Transcript

Hamilton: God has called us to be ambassadors even in this dark moment

Abraham Hamilton III: Darkness is not an affirmative force. It simply reoccupies the space vacated by the light.

Abraham Hamilton III: This is the, Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.

Abraham Hamilton III: It should be uncomfortable for a believer to live as a hypocrite, delivering people.

Abraham Hamilton III: Out of the bondage of mainstream media and the philosophies of this world.

Abraham Hamilton III: God has called you and me to be his ambassadors, even in this dark moment. Let's not miss our moment.

Abraham Hamilton III: And now, the, Hamilton Corner.

Alex McFarland: Well, greetings, America.

Alex McFarland speaks with Michael Rydelnik about antisemitism

Alex McFarland here, coming to you not from the east coast, not from Tupelo, Mississippi, the headquarters of the American Family Radio Network. But I, bid you greetings from beautiful Montana. I am deep in the hills of Montana, Western usa. We're in the middle of our first of seven summer Biblical worldview youth camps. And so, right now I want to say big kudos to our engineer, Jeff McIntosh, because the audio is working and will continue to work, we hope. But we're having a great time at a wonderful camp called Trails End Ranch. We were here last summer for the first time. Got about 130, youth here last night. The spirit of God moved in a great way. Had approximately 18 teenagers that prayed to accept Christ as their savior. I was yesterday talked about, you know, does God exist? But then last night really talked about the gospel and what does it mean to be born again? And so God is moving. I appreciate everyone's prayers as we have a great summer with ultimately, God willing, we'll have about 1200 teenagers in seven camps. But today is a very special day. You know, one of the breaking news stories as I flew to Montana just a few days ago to start this camp, was in Colorado. A horrible act of terrorism against, a peaceful gathering, a very peaceful gathering to show solidarity and support for Israel. And as you know, I'm sure you've seen the news. A man that was in the country illegally, a pro, pro Hamas, pro Palestinian, agitator, killed an individual, injured a dozen. And I want to talk about the need for Christians and really all people, but especially believers, to be consistent and unequivocal in their condemnation of antisemitism, which is really Jew hatred. And, I'll read a scripture, and then we've got just an expert to weigh in on this subject and help us to have an appreciation for the gravity of this subject. But Genesis 12:2 and 3, the word of God, very famously, this is the, call of Abraham. But God made this promise to Abraham at Genesis 12:2. 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 the families of the earth be blessed. Now there are libraries of good theology and teaching that could be drawn out of those verses. But, but there is a promise to the Jewish people. God told Abraham, and I think this is absolute, truth, that to be a friend to the Jewish people and to be a friend of the nation of Israel is a blessing. And I've said it many times. The greatest favor any president could ever do the American people is to be a friend to the nation of Israel. And so we're living in a world where there's so many, lines of demarcation, you know, God or secularism, m. Objective morality versus relativism and revisionism and wokeness. But really you can understand much about a person's worldview these days about where they are willing to take a stand regarding Israel and just the basic human rights do all people, but especially Jewish people. Well, I'm very honored to converse about this and other subjects with Michael, Rydelnik. I met him 20 years ago, I suppose through a mutual friend, the Late great scholar Dr. Barry Leventhal.

Sandy Rios: Who.

Alex McFarland: He and I. Dr. Leventhal and I worked together at Southern Evangelical Seminary many years ago. Barry Leventhal was a born again Jewish believer. Brilliant. He was just one of those guys that I could call on to teach anything from you know, Hebrew, Greek philosophy, church history, Jewish history. And I want to talk about him because his work should not be forgotten. But I had not known Dr. Barry Leventhal very long before he began to tell me about Michael Rydelnik. And he said, you need to know Michael Rydell, Nick. He's brilliant, he's godly, and indeed he.

Alex McFarland: Is all of those things.

Alex McFarland: You may know the name because he hosts Open Line radio, the website openline radio.org on the Great Moody Radio Network. Also his website michaelridelnik.org and that's R Y D E L N I K. But and he is an author. We'll talk about that. He's graciously given us of his time today to be on the American Family Radio Network. Michael Rydelnik, friend of a friend. It's a great honor to have you.

Alex McFarland: On the program today.

