Prof. Dr.

Detschko Svilenov

WHAT HAS ISRAEL

GIVEN TO THE

WORLD?

ISRAEL - CONFERENCE Bern, SWITZERLAND February 22, 2009

IMPRESSUM: Author: Prof. Dr. Detschko Svilenov Redaktion: Sabine Lenzen Print: Distribution: Wolfgang u. Helena Hoppe Ringstrasse 12 D-86420 Diedorf Deutschland Tel. 0049 (0)8238 4049 E-mail: hoppe@i-c-s.org fbs@dir.bg First Edition, 2009, 10,000 expl.

Ladies and Gentleman and dear friends of Israel,

I greet you all to todays Israel conference and thank you from my heart for the opportunity of speaking at this meeting. Its an honor for me because my connection to this country and people gives brings me great joy. It brings new Biblical knowledge and awakens thoughts of places, events and people who are connected with our faith and values. It is a real privilege to speak about a country which has such influence on the past and future of world history and whose influence is still felt today. First of all, I thank you, dear Werner, for the personal invitation and secondly for the freedom to speak about todays topic as I choose. Still, it is somewhat of a mystery to me as to why I should be given such a great honor. I come from a background in medicine and theology and for 38 years was active in the area of medical research. My wife is also a doctor, as well as both of our sons. The oldest son is a doctor in Bulgaria and the younger a dentist in the USA. For 25 years we have been active in missionary service on a voluntary, part-time basis. It is a great blessing for us to be able to distribute the word of God in our county to official state schools. Two childrens Bibles, a Christian ethics book and the New Testament continue to be printed for the past 15 years (in all, 42 editions with a total distribution of 2.7 million copies). In this way a new generation is reached with the word of God. There are copies on the book table for you to take with you. Perhaps this invitation comes in connection with my country Bulgaria; one of the only countries which was able to save Jews from destruction during the Second World War. I will refer to this later on. My presentation today should serve as a small token of appreciation

and thanks to the Messianic Jews in Israel whom I know and care for, as well for whom I pray. I have no right to be known as an expert on Israel; in spite of this the country and people have a special place in my heart and this is a good reason for me to speak about Israel. I would like to present the following aspects during todays session: 1. Why am I speaking about such a topic and what is my motivation? 2. The uniqueness of the Jews and their country. 3. What have the Jews given to the world? 4. What has the world and what have Christians done for Israel? What are they doing today? 5. What does Israel mean to me as a Christian?

Why am I speaking about such a topic?

The topic Israel has become a daily topic in the world today. This tiny nation of 7.2 million people has become the center, and touchstone, of world politics. Sixty-Five years ago Israel did not exist. Today the whole world speaks about this country. Israel is a topic of conflict in the United Nations and the center of discussion in the capitals of the world. Almost daily it is mentioned on Radio and TV programs. Newspapers give continual reports about Israel. Israel is often pictured as an aggressive nation concerned only with making war. The statistics speak of the greatest people migration in the history of the world and travel agents rank Israel as travel destination number one. The primary Christian religions would rather ignore Israel. For many evangelical Christians the Jews are a people to be prayed for, and for the Islamic world, its greatest enemy. In spite of this, there are hundreds of nonchurch friends of Israel groups, organizations, movements and relief works which have faithfully stood behind Israel, investing much
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love and help for this people. There is even the danger for some such Christian groups that Israel forms the purpose of their existence as Christians and becomes the center of their Christian lives. It was concerning such a danger that Werner Scherer writes, Our future does not depend on Israel, rather our faith in Jesus Christ and His promises concerning each believer and concerning Israel. (Idea-Spektrum, 36, March 2008) Still, the world must understand that the meaning of Israel is much greater than most people think. It is not easy for a speaker to choose a topic concerning Israel which has not already often been addressed. Rarely has any other country in the world received such attention in politics, religion, faith, military etc. as Israel does, still to this day. Today there is an enormous amount of information in various forms offered to us. On the Internet alone there are 303 million hits under the word Israel. The literature which I have used is listed in the Appendix. One gains the impression that two political fronts have been formed: on the one side Israel and on the other side the remaining nations. This motivated me to speak about the interaction between Israel and the world. There is not much information to found concerning this topic. The one-sided media reports are silent about the huge contribution which Israel has given to the world. We must never forget all that mankind as received from Israel which has totally altered its course and does so today. Without Israels contributions the world would not be what it is. In order to give something, one must first have received something. Intelligence, effort, wealth and power are gifts. I cannot give anything which I dont already own. When my cup overflows, I am able to give from it. When my light is bright, I can also be a light to the world. But this presents many questions which beg to be asked:
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 Who gave to Israel that which it possesses and why to this people? Does God love the Jews more than the Gentiles? What was the will of the Giver? What is the receiver doing with that given? What should the receiver give and what should he keep for himself and not to others? Should he intermingle with others? Think of the Hawdala festival of the Jews. In which relationship does the receiver stand in relation to the giver, then and today? And what is the result for Israel and for the world? My topic, What has Israel given to the world as well as the questions stated above, allow me first of all, in the form of a general survey, to mention some of the superlatives and distinctives of this people. World history has nothing to compare to the history and survival of Israel. History knows only one Person, whose Life and work is distinct from and incomparable to, any other person in the world. This is the Jew and Son of Man, Jesus Christ. In the second place are the people of Israel themselves who are also as unique in all world history, meaning that no other people in the world is like this one group. Of course every nation has its own characteristics and unique heritage which others do not. But when the superlatives surpass a certain number, then we are speaking about a unique nation. Such is the case concerning the Jews alone.

