The Protestant Churches today have traditions in the same way as the Pharisees did and Roman Catholics do. These traditions make the Word of YEHOVAH God of no effect in that they block understanding of election and the identity of the elect.

If asked to show someone all the verses you know that say when a Christian dies, he goes to heaven, how many verses could you give? There are none! Can you point to one prophecy that forecasts this? If I was to ask which of the heavens out of seven you are talking about, which one would it be? For instance, in 2 Corinthians 12:2 Paul says he was, “caught up to the third heaven”. Yet most churchgoers have this tradition about “going to heaven” with no idea what they are talking about!

There is a whole parallel system of religion complete with language, experiences, beliefs and lying wonders that refuses to accept many things in the Bible.

If pointed out that YEHOVAH is called Satan in Scripture, the churches might well have kittens because of their concept of what that word means (YEHOVAH God became an "adversary" to Israel).

Churches teach that Paul had a revelation about the Church that was not revealed to the prophets of the Old Testament, whereas Paul says he spoke about nothing but what “are written in the law and in the prophets” (to King Agrippa).

Perhaps their major deception is saying that “The Jews” means Israelites, whereas the parties in fact are the House of Israel and the House of Judah, and not “Jews and Gentiles”. It can be demonstrated easily the word “Gentiles” refers to Israelites, if we have time.

To assist their deception, churches use dynamic equivalents, such as the New International Version (NIV) which is NOT a translation. They even call a paraphrase a translation.

It is these traditional beliefs that have preconditioned most churchgoers against any form of “chosen people” as found through Scripture. So churches in effect ditch the Old Testament with some saying in a derogatory way, “That’s Old Testament -- but we are New Testament Christians“.

If you were asked what the difference is between “redemption” and “salvation“, and to whom each could apply to, how many of you could give a rational Biblical answer? It must admitted that all should be able to give a straight answer and have an understanding of such commonly used words.

Now, it is not hard to easily find simple Bible statements that are indisputable. Only when we have such certainties we can build on a rock-solid foundation.

Only when we are familiar with what is “indisputable” are we able to answer questions and to refute arguments. We are not talking about just historical identity facts; we have to be able to handle doctrinal issues as well.

When confronted by religious people, the Messiah had a way of asking questions, and turning the matter back on those confronting him, simply by asking a question. For instance, he would say, “Have ye not read what is written”? There are a host of Scriptures that can be used to throw back questions and do it in the same style as the Messiah used.

For instance we can say, “have you not read what Isaiah said, ‘for the transgression of "my people" was he stricken’, or of the Messiah when he said, ‘I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel’." If they say, “Well that was then, but now everything has changed”, then ask, “Well, when did it change?” It will soon be found they have no real answer.

There are many Scriptures that are completely limiting and cannot be generalized to include anyone at all OUTSIDE of Israel.

As most people will accept a measure of exclusiveness in the Old Testament, we will first look at the New Testament for some of the indisputable verses.

Try highlighting, in say orange color, the words which declared exclusiveness. For instance, in Matthew 1:21 we read, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." -- “his people” being an EXCLUSIVE statement. It will not be long before you will have an orange-tinged Bible! This verse also brings out one vital fact that churches ignore, namely, that Israel were “his people” BEFORE they were saved. The churches say people “get saved” and then become his people, but this is one of the INVALID traditions of the Protestant churches.

So first let us look through a few New Testament verses to see some more examples of what we could highlight in the same way. Look at the emphasized words below:

Luke 1:16: "And many of the Children of Israel shall he turn to the LORD their God." Highlight “Children of Israel.”

Luke 1:55: "He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to His seed forever". [If “forever”, this could never change later].

Luke 1:68-9: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for He hath visited and redeemed His people. And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the House of His servant David....as He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets....to perform the mercy promised to our fathers. [No other prophecy, is there?]

Luke 1:77: "To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins".

Luke 2:34: "Behold, this Child is set for the rising again of many in Israel."

John 1:31: "But that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing in water".

Acts 5:30: "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus...to be a Prince and a Savior...to give repentance to Israel".

This is a pretty blunt statement of whom the Messiah is to be prince over. Yeshua is called “The redeemer of Israel” and “The Savior of Israel”. Where we find the phrase, “Savior of all men” -- (Titus 4:10), this refers to “all men” of the context. That is, “all men of Israel”.

Some of the Incontrovertible Things We Can Say With Certainty That “We Know”

(1) WE KNOW SOME CAN "HEAR" AND SOME CANNOT “HEAR“

John 8:43-43: "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word."