Sandy Rios: It's great to be with you. Thank you so much for having me. And I'm so glad, that we, we share this esteem and love for Barry, Barry. I met Barry when I was just a freshman in college and teenager, really. And he taught the Bible at a camp. And I thought, I want to teach like him. I. That's how I want to teach. And indeed. And so I ended up going to Dallas Seminary because that's where he had gone to seminary, and he had just come back to start doctoral work and with a. Put him on as a education professor, Christian education. So he was teaching and studying for his doctorate while I was there doing my thm. And it was just the greatest experience. Let me use his office. He would always say, this is the classic Barry. I bought two of these books by accident. You can have one. I found out that he was doing that on purpose.

Alex McFarland: Amen. He was a great guy. Do you know what he gave me? Because Dr. Leventhal and I talked at length about, sharing the gospel with Jewish people. I come From M. Greensboro, N.C. lots and lots of wonderful Jewish people there. In fact, really, several Jewish families pretty much built that town, the cone family. and so I have a lot of Jewish friends, some of whom are believers and some of whom are not. But he gave me a book by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Jesus was a Jew. And he. I think he said that, if I recall, Barry Levin thought he would say, hey, I accidentally bought two of these. Let me give you one. and folks, that's a gracious thing to do. If you have a Christian book that has shaped your life, get a copy and you'll have an opportunity to impart one to somebody. But, listen, I've kind of known of you from afar, respected you. Now, you are one of the authors of the Moody Handbook, a wonderful reference, book really, of Messianic prophet prophecy. Aren't you?

Sandy Rios: The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy had the great privilege of editing and contributing to that book. It has about, I think, about 25 evangelical scholars who contributed. and, it's. It's a reference book, as you say. It's not the kind of book, although there have been people who have told me they sat down and read it from COVID to cover. I don't know how they did that. but, it's a reference book as you're studying. I was visiting a church recently, and the pastor is preaching on Joel 2.

There's a hidden Messianic prophecy in Joel 2. 23

And, interestingly, there's a sort of a hidden Messianic prophecy in Joel 2. 23. And he was arguing for it being a Messianic verse. And, he said, as author Michael Ray Delnick has written and he had a quote up for me and I'm sitting there kind of smirking. I was laughing.

Alex McFarland: So that's kind of surreal, isn't it?

Sandy Rios: Yeah, that is kind of funny. But yeah, I'm grateful to God that I had the privilege of working on this. This is the desire of my, that's how I came to the Lord was through messianic prophecy. and that's, that's why it's always been near and dear to me.

Alex McFarland: Indeed.

Daniel Rydell: Would you have been part of Jesus movement

I don't mean to date you, your, your, your age, but would you have been, you're coming to Christ. Dr. Rydell, would you have been part of the Jesus movement?

Sandy Rios: Absolutely. 1972, I was 15 years old. yeah. And that's, that's. I was a freshman in high school.

Alex McFarland: May we talk about that for a moment? Because it's funny. I was having breakfast this morning with some dear people and we were talking about the movie by Greg Laurie called Jesus Revolution.

Sandy Rios: I cried throughout the whole thing.

Alex McFarland: people across the country have told me that. And you know, I was just a little kid. I've got a sister who's five years older than me and I remember when she was about maybe 15, she and all of her friends were in my parents basement having a Bible study, playing guitar. You know, I was just 9 or 10.

Alex McFarland: I didn't get it.

Alex McFarland: But I realized something was going on. Anyway, I happen to believe and the, the many, many Jewish people that came to Christ, you know, 55 years ago, I think the Jesus movement was a legitimate great awakening in our, in our really the Western hemisphere.

Sandy Rios: Agreed, Absolutely. And you know what's so interesting? If you see the movie Jesus Revolution, that's all west coast, Southern California, Orange, county, right?

Sandy Rios: I'm in Brooklyn, New York. And and that's when I came to the Lord and there was a whole movement of Jewish young people that came to the Lord then. and interestingly my closest friend who's now in Southern California, not far from where that movie depicted, but he is from Philadelphia, came to the Lord 1972. another friend of mine from New York City, a messianic Jewish leader, came to the Lord 1972 in New York City. others I know from New York City, Jewish people went out to Northern California or to Oregon to ranches, to Jesus communes. And that's where they came to the Lord. It is amazing when I look at the messianic Jewish leadership that I've been, you Know, gotten to know through the years, they, all of us, 1971, 1972, 1970. Coming to the Lord through all these years, whether it's mission leadership, I, I've been teaching Jewish studies at Moody Bible Institute for 31 and a half years now.

