Video: Deconstructing British Israelism

 

The Myth of British-Israelism

 

The Myth of British-Israelism

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Claude Mariottini

On August 9, 2006, I wrote a post, “America and Great Britain in Biblical Prophecy,” in which I explained the reasons the movement popularly known as British-Israelism finds no support in the Bible or in history, even though their proponents quote widely from the Bible and history to prove their point.

In response to my post, a proponent of British-Israelism who refuses to give his or her name and hides his or her identity under the label of “anonymous,” has criticized my post for not presenting a “scrap of evidence against Anglo-Saxon identity with the Ten Tribes.”

A careful reading of my original post will show that I cited several texts from the Old Testament to show that many Israelites from the Northern Kingdom were not deported to Assyria. In fact, after the Assyrians conquered Samaria, the territory of the Northern Kingdom was incorporated into the Assyrian empire and became the Assyrian province of Samerina.

The advocates of British-Israelism believe that the Anglo Saxon people, those living in Great Britain and the United States, are the descendants of the ten lost tribes of the Northern Kingdom that were taken into exile by the Assyrians. Thus, the Anglo Saxon people are the direct descendants of the children of Abraham and as such, they become the inheritors of the promises God made to Israel.

The basic argument for British-Israelism has been developed by many authors in England and in the United States. A forceful presentation of this view was presented by Herbert W. Armstrong in his book The United States and Britain in Prophecy. Armstrong was the founder of the Church of God. These are some of the basic beliefs of British-Israelism:

1. The people living in Great Britain and the United States are the descendants of the lost tribes.
2. The British throne is a continuation of the throne of David.
3. The British Royal family are lineal descendants of David, King of Judah.
4. The stone of Scone is the one which Jacob anointed with oil.
5. The British Empire people are the covenant people.
6. The British people are chosen of God to dominate the world.

There are several issues that mitigate against the argument put forth by the proponents of British-Israelism, the view that Great Britain and the United States are the remnant of the lost tribes of Israel. I do not have the time nor the inclination to address every misinterpretation in Armstrong’s book. Suffice it to say that the interpretations are based on eisegesis, literalism, and texts interpreted out of context. In this post, I will address three issues raised by the adherents of British-Israelism.

The Tribes of Israel

Since my anonymous critic asked me to answer some of his questions, I asked him to make a list and name the ten tribes that were lost. Here is the list he provided:

The Southern Kingdom: Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin plus a few faithful Levites.

The Northern Kingdom: Reuben, Levi, Gad, Dan, Ephraim, Manasseh, Isaachar (sic), Napthali (sic), Zebulun, and Asher.

The list of the twelve tribes of Israel appears about twenty times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. However, the names of the tribes that compose the twelve tribes of Israel vary from list to list.

The list of the tribes appears for the first time in Genesis 29:31-30:24 in the order in which the children were born. Since Benjamin was born in the land of Canaan, Dinah appears as the twelfth child of Jacob. This is the only time in the Old Testament in which the tribes are listed in the order of their birth. In the twenty lists where the names of the tribes appear, there are eighteen different orders in which the tribes are mentioned.

In some lists, Levi is counted as one of the twelve tribes, in some others Levi does not appear. When Levi is omitted, the tribe of Joseph appears as two tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh.

In Revelation 7:4-8 John provides a list “of every tribe of the sons of Israel”: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin. In this list, the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are missing. The tribe of Joseph represents the tribe of Ephraim.

In the blessing of Moses in Deuteronomy 36:6-29, the following tribes appear: Reuben, Judah, Levi, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh, Zebulun, Gad, Dan, Naphtali. This list contains only 10 tribes; the tribes of Simeon and Asher are missing.

In 1 Kings 11:31-32, only eleven tribes appear. In Judges 5:14-18 there are 11 tribes: Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir, Zebulun, Issachar, Reuben, Gilead, Dan, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. Manasseh is missing. Simeon, Judah, and Levi are also missing. It is possible that the Southern tribes (Simeon and Judah) were not yet part of the confederation of the tribes. In Ezekiel 48 the following tribes are listed: Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad. When the Levites are included, there are thirteen tribes.

