A "THEOCRATIC KINGDOM OF JUDAH"? THE MODERN PHILOSOPHY OF A
"RELIGIOUS CHOSEN PEOPLE"
by Pastor Jory Steven Brooks, CBIA
In examining books critical of the Anglo-Israel belief, a
reader certainly does notice a strong philosophical air of
negativity. In fact, philosophical hot air usually seems to
represent the bulk of these books. But trying to get beyond that
to understand instead what each critic actually does believe
himself is often a difficult, if not impossible struggle. The one
thing that critics of Anglo-Israel do agree on ... is their
criticism of Anglo-Israel!
Perhaps the leading guidebook to the cults today is Dr.
Walter R. Martin's, "Kingdom Of The Cults," first printed in 1965
and frequently reprinted since. The Anglo-Israel belief is
included, although until recently subsumed under the heading of
Dr. Herbert Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God. Of course,
the vast majority of Anglo-Israel and British-Israel believers
should not be held responsible for what the late Dr. Armstrong
taught, especially his own personal religious oddities. Digging
out from under all of that twaddle to examine the exact arguments
against our belief is enlightening - not for what Dr. Martin says
about us but for what he offers in return.
Under the heading, "The Theocratic Kingdom of Judah," Walter
R. Martin says: "It is one of the absurd fallacies of Anglo-
Israelism to presuppose that the term 'Jew' stands for a bodily
descendant of 'Judah'. It stands for all those from among the
sons of Jacob who acknowledged themselves, or were considered,
subjects of the theocratic kingdom of Judah, which they expected
to be established by the promised 'Son of David' - the Lion of
the tribe of Judah..." (Kingdom of the Cults, p.303)
Walter Martin calls it "absurd" to think "that the term
'Jew' stands for a bodily descendant of Judah." There seems to be
an effort here to teach that the Abrahamic covenant will be
inherited, not by the literal physical descendants of Abraham,
but by the religious followers of Judaism, "the theocratic
kingdom of Judah."
What did Christ Himself think of "the theocratic kingdom of
Judah"? In the Gospel of John chapter 10, verses 24-27, we read,
"Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long
dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not:
the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I
said unto you. My sheep The on, hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me..." agree
The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 15, beginning at verse 3 is
another good representation of what the Son of God thought of the
theocratic kingdom of Judah which Dr. Martin believes represents
the true inheritors of the promises. Here we read of Christ,
"...he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the
commandment of God by your tradition? ...Thus have ye made the
commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye
hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people
draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with
their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do
worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
Such examples are found throughout the New Testament. Is the
religion of Judaism the legitimate progeny of Abraham and
inheritor of his promises, or must it be a people who know
Christ? It seems clear that Mr. Martin, for one, believes that
Judaism is the legitimate religious successor to Abraham. He is
not unique in his thinking, for this is the teaching of Judaism
itself. The term, "theocratic kingdom of Judah," seems to be
an obvious synonym for the Jewish religion.
Are the promises inherited only religiously, and if so, are
the promises inherited by a religion that rejects Christ? The
Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:29 says, "And if ye be Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." How
can we - or any Christian - justify the Jewish religion as the
seed of Abraham in light of this verse?
Are we misinterpreting Dr. Martin's meaning? A definite
vagueness permeates dispensationalist teaching, with hazy
language and couched phrases, implied terminology and hidden
meaning, such as "those ... who acknowledged themselves, or were
considered..." What exactly does this mean? Why not use clear,
concise, honest language to explain what he believes, unless he
is not sure himself of what to believe!
Is our critic speaking of physical Jews, religious Jews, or
what? And what does he mean by the phrase,"those ... considered
subjects" of Judah?
Just what are the criterion for being considered "subject"
of Judah? In the Israeli state, it requires a Jewish mother who
rejects Jesus Christ. You cannot be a Christian and receive
citizenship in the modern Israeli state. Perhaps Mr. Martin
thinks that membership in the kingdom of God requires rejection
of Christ? If not, what is he talking about here - exactly?
There are only two things that seem clear in his statements.
Firstly is that he apparently does not consider any current
believers in Christ to be included in those inheritors, which is
a barefaced denial of Gal.3:29 quoted above.
Secondly, Dr. Martin clearly says that a Jew is not "a bodily
descendant of Judah," which is a contradiction of something which
virtually all of his dispensationalist co-religionists believe
and teach. Since Mr. Martin's statements appear in an anticult
book, and he considers this an "absurd fallacy," apparently his
dispensationalist friends are all cultists!
Note again that Mr. Martin does NOT say that the true
inheritors of the Abrahamic promises are believers in Christ, but
seems to imply instead that the inheritors are those who are
still expecting a future Messiah; that is, the unbelieving Jewish
people.
According to this man - and most other modern
dispensationalist authors - the House of Israel served absolutely
no known function at all in God's plans and purposes other than
to finally meld themselves deferentially into the House of Judah
and its "theocratic kingdom." To such interpreters, the
Millennial kingdom is simply a future embodiment of "the
theocratic kingdom of Judah," existing solely for the Jewish
people, as well as for those who have adopted the Jewish religion
or wish to "acknowledge themselves" to be "considered" Jews. This
is popular thinking today, but is this really what Scripture
teaches? Have the covenant promises been inherited solely and
completely by those who reject Christ?
In standard dispensationalist theology, Jew means Israelite,
and the two terms are always exact synonyms. The mere suggestion
that there were different sets of prophecies and promises to each
of the different tribes, and to each of the two houses of Israel,
is enough to make them fly into a fit of fury! Yet that is what
we read in both Jacob's blessing in Genesis 48 and 49, as well as
in Moses' blessing in Deuteronomy 33, which are too long to quote
here but you are encouraged to read on your own.
Lastly, it is ironic for Dr. Martin to use the term
"theocratic kingdom" - a religious kingdom - for those who are
irreligious as far as Christ is concerned! The reader may well
ask: who are the real heretics and deniers of the truth of the
Scriptures? Is it Anglo-Israelites or our critics?
.................
Taken from the August 2009 "Thy Kingdom Come" - a publication of
The Association of the Covenant People, Burnaby, B.C. Canada
Note:
Such is the mixed up reasoning of people who will do and say
anything to not admit the prophecies of Genesis to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, and from Moses, are mainly fulfilled in this
end time age by the peoples of the Western world, who are the
literal people of the House of Israel. If you read the book of
Genesis as a child would read it, see the clear promises given to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, BELIEVE them, look at the history of
the Western nations, and the blessings of the heaven above, the
earth below, and the seas; if you can see a NATION and COMPANY of
NATIONS as brothers, who have been the GREATEST peoples
physically and militarily for now many hundreds of years (first
Britain and her nations, then Britain and the USA, then the USA),
you will see the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have
been and are even now being fulfilled before your very eyes. I
submit to you that a child (given no preconceived teachings of
religion) will know who the MAIN part of the literal peoples of
Israel are today. It is just that simple!
Thank you Father that you have hit these things from the wise and
prudent, and have revealed them unto babes!!
Keith Hunt