Wherein does the uniqueness of the Jews and their nation lie?
Here I would like to mention 12 points: 1. The name of the nation: From the changing of the name Jacob into Israel (Ex. 32) this nation, which came from this man, re6

ceived its name. The exact translation means, God rules. The name of this nation and its land was not thought up by man, but is of Divine origin. 2. The history of the nation: The history of the nation began with a single man, Abraham, whom God called 4,000 years ago. God determined the beginning of this nation. Israels history covers the complete spectrum of human life. This history knows the peak of commitment to Gods word and will, as well as the depth of failure and the worship of foreign gods. Today, 60% of Israelis consider themselves atheists. The land itself is equally full of sharp contrasts and opposites: shimmering sunlight and pitch black nights; bleak wilderness and great fruitfulness; winding mountain chains and deep valleys; scorching heat by day and dank cold by night; tender blossoms and thorny brushwood; modern articles for daily use and age-old traditions. Israel is a nation at the cross-section of three continents, lying between 2 oceans and 3 deserts. The inter-play between all these factors creates a unique variety in the smallest of areas, creating 5 fascinating zones of vegetation. 3. The Hebrew language: The Hebrew language is also unique. After 2,400 years this language experienced a re-birth and became the common language of a modern nation. That Israel, after thousands of years, would revert to its former language is prophesied in the Old Testament. ( Jer. 31:23) This is a linguistic phenomenon without comparison. 4. The prophetic promises: Israels uniqueness is founded on Divine prophesies. There is no other nation where similar, down to the finest detail, prophesies are mentioned, making Israel Gods timepiece for the nations. The land itself received this nation from God with the promise that it was an eternal possession. 5. The dispossession and repossession of the land: No other nation in the history of mankind was twice thrown off its land, scattered over the face of the earth and returned to the same area. Survival as a nation and people under these conditions was only made possible
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through the intervention of God. No other people group in the world has such a history. There have been larger and more powerful nations which have disappeared in the past. The Assyrian and Babylonian nations are not in existence today. No other nation has experienced as much tribulation in the course of history and is accordingly so dependent upon hope. The survival of the Jewish nation is a miracle without comparison. 6. The world-wide immigration of the Jews: The world knows no greater wave of immigration than the Jews who in the last 60 years have immigrated to Zion from 144 countries. I must ask myself, What has motivated over 3 million immigrants since 1882 to move to Israel? Why, at this point in time, are the Jews coming home to Israel in droves? Normally, people immigrate for financial or security reasons. Neither the first, nor the second reason applies to Israel. Israel is not the richest nation in the world and similarly not the safest! Then why? I have only one answer: but when the time was fulfilled Having no State for 1,900 years and then building one up from nothing, history has no comparison. Rightly does Mark Twain state the question, Where does the secret lie concerning this immortal people? The only possible answer is: The secret of the immortality of the Jewish nation lies in the one true God Himself. Only in this way can we understand why in the nation of Israel, especially in the city of Jerusalem, has been populated; a strong, unknown and mysterious power is at work which pulls at the Jewish heart. Napoleon is quoted as having one time said, A nation which weeps at the loss of its homeland 1800 years ago without forgetting it, such a nation will never die. This nation can be certain that it will return to its homeland. 7. Gods calls Israel My people: There is no other nation in the world whom God calls, My people, whose choosing and loving this people fulfills the criteria to bless it. God has said, Blessed is everyone who blesses you. (Numb. 24:9) But there is also no other nation, which at all times, has faced so much hatred than the Jews. With the passage of time this hatred has taken on different names: it began as religious
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anti-Judaism, then turned into racist anti-Semitism and recently presented itself as political anti-Zionism. This hatred repeatedly led to acts of mass destruction. For this reason the survival of Israel can only be explained in connection with the Bible. A confirmation of this truth in our time is seen in Iraqs abandoned effort to attack Israel. In his official report, George Sada, a high ranking Iraqi Air Force general, and Christian, states: In November 1990 I made a terrifying discovery: Saddam gave a command to the Iraqi air force to begin preparations for a large scale air attack on IsraelIt would begin with two massive attacks with three chemical weapons: the nerve gas Tabun, as well as Sarin 1 and Sarin 2. The mission would include 98 of our best fighter jets. On December 17 we received the news (from Saddam) which we expected. It went as follows, I hereby issue the order that we begin the attack with the blessing of Allah. But then the Lord intervened and the Americans attacked Iraq, hence the attack on Israel was stopped!!! After the first strike by the American Cruise Missiles, which destroyed the most important command centers, Saddam called the high ranking officers in order to discuss the situation. The first thing that he said was to the Commander of the Air Force, stating that he should forget the attack on Israel. Now its too late, he said. We need to think about a lot of other things right now. 8. The number of Jews living in Israel: It is unusual that of the 13 million Jews worldwide only 5.5 live in Israel and that the other 7.7 million are living in 144 countries across the globe. The dispersion (Diaspora) among the nations has a 2700 year history, beginning with the departure of the Israelites into Assyria in 722 BC. until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 and 135 AD. 9. The percentage of Jews in the global population: The Jews make up just 0.2% of the total world population. Under normal circumstances one should have hardly heard of them. Instead, the world has heard, and hears, about them continually. The Jews play an undisputed role in society and culture; in science and medicine. It is unusual that 27% of all Nobel Prize winners come from this single, tiny country. There are nations that do not have one Nobel Prize winner.
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This small nation, located in a landmass of 22,000 square kilometers, 2/3 of which is covered by desert, is known as the people of books and publishes over 4,000 new titles in Israel annually. There are over 3,500 archeological digs in Israel. The UNO ranks the Jews as the most intelligent people in the world. The enumeration of these superlatives can be expanded in each direction! 10. The capital of Jerusalem: Now we come to the most fascinating distinctive concerning Israel; the capital city, Jerusalem. Today Jerusalem is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. No other city in the world has experienced as terrible a fate as Jerusalem. No other city in the world has been more fought over than Jerusalem, the city of peace. And nowhere has so much blood been shed than in the holy city of Jerusalem. Because of war, opposition and earthquakes this city has experienced more destruction than most cities. In its 3,000 year history this city has experienced siege, captivity, and destruction by heathen nations covering a period of 2,535 years (586 BC.-1949 AD). In the course of history, Jerusalem was attacked in war 69 times with 17 different nations calling themselves the rulers of Jerusalem. Why is there such a tremendous interest in this city? It has no great significance, power, or glory and no special natural location or beauty; as, for instance, Switzerland. It was not located on an intersection of major highways, and has no luxury or riches to speak of. It was built on bedrock and did not possess fertile surroundings. There was really no logical reason for the nations to desire this city. Jerusalem owes its unique significance and fame to other reasons than those concerning the great cities of the world. It is a unique world city due to the revelation of God that took place there which has penetrated the whole world and does to this day. The honor and significance of this city has alone to do with the Lord: It is called the city of the Lord (Is. 60:14). From this city has gone out the word of the Lord and the blessing of the nations (Is. 2:3). God Himself has said concerning this place, This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. (Ps. 132:14). It is the city from which the salvati10

