publications like the “Hebrew Jargon” booklet and volumes on Jewish promises.
– The 1910 event at the Hippodrome in New York showed a significant positive reception by Jewish audiences to a gentile preacher, marking an important milestone in outreach.

Media and Outreach Evolution from 1910 to Present:
– Continued publication of literature, booklets, and volumes throughout the 20th century.
– From the 1970s onward, use of television and mass media (e.g., ultra-high frequency TV programs like “Israel Born to Destiny”) expanded outreach.
– In recent decades, DVD presentations such as “Israel Appointment with Destiny” and personal public witness efforts (e.g., Milwaukee 2010 with 400+ attendees) have enhanced sharing the message.
– Tours to Israel involving brethren and Jewish leaders have fostered direct personal contact and dialogue.

Contemporary Jewish-Christian Relations and Challenges:
– The discourse highlights the complexity of Jewish communities, which range from secular to ultra-Orthodox, and diverse Messianic expectations (single Messiah vs. collective Messiah).
– Orthodox Jewish leaders such as Rabbi Tuli Weiss (Yeshiva University educated) work toward building bridges with evangelical Christians under the concept of “Universal Zionism,” emphasizing broad participation across religious and political spectrums.
– Evangelical Christian support for Israel is significant but complicated by issues such as conspiracy theories that fuel antisemitism and create dilemmas in Jewish-Christian relations.
– Notable evangelical leaders include Pat Robertson, whose controversial “New World Order” book raised concerns about antisemitic conspiracy theories despite his support for Israel.

Notable Figures and Events:
– Mike Evans and the Friends of Zion Ambassador Summit demonstrate ongoing evangelical support for Israel.
– Rabbi Benjamin Bleck, connected personally to the speaker through family, exemplifies Jewish openness in some quarters, including historic events such as blessing Pope John Paul II, who made unprecedented efforts toward Jewish-Christian reconciliation.
– Rabbi Bleck’s writings, including “Redemption Then and Now,” reflect a Jewish perspective on approaching the Messianic age and spirituality.

Jewish Beliefs and Sensitivities to Note When Sharing the Message:
– The Jewish Bible is referred to as the Tanakh, never the “Old Testament.”
– Oral tradition holds strong authority, sometimes even over written scripture in practice.
– Concepts such as original sin, Satan, and resurrection are generally viewed as Christian inventions; resurrection is sometimes described in Orthodox Judaism as “resuscitation.”
– The Sabbath (Shabbat) is central to Jewish life and is a sensitive issue; Christians not observing it may be viewed unfavorably.
– The divine name (Tetragrammaton) is not to be used in non-liturgical contexts; instead, terms like “Adonai” or “Hashem” are preferred.

Challenges from Kabbalah and Mysticism:
– Kabbalah, mixing Greek philosophy and Jewish mysticism, introduces beliefs such as soul immortality and reincarnation, which differ from mainstream Christian teachings.

Tikkun Olam – “Healing the World”:
– A core Jewish concept emphasizing social justice, kindness, and loving the stranger (cited from Jewish teachings that command loving the stranger in at least 36 verses).
– This principle reflects the Jewish historical experience and informs many community actions.

Biblical Students’ Position and Watchfulness:
– The Bible students reject replacement theology and the Trinity, holding to a New Covenant with Israel (Isaiah 42:6, Jeremiah 31:31-34).
– They see themselves as students of prophecy, not prophets, sharing comfort based on the “double” punishment’s fulfillment and God’s returning favor to Israel.
– They remain watchful of the emerging alliance foretold in Revelation 16:13 of the dragon (civil powers), the beast (mainline Christian churches), and the false prophet (Protestant/Evangelical alliances) as persecuting powers in the future.

Current Challenges and Outlook:
– The 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and resulting global antisemitism have hardened Jewish unity but also alienated many worldwide.
– The Bible students understand the full significance of Isaiah 41:2’s message and continue to share comfort to Jerusalem and her people.
– The speaker calls for grace, patience, and blessing for all personal efforts to comfort and support the Jewish people in these challenging times.

