from Israel My Glory, Vol. 60, No.3
The Preservation
of the Jewish People,part 2
by Will Varner
In 1881 the infamous pogroms
broke out and continued sporadically
until World War I. Local mobs,
often urged on by their Orthodox
priests, attacked Jewish communities, murdering thousands of
innocent men, women, and children
for being so-called Christ-killers.
Hundreds of thousands of Jewish
people fled to the New World.
Those who somehow survived
the pogroms and remained in
Eastern Europe eventually faced the
worst of all Jewish tragedies—the
Holocaust. From 1933 to 1945,
through a series of repressive
laws; labor camps; and, finally,
gas chambers, the Nazis obliterated
approximately six million Jewish
people—simply because they
were Jewish.
”
Their Survival
And yet they survived. The
Jewish people, of course, are not
the only nationality that has
endured suffering. However,
their anguish has been unique in
several ways. No nation in the
history of the world ever has
been exiled from its land, lost its
national existence and language,
then returned as a people to that
identical homeland and even
revivified its ancient tongue. No
nation, that is, except one—the
nation of Israel.
How can we explain this phenomenon?
Modern historians and
philosophers have tried and failed.
The Jewish experience simply
does not fit human theories and
explanations. One of the greatest
historians of all time was Arnold
Toynbee, whose classic ten-volume
work, A Study of History, traces the
rise and inevitable fall of
twenty-six civilizations.
Despite all his brilliance,
Toynbee could not adequately
explain the phenomenon of the
“Jewish civilization.” According
to his philosophy of history,
civilizations rise then eventually
fall, never to rise again. Jewish history,
however, did not fit Toynbee’s
scheme. Yes, the Jewish nation rose
and fell. But it survived after its fall
and, amazingly, returned to its
ancient land, reconstituted its
national existence, and even resurrected
its ancient language from the
dead. No other nation has ever
accomplished this feat.
Toynbee could not comprehend
the Jewish peoples’ survival
because he was unwilling to consider
God’s promises. The Lord
God declared through His prophet
that Israel will never cease from
being a nation (Jer. 31:36), and He
has kept that promise by preserving
His Chosen People through all
their dark nights of suffering.
Apart from God, no other explanation
exists. Toynbee referred to the
Jews as the “fossils of history.” A
fossil is an ancient object that really
should not be here today but is
somehow “frozen in time”—out of
place but here nevertheless.
From a human viewpoint, the
Jewish people should not be here.
With all they have endured, they
should have disappeared long
ago. More magnificent civilizations,
such as the Assyrians,
Hittites, and Babylonians, have
been consigned to the dustbin of
history. But, in the familiar words
of an Israeli folk song, “Am Yisrael
Hai!” (“the people of Israel live!”).
Their ancient persecutors and
murderers have vanished from the
stage of human history, but little
Israel keeps playing its role in the
divine cosmic drama. And Israel
will continue to do so, not because
of its cunning, savvy, or wit, but
because of the promises of God.
The great Prussian Emperor
Frederick often would test his
chaplain with theological questions.
Frederick, however, said he
did not have time for long answers
and explanations. He wanted simple
answers that he could comprehend
quickly. One day he asked his
chaplain if he could provide simple
and succinct evidence for the
truth of the Bible. Frederick asked
if the chaplain could provide the
evidence in just one word. The
wise chaplain responded that he
could do just that.
“What is this magical word?”
Frederick asked.
The chaplain replied, “Israel,
your majesty. The people of Israel.”
It would be difficult indeed for
anyone to offer better proof for
the accuracy and divine authenticity
of God’s Word. Israel has
survived and will continue to
survive because God Almighty
has willed it.
 Will Varner is professor of Bible and Greek at The Master's College in Santa Clarita, California.
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