When the Lord Jesus was rejected by the Jews as their Messiah, He foretold that Jerusalem would be destroyed (which came to pass in A.D. 70 by the Roman Empire under Titus), and that there would not be left one stone upon another of that beautiful temple which Herod built (Luke 21:66As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (Luke 21:6)). He also gave the believing Jews of that day a certain signal when to leave the doomed city—when Jerusalem would be compassed by armies (vv. 20, 21), as was done by the Romans who then withdrew, giving the Christians ample opportunity to flee the city.
He also foretold of the Jewish dispersion, saying, "And they... shall be led away captive into all nations." The destruction of the city and the dispersion of the people was to be followed by a long period of Gentile control of Jerusalem. There was, however, to be an end to this Gentile domination, as the Lord said, "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21:2424And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24).
The "times of the Gentiles" is a period which began with the subjugation of the Jews to the Babylonian power under Nebuchadnezzar, which the prophet Daniel described. True, the Jews had a little respite when a remnant were permitted to return under the Persian power, but from Nebuchadnezzar's day forward they had Gentile overlords when they were in the land. And after Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus, the city was to be trodden down of the Gentiles until a moment would come when Gentile supremacy would be overthrown by the Lord Himself, and the Jews be restored to the favored earthly position. No evidence needs to be produced to show that this moment has not come, for Gentiles are the holders of world power yet, even though a remnant of Jews is again in the land. Therefore Jerusalem is still trodden down by the Gentiles.
We are well aware of the fact that Jerusalem is the capital of the new state of Israel, but let it be remembered that the city that is such is not the city of which the Lord Jesus spoke. A new city of Jerusalem has been built in the hills to the west of the former location, but the old city remains in Gentile custody—at present in the hands of the Arabs of Jordan.
To go back a little in history, we might note that the Turk Ottoman Empire ruled supreme in the Middle East, and even in segments of Europe, for centuries. But when the Turkish power in the Middle East was broken toward the close of the World War I by the British army under General Allenby, the area fell under the control of the French and British. They were given mandate powers in the Middle East by the old League of Nations.
The British and French then proceeded to carve the area up into separate countries which they administered. Some of the national boundaries of these small countries were laid out arbitrarily, and with very little logical reason. Some had boundaries which could scarcely be defended, and others had poor distribution of ethnic groups, and others were doomed to be poverty stricken and unable to support a suitable government of their own. All of this has not produced stability or tranquility in the region.
Then when the French and the British withdrew, it created a power vacuum, and left people ill-equipped to manage the autonomous governments. Added to all this, the discontentment of the Arabs gave rise to a tide of nationalism, and resentments against all Western powers. Into this disorganization many local chieftains have appeared on the scene who fanned the flames of Arab nationalism and Pan-Arabism. The greatest and most successful of all these has been Gamel Abdel Nasser of Egypt, who at this writing has captured the imaginations of most Arabs, and is hailed by many as the man of the hour.
Now to retrace a little: At the close of World War I, the British issued the Balfour declaration stating that they looked with favor upon establishing a homeland for Jews in Palestine. This raised bitter resentment and acrimonious charges by the Arabs against the Jews, and on all who looked with favor on a haven for Jews in Palestine. Nevertheless, many Jews immigrated to Palestine, and their numbers increased substantially. Great Britain truly found that Jerusalem and a Jewish homeland was indeed a "burdensome stone," as predicted by the prophet (Zech. 12:33And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (Zechariah 12:3)). She found herself in the unenviable position of being able to please neither the Jews nor the Arabs, and both sides attacked British soldiers and civilians.
At length, in 1947, Great Britain passed the matter up to the United Nations for a decision; and in the fall of that year the United Nations reached a decision to partition Palestine and create both a Jewish and an Arab state. Whereupon the British decided to withdraw from Palestine early in 1948, which they did, without setting up any responsible government which could carry on. As soon as British evacuation was completed, the Jews announced a new state of Israel (May 14, 1948). This was the signal for Arab attacks from the north, east, and south in a strong determination to eradicate the new Jewish state before it could get established. The Arab attacks bogged down, however, and an armistice was forced on both sides.
Now all this comes back to the matter of the city of Jerusalem, and who controls it. Before the British departed and the state of Israel was founded, the Jews had access to the old city of Jerusalem. They made regular pilgrimages to the "wailing wall," which was supposed to contain some stones from Solomon's temple. It was 59 feet high and located by the Mohammedan Mosque at the old temple site. Here they made lamentations for the return of the city and of their old glory.