—

Key Bible Verses Mentioned or Referenced:

– Isaiah 41:1-2:
“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”

– Isaiah 65:18 (paraphrased):
“Be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.”

– Matthew 24:2:
Jesus’ prophecy that not one stone of the temple would be left upon another.

– Jeremiah 31:31-34:
The prophecy of the New Covenant with Israel.

– Revelation 16:13:
Vision of three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.

—

Summary Conclusion:
The discourse presents a comprehensive review of the biblical prophecy concerning Jerusalem’s comfort and restoration, the historical fulfillment of the “double” punishment, and the ongoing responsibility to share this comforting message with the Jewish people. It highlights the evolving methods of outreach, the complexities of Jewish-Christian relations, Jewish community sensitivities and beliefs, and the present-day challenges including rising antisemitism. The Bible students affirm their role as students of prophecy committed to sharing hope and comfort grounded on scripture, underscoring the promise that Jerusalem will ultimately be “a rejoicing and her people a joy.”

Transcript

You.

We’re going to be reviewing some of the scriptures that have been beautifully presented already today, but this is the theme we’d like to focus on. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy.

So the question for us, brethren, is what is our responsibility for this message that we need to give the Jewish people at this time? And I’m going to touch on issues of how to better understand the Jewish people, as well as some issues of how the Jewish people understand us or try to understand us, these two different communities. Now, our message really begins with Isaiah 41.

Comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished and that her iniquity is pardoned, for she’s received of the Lord’s hand double for all of her sins.

As we look at this, it’s important for us to. First, I want to look at two parts of two words that need some consideration. When is her warfare going to be done? Her warfare will be done at Armageddon or at the last stages of Armageddon, and so there is still warfare yet in the future.

I believe Rotherham accurately translates this as her hard service is accomplished, and then there’s this word double. Not only is that important for our understanding, but this also is something that I think limits and focuses the message and, and the work on those who understand the harvest message. Understanding Isaiah 41:2. We’re responsible to send it forth.

And I’m bringing up here a quote from page 219 of the second volume. We should expect some evidence of God’s returning favor to fleshly Israel, Jacob, in or about AD 1878. This we do find in the fact that the Jew is now permitted privileges in Palestine denied him for centuries past, and it was in that very year, 1878, when their double was full and God’s favor was due to return, and this has been amplified very nicely by brother Alan Springer in the morning.

And I think every speaker has touched on this. I’ve circled the date of AD 70 over here to just remind the brethren that was the year that on this date of Jewish National Morning, the 9th of AB, which is around August 1st, the Roman Emperor, of course, he was a general then. Titus destroyed Jerusalem, and as the Lord prophesied, not a stone was left upon stone in the temple. The treasures of the temple were taken in parade through the streets of Rome.

And this is a reconstruction of the Arch of Titus, which stands near The Coliseum in Rome.

Pastor Russell picks up on this in a question he answered in 1907, and I want you to focus on the date here because this is going to be important for our consideration.

So he gives the scripture we’ve already quoted from Isaiah, followed by the question, do you consider this applicable to our attitude towards the Jews at this present time?

He answers this I think it would be proper enough for us to speak comfortably to Jerusalem, but I do not think it implies that Jerusalem is going to hear it first. Now, we’ve spoken a good many comfortable things to the Jews, if you will take into consideration what’s written in the second volume of dawn on the subject and what is the future hope for the Jews in the third volume, calling attention to this very scripture and the booklet in Hebrew jargon that gives the tabernacle shadows and what we believe to be the true interpretation of the Book of Hebrews. You will notice that we’ve tried to speak to the Hebrews some of these comforting words, but we have not found it’s had made very much impression on them. Perhaps a little we do not know. But the Lord says the time is coming and that those who have an ear to hear will hear, and the others that do not have an ear to hear will have to wait until the trumpet blows loud and long.

Well, dear brethren, What a difference three years makes. Here we are in 1910 at the Hippodrome. That’s already been referred to by the brethren today.

