This is probably the first book review I've ever left on Amazon. But after reading, "When a Jew Rules the World", and sending my thoughts of the book to a brother who asked me to read it, I thought it would be beneficial to share with others my concerns about what Joel teaches in this book; and more importantly how he gets to what he believes. I will say at the start that the one part of the book that was beneficially was to see how different men, who are considered church fathers, viewed the Jews and treated them harshly. That was eye opening. However, I do not agree with Joel's analysis of the problem. Joel attributes their treatment of the Jews solely to their belief in replacement theology. His assertion is that since these evil men believed in replacement theology, then it must be wrong. I think that sort of reasoning is not very sound. We can find all kinds of biblical truths, practices, and gifts that men have twisted. Today there are many false teachers, so should we say that the gift of teaching is to blame? Today there are many who abuse the gifts of the Spirit, so should we say that the gifts are no longer for today (Like MacArthur and others do)? Or should we let the word of God say what it says regardless of what men do or have done? Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater and instead be Bereans and search the scriptures to what is true and what isn't.
What I've included below are my main concerns with Joel and what he teaches. With each point I quote what Joel says and then explain why I believe it's wrong according to scripture.
1. "Simply stated, if any Christian desires to be called a child of Abraham, then believing the things that Abraham believed is a basic requirement. (See Romans 4: 6; Galatians 3: 7; 1 Peter 3: 6.) God is going to give the land to Abraham’s descendants. If we say that God is not going to literally fulfill His promises to the faithful remnant among the Jewish people, how then can we as Christians turn around and claim to trust Him with regard to our own salvation?
Richardson, Joel (2015-03-17). When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (Kindle Locations 409-413). WND Books. Kindle Edition. "
One of the main points that Joel emphasizes is that God HAS NOT fulfilled his promise to Abraham to give his descendants all the land that He said he would. In fact, as the above quote shows, Joel draws a correlation between believing that God is still going to literally fulfill his promise to Abraham, to us trusting God for our salvation. This is a major point in both Joel and Daltons theology is that God has not yet fulfilled his promise to the Jews and that it still must happen. And that if we do not believe that, we are robbing the Jews of their hope and destiny (more on this later). But as I've searched this out it seems the scriptures are quite clear, in very plain unmistakable language, that God has already fulfilled his promise to give the Jews the land he swore He would. This is the testimony of scripture (this is taken from a site: bible ca):
A. Plain Bible passages say that Israel got all the land promised Abraham:
1. "So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it. And the LORD gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass. " (Joshua 21:43-45)
2. "Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. "It shall come about that just as all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. " (Joshua 23:14-15)
3. Josh 24:28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance.
4. 2 Sam 8:3 David defeated Hadadezer...as he went to restore his rule at the River [Euphrates].
5. 1 Kings 4:21 Now Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute and served Solomon
6. 2 Chr 9:26 And he was the ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River even to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt.
7. Neh 9:8 And Thou didst find Abraham's heart faithful before Thee, and didst make a covenant with him to give him the land of the Canaanite, of the Hittite and the Amorite, of the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite-- to give it to his descendants. And Thou hast fulfilled Thy promise, for Thou art righteous.
8. Jer 11:5 "in order to confirm the oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day." Then I answered and said, "Amen, O LORD."
B. The 6 cities of Refuge prove the land promise was fulfilled:
1. For example, God said that if Israel got all the land promised, then they would have six cities of refuge.
2. "Therefore, I command you, saying, 'You shall set aside three cities for yourself.' "If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He promised to give your fathers— if you carefully observe all this commandment which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in His ways always—then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. " (Deuteronomy 19:7-9)
3. Joshua 20:7-9 lists six cities of refuge - Kadesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan.
4. Therefore God gave them all the land
So I don't see how Joel and Dalton can be so adamant that God has not yet fulfilled His land promise when the scripture make it clear that he did. Joel and Dalton tell us that we should just be able to PLAINLY read the scriptures and understand what it means. So if we just read the scriptures and believe what is says at face value then we must conclude that God did fulfill His promise a very long time ago. Again, this is a MAJOR point in their theology.
2. The supersessionist method of interpretation, however, approaches the Bible in reverse. It begins with the New Testament and then seeks to reinterpret or completely revise the original meaning of the Old Testament.
Richardson, Joel (2015-03-17). When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (Kindle Locations 291-293). WND Books. Kindle Edition.