The United Nations' decision to partition the country had left Jerusalem out of both the Jewish and the Arab states, and declared it would be an international zone. It would thus be open to Jews, Mohammedans, and Christians, all of whom look back to Jerusalem as something of a sacred city. The so-called "holy places" in and around Jerusalem were to be of easy access to any of these three major religions of the world. But this international zone never materialized, however, for the so-called Arab legion of the little country of Jordan beat back the Jews from Jerusalem and made a bulge in their line of demarcation, so that Jordan possessed land on the Israel side of the Jordan river.
Conditions have been stalemated in that district, and the Jews even lost the privilege of access to the old city, of weeping and praying at the old wailing wall. Their boast now is that when they regain the wailing wall, it will not be a place of wailing, but of rejoicing. At any rate, it is still plainly evident that the city of which our Lord spoke is yet trodden down of the Gentiles. And the place the Jews want above all other places is that old city with its historic memories, for on Mount Moriah, where David offered sacrifices and the plague was stayed (1 Chron. 21:18-2718Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the Lord. 20And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. 21And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. 22Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people. 23And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all. 24And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. 25So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. 26And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. 27And the Lord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. (1 Chronicles 21:18‑27))—where mercy rejoiced against judgment—is the only place for the temple to be erected. This desire for the temple location is ingrained in Jewish nature, and indeed it is well founded on Scripture. But for all their intense desire to have it (and what would not world Jewry be willing to pay the Arabs for that spot?) it has been unattainable to them.
The Mohammedans value it and intend to keep it as a sacred spot for their religion, for they claim that Mohammed ascended up to heaven from it. Thus the struggle for the old city and for the temple site goes on.
At the time of this writing, the little nation of Jordan is on the verge of collapse. It is the poorest of the Arab states and the least able to sustain itself. It is torn with strife and intrigue, which is an ever present part of Arab life anyway, and the throne and government could be toppled easily in a matter of minutes if it were not for British and other outside pressure.
What Britain and all the Western powers fear is that if the little indefensible state should collapse, there would be an instant scramble by Israel and nearby Arab states to gather up fragments of Jordanian real estate. It is almost certain that Israel would drive on instantly to straighten out the boundary on its east by pressing to the Jordan river. This would give Israel Jerusalem, the old city, which they so ardently crave.
But the West knows instinctively that none of the Arab states would be willing to let that remain in Israel's hands. An Arab-Israeli war would be almost inevitable. One of the world's statesmen said recently, that an Arab-Israeli war would almost certainly involve all the world's major powers. Russia has nothing to gain by siding with Israel; it is to her advantage to side with the Arabs and so seek to get a share of Middle East oil. And the West has been trying to straddle the fence by seeking to placate the Arabs and yet not give in to the elimination of Israel. The West has been on the horns of a dreadful dilemma for a long time. But if and when the time comes for a struggle between the Arabs and the Israelis, the West will eventually be forced to side with Israel. They would like to revert to a policy of internationalization of the old city of Jerusalem, but it is impossible to predict what they will attempt.
This we do know, that the time is coming when the "beast"—the head of a revived Roman Empire—will go to the aid of Israel and will give them the temple site (for the temple will then be rebuilt), and will guarantee their boundaries (a thing which Israel has been seeking for a long time, but has been unable to get). He with his Western nations will be forced to support Israel in their land. This beast will make a league with them for seven years. It is described in the last verse of Dan. 9 And as surely as God has told us, it will come to pass as it is written. Everything is moving rapidly to the end. Developments point unmistakably to the coming hour of trouble for the world (Rev. 3:1010Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)), and "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:77Alas! 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. (Jeremiah 30:7)). It is likely too that when the West goes to Israel's succor and guarantees her territorial integrity, that a verse in Numb. 247He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. (Numbers 24:7) will be fulfilled; "And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also [the owner of the ships] shall perish forever." The "coast of Chittim" describes a country to the west of Palestine, so it could well refer to the coming Roman "beast," or "prince" of Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27).
The prophecy of Balaam ends with a long look into the future, for it even points forward to the coming of Christ to reign, and speaks of the "latter end" of Asshur, and says, "Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!"
