Rev. John Hagee and Blessing Israel
This topic came up in the January 2007 Covenant Connection. We appreciate Pastor John Hagee.
He loves Israel and he hates Israel’s enemies. He recognizes that Israel’s enemies, like Hamas and the Nazis, for instance, are the enemies of all mankind. He says so, often, and millions of people listen to him and find truth in what he says.
Quite a number of other Christian pastors, like the late Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell, have much the same love for Israel and disdain for Israel’s enemies as Rev. Hagee.
These good people who bless Israel - that is, they bless Israel as well as they know how - are themselves blessed. The Bible declares it - look at Genesis 12:3, 27:29, and other passages - explicitly. In fact, this is a basic principle of Torah - that G’d bless those who bless Israel and curses those who curse Israel. It’s one of the metaphysical constants of Creation. In secular terms, it’s one of the core principles of human history.
Now, many of these people who bless Israel and “believe in” Israel are Christian “dispensationalists.” That is, they believe that Israel remained Israel after the founding of Christianity, and that the Church has not replaced the people or Children of Israel.
This has become a mainstream Christian teaching. Not long ago, the Roman Catholic Church formally accepted this idea - that Israel’s covenant connection with G’d remains intact. And today, many millions of Catholics favor Israel over Amalek, despite overwhelming propaganda which favors Amalek.
Those who bless Israel are blessed, the Torah teaches.
Who are we to disdain or reject those whom G’d has blessed?
We recognize that many or perhaps even most Christian dispensationalists expect the People of Israel to convert to Christianity. Yes, we know that many of them believe that those Jews and Noahides who aren’t “born again” as devoted Christians will, basically, be toasted alive, tortured in incredibly gruesome ways. This will happen, they believe, along with the coming of the Messiah, whom they believe to be Yeshu (or “Yeshua”) ben Yosef.
The thing is, these people have no inclination to torment or murder Jews themselves. All that, they think, is up to G’d. And we are content to leave the matter there. We, too, put our trust in G’d. They can believe what they want about the end times, the end of the current age. Yes, they may indeed think that people who don’t accept Yeshu or Jesus as they do are doomed. We who don’t accept their belief-system are, supposedly, doomed. But we - we will take our chances.
They grant that G’d gives us free will and that He doesn’t compel us to accept their belief-system. We pay them the same respect. And, because we have a system called the Noahide Law or First Covenant at the core of our Torah, we can also say this: they are not incurring G’d’s wrath or dooming themselves by not accepting all of our spiritual beliefs upon themselves.
They don’t regard G’d as we regard G’d, completely, but that doesn’t mean that they are criminals in G’d’s eyes. G’d forbid! They are blessed! They are also, generally speaking, keeping the Seven Universal Laws as the Seven Noahide Laws currently apply to them.
Some of us have been seeking out traces of Christian theology in good souls who claim to be Noahides and denouncing them. Oy. (The idea is that they’re coming “undercover,” with a secret agenda to convert us to their Christianity.) Some longtime Noahides have been saying that, before these people even come into the Noahide tent as visitors, to look around, they need to abandon their cherished life-long beliefs or face a strip-search, to make sure that they’ve left all the beliefs that have previously sustained them outside the Noahide tent.
This is not the way to hasten the process of world redemption.
Look, we need the blessings of these blessed people and we can’t and shouldn’t insist that they need to worship Israel’s national G’d, Whom they don’t know yet, or Whom they are not comfortable directly addressing yet.
We do believe that they should, if they feel so inclined, get to know something of our way of thinking. The way that the principles of Judaism and Torah AREN’T taught in the world is a shame. Most Christians don’t even think it’s worthy of study as a religion separate from Christianity. Most Muslims are taught to despise it. Most Hindus and Buddhists and New Agers have no idea what Torah is. Neither do most atheists or agnostics.
We believe that, if we simply welcome these people without deliberately insulting them, by showing them the majesty and sweetness of G’d’s Torah, we will advance the process of Redemption. We believe that, if we allow these blessed people to study the Universal Torah in peace, they will come to appreciate it more, and more, and more.
That’s our “secret agenda.”
Once people of goodwill get into the 7M - the Seven Universal Laws, the Noahide Laws - they begin to acquire the Hebrew revolutionary approach to many things. If they lacked them at all before, they pick up the strong belief that - for instance - what we as human beings do in the world really matters, that G’d really cares, and that we’re supposed to find out what He wants of us and not just assume that we know it all - that He wants and expects us all to walk humbly w/ Him. . .