Joel makes a point that we must begin with the Old Covenant (Testament) to understand the New. He implies that it's wrong to start with the New to understand the Old. I think this is a major error on his part. I actually don't think it's one or the other, but a little of both, but mainly the reverse of what he believes. For the most part, I think to understand the realities of the gospel and the kingdom we should look to the New Testament and see how the inspired writers understood these things as mysteries were revealed and made clear by the Holy Spirit. And the fact is, what is written in the New Testament sometimes gives Old Testament passages and promises COMPLETELY new and SPIRITUAL meanings. Joel apparently doesn't like this, but it is what God has done, and it's recorded for all to see. The most glaring example of this is how Joel treats the prophecy of God raising up the fallen booth/tabernacle of David in Amos 9. Joel says this is a prophecy for the end times (still to be fulfilled) yet the scriptures are absolutely clear that it has already begun, and the correct meaning of what it means has been given to us by the Apostle James. Here is what Joel says:
"The prophet Amos also described the future restoration of the Jewish (Davidic) kingdom, which would “possess” many other nations: “‘ In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,’ declares the LORD who does this” (Amos 9: 11– 12).
Richardson, Joel (2015-03-17). When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (Kindle Locations 1413-1416). WND Books. Kindle Edition."
So Joel quotes all of Amos 9:11-12 and says it's the "future" restoration of the Jewish kingdom that will possess other nations. Yet, here is what James says about this verse in Acts 15:
"And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me: "Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 'After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down: I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things". (Acts 15:14-17)
Notice that James quotes these passage in relation to God opening the door the Gentiles to come into the faith. If James was misapplying this passage I'm sure it would have been rejected by his hearers. So not only does James say that this prophecy is actually being fulfilled during his day (and continuing on today), but he also gives the passage a SPIRITUAL meaning. He actually takes a prophecy about a literal tabernacle and gives it a brand new meaning that has nothing to do with a literal physical material tabernacle. Both Joel and Dalton have a HUGE problem when Old Testament prophecies are spiritualized and given new meanings. Yet that is what God has done in Acts 15. Dalton even calls it "Divestment Theology". Dalton says:
"At the heart of [the supersessionist perspective] is the idea that the long-established national hope of the Jewish people has been abrogated and “redefined” so as to constitute a “different fulfillment.” What kind of fulfillment? A fulfillment whereby the “whole creation” is included on the one hand and Israel is divested of their national destiny and hope on the other. 1
Richardson, Joel (2015-03-17). When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (Kindle Locations 2365-2366). WND Books. Kindle Edition.
So did the Apostle James hold to "divestment theology"? Was James robbing the Jews of their hope? The Jews would have interpreted Amos 9 in a literal way, thinking that a literal tabernacle would be rebuilt. But James gave that prophecy it's new/correct understanding. The fact is that truths and realities in the Old Testament were often concealed. It is very often true that when we get to the New Testament that the real and often spiritual meanings are given to us for things in the Old Testament. Carnal and fleshly Israel had a hope and expectation that the Messiah would deliver them from Roman occupation. That was their hope. That is what they thought the Messiah would do. Did Jesus "divest" the rob them of their hope when he came to free them from their SPIRITUAL bondage instead of their physical bondage? If Israels national destiny and hope are build upon carnal understandings of prophecy, then they will have a false hope in something God never promised. In the book, Joel and Dalton come across as saying when people think these promises are spiritual they are robbing the Jews of their hope and destiny; when it seems to be the opposite. It seems that instead of helping Jews to see that many of these promises are spiritualized (Amos 9), they are giving Jews and Christians a false hope for something that will not physically happen because the Word says it's happened(ing) spiritually.
Here's another example where I think Joel's excessive futurism keeps him from seeing truth in scripture. He says that the prophet Elijah is still to come:
At the conclusion of the prophecy of Malachi, in the final two verses of the Old Testament, the Lord made the following promise, “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse” (Mal. 4: 5– 6). Although there are various suggestions as to what was being prophesied here, I believe that one of the primary intentions of the Lord’s heart is that a healthy balance and relationship between the “fathers,” those believing Jews sprinkled throughout the body of Messiah, and the “children,” that vast number of Gentile believers throughout the earth, will be fully restored. Let us absolutely look forward to the days of Elijah when the full restoration takes place, but at the same time, let’s not wait until those days to show the proper honor to the fathers (and mothers) that has been lacking in the
Richardson, Joel (2015-03-17). When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (Kindle Locations 1162-1165). WND Books. Kindle Edition.
It seems that Joel thinks that Elijah the prophet is still to come (or at the very least that this prophecy and the results of it havent happened). Yet the very words of Jesus tell us that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of that prophecy.