All these variations in the listing of the tribes indicate that the number twelve was an artificial arrangement that was also found in other groups outside of Israel. There were the twelve tribes of Nahor (Genesis 22:20-24), the twelve tribes of Ishmael (Genesis 17:20; 25:13-16), and the twelve tribes of Esau (Genesis 36:9-14; 40-43).

The idea of ten tribes presupposes that the Southern Kingdom was composed of only two tribes. However, my reader acknowledges that the Southern Kingdom had three tribes.

In 1 Kings 12:20 we read: “And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.” This verse says that there were only eleven tribes (the ten tribes plus Judah), since only Judah followed the house of David. However, in 1 Kings 12:21 we read: “When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.” Since the tribe of Benjamin followed the tribe of Judah, then the Northern Kingdom had only nine tribes.

2 Chronicles 11:14, says: “For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord.” Since the Levites left the Northern Kingdom to come to Judah, now the Northern Kingdom had only eight tribes.

In addition, 2 Chronicles 11:16 reads: “And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers.” This means that many citizens of the North who were faithful Yahwist came to Judah rather than live in the North. In 2 Chronicles 15:8-9 we read about the existence of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon. And Simeon is counted as a tribe from Israel.

The Population of the Northern Kingdom

The second factor is the number of people from the Northern Kingdom who were deported to Assyria. My anonymous critic says that the population of the Northern Kingdom was “5 million people” and “probably a lot more.” But this embellished number is contradicted by the archaeological evidence.

Adam Zertal, in his article “The Province of Samaria (Assyrian Samerina) in the Late Iron Age (Iron Age III),” published in Judah and the Judeans in the Neo-Babylonian Period, edited by Oded Lipschitz and Joseph Blenkinsopp (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2003), p. 385, wrote concerning the people from the North who came to worship in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 41:5):

The fact that organized communities of Israelites still saw Jerusalem as their holy place may be interpreted as evidence of the existence of the Yahwistic cult as the main faith in the North, some 150 years after the conquest of Samaria. The archaeological data seem to support this idea, that in spite of the population changes, most of the people remained Israelite in faith. Even if the number of exiled people from Samaria by the Assyrians (approximately 27,000) is reliable, it still did not exceed 20-25% of the Israelite population.

Zertal estimated the population of the Northern Kingdom at the time of the Assyrian conquest to be no more than 100,000, probably 70,000 people. Thus, the population of the Northern Kingdom was smaller than anonymous said it was. But the fact is that many of the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom remained behind. Some of them fled to the Southern Kingdom, as the archaeological evidence demonstrates. Some of them went to Egypt where they organized a large Jewish community, and some of them eventually became the Samaritan people.

There were never ten lost tribes so far as the Bible is concerned, only a dispersion of many Israelites throughout the whole ancient Near East. In fact the 27,000 people carried by the Assyrians into captivity represented only a small fraction of the total population at the time of the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C.

Under Ezra and Nehemiah about 50,000 people returned from Babylon. This is how the Chronicler described the settlement of the people who returned from exile: “Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims. And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh” (1 Chronicles 9:2-3).

According to the Chronicler, among those tribes that returned from Babylon were people from Ephraim and Manasseh, and they lived in Jerusalem. In addition, the Chronicler makes a distinction between the Israelites and the Judeans who lived in Jerusalem. Thus, the Biblical record indicates that a remnant from all of the tribes returned. The reference to “all Israel” appears in Ezra 1:3; 2:70; 3:11; 6:17, 21; 7:6, 13, 28; 8:25, 35; 10:5 and in Nehemiah 7:73; 8:1, 17; 9:2; 10:33; 11:20; 12:47; 13:3, 18, 26. Thus, according to Ezra and Nehemiah, “all Israel” was not lost.

The Mission of Jeremiah

After the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah was taken by force to Egypt. According to the proponents of British-Israelism, Jeremiah, in carrying out his mission as assigned by God, left Egypt and took two princesses of Judah, the daughters of King Zedekiah, to Spain where the younger princess got married. Then, Jeremiah took Zedekiah’s older daughter to Ireland. In Ireland, the older daughter of Zedekiah married the ruler of Ireland. Thus, through Zedekiah’s daughter, the line of David on the throne of Judah was maintained and continues to this day through the British royal family.

