THE STRANGE NEW
BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY
OF THE JEW
Maurice M Johnson
Publicly advertised meeting
Ft. Worth, Texas
What is the new, strange Babylonish captivity of the Jew? Why they captured the Jew back yonder. God told them how long it was going to come, it came, how long it was going to last, it did, and told them what was going to happen, "You are going to be scattered al-l-ll over the world, and you are going to be a byword, you'll be hated and hounded," but He said, "I'm going to ... the same One that scattered you will bring you back." Turn quickly to the 36th chapter of Ezekiel. "Same One that scattered you going to bring you back." And He's not doing it now. There's nothing going on in Palestine that remotely resembles this restoration of Israel.
I started to say awhile ago, I believe that if the Jews were aroused with Hitler's horrible satanic butchery of 6,000,000 of them and other things that stirred them, I believe as the Jews were aroused, probably many millions, or several millions, or several hundred thousands, who had changed their name ... because many of them in this country did. And I heard one time. that a whole lot of them had changed their name in the Service. ? business and otherwise, they changed their name you know, to some German name, in this country, changed their name to Irish you know, and American, and Scotch. But we're told that God said, "I'm going to send the hunters and fishers to find you... Hitler sent out some of them and found some Jews that had German names, and they were taken and burned in that horrible diabolical massacre by Hitler.
But what did God do with that? He allowed it. What'd He do it? He caused it to stir the Jews all over the world, as they haven't been stirred since the Babylonish captivity. They began to be aroused, "We are Jews. No matter what our nationality, where we were born, and our children, grandchildren. More Jews. More Jews. More marked. More Jews. More Jews. How many Jews in this country are digging down deep for money to help their brethren, their brethren. "We're brethren." I remember very, very well in Ft Worth, I've heard some Methodist preachers and other postmillennialists, I've heard ridicule from Jew and Gentile about the Jews being restored. Here, ? , in this country, "Why there are more Jews in New York than there they are in ... what do we care about Jerusalem. Why we Jews ... I'm a native New York, I'm a New Jersey Jew," not that you are, but you know what I’m talking about. How many times I've heard Jews, and this is right in Ft Worth, "I'm an American citizen. But... we're Jews", and they began to be interested in the future, and there's no ? of the Jews after Hitler killed 6,000,000 of them, ? ? That's God making the wrath of men to praise Him.
And I remember very well when Israel was raised, the present nation came together, a lot of Pre-millennial teachers right from the platform and said, "This is the fulfillment of Jeremiah 31. "'This is the fulfillment of Jeremiah 39. This is the fulfillment of Jeremiah," and so forth. "This is ..." No sir. I knew it wasn't because I knew there's some things that have to be done. God's the one who is going to came down and wind-up the program with Israel ... I mean, for scattered Israel.
Please ... didn't I say to read Romans the 11th chapter. I appreciate the meeting's been long, but stay if you can for a little bit more. Romans 11. I believe the church which is Christ's body may be very, very, very, very, very near its completion. I believe the church which is Christ's body may be very, very, very near its call to come up. As I said quite awhile ago here this afternoon, I don't know of a single prophecy anywhere in the Scripture that needs to be fulfilled before Christ comes and catches the church away.
But oh, do you see that the church which is Christ's body is not Israel. It may be that somebody here has been taught this and you have ... got to have it untaught or you'll still hold to an error. You say, "Well I read somewhere in the Bible," maybe you know where, "1 read somewhere in the Bible about spiritual Israel, and that's today." Yes, I do too. Or, "The Israel of God, that's today." Before we react Romans 11:25, please turn to Galatians the last chapter, Galatians the last chapter, Galatians 6.
Paul had been writing primarily to correct Judaizing that had been taking place among Gentile Christians. Some Jewish believers had, or missionaries, had gone over to Galatia after Paul had preached the gospel of grace to the Gentiles, and they had tried to get the Gentiles to take on circumcision, head-shaving, baptism, and so on. And Paul deals with that subject, as only the Holy Spirit could help him of course, and then he closes by saying, Galatians 6.:14-17,
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision,
or Israel,
availeth anything,
I mean Jew,
availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule,
Are you a Jew that's been created anew in Christ? All right. Are you a Gentile that been created in Christ? Don't you let a Jew put his religion on you.
As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Up to and after the book of Acts, I mean the book of Galatians, Paul is not led to tell any Christian Jew to quit his Jewish religion. Until after the period covered by the book of Galatians, Paul was not led by the Holy Spirit to tell any Christian Jew to quit his Jewish religion. They could continue walking as Jews, the Israel of God. But the Gentiles, who have never been called "Israel of God," Gentiles had already been told, and were being clearly told in this book, "Don't you practice any physical religion." We find that suggestion brought out clearly in the 2nd chapter, but I won't go into it now, of Galatians.
Turn to ... let's touch Romans 11:25. "I want to give you a mystery," Paul said, "I want to tell you something you never knew before, never had clearly revealed to you before."
That blindness in part is happened to Israel.
That's hard on the Campbellites who say they are Israel. That's hard on all the sects that say the church is Israel. Paul said in Romans 9,
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to ...
no, he says it here, Romans 10. But in Romans 9, "Brethren, I could wish myself accursed from Christ for my kinsmen who are Israelites." And he goes on in Romans, as I started to quote in Romans 10,
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
So as late as the time of Romans, Paul said that the Israelites are unsaved. I sometimes say to the Campbellites, "I think that pretty nearly fits you all right, but it's taking your own description." What God calls Israelites were flesh and blood, children of Abraham through Isaac.
Now watch, Romans... 11:25,
I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery,
a sacred secret not revealed before,
lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written, There shall come out of Sion,
a bunch of airplanes, and they will rip Nasser and the Jordan. No, this is divine,
there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,
capital 'D',
and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
That hasn't happened yet. There isn't the faintest hint that ungodliness has been turned away from the mass of Israelites in Palestine. They don't even claim it. I mean ungodliness, the Bible description of it. But this Deliverer, capital 'D', the Lord Jesus Christ shall come back and
turn away ungodliness from Jacob: Far this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Has that happened? No, of course not.
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes but as touching the election ...
Skipping ever quickly to 17th chapter of Revelation, I’ll close with something on Babylon and let you ask questions on the subject, if you know what my subject has been, and I'll try to answer them. Revelation 17th chapter. I believe Roman Catholicism in its present form represents as no other group in all the world, I believe Roman Catholicism is here described by as "Mystery Babylon, That Ol' Whore, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth." Revelation 17.