ADVANCE PRAISE Joel Richardson has written a very important and hard-hitting book. His arguments against replacement theology, or supersessionism, are powerful and solid. I have greater optimism of the final end of the age on the tribulation. However, the basic thrust of this book is right and true and a wonderful contribution. —DANIEL JUSTER, TH. D. TIKKUN INTERNATIONAL, JERUSALEM This latest book by Joel Richardson is desperately needed and a must read for the serious Christian. His characteristic scholarship and diligence is long overdue on this very crucial perspective for everyone that claims the name of Christ. The inevitable rise of criticism will simply underscore the reality that these issues lie at the very centroid of all doctrines of a Biblical faith and include a crucial re-examination of the eschatological issues on our immediate horizon. Indeed, a pivotal contribution for us all. —CHUCK MISSLER, KOINONIA HOUSE This book draws the reader through foundational biblical and historical issues regarding the restoration of the Jewish people, as well as the speckled and sometimes glorious history of the body of Messiah vis-à-vis Israel’s destiny. Thoughtful, respectful, helpful, edifying. —AVNER BOSKEY, FINAL FRONTIER MINISTRIES, BEERSHEVA, ISRAEL There are numerous points of light that illuminate the canvas on which the history of the church is rendered. However, these points of light shine against a shadowy backdrop rendered in dark crimson. The vitriol and bloodlust displayed by many nations toward the people that birthed God’s Son has dimmed the light of God and obscured the path of love he came to reveal. In this work Joel lays bare the historic roots of this hatred as well as revealing God’s plan for His ancient chosen people—Israel. This book will open your eyes and engage your heart with the love God has for those whom He first chose and called according to His purposes. —BURT YELLIN, PASTOR / RABBI, ROEH ISRAEL, DENVER In a season where it is becoming increasingly popular to delegitimize Israel—whether in the press, in politics, or even in the pulpit—along comes this refreshing, faith-building, and biblically centered book that will challenge every honest reader to embrace God’s unchanging heart for His people. —SCOTT VOLK, TOGETHER FOR ISRAEL WHEN A JEW RULES THE WORLD Copyright © 2015 by Joel Richardson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, or otherwise—without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by Winepress Media, Leawood, Kansas. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the English Standard Version. © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Book designed by Mark Karis Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Richardson, Joel. When a Jew rules the world : what the Bible really says about Israel in the plan of God / Joel Richardson. pages cm ISBN 978-1-938067-71-6 (hardcover) 1. Judaism--Relations--Christianity--History. 2. Christianity and other religions--Judaism--History. 3. People of God--Biblical teaching. 4. Israel (Christian theology)--Biblical teaching. I. Title. BM535.R475 2015 261.2’6--dc23 2014029612 DEDICATED TO The Jewish people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Take comfort, the Lord GOD will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. His reward will be with Him, and His recompense before Him. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii PART 1: WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY SAYS ABOUT ISRAEL IN THE PLAN OF GOD 1 1 THE WARNING: IGNORANCE AND ARROGANCE 3 2 RESTORATIONISM VERSUS SUPERSESSIONISM 10 3 THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT 21 4 THE MOSAIC AND DAVIDIC COVENANTS 39 5 THE NEW COVENANT 45 6 HOW SHOULD GENTILE BELIEVERS RELATE TO UNBELIEVING JEWS? 70 7 THE COMING KINGDOM OF GOD 78 8 THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWISH KINGDOM 89 PART 2: TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF SUPERSESSIONISM AND JEW-HATRED 109 9 CHRISTIAN JEW-HATRED: FROM INCEPTION TO THE FOURTH CENTURY 111 10 CHRISTIAN JEW-HATRED: FROM THE FOURTH CENTURY TO THE HOLOCAUST 133 11 SUPERSESSIONISM AND JEW-HATRED 155 12 ISLAMIC SUPERSESSIONISM 162 13 THE NEW CHRISTIAN ANTI-SEMITISM 168 PART 3: THE LAST DAYS AND THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS 187 14 THE PROPHESIED JEWISH RETURN TO THEIR LAND 189 15 SATAN’S RAGE AGAINST JEWISH FULFILLMENT 207 16 JACOB’S TROUBLE 219 17 DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, CORRIE TEN BOOM, AND THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS 236 NOTES 257 INDEX 266 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS irst and highest thanks must go, of course, to Jesus of Nazareth, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the longing of my heart. After Jesus, no one deserves my gratitude more than my wife. You are a woman of such deep beauty, strength, and character. I am blessed. The “well done, good and faithful servant” that you’ll receive from Him will be more than you could ever Fimagine. I so hope I can see the look in your eyes on that day. It’s going to be awesome. Much thanks to the handful of supporters who have blessed me these past few years. You truly have made this book possible. Thanks also to Samuel Clough, Paul Blake, Shane Meredith, Stephen Holmes, Julie Loomis, Aaron Maendel, Dax Cabrera, Avner Boskey, Brock Hollett, Nick Uva, and Dan McCarthy for looking at the early manuscript and giving me feedback. Finally I want to express my deep gratefulness to Joseph and Elizabeth Farah for your support. Thanks also to the whole WND team. Thanks to Geoff Stone, the editorial director, for all of your work, as well as your input and advice on the manuscript. Thanks to Renee Chavez and Kelsey Whited, my editors. Great is your reward in heaven! Thanks to Mark Karis for contributing your gift of design. I always love your stuff. Thanks also to Michael Thompson and Amanda Prevette, the marketing coordinators. What a great team to work with. Thanks again and many blessings to you all. PART 1 WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY SAYS ABOUT ISRAEL IN THE PLAN OF GOD 1 THE WARNING: IGNORANCE AND ARROGANCE ust three years before his death in 1546, Martin Luther, the great Protestant reformer, wrote an anti-Jewish treatise titled On the Jews and Their Lies. For more than a thousand years, Christians throughout Europe had debated among themselves about how they should treat the Jews living in their midst. By Luther’s day, some argued that the “problem” of the Jews called Jfor a definitive solution. Luther’s treatise offered his solution in no unclear terms. I’ll allow his own words to speak for themselves: What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews? . First, their synagogues should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or spread over with dirt so that no one may ever be able to see a cinder or stone of it. And this ought to be done for the honor of God and of Christianity in order that God may see that we are Christians. Secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed. For they perpetrate the same things there that they do in their synagogues. For this reason they ought to be put under one roof or in a stable, like gypsies, in order that they may realize that they are not masters in our land, as they boast, but miserable captives. Thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer-books and Talmuds in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are taught. 4 / WHEN A JEW RULES the WORLD Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach any more. To sum up, dear princes and nobles who have Jews in your domains, if this advice of mine does not suit you, then find a better one so that you and we may all be free of this insufferable devilish burden—the Jews. Next to the devil, a Christian has no more bitter and galling foe than the Jew. 1 Most Christians who read Luther’s words for the first time are shocked. Tragically, Luther was far from alone among notable Christian leaders in his hatred and abuse of the Jews. As we will see, his attitude was actually quite common among Christians throughout an overwhelming majority of Church history. Even more tragically, roughly five hundred years after Luther wrote his hateful treatise, Adolf Hitler would rely heavily on Luther’s proposals as the basis of his own “final solution,” resulting in the death of two-thirds of the roughly nine million Jews who were living in Europe at the time. How did it all come to this? How did Christianity, whose adher- ents claim to follow a Jewish Messiah, become a Gentile-dominated religion that persecuted the Jews no matter where they were found? How did those Christians who claimed to worship the God of Israel come to hate the children of Israel so deeply, so passionately, and so relentlessly? To answer that question, we must begin with the words of the apostle Paul in chapter 11 of his letter to the Romans.