The Messiah says in this section of Scripture that those begotten “from above” from conception can hear, and that those “from below” cannot hear his words. The Messiah also says, ”Let him that hath ears, let him hear”. So not everyone has ears to hear. The Churches teach that the ability to hear depends upon belief, but as faith comes by hearing, how could those who do not have the inborn capacity to believe ever be converted and come to belief and faith?

(2) WE KNOW THAT NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE ORDAINED TO ETERNAL LIFE

Acts 13:48: "And when the Gentiles [Paul calls them, “Men of Israel”] heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the LORD: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."

“Ordained” is in the passive voice and in the perfect tense, that is, it is viewed as having been completed in the past, once and for all, not needing to be repeated. Being passive means the individual does NOT do the choosing.

(3) WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE THOSE TO WHOM KNOWLEDGE OF THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NOT GIVEN

Matthew 13:11: "He [the Messiah] answered and said to them, 'Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given'”.

John 6:65: "And he [the Messiah] said, “No man commeth unto Me, except it be given unto him of My Father”.

So we know that this does NOT include everyone -- the selection is based on stock.

(4) HOW CAN WE SAY WE KNOW THAT THE BASIS IS RACE?

Romans 8:29: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

(5) WHOM DID YEHOVAH GOD FOREKNOW?

Amos 3:2: "You [Israel] only have I known of all the families of the earth:"

Here the mood is perfect….for all time. So the “foreknown” of the New Testament are the “known” of the Old Testament.

(6) WE KNOW THAT YESHUA THE MESSIAH WAS NOT SENT TO OTHER THAN ISRAEL

John 17:9: The Messiah prayed about “as many as Thou hast given Me” and then he prayed for those who would believe amongst those to whom the disciples were sent. The twelve were sent, “to the lost sheep of the House of Israel” -- (Matthew 10:6), the same ones to whom the Messiah says that he was sent to, i.e., ”I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel” -- (Matthew 15:24).

(7) WE KNOW THAT THE NAMES "ISRAEL", "ABRAHAM", "ISAAC", "JACOB" AND "THE FATHERS" (OF ISRAEL) CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT

So how possibly could all of these be interpreted as “The Church”? It is interesting to see how the Churches try to get around this. They just make up statements and then claim these to be facts...like all politicians...or modern-day scribes.

(8) WE KNOW THAT THE NEW COVENANT ONLY APPLIES TO ISRAELITES

Hebrews 8:8: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.”

And from this we can see that the New Covenant could not apply to anyone who had not had the Old Covenant. That is, the New Covenant can only apply to Israelites!

(9) WE KNOW THAT REDEMPTION CAN ONLY APPLY TO ISRAELITES

None could be redeemed (= "bought back") who had not been in place once before. This is fulfilling Ezekiel 31:31. If you are ever told to believe something that cannot be found prophetically in the Old Testament, watch out!

(10) WE KNOW THAT SHEEP CANNOT CHANGE INTO GOATS BY BELIEF, AND TARES CANNOT TURN INTO WHEAT

In Matthew 13, Wheat is sown as seeds by YEHOVAH God and Tares are sown as seeds by the "enemy". According to YEHOVAH’s Law each reproduces “after his kind”. They grow together and are separated unchanged at the harvest time. Notice Jude 19 and Romans 8:15. A person cannot change his genetic origin. Yet Churches will, or will not to, believe about the “known” and the “foreknown”.

(11) WE KNOW THAT IF YEHOVAH GOD HATED ANY PEOPLE, THEY COULD NOT BE PART OF THE WORLD YEHOVAH “SO LOVED“

Romans 9:13: “Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated”.

Obadiah details their destiny as does the Messiah in the parable of the vineyard.

(12) WE KNOW OF WHOM ONLY YEHOVAH GOD IS THE GOD OF

Exodus 3:15: "And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name [shem] for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."

We CANNOT find reference to YEHOVAH God being the God of anyone else throughout the Bible. This applies for “all generations“.

(13) WE KNOW THAT JEREMIAH 23:27 APPLIES IN CHURCH PRACTICE

(14) WE KNOW THAT YEHOVAH GOD PLACES HIS NAME ONLY ON ONE PEOPLE

Deuteronomy 28:10: "And ALL people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee."

Deuteronomy 26:19: "And to make thee high above ALL nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as He hath spoken."

Numbers 6:27: "And they shall put My name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them."

This is an EXCLUSIVE statement!

Note in the first two verses the word “ALL” which does not include Israel in the “all”. This is typical of the use of “all”, “every”, “whosoever” and “every” in both Hebrew and Greek where “all“ refers to “all” of each context only.

We can see “all“ in: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth“.

(15) WE KNOW THAT ELECTION IS NOT PRIMARILY A MATTER OF BEHAVIOR, OR BELIEF

Romans 9:10-11: “...when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth)."

This is about offspring being elected by YEHOVAH God, BEFORE having done good or eviI -- ( i.e., from conception).