Alex McFarland: Amen.

Sandy Rios: And, and you know, so I, I look at these people, Messianic Jews in various positions. Whether it's teaching, like Barry who came to just before the Jesus revolution, but Barry teaching, me teaching and then seeing others, in Jewish mission leadership, congregation planting, messianic congregations. it's, it's exciting to see the impact of that great awakening as you call it.

Alex McFarland: You know, I had the privilege while I was at Southern Evangelical. 7-1-2009 was when I first had the, the privilege of going on the American Family Radio Network. And we've, we've got a show that we do call Exploring the Word. That's a five day week live Bible teaching show, that's been on, you know, over 15 years. But one of the very, very, very first people I ever interviewed, I was so thrilled because I knew it was probably the only chance I would ever have. But Moishe Rosen from M. Jews for Jesus was, was maybe if not, if not the first guest I ever interviewed, it was one of the very early ones. And let me ask you, did.

Alex McFarland: You know, did you know him?

Sandy Rios: I knew him. he was more west coast and of course I was from the east coast. But yes, I, I knew him. I met him very early on coming to Faith. But mostly for example, many of his disciples, that he. I was very close friends with Jan Moskowitz, now with the Lord, one of the founders of that organization, others, as well from back in those days. But Jan was a dear friend and but yes, I knew that whole organization when it was founded and all those people.

Alex McFarland: Is it true? And I've heard it said, and if this is true, I think this is incredibly significant that there are probably more born again Jewish people today that in. Than at any time previously since like the first two centuries of the church.

Sandy Rios: Since the first century. Absolutely. there was a Jewish believer named Daniel Fuchs who had been the president of Chosen People Ministries. Dan Fuchs, who actually, he was the one who immersed me in water, baptized me, back about 53 years ago. he said that there was a time when he knew every Jewish believer not just in the United States, but in the world.

Alex McFarland: Hold that thought.

Alex McFarland: Forgive me for interrupting.

Alex McFarland: We've got a brief break.

Alex McFarland: A very special edition of the Hamilton corner, folks. Alex McFarland here. Our very special guest, Dr. Michael Rydelnik. We're going to come back. Talk about antisemitism and what you can do not only to stand for truth, but to stand with the Jews. Stay tuned.

One Million Moms has received complaints about an Arm and Hammer laundry commercial

Abraham Hamilton III: One Million Moms has received complaints about an Arm and Hammer laundry commercial where Megan Trainor deliberately insinuates profanity. Instead of a wholesome commercial, Arm and Hammer deliberately chose to produce something controversial. One Million Moms finds this highly inappropriate. Arm and Hammer should have the corporate responsibility not to offend families. Arm and Hammer needs to know that parents disapprove. Take action@onemillion moms.com. that's 1 Million Moms.com.

Abraham Hamilton III: Shining Light into the darkness. This is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.

Alex McFarland: Welcome back to the program. Alex McFarland here, very honored to be sitting in for attorney, pastor and broadcaster Abe Hamilton iii.

How many Jewish believers are there today? Maybe more than ever before

And before that break, I had to. In radio we call it steamrolling, where you talk over somebody And I apologize, Dr. Rylna, you were beginning to share a story, and I, I'd ask you about, how many Jewish believers are there in the world today? Maybe more than at any other previous time. And you were going to tell about an individual, you know, who at one time knew the majority of born again messianic Jews. So now we're back. Please continue.

Sandy Rios: My friend Dan, Daniel Fuchs, a blessed memory who's with the Lord, was the president of Chosen People Ministries. And he, just at the beginning of the Jesus revolution, this is in the mid-70s, the impact was felt. And he said to me there was a time when he knew every Jewish believer not just in the United States, but around the world. He really did. In fact, that's how my mom, who was seeking for a fellowship of Messianic Jews, she was connected with Chosen People Ministries through people in South Africa that told her of, of, by writing letters, told her of Daniel Fuchs. So he knew everyone. But he said after the Jesus revolution, by the mid-70s he didn't know a fraction, less, than a percentage. Because of the explosion of Jewish believers. People estimate that there's a couple hundred thousand Jewish believers here in America now who identify as Jewish. Maybe close to a million Jewish believers who are believers who have Jewish roots, who may not be, strongly identifying as Jewish, but they're part of the remnant as well. And then when we go to Israel, we go around the world to Europe, many Many more Jewish believers than ever before. actually there was a woman that found me same. Her grandmother had my last name, unusual last name. she found me on Facebook and said she would like to meet. She thinks we're related. And so we met in California and I was speaking at a conference. She lived out there. She came and I had my Bible ready to share the gospel with this Jewish, woman. She came with her Bible to share the gospel with me. and she too had become a believer during the Jesus revolution. We're the same age m. And we are related by, I think we're third cousins. We found out.

