The above title is the heading of a flier that one of our young members was given on his way home from school. He was accosted by a few Black youths wearing some seemingly specially designed white robes. They asked him what race he was, and he answered, “African-American.” They demanded to know, “Are you from Africa?” He told them he was born in the United States, and they told him that he was Black then.
“What color do you think Jesus was?” they wanted next to know. He answered, “What difference does it make?” It mattered to them. “He was Black,” they announced to him. The leader of the group asked, “I suppose you think that Jesus died for everyone.” When he admitted that he agreed with that statement, they shouted, “WRONG!” He was talked to for several minutes before they gave up and moved on. He then gave the flier to me; this article will examine the contents of the doctrine included on it.
Adjacent to the title at the top of the document is a circle, which contains within the star of David, formed by two equilateral triangles—one pointed up and the other pointed down, and overlapping each other. The effect is that six small triangles are formed on the periphery of a hexagon. Within the hexagon are two tablets that represent the tablets of the Ten Commandments.
Underneath the title and symbols is the address of the meeting place of this group, along with its telephone number. They conduct classes from 7:00 to 10:30 P.M. each Thursday and Friday evenings. On the Sabbath (Saturday) they meet from 8:30 A.M. To 2:00 P.M. They also list two websites: www.thecomforter.info and www.theholyconcep-tionunit.org.
Immediately below these bits of information is a rectangle that runs the full width of the text and about an inch downward on the page. With a Bible on each end within the rectangle, the question is asked, according to the way it appears at the top of the next column.
Is Your Church Teaching
THE TRUTH
According to the
HOLY BIBLE?
Immediately underneath the rectangle is an astonishing statement: Those whose fathers are of Negroid and Indian descent make up the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel. No, they do not seem to be kidding, although what else can one do but laugh? What is this doctrine—the Book of Mormon as told by Malcolm X? Of course, there is no evidence presented for this fantastic conclusion, and the subject is dropped until the bottom of the page where there is another rectangular figure, although its bottom border is missing. Inside, the heading proclaims: THE TWELVE TRIBES OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL—ACCORDING TO THE KING JAMES VERSION OF THE BIBLE.
The reader would need this sheet to be informed that the Negroes came from the tribe of Judah! Haitians came from Levi, the Puerto Ricans from Ephraim, and Cubans from Manasseh. The North American Indians are descended from Gad, and Mexicans came by way of Issachar. Really? And what historical evidence is there for such wild and crackpot assertions? How strange it is that, on a page full of Scriptures, not one is cited to proved this group’s contention about the origin of these peoples.
In the center of the page are two “pictures” of Jesus. The one on the left is one of a white Jesus with a trimmed beard and long hair. Above it is the caption: “This is NOT Jesus Christ!” Underneath the tiny picture of the Lord, the flier states: “Cesara Borgias, the 2nd son of Pope Alexander the 6th of Rome. This is one of many false images painted by Michaelangelo during the ‘Renaissance’ period.” Undoubtedly, this image is incorrect.
However, the other picture is just as inaccurate. The claim is made: “This is a true image of Jesus Christ!” Below this claim is a Black man sitting down in a robe, and he appears to have a halo around his head! Yes, that’s much better. And where did this representation of the Lord originate? Is it from Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John? No. This one “comes from Greece (17th century). It shows Christ as He is described in the Holy Bible (KJV): A BLACK MAN!” Hmm. So why is a 17th century Black Jesus any more correct than a 16th century White One? The fact is that the Bible does not provide a physical description of eyes, hair, or skin color. No reason exists to assume that Jesus looked any different from other Jews of His time, which were neither White nor Black.
Underneath the pictures is another rectangle, running from the left margin to the margin of the second picture. Adjacent to it in the last column is yet another rectangle, in which it is declared that the Star of David symbol is the true one “for God’s chosen people,” but the contents of the box on the left are pertinent to this topic. One can only marvel at the exegetical skills of this group as he reads:
The true image of Jesus Christ is found in Revelation 1:1 & 14-15: The revelation of Jesus Christ, (verses 14-15) His head and his hairs were white like wool (The wooly-textured hair of the Negroes – black people), as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace” Jesus Christ’s SKIN is so DARK that the Bible compares it to brass that had been BURNED in a furnace! SO JESUS CHRIST IS A VERY DARK SKINNED BLACK MAN!
It makes about as much sense to apply literally a description of Jesus in a symbolic book as it does to insist that the figure, 144,000, is literal. In the first place, Jesus is not said to have woolly hair; it was white like wool. Had it been white like snow, would that prove that Jesus was an Eskimo who had been outdoors too long? One is about as absurd as the other. It is the color of His hair that is being depicted; the astute reader will notice the other colors in Revelation 1: About His chest was a golden band; His eyes were orange or red like fire. No color is given to accompany the description of the feet. Neither is the color of the garment He was wearing.
Each characteristic is given for a purpose. Revelation 1:16 tells us that “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength,” which was conveniently omitted in the flier. So, we have a Jesus described here with white hair, eyes red like a flame of fire, a face yellow like the sun, with dark feet. How could anyone possibly claim that the Holy Spirit is giving a racial picture of Jesus? If so, He is everyman—white, red, yellow, and dark brown. There’s probably a song in that somewhere.
