The Time Now to Work for the Jews by F. C. Gilbert

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 8, 1912

The Time Now to Work for the Jews

By F. C. Gilbert

THE Lord has told us that this message must be proclaimed to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; and the word of the Lord must be fulfilled. True it is that many of God's people have wondered at times how this message would go to all the nations of the earth, but we are agreed that the Lord has ways and means to carry on his work which most of us know very little about.

There is no doubt but that one of the most difficult tasks connected with this work of God has been to know how to reach the Jewish nation. These people for centuries were the chosen people of God, and were the depositaries of his sacred truth. On account of their rejection of light and of the Saviour, their light was extinguished, and for nearly two thousand years they have been groping in the dark, as sheep without a shepherd.

The professed Christian world has in the main treated the Jew very unkindly and very harshly; and as a result, he has come to the conclusion that the Christian religion is a cruel, hard, and persecuting religion. The rabbis have forbidden the Jew to read the New Testament; as a result, for the centuries during the last two millenniums, the Jew has known practically nothing of the Christian religion only as he has seen it illustrated by those in Russia and in Rome who have professed to follow the Christ.

But we are glad that the Lord has raised up a people who have the blessed truth of God, and through that special people the Lord will bring light, truth, and comfort to the Jews. We believe that God has given this people a key whereby they are able to unlock the Jewish heart, and they will be helped by the Holy Spirit to show the Jew that Christ is the Messiah, the Bible is the truth of God, the New Testament as well as the Old, and that there is hope for the Jews to-day as well as for all people.

The Jews are bitterly opposed to missionary work. The minute you speak the word missionary to the Jew, he thinks of all the horrors and cruelties practised on his ancestors for many centuries at the hands of Russia and of Rome. Missionary work to the Jew means everything that is bad, and he fears to have anything to do with a missionary. But the Jew appreciates sympathy; the Jew feels that he is a man, and likes to be treated as such. We know that the acme of the religion of Jesus is kindness; therefore the pure and the true gospel of Christ must find an entrance into the heart of the Jew when it is presented to him in a right and proper way.

Some time ago, the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists passed a set of resolutions sympathizing with the Jews touching the bitter persecutions waged against them by the professed Christian world; and they also entered a protest against such conduct as being unchristian. The following are the resolutions:—

“Whereas, The Jewish people for centuries have believed, and the larger number still believe, that the Christian religion is a persecuting religion; therefore,— “Resolved, That this body of Christian people, the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, in conference assembled, place itself on record as protesting against such conduct toward the Jewish people as antichristian; and affirm that the teachings of Christ and of the New Testament are opposed to any such course by the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus; and further,— “Resolved, That we believe according to the teachings of the New Testament as well as of the Old, the Jewish people have the right to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. “We recommend, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to every Jewish organization, rabbi, periodical, and synagogue in this conference.”

In harmony with the last recommendation a number of letters have been sent to different editors and rabbis throughout the country, as well as to many of the laity, and the responses which have come to us as a result of this sympathy have been encouraging. It indicates to us that we are on the way to find the key whereby the Jewish heart may be unlocked.

As a sample of the feeling of some of the Jewish newspapers toward this attitude on the part of the Seventh-day Adventists, we insert the following letter, which appeared in the Hebrew Standard of New York, Sept. 8, 1911:—

“Correspondence

“Seventh-Day Adventists and the Jews

“EDITOR Hebrew Standard: At a recent conference of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, held in New York City, the following set of resolutions were passed. [Then follow the resolutions as given above.]

“These people are a very loyal people to the Bible, and are strong advocates of civil and religious liberty. By the reading of these resolutions you will at once recognize that they are not only a Christian people, but they also believe that the teachings of Christ and of the New Testament condemn any such acts as have been perpetrated against the Hebrew people in Russia, and by Rome.

“It is to be regretted that the professed followers of Christ have so grossly misrepresented him, since he was the Sent One of God to declare to all men the kind and benevolent character of God. The holy Sabbath of the Lord, the dietary laws, the pure and holy principles of civil and religious liberty, all the divine and fundamental Bible truths as given to the world by Moses and the prophets, are still observed by this body of Christian Sabbath-keepers, and they wish to place themselves on record as having no sympathy with any class of people who, even though they call themselves Christian, would persecute the Jewish people. Such persecution is antichristian, and reflects upon the cause of the Master whom they love and serve.

“These people believe that the true and pure Christian religion, as taught in the New Testament, still confirms the truth of the Old Testament, that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, and should be so regarded by all men.

“Yours very truly, “F. C. GILBERT. “South Lancaster, Mass., Sept. 3, 1911.”

If any one had told the writer five years ago that such an article would appear in a Jewish newspaper, it would have been almost impossible for him to believe it. The Jewish papers formerly would not even allow the word Christ to be mentioned in their columns, neither would the readers tolerate such a thing. But we see that times and conditions have changed; not only has this paper inserted this letter with the set of resolutions, but as far as we are able to learn, at least twelve of the most prominent Jewish newspapers in this country, from Massachusetts to California, have given great prominence in their papers to this matter, and it has called forth some very encouraging statements from the Jewish editors and from the Jewish people.

This is truly encouraging; this is an omen of good. We believe that the Lord is going to work for the lost sheep of

Israel, and we must be ready to do what we can to present the truth of Christ to these people in its clearness and in its purity. The Lord has surely given to us that we should give to others, and may he help us to do so in love and in power.

In another article we shall notice more of the sentiments of the Jews toward the Seventh-day Adventists, and we believe that the readers will be encouraged. Let us ask God to help us remember the poor lost sheep of the house of Israel.

F. C. GILBERT.