Alex McFarland: So let me ask you this. among. Well, and, and I'm profoundly interested really in the, the, the Jewish mind, like in America. Because, you know, I'll tell you, I was, we had a videographer that we had hired an award winning videographer to do some editing for us. And this person is Jewish. And we, you know, were talking and I said, hey, you, you know, you're, you're going to do some editing for a Baptist preacher. And they laughed and said, well, you know, you're a client and I'm going to do a professional, ah, job for you. And then basically here's where the conversation went. Michael, she said, I thought Christians hated the Jewish people. And I said, oh my goodness, no. I said, true Christians love the Jewish people because like in the spirit of, you know, Genesis 12, three, you know, through Abraham all the nations of the earth have been blessed. And I said, may we talk very frankly? And I said, I don't want to, I don't want to offend you in any way, but may we talk very frankly? We begin to talk about Jesus. And I said, listen, if I was Jewish, I would put it on my resume. True Christians love the Jewish people. But help us understand, Michael, the mind of the American Jew who kind of cautiously coexists with their evangelical friends. is it a stigma to even talk about Jesus?

Sandy Rios: Well, no, I don't think it's a stigma because your Jewish neighbors and friends, if, if they know you're a follower of Jesus, they'll expect you to talk about it. They expect you to believe in him, but they will be dismissive of it. And the reason is there's a terrible history of Christian anti Semitism. And I would, I would say that it's not only just false, Christians, but disobedient Christians in the past have shown a lack of love for Jewish people or even worse, you know, I don't ever want to deny. I think Martin Luther in many respects was a, a hero and did some great things, but he also wrote some terrible things about Jewish people. Jewish people are aware of this. there are some great church fathers like Augustine who did so many, wrote so many great things, but did not share a love for the Jewish people was unkind. So Jewish people are aware of this and they think that that's what Jesus taught. It's not. And it's up to us to show that faithful Christians will really love Jesus family. And that's, that's what I think. Faithful, followers of Jesus will show concern and love and care for his relatives. That's who the Jewish people are. And to me, his, his relatives by physical, descent, you know, according to the flesh and indeed, and that, and by doing that we can change their heart. I really do believe that the very first thing for Jewish people or anybody, you know, this, before they can ever accept Jesus, they need to accept us. They need to see that we love and care for them and that overcomes a multitude of sins. Most Jewish people who I know who have come to know the Lord, their first contact with the Gospel was through a, ah, Gentile follower of Jesus who showed them love. And that's, I think so crucial.

Your doctoral dissertation was about Messianic prophecy

Alex McFarland: in the synagogues. What do you, as far as you're aware, do, do they teach on like Isaiah 53 or Psalm 22?

Sandy Rios: No, no, no. I was raised in a traditional Jewish home. We were not really. The Bible we were taught was really from the, the Torah.

Alex McFarland: Okay.

Sandy Rios: That's not saying Jewish people can't study Isaiah, or study the Psalms or anything like that. But for the most part Jewish people study the Torah, five books of Moses. And I was actually taken aback when confronted with what the prophets had to say about the Messiah. And I got books that kind of made the case for my view. But I do believe that the messianic interpretation, for example of Isaiah 53 is far better. And it kind of changed my, my outlook. Ultimately, it's how I came to the Lord was through studying what the prophet said about the Messiah.

Alex McFarland: Sure. So, and I, I wasn't really aware of this. Like Joshua through Malachi. Do they kind of quietly ignore that?

Sandy Rios: I would say it's not ignoring. I mean you have a prophetic, it's called the Haftora. it's every week in the synagogue, three times a week. When you read the Torah, you also Read the haftara, The. The passage from the prophets.

Alex McFarland: Okay.