And I wanted to read the newspaper account to just show the attitude in the newspapers that was supportive of Brother Russell during this time. The unusual spectacle of 4,000 Hebrews enthusiastically applauding a gentile preacher after having listened to a sermon he addressed to them concerning their own religion was presented at the Hippodrome yesterday afternoon, where Pastor Russell, the famous head of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, conducted a most unusual service. In his time, the venerable pastor has done many unconventional things. His religion is bounded by no particular denomination and encompasses, as he says, all mankind. His way of teaching it are his own.

But he never did a more unconventional thing than this, nor a more successful one. He won over an audience that had come, some of it at least, prepared to debate with him, to resent perhaps what might have appeared like a possible intrusion, and that’s from the New York American, and you can find it in reprint 4700.

So he started acting on this responsibility and continued to act on it for sending forth the message, and what a difference an additional 60 years made now to be looking back at what was done by our brethren between 1910 and the 1970s? There were certainly booklets out. There was a continued publication of the volumes. There were discourses.

But, you know, we’re in this era before the Internet and the mass media of the 1970s was television. But a whole new group of television stations opened that were reasonably priced for us to access, and Israel Born to Destiny sounds almost like a later program we’re about to talk about was put onto ultra high frequency television by our brother George Taback.

And then this was converted to media that could be distributed, and of course, it continued later with UHF and DVD. Well, what a difference an additional 20 years makes, and Brother Ken Rossen prepared a presentation of his own today. It has been absolutely beautifully redone in high definition.

You were able to see that during the lunch break, and so many improvements, and it’s Israel Appointment with Destiny. Brother Ken talked to Jewish leaders. There are short interviews with both secular as well as religious Jewish leaders to share the message of Isaiah 41:2.

And if you look here, I’m showing a photo from a public witness effort we had in Milwaukee 2010, where there were more than 400 in attendance, and this was not the largest showing.

Brother Ken was and Sister Virginia were personally there for the presentation, and of course, I’m focusing on Milwaukee at the time, but there were presentations throughout the United States, Canada and Europe of the program, and during this period of time, what the brethren have been able to do, because not all of us, of course, can do things on, you know, DVD presentations, but there have been trips I not. I’m only using Brother Ken over here again because I have his materials in photograph form so I can share those. My fathers are in slides and it’s a headache to do that.

But here he is with the mayor of Shiloh, Shiloh, if you wish, in Israel in 1993, and there have been many tours by our brethren that are memorable. Our dear Brother Jerry Leslie, who opened the session with prayer, for example.

And I don’t want to leave anybody out of the leadership of these tours by not mentioning all of them. This has been a blessing both to those in Israel and to our brethren as they share the message.

Taking things up to the present day. There have been efforts to link with the Jewish community, such as the one that Brother Bill Gillen was leading on the Israel in Prophecy witnessing effort to the Jewish National Global Fund in Dallas. Now, that was in 2024. It attracted 2,500 attendees to focus on Zionism and Yitzhak Herzog, the president of Israel linked in on that effort and addressed it. But because of the times, we’re in the changing times.

The Jewish National Fund conference in 2025 was canceled for security concerns, and I think our dear brother Rick Cunningham presented in detail the statistics about the ways in which antisemitism and anti Zionism has started to envelop even the United States.

So as a quick review, starting with Brother Russell in the 19th century, the brethren have neither been seeking to convert Jews. They have tried to share the message of hope not holding replacement theology. That was explained a little earlier today in good detail. Certainly one of the distinctions of the Bible students is that we do not hold the Trinity.

To answer one of the questions during the break period, the Jews are divided. They’re always divided. They’re just like the Brethren they have.

Some are expecting a single individual Messiah. Many have adopted a theology that the Messiah will be many members basically constituted by the purified nation of people, the Jewish people of Israel. Okay, so there’s how does the saying go? You get one Jew in a room and there’s three opinions. That is a Jewish joke.