on of the world was obtained. ( Jn. 19:30) It will be the holy city of the new heavens and the new earth, coming down out of heaven from God. (Rev. 21:10) Jerusalem is not only the place where Jesus was crucified and resurrected. It is the place to which He will return. The Divine choice of Jerusalem doesnt just make it a unique city, but also the object of constant and deep-seated conflict as in no other city in the world. The enemies of Israel know full-well that this city stands at the hub of the world. This is the only explanation why the powers of darkness have sought for thousands of years to do away with this city, in that either directly or indirectly they have declared a holy war against it. After they failed with military power to do so, and cannot do so, they have made the city into the center of the two largest religions in the world, each declaring the right to call it the Holy City, even though the name Jerusalem never appears in the Koran and which Mohammed never visited. In this way the world attempts to identify the holy city of God, Jerusalem, with the earthly and transient city of Babylon, hoping to mingle, and possibly wipe it out; the single goal being to thwart the plan of God. But God says, I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of JerusalemBehold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; and I will bring them back, and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem. (Zech. 8:3,7,8) All this is taking place before our eyes today! The Bible teaches that man, spiritually speaking, can only belong to one of two cities, either the heavenly Jerusalem or the worldly Babylon. The biggest problem in Christianity is neither persecution, nor Atheism, nor Heathenism, rather, much more, its removal from the foundation of the gospel and the secularization of the Christian life. The Bible calls this, limping between two opinions (1Kings 18:21) or citizenship in both Jerusalem and Babylon. For many Christians it is easier to ignore the claims of God than to reject the claims of the world. Such must know: The Bible is not a menu from which I may choose what I please. The Bible offers an emphatic Either-Or principle: Either knowing Gods will and doing it, or just speaking about it.
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11. Gods revelation of Himself and His word: A further distinctive, which no other nation in the world possesses, is that God has revealed Himself and His word through the Jewish people and has come, through them, to be the Savior of the world. Through this nation God has begun a plan to save humanity and with this nation He will fulfill this plan. For this reason God commissioned the first Jews, Go into all the world Later on, this commission was taken over by many other nations and is being accomplished to this day through them. In the history of Gods people one finds a powerful symbol which has great meaning for every individual. The time of the calling of Abraham to the entrance into the Promised Land reflect three distinct phases of a persons life. 12. The wars for survival: A distinctive that no other nation knows is this: since the founding of the nation of Israel in 1948, Israel has had to fight several wars in the fight for its own existence, which it has done successfully: resistance to continual rocket attacks, the experience of many suicide attacks, listening to the constant threats concerning the extermination of Israel, daily life lived in fear of terrorist acts, blasphemies, unkindness, accusations, and injustice are all taken from the hands of other nationsand much more. Nowhere is an Israeli safe from terrorist attacks: neither in a plane nor in a car; neither in a Synagogue nor in a school; neither in a restaurant nor in the market; neither on the street nor at home. In a certain way it has become a modern trend, especially in academic circles, including theologians, to turn against Israel. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Ps. 23:5) No other nation in the world would be able to endure under these circumstances of insecurity and permanent physical stress. History has enough examples. Under these difficult circumstances Israel had to lay its foundation and build a nation. In this sense, the Jews had enough experience because there was a time when they, took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding the weaponeach wore his sword girded at his side as he built (Neh. 4:17-18) Later on,
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Rome needed 69 years to put down the resistance of Israel; the longest war Rome ever waged against a nation. Under these conditions the Jews were able to transform the desert into a fruitful garden, bring an agricultural and industrial economy from point zero and build it into the highest of todays standards, bring an economic standard of living and social system to a level comparable to the most developed western nations while at the same time incorporate a wave of immigrants equal to 25% of the total population of Israel. In comparison to Western Europe, in comparison to total population, this would be the equivalent of 80 million immigrants. At the same time, the Western European nations are afraid of just 10,000 immigrants from former eastern bloc countries. I come now to the original question regarding the source and goal of all these privileges, the from where and why behind these matters. Automatically, one must ask the question, Why, of all peoples, the Jews? Before that, a brief statement: The source of all these privileges is God Himself, the Creator of the universe. The whole Bible and the 4,000 year history of Israel clearly confirm, without a doubt, this conclusion. The nation of Israel and the Jews, stand in unique relationship to the Lord. To no other nation or people has God ever said, My land and My people. Hence, the uniqueness of this nation is of Divine origin. The answer to the question, Why? is: God longs, through this And from everyone who has people, to work and complete His been given much shall much be required; and to whom plan for all humanity. Therefore, Isthey entrusted much, of him rael has become the tool of God for they will ask all the more. the salvation of the world. This is the only reason why God has given (Lk. 12:48) this nation so many gifts, abilities and privileges.
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What has Israel given to the world?

