From Rohr’s title in his post, So There Are Two Chosen People, he must believe that the Jews were replaced by the Christians as God’s chosen people. This belief is called “The Replacement Theory,” which was rejected by the Catholic Church (See the article on Catholic Answers, written by Jimmy Akin.)
Yes, there is a New Israel. And if there is a New Israel, that means there is also an Old Israel. There is a New Testament and an Old Testament. There is a New Covenant and an Old Covenant. There is a first Adam, and there is a second Adam. There is a first Eve and a New Eve. So, it only takes common sense that if there is a New Israel, there is also an Old Israel. The Jews are the Old Israel. However, the question is are the Jews still the chosen people of God? According to the Catholic Church, the answer is YES. So, who should you believe.. Rohr or the Catholic Church? According to an article in Catholic Answers, written by Jimmy Akin (the bold is mine):
The Church rejects the idea that the covenant with Israel has been nullified or revoked.
The Old Testament is an indispensable part of Sacred Scripture. Its books are divinely inspired and retain a permanent value, for the Old Covenant has never been revoked. (Catechism, 121)
While the role of preparing the world for the arrival of the messiah has been fulfilled by the Jewish people, they still are God’s chosen people whose fidelity to God remains a light to the nations. The Jewish people were called to a unique and special relationship to God that included preparing for the messiah but was not limited to that one role.
In addition, when asked if the Jews are still God's chosen people Cardinal Ratzinger responded:
God has not, then, retracted his word that Israel is the chosen people?
No, because he is faithful. Of course, we can see that Israel still has some way to go. As Christians, we believe that they will in the end be together with us in Christ. But they are not simply done with and left out of God's plans; rather they still stand within the faithful covenant of God.
So, yes, the Jews are still God's chosen people, and this is what the Catholic Church teaches. Rohr's teaching is not Catholic. Jesus did not come down to invent a new religion. His purpose was to bring redemption to mankind. God remains faithful to Israel...to both the New Israel and the Old Israel, for both are His chosen people. God is "the Judeo-Christian God" because the Jews and Christians are His chosen people who know His real name.
According to Tim Rohr:
The DIANA, who claims to only speak for herself and not The Neocatechumenal Way (NCW) - which she constantly speaks for - says - within the current context of the Israel v Hamas conflict - that she "stands with Israel."
Is Rohr calling me a liar when I stated the following?
Although I walk in the Neocatechumenal Way, this is my blog and does not express the views of other members walking in the Way. Neocatechumenal Way, Insider's View is the view of only one person walking in the Way. My political views may be different from the others walking in the Way. Nevertheless, they are my political views and mine alone.
The title of my blog is "Neocatechumenal Way - An Insider's View." "An Insider's View" means exactly that, and it was written in the singular tense It is NOT The Insiders' Views (plural). It is the view or viewpoint of one person walking in the Way for several years. So, as one person asked me in my blog earler whether Spanish is being recited in our Eucharist, I answered that as far as I know, it is not. So, what part of "An Insider's View" does Rohr not understand?
As for the Palestinians, have you ever wondered why the Arab neighbors closed their borders to the Palestinian refugees? When Russia attacked Ukraine, their European neighbors took in the Ukrainian refugees, which consist mostly of women, children and the elderly. But the Arab world closed their borders to the Palestinian refugees. The Arab world are aware that the majority of Palestinians elected Hamas whose goal is to murder all Jews and destroy the State of Israel and make it into an Islamic state. This is a fact that many in the West chose to ignore. And today we see the reason why as antisemitism finally reared its ugly head in the western world.
I guess Rohr calls God the "Christian God" and forget that Jesus was a Jew. 🤣
ReplyDeleteIn your view, does the nation of Israel need to exist as a geopolitical reality before Our Lord comes again?
ReplyDeleteDear Chuck White,
DeleteThe nation of Israel was given to the Jews more than 3000 years ago. God promised them the land of Canaan even to the descendants of the Jews. And God's words cannot be revoked.
Gen 17:8 - “Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Israel exists because it came from God. That land had always belonged to the Jews and their descendants. The name Palestine never existed as a country. The land was given the name "Palestine" by the Romans after the Jews were driven out into Europe and other neighboring countries. The Romans called it Palestine because they hated the Jews. And Palestine never existed as a country because there never was a king or ruler of Palestine.
You can find the names of the Canaanite kings because Canaan was once a country. You can also find the kings of Israel because Israel was a country. But there were no kings or rulers of Palestine because it was never a country. God said He will give that land to the Jews and their descendants as an EVERLASTING posession. So, even when the Jews were driven from the Holy Land, the land still belongs to them. It is their ancestral homeland given to them by God.
It was God that made the Jews into a nation. That nation was Israel. In the same way, God also turned His Church into a nation. That nation is Vatican City. Not even the Protestants have a nation they can call their own. Only the Old Israel and New Israel have a nation.
Thank you, but that doesn't answer my question, "Does the nation of Israel need to exist as a geopolitical reality before Our Lord comes again?" I'll ask the same question another way: in your view, was the establishment of the State of Israel as a geopolitical reality in 1948 a necessary requirement in order for Our Lord to return?