This view is contradicted by the Biblical evidence. The line of David was continued through Jehoiachin and not through Zedekiah. Although Jehoiachin was a captive in Babylon, he was still recognized as the legitimate successor to the throne of David (cf. Jeremiah 52:31-34). According to the Weidner Tablets (ANET, 308), Jehoiachin lived in the Babylonian court and the Babylonian king made provisions “for Jehoiachin, the king of the land of Judah and for the five sons of the king of the land of Judah.”

According to the prophet Haggai, the post-exilic community considered making Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel and Jehoiachin’s grandson, a king in Judah, before he was probably forced to return to Persia (Haggai 2:23). In addition, the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1:12-16 traces the royal line through Jehoiachin and not through Zedekiah’s daughter.

In his article on “British-Israelism and Pyramidology,” Interpretation 11 (1957), p. 318, Carl Howie wrote:

It is unfortunate that well-meaning people have become dupes of a chauvinistic egotism which substitutes an earthly throne for that which Christ alone can occupy and substitutes an earthly empire for the Kingdom of God. The thought that God’s Kingdom is coextensive with an earthly empire and that the throne of England is the seat of this rule, is abhorrent to all who are acquainted with the profundity of the kingdom and Messiah concepts. That the Kingdom of God is spiritual and not physical is axiomatic and that the church, as it is true to Christ by faith, is the Israel of faith is equally sure (cf. I Peter 2:9-10). To make God the servant and supporter of racism such as the Anglo-Israel movement does directly contradicts both the spirit and letter of the Bible. On the basis of overwhelming evidence we conclude that the British-Israel hypothesis has no basis in fact since no legitimate evidence has been found for its support.

In his article on “Anglo-Israelism,” published in the Jewish Encyclopedia, Joseph Jacobs wrote:

Altogether, by the application of wild guesswork about historical origins and philological analogies, and by a slavishly literal interpretation of selected phrases of prophecy, a case was made out for the identification of the British race with the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel sufficient to satisfy uncritical persons desirous of finding their pride of race confirmed by Holy Scripture. The whole theory rests upon an identification of the word “isles” in the English version of the Bible unjustified by modern philology, which identifies the original word with “coasts” or “distant lands” without any implication of their being surrounded by the sea. Modern ethnography does not confirm in any way the identification of the Irish with a Semitic people; while the English can be traced back to the Scandinavians, of whom there is no trace in Mesopotamia at any period of history. English is a branch of the Aryan stock of languages, and has no connection with Hebrew. The whole movement is chiefly interesting as a reductio ad absurdum of too literal an interpretation of the prophecies.

Although my anonymous reader many never agree with my conclusion, the fact is that British Israelism is based on a biased interpretation of the text, eisegesis, wishful thinking, and a lack of reliable historical evidence. The view that Great Britain and the United States of America are the lost tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh is just a myth.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Crackpot Prophet Suffering More Intense Persecution By Amazon Kindle!

Behold the tragic saga of God's greatest gift to humanity—our very own unparalleled theological genius, the one and only Crackpot Bob—currently being absolutely pulverized by the relentless hordes of Satanic forces. 

These infernal minions, apparently with nothing better to do than hunch over their glowing screens in some dimly lit basement lair, have been gleefully sabotaging his websites for months. Yes, months of digital warfare, where they gleefully tamper with code, crash servers, and generally wreak havoc on poor Crackpot Bob's online empire. Because nothing says "Prince of Darkness" like DDoS attacks and broken HTML, right?

And just when you thought the persecution couldn't get any more operatic, Amazon Kindle has now entered the fray like the corporate arm of Beelzebub himself. They've unceremoniously dumped every last one of Crackpot Bob's profound writings from their platform. All those earth-shattering treatises, vanished in a puff of algorithmic smoke! Oh, the humanity! Whatever shall the faithful do now? How will the world possibly survive without instant access to such luminous insights? The apocalypse is surely upon us—stock up on tinfoil, people.

Crackpot Bob himself, ever the stoic martyr in this grand cosmic drama, writes:

Since Amazon Kindle improperly removed all our literature for a false reason, we have been updating our literature as we move it to another platform. So, we are trying to turn this persecuting step into a positive.