We, as instructed Christians, are not waiting for any of these events, for we "wait for the Lord." His coming is at hand. What a glad day it will be for all His redeemed from the earth and the tomb, but what an unparalleled calamity for this poor, Christ-rejecting world. His day of grace has almost vanished. May we warn people to "flee from the wrath to come."
And while the Jews under the beast will have Jerusalem for seven years, the Gentiles will still dominate the scene and will protect the Jewish state by the weight of Western armaments. The "times of the Gentiles" will not end until the Lord comes back with His saints as "King of kings and Lord of lords," and crushes the might and military equipment of the Gentile powers, and overthrows their armies. Then He will establish His power and right to the earth and will give a repentant, Christ-receiving remnant of Israel the "holy city" where they will be able to rest in peace and assured safety (Jer. 46:2727But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. (Jeremiah 46:27)).
(The pictures of the Arch of Titus and the remarks on Jerusalem in Prophecy are included in the new 32-page pamphlet, "Israel-the Land and the People," now obtainable at 25c each or $2.50 per dozen.)
Continued from editorial on dispensationalism in December issue.
A word of explanation and warning should be appended regarding what is sometimes called "hyper-dispensationalism." This is an erroneous view, and some people who hold it have very serious error connected with it. Extreme dispensationalism is of comparatively recent origin, and has for its main tenet that the Church was not formed on the day of Pentecost. Those who hold this view insist that what took place then was only a transitional thing composed of Jews exclusively, and that the Church proper was not formed until later; in fact, until Paul was in Rome. In this way they take away from Christians The Acts of the Apostles and all the epistles Paul wrote before his imprisonment in Rome. A special dispensation for Jews is thus set forth.
It is true that only Jews or Jewish proselytes were in the Church at the beginning, but it was the Church of God formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit at that time. They were all baptized into one body. Later, Samaritans and, subsequently, Gentiles were brought in; the one in Acts 8, and the other in Acts 10. Eph. 2 makes it quite plain that Jews and Gentiles are all in that one body. That which took place in Jerusalem in Acts 2 was not fully understood—not until Paul wrote the epistle to the Ephesians—nevertheless, it was the Church. One would look and search in vain for any formation of a Gentile Church at a subsequent time.
One of the disastrous results of this error is to take away from Christians both baptism and the Lord's supper. These misguided people insist that these two things were only for the Jews of the transitional church; this is not so. Hyper-dispensationalists' rejection of all but the prison epistles of Paul has brought them into some strange incongruities. This may be best explained by an incident that was told to us. One of the preachers of this strange doctrine was speaking one day on Col. 2, which according to their theory is for the Church. When he came to the 12th verse, he read, "Buried with Him in baptism," etc. He then stopped and said, "I do not know why baptism is in Colossians; it should not be there." It did not set with his strange view that Colossians is for the Church, but not baptism.
On another occasion we came in contact with one who had imbibed these extreme views, and he contended that the Lord's supper was not for Gentile Christians. We carefully sought to explain to him the difference between Luke 22, where the Lord instituted the remembrance of Himself in death, and 1 Cor. 11, where the Apostle received the instructions on this memorial from the Lord in glory. In Luke 22, only men partook of the loaf and cup; in Corinthians, men and women. In Luke it is connected with remarks about the coming kingdom, while in Corinthians it is associated with His coming for His saints. At that time, the instructions were to do it until He comes back for us.
This poor brother was so influenced by the error he had been taught, that he pressed the point that 1 Corinthians was written only to Jews; whereupon we asked him to read a verse down in the 12th chapter: "Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led." v. 2. He refused to see it, even though it could not be plainer; these Corinthians had been Gentile idolaters before their conversion. For him, that epistle might just as well not be in his Bible, for he rejected what it said.
But apart from the folly of their erroneous teaching, what can be the state of soul of a true believer who can either refuse to be publicly identified in this world with Him whom it cast out, or be satisfied to not break bread in remembrance of Him who gave Himself for us? The Lord made only one request of us—"This do in remembrance of Me." Shall we carelessly fail to do so, or find some false principle that nullifies it? Far be the thought! He asked one thing of us; shall we fail to respond in that one thing?
Hyper-dispensationalism should not be confused with true dispensationalism which properly evaluates the Lord's promise of returning to take us before the world's judgment falls. May the Lord keep His saints out of the pitfalls on either side, and may the hope of His coming burn more brightly in our souls. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."