This is the question at hand in todays lecture. We could also ask: From that which the Jews have received, what have they given to the world? Not all, by a long-shot! They have passed on the Gospel, yet without imposing the Jewish culture onto the Gentiles, nor laying on them the yoke of over 800 Mosaic laws and regulations. In this way Christianity could attain its reach throughout the Gentile world (according to the United Nations 33% of the worlds populations are nominal Christians), while only .07% of the Jewish population confess to be Messianic Jews (a total of about 100 Messianic congregations). Well leave it to the theologians to work this out! While the Gentiles needed 1900 years to reach this percentage of Christians, the Bible teaches that when Christ returns all the Jews will recognize Jesus as the Christ, and that, as a nation; indeed incomparably faster than we, the former heathens. This shows that the acceptance of the Messiah by the Jewish nation as a whole is a matter which the Messiah works by Himself; as is stated in Zech. 12:10, So that they will look on Me whom they have pierced. Many Christians who are adamant on seeing Israel a Christian nation as soon as possible are deceiving themselves. Such good intentioned plans have little to do with Gods plan for His people. In this regard I quote Doron Schnieder-a Messianic Jew and author, I dont understand why so many Christians, especially in Europe, are so ecstatic about the Messianic Jews. It appears as if one has more joy over one Jew who turns to Jesus than over one Gentile who turns to Jesus. Biblically speaking, it should be just the opposite. It is only when the full number of heathens enter the fellowship of God that the time will be ripe for the salvation of all Jews, when they cry to the Lord Jesus at His return, Baruch haba beschem Adonai (Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord)then all Is14

rael will be saved in totalityWhoever is waiting for the salvation of Israel can accelerate this by evangelizing the heathen, until their full number is reached. Of course we are obligated to pray for this nation daily, and to love them and bless them; doing our best to help them withstand the difficult circumstances and making our faith as Christians visible before the Jews. The world does not want recognize the uniqueness of the Jews: not their suffering nor their bitter lot in life, not their intellectual prowess nor the Jews deep love for their country; not the calling nor promises of the Almighty for this people, not the daily fight for survival nor the enviable progress of their economy. And yet the world has no problem consuming all that this people have offered it over thousands of years and still offers today. And now back to the question: What has Israel given to the world? This people has given the development of the world a whole new direction over the last 2000 years; and that in the most important areas of human existence. I will begin with the biggest contribution of all time which God has given the world through Israel: 1. The Person and Work of Jesus Christ I am fully aware that this topic does not sit well with the majority of Jews. But one must not forget that no other Person has changed the history of the world as much as Jesus Christ. He was a Jew. Jesus was a Jew at His first coming and He will remain one at His second coming. He was born in Israel, lived in Israel, was crucified in Israel, was resurrected, ascended and will come a second time in glory to Israel. What has this Jew, Jesus Christ, brought to the world? Many books have been written about this topic and continue to appear. I will summarize the 5 most important points:
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First: The Lord Jesus Himself gave the answer when He said, for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth (Jn. 18:37) So the first thing which Jesus has given to the world is the Truth. The Truth is the most precious thing a person can ever possess. The Truth has been fought over and people have been willing to give their lives for the Truth. Everything in this world revolves around the Truth. It is the thing which is most often attacked, manipulated, rejected, kept secret etc. Which truth? The Truth about God, about man and about the world; the Truth about the past, present and future of mankind; the Truth about eternity and how men enter eternity. Second: Christ has proclaimed a totally new system of values to the world. The foundation of this system is the love of God. The way of realizing it is through faith in Jesus Christ and the goal is eternal life. This value system can change a criminal into a saint, a sinner into a righteous man, a persecutor into a missionary and a savage tribe into a peace-loving and God-fearing nation. We know of other value systems which turn civilized people into terrorists. Thirdly: Jesus Christ is the greatest social reformer in the world. The world owes Him the abolition of slavery as well as the establishment of the dignity of women. Think about the way women were viewed in other religions and societies, and still are: as an item to be used and an instrument of biological reproduction for Homo Sapiens. Fourthly: Science and law, religion and art, history and philosophy, as well as all other areas of human civilization testify with one accord to the deep influence which Jesus Christ has exercised on the world and still does. Through Him the history of mankind, our complete calendar, has been divided into two epochs: a life before and a life after Christ. Fifthly: The greatest people in the world have bowed before Jesus
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Christ. Sir Francis Bacon, Newton, Pasteur, Carl v. Linn, Faraday, Pascal, Lord Kelvin, Maxwell, Kepler; many researchers who helped make ground-breaking scientific discoveries, were followers of Jesus. When the world-famous painting, The Last Supper, was completed, Leonardo da Vinci invited a friend and asked him, What do you like best about the picture? The man answered quickly, The cup master, the cup. Its fantastic!. Is that so? answered the painter, taking the brush and erasing the cup from the mural. What have you done master! It was so wonderful! Leonardo answered, Nothing is to overshadow the face of my Savior! How do we explain the overwhelming influence of Jesus Christ on the life and thinking of the greatest genius of all time? 2. The Bible

