I picked up a book a few months back while in Manchester called "The Uniqueness of Israel" by Lance Lambert. I am not familiar with Lambert but I always find anything about Israel fascinating so I got the book. It has been a very interesting read so far. It is split up into four parts- the uniqueness of the land, the uniqueness of the nation, the uniqueness of the city (Jerusalem), and the uniqueness of the Messiah. I have especially like the chapter called "All things are mortal but the Jew." This chapter details how God has preserved the Jewish people throughout all of history. There are two great quotes in this chapter I want to share. The first is from Mark Twain in 1899:
"If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people. and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"
The second is from Leo Tolstoy around the same time as he wrote on "What is a Jew?":
"The question is not at all so odd as it seems. Let us see what peculiar kind of creature the Jew is, which all the rulers and all the nations, have together and separately abused and molested, oppressed and persecuted, trampled and butchered, burned and hanged, and, in spite of all this, is yet alive... the Jew is the emblem of eternity. He whom neither slaughter or torture of himself for years could destroy; he whom neither fire nor sword, nor inquisition was able to wipe from off the face of the earth; he who was the first to produce the oracles of God; he who has been for so long a time the guardian of prophecy, and who has transmitted it to the rest of the world- such a nation cannot be destroyed. The Jew is as everlasting as eternity itself."
7 comments:
Lance Lambert? yuck! That's similar to reading a book by Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, or any of the nutcases on TBN (where Lambert's prophecies are considered divine in origin).
You should burn that book now and you will immediately become smarter.
Ryan-
I actually almost addressed you in the body of the post because I knew I'd hear criticisms from you. Regardless of what you think of Lambert he makes countless excellent and fascinating points in this book. You can judge all you want but if you want me to take you seriously you have to give up your CRAZY postmillenialism, theonomy and Bahnsen!
you have to admit - if I posted a quote of Benny Hinn's (who has the same essential theological convictions), I'd have to imagine you would share a similar commentary. At least, you should!
Is one of the good points in the book Lambert's belief in the reinstitution of animal sacrifice by the Jews in accordance to God's command?
I am sure there are a number of Lambert's theological convictions that I don't share however comparing him to Benny Hinn is too much! Slander!
Anyway, you have attacked the author of the book I am reading but have said nothing about the quotes I posted from his book which were quotes from Twain and Tolstoy- not Lambert.
As far as your last question goes he has said nothing of reinstitution of animal sacrifices. But I guess you wouldn't like how he takes the promises of God to Israel seriously- which some people do not. :)
On that note, I am sure I just opened up a can of worms with the person I know who loves to argue the most!
I suspect Lambert would be thrilled with the comparison to Hinn; he does, after all, share their pentecostal tradition!
It is true I did not comment on the actual quotation - I was blinded by the choice of authors which compelled the nature of my comment.
Now as to not liking how he takes the promises of God seriously - I might have a word to say.
It is of course a bit ironic that this is the allegation often leveled *against* postmillennialists and not vice versa; however, Lambert's take on the promises of God certainly are unique (even for dispensationalists!).
Does he take Jesus' promise to His Jewish audience seriously in Matthew 24.24?
"I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
It's easy to accuse someone of not taking the promises of God seriously (or adopting a system that doesn't), but its a bit different burden to actually demonstrate how one isn't doing that (or adopting a system that isn't).
If you have Romans 11 in mind when it comes to Lambert's views on the promises of God - you should probably familiarize yourself with other millennial views on the subject (other than dispensational views that is), as you might find a substitute thoroughly compelling.
As for me - I am about to meet up with some others for a hookah bar here in Virginia.
ciao!!
Just like brother and sister... fighting all the time!! :)
hey- interesting. jes and i did a book/video study on daniel last academ year..
we studied eschatology(not at a v deep level tho) and looked at d prophesies, revelation etc.
at some stage we talked about Israel and after some study of certain passages, we came to the conclusion that God isn't finished with Israel, that he has a special plan for her(not a "better" one than for non-jews but still a plan)
i can show you the book if you want. we really enjoyed it. i was a bit skeptical as it's author is beth moore and i've heard lots of things about her - but she did a pretty good job on this one, trust me. (thats in case you didn;t like her haha)
you can order the book and the videos on-line. they try and stay neutral, so it;s not like they're just presenting one view and fighting hard for it (end of the day, Jesus IS coming back no matter when!).
it's cool stuff anyway!
s.
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