Sandy Rios: However, it's not exactly studied, and usually it's recited very quickly to get through the service. It's not a. A study portion. When there's study done, it's usually done on the Torah portion. So, it's not that people ignore it. They just don't really spend a lot of time studying it. I have a dear friend, actually. He's, lives down the street from me in Chicago. He's, We. We became friends while I was walking my dogs. That's my key to evangelism. Just dogs. You meet your neighbors and, turns out he's the grandson of my rabbi growing up in Brooklyn.

Alex McFarland: Wow.

Sandy Rios: He. He sat down. Tell me about your doctoral dissertation, which was about Messianic prophecy. And as we sat down and talked about it, he was amazed. He said, well, I know there are prophecies of the Messiah, but I've really never studied them before. And so we made our way through many of them together. And he's. He's just shocked, that there's even this much about the Messiah in the Hebrew Bible. And so I think that's. If there's something I could encourage people to do. If you want to talk to your Jewish friend, first, obviously be concerned, show love, stand against anti Semitism, stand with the Jewish community. That'll shock them. Secondly, be aware of Messianic prophecy. Be ready to talk about it.

Alex McFarland: Well, you know, in the Torah. And what. What, would, the average rabbi do with, like, Genesis 3:15?

Sandy Rios: Who is this?

Alex McFarland: The seed of the woman.

Sandy Rios: Yeah. That's kind of interesting. The ancient. In the midrash, it refers to that. Even the medieval Jewish interpreter, David Kimchi recognized that the seed of the woman, is the Messiah. But for the most part, Jewish people think of Genesis 3:15 as a perpetual conflict between snakes and humanity. It's a just so story. Why do we want to stomp snakes on the head? And why do snakes want to bite us on the heel? it is just a just so story, like Kipling did about. About how it. How it came to be that snakes slither and bite and why we hate them. So that's all it is. It's in. In Jewish understanding. But there are some references in rabbinic literature that tie it to the Messiah.

Alex McFarland: you know, I. I'm from a very conservative theological background, as are you. You know, we talk about historical, grammatical, handling of the scripture. We look at the context, and we look at the words themselves. And, you know, people ask me, are, Are you a biblical literalist? And I'll say, absolutely. Now, that doesn't mean there, There isn't genre within the Bible. There's poetic literature, and, there. There are allegories and similes and comparisons. but no, I take the Bible literally.

Some Jewish friends have said they don't believe in heaven or an afterlife

All right, that being the case, modern Jewish rabbis, and the average Jewish person, would they take the Bible literally? Because some of the Jewish friends I have, Michael, have said, well, we don't believe in heaven or an afterlife. I'm like, really? You're Jewish and you don't believe in an afterlife? so help us understand maybe the. The hermeneutic of the modern Western Jewish person.

Sandy Rios: Well, first of all, it's not just hermeneutics. There. You know, we get two Jews together, we're gonna have three, four opinions, maybe five. and, the. There. There's obviously Orthodox Judaism and Conservative and Reform. Reform takes a very critical view of the Bible. And so though the Bible may talk about an afterlife, even in the Hebrew Bible, resurrection, from the dead in Daniel 12 and Isaiah, 26, I believe, it is, common for Jewish people who are of Reform or secular background not to believe the Bible. And so they won't believe in an afterlife. and then they'll say, well, Jewish people don't believe in that. Well, that's because that kind of Jewish person doesn't. many Orthodox Jewish people believe in an afterlife. They believe in, the world to come, as the rabbinic literature calls the new creation, that we would call the new heavens, the new earth. They believe in. In the world to come. They believe in Gehinnom, a, place where. Where people who are disobedient go to. so it just depends on which Jewish person you're talking to. As for Jewish hermeneutics, the most traditional Jewish hermeneutic comes from the 12th century from a great rabbi by the name of Shlomo Yitzchaki. and his. He goes, rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki. If you take the first letters of his name, he becomes known as Rashi. And that's how Jewish people know him. Every. Yes, every comment. Every Hebrew Bible has Rashi's comments at the bottom of it in Judaism. And Rashi argued for Pishat, a, literal interpretation. But what he does when he uses the peshat is he doesn't mean literal so much as he means historical. So, for example, when he's reading Isaiah 53, he sees the historical experience of Israel being persecuted, suffering for the nations. And so he takes a. Not literal but a historical. He calls it literal, but he's really looking for history. He looks at Psalm 2, which is about the Son of God, and he says, our ancient rabbis in the midrashim, in the rabbinic literature interpreted Psalm 2 of the Messiah, but I will interpret it over according to the peshat, the literal sense of David. And so, what he does, he says there's a historical figure that we can attribute this to instead of an eschatological messianic figure. And, and that's an end of days Messiah. and so he, he transformed Judaism, saying it was the literal interpretation, but in reality it was the literary or the historical, interpretation that he was looking for. And he's had I think, a great effect and a negative effect. Sometimes we get the historical interpretation from him, but on messianic passages he doesn't want it to look for that end of days figure. He wants it to be about someone in the past.