The Brethren have been active in announcing the prophetic promises and speaking in support of Zionism, publishing booklets, newspaper ads, of course, who’s reading newspapers nowadays except online? And even sharing a prophetic promises calendar that was mailed to every synagogue in Poland and the usa. That sort of effort has been moved forward by the Brethren.

We’ve been using mass media where it’s available, public meetings and now the Internet to share a pro Zionist message, meeting with Jewish leaders to share our hopes, developing personal contacts and understanding, including Israel tours, and while Bible students have been leaders in opening the dialogue, as the Hippodrome meeting shows, it’s not been one sided.

I wanted to explore with you the question of what are the Jewish leaders doing, and there’s a very heavy bias in what I will present because I’m focused on the community that I have the contacts with, which is the Orthodox Jewish community. The Jewish community is very broad, Brethren, from secular to religious. That’s already been mentioned from very liberal religious to ultra Orthodox, and again that was discussed in detail.

The Orthodox Jewish leaders that I’m going to focus on are observant. They are not what’s called in the Jewish community, they black hat, that is, they don’t dress with 19th century Eastern European clothes or grow long curled braids or anything like that. I want to bring up one of the names that was mentioned during the break sessions and this is Rabbi Tuli Weiss. He was educated at Yeshiva University. So remember that name, Yeshiva University.

He’s been working towards linking with evangelical Christians, and of course this has caught the attention of the Jewish community more broadly. His book on universal Zionism came out in October 2025, and not to discuss the details of his treatise, he is looking at the same messianic promises for Israel that we want to share with him.

There’s going to be some adjustments to his treatise with time.

He speaks about his group as a Jewish organization that builds meaningful relationships with evangelical Christians. This is in the acknowledgments of the book that we showed here, and well, I don’t know how qualified as an evangelical we would consider Brother Paul and Sister Joyce. But in any case they’ve become part of the broader community for Israel. 365 they’re also having a tour in Lord Willing in October of this year if it doesn’t get canceled by war again.

So there’s some free advertising. Brother Paul, if you go to Israel, you will indeed meet Rabbi Weiss if you go with Paul. But here’s part of the challenge for the Jewish community. The dedication of this book and actually quite a number of pages are trying to link in with the very conservative side of the Christian community, the evangelical community that has a belief in Zionism of some sort, and we’re not going to examine the theology there in detail.

Their thoughts about the Antichrist coming future and converting a certain number of Jews and so forth. The book is dedicated to the memory of Charlie Kirk, and he’s one of the victims of this polarized violence that characterizes our day. There have been killings and bloodshed going down and attacks on synagogue. But here an attack on one of the active members of a very conservative part of the Christian evangelical community where Charlie Kirk was cut down by an assassin’s bullet.

Now, Rabbi Weiss says Israeli prime Ministers Golda Meir Marachim begin cultivated relationships with American Christian leaders including Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Each of these influential figures used their massive platforms that caught his attention to publicly support Israel and begin promoting a theology of Christian Zionism. Now, remember that term that reversed centuries of replacement theology, Universal Zionism? This is later in the book must rest on three essential pillars. A core set of beliefs that provides ideological clarity.

And I’ll have to confess that’s a lovely but unclear statement to me. A political agenda that turns vision into action. Okay, I can understand that, and spiritual and cultural resources that can sustain it through inevitable challenges. Its success will depend on.

And this is Rabbi Weiss’s view Broad participation, whether Jewish or Christian, religious or secular, left or right. Now, Rabbi Weiss’s book is a good read. He shows that ones who were secular and specifically Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism as a political movement, with his work amongst the Jews and of course, his famous book Der Judenstadt, the Jewish state was a secular Jew, and even ones like David Ben Gurion, the first president of Israel, the one who announced Israel’s independence, was secular, and Weiss recognizes that the Lord has taken Israel by providence and used these ones in a work that was not necessarily involving the religious Jews.

They had a lot of questions. It involved very much the secular Jews. So he casts a very broad net, if you will. He would like Jews, Christians, religious, secular, and both sides of the political spectrum to participate in Zionism.