It was through the Jews that the world received the word of God, through which we, the heathens, have come to know God and come closer to Him. Many superlatives describe this ancient book. The Bible is the most translated book in the world: it has been translated into over 4,000 languages and dialects; it has even been translated into Braille. It is also the most published book in the world, in part or whole, with a total of about 60 million copies in print. It is the best-seller of all time. The Bible does not contradict science. It is the foundation of human culture. The Bible works a fundamental change in people and leads to change in the outlook of society and the morality of humanity. A father gave his son a Bible and wrote the following words of dedication inside, My Son! Either this book with keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book. 3. Great individuals

In its 4000 year old history, Israel has given the world a long list of people who have made major contributions to the development of science and culture. I will name just a few:
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a. In the area faith and religion: What would biblical Christianity be without Paul of Tarsus, without the Disciples of Christ, without Moses and David, without the Old Testament prophets? All of them were Jews and were used of God to reveal Himself to the world. Through these men God planted the roots of the Christian faith. It was through them that Jews and Christians became the two pillars of the Messianic body. Every Christian must accept and recognize a Biblically-oriented tie to the roots of his faith. b. In the area of medicine, 52% of all Nobel Prize winners are Jews. I will mention here just a few of the most well-known names to whom mankind owes much thanks: Paul Ehrlich: The founder of immunology and hematology. He developed the so-called, magic ball, the medicine Neosalvarsan which effective in the treatment of Syphilis. Selman Weksman: one of the leading micro-biologists in the world and founder of anti-bacterial research. Gregory Pinkas: the discoverer of the Anti-Baby pill and founder of family planning. Jonas Solk: the discoverer of the vaccine against polio (so called Poliomyelitis). August von Wassermann: the leading Bacteriologist and Serologist. He was essential to the discovery of modern teaching on immunology. He discovered the blood reaction in Syphilis which is named after him (the so-called Wassermann reaction) and made valuable contributions in the area of tuberculosis and cancer research. Nostradamus: the well-known doctor and pharmacist from the middle-ages; although he is better known in history for his prophesies and fortune-telling. c. The five leading nuclear physicists in the world were Jews. They brought on a whole new epoch in world history, the Atomic Age.
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In all, 36% of the Nobel Prize winners in the area of nuclear physicists are Jews. I mention a few: Albert Einstein: the most important physicist of the 20th century. He developed the epoch-making work on the Theory of Relativity. Later he discovered law stating the equalibrium between mass and energy. He developed the Quantum Theory. In 1939 he wrote a letter to President Roosevelt and the US government informing them about the possibilities of atomic weapons and paved the way for the development of the atomic bomb. Niels Bohr: the second most important physicist of the 20th century. He is known world-wide as the father of the modern Quantum Theory. He developed the so-called droplet model of the atomic nucleus as well as the Theory of Nuclear Fission. His research in the area of atomic structure won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. In 1943 he also participated in the development of the atomic bomb in the USA. John von Neumann: developed the foundations of modern mathematics and its application. With his work in the area of the theory of possibilities he founded and developed economic mathematics. During the 2nd world war Neumann played a deciding role in the development of the atomic bomb in the USA. Leo Szilard: was one of the leading nuclear physicists in the world. Beginning in 1939 he played an essential role in the start of the American development of the atomic bomb and also in the development of the nuclear reactor. He belonged to the task-force which in 1942 put the first nuclear reactor in the world into use. Robert Oppenheimer: was Einsteins successor at the Institute of Advanced Study in Princeton (USA). Beginning in 1943 Los Alamos (USA) was constructed under the leadership of Oppenheimer; it was at this sight, where the so-called Manhattan Project produced the first atomic bomb. Oppenheimer qualifies as the Father of the Atomic Bomb, but later condemned its further use after seeing the outwor19