Alex McFarland: So, so even, and, and when would he have lived? Like eight or 900 years ago?

Sandy Rios: Yeah, he lived 1140 to 1205.

Alex McFarland: Okay. even then, was there the desire to not have a literal God in human form incarnate Messiah?

Sandy Rios: Yes, absolutely. there was, there was so much force conversion that Rashi and his other great medieval interpreters decided that it was better to lessen the messianic hope, to avoid, to avoid the messianic implications of many of these passages. So when he comes to Isaiah 9, he sees it as Hezekiah the child.

Alex McFarland: Oh really?

Sandy Rios: He re translates it, the eternal Father, the mighty God, calls his name, Prince of Peace.

Alex McFarland: We've got to take a break. Hold that thought folks. Very rare opportunity. We're hearing from Michael Rydelnik, a, Jewish believer on this edition of the hamilton corner. Alex McFarland saying. Stay tuned. A brief break. More after this.

Hamilton Corner: We need a spiritual revolution to save this country

Sandy Rios: All right, Sandy Rios with you. One more drama playing out. Is the sky falling? Are we going into recession? Are you going to lose all of your 401k? Are you going to lose your job? Are you going to be able to afford groceries?

Alex McFarland: People better be training their kids, getting back into church, Sunday school, reading the Bible. That revolution will save this country.

Sandy Rios: We've had a political revolution. Now we need a spiritual revolution.

Sandy Rios: Sandy rios on Sandy Rios 247 Listen on the podcast page at afr.net the.

Abraham Hamilton III: Hamilton Quarter podcast and one minute commentaries are available at afr.net Back to the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.

Alex McFarland is hosting a series of conversations on faith and culture

Alex McFarland: Welcome back to the program. Alex McFarland here, folks. I wish you could see what I'm looking at. I'm staring out of a window at Trails in Christian Camp in Montana. I'm looking at, mountains and beautiful landscape as far as you can see. And I, I value everyone's prayers. We are in the first of seven summer youth camps. And then, of course, June 15th is our next in a series of, conversations that matter. We're doing a biblical worldview speaker series in, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And we've got Dr. Gary Chapman, who wrote the Five Love Languages. And, anyway, my own website, which is Alex mcfarland.com conversations and I'll be at the COVID My tour schedule is there and I would love to meet you when, when we come to a city near you. Also with me is my guest, Dr. Michael Rydelnik.

Michael Rydelnik hosts Open Line Radio on Moody Radio

And Michael, you. before we continue, because there's so much I want to ask you, give your website and how people can listen to Open Line Radio.

Sandy Rios: Openline Radio. the name of the program is Open Line with Michael Rydelnik, and it's on Moody Radio. It's across the entire network. Every Saturday morning, we're on 10 till noon Eastern time. across the states, it's about 300 stations that carry it. And it's people calling in with Bible Q A. Just questions about the Bible and their spiritual life and how, questions about God. And, we have a great time. Moody Radio calls it the Bible study across America. And, the best way is to get them if. I don't know if Moody Radio is in your town, if you're listening, but you can get the Moody Radio app and listen anytime you want to. All of Moody Radio, including, Open Line. It's, it's a. It's a great little tool, the Moody Radio app. And, you can check out openline radio.org there's also a link there to my personal, website called Michael Rydelnik.org and, I've been associated with Moody for a long time. Not just Moody Radio. I've, taught there for 32 years now and, moving more into radio as we speak, so.

Alex McFarland: Sure. Oh, well, just one of the great schools. Everywhere I go, all across America, I meet graduates, of Moody, and God is using them in such great ways. And, you know, we.

Last thought on Messianic prophecy: Which one of your books would you recommend

We've been talking about messianic prophecy, and I know you've written extensively on that. I want to. I want to change gears Here in a second. But last thought on Messianic prophecy. give us, professor, give us a homework assignment to familiarize ourselves with the prophecies fulfilled in the life of Jesus. Which one of your books would you recommend?