But I specifically wanted to pick up Pat Robertson. Not that we couldn’t say things about Jerry Falwell as well. He was a challenge and a dilemma. I’m going to use this word dilemma for the Christian community.

Pat Robertson’s book on the New World Order that came out in 1991, was strongly criticized for bringing out some of the worst of Jewish conspiracy theories out there, and again, reference has been made to the growth of those kinds of theories. It was necessary for the New York Times to publish a letter from the Vice President for Public Relations for Christian Broadcasting Network saying, no, no, no, Pat Robertson couldn’t be a nicer guy to Israel, and there he is in front of the Israeli flag with the writings, legacy and love for Israel, and what a lovely picture.

I don’t know how you feel about it, but I feel I could sit down for biscuits and gravy with Pat Robertson and just talk.

But the reality is this kind of presentation in the New World Order feeds antisemitism.

At his passing in 2023, this is what the Times of Israel said in their headline, the pastor who personified U.S. jews dilemma. That’s why I used the word dilemma dilemma with evangelicals. Now, the Jews like the support, they want the support. But it’s support that comes with a little bit of baggage, if you will, terms of conspiracy theories.

We’ll pass off of this. Bringing things up to December of 2025. This is Mike Evans, who’s part of the current crop of evangelical leaders at what’s called the Friends of Zion Ambassador Summit, and here he is. I have him circled at the lower left in the photo.

And the mayor, the current mayor of Shiloh Shelah is presenting him with honorary Israeli citizenship. By the way, there’s the crowd that was gathered of Christian influencers, and somewhere in there, it was Brother Paul Agnew.

You can’t read it in the small print perhaps, but he, the mayor of Shiloh says, we all fell in love with you. Well, love is a good thing. Love is a thing we want to encourage, and so we are glad for this love. But the evangelical community has continued their outreach efforts.

They’ve learned a little bit from the Pat Robertson mistakes, but we’ll talk about that more, and you know what could be happier than sharing a little bit of family photos? Well, I didn’t take this shot of Rabbi Benjamin Bleck, who is smiling over here.

Most of you know that my daughter is married to his son. Well, that has provided some fascinating, fascinating opportunities for interaction. That was an answer to prayer. Brethren, I prayed to the Lord that I could have a son in law that I might be able to talk to about the Scriptures, and indeed, that has happened.

My son in law is a wonderful, wonderful son in law. I wanted to focus on. He writes for. You can see Eish down in the bottom. Eish of Torah.

And yes, he writes about blessing Pope John Paul ii, and to just show some of the dilemma in the Hebrew community, in the Jewish community, I want to read this.

These are Rabbi Block’s words. The leader of 1.2 billion Catholics in the week before what proved to be his final illness, Pope John Paul II was a different kind of pope. Well, that’s interesting.

With all my mistrust ingrained since my youth, I had to attach significant meaning to all the things learned about this spiritual leader of others, who, ironically enough, was born in Poland, not far from my ancestors. I discovered that he was somewhat sensitive enough when he assumed the papacy to make one of his first acts, a visit to Auschwitz, in order to express remorse at the fate of 6 million victims. Moreover, he became the first Pope since St. Peter to visit a synagogue, and I wish I’d almost like to give it. With the cadence of Rabbi Bleck’s good speaking voice, he journeyed to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and left an inscribed message within one of its crevices, asking for forgiveness for the sins Christianity committed against the Jews.

Throughout the centuries, he denounced anti Semitism, a sin against God and humanity. He normalized diplomatic relations with the state of Israel.

And here, adding emphasis, and because he had a profound feeling of affection for Jews, he made an amazing decision. Realizing his advanced age, he made a personal and private request that was relayed to me. Pope John Paul II indicated he would like to receive a blessing A blessing from the spiritual leaders of the people who had for so long been victims of its misplaced virulent hatred, and that’s how I came to be a part of 150 rabbis and cantors who went to meet with the Pope and fulfill his request.

