SPECIAL TOPIC: JEWS

The word "Jew" basically comes from "someone from the tribe of Judah." After the twelve tribes split in 922 B.C., Judah became the name for the southern four tribes (i.e., Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, and most of the Levites/priests of the tribe of Levi). Both Jewish kingdoms, Israel and Judah, were taken into exile, but only a few, mostly from Judah, returned under Cyrus' edict of 538 B.C. (i.e., see Ezra and Nehemiah). The term then became a title for the descendants of Jacob who lived in Palestine and were scattered throughout the Mediterranean world.

In John the term is mostly negative (esp. 1 and 2 John), but its general use can be seen in John 2:6 and 4:22.

  1. the people of Judea who were hostile to Jesus and His followers
  2. the Jewish religious leaders only (some related examples: John 1:19; 2:18; 5:10,15,16,18; 6:41,52; 7:13; 9:22; 12:42; 18:12; 19:38; 20:19)

Some scholars have asserted that a Jew would not refer to other Jews in this derogatory way. However, Jewish opposition to Christianity intensified after the Council of Jamnia in A.D. 90. The "Eighteen Benedictions," developed by the reform minded Pharisees (i.e., the only Jewish sect to survive the Fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70), wanted to limit the large number of Jews converting to Christianity. Therefore, they demanded a verbal rejection of Jesus as the promised Messiah to remain in local synagogues. This forced separation caused the church to become an illegal, unsanctioned religion in the Roman Empire. This resulted in terrible persecution (i.e., Nero and Domitian).

The judgment of God fell on the nation of Israel, both its leaders and its people in A.D. 66-70. Below I have listed the passages in the Gospels and Acts that document the Jewish rejection of Jesus as the promised Messiah and their aggressive persecution of Christians.

The Jews

  1. sought Jesus' death ‒ Matt. 12:14; 26:4; 27:1; Mark 14:1; Luke 22:2; John 7:30,44; 8:59; 10:31,39; 11:47-53
  2. paid Judas to betray Jesus ‒ Matt. 26:14-15,47; 27:3-9
  3. brought forth false witnesses at His trial ‒ Matt. 26:59-62
  4. convicted Him of blasphemy ‒ Matt. 27:65-66; John 19:6,15
  5. demanded Barabbas when Pilate tried to release Jesus; the crowd wanted Jesus crucified ‒ John 18:39-40
  6. the Apostolic sermons in Acts accuse the Jews of killing Jesus ‒ Acts 2:22-23,36; 3:13-15; 5:30; also note Stephen's comment in Acts 7:52

John's Revelation, like Jesus' Olivet Discourse, describes the temporal judgment of God/Christ by the Roman army. The Jewish War (A.D. 66-70) totally brought to an end the era of Mosaic law (i.e., destruction of the temple). If this is a new concept for you, please see the following references.

  1. John Bray, Matthew 24 Fulfilled
  2. Kenneth Gentry (www.kennethgentry.com)
    1. Before Jerusalem Fell
    2. The Beast of Revelation
    3. The Apocalypse of John: A Preterist Commentary of the Book of Revelation
  3. Four Views on the Book of Revelation, several authors, note pp. 39-92
  4. Steve Gregg (www.thenarrowpath.com)
    1. Revelation: Four views, Revised and Expanded
    2. Why Not Full-Preterism? A Partial-Preterist Response to a Novel Theological Innovation
    3. Many thought provoking YouTube videos on biblical issues and controversies; his website is www.thenarrowpath.com; I highly recommend this brother's Bible study and lectures on contemporary controversies.
  5. Gary DeMar
    1. Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church
    2. End Time Fiction" A Biblical Consideration of Left Behind Theology
  6. Bruce Gore, YouTube video, "The Apocalypse in Space and Time" (10 lectures with detailed historical and Early Church Father quotes; very detailed and interesting)
    See www.brucegore.com

A good summary of John's mentionings of the Jewish leaders' and people's attitude is summarized in Kenneth Gentry's Before Jerusalem Fell, pp. 123-124.

  1. the Jews sought Jesus' death (John 7:30,44; 8:59; 10:31,39; 11:53; Matt. 12:18; 26:4; 27:1)
  2. chief priests paid Judas to betray Jesus (Matt. 26:14-15)
  3. the Sanhedrin assembled lying witnesses in Jesus' night trial (Matt. 26:59-68)
  4. the leaders turned Jesus over to Pilate (Matt. 27:2,11; Acts 3:13)
  5. brought a curse on themselves and their children in order to convict Him (Matt. 27:24-26)
  6. Jewish leadership and crowd forced Pilate to condemn Him and release Barabbas (John 18:38b-40; 19:6,12,15; Acts 2:22-23,36; 3:13-15; 5:30; 7:52)
  7. notice Jesus' comment
    1. to Pilate in John 19:11
    2. to the women of Jerusalem in Luke 23:28-31

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW PEOPLE

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE REMNANT (three senses)


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