(16) WE KNOW THAT THE POTTER MAKES DIFFERENT VESSELS FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES

Romans 9:21-22: "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:"

YEHOVAH God says that He had a purpose for making such differing vessels. And, we know when clay is fired, it cannot be molded into another vessel. Popular church doctrine turns election into a matter of belief and any person’s choice instead of YEHOVAH God‘s sovereign choice.

(17) WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE "TWO SEEDS" MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE

There are religious persons in the assemblies, “not having the spirit” -- (Jude 19), and that there also are those whose spirit can witness with YEHOVAH’s spirit that they ARE children of YEHOVAH God. Paul mentions that the natural man CANNOT receive the things of the spirit of YEHOVAH God -- (1 Corinthians 2:14). So we know that there is a difference in "spirit" between peoples in the assemblies. Both of these "seeds" continue until this day, but the Churches say the "natural man" converts to become one of YEHOVAH’s people.

(18) WE KNOW THAT NOT EVERYONE IS PLANTED IN THE GARDEN BY YEHOVAH GOD

Matthew 15:13-14: "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

The Messiah tells us that the Tares are planted by the “enemy” and that they will be “rooted up“ and are first burned before the Wheat is gathered.

(19) WE KNOW THAT THE WORD TRANSLATED AS “GENTILES” IS USED OF ISRAELITES

Corinthians 10:1-2: “Moreover Brethren, I would not have you ignorant, how that all OUR FATHERS were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea [i.e. the Red Sea], and were baptized unto Moses”.

This determines that we can know that these Corinthians (as other "Gentiles” addressed) were Israelites. “Goyim” (Hebrew) and “ethnos” (Greek) are used of Israel too. A look through a concordance will convince anyone about this.

(20) WE KNOW THAT ADOPTION ONLY PERTAINS TO ISRAEL

Romans 8: “Who are Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption”.

Adoption refers to the adoption or the placing of “Sons” (huios) out of the “Children” (teknon) of Israel and adoption does NOT “pertain” to other than Israel.

(21) WE KNOW THAT YEHOVAH GOD HAS ANOINTED HIS PEOPLE

John 2:27: “But the anointing which you have received abideth in you...”

John 3:9: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, because his seed remaineth in him”.

John 5:18: “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not”.

Even if this contradicts conventional theology, we know that the apostle John is right in agreeing with Paul in, “Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" (2 Corinthians 1:21).

“Us“ and “our” does NOT include anyone else. (The matter of “sin” here will not be discussed, but note that it has to do with “seed”). Churches and commentaries dodge this mention of seed.

(22) WE KNOW THAT ONLY ISRAELITES CAN BECOME “LOST” (SHEEP)

Luke 19:9-10: “He also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Lost = apollumi which means being set aside for punishment for having broken YEHOVAH’s law. It is these lost sheep that the Messiah came to save. The Messiah came to save sheep, but NOT goats (Esau is the goat).

Some Major Points That Are the Basis of Popular WRONG Beliefs

The doctrine of the Exclusiveness of Israel is a strong and mighty tower, with unmovable foundations. It cannot be moved because the God of Israel established it. But it is only of value when a covenant relationship is established. There is a big “if” in the verse below:

Exodus 19:5-8: "Now therefore, IF ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD."

The people made a meaningless group response which amounted to a false promise. It was an emotional response. When Moses delayed to come down from the mount, they quickly turned aside and danced around the golden calf (chapter 32).

Here YEHOVAH God proposed a covenant. But we have to appreciate that a covenant is a two-way agreement. To be valid it has to be acted upon by BOTH parties. A Covenant involves being in dead earnest. It involves meditation in YEHOVAH’s Law day and night (Psalm 1:1). It involves a searching out of truth.

The point is this: the Children of Israel were not known as YEHOVAH’s people UNTIL they purposed to obey the Covenant. They are called “The people” or “The Children of Israel” before this.

Deuteronomy 26:16-19: "This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the LORD THIS DAY to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: And the LORD hath avouched thee THIS DAY to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken."

Deuteronomy 29:4: "Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto THIS DAY."

The day Israel became the people of YEHOVAH God was when they made a covenant to obey YEHOVAH God. Nobody becomes one of YEHOVAH’s peculiar people by belief in the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic identity alone. Every true Israelite has the potential to uphold his or her side of the covenant to obey and believe YEHOVAH God. What YEHOVAH God is looking for is a Covenant relationship.

Hope of Israel Ministries -- Searching the Scriptures Daily to Find Out Whether These Things Are So

Hope of Israel Ministries P.O. Box 853 Azusa, CA 91702, U.S.A. www.hope-of-israel.org

Scan with your Smartphone for more information