Plucking the Eagle's Wings

Healing the Breach Between the Jews and Gentiles

(Romans 11:25-26).

It may be a misunderstanding of this concept that caused the early Roman Church, as far back as the third century, to erroneously teach that God forsook the Jews and that they were a cursed people. The error spread during the third century when a symbolic method was introduced to interpret unfulfilled prophecy. Doctrine was espoused that said the Jews had forever forfeited their promised blessings under the covenant when they rejected Christ. This is called replacement theology and many groups today refuse to recognize the nation of Israel's Biblical right to exist. Those following replacement theology also teach that there are no legitimate Jews on earth, and that Israel means nothing in light of Bible prophecy. This fallacy is based upon a completely false interpretation of certain Scriptures. Anti-Semitic attitudes were propagated throughout the centuries, and they climaxed in the Holocaust. Some argue that, at the crucifixion, religious Jews cried out, "His (Christ's) blood be upon us and upon our children," thereby pronouncing their own curse. According to the Law of Moses, the land in Israel became cursed when an innocent man was killed. An entire ritual was to be performed under the Law to remove a curse from a city when an innocent man was found dead (Deuteronomy 21). Part of the ritual involved washing the hands. This is why Pilate washed his hands before the Jews when declaring that Christ was an innocent man (Matthew 27:24),. At the cross, it was Roman soldiers who actually hammered the nails and pierced the side of Christ. And Jesus prayed while dying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Christ forgave those who crucified Him, but the land of Israel fell under a curse of the law; thus, Jerusalem was ravaged 40 years later. Much misunderstanding has created a breach between traditional Christianity and the Jews. American culture is based upon Judeo-Christian principles, which is to say that it is based upon teachings from both the Old and the New Testament. Paul wrote, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). God does not have two separate Bibles, one for Jews and one for Christians. His Bible unites both the old and the new in Christ. It contains 66 books that articulate a complete revelation for all of mankind! It is sad that most Jews reject the New Testament, and some Christians reject the Old Testament, because both testaments sanction one another. Today many Jews are beginning to understand their spiritual ties 169