And here I have the official picture from Lovassatore Romano of this historic moment. At this historic moment, three of us stepped forward. I have Rabbi Bleck circled here to personally recite a blessing. It was then I turned and uttered the words recorded in the Talmud for a time. When a Jew meets a great leader of the nations of the world, we bless you, O Lord, for having granted of your glory to your creations.

Was I wrong at that?

Well, he asked about whether that was wrong to the readers of aish, and we’re not going to explore the answer, but I did want to talk about one more link, and this again goes back to our brother Ken Rawson. Rabbi Bleck was always writing. He’s authored about 20 books now. He’s in his early 90s, and he’s dropped off.

Two of them have been on the New York Times bestseller list. This was a 2017 publication for Passover, and there’s a little story here. After his son married my daughter at a Jewish wedding, which, by the way, is fun, a lot of fun, I had three couples that agreed to come and support sue and myself for the wedding, which was in Staten island, just south of New York City. The three couples I invited were Brother Ken and Sister Virginia Rawson, Brother Bob and Sister Becky Gray, dear old friends as well as extended family, and Brother Homer and Sister Beverly Montague.

Now, all of these brethren have not only been in contact, but very successfully have had relations with the Jewish community, and I knew they’d be a support for Suzanne and myself, and Brother Ken got Israel, Appointment With Destiny, the dvd, into the hands of Rabbi Bloch at the wedding reception. So the story begins about three months later. My daughter calls my dear sue and said, mom, Abba.

She calls him Daddy. Abba gave a talk just like one of the brethren. He must have watched the video that Brother Ken gave him, so she knew he’d gotten the video. He was talking about the Scriptures and speaking about the promises for the Jews, and the book that he actually came out with next picked up on a theme that had previously not been part of his priest.

He tells the Jewish audience that we are right on the verge of the millennium. Now for the brethren, who think he was endorsing what today is sometimes called the drusted chronology, no, no, no. He doesn’t even know our chronology. He wasn’t doing that. He was ignoring, though, the Jewish dating for the calendar where this year of 2026 is Jewish year 5786, saying we are right on the verge of the Messianic age.

And here’s what he writes. As the 6 day work rate culminates in Shabbat, in Sabbath, so too will the six millennia of human history prepare the world for a time of total spirituality perfection corresponding to the day of the completion of creation.

And he revisits that theme three more times throughout his book Redemption Then and Now, which was for Pesah Gadda. It’s for Passover.

I have a quote here and it needs to be put into the context that this is going back to 2012 time frame and the world has changed since then and since 2023. The figure on the COVID a brilliant writer and profound thinker of our times who passed away was Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. He was the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and this was a compilation of tributes to him at his passing. Although I would say that one book of his I would highly recommend is Confronting Religious Violence is the subtitle. The title is not in God’s Name.

It’s an excellent read by Rabbi Sacks.

Here’s a quote from Menachem Kellner of the University of Haifa who picks up on the concerns within the Jewish community about our relations, Christian relations with them, and he says this, the blandishments of the contemporary world, which in USA at least seem to be wiping out the Jewish people through kindness and not murder. I thought that was an interesting observation. You know, the Jewish community knows that we are Christians and some of the kindness is concerning to those who are trying to keep the Jewish community together and Jewish. So be aware of that, Brethren.

And I have to state my position clearly because of difficulties within the Bible student fellowship with the brethren. Revelation 16:13 speaks about the vision of three unclean spirits like frogs that came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. I hold to the position that Pastor Russell sets forth that this is an alliance of cooperation between civil powers, the Dragon, mainline Christian systems which are pictured in the Beast, and specifically Roman Catholic and Orthodox and of course those claiming apostolic succession like the Church of England, and we don’t have time to comment on the historic rapprochement between Roman Catholicism and Charles III of England and the false prophet which Brother Russell sets forth as a Protestant Federation of Churches later calling it the Evangelical alliance, which was the name of that day.