ReplyDeleteThe answer to that question is no. God can return anytime He wants. He can even decide to come tomorrow or in the next 100 years. However, what is certain is that when He returns, the Jews would accept Christ.
Delete@Chuck White. Diana is right. Nobody knows when God is gonna return. That's in the Bible. No one knows the hour or the day. Only God know cuz he makes that decision.
DeleteThank you. So Christ's Second Coming does not depend upon the existence of the State of Israel constituted in 1948. Another question, if I may: is it your view that the State of Israel constituted in 1948 is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy?
DeleteDear Chuck White,
DeleteNo. The restoration of Israel's name and its establishment in 1948 is confirmation that God's words and promise to the Jewish people cannot be revoked. After the Jews declared their state of Israel in 1948, seven Arab nations attacked Israel. And Israel defeated all of them without the help of the United States and the United Nations. God's words and promises to the Jewish people cannot be revoked.
You said, "No", then you immediately contradicted yourself by saying that "the restoration of Israel's name and its establishment in 1948 is confirmation that God's words and promise". So is the modern State of Israel, established in 1948, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy?
DeleteDear Chuck White,
DeleteYou misunderstood what I said. The Old Testament prophecy was ALREADY fulfilled when the Israelites conquered the 7 tribes of Canaan and took the land. That was the Old Testament prophecy. God said that land would be given to the Jews and their descendants as an everlasting possession. That prophecy was already fulfilled when the Israelites defeated Canaan.
The restoration of Israel in 1948 is evidence showing that God's words are true. And even history shows it. The land of Israel can be controlled, but it can never be conquered and taken from by Jews.
Just look at history. After the Jews were driven away from their homeland, that land never became a nation. It was controlled by the Ottoman Empire, but Palestine never existed as a country. Palestine never had a king or ruler and no government existed in Palestine. Palestine never existed as a nation. That land became a nation only when the descendants of the Jews returned to the Holy Land. And when 7 Arab nations attacked Israel in 1948, they could not defeat the Jews and take the land.
Diana, looks like Tim is backtracking. 🤣🤣🤣 You really nailed him good! LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 8:34 pm,
DeleteOf course, he is backtracking. It is obvious that Rohr did not realize that both Jews and Christians were God's chosen people. He thought that Christians are now God's chosen people. The title of his post says it all with a question mark at the end.
Now, he quoted Pope Pius X who was against the Jews returning to the Holy Land. I guess Rohr did not realize that eventually it was the Catholic Church who helped hundreds of thousands of Jews return to the Holy Land during the Holocaust. God works in mysterious ways, and God has not abandoned His chosen people.
“If you come to Palestine and settle your people there, we will be ready with churches and priests to baptize all of you” -St. Pius X. It seems you forgot to add “St.” earlier to this blessed Pope’s name.
DeleteSecondly, Most modern day “Jews” are not fully Jewish. I’m speaking about their racial genes. Many of them have very little Jewish blood in them but claim they are “Jews”. I’ve seen a lot of them in New York that basically look Eastern European. Yet despite not even being fully Jewish SOME of them have the audacity to insult the rest of us as “dogs” while they think they are entitled because of their claimed race and “saved by their genes”.
Well if salvation was based on genes as they claim then they wouldn’t be saved at all considering the majority of them are not even close to 80% Jewish. What they really are is Jew-“ish” as in only slightly. The point I’m trying to make is that salvation doesn’t come from genes alone.
However, I agree with you that it’s ridiculous that Palestinian authorities rejected a 2-state proposal 7 times. The state of Israel is here to stay. The Palestinian government wants a Palestine only state with no Israel and that’s just wrong in so many ways. Not even the Christian Palestinians would be safe in a “free Palestine”. We know how dangerous fully governmentally Muslim nations can be.
There is even a slow motion Jihad war happening in France as we speak by extremists that should have their French citizenship taken away from them. These events in France started happening even before the Hamas attacks last year. There has been several cases of Priests getting beaten and most of the attacks are on Catholic Churches. It is only a matter of time before these radicals get stronger and start committing several acts of homicide and kidnapping French women. I can share you the link right here, https://www.tfp.org/why-are-people-ignoring-the-slow-motion-jihad-that-rages-inside-france/?PKG=TFPE3226
Islam is NOT our friend. Their very book tells them not to be friends with “infidels”, AKA us and Jews. Please stay safe everyone.
Dear Anonymous at 5:33 am,
DeleteEven if they have 1% Jew blood, that still makes them the chosen people of God and are entitled to the land of Israel.
You are correct that salvation does not come from genes. Nevertheless, salvation also does not come from being Catholic alone. Jesus said that not all those who say 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but those who do the will of his Father. There are some of us (both Jews and Catholics) who call upon God, but do not obey His will. At any rate, the point of my post is not about salvation. It is about whether the Jews are still God’s chosen people.
I agree with you about radical Islam. The intention of "Free Palestine" is to destroy the State of Israel and kill the Jews. If they succeed in doing that, their next target will be the Christians.