We have had Christians come to us and try to convert us to Christianity - but I’ve never seen them succeed. Again, I say, we’re willing to take our chances. Naturally, we don’t want to waste time, not theirs, and certainly not ours (and there are a whole lot more Christians around who might want to argue than there are Jews or other Torah people). But this doesn’t mean that we can’t give them the benefit of every doubt.
We want them to give the Torah, Israel, and what we believe to be G’d’s Plan the benefit of the doubt. We want them to taste the Torah’s sweetness. We want them to come closer to G’d, as we understand Him. We want them to understand that we count on His love and mercy, omnipotence, and forgiveness - and that they can too.
Our G’d is tolerant and we can afford to be tolerant with Him. Tolerance of the different theological beliefs that Noahides might hold is an inherent part of our Torah. We do our faith and creed no credit when we show people who might have a grain or two of curiosity about our Way no tolerance when it comes to putting up with their many differences with us. We can’t show them G’d’s love and tolerance and mercy when we refuse to show them those qualities ourselves.
To sum up, when these good people bless us, Israel, they receive blessing; that’s a biblical guarantee. When they knock themselves out for the State of Israel - all honor goes to those who do so, who sometimes even put their lives on the line for the survival of Jewish Israel - G’d doesn’t sneer at them for their failure to believe in Him as we do. What kind of G’d would He be if He did?
We believe that these good people could receive even more blessing if they blessed Israel and also G’d’s Torah; if they treated the Seven Laws in our custody and the Bible which Israel has helped give them just a little more respectfully. . . if they would do that, if they would help Israel be Israel in the most important way possible, by helping the people of Israel themselves find the worth in their own Torah. . . we could transform the world together so fast, we’d see the Messiah in our own lifetimes . . .
Good morning,
MD
To all who posted comments, please accept my apologies. Trying to find my way around this new blog platform I blitzed them. So sorry. If you save mail, please retrieve what you sent and try to send your comments once more.
Again, please accept my apologies,
I re-read the Hertz commentary on Deuteronomy 4:29, I think it was (or thereabouts), and the commentator said that idolatry is a necessary step in the religious instruction of mankind. God said that he gave the sun, moon, and stars over to the nations, but that Israel was to worship Him alone. Monotheists like Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, and Bahai can be likened to the righteous Gentiles that existed ’round Israel in the ancient world ( i.e. the people of Shechem or the Jebusites) or the Godfearers in Greek and Roman times. Probably even more than rabbinic Judaism, these Gentiles of late antiquity created the first portable, universal monotheism. Christianity is merely the latest incarnation of this trend of syncretizing Jewish and Gentile religion.
The God of the Philosophers is the God of the Bible. The God of the Christians is the God of the Bible, even if the Christians like to give most of the attention to Jesus (and not all of them do, there are anti-trinitarian Christians), they still worship God the Father. We know what to expect from God, or at least how God wants us to conceive of Him. God has as many sides to His nature as there are people who can conceive of Him. That’s the problem when you try to put a face on eternity. Christians don’t have the centuries of commentary that sages and rabbis can offer. They have the the Hellenistic commentary from the Church fathers, which is good, many of the early Christians were extremely learned men (Augustine, Origen) but they went about their commentaries without the input from the very people they had gotten the Bible from in the first place. Modern Christians shouldn’t be faulted for the errors of men who are dead a long, long time. Christian theology didn’t spring up in a vacuum; it’s the end product of hundreds of years of Gentile religion and philosophy. Christianity is, in most respects, both a Biblical and a Hellenistic religion. It stands in a unique position as being the only religion that has ever successfully harmonized Greek and Jewish ideas. This fact alone makes Christianity worthy of consideration, even from non-Christians like myself.
I think, in many ways Christianity is what Elijah Benamozegh had in mind when he was thinking of Noachism. When the minor theological errors of Christianity are corrected (and they are minor, if you really look at them objectively), then you’ll see what he was envisioning.
thank you, michael. i have wanted to say something like that for years….in fact, i HAVE said it, and been promptly shot down for it. i hope this can be a shofar call for all of us.
to all my b’nai noah compatriots….the eyes of the world are watching to see if we are for real. we cannot afford to adopt the arrogance of some religious folk. we are, along with observant judaism, the representatives of God’s hope for this crazy planet.
most of us spent some time stumbling around in error. we knew something wasn’t right, but many of us didn’t know what….until some kind soul offered us tidbits of the Way. some of us had to be coaxed and challenged. but all of us had to be treated with respect. even in our most lost, we had precious pieces of faith and truth. we would still be wandering around in the night if someone hadn’t seen, and nurtured, that spark. clobbering another human with our superior attitudes and disdain is not nurturing the spark.