king on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He exercised tremendous influence on the American government, especially on its security and defense policies. He was chairman of the Committee on Atomic Energy. Later on, Oppenheimer devoted himself to the building of the hydrogen bomb in the USA. His two books have become known around the world: first, Science and the Common Understanding and secondly, The Open Mind. Max Born: with his 20 scientific books and 300 essays in scientific journals has left a huge heritage behind in theories of modern physics. He formulated the dynamic of crystal lattice as well as contributing much in the area of optics and the Electro-Magnetic Wave Theory of Light. In 1954 he received the Nobel Prize for physics. d. 40% of all Nobel Prize winners in Economics, 19, 5% of all Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry, 12% of all Nobel Prize winners for peace and 10% of all Nobel Prize winners for literature are Jewish. In percentage there is no other people with so many Nobel Prize winners as the Jews, a fact which speaks for the essential role they have played in the history of mankind. In addition, here are the some wellknown names in the areas of culture, ideology, politics, science and art which have played an essential role in the worlds philosophical, political, and social development: Philosophy. I will only mention two people who have had a profound influence on the history of mankind: Karl Marx was born into Rabbinical families on both the fathers and mothers side. He was the most influential political philosopher of the 19th century. Today, a quarter of the world is still influenced by the outworking of his philosophical and political thinking. Think of China, Cuba, and Vietnam etc. The countries of eastern Europe, as well as the former Soviet Union, will be struggling for many years to overcome the consequences of a political system which is called Com20

munism, an ideology which is dictated by the so called, Communist Manifesto and later on communicated in Das Kaptital authored by Karl Marx. From personal experience I must say that freedom from Marxist thinking and policy will take decades and will require the effort of a generation. Baruch Spinoza is the second philosopher who, through his atheistic thinking and criticism of the Bible, was the predecessor of the purely scientific world-view which later was known as Rationalism and Pantheism (God is present in all of nature), which has developed today into liberal theology. If Einstein, Bohr, von Neumann, Szilard and Oppenheimer were influential in the development of the nuclear weapons, then Karl Marx and Baruch Spinoza were influential in developing another ideological atomic bomb called Communism, Atheism, and Liberalism. Its destructive influence will last for decades and send millions of people to their deaths; an incomparable contribution in the loss of human life. Politics. There are many Jews who have appeared on the political stage who have left a deep mark on world politics and have determined the fate of many people and continents. Here just a few of the key figures will be mentioned. Benjamin Disraeli was the acting Prime Minister of England on two occasions. At the Berlin Congress of 1878 Disraeli blocked the dispersion of the Turks from the Balkan nations by the Russians. Hence the Turks were allowed to remain in southeast Europe and later begin the process of the spread of Islam through Western Europe and today seek membership in the EU. Disraeli played an influential role in the epochal change in European politics from an agricultural into an industrial society. He belonged to those Jews who were not ashamed of their heritage, but rather were proud of it. When a high ranking politician made a derogatory remark about his Jewish origins, he replied,
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When your forefathers were still a heathen tribe, mine were standing as priests in the temple of God. Leo Trotsky was Lenins most intimate co-worker. He worked as a journalist in Vienna, Zrich, and Paris, and paved the way for Lenin in Western Europe. He organized the October Revolution of 1917/1918 in Russia and was founder of the Red Army. Trotsky was the first foreign minister, and minister of the military and communications in the Soviet Union and founder of the world renowned newspaper Pravda which proclaims the ideals of Communism to this day. If Marx was the greatest promoter of Communism, Trotsky and Lenin were the politicians who brought about the realization of Communism world-wide and brought about a new epoch in which dictators played an influential role in history. Beginning in the 60s of the 20th century, names like David Ben-Gurion, the founder of the State of Israel; Henry Kissinger, the most famous proponent of peace between west and east during the years of the Cold War, US Secretary of State as well winner of the Nobel Peace Prize; as well as Richard (Dick) Cheney, the most influential vice-president, must be mentioned because of the marks these three high ranking politicians have left behind. Culture, Science, Economics, Trade, Sports 1. Literature (Authors and Poets)-Heinrich Heine; Max Brod; Author Miller; Stefan Zweig; Franz Kafka 2. Music (Composers, Conductors, Pianists)-Leonard Bernstein; Jaques Offenbach; Arthur Rubinstein; Johann Strauss; Vladimir Horowitz; Otto Klemperer 3. Economics and Banking-Mayer Rothschild 4. Acting- Charlie Chaplin; Kirk Douglas 5. Psychology- Sigmund Freud
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6. Journalism-Theodor Herzl; Ludwig Schneider 7. Art-Max Liebermann; Ephriam Moses Lilien; Felix Nussbaum; Bernhard Berenson 8. Film Producers- Cecil De Mille; George Gershwin; Samuel Goldwyn 9. Sports-Boris Becker; Mark Spitz 10. Botany-Ferdinand Kon 11. History-Joseph Flavius Did you know? David Schwarz, the inventor of the airplane, was a Jew. Levi Strauss, the inventor of Blue Jeans, was a Jew. Kasimir Funk, the discoverer of vitamins, was a Jew. Franz Boas, the father of Anthropology, was a Jew. The first cell phone was constructed in Haifa. The most museums in the world are located in Israel. Israel, by percentage of population, owns the most patents in the world. Israel belongs to the greatest tourist attractions and is regarded as the most important pilgrim sight in the world. Israel, designated as a non-Moslem country, has the highest population percentage of Muslims world-wide (19%) Israel has its own satellite in space. Israel owns the most solar-powered water systems world-wide. Israel is the largest supplier of software to the corporations of Ford and Boeing Israel developed the fist Anti-Virus program for computers. Israel has the highest concentration of high-tech industries in the world and, after the United States and Japan, is the third largest high-tech nation in the world, including the area of military development. With the method of Nanotechnology, Israeli scientists have achieved an unusual record: they have packed
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the entire Hebrew Bible onto a gold-plated silicon chip, smaller than the head of a needle. This achievement in the area of micro-technology is contained in the Guinness Book of World Records. In the 1990s, Israel achieved the highest level of economic growth among industrialized nations in the world, with a growth rate of 3.5-6.7%. Today Israel belongs to the leading 20 industrialized nations of the world with a gross national production of $18,000 per person. In spite of the manipulation presented in the media, Israel is the most peaceful nation in the world. The two olive branches, which are the national symbol the nation of Israel, the Menorah, compose the symbolic desire for peace among the Jewish people. (Gen. 8:11) The world is in need of more information and compassion in order to recognize, accept and act according to this desire of Israel. Israeli researchers were the first ones to successfully combat a brain tumour without operating. There are still about 250,000 survivors of the Holocaust living in Israel, 1/3 of whom are living in poverty. 2,000 years ago Israel was the greatest missionary sending country in the world which today has become the most needy mission field in the world. Some European countries are heading in the same direction. The Star of David

