What is Reform Judaism?

Before we leave these Jewish helps, it may be interesting to the reader, unacquainted with the fact, to know of the turn that has been given to Jewish thought by the 'Reform' Movement. The Reformed Jews have from about the year 1840 thrown off bondage to the 'mediaeval synagogue,' as they say — practically also to the Talmud — and have reshaped the principles of the Karaites of earlier days, taking their stand upon Scripture rather than tradition. We believe that our Lord has already imparted some life into the dry bones of 'Lo-Ammi'; that out of this break from Rabbinism will issue the fruit of the Spirit's work 'at the end of days.' The published discourses of the ecclesiastical chief of the movement betoken the spirit that is at work. May the Lord direct it to its full fruition, preserve these sons of Israel from the pitfalls of rationalism, teach them yet more of Himself, and confirm them for the hour of trial that is yet to be.

Many then were baptized unto repentance by the forerunner. But now for the first time we meet with the two great religious classes and leaders among the Jews, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who came out to John. These two classes play an important role in the Gospel. The Pharisees* were the strictly religious, orthodox-ritualistic class. (The name Pharisee means a Separatist. One who says: "I am holier than them.") They were well versed in the traditions of the elders, and occupied themselves with creating new commandments and strange interpretations of the law. They are the fathers of the talmudical Jews of the present day and typical of ritualistic Christendom, having the form of godliness and not the power. The Sadducees were the rationalists, the unbelieving class. They were much given to reform. Their offspring today are the reformed Jews, who reject the greater part of the Word of God, and in Christendom they are remarkably reproduced in the unevangelical "Isms," though they call themselves "Christian" (as the Sadducees called themselves Jews), who reject portions of the Word, who do not believe in the inspiration of the Bible.

There is a very misleading idea among many students of prophecy as if the statement of Romans 1:26, "all Israel shall be saved," meant that all the Jews will receive the blessing and the glory on that coming day of salvation. Some of the evil systems, like the Russell cult (International Bible Student Association), go so far as to teach that there will be a resurrection of all the ungodly Jews of past generations for a second chance. This passage silences these unscriptural theories. The promise of restoration and glory belongs to the godly, the believing and repenting remnant. The mass of Jews, who call themselves "Reform Jews," who in reality are infidels, because they deny the Word of God and have completely discarded the faith in a coming Messiah, will be cut off. The third part (the remnant) only will be saved.

If you allow me I will give you an illustration as to that, which shows how closely they are linked together. We know that the apostasy is led on by the man of sin, the antichrist who is a Jew and who discards the God of his fathers, the religion of his fathers, everything that he might be supposed to prize. He lifts himself up as in a sense divine. I believe that the present poisoning of the world's literature can be traced to the defiling source that will produce the antichrist himself. It is only during the last hundred years that literature has made such advancement. And it is only since the wondrous awakening of thought amongst the Jews, and in connection with what is called reformed Judaism, the revival of thought amongst that scattered and despised people, that infidelity has made such rapid progress. All this higher criticism that had its birth in Germany, this denial of the divine element in the word of God, this picking and criticizing, until the whole word of God is made in their hands a mass of tattered rags, where did it originate? It originated first of all with what are called reformed Jews, who denied the inspiration of the Pentateuch; and so-called Christians learned to imitate them, and take up the same argument and apply it to the New Testament. The higher criticism owes its origin to the Jew.

A modern Jewish movement is rapidly gaining force, which is, if possible, more significant of the times. We hear in many quarters of a great Christ-ward movement among the Jews. In one foreign country we are told that they are being converted to Christianity in such large numbers that it is expected there will be no orthodox Jews left.

But those, who are fitted by an intimate knowledge of things to have a true judgment as to this, see in it only another, and, if possible, a more deeply significant, sign of the times. It is the outcome of the influence of a “modern” or “reformed” school of Judaism, which may be traced back to the influence of Moses Mendelssohn, who died in Berlin in 1786.