Sandy Rios: I think the Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy is the most thorough. I think that that's that's actually the best one. And also upcoming, probably within a year there's going to be a new book written on a more everyday level I would say, for something you could even hand to a Jewish person that's coming out called Finding the Messiah in Unexpected Places. But that's yet so.

Alex McFarland: Well, we look forward to, to getting that.

There's been a 400% increase in anti Semitism since a year ago

I want to change gears and I'm very interested in this subject, although my heart is heavy whenever discussing it. But that's anti Semitism, which it seems like every month, sometimes almost every week, there are just heartbreaking things in the news about the, the animus and the hatred and the physical violence against Jewish people. And I want to talk about that. and, and you know what, what's an irony. The, the left that prides themselves on tolerance and you know, standing against racism, which we should do, we should stand against racism. But it seems like hatred, of Jewish people and vilifying the Jewish people, that's, that's kind of the racism that gets a pass these days.

Sandy Rios: Yeah, it's the last experience. Why is that the last accepted form of anti Semitism? I think it's interesting I, I, if you look at the extreme right and now the used to be the extreme left, but it's broadening to much more of the centrist left. There's a hatred for Jewish people. I don't think it's just limited to the left, but the extreme right also, they, they have this animus that's it's the old horseshoe comes around and they, they agree on their hatred of the Jewish people. I believe that the reason for the left is a form of intersectionality. They so misunderstand what's happening in Israel. They, they see Israel as colonial even though Israel is not a colonial state by any means. It's self determination that Israel is dealing with there, that they see Palestinians is somehow a brown people and the Jewish people being white oppressors. When in point of fact Jews and Palestinians are the same, in terms of color, of their skin or anything like that. it is it is kind of silly. But here's the thing that's happened. There's been a 400% increase in anti Semitism, since 10, 7, since a year and a half ago.

Alex McFarland: Wow.

Sandy Rios: In the United States alone, there's, there's so much anti Israel propaganda that first got to the universities because of the radical left area. It's now permeated the culture. The call to globalize, the uprising, the intifada against Jewish people is being heeded now, and people are attacking Jewish peoples on a regular basis. I never dreamed in my life. My parents were Holocaust survivors. I understood anti Semitism. I never dreamed that in my life I would see this kind of anti Semitism erupting all around me. And, one of the best things I could say, people say, what do we do? What do we do? First of all, we need to know the truth. Many of the lies against Israel, propagandist lies. Oh, Israel attacked these people. Oh, Israel destroyed a hospital. All these things are lies. I had, my son had the privilege of serving in the Israel Defense Forces in a anti terrorist combat unit. He was taught more about moral M warfare than he was taught about special force. He was taught more about preserving civilians than, and that was impressed upon them more than even combating, the enemy. they were always taught to maintain their humanity in battle. And so there are many things. Israel's committing genocide, false. there are many things that are being said about Israel that are false. And it is motivating anti Semitism. I would challenge every believer, every follower of Jesus to learn the facts and be allowed spokesperson against these calumnies, these lies, these blood libels against Israel. And then secondly, when you hear anti Semitism now take a stand, speak up, talk about how offensive that is to God. you know, in Psalm 83, it says those who hate God hate the people of Israel. It's a expression of their hatred of, of God. And then lastly, when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and we should, absolutely. But when I pray Jerusalem. Yeah, when I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, what I'm praying for right now in this temporal period of time is the defeat of Hamas, this genocidal organization, that they would surrender and then there will be peace. So that's. Those are some of the things. Take a stand, speak up. But, also pray, that Hamas would finally surrender.

Alex McFarland: Sure. And, you know, I want to say this, as you and I record this, Dr. Rydel, Nick, everyone, I think top of mind is the violence in Colorado. But I don't want to forget, at Washington, at The Jewish Museum. this was in late May. There were two Israeli embassy employees killed. And it just, it was heartbreaking. A young married couple that were soon.

Sandy Rios: To be married, they were getting engaged. I'll tell you this. yeah, one of my former students who went Jewish believer, Jewish, studies grad from Moody, he went to Israel, was the associate pastor of a messianic assembly in Jerusalem and he discipled Jeron Jaron, the male employee, that was, killed. And she, she also, had come, Sarah had come to know the Lord and was. They were going to get engaged in Jerusalem. And so these were not just, Israeli, employees of the embassy, but they were Jewish believers. And they, they, they died, I believe, as martyrs.

