An Immutable Principle
An Immutable Principle
In late 2000 I wrote, "I have just returned from seven days in Jerusalem, Israel, praying for Holy Ghost revival to fall on that city in these, the last of the Last Days. In the weeks immediately before my pilgrimage I had begun to prophesy and preach that we will experience End Time revival in our own nation (New Zealand) by the measure and to the extent that we seek and pray and work for, and also financially support, the outpouring of God's final world-shaking revival in and from His City." ("The Jerusalem Revival")
My prediction was then "greeted" by a prolonged ecclesiastical yawn, some unexpected and surprising hostility, and the discrete but firm shutting of many a "door of utterance" in my face.
But my statement does in fact contain the mind of Christ, and is entirely in accord and alignment with God's golden chain of apostolicity.
"The Lord saith, All the nations shall be blessed in Abraham: Hence I gather that the nation of the Jews shall be called, and converted to the participation of this blessing: When, and how, God knows: But that it shall be done before the end of the world we know." (William Perkins, Cambridge University Fellow, 1582)
"The faithful Jews rejoiced to think of the calling of the Gentiles; and why should we not joy to think of the calling of the Jews?" (Richard Sibbes, Puritan scholar, 1577-1635)
"O see the sight, next to Christ's coming in the clouds, the most joyful! Our elder brethren the Jews and Christ fall upon one another's necks and kiss each other! They have been long asunder; they will be kind to one another when they meet. O day! O longed-for and lovely day-dawn! O sweet Jesus, let me see that sight which will be as life from the dead, Thee and Thy ancient people in mutual embraces." (Samuel Rutherford, Professor of Divinity, Scotland, 1600-1661)
"Are you longing for a revival to the churches, now lying like dry bones, would you fain have the Spirit of life enter into them? Then pray for the Jews. 'For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world; what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead.' That will be a lively time, a time of a great outpouring of the Spirit, that will carry reformation to a greater height than yet has been." (Thomas Boston, Church of Scotland minister, 1716)
"Deliver the ten tribes of Israel from their blindness and estrangement, and make us acquainted with their sealed ones: bring in the tribe of Judah in its time, and bless its first fruits among us." (Moravian prayer, 1764)
In 1839, the Presbyterian Church of Scotland was "moved" to create a Mission of Inquiry, which was formally sent to the Holy Land to "make personal inquiries into the state of Israel".
One of the four ministers sent was Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813-1843). Before the journey he wrote, "We should be like God in His peculiar affections; and the whole Bible shows that God has ever had, and still has, a peculiar love to the Jews. I now see plainly that all our views about the Jews being the chief object of missionary exertion are plain and sober truths, according to the Scripture."
"But as far as election if concerned, they (Israel) are loved on account of the patriarchs." (Romans 11.28)
"I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Romans 1.16 Also Acts 3.26 and 13.46)
Further, Robert M'Cheyne made clear his expectation that "we might anticipate an outpouring of the Spirit when our Church should stretch out its hands to the Jews as well as to the Gentile."
One of his companions on the journey was Dr Andrew Bonar (1810-1892), who likewise vigorously asserted, "The cause of Israel, is a cause which God has brought into view, whenever there was any thing great to be done in His Kingdom below. When we give the Jews their proper place in our missionary work, we might look for special blessing at home."
"The Lord said to Abram...I will bless those who bless you." (Genesis 12.1-3)
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love you." (Psalm 122.6)
The Mission of Inquiry was away from Scotland for many months...spending ten days in Jerusalem, and seven in the shade of Elijah's Carmel.
While absent from his parish (St Peter's, Dundee), Robert M'Cheyne's pulpit was "occupied" by another young preacher, William Burns. On July 23, he preached in his father's church at nearby Kilsyth. According to Dr Bonar's record,
"While pressing upon them immediate acceptance of Christ with due solemnity, the whole of the vast assembly were overpowered. The Holy Spirit seemed to come down as a rushing mighty wind, and to fill the place. Very many were that day struck to the heart. The sanctuary was filled with distressed and inquiring souls. All Scotland heard the glad news that the sky was no longer as brass - that the rain had begun to fall. The Spirit in mighty power began to work from that day forward in many places of the land."
William Burns returned to Robert M'Cheyne's church on August 8, and the Spirit fell there as He had in Kilsyth. All the while the Mission of Inquiry, so very far away, continued to "seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel", fully convinced that their endeavours would "draw down unspeakable blessings on the Church of Scotland".
Andrew Bonar records events at St Peter's, "At the close of the usual Thursday evening prayer-meeting, Mr Burns invited those to remain who felt the need of an outpouring of the Spirit to convert them. At the conclusion of a solemn address to these anxious souls, suddenly the power of God seemed to descend, and all were bathed in tears.
"Next evening in the church, there was much melting of heart. A vast number pressed in with awful eagerness. It was like a pent-up flood breaking forth; tears were streaming forth from the eyes of many, and some fell on the ground groaning, and weeping, and crying for mercy.
"Meetings were held every day for many weeks. The whole town was moved. Many believers doubted. The ungodly raged. But the Word of God grew mightily and prevailed. Instances occurred where whole families were affected at once."
They were genuinely apostolic days, which we must most urgently recover today.
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call.' And with many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." (Acts 2.36-41)
Fifty years after the Mission of Inquiry, and the Kilsyth and Dundee revivals, Dr Andrew Bonar addressed the annual meeting of the Free Church of Scotland's General Assembly.
He recalled, "That year, 1839, saw the revival at Kilsyth, at the very time the deputation was seeking out the scattered Jews.
"Why might not we expect another shower of blessing at home, if now again we rouse ourselves to deeper interest in the people who are 'beloved for their fathers' sake'?"
POSTSCRIPT Genuine revival saves the lost and renews the saints; it also "proves" itself by reforming the Church. Those revivals which accompanied the Mission of Inquiry to the Jews, were followed by a prompt reformation of the Church of Scotland.
On May 18, 1843, 450 ministers of the Church of Scotland walked out of their General Assembly to form the Free Church of Scotland. Up until that time the Church had received financial support from Parliament, and so the State believed it should have the last word on the appointment and discipline of pastors. Even the Law Courts believed that the Established Church was a creation of the State and derived its legitimacy by an Act of Parliament.
The 450 (known as "Disrupters") separated themselves at huge cost (forfeiting their pulpits and incomes) to thereby assert and insist that Jesus Christ, and not Parliament, was the only King and Head of the Christian Church.
Dr Andrew Bonar was appointed Moderator of the Free Church in 1878.