UCG Member Survey: Repetitive Sermons Lacking In Depth, Cliques, Inner Circles and More

 

UCG just wrapped up their fancy little member survey about programs and the oh-so-fulfilling congregational experience they provide. Shockingly, members are still finding those same old repetitive, tired, canned sermons they've been force-fed for decades to be boring and utterly lacking in depth. What a surprise. They had this golden opportunity to reinvent everything when they launched their shiny new-and-improved COG, but apparently, old habits die harder than a bad sermon illustration.

The numbers, of course, paint such a rosy picture: the Church is still viewed as this powerful positive force for spiritual growth. So many respondents gushed with deep appreciation for the teaching, resources, and rock-solid stability UCG so generously offers.

Yet somehow, a few pesky themes of "improvement opportunities" managed to sneak in:

At the same time, several themes emerged where members see opportunities for improvement:

• Congregational care and belonging show mixed results. Many feel loved and supported, while others feel less engaged or unsure how to connect.
• Biblical resources are valued, but some members desire more support during difficult personal trials.
• Weekly messages are appreciated but sometimes described as repetitive or lacking depth; there is room to elevate the delivery style and effectiveness of messages.
• Service and involvement remain areas of both strength and challenge. Many serve regularly, yet others want to serve but don’t know how to begin.
• Being a light in the community is an aspiration for many, but members desire clearer pathways and encouragement to do so.

Go ahead and be a dazzling light in the community WITHOUT waiting for a COG minister to hand you an approved checklist of exactly what, when, and how you're allowed to help. Shocking concept, I know.

Just pick whatever needs you personally see in your community that needs help, do whatever you feel moved to do—no permission slip required. Dare to surround yourself with—brace yourselves—people who aren't UCG members, and (prepare to be scandalized) actually enrich your lives in the process!

You might discover that there are tons of wonderful, caring, generous human beings out there in the big bad world. And get this: shockingly, a whole bunch of them are Christians... the very ones you've been carefully taught your entire life are spiritually inferior, deceived, or just plain lesser. 

Next, the focus went to members serving in the local area.

UCG is still dragging around the exact same problem WCG had: the same handful of people do everything repeatedly while everyone else gets ignored. Offer to help? Crickets. No wonder people eventually withdraw.

Some described congregations where the same small group carries most of the responsibilities. Others noted that service is often associated only with visible tasks—speaking, leading music, organizing activities—rather than the broader, relational service Scripture describes.

A recurring theme was the longing to feel invited. Several comments reflected this sentiment: “I don’t feel like the Church gives me an opportunity to serve; I step out on my own and offer myself to anyone who needs it” and “There are brethren with talents who want to serve, but they are never asked.”

At the same time, those who have been serving for many years expressed feeling stretched thin. This creates a cycle where some are overloaded while others stand back, unsure how to join in.

When people withdraw, surprise—they get ignored even more, leading to charming responses like this. Cliques still reign supreme. The minister's inner circle of chosen pets still rule the roost, leaving the rest of the members on the periphery.

A large majority of respondents feel cared for and treated with Christian love in their congregations. Many described their local church as “family,” a refuge, and a source of strength.

Yet the comments also reveal a quieter reality: some members feel overlooked, lonely, or unsure how to break into established social circles. A number of respondents used words like “cliques,” “inner circle,” or “outsider” to describe their experience.

One comment captured this poignantly: “I have been here almost two years and only a few people even know my name.”

UCG members apparently still have this crazy desire for deep spiritual conversations that aren't being met. In Armstrongism, this is hardly breaking news. Deep, meaningful spiritual conversations were never exactly encouraged. Members weren't supposed to gather in homes for honest discussion without a minister playing babysitter. The second a minister walks in, the real talk dies, honest questions get stifled, and everyone snaps back to script. Imagine a group doing a Bible study together without a single minister or official literature in sight—pure chaos, right?

...many respondents expressed a desire for:

• Practical guidance for Christian living in a rapidly changing world
• More opportunities for meaningful spiritual conversations

Some noted that fellowship can feel superficial, with members unsure how to discuss biblical topics or navigate differences of opinion peacefully. This is an area where congregations can continue to grow— creating environments where spiritual conversations feel natural, safe and enriching. 