Alex McFarland: Wow. Wow.

Alex Radelnik: I call on pastors to educate their churches about Israel

Sandy Rios: So.

Alex McFarland: Well, a moment ago I want to pick up on a couple of things. you said a 400% increase in antisemitic activity since 10, 7. this is something. And I want to call on my fellow pastors, Christians of all strata, but especially those that are in a pulpit on Sunday morning, to preach sermons, educating your people about the miraculous, glorious history of Israel, the rebirth of the modern state of Israel, Israel's right to exist as a nation and to be on record as categorically, unequivocally condemning all racism and condemning antisemitism and then urging voters. You know, Dr. Radelnik, I've, I've often said I'm a single issue voter and that's the issue of life. But I, I'm going to be a two issue voter and I want candidates that believe in legal protection for the unborn, but also candidates that will be on record as standing with Israel. And so I call on pastors to educate your churches and, and take trips to Israel. We'll be going next March. my wife and I have been, and we go to the places and we teach. And I'll tell you, if you, if you make a visit to Israel, and I do think it is safe, in fact I feel safer in Jerusalem than in some of the major American cities where I go to preach. But anyway, I'll be going in September, so.

Alex McFarland: Okay.

Sandy Rios: Because I feel it's safe. We've got a nice group going.

Alex McFarland: Yeah, exactly. well, the church has an opportunity here. But even more than an opportunity, I think the church has a responsibility. Agree.

Sandy Rios: Can I just say, what you're saying is so true, Alex, about teaching this. I, My wife and I moved this past year we visited a church. The pastor's preaching through Genesis. He taught through Genesis 12:1 through 6, and never mentioned the Abrahamic covenant. 10, 7, Israel. All he did was talk about the war in Ukraine.

Alex McFarland: Really.

Sandy Rios: and I was shocked.

Alex McFarland: Well, and let me say this, and we've got to have you back another subject for another day. you and I both have been in Christian higher education for our adult lives, and I've denominational work of. I've, by God's grace, I've worked with every denomination you can imagine and helped in ordination councils.

Among some clergy, Israel has no prophetic significance, says Dr. Mike

All right. Something that really is a problem is this hyper reformed theology, replacement theology that, And of course, Paul addresses this soundly in the Book of Romans. But there is especially among, clergy that.

Alex McFarland: Let's not all.

Alex McFarland: Not all, but among many clergy that would be maybe 45 and younger, that, the modern state of Israel has no prophetic significance. Israel ceased to be anything at all. and, they base it all on One scripture, Galatians 6:16, which has this phrase, blessed be, quote the Israel of God. I know we don't have much time, but. Mike, we have two minutes. Would you address that? That even though, the. The church is the church, but Israel is Israel.

Sandy Rios: Yeah. Galatians 6:16. First of all, everyone has to know there's 73 usages of the word Israel in the New Testament. This would be. If this were not referring to Jewish people, it would be the only place where the word Israel is not used of the Jewish people of ethnic Israel. So that would be very unusual. But it makes sense actually in the text, because what Paul has said is he was coming down real hard on legalists, Jewish legalists who had been advocating for circumcision as a means. You know, you gentiles can believe, but you first got to convert to Judaism and then you can believe in Jesus. And he said, you're adding a work to the gospel. And then at the end he says, here's a blessing. May peace be for all those who follow the standard that what he himself is teaching. He gives a blessing for them. And then he says, even upon those, even upon, peace and mercy be those who accept the standard and upon the Israel of God. It makes complete sense that he would want to say there are Jewish believers out there who are not adding this legalistic rule requirement, who are teaching the faithful gospel just as. As I am here. And he gives a special blessing to Jewish believers. It's Dr. Michael.

Alex McFarland: Almost out of time. I'm so sorry. Thank you for your time, folks.

Alex McFarland: Thanks for listening. You can listen again.

Alex McFarland: This is [email protected] Folks, tell somebody about AFR, but most of all, tell everybody about Jesus.

Sandy Rios: The views and opinions expressed in this.

Abraham Hamilton III: Broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of.

Sandy Rios: The American Family association or American Family Radio.