Baptist Author, David Cloud, has taken the time to “refute” the theology found in “Who is Israel?“… in so doing, he revealed what he (and many others like him) really considers to be the “Key” of Bible prophecy. Sadly, his “key” is not found in Scripture, but rather it is an “extra-Biblical”, modern-day event… (we explain, below)
In short, Dispensational-Zionists (both “hyper” & “not-so-hyper”, alike) view “1948” as the regathering of “Israel”, back to “their promised land”. They interpret Ezekiel 37 as referring to the “miraculous events of 1948”, and the restoration of a physical, unrepentant, unsaved (Jews) “state of Israel”, and that these unrepentant Jews are presently the “proof” that “prophecy has been fulfilled”. It never even crosses their minds that this chapter is actually referring to the coming “Resurrection”, and “regeneration” of dead, unsaved people—formerly lost in this world of sin, and now saved, born again, and on their way to heaven! The cross-references from Ezekiel 37 with the New Testament, are endless— revealing CLEARLY that this Old Testament prophecy is NOT in reference to a dead, Christ-rejecting, Jewish nation, but rather to a spiritual nation, a “born again” people, having taken the Son (which means they have life!) and are now, adopted into God’s family!
Excerpt from Cloud’s E-book – pages 75-76 – (What about Anderson?) online pdf
Author David Cloud likens “Israel’s return” in 1948 to being “as great a miracle as the resurrection from the dead”!!! (See: David Cloud’s Ebook, July 2017, pages 75-76 – commenting on Ezekiel 37)
Do you see the seriousness of this mis-interpretation?? Instead of glorifying the “power of the resurrection”, through Jesus Christ— Cloud is exalting an unsaved, Christ-rejecting, modern-day nation, and their strong-handed colonization of Palestine. The truth is, Cloud and other Zionists have their own “replacement theology”— one that replaces the Lord Jesus Christ with a physical nation— taking the proper focus off of a spiritual nation (born again by faith in Christ)— and focusing instead, upon an anti-Christ people and their colonization of a cursed land. To make the “regathering of the Jews” into “their land” as great a miracle as the resurrection from the dead, is eye-opening to say the least! … Does Cloud think that “Zionism” is equal to the miracle of Christ’s resurrection??? Is he suggesting that we celebrate May 14, 1948 on equal par with our recognition of the Resurrection-Easter Sunday??? Is he trying to convince us that the allocation of real estate to Jews in 1948, is equal to the Christians’ future resurrection???
What nonsense is this???
Zionism (thru Dispensationalism & the Scofiled Bible notes) has gained significant ground into many “IFB” Pulpits & Churches in the last 40 years. Compare Mr. Cloud’s attitude towards the events of 1948, with the iconic fundamentalist, John R. Rice (who was a current preacher of the gospel, and in the prime of his life, in 1948)— John R. Rice did NOT adore the modern state of Israel, but rather rebuked them as murderers, thieves, rebels, and infidels!
Note the difference between the words & warning of the late, fundamentalist, John R. Rice and that of the “bleeding heart” – Zionist, David Cloud—
“Some think that the little nation over there now, established after the War of 1948, is the promised restoration of Israel. It is not. Zionism and Christianity are two entirely different things. ZIONISM IS JEWISH PATRIOTISM WITHOUT ANY REFERENCE TO THE BIBLE… A bunch of infidel Jews turning down the Gospel, and going on in their infidelity and sin is NOT the restoration promised in the Bible.” (page 13)
“In 1948 when Palestine was under the mandate of the British, a group of Jews started the rebellion. A war began to seize part of the country. A new Israel, a part of Palestine, was started. The Jews took away from the Arabs their homes and lands by murder and whatever else was necessary. In war and rebellion they took part of the land now called Israel. These Jews say that God has given that country to Israel, and many Christians back them up… But this is NOT the Bible restoration of Israel… The promises cannot be fulfilled to any Jew while he remains an unconverted rebel against God.” (pages 20-21)
{John R. Rice – “God’s Covenants and Christ’s Coming” – Sword of the Lord – 1979}
Read more from this out-of-print SLP pamphlet on our other post – JR Rice & the Modern state of Israel
Mr. Cloud also gushes over the “resurrection of Israel” in the events of 1948, as if a prophecy from God was fulfilled—
“I believe that one of the most important events in American history was Harry Truman’s recognition of Israel on May 14, 1948. America’s friendship toward Israel has not been perfectly consistent by any means, but the fact remains that America has been Israel’s greatest friend in modern history, and that is significant. God told Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation,
“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3).
On this authority there can be no doubt that one of the chief reasons for God’s blessing on America has been her blessing of Israel.” ~ David Cloud, July 2, 2019 (Way of Life News Notes – first published April 1, 2009)
The word, “thee”, is singular! — In Genesis 12, the King James Bible does NOT tell us to bless Abraham’s “descendants”—if we want to be blessed— rather, it says to bless Abraham (singular) & his singular Seed = Christ (see Galatians 3:16)… David Cloud is NOT promoting the Word of God, here— instead, he is promoting Scofield’s Notes (an ungodly Zionism)!