"And IF YOU ARE WILLING TO RECEIVE IT, he is Elijah who is to come. HE WHO HAS AN EAR TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR!" (Matt 11:14-15)
And the actually verse that Joel quotes out of Malachi is quoted in Luke's gospel and related to John the Baptist in Luke 1:17: " He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord".
The ministry of turning Fathers to the Children was a ministry of John the baptist. John the baptist did not have a ministry of bringing Jews and Gentiles together. His ministry was exclusively to the Jews. John the Baptist fulfilled his ministry, and that prophecy, as the word of God says.
3. "Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord revealed that His ultimate reason in making the Abrahamic covenant was about much more than the mere possession of land. It is in Jeremiah’s prophecies that the Lord first specifically used the phrase “a new covenant.” In this new covenant, we discover that the reason the Lord gave the promised land to the Jewish people was to provide a location where they could live in fellowship with Him eternally. But for this to become a reality, the Lord promised to write His Law upon their hearts so they could serve Him with absolute and complete obedience. Let’s read the passage in full, as it is one of the most important passages in all of the Old Testament: “At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people…. Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,”declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer. 31: 1, 31– 34) It is essential to note that the specific recipients of this new covenant are “all the families of Israel,” “the house of Israel,” and “the house of Judah,” whom the Lord also refers to as, “My people.” As we consider the state of global Jewry today, with so many living in rebellion from God, and the vast majority not living as servants of their Messiah, it is clear that this promise is yet to be fulfilled.
Richardson, Joel (2015-03-17). When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (Kindle Locations 719-723). WND Books. Kindle Edition.
Joel says this prophecy from Jeremiah is yet to be fulfilled. Yet this very passage is quoted in Hebrews chapter 8 to show what the New Covenant is and that it is already here. It is not a promise yet to be fulfilled. It is the New Covenant that Christ put into effect with this death and resurrection. If this was yet to be fulfilled then the author of Hebrews (who is ultimately the Holy Spirit) would not have quoted it in reference to the New Covenant that was already in effect at the time of the writing of Hebrews. In fact in Hebrews 8:6 it says that Christ is already the Mediator of this better covenant: "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises". Then it goes on to quote Jeremiah. It seems to be another instance in which Joel takes an Old Testament prophecy and thinks in must be fulfilled in a literal way and ignores the meaning that is given to it in the New Testament.
4. "Because of the Church’s minimizing and sanitizing of any Jewish dimensions of the Gospel message, however, it has forgotten so much of what Jesus and the apostles actually proclaimed. Bluntly stated, as the title of this book reminds us, if the Gospel that one preaches does not culminate with a Jewish man ruling the world, then it is not the Gospel of the New Testament.
Richardson, Joel (2015-03-17). When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (Kindle Locations 148-150). WND Books. Kindle Edition.
I believe that to be an entirely false statement. One, I can't think of even ONE account of where the Apostles preached the gospel in the book of Acts where it culminated with an explanation of Jesus ruling the world as Joel sees it (from a literal Jerusalem with a literal temple, over the whole world). If a gospel message that is void of this "truth" is not the Gospel of the New Testament then all the gospel preaching in the book of Acts is not true New Testament gospel preaching (if we judge their preaching by Joels standard). But, an interesting fact that should cause pause in all of us is the fact that in all the accounts of gospel preaching in the New Testament, there is NOT ONE explanation of Jesus ruling the world (as Joel sees it). If that is such and important truth, and an indisputable fact from the bible, and such and intracle part of the gospel, why did all the gospel preachers (apostles) leave it out? There are certainly passages about Christ judging the world, but not one of Him ruling on the world in physical Israel, from literal Jerusalem with a literal temple. In fact, the summary of the Gospel that Paul preached in 1 Cor 15 included everything that Joel says is a simplistic gospel, and nothing of the what Joel says is required for true gospel preaching.
5. I'm not fully persuaded regarding his understanding of Romans 11 and "all Israel being saved". Joel says:
"Paul began by warning Gentiles not to remain uninformed concerning this “mystery”: For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery – so that you will not be wise in your own estimation – that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” There are five crucial components of Paul’s message that we must acknowledge.
1. The hardening of Israel is partial – not affecting all Jews.
2. This partial hardening of Israel is temporary – not permanent.
3. This hardening will be lifted at a very specific time in the future.
4. It will be specifically lifted after “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
5. At that time, “all Israel will be saved.”
Richardson, Joel (2015-03-17). When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (Kindle Locations 815-821). WND Books. Kindle Edition.
