The studies on the promise to Abraham now in progress in this paper [PP Editor's note: Waggoner is referring to a series of studies published in the Present Truth, that began with one titled "The Everlasting Gospel. The Gospel Message," on May 7, 1896, and continued on in a series titled "The Call of Abraham," and then into another series titled "The Promises to Israel," and on to a final article titled "The Gathering of Israel. The Everlasting Covenant Complete," published on May 27, 1897. This whole series of articles were later incorporated into the book, The Everlasting Covenant. It is recommended to read that book, as I have not reproduced those studies in this collection.] have from the first shown how far astray those are who look for the fulfillment of promises to the fathers and the return of the fleshly Jews to Palestine.
Not until Abraham is raised to life, with all the children of Abraham by the faith of Jesus, will he and his seed inherit the land. Whether a few thousand or even millions of unbelieving Jews join a mixed population of Palestine or not is a matter of no interest, so far as prophecy is concerned.
The frequent statements by those who insist that there is a significant movement of Jews for Palestine are very indefinite. Not so, however, some of the statements in the following article, written by Rev. C. L. Goodell, a Methodist minister, who has lately traveled in that land. He writes to the Zion's Herald, of Boston, as follows: Your excellent paper had a short note last week in which some figures are given concerning the return of the Jews, which are said to be "highly significant." It is said that dozens of Jewish agricultural colonies are being established, and that, taking all things together, "students of prophecy will not fail to recognize herein one of the most important 'signs of the times.'" I am sure that none of us would want to base even a desirable conclusion on an unwarranted premise. Whether or not we believe in the literal return of the Jews to Palestine, we are all interested in knowing what the present facts are.
I have had an honest desire and exceptional opportunities to find out those facts. I went from one end of Palestine to the other, inquiring of consuls, missionaries, physicians, teachers, dragomens, Turks and Jews, and using my own eyes to the best of my ability, to determine if anything in the present condition of things could be taken as evidence of any general and surprising return of the Jews. I found only two parties who made such a claim, and these were both Americans who came to Palestine a generation ago with the same conviction and who hold it as one of the strongest articles of their faith.
It is true that a great effort is being made to get poor Jews to go back to Palestine. On arriving at Jerusalem they register at one of the synagogues, and collections are taken for them throughout the world. But notwithstanding this, and the generosity of Sir Moses Montefiore and the Rothschilds in building tenement houses, hospitals, and reclaiming land, the concurrent testimony of the men best qualified to judge is that nothing has as yet transpired which is at all significant from a prophetic standpoint.
Let me give some of the facts and the names which are behind this conclusion. Dr. Selah Merrill is quoted as saying that there are 27,000 Jews in Jerusalem. That is a very conservative estimate, and unless Dr. Merrill has greatly changed his mind since we ran over the figures of the various consulates in Jerusalem, he will be greatly surprised to find his figures quoted as giving any color to the idea of the rapid return of the Jews. Dr. Merrill stoutly opposes the idea. Much more than half the Jewish population of Palestine is in Jerusalem. Safed and Tiberius are the only other cities where there is a considerable number of Jews; while in Nazareth and Bethlehem there is not a Jew.
Dr. W.H. Thompson saw nothing in his time that seemed to him to indicate a speedy return, although he witnessed a much larger proportionate increase than has taken place in the last few years. Dr. Jessup, of the American College at Beirut, has been there since 1856. Dr. Vartan, a Scotch physician at Nazareth, has been there almost as long, and both these men share the opinion of Dr. Merrill, our consul at Jerusalem. Dr. Buckley, of the Christian Advocate, sums up a very careful inquiry with the words: "In view of the character of the Jews migrating hither, nothing of significance is indicated." There are four times as many Jews in New York city as in all Palestine.
It cannot be truthfully said that there are "dozens of Jewish agricultural colonies" in Palestine. I saw only three in a journey from Damascus to Jerusalem. It is impossible to get any accurate census from the Turkish authorities, but they may be relied upon to make the Jewish population as large as it is, so that they may get as large a per capita tax from them as possible.
If the home-coming of the Jews is a necessary preliminary to the coming of our Lord, we will do all we can to hasten that event; but no good will come of our claiming a consummation which has not taken place.--Present Truth, June 25, 1896.