We can update that to the evangelicals in alliance today. He expected it to be a persecuting power. I expect it to be a persecuting power, and I believe we need to be concerned about this in the future.

And I believe the future is now.

There is not. Oh, thank you, Brother Rick Cunningham, for expounding on this in detail. I just pulled up one quote from the Exarchate of Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox Church, that Christian Zionism is a damaging ideology that is misleading the faithful, and that comes from January 17th. We needn’t go on to that further, but this is how fast things are happening, brethren.

Well, what are the Jewish leaders doing while Christian, Jewish, Jewish, Christian dialogue is ongoing? I’m going to continue with the word. There are dilemmas.

Christian evangelical theology reluctantly downplays replacement theology, and before wagging a finger at them, we need to remember our history. Brother Russell’s explicit writings on the New Covenant being made with the Jews has split the Bible students unto this very day. He writes this in 1907, January reprint 39 16. Moreover, the new Covenant is to be made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

Okay, here’s a headache. The evangelical Christian community embraces conspiracy theories and conspiracy theories about the Jews planning to take over not only the world’s banking, but the world’s government launching attacks on this country here of the USA from Canada, using the United nations as their instrument of war. Oh, boy. But it plants the seeds of antisemitism, and these seeds not only are sprouting, but they are growing rapidly.

And that’s why I wanted to include Menachem Kellner’s quote from more than a decade ago.

What the brethren need to know about Jewish belief as you make your contacts with them. Questions about translations. The Jewish Publication Society is one of the widely accepted translations in the Jewish community. It is never called the Old Testament.

We you can annoy the Jews by calling it the Old Testament even though they know you believe it’s the Old Testament. It’s called the Tanakh.

In the Jewish community, oral tradition holds a very great weight indeed. Where oral tradition might directly contradict revealed scripture, oral tradition could in fact be held onto in place of Scripture. That’s in the Tanakh.

Original sin, Satan and the resurrection are considered Christian inventions, and that one, really, you know, you can only go so far. But anyway, ironically, resurrection is used in the Orthodox suitor, and I have a picture of where it is used in one of the prayers, but it’s not called resurrection. It’s spoken of as resuscitation.

But clearly, you know, that’s part of the belief of the community that they feel they need to react against Christianity, and by the way, Rabbi Bleck’s oldest daughter and her dear husband gave me this fine sitter that I have and make use of.

Now, a Christian non observance of the Sabbath is a divide. The Sabbath is at the core of Jewish community life. Sitting down with family, friends and community, including those of community that are not close, necessarily is considered tzedak. It’s considered a righteous deed and it’s encouraged. So.

You have the Shabbat dinner beginning 20 minutes before sunset when the women of the household light candles and say the prayers that begin. The observance continues, of course, the next day at the synagogue with the prayers and followed by the short sermon. The prayers, we’re the inverse by the way of a Jewish service. We have short prayers and long sermons. They have long prayers and short sermons.

Following that, there’s usually some sitting down together and having some, some common food before everybody goes home. We don’t observe the Sabbath and the Jewish community feels this is a transgression. So be sensitive about that. You can try arguing, I wouldn’t recommend it, and then, let’s see.

Oh, yes, I had a question from a sister saying essentially, I don’t know if we should. I know we shouldn’t use Jehovah, but can we use Yahweh in our newspaper ad? And the answer is neither of the above. Oops, hold on, I got ahead one. There we go.

The Lord’s sacred name, sometimes called the Tetragrammaton, the four letters, is never printed in non liturgical publications. Never use Jehovah or Yahweh. Observant Jews will use Adonai. Adonai, Lord. More likely Hashem, the name.

That is how you refer to. If you’re speaking, you can say Lord. You don’t have to say Adonai or Adonai or Hashem.

Now, yes, we have this special lovely challenge here for Orthodox Jews who study the Kabbalah. Now that’s a confused mix of Greek, Platonic philosophy and Mystical Judaism. Those who study that believe the soul is immortal.

Well, there’s plenty of confusion on that in the Christian community.

They also believe in the Platonic teaching of reincarnation.