A well-known writer on Jewish subjects—Mr. S. H. Wilkinson—than whom none is more qualified to express an opinion—says: “Bulwark after bulwark of faith has been jettisoned, and now at last the evil germ is coming into full development. … The new attitude to the Lord Jesus, acknowledges, it is true, His incomparable position in ethics; but it is as radical in its denial of His divine claims as the most prejudiced orthodox fanatic. It is part of a group of rationalistic beliefs which include the treatment of the Old Testament Scripture as a non-divine literary product, the historical value of which is doubtful, and which sees in every human being an advance towards the highest and best. It is this rationalistic school which is willing to acknowledge the moral excellence—even supremacy—of the Lord Jesus, but they will never be found by any slip of the tongue to drop into the error [to them] of calling Him the Lord Jesus.”

("Modern Judaism [both rabbinical and rationalistic] is not able to account for the cessation of sacrifices and the Levitical dispensation. The former acknowledges that in the destruction of the temple and the present condition of Israel without high priest and offerings, divine judgment on the nation's sin is expressed: the idea of atonement through a vicarious sacrifice is not quite extinct, as appears in the rite of the cock performed on the eve of the day of atonement, though devoid of all Scriptural authority. Rationalistic Judaism has departed still further from the truth. Rejecting the idea of substitution and expiation in connection with sacrifices, it regards the present condition of Israel as a more spiritual development, misinterpreting the protests of David and the prophets against a mere external view of the ceremonial law (Ps. 40:7; Hos. 6:6; Jer. 7:21-23). The old has indeed vanished; but according to the will of God, because the true light now shineth, because the substance has come in Christ" A. Saphir.)

Solemn, intensely significant as the above is, the writer continues: “The new movement amongst the Jews runs side by side with the present-day apostasy in Christendom. It is probable that before many years pass there will be a fusion between the new school of Jewish thought and the apostate rationalism that is at present Christian in name. The germ will then come to its full development, and that short creed which dethrones God and enthrones man will be ripe for the recognition of the Antichrist.”

Now, here in the beginning of the sixteenth chapter, this event happens, the Pharisees and Sadducees agree together to tempt the Lord. Both make a common cause in opposing the Lord. Most likely they came together in Conference. Well could they meet together, though outwardly separated, yet inwardly possessed by the same satanic hatred against Him, whose words had so completely unmasked Phariseeism and whose deeds and mighty miracles had so perfectly exposed the fallacy of Sadduceeism. While they could not agree in doctrine and practice in one thing they could agree and were perfectly harmonious, and this was, the hatred and rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, as before indicated in our exposition of this Gospel, these Pharisees and Sadducees, these sects among the professing earthly people of God in the past, are perfectly reproduced in the professing sphere of Christendom. The modern "Christian" Phariseeism is the religious, ritualistic part of Christendom, having a name to live but being dead, the form of godliness, but denying its power. Sadduceeism in its "Christian" aspect is the liberal current so strong in our day, the new theology which puts supernaturalism out of the way, the higher critics who deny the inspiration of the Bible, beginning with the denial of the written Word and rapidly ending with the denial of the living Word. And these two great parts of Christendom, modern Phariseeism and Sadduceeism are opposing the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The day is not far off when there will be a great union of Christendom, a union which will take in the most ritualistic and the most liberal, a union which will also include the reform Jew and which will aim at a universal religion founded upon that anti-Christian doctrine of "a Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of men." All this is seen approaching by the modern drift of things throughout Christendom. This union to come will be upon the ground of opposing the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement He made on the Cross. That coming union will be "the devil's millennium." When the Lord Jesus Christ comes the second time He will find that monstrosity fully developed in the earth.

304 The Jews have a tradition that Antichrist is to be of the tribe of Dan; and they look for Messiah Son of Joseph to suffer, and for Messiah Son of David to reign. Many now look for nothing at all. There is a rationalistic movement among them, and an attempt on the part of some to join the Socinians. Some will tell you that Christians have done a great deal of good, and many have read the New Testament, but many are infidels, and this is growing among them - on the one side the Talmudists, and the rationalists on the other, and some few in between these; but they are all uneasy.

Along with this there is a movement going on that explains how Christendom and Judaism, hitherto implacable foes, will become friends. The well-known writer on Jewish subjects—Mr. S.H.Wilkinson—says: “The new movement amongst the Jews runs side by side with the present day apostasy in Christendom. It is probable that before many years pass there will be a fusion between the new school of Jewish thought and the apostate rationalism that is, at present, Christian in name. The germ will then come to its full development, and that short creed which dethrones God and enthrones man will be ripe for the recognition of Antichrist.”