4.

The next thing that Israel has given to the world is the Star of David (Davids Sign)-a Hexagram (six-sided star), the shortest message man has received from God: the symbolic image of the relationship between God and man. It is through the Star of David that we have the following message communicated to us: 1. Man received his life from God (the triangle pointing down24

ward). God longs that man returns to Him (the triangle pointing upward). 2. The upper corner symbolizes God as the Creator of the universe. The lower left corner points to man as the creation of God. The lower and upper corners on the right refer to the universe. The upper left corner refers to the revelation of God. The lower corner refers to the salvation of mankind through Jesus Christ. 3. The six corners refer to the six days of creation. 4. The two intertwine triangles point to the universal principle of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Man is also made up of a trinity: Body, Soul, and Spirit; as well as in a spiritual sense, Jews, Gentiles and the church of God, or body of Christ. 5. The Star of David can also be seen as a symbol of the unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians. The New Man symbolized in the two intertwining, equilateral triangles.

What has the world done with these many contributions made by Israel?
1. It has mixed Jesus Christ with many other authorities and in fact partially replaced Him. The Christian faith has become a religion, or Wellness Christianity. Jesus has become just one among many promoters of religion in the world. 2. The word of God is not taken seriously. It has been rejected, liberalized and mixed with human thinking and hence become relative. Parts of it are taken out and other things added. 3. The messengers and faithful servants of God are persecuted and declared to be fundamentalists and fanatics. Many are killed as martyrs. 4. The world has profited from the gifts and achievements of the Jews and does so to this day.
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5. The world has been blinded and does not want to accept the message communicated through the Star of David. Still today this star speaks to people all other the world, through thousands of Synagogues and through Israels national flag. From this summary the following two very important conclusions can be drawn: 1. On the whole, the Jews have given the nations much of itself, but not all. The Jews have never lost their own identity and national pride, a characteristic which no other nation in the world has maintained. 2. Everywhere that the Jews have been, during the last 2,768 years of slavery and exile, they have invested an enormous amount into local culture, science, politics, economics and prosperity of the nations and have improved the reputation of these countries. This is what the Jews have given to the world.

What has the world done for the Jews and what is it doing today?
First, two important observations: 1. Spiritually speaking, the Bible speaks only of three categories of people: Jews, Gentiles and Gods church. (1Cor. 1:22-24; 10:23). 2. The 4,000 year history of Israel can be broken up into the following parts: Life as nomads, 250 years (2,000 BC-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) Life as slaves, 890 years (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Alexander the Great, Ptolemy, Rome) Life wandering in the desert, 40 years (Moses)
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 Life as a nation, 887 years (Theocracy, Judges, Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, Maccabees) Life in the Diaspora, 1878 years (Scattered among the nations) Life in the new state of Israel, 60 years (since 1948) This short overview shows that the people of Israel have spent 2/3 of their existence among the nations where they sought to survive. One can divide the nations which have surrounded Israel into the following groups: 1. Nations which were hospitable to the Jewish people and gave them the opportunity of attaining the highest political positions in politics, science and social standing. One thinks of Joseph, Esther, Disraeli, Trotsky, and Dick Cheney. 2. Nations which were unloving to the Jews, in which they were forced to live amidst hard work, jealousy, hatred and persecution. One thinks of Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Rome, and the Soviet Union (during the time of Stalin), as well as the European nations (during the time of National Socialism), when millions of Jews were obliterated and many people in Europe were enriched through the wealth they left behind. However it would not be correct to think only of the destruction of the Jews during the time of National Socialism. This was only a small portion of the mass destruction of Jews which took place over thousands of years. One must also not forget that the number of non-Jews who were killed during the time of National Socialism was 9 times higher (over 45 million). The victims of the Holocaust included 5 million Slavs (Russian, Polish etc.) and 1 million other ethnic groups (Gypsies, among others). It is not known to me if these groups have received retribution from Germany for what happened during the Holocaust. 3. Nations who have extended love to the Jews and saved them from destruction during World War II. There are only two countries
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which did so, namely Bulgaria and Denmark. Through two key figures, the German diplomats Georg Duckwitz in Denmark and the Bulgarian King Boris III, who was also German, 7,500 Jews were saved in Denmark and 50,000 Jews were saved in Bulgaria. Whereas Duckwitz was able to flee to America, King Boris III paid with his own life for the salvation of others. He refused to sign the directive for the deportation of the Bulgarian Jews. Shortly thereafter he was dead. The 50,000 Jews who were saved immigrated to Israel after the war. For their thankfulness to King Boris they erected a memorial in Israel, the so-called, Bulgarian Forest with the inscription, To His Majesty, King Boris III, national hero and saviour of the Jews. There is more information in The man who stopped Hitler, the second Schindler written by the Italian Jewess, Gabrielle Nissim; as well as Beyond Hitlers Grasp-the heroic salvation of the Bulgarian Jews by the American Jew Michael Bar-Zohar. Or one can visit the Jewish Museum in Sofia. It is inconceivable to me why almost no one in Western Europe knows about the salvation of 7,500 Danish Jews and hardly anyone about the salvation of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews. Perhaps this is due to the 50 year Communist rule in Bulgaria. Still today my country enjoys a good relationship with Israel and stand faithful and firm to this people. Our small relief organization, with its headquarters in Ulm, southern Germany, maintains a friendly relationship to the rabbinic leadership in Bulgaria. Since the political change in 1989 we have been able to transport many goods to the Bulgarian Jews. My wife has been the family doctor of the Chief Rabbi. 4. The fourth group includes almost the complete Arabic world, which obviously does not show any love to Israel and never has. This can be traced back to the conflict between Sarah and Hagar. The numerical proportion of 670 million Arabs to 7 million Israelis (1 Jew to 96 Arabs) forms a considerable threat which should be taken seriously. There is much literature available on this topic. I would personally strongly recommend Ludwig Schneiders, Israel als Heraus-

