The Relation of Seventh-Day Adventists to the Jewish People
By GEORGE I. BUTLER
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS claim to be giving to the world the threefold message of Rev. 14: 6-12. Indeed, they claim this fact is the characteristic which distinguishes them from all other religious bodies. No other people on earth claim to be doing this, and most of them hardly dream there is such a message to be given. But there it is in the scripture referred to, and its language is most emphatic. It is evident from verses immediately following those cited that this threefold message is to be given for the special purpose of preparing a people for the coming of Christ. This good platform of religious truth fits the last days, and can be applicable to no other period. It has three divisions, which are successive, the first, second, and third. The last states in so many words, “The third angel followed them,” i. e., followed the two which preceded it. The first in point of time is to be proclaimed to “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” The Jews are a nation and people known all over the world. They are a remarkably conspicuous people, a peculiar people, among the very oldest nationalities on the earth, with the most remarkable history of any people, having had the most distinguished honor conferred upon them by being designated for many centuries as God’s peculiar people. But, because of many backslidings, and the rejection of great light, and their treatment of the Son of God when he came as the long-expected Messiah, the special blessing of being God’s own peculiar people was withdrawn, and they no longer had the opportunity of being the special missionary people to carry the gospel to the world. But they were not rejected as individuals. They were not cast off in any such sense that there was no hope for them. Paul makes this point especially plain. “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.” Then the apostle refers to the fact that he himself was an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, and he was among the greatest of the apostles, positive proof that the way of salvation was open to Jews as well as to Gentiles. The apostle presents some arguments that show God does have special thought of mercy toward that people to whom he had given so many blessings and privileges in the past. They even had some advantages over the Gentiles. There were great facts in their history to which they could look back with encouragement. The oracles of God, the ten commandments, had been committed to them for ages. They were more familiar with God’s dealings with mankind than any people could be who had not those advantages. In Paul’s wonderful illustration of the4tame and wild olive-trees these points are beautifully brought out (Romans 11). The tame olive-tree represents the Abrahamic stock and root. The wild olive represents the Gentiles. In order to have salvation it was necessary that the richness of the tame olive should be communicated to that wild, worthless olive-tree. This had to be done in the figure by grafting contrary to nature. That is to say, a scion of the wild olive must be inserted into a limb of the tame olive-tree broken off for this purpose. Usually, yes always, in grafting, the scion put into the limb is of better quality. That is why we say it is contrary to nature. In the spiritual application the limbs of the tame olive-tree were broken off because of “unbelief.” The Gentile twig grafted into Christ becomes a partaker of the promises and covenants given to Abraham’s seed. This process seems to have been a natural one in the illustration. The converted Gentile, while he retains faith in Jesus Christ, is secure. He becomes a child of Abraham. It was true faith that made Abraham himself the favored of God, and so it is with every other man. True faith is the one thing essential in making any person acceptable as a child of God. Where, then, does the poor Jew stand now?—In dark unbelief. But is there no hope for him?—Thank God, yes; if we can only bring Christ before him in the proper way. Then he can be grafted into the tame olive-tree even easier than the Gentile, as Paul teaches. Let us read Paul’s conclusion of his argument (Rom. 11: 25, 26): “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” The succeeding verses should also be read in this connection. They teach that there is a work to be done for the Jews in the last days. The writer has for many years been looking for an important movement in this message,—a strong movement for the giving of this message among the Jewish people. The obstacles are exceeding great. The persecutions of the Jews by the Roman and Greek Catholics through the past ages have been terrible beyond description. These great bodies have harassed the very lives of that people. They are being abused, robbed, murdered, and persecuted to-day, especially by the Greek Catholic Church. These bodies call themselves Christians. The poor Jew because of these diabolical persecutions has come to hate the name of Christ. And it is no wonder, as for many ages they have been subjected to this treatment at the hands of those who called themselves the followers of Christ. These professed Christian bodies hate the Sabbath of the Lord, which is very sacred to all religious Jews. They eat swine’s flesh, a dreadful abomination to the Jew. The sacred writings of the Old Testament, sacred in the Jewish mind, these churches regard as of little importance. We would advise every reader of this article to procure the book “From Judaism to Christianity,” written by Elder F. C. Gilbert, of South Lancaster, Mass. The writer has recently procured this book, and read it with the deepest interest. Elder Gilbert is a converted Jew, and is working for his people most earnestly. One can learn much concerning the belief, feelings, and actual life of the Jew from that work. From the new work, “The Acts of the Apostles,” by Mrs. E. G. White, I quote the following in regard to our duty toward the Jews:— “When this gospel shall be presented in its fulness to the Jews, many will accept Christ as the Messiah. Among Christian ministers there are only a few who feel called upon to labor for the Jewish people; but to those who have been often passed by, as well as to all others, the message of mercy and hope in Christ is to come.
“In the closing proclamation of the gospel, when special work is to be done for classes of people hitherto neglected, God expects his messengers to take particular interest in the Jewish people whom they find in all parts of the earth. As the Old Testament Scriptures are blended with the New in an explanation of Jehovah’s eternal purpose, this will be to many of the Jews as the dawn of a new creation, the resurrection of the soul. As they see the Christ of the gospel dispensation portrayed in the pages of the Old Testament Scriptures, and perceive how clearly the New Testament explains the Old, their slumbering faculties will be aroused, and they will recognize Christ as the Saviour of the world. Many will by faith receive Christ as their Redeemer. To them will be fulfilled the words, ‘As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.’
“Among the Jews are some who, like Saul of Tarsus, are mighty in the Scriptures, and these will proclaim with wonderful power the immutability of the law of God. The God of Israel will bring this to pass in our day. His arm is not shortened that it can not save. As his servants labor in faith for those who have long been neglected and despised, his salvation will be revealed.
“Thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. They also that erred in Spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.” Isa. 29: 22-24.
These are most encouraging and instructive words. We are surely warranted in believing that the precious message of warning will be preached to the Jews. We should take great pains to treat them kindly. Let them know we keep the Sabbath of the Lord, love the Old Testament, and have a deep sympathy for them in all their sad history of persecutions, and wisely call their attention to this closing message to the world. We fall short of doing all we should for the Jews. O, the mercy of God, how great to us all, and even to his people of old who have so long walked in darkness!