What is the real secret of Israel’s marvelous success and progress during recent years?
Answer.—Many reasons more or less related might be offered, but the basic cause of Israel’s remarkable success, so far as the Jews are concerned, seems to be centered in their innate conviction that they are the seed of Abraham and God’s covenant people to whom God has promised the restoration of their promised land and the privilege of blessing eventually all the families of the earth. (See, e.g., Gen. 13:14-17; 15:18; Isa. 27:6; Ezek 20:40-42; Amos 9:14, 15; Mal. 3:11, 12; Zech. 8:11-23.) The land of Divine promise is most precious to the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and many of them have kissed the soil as they have returned to it. The Zionist movement rejected tempting offers made by the great powers, notably Great Britain, of richer lands in regions politically less complicated: It could not be moved from the ancient promises of God to Israel, nor from the land and city of the fathers. And when, as the first act of its newly won sovereignty, Israel announced that its gate were open to receive the oppressed, it did so by saying that it was committed to “the ingathering of the exiles” (Ezek. 28:25; 34:12-14; 37:21).
It is the view of the Old Testament, and of the Jewish faith to this day, that the goal of God’s purpose for mankind is the coming Kingdom of God to be established on earth, with its consequent blessings for all mankind through the seed of Abraham—the realization of a human society of universal brotherhood, peace and prosperity. Throughout the centuries the Jews have looked to God to fulfill His promises, and now since He has regathered them to their promised land and is greatly prospering them therein, they have taken a renewed interest in the promises of God’s Word and their faith has been increased. They are filled with renewed hope, courage and joyful expectancy by God’s promises, such as found, e.g., in Isa. 65:17-25: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever [unto all eternity—Leeser] in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying . . . They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain [kingdom], saith the Lord.”
Since God promised (Isa. 46:13): “My salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory,” since so many prophecies preliminary to the early establishment of His reign of truth and righteousness in the earth are now being remarkably fulfilled, since among the nations Israel is to be the leading nation and the first one to receive God’s salvation in restitution (“The Lord also shall save the tents [the tribe] of Judah first,” the Gentile nations following—Zech. 12:7; 8:20-23; 14:16; Micah 4:1-8), and since God intends to complete His purpose by means of His people, the believing Jews, in proportion to their faith in God’s promises for them, have taken fresh courage. Their patriotism and indomitable energy in rebuilding their ruins and rehabilitating their land is closely connected to their religious beliefs, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18). Throughout the centuries the seed of Abraham according to the flesh have been sustained by the vision that God has given them—and this is so today more than ever. ’61-77
Answer.—Many reasons more or less related might be offered, but the basic cause of Israel’s remarkable success, so far as the Jews are concerned, seems to be centered in their innate conviction that they are the seed of Abraham and God’s covenant people to whom God has promised the restoration of their promised land and the privilege of blessing eventually all the families of the earth. (See, e.g., Gen. 13:14-17; 15:18; Isa. 27:6; Ezek 20:40-42; Amos 9:14, 15; Mal. 3:11, 12; Zech. 8:11-23.) The land of Divine promise is most precious to the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and many of them have kissed the soil as they have returned to it. The Zionist movement rejected tempting offers made by the great powers, notably Great Britain, of richer lands in regions politically less complicated: It could not be moved from the ancient promises of God to Israel, nor from the land and city of the fathers. And when, as the first act of its newly won sovereignty, Israel announced that its gate were open to receive the oppressed, it did so by saying that it was committed to “the ingathering of the exiles” (Ezek. 28:25; 34:12-14; 37:21).
It is the view of the Old Testament, and of the Jewish faith to this day, that the goal of God’s purpose for mankind is the coming Kingdom of God to be established on earth, with its consequent blessings for all mankind through the seed of Abraham—the realization of a human society of universal brotherhood, peace and prosperity. Throughout the centuries the Jews have looked to God to fulfill His promises, and now since He has regathered them to their promised land and is greatly prospering them therein, they have taken a renewed interest in the promises of God’s Word and their faith has been increased. They are filled with renewed hope, courage and joyful expectancy by God’s promises, such as found, e.g., in Isa. 65:17-25: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever [unto all eternity—Leeser] in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying . . . They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain [kingdom], saith the Lord.”
Since God promised (Isa. 46:13): “My salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory,” since so many prophecies preliminary to the early establishment of His reign of truth and righteousness in the earth are now being remarkably fulfilled, since among the nations Israel is to be the leading nation and the first one to receive God’s salvation in restitution (“The Lord also shall save the tents [the tribe] of Judah first,” the Gentile nations following—Zech. 12:7; 8:20-23; 14:16; Micah 4:1-8), and since God intends to complete His purpose by means of His people, the believing Jews, in proportion to their faith in God’s promises for them, have taken fresh courage. Their patriotism and indomitable energy in rebuilding their ruins and rehabilitating their land is closely connected to their religious beliefs, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18). Throughout the centuries the seed of Abraham according to the flesh have been sustained by the vision that God has given them—and this is so today more than ever. ’61-77
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