Armstrongism has never been big on putting faith into action in our multicultural world. The world was always seen as sinful and out to "get" COG members. The ministry and leadership apparently thought members were so feeble-minded they'd bolt at the first exposure. You rarely saw a COG member volunteering at a homeless shelter or food bank—too risky.

Members expressed a strong desire to be more active in their communities and to shine God’s light beyond the walls of the church. Younger adults in particular expressed interest in service projects, outreach and opportunities to work together in meaningful ways.

Many respondents noted that while personal example is important, coordinated congregational efforts could help members feel more confident and connected in this aspect of the Church’s mission.

The survey ended with this:

This year’s survey paints a picture of a deeply valued Church, but one with opportunities to grow stronger, be more connected and more welcoming.

The most consistent message across all comments is simple: people want to feel included. They want to serve. They want to belong. They want to grow. They want to feel wanted. And they want to help others grow.

These are not tasks assigned to a few—they are responsibilities shared by all of us. Each of us has the ability to notice someone standing alone, to invite someone into a conversation, to ask someone to help, or to offer help themselves. Service is not a checklist; it is a way of being with one another. 

Sadly, for most of the church's existence, members have been viewed as little more than tithing units. Brethren, we need a new jet. We need a new auditorium. We need a college campus. We need new recording studios. We need a new magazine. We need a new web server.

Members soon found out that no matter how much they gave, it was never enough. They thought they were serving. They thought that by serving, they belonged to something bigger than themselves. They wanted to feel wanted for more than their money. Sadly, the church has never looked at them as being needed. Most COG groups count their "members" as tithing units. Those are the real members; the rest are just stragglers mooching off the community.

Imagine, if you can, what today’s Churches of God would be like if they actually practiced 1st Century Christianity as they all claim to do. What a different world we would be living in.

Take Heed! Those who refuse and rebel will die by the SWORD! So says God!

Samuel—our fearless guardian of the one true remnant—has once again dusted off a priceless relic from the golden age of Armstrongism, when the church was supposedly "pure and virtuous" (meaning everyone knew their place and bowed nicely to the fearless leader, of course).

This gem is clearly a tantrum-throwing sermon or Bible Study from some minister—maybe even Herb himself—ranting about all those naughty rebels who dared to question the divine order and exit stage left during the glorious 1970s rebellion era (roughly 1971–1974, when a bunch of ministers and members had the audacity to think for themselves). It's typed on an actual typewriter, so you know it's ancient, authentic, and definitely not another one of those sneaky AI fakes Samuel got caught peddling just the other day. Or, is it?

The classic line gets trotted out yet again: "Those who have rebelled against God have left the Body of Christ." Ah, yes, the favorite epithet the church loved to hurl at anyone who so much as raised an eyebrow or packed their bags. Spoiler alert: It was never true—not then, not now, not ever. Leaving Armstrongism doesn't torpedo your salvation. Shocking, I know.

And naturally, if you're "outside" the one true church, who's running the show? Why, big bad Satan, of course—the ultimate scapegoat for every doctrinal flip-flop, failed prophecy, or inconvenient fact the ministry didn't like. No nuance, no personal responsibility—just straight to the devil's doorstep.

Then comes the real kicker: All those nasty COG splinter groups are wallowing in "iniquity," and under no circumstances should you dare observe Passover with them. Nope, Passover is only legitimate if Samuel (or maybe Bob Thiel, depending on whose ego is louder that week) is presiding over the bread and wine. Everyone else? Spiritually radioactive.

And according to that dramatic final paragraph on page three—keeping Passover the "right" way will literally save your life. Christ will wash you sparkling clean that very night, while everyone who is doomed to death by the sword. (Because nothing says "love and mercy" like a divine hit list tied to your choice of Passover venue.)

Unfortunately—for those trapped in this theology—the cleansing lasts exactly one nanosecond. The moment you partake, you're pristine... right up until you sin again. Which, let's be honest, happens about twenty-five minutes later. Drive out of the Masonic Lodge parking lot (or wherever the "true" service was held), someone cuts you off in traffic, you mutter a less-than-holy word under your breath—BAM! Sin strikes again. Your shiny white robe? Instantly filthy. Back to square one, doomed to wallow in 365 days of miserable, sin-soaked guilt until the next Passover rolls around for your annual reset button.

