Ishihara, Kiyoshi. Translated by Gilbert Zinke. "Bible Interpretations that Bring Forth Extremist Fundamentalism" (過激な原理主義を生み出す聖書の解釈). Japan Evangelical Association Theological Commission Pamphlet 6 (May 2006): 5-15.
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I. THE "ELECTION" OF ETHNIC ISRAEL AND CLAIMS OF EXTREMIST FUNDAMENTALISTS
The starting point of ethnic Israel’s claim that it is the chosen people is Abraham, from whom they trace their ancestry. He moves his dwelling from Ur of the Chaldees to Canaan, in obedience to God’s call. At the time of that departure, God promises,
“I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you; I will make your name great. You will be the foundation of a blessing. Whoever blesses you, I will bless; whoever curses you I will curse. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2~3).
Indeed, just as He said, God gave Isaac to aged Abraham and Sarah, his wife. God brought forth from Isaac, Jacob; from Jacob, the patriarchs of the twelve tribes. However, since Canaan was stricken by famine, they unavoidably moved to Egypt, were treated favorably on account of Joseph, who in the providence of God had become the premier, and they grew in number in Egypt. However, Egypt was not the land promised to Abraham in God’s covenant with him. Here is where the Exodus events are brought about.
In fact, the interpretation of these Exodus events of Israel comes to have great meaning from the theological perspective of American nation-building. That is to say, this Exodus of Israel was interpreted as tied to the events, in 1620, when a group called the Pilgrim Fathers embarked from the continent of Europe on the Mayflower and arrived at “a new continent.” As is generally known, the motive that caused the Pilgrim Fathers to migrate was based on a religious mission “to make a new heaven and earth according to Puritanism in contrast to the corrupt Christendom of Europe.” This has become the foundation of American nation-building. They understood their migration from the continent of Europe to the new continent and the Exodus events of ethnic Israel, which had Abraham as its ancestor, as superimposed on each other. Today even moreso, the radical fundamentalists stand in this hermeneutic and are moving that pilgrimage forward. That is to say, it is a hermeneutic that says America indeed is the chosen people. From this the understanding emerges that America is the great nation, blessed by God, that its name has been made great, and it will be the foundation of blessing. Furthermore, those who bless America, God will bless; those who curse America, God will curse. This brings into bold relief a nationalistic ideal that can be deemed truly arrogant, which says that all other nations are to be blessed through America. Certainly it ostensibly extols the missional spirit of the “making a new heaven and earth in accord with Puritanism,” but along the way it has morphed into an ideology of a giant nation that rules the world.
Maki Tahara, reporter for the Tokyo Shimbun, said in a 2005 New Year’s Interview:
"The nation of America feels a sense of Anglo-Saxon ideological superiority. In 1898 America is (sic) fighting in the Spanish American War. That was a war with Spain over the Philippine Islands; the Filipinos were at that time already 90% Christian. Nonetheless, McKinley, the president at that time said, ‘America needs to rule the Philippines in order to educate, elevate, civilize and Christianize the Filipinos.’"
Indeed he proceeded to justify a war of aggression in the name of Christianization. It is probable that behind such thinking was a model drawn from ethnic Israel’s military activities in the Conquest of Canaan, in which Israel upon entering the nation (sic) of Canaan, proceeded to occupy Palestine; we can seek the footprints of this [model] being tied to [their] own nation to justify military activities.
However, the New Testament defines the true descendants of Abraham as being so according to faith. That is to say, “Abraham, ‘it is written, “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Therefore, be sure it is those who are of faith that are the sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, ‘All the nations shall be blessed in you.’ In this way those who are of faith, are blessed with Abraham, the believer” (Galatians 3:6~9). Paul again declares, “They are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: ‘Through Isaac your descendants will be named.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants” (Romans 9:6~8). That is to say, the persons who believe in Jesus Christ are declared to be those called as the new Israel, as vessels of God’s mercy. Therefore, it is hermeneutically problematic to understand America as the descendants of Abraham, as chosen Israel.
Now then, there is one other passage that is weighty in making clear the identity of ethnic Israel. That is what was spoken by God, when Israel, having exited Egypt, entered the Wilderness of Sinai: “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5~6 (sic)).
What I wish to focus on here is that ethnic Israel is a people that lives in covenant relationship to God, as “a nation of priests,” “a holy people.” “A nation of priests,” when said in connection with the Abrahamic covenant, means to carry out the role of a mediator who makes intercession for sin, and who prays for peace with God, on behalf of all the families [of the earth], in order to become the foundation of blessing. Again, “a holy people” means, as one linked to God, to not only point to the “holiness” of God, but to testify about God by holy living. If extremist fundamentalists take to themselves the title of the chosen people, they must become mediators for the world, and intercessors to God. However, as ethnic Israel was unable to carry out this role, they also are not carrying out this calling.
Peter declares: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” making clear that Christians indeed are the people of God.
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