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forderung (The Challenge of Israel) and the magazine, Israel Heute (Israel Today). 5. What have the Christians done, and what are they still doing, for Israel? At this point we need to mention 2 categories of Christians: a. The large and small Christian religions (Catholics, Protestant and Orthodox) on the one side. b. The practicing Christians on the other; meaning those Christians who belong to the church of God and live according to a Biblical faith. (Mat. 16:18; 1Cor. 10:23) Im convinced that everyone here today is aware of what Im saying. These two categories of Christians are of two different worlds, a whole other topic. a. Until the third century, the Gentile world identified Christianity with the Jewish religion and considered it a sect from Palestine. The Jews themselves suffered under this reputation, although they themselves did not profess to be Christians but rather persecuted them. With the introduction of Christianity as the state religion by Constantine the Great, the Christian faith became a religion, which later split off into the three main branches and developed into countless different sects. All 3 main Christian religions failed to understand the roll Israel plays in Gods plan of salvation and headed down a long path of AntiJudaism, one thinks of the Crusades, the Inquisition, Luthers position on Israel and the unloving treatment of the Jew by the Orthodox church. All three religions sought to take possession of the Holy Cities and to construct convents, monasteries and missions. Today there are 520 Christian establishments in Israel. Its a paradox: these religions gladly possess the holy land, but they want to hear little from the Jews themselves. The political changes of the last 30 years have promoted some tolerance, but not human love.

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b. The other category of Christians, Christians whom the Lord Jesus calls My Church, have understood the plan of God with Israel and have taken the people of God into their hearts, being evidenced in their thinking and actions towards them. These Biblically founded Christians pray for Israel, love and comfort this people and do their best to make their love visible. This conference on Israel today is a sign of such love.

What can we learn from Israel?

We can learn something very important for our personal lives as Christians from the history of Israel. For thousands of years God has been speaking to us through His people. The following can be taken as a great encouragement to us from the history of Gods people: 1. The calling of Abraham was done at the initiative of Godour calling as Christians was as well. 2. The way of Israel has been the way of suffering and conflict, of hate and persecution, of falling and getting up; the way of testing, promises and hopeour path as Christians is as well. 3. Like a red cord, the love and faithfulness of God is seen in His peopleto us, Gods chosen, it is as well. Thank you very much for your attention.

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Literature
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Die Bibel, Revidierte Elberfelder bersetzung, 2001 Doron Schneider, Israel-Mehr als man denkt, Hnnsler, 2007 Freund, berkonfessionelle Evangelisationszeitschrift, 29, 2008 Georges Sada/Jim Nelson Blach, Saddams Geheimnisse, Brunnen-Verlag, 2006 Jdische Zeitung, Sofia, Bulgarien, 20, 2004 Ludwig Schneider, Israel-Jahresbuch: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998. Nachrichten aus Israel. Ludwig Schneider, Israel als Herausforderung, Hnnsler, 2007 Michael Shapiro, The Jewish 100-A ranking of the most influential Jews of all time, A citadel Press Book, New York 1994 Meyers Enzyklopdisches Lexikon in 25 Bnden, Mannheim/ Wien/Zrich, 1979 Mehrere Internet-Seiten (Im Text angegeben) Internet-Enzyklopdisches Lexikon-Google und Wikipedia Svilenov, Detschko, Was sagt die Bibel ber die Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft des Menschen? Was jeder Mensch ber das Weltende wissen sollte? Sofia, Juli, 2000 Wort aus Jerusalem, 3, 2008

13.

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