I was very please to read your piece about Pastor John Hagee. Many people who are un-aware of the history of TBN where Pastor Hagee airs his show may not know that initially TBN had troubles airing anything “Jewish”, unless it was with a slanted perspective like that of Zola Levitt, Sam Good and Yavo Institute. Pastor Hagee, to his credit, has so influenced the people at TBN that for the first time in History Orthodox Rabbis have appeared on the show and without any compromises of the Jewish point of view have been able to express and declare the Jewish perspective. In addition to this, one can easily see how his influence has affected even the programming of TBN. It has become more conscious of the “Jewish” mileu of theri programming. Airing shows about the Tora, interviewing and talking with Orthodox Rabbis. And if this continues, I would not be surprised to see an Orthodox Rabbi or leaders teaching the Tnach from an authentic Orthodox Jewish Perspective.
The Christian world seems to be moving into a new direction. And I pray it will be one which will bring them closer to their first century roots: in which
non-jews were Noahide observers–Yirat Shamayim. This fact alone herald the imminent coming of the Moshiach.
If the leaders of TBN, Pastor Hagee and others were to read this blog, I would challenge them to help us Jewish people in making a navua(prophesy) come true:” Ki m’tziyion tetzeh Torah..” From Zion shall come the Torah…”By entering into a joint venture with Orthodox Jews in having a TBN( Torah Broadcasting Network) station at Har Tzion where Torah Jewish programming can be aired throughout the entire world, we know that this will precipate the arrival of the Messiah, and fulfill the words of Abrabanel in this pasuk (passage).
If they are seriously interested in this possibility they should contact me immediately at 786-306-8211
Moshe Otero
Los Caminos de Israel
PO BOX 813506
Hollywood, Fl 33081
Hi Michael and all,
I finally was able to read this post and I’d like to share some thoughts if possible.
If anyone has read the email I sent out on G-d Consciousness, then you’re well aware of how I feel about the Sheva Mitzvot and proper or correct G-d Consciousness. Having said that, however, I think I understand what Michael is saying here.
Even though these dispensationalist Christians have incorrect ideas about G-d, to some extent, they are not bad people because they still focus on serving G-d, even if through the need of a “golden calfâ€. Notice I said, “They are not bad peopleâ€. What I’m saying is that just like the people of the sin of the golden calf, which was to act as a mediator or intercessor between them and G-d; we can’t pass judgment on these people because only G-d can do that. The RaMBaM states that Christianity and Islam are part of the plan; we just have to wait for the fulfillment of it all. May it be in our lifetime..
The focus of the article is that these individuals are all about blessing Israel as part of worshiping the Creator, for they see Israel as His chosen people regardless of their insisting need to convert Jews to Christianity by some of them. Now, in the case of Pastor Hagee, it’s like he has a dual covenant idea between G-d and Israel and G-d and the Nations. As Michael pointed out, however, these people still see Yeshua ben Yosef as the literal son of G-d, which is still a huge step away from the Scriptural formula of a righteous Gentile. It is a step that can get smaller by proper study of the scriptures though. As you may recall, Abraham rediscovered that there’s only one Creator after being in a life that worshiped many gods, but the message is that nothing could be compared to Him. For this recognition, G-d chose to reveal himself to Abraham as El Shaddai (G-d Almighty, analogous with El Elyon: as some religions in later times spoke of the One and only G-d). As a true righteous Gentile and father of Israel, he is the example to follow. As Robert has said, the G-d of the philosophers was ultimately the G-d of the Bible; however, they saw him as withdrawn and too far away from our reach. Abraham taught us otherwise!
Now, since G-d promised that he would bless those who bless Israel, then who are we to discourage them by not accepting them. If anything, it’s a perfect opportunity to setup a good relationship between our groups that could ultimately clarify and dissolve the dividing lines that keep us from worshiping G-d in one accord, again according to Scripture. Leading as examples of following the correct Scriptural Way, which helps us draw closer to G-d through his Torah, the rest of the Noachide world will be able to share the spiritual blessing of Abraham; that is, accepting Adonai’s Kingship. As advocates of the Sheva Mitzvot, we need to make sure we represent them with accuracy, merci, justice and righteousness. We must, however, remember that the Sheva Mitzvot are to first bring correct G-d Consciousness as illustrated by the first two mitzvot, which helps us comprehend their deep value, while sharing in the immediate value or benefit of these mitzvot as a morally structural society. As history has shown, these laws, when looked at simply from a legal system point-of-view, don’t contain the necessary importance for people to adhere to them. The reason is because of the disassociation of the first two mitzvot from the rest.