In contrast, see what God’s Word has warned us about concerning “blessing” those who are against Christ (antichrist)— 2John 7-11… those who “bless” (bid them God speed) are “partaker of their evil deeds”!
And, in case you don’t know American history very well— the LAST 75 years have NOT been America’s finest!!!
BEWARE of the modern (extra-biblical, Zionist) Baptists!
Mr. Furse,
I left Dispensationalism before I ever heard of you just from reading my Bible and studying the lives
of Darby and Scofield and Ruckman.
What I am curious about is, is it possibly for the State of Israel to be a part of the Beast in Revelation and the religious Jewish people to be Babylon?
In my early 20’s I considered myself to be a Zionist. I know a lot about Jewish and Israeli history because of this and I see the State of Israel quite a bit different than religious Jews.
What also helped me leave Zionism is that I knew so much of the history, that when I took the books of the Apostle John to heart, I couldn’t deny that I knew the State of Israel was anti-Christ.
Your mentioning the other night in your meeting on YouTube with McMurtry and Clem, about David Cloud saying the creation of the modern State of Israel being as equally miraculous as the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ made me think of this:
“And I saw one of his heads as it were ??wounded to death??; and his deadly wound was ??healed??: and all the world wondered after the beast.” – Revelation 13:3
We know that Israel lost what they fought so hard to keep by killing Jesus:
“If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and ??nation??.” – John 11:48
Israel was mortally wounded by Rome. Yet we see they are now a nation again. And this has been because the work of Christians (false prophets) that have flirted with JUDASIM (Babylon). They helped pave the way to have secular Jews like Theodor Herzl to get connected with political governments and powers to gain control of Palestine. Also, consider in history that it was Henry VIII who cut his ties with Catholic Rome due to his multiple marriages. Through Henry VIII severing ties with Rome, he created his own state church. This now created a government state outside the power of the Roman Catholic Church and Britain rose to be a mighty powerful nation spanning across the world in the next 400 years. Henry VIII was of Welsh lineage and on his coat of arms he had a red dragon, which today is one of the symbols for Wales.
Again, Britain played a huge role in the creation of a Jewish state. (Look up Samuel Orde)
One of the things you mentioned in your book was C.H. Scofield comparing some of these early Dispensationalists to the Jesuits. I haven’t finished your book yet, so maybe you mentioned this, but have you ever looked up Manuel Lacunza?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Lacunza
Anyway, there is so much in history that I think points to world powers helping the State of Israel become a part of them. It’s the religious in the world powers that seem to not want the recognization of a Jewish state.
Hello, Amanda,
Thank you for your comments! I believe that you are “on the right track”, and I appreciate your reading of my book. I have read about Lacunza & I do mention Lacunza in my latest book, “Which One is Right?” … As for “the modern state of Israel” — if you haven’t read Chapter 6 of “Who is Israel?”, yet, when you do, I believe that it will answer some of your questions. Again, thank you!
– M. Furse
Currently going through both of your books as of today. I’m surprised at how many you have found out from the KJV-Only crowd to be taking the “older texts” words above the TR-KJV. I’m very disappointed (yet not surprised) to find David Cloud is one of them who does this with “day of Christ” in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.
Another popular change for KJV Only believers and the other Bible translations is to change “a lie” to “the lie” in 2 Thessalonians 2:
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe A LIE:” – 2 Thessalonians 2:11 KJV
There are a lot of lies out there, it’s not necessarily one specific lie.
“I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that NO LIE is of the truth. … But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is NO LIE. and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” – 1 John 2:21, 27 KJV
One of Satan’s first lies was, “Ye shall not surely die.”
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh A LIE, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” – John 8:44 KJV
Again, I broke my ties with Zionism because unconverted Jews deny Jesus is the Christ. And I didn’t realize until these last couple years how many Dispensationalists think Hebrews to Revelation are not for us (the Church)? Well, John warned of Diotrophes not receiving the brethren. That spirit of Diotrephes is alive and well and I think many of us have experienced being cut off and ignored and not being received for believing those books between Hebrews and Revelation, praise the LORD!
“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.” – 3 John 1:9
“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” – 1 John 2:22
They receive those who deny the Lord Jesus Christ, but not those who aren’t ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ and His words! Shane on them…the LORD said:
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” – Matthew 25:40-46 KJV
Have you read about Horatio Spafford’s last days? The Spafford’s moved to Israel and didn’t preach the Gospel there (https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/americancolony/amcolony-family.html).
They also went on to practice celibacy amongst married couples. (I Cor 7:1-5, I Tim 4:1-5).
I disagree with Spafford’s lyrics as it changes what Scripture says. The Lord comes with CLOUDS, the clouds do not roll back:
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight
?The clouds be rolled back? as a scroll
The trump shall resound, and the ?Lord shall descend?
Even so, it is well with my soul
I believe the Spaffords were misled and I believe lyrics like this twist what has been said in Scripture.
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” – Daniel 7:13 KJV
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” – Matthew 24:30 KJV
“Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” – Matthew 26:64 KJV
“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” – Mark 13:26 KJV
“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” – Revelation 1:7 KJV
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV