Question Box
Good News Magazine
January 1952
Volume: Vol II, No. 1
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Question Box
Good News Staff  

Are All Americans Racially Israelites?

   We know from the Bible that America is nationally of Israelite descent but how are we to account for so many races living here? Before you finish this question, be sure to read Mr. Armstrong's booklet "The United States in Prophecy" which explains our national identity.
   But now to racial identity. The vast majority of Americans have come from the stock of Israel which today is found in the vast British Commonwealth, and the democracies of western and northern Europe. But there are millions of people living here who are Oriental, Negroid or southern European. Are these all of Israel?
   There is great possibility that some of these people actually are the scattered remnants of the House of Israel as they passed through certain countries of Europe migrating from the Caucasus to the North and Baltic Seas. But most of these people are not Israelites. Does this mean that America is not predominantly of the tribe of Manasseh? Not at all.
   Above all people of the world, the Israelites had many foreigners dwelling in their midst of old, just as today. A mixed group of people went up with the sons of Jacob out of Egypt. Many of these were married to Israelites or lived among them in their own family groups. See Ex. 12:38; Deut. 10:19.
   Many, many of the laws of God given to Israel were guides as to how to live with strangers and foreigners dwelling in the land. Exodus 23:9-12 is a good example of this. The Israelites were commanded not to discriminate or mistreat strangers, for they were strangers in Egypt and ought to remember what they once suffered.
   Rather than disproving our national identity, the fact of foreigners in our midst is one of the strongest proofs, because many of them have come due to the material birthright promises given to Abraham which have been found in our own United States to such abundance. These people of foreign nationality have come to enjoy peace and prosperity in our land and we ought to treat them with equal justice according to the laws God gave our ancestors to regulate just these matters.

Did the Apostle John Write All the Books Bearing His Name?

   Over certain of the five works bearing John's name, there has been some doubt as to the authorship. There is no disputing the authorship of the Gospel of John. John 21:24 states that the author was the disciple, and later the apostle, John.
   There is almost universal consent that he also wrote I John. Even the doubting modernists admit that its language is that of the Apostle. I John, the first verse, knocks all doubts away. It speaks of Jesus "which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have Looked upon, and our hands have handled." Beside its sentiment, this is absolute proof of the Apostle's authorship.
   The next two epistles or letters are by "The elder" and although to specific individuals, were to be circulated to the churches. Both of these letters have the same tone or thought and wording. Adam Clark says: "The authority of the First Epistle of John being established, little need be said concerning the second and third, if we regard the language and the sentiment only... there can be no doubt that he who wrote one) wrote all the three."
   The possible doubts that might remain are adequately answered from this fact: II John 4 and 5 imply that the elder who wrote this Epistle had the power to give commandments which he received of the Lord. Peter was an elder and an apostle; so this elder also appears to have had such a prerogative.
   Knowing that the third Epistle is the same style, we can have almost absolute proof that the Apostle wrote it too; for this elder has the power of an Apostle also, in being able to punish a rebellious local elder, Diotrephes. Paul bore the same authority. See 2 Cor. 13:2, 3, 10. Notice also that the author of this Epistle separates himself from the brethren by saying that the fellow prates "against us" and also does not "receive the brethren."
   The Revelation has never had another author ascribed to it who would be likely. There is a tradition that John the Apostle was banished to Patmos under the persecution of Diomitian in 95 A.D. which would agree with the book (Rev. 1:9).
   Halley's Bible Handbook states that "in the opinion of the great body of Christian scholars, the author was the Apostle John." Being somewhat different from the other works, as to its nature, it seems that the Apostle specifically affixed his name to it so there would be no doubt concerning its authorship. Furthermore, John directs himself in Rev. 1:4 to the seven churches in the manner of an apostle as the direct representative of God. There being no valid proof against this or any of the conclusions, we can accept the preponderance of proof that John the Apostle wrote them all by inspiration.

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Good News MagazineJanuary 1952Vol II, No. 1