Posted in Israel; Calling of & Mission to the Jews, Missiology, New England Puritanism, Puritans & Puritanism on November 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »
This is an academic article from the earlier 20th century on New England Puritan, Cotton Mather, on his zealous concern for the salvation of the Jews. He develops the account from Mather’s notable journal entry in 1696: “This day, from the dust, where I lay prostrate, before the Lord, I lifted up my cries: For the conversion of the Jewish Nation, and for my own having the happiness, at some time or other, to baptize a Jew, that should by my ministry, bee brought home unto the Lord.”
Posted in Church of Scotland, Free Church of Scotland, Israel; Calling of & Mission to the Jews, Political Theory & Theology, Race, Kinism, "Race Realism", Thomas Chalmers on November 1, 2025| 1 Comment »
A friend shared this very helpful article about a year ago that explores the actual contours of how Scottish Presbyterians dealt with Jewish questions, the emergence of the nation-state of Israel, and the very problematic other-rail of Dispensationalism in modern evangelicalism. It is very regrettable in the current context that there isn’t much nuance in how our Reformed fathers approached Jewish questions vis-a-vis the errors of J.N. Darby and his ilk. Abstract here:
(more…)Posted in Audio Resources, Church of Scotland, Israel; Calling of & Mission to the Jews, Missiology, Thomas Chalmers on January 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »
A really solid and balanced article by Zach Groff. Sadly necessary these days in some conservative Reformed circles.
Also, Groff mentions a sermon by Robert Murray M’Cheyne, “Our Duty to Israel.” I recorded that in audio not long ago: you can access that here. He also mentions M’Cheyne’s mentor, Thomas Chalmers. Here is a lecture of his on Romans 11, on Paul’s prophecy of the Jews’ future repentance and embrace of their rejected Messiah. And check out the entire WPE Audio library by clicking the tab at the top.
Posted in Eschatology, Israel; Calling of & Mission to the Jews, tagged bible, faith, israel, jesus, romans on January 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »
XX. Sixthly. We may reckon among the benefits of the New Testament the restoration of the Israelites, who were formerly rejected, and the bringing them back to the communion of God in Christ. Paul has unfolded this mystery to the Gentiles, Rom. 11:25–27: “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; at it is written, There shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
XXI. On this place observe, 1st. That the apostle here explains some mystery; that is, a secret thing, not known but by revelation, and taken notice of by few, and happening beyond the expectation and judgment of reason; in fine, the whole method and manner of executing which, lies in a great measure concealed; see 1 Cor. 2:7, 15:51, and Eph. 3:3. 2dly. That it is the interest of the Gentiles to be acquainted with this mystery, to prevent their entertaining higher thoughts concerning themselves, and lower concerning the Israelites: we are therefore to take care to enquire diligently, and with attention, into what the prophets have foretold concerning this matter. 3dly. The apostle here speaks of the people of Israel, not figuratively but properly so called; who were at this time blind, obdurate, stupid, and hardened, of which ver. 7. Isaiah foretold this judgment of God against Israel at large, chap. 6:9, 10, compared with Acts 28:26, Isa. 29:10, 11. To this also seems applicable, that whirlwind of the Lord, that fury, and continuing whirlwind, which shall abide on the head of the wicked, of which Jer. 30:23. In short, this is that forlorn condition of the blinded nation of Jews, which taking its rise in the apostles’ time, continues to this our day. 4thly. That this blindness is in part happened to Israel. The whole nation, from its first origin even to the end of the world, is considered as one whole; a certain part of which are those, who either have, or now do, or hereafter shall live in the days of the wrath and indignation of God: blindness has seized that part only. 5thly. That blindness is to continue upon them no longer, than till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; that is, till the Gospel is preached among all nations of the world whatever. Which, indeed, began to be done by the apostles and their fellow-labourers; but could not be done perfectly, both on account of the extent of the world, and the shortness of human life, and likewise because many nations (as all the American) were at that time unknown. This therefore still remains to be done successively; God, in his admirable providence, paving the way for his word. The offer of grace was first made to the Israelites. When they refused it, it was sent to the Gentiles; but when the fulness of them shall be brought in, it will be again given to the Israelites, “that the last may be first, and the first last,” Luke 13:30; see Luke 21:24. 6thly. That when the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, all Israel shall be saved; that is, as our Dutch commentators well observe, not a few, but a very great number, and in a manner the whole Jewish nation, in a full body. Peter Martyr has judiciously explained the fulness of the Gentiles, and the whole body of Israel, in the following words: “But we are to understand a limited fulness, and a fixed or determined collection; which is therefore called fulness, because there will be an exact and a very great number of believers, so that the church shall be publicly owned, and had in great esteem among the Gentiles, just as all Israel is to be taken for a great number of Jews, among whom Christ should be publicly acknowledged; not that some, as well of the Gentiles as Jews, shall not be lost.”
(more…)Posted in Eschatology, Israel; Calling of & Mission to the Jews, Vox Patrum on November 16, 2024| Leave a Comment »
“For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree” (Romans 11:24). This poem of Herbert beautifully and tenderly expresses the right attitude of the believing Gentiles toward the disinherited Jews, with Pauline longings for their final restoration by repentance and faith in their own, rejected Messiah.