What a liberating system, right? Truly the pinnacle of spiritual freedom and joy. Who wouldn't want to live like that? In a church where you can never do anything right. Forget the New Covenant with its grace, redemption, and restoration. Who needs that wishy-washy protestant liberal theology! 

Keep clutching those old typewritten sermons, Samuel— they're clearly working wonders and will bring in millions of dollars to buy that auditorium that you so earnestly covet

You Have Less Than A Month To Search Your Home And Life For Unrepented Sins!

It's that magical time of year again in COGland—Passover prep season, where the real countdown begins to their ultra-special version of the holy days. Get ready for weeks of thrilling detective work, hunting down those sneaky "hidden sins" (a.k.a. stray bread crumbs) tucked away in suit coat pockets, toy chests, under couch cushions, or—because why not?—the toolbox out in the garage. Truly, what a spiritually profound exercise.

For so many faithful souls, it's an utterly exhausting marathon, mentally and physically draining, as they spend countless hours de-leavening their homes in a frantic, never-quite-complete quest for perfection. Because, obviously, if even one microscopic crumb survives, the whole family is doomed as wretched, unredeemed sinners. How inspiring.

And let's not forget those golden pulpit moments when ministers would regale the congregation with tales of all the leaven they heroically discovered—conveniently stashed by the children, of course. Nothing says "personal accountability" like blaming the kids for your own lingering sins. Classic move.

But the absolute pinnacle of brilliance? Back in Pasadena, they forced custodial employees to crawl on their hands and knees, armed with nothing but a toothbrush, meticulously scrubbing every last crumb from the teakwood floors in the student center. And the ministers and evangelists who had custodial come in and deleaven their homes for them. Because apparently, God's grace just wasn't enough—someone had to perform extreme manual labor to prove their righteousness. Utterly brilliant, and completely essential... except, oops, the New Covenant requires precisely zero of this nonsense. No physical house-purging mandatory, just the spiritual kind. Who knew?

Greetings from Charlotte,

We are now a month away from the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. Let us make sure we are preparing by examining ourselves to find unrepented-of leaven in our lives. Most of us do not have to look too hard to find some significant shortcomings—often ones that we face year after year. What Paul said applies to all of us: “For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do” (Romans 7:15). Nevertheless, with the help of God, we can make real progress at allowing Christ to be formed in us (Galatians 4:19). I sincerely hope that we can all look back over the past year and find spiritual growth in our lives. Either way, we should determine with God’s help to see growth in the year to come. The world makes “New Year’s resolutions” that are almost always quickly broken. Let us strive to do better than that. We will be mailing out a Holy Day letter in the next few days, and I hope you will take time to read and meditate on its content. Until then, have a rewarding Sabbath.

—Gerald E. Weston

Keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in the Kingdom!

Keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in the Kingdom!

Herbert Armstrong and his followers have used a passage from the prophet Zechariah to "prove" that people will still be observing the Feast of Tabernacles after Christ returns. In that book, we read: "Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:16-19, ESV) Well, what about it? Does this passage prove that Christians should be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths?

This post will demonstrate that Armstrong and his followers have completely ignored the context of this passage of Scripture and have misapplied and misinterpreted it so that they can use it in the capacity of one of their "prooftexts" for their contention that Christians are still obligated to observe certain provisions of Torah. Hence, we will examine the context of this passage within the book of Zechariah, and in the broader context of other passages which deal with the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths. In other words, we will use the whole Bible approach to properly understand this passage and demonstrate that Armstrong completely misunderstood and misapplied the meaning and import of this prophecy.

First, we must look at this passage's context within the book of Zechariah. Thus, backing up a few verses from the passage in question, we read: "Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one." (Zechariah 14:1-9, ESV) Notice, that this is clearly referring to the return of Jesus Christ to this earth.

In the New Testament, we are informed that Christ and his apostles gathered on the Mount of Olives prior to his ascension to heaven. We read: "So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.' Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away." (Acts 1:6-12, ESV) Thus, the two men in white robes confirmed Zechariah's prophecy of long ago - that someday Christ would return to the Mount of Olives to establish his kingdom over the entire earth.

This, of course, is also consistent with Christ's own statement that he came to this earth to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). Indeed, the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are literally chocked-full of references to Christ doing just that - fulfilling the Law and the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible. As we have mentioned many times here, Christ and his apostles used the Hebrew Bible to teach people about HIM - they were the ONLY Scriptures available to them at the time (the New Testament had NOT been written yet)! In the Gospel of John, we read that "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'" (John 1:45, ESV) In the Gospel of Luke, we are informed that Christ told his disciples: "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Luke 24:44-47, ESV)

Likewise, the Apostle Paul wrote to the saints of Colossae: "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." (Colossians 2:8-17, ESV) The NLT renders that last passage: "For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality." In other words, the Sabbaths, festivals, and new moons pointed to Christ.

Now, we know that in ancient times, the Feast of Temporary Dwellings/Tabernacles/Booths memorialized the time that the children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness - living in temporary shelters, and the ingathering of the fall harvest in the Promised Land. What does that have to do with Jesus of Nazareth and his ministry?

In the Gospel of John, we read: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, KJV) According to Blue Letter Bible, the Greek word translated here into English as "dwelt" literally means "to fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle"! Notice how this same passage appears in some of the other English translations of the Bible: "So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." (NLT) "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (NIV) "And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth." (YLT, Young's Literal Translation) So, like the Jews of old, this Jew from Nazareth temporarily pitched his tent/booth among his people!

Likewise, in the epistle to the Hebrews, we read that Jesus was "for a little while" made lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9, ESV). Continuing, in that same passage, we read: "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." (Hebrews 2:14-18, ESV) Just like us, Jesus Christ tabernacled in the same flesh and blood, temporary dwelling, that each of us as humans currently inhabit!

Interestingly, the temporary nature of our current dwellings is a recurring theme in Scripture. Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth about the salvation that they had through Jesus Christ though it was currently contained in "jars of clay" (II Corinthians 4:7, ESV). A little later, in the same letter, he wrote: "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." (II Corinthians 5:1, NIV) In similar fashion, Peter wrote this about salvation through Jesus Christ: "Wherefore, I will not be careless always to remind you concerning these things, though, having known them, and having been established in the present truth, and I think right, so long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up in reminding [you], having known that soon is the laying aside of my tabernacle, even as also our Lord Jesus Christ did shew to me, and I will be diligent that also at every time ye have, after my outgoing, power to make to yourselves the remembrance of these things." (II Peter 1:12-15, YLT)

Alright, we've addressed the symbolism of the temporary dwelling, but what about the harvest aspect of this festival? Jesus equated his work in some of his parables to the harvest (see the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Weeds). In the Gospel of Matthew, we read: "And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" (Matthew 9:35-38, ESV) Over and over again, Christ portrayed himself as a crop farmer or shepherd of flocks who expected his work to bear fruit or produce a harvest. After all, Scripture even referred to Jesus as the first of the first fruits of the great harvest!

Hence, as we have demonstrated that this festival pointed to Jesus Christ, we are ready to return to the passage in question and give it another look. In the fourteenth chapter of Zechariah, we read: "In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. Any nation in the world that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will have no rain. If the people of Egypt refuse to attend the festival, the Lord will punish them with the same plague that he sends on the other nations who refuse to go. Egypt and the other nations will all be punished if they don’t go to celebrate the Festival of Shelters." (Zechariah 14:16-19, NLT) Notice, that I chose to use the New Living Translation of this passage, because I believe it better conveys the intent of the Hebrew verb "hagag" which indicates celebrating rather than simply keeping or observing a day or time. Moreover, this same Hebrew verb is used in the twenty-third chapter of Leviticus to describe THIS festival - that the Israelites were expected to celebrate it (the same terminology is not used of the other festivals listed there).

Thus, when we put all of this together, Zechariah is clearly predicting a time when the whole earth will celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ tabernacled in the flesh and inaugurated the great harvest which will then be in full swing! Notice again, the language which the prophet used in this passage: (they) "will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters." In other words, worshipping the king is considered an integral part of this particular celebration. Hence, we must conclude that Zechariah is referring to a celebration of Jesus Christ and what he has done for the whole earth, rather than a simple resurrection of the physical observance of one of the festivals of Torah! In short, this prediction is much more profound and meaningful than anything Herbert Armstrong or his followers ever imagined!

Posted by Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix