June 20, 2010
Are there any Jews in Heaven?
[SOURCE]:
Written by God
The Bible
And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west,
and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven:
-- Matthew 8:11
The quote above says that many obviously non-Jews from the East, as well as many non-Jews from the West will join Abraham, Issac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the big question is "Are Abraham, Issac and Jacob still Jewish in the Kingdom of Heaven?"
I will try to prove my thesis that,
"There are no Jews in Heaven"
And I will try to prove that this has been true ever since the exact day Jesus ascended into Heaven.
Adam and Eve
THE FIRST JEWS
Many would argue that before God created the first and second Jew, God created both animals and GENTILES.
And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and cattle, and every thing that creepeth on the earth after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
-- Genesis 1:25
Then came the first Jews, Adam and Eve.
And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth.
-- Genesis 1:26
Since Jews were "God's Chosen People", only they would have been the ones formed "in God's image"; and hence, Jews were commanded to have dominion over the Gentile beasts.
(Gentiles had already been created with the other animals; otherwise, Cain would have had no one to mate to later on and pre-historic caveman man would have made no sense.)
So Adam and Eve are Jews in heaven -- right?
Abraham
Father of Judaism
Both Christians and Muslims claim that Abraham was the father of their religion, but Jews believe Abraham has only fathered Judaism.
Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram: but thou shalt be called Abraham: because I have made thee a father of many nations.
-- Genesis 17:5
Perhaps Abraham needs a religious paternity test performed on him, but nevertheless, most Christians still concede that Abraham was Jewish and hence a Jew.
Moses
Liberator of the Jews
Father of The Ten Commandments
Surely Moses was a Jew, even though for the longest time, the Pharaoh thought he was a son of Egypt.
And he said: I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face: for he durst not look at God.
-- Exodus 3:6
And Moses said to God: Who am I that I should go to Pharao, and should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
-- Exodus 3:11
The deepest, and sadly for many, only, religious morality most Christians know today are the Ten Commandments, but none of these Christians would have you believe that the champion of the Ten Commandments, Moses, was anything but a Jew.
Esther
Jewish Queen of the Persian Empire
The young Jewish girl, Hadassah, who goes on to become the Biblical Esther, did not tell King Xerxes she was Jewish.
Neither had Esther as yet declared her country and people [Did not declare herself Jewish as commanded], according to his [King Xerxes] commandment. For whatsoever he commanded, Esther observed: and she did all things in the same manner as she was wont at that time when he brought her up a little one.
-- Esther 2:20
But we all know Esther was lying about not being Jewish. Christians believe her to be very Jewish and highly protective of Jewish interests.
King David
King of Israel
The icon of the Jewish State of Israel is the Star of David, so central to Jewish Israel is King David.
And David said: The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David: Go, and the Lord be with thee.
-- 1 Kings 17:37
Surely no one would dare question whether or not King David of Israel is Jewish!
Jesus Christ
"King of the Jews"
Forget all the rest, as people will just say that Jesus himself was Jewish. After all, was Jesus Christ the Messiah not the "King of the Jews" as a friend recently told me?
Well, perhaps the ignorant Romans thought so, but not Jesus. Christ was telling Pilate that he was not putting those words into his mouth, someone else was -- like the Jewish Pharisees perhaps?
And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus saith to him: Thou sayest it.
-- Matthew 27:11
OK, then the ignorant, red-necked, common Jews thought that Jesus was the "King of the Jews." Right?
Nope, sorry, they were mocking Jesus as he was being crucified for being a blasphemous Jew.
Jews back then, as today, have never thought Jesus Christ to be a Jew, so long as he thought of himself as the Son of God. Jews are monotheists!
All Jews since Jesus have not thought of Jesus as The Messiah -- or else they would be Christian.
And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: "Hail, King of the Jews".
-- Matthew 27:29
Which brings me back to my original quote: "And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" -- Matthew 8:11
Did Jesus intend Heaven to be only for Jews? -- Was Heaven to be only for God's Chosen People?
No -- Not if you account for Jesus' inclusion of the Gentiles from the East and the West -- Heaven was open equally to all.
Christianity was the original religion of inclusion and tolerance -- not the exclusive, racist, and intolerant Jewish faith.
So we ask the Question again:
"Are these Really Jews in Heaven?"
The anwser is both yes and no.
Yes, in terms of the time period of the Old Testament, they are famous Hebrews, revered by Christians.
No, in terms of the time period of the New Testament, they are not like the Jews of today.
The first apostles of Jesus were undoubtedly Hebrew, as were the first followers of Moses of the Hebrew faith.
As today's Jews are want to characterize Christianity, Christians have always been confused by the blending of the Hebrew "Sect of Jesus Christ," mingling among Hebrew "orthodox Jews" in Judea in the first several hundred years following Jesus.
There was a distinct parting of the ways after these "orthodox Jews" started following the Talmud compiled around 200 AD -- More than enough years for "orthodox Jews" to have heard the Word of the Lord and not to have been misled by the false religious doctrine of the Talmud.
So, the question remains for Christians, "What are the Hebrews of the Old Testament in Heaven -- Are they New Testament Christians or Talmudic Jews?"
A real Christian should have no doubts.
For the Hebrews of the Old Testament cannot be Jews today, by way of reasoning that, the moment they first first saw Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, they all immediately became devout followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God.
-- Mark 16:19
It only follows then that there can be no Jews in Heaven today.
Hebrews Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses, Esther, David and Jesus Christ himself are all Christians today, for to be a Jesus-denier in Heaven is quite an impossibility.
You can read further at
The Problem.
You can read further at
Guide to "Checks and Balances".
You can read further at
The Solution.
Article located at:
http://www.thechristiansolution.com/doc2010/349_AreThereJewsinHeaven.html