I’ve asked my son in law, where do you find that even hinted at in the Tanakh? Well, anyway, of course I’ve talked with Rabbi Bleck directly. Rabbi Benjamin Block directly. My son in law is also a Rabbi Block now.

And he actually had a little bit of an opening. He said, well, Maimonides believed in the resurrection and that is his favorite sage commentator, and he actually related a story of how when he was at that historic visit to the Vatican in the library, they had one of the most valuable texts of Maimonides is in the Vatican library, and it was open to the very page he wanted to read and see the details of, and he says, don’t you think that was providential?

And I smiled and nodded, you know, while thinking, no, you know, the Vatican has scholars that are fluent in the Hebrew. They knew what you were looking for. They opened it to the page you wanted, you know, they. Well, anyway, some of the. I mentioned this just to show some of the.

Ingrained attitudes. To quote Rabbi Bleck in the Jewish community, important phrase to know. I could talk more about Kabbalism if you want to talk about Rabbi Bleck’s best seller, still in many editions. It’s about the secrets of the Sistine Chapel. But I want to talk about Tikkun Olam, healing the World, to give a loose translation.

This is a core belief calling for action, and I’m going to quote Rabbi Jonathan Sacks here. The Hebrew Bible in one verse commands, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, but in no fewer than 36 places commands us to love the stranger. So there’s a sense about the concerns for the underprivileged, the strangers, and this has been the Jewish experience during the double.

It’s something they’re very sensitive to and saying that there’s Jews across the whole spectrum. Of course there’s splits in the community, as there are in the Christian community. But this Tikhon Olam, the idea of healing the world is something that’s not just a belief, but one that impels them to action. A very good talk on this is available by Brother David Stein, who will be addressing the convention tomorrow.

You know, the Jewish community carefully observes the broad Christian community. It’s a matter of survival.

And Brother Russell and Bible students are known to them. To remind the brethren, you had the Jewish authority, David Horowitz, Pastor Charles Taze Russell, an early American Christian, Zionist, very favorable biography endorsed by the ambassador to the United nations from the United States at the time, Madeleine Albright, later Secretary of State for the United States, and so you had some people at high places who have been aware of the ministry of Pastor Russell. That was 1986. More currently, Philip Borstrom, again, another Jewish author, publishing in Israel.

And this is a republished version by Brother Paul and Sister Joyce. Before Herzl, there was Pastor Russell. A neglected chapter of Zionism. Now that’s in 2020, 2018.

So you know, they watch what’s happening. The Bible students are there, but were insignificant for the less studied ones in the Jewish community were probably confused with the Watchtower organization as the broader Christian community confuses us with The Watchtower.

The October 7, 2023 attacks on Gaza, by Gaza, on Israel, and the massacre of 1200 Jews, and then the subsequent Israeli actions against Gaza has alienated the world from Israel and kindled even more worldwide antisemitism. So let’s just back up and ask. When Mr. Sinwar brainstormed the successful assault, which was the greatest number of Jews who had died one day since the Holocaust, was he expecting a military victory against Israel?

Obviously not.

He was taking the long term view.

And it was an effort to turn the world community against the Jews, and it has. But it has united the Jews as never before. So we are watching these continuing developments day by day, and brethren, we’re the only ones who understand the whole significance of Isaiah 41:2’s message of comfort.

The fulfilling of the double was a prophetic period of time that ended in the very year that it should have ended, and we have been sharing the comfort message since then and continue to. By the Lord’s grace, our eyes have been blessed with sight, and by the Lord’s grace our ears have been blessed in hearing and sharing, and what a privilege we’ve had, and then again, be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create.

For behold, I create Jerusalem. I create Jerusalem not what’s happening currently a rejoicing and her people a joy, and as always, brethren, we are students of prophecy. We are not prophets. What we do, we do by grace.

And we trust that what we’re presenting and sharing here has been in harmony with what we’ve learned about the Lord’s plan and the present truth, and may the Lord bless your personal efforts at comforting.

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