If Joel's understanding of this passage of scripture is correct...then we have the Lord making "another covenant", besides the New Covenant when He returns. It says that this covenant with them is when he takes away their sins (which Joel thinks happens when Jesus returns). So is Christ making a another Covenant with the Jewish people when He returns? One in addition to the New Covenant that is already available to Jews and Gentiles? If you read the ESV it doesn't say "and SO all Israel will be saved". It says "IN THIS WAY all Israel will be saved". In what way? In there being a partial hardening of the Jews, but not a full hardening. That through history all Israel that will be saved will be saved in that manner. For me, that is the plainest way to read the text, as Joel often tell us too, and I think the ESV words it correctly. Another point that I would like for Joel to address is how the word "fulness" is used in Romans 11. Premil teachers believe that when the passages speaks of the Jews by saying "their fulness" that it means all Jews. But in the same chapter when the phrase "fulness of the Gentiles" is used, it only means some of the Gentiles. Yet if you do a word search, you will find that the same Greek word is used in both passages. So why does "fullness" mean ALL when refering to the Jews and only SOME when refering to the Gentiles. That certainly doesn't seem like consistant biblical interpretation. Here are the passages referenced:
Romans 11:12 "Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?"
Romans 11:25 "For I would not, brethren that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conciet; that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in."
Again, the same Greek work is used for "fulness" in both passages. So why does "fulness" mean ALL when speaking of Israel and only SOME when speaking of Gentiles? (If Jesus returns and saves all the Jews, the PTL! I would rejoice. I just don't see that being taught in this passage).
6. This is where Joel addresses how people place the blame for the Jesus death on the whole Jewish race:
"The problem, of course, with seeking to place the guilt for Jesus’s death on any particular race is twofold. First, Jesus said of His own life, “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again” (John 10: 18). In other words, although it was a joint effort on the part the Jews and the Romans to carry out His crucifixion, it was all ultimately His decision and His own plan. The second obvious problem in blaming the Jewish people for the death of Jesus lies in the collective guilt of all humanity.
Richardson, Joel (2015-03-17). When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (Kindle Locations 1743-1744). WND Books. Kindle Edition.
I agree with Joel that it is wrong to place the blame for the death of Jesus on the whole Jewish race. And I would even give another reason. I would say you can't blame the whole race because the people living since then had nothing to do with the death of Jesus! Pretty simple. I'm sure Joel would agree as well. However, Joel and Dalton, both in this book and in Controversy and Covenants" come across very heavily as placing the blame for Jewish persecution squally at the feet of Christians. As if it's something we all need to repent of. So Joel comes across as not wanting to hold all Jews accountable for the death of Jesus, but he seems to think we all (Christians) need to repent for what other "Christians" have done to Jews.. "Christians" that we have never had any affiliation with. That to me seems a little imbalanced. If we as Christians need to repent for all the wrong done to Jews by other Christians, do the Jews need to repent for their heavy persecution of the first century church? Because it was almost exclusively Jewish persecution. Does the door swing both ways? It certainly doesn't feel like it in Joel's writings.
7. I found his explanation of the sheep and the goats to just be "off". In the parable of the Sheep and the Goats he believes that the "least of these my brethren" are Jews. And therefore he believes the take away from that parable is that Christians will stand in judgment for how they treated Jews. I can find nothing that says the unrepentant Jews are the brethren of Christ. I see that Christ brethren are clearly defined for us in scripture by Jesus Himself:
"But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And He stretched out His hand towards His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." (Matt 12:48-50)
I'm not saying we shouldn't love unbelieving Jews with the love of Christ. I don't think we should show partiality to unbelievers no matter where they are from. I just simply believe that the brethren of Christ are those who do the will of the Father in heaven.
Lastly, and this is not in the book, I just want to point something out about Rev 20. In premillenial endtime theology, Rev 20 is used to describe the time when Jesus is supposed to be on earth ruling from Jerusalem. A time when the world is supposed to be at peace. However, I think it's interesting to note what Rev 20 does not say. Its says nothing about Christ being on earth, It says nothing about him reigning from literal physical Jerusalem in Israel, it says nothing of a rebuilt temple or a predominately Jewish rule of the kingdom. All the things that premillenialist say about Rev 20 cannot be found in that passage. Just another observation.
In writing all this I will say that I don't have any doubts regarding Joel and Daltons love for Jesus, or their love for God's people. This is simply my reply to their endtime theology, and why I think the scriptures do not teach what is presented in the book "When a Jew Rules the World".
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