The goal of completion or correction of the world, according to Torah, will be achieved only when “G-d becomes one and His Name becomes oneâ€; that is, as Jeremiah 16:21 says, “21Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD†(insert Hashem). However, we need to get the word out to these and others world wide. For, as Moses said, “The Torah is not in Heavenâ€; meaning we have it hear and we need to help those who don’t understand it come to understand it and realize that with the acceptance of Israel comes the acceptance of their G-d and the Torah. These Christians, which Michael is talking about, are the ones we must first encourage to continue blessing Israel, while at the same time educating them without contempt and with rational approach when the opportunity arises. This, I think, will be a very fruitful endeavor if we allow it to be. You’ll find that these individuals are almost as intellectually driven as we are, therefore more susceptible to dialogue.
Christianity without the theological errors is basically the body that makes up the group of Noachides associated with 1st Covenant Organization, Noahide Nations, and others. But, is this still Christianity? No, for the elements that make it such are dissolved. Thus, the label is incorrect and can simply be called “observant monotheismâ€. Yes, we must not be arrogant towards these individuals, but we must not forget what the Torah says is required of us as members of the nations and Israel. This is the real “gospel†of Abraham. The Torah is not just for Israel, even though there are specific things in it that are. It is for the entire world, for it deals from this perspective. As Jack Saunders has given hint to, we are all Noachides and one family kept the correct Way for all to share in.
This is not my own desire of interpretation; it is the desire of the Creator for his creation. It’s up to us to show this to the world and hope they, too, come to accept it in their due time. Ask yourself, “What made me accept the Sheva Mitzvot�
Thanks Michael for speaking correctly and helping me learn from you once again. This has been a hard lesson to deal with, but with study comes understanding and with understanding comes compassion for others that are where I used to be. I just hope that they, too, see what I saw right in their own bibles.
Hiram says,
Now, since G-d promised that he would bless those who bless Israel, then who are we to discourage them by not accepting them?
I would say: 1) those who seek to bless Israel and thus receive blessing would benefit by learning what actually blessing Israel means - i.e., helping Israel survive and thrive as a people of Torah. 2) People who don’t believe in blessing Israel - most modern “progressive” Episcopalians, say - probably need the blessings that come from blessing Israel even more than those people who already bless Israel.
Who are we to give up on them? They are truly lost sheep. Also, their disdain for Israel doesn’t just harm them, it harms Israel, so - ultimately, not all that indirectly - it harms the whole world.
I’m often struck by the fervency of Christian belief in the man they regard as G’d’s anointed.
He’s more than just a historical figure to them. He’s not just a teacher or prophet of long ago in their minds. He is a living being to them.
He transcends time and space. He is a friend, a father, an elder brother, a buddy, a best friend, a confidant, a defender and shield. . .
It’s hard for me to understand this.
Now, Muslims believe in Allah. Allah is all things to them. They often seem to have many lesser lights - devils, jinns, angels, and also some mystical, supernatural teaching figures like Jesus. But Allah is G’d, as far as they’re concerned.
What completely throws me here is that Allah is not HaShem.
He’s very different from the G’d of Abraham, Who loves kindness and mishpat/justice and judgment. Allah doesn’t much like Jews or Israel. He doesn’t seem to have any regard for the welfare of animals, either. And He denies human free will. Allah is a being who will make a person do bad things and then punish him for being bad.
The thing that puzzles me so much about this is that Muslims seem to get by perfectly happily without the personal, intimate relationship that Christians seem to have w/ Jesus.
Believing Jews, and Noahides who believe in HaShem, regard G’d as wonderfully kindly, loving, forgiving, and intimately involved with them and with all things. But Muslims worship an Allah who is literally a holy terror.
Meditating on these things, I feel very ignorant. I don’t know how these things can be.
If Hiram, or Robert, or Andrea, or anyone can help explain this stuff to me, I would sincerely appreciate it.
The Christians believe that the God who parted the Red Sea is the same God who hung on the tree for the sins of all mankind so that whoever believes in Yashua shall not perish but have everlasting life. It all boils down to this truth and only this truth alone.