1. scion: a young shoot or twig of a plant, especially one cut for grafting or rooting. 2. purloin: to steal. 3. sluice: a sliding gate or other device for controlling the flow of water, especially one in a lock gate.
Posted in Culture, Israel; Calling of & Mission to the Jews on November 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »
This was very, very good. Especially in light of a resurgent antisemitism in the West, and even in the Church. Remember, Satan’s grand conspiracy is multi-front. And the Jews, while “enemies for our sakes,” are yet “beloved for the fathers’ sakes.”
Posted in Israel; Calling of & Mission to the Jews on December 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Theodore Beza: “The blindness of the Jews is neither so universal that the Lord has no elect in that nation, neither will it be continual: for there will be a time in which they also (as the prophets have foretold) will effectually embrace that which they now so stubbornly for the most part reject and refuse.”
John Owen: “It is granted that there shall be a time and season, during the continuance of the kingdom of the Messiah in this world, wherein the generality of the nation of the Jews, all the world over, shall be called and effectually brought unto the knowledge of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ; with which mercy they shall also receive deliverance from their captivity, restoration unto their own land, with a blessed, flourishing, and happy condition therein.”
Jonathan Edwards: “The Jews in all their dispersions shall cast away their old infidelity, and shall wonderfully have their hearts changed, and abhor themselves for their past unbelief and obstinacy; and shall flow together to the blessed Jesus, penitently, humbly, and joyfully owning him as their glorious king and only saviour, and shall with all their hearts as with one heart and voice declare his praises unto other nations [Isaiah 66:20; Jeremiah 50:4]. Nothing is more certainly foretold than this national conversion of the Jews in the eleventh chapter of Romans.”
Posted in Audio Resources, Biblical Interpretation, Christ Jesus, Free Church of Scotland, Israel; Calling of & Mission to the Jews, Macleod, John (1872-1948), The Gospel on December 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Principal John Macleod (1872-1948) writes with a freshness and a force of thought that sadly is all too uncommon today. Listen to my latest recording of his sermon, “The Sure Mercies of David.” (View entire library here.) Here are a couple of worthy passages:
Nay, as Victor our Lord has overcome and is set down with the Father on His Throne. There as the Exalted Servant He is seated on the Throne of His Heavenly Father and on the throne of His father David. It is as David’s throne was the throne of the Lord over Israel that his Exalted Son sits upon it now. Having died death outright He lives with a life over which the shadow of death shall never fall. He dieth no more for He has borne and exhausted the curse. So as Lord of life and death He is the Resurrection and the Life. His rising from the dead was the step that went before His Ascension; and it was a step that brought with it in full detail every succeeding step of His glory as the Lord’s Exalted Servant.
With our Lord’s Resurrection and Ascension the Kingdom of God has come. Until He arose and went up it was a kingdom or order of things that was yet to come. This is the case no more. The fullness of the glory of the kingdom is in the course , of being unveiled. The fullness itself reaches unto the eternal ages.
Also, a delightful passage on the conversion of the Jews:
Israel shall return to the Lord their God and to David their King. When the set time comes the David of the New Testament will subdue them and bring them in. Then the natural branches shall come to their place in the old olive tree and it will be as it were life from the dead. Not only will it be life from the dead : to them it will be such life from the dead as a pining Church and perishing world need. It is for ~ur Lord Himself to bring about this glorious return. He will then make Jerusalem a praise in the earth; for He will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem His own Spirit, the token of His good will, as the Spirit of prayer, and they shall call on Him. They shall look on Him whom they pierced, and the world shall know the mourning of the brethren of the New Testament Joseph when He makes Himself known to them and gives them the kiss of peace. This thing will not be done in a corner. All the world shall hear of it.
Here is the original copy:
Posted in Articles, Israel; Calling of & Mission to the Jews, Sabbatarianism & the Church Calendar, The Visible Church, Thomas Boston, Worship, True & False, WPE Editor on December 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »
I once read somewhere that one of the Puritans recognized they were very odd ducks. As I recall, the term was “speckled birds.” Who likes being the outsider, the stranger in a strange land?
Kids can have an especially nasty way of tapping into this instinctual longing for inclusion and reinforcing herd-conformity. As a boy, I distinctly remember a time when a group of my friends and I took a break from our game of street baseball. Somehow it came up in discussion that one boy’s family didn’t observe Christmas. “What!” Replied another. “You don’t observe Christmas? Man, if I didn’t observe Christmas, I’d kill myself!” Oof. Of course, it was adolescent hyperbole; and we were soon back to the diamond. But I must confess, I also was on the shocked side. Not having Christmas? Not having the stockings hung by the chimney with care? Not waking up at dark-thirty to wake up the parents? No giddy, vulture-like descent on the presents? I mean, come on! My quirky friend felt the sting. He was not one of us! He might as well have had three eyes.
Then about seven years later, I swam the Tweed. After my evangelical conversion, I eventually found Calvinism (or Calvinism found me!). And after Calvinism, I found Puritanism; and after Puritanism, I found Presbyterianism. But not just any kind, mind ye! No, I’d say it was full-on “Scottish Old Believer” Presbyterianism. And that, among other things, meant no Christmas. Right. Just like my crestfallen boyhood buddy. Who would have imagined!
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West Port Experiment 