Furthermore, this Jesus has a “sharp, two-edged sword” coming out of His mouth, which doesn’t prove He is related to Edward Scissorhands. The description of the flame of fire and the feet are used in the letter to those in Thyatira. The significance of them is the penetrating glance of Jesus and His ability to trample and destroy.
Jesus Did Not Die for All Nations
The people of this religious group could write a textbook on how to take Scriptures out of context. Any student of the New Testament knows that Jesus died and shed His blood for all mankind. Practically everybody has read of John 3:16—“For God so loved the world….” Well, nobody (but these guys) understands that verse properly. ”THE WORLD IN JOHN 3:16 IS THE NATION OF ISRA-EL!” One begins to wonder how much ignorance can be crammed onto one sheet of paper. What about 1 John 2:2? “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” Are we to imagine that John means “the whole Israel”?
The passages cited to support this assertion are too numerous to list (21); Matthew 1:21 is the first one provided. Jesus was given His name because “He would save His people from their sins.” This statement is absolutely true, but it does not say He would not save Gentiles, also. In John 4:22, Jesus told the woman at the well that salvation is OF the Jews. Right. Jesus was a Jew, and He made salvation available to the Jews, but there is no hint that non-Jews would be excluded. Many of the other passages are along these lines.
What the writers of this false doctrine have ignored, however, is that the gospel is for all. It was obviously to be so from the very time God made promises to Abraham. The third of these was that in him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). Toward the end of Abraham’s life, God repeated the promise, using equivalent but not identical wording: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…” (Gen. 22:18). Notice that He did not say the nation of Israel (which did not yet exist)–but ALL the nations of the earth. Isaiah saw a vision of the church. He said it would be “established on the top of the mountains…and all nations shall flow into it” (Isa. 2: 2).
Furthermore, the New Testament explains clearly that Jew and Gentile are both included into one body (Gal. 3: 28). In Ephesians 2:13-18, Paul describes how the Lord broke down the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles. He created “in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” Why do the proponents of this sect (or cult) think that after the Jews rejected the message of salvation that Paul said, “…behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46)? Did he decide to just waste his time preaching the gospel to those who could not possibly be saved in the first place?
The Lord Does Not Love Everybody
Every Scripture reference given to prove this point is from the Old Testament, except for Romans 9:13, which quotes from it. These simply reveal a contrast: “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” This passage has to do with God’s selection of Israel as His chosen people and does not mean that He never wanted the Edomites to be saved. God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3: 9). Jesus also desires for ALL to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).
Isaiah 40:15-17 does not say God wants some to be lost; compared to His power, all nations are before Him as nothing and counted worthless. The passage has nothing to do with salvation. Amos 3:1-2 is addressed to the Israelites, the very ones God is supposed to love and save. Whoops! Verse 2 says He will punish them for all their iniquities. God always punishes sin—especially in those whom He loves (Heb. 12:5-11). Deuteronomy 7:6 merely records that Israel is God’s special people; it does not prove He despises everyone else. He gave to Israel special privileges. Psalm 147:19-20 echoes that thought. 2 Samuel 7:13-14 is cited without including verses 12, 15-16. This is a prophecy of David’s son (descendant), Jesus, building for God a house (the temple, the church). None of these verses establish the alleged claim.
Jesus Did Not Do Away With the Law
Most of the Scriptures listed here are recycled from Seventh-Day Adventists. In Matthew 5:17, for example, Jesus said He did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it. What many fail to see, however, is that He fulfilled it on the cross, thus removing it (Col. 2:14). One wonders how those who advocate that we remain under the Law of Moses to this day could possibly have missed the importance of the two divisions of the Bible—Old and New. If we were all still under the Law of Moses (and Gentiles, except for proselytes, never were), then there would not be any new covenant. Hello! Mark, in the very opening of his book, says, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
He does not write, “This is part two of the Law of Moses.” He does not teach, “This is an explanation of the Law of Moses.” He does not say, “This is an addition to the Law of Moses.” The gospel is a new and different covenant. For that reason Jesus quotes verses from the Ten Commandments (“You shall not murder” and “You shall not commit adultery”), adding, “But I say to you….” Many of the Scriptures cited to prove this point have no relevance whatever to this false position.
The Bible Does Not Teach the Unity of All Races
Once again, the Old Testament passages presented just mention that Israel is God’s special people or that they are to destroy the Canaanites because He is using them as His arm of justice. None of them deal with the time after Jesus died on the cross. 1 Corinthians 10:21-22 has nothing to do with the unity that is possible in Christ; Paul is encouraging brethren not to have fellowship with idolatry! Nobody has ever taught that all people will be Christians, but the Bible does teach that some from all nations will be in the church. Romans 9:8 contrasts the children of the flesh with the children of promise. The last one, Revelation 18:4, contains a warning for God’s people to come out of Babylon. The faithful have always been urged to separate themselves from sinfulness (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). None of this proves that all races can be united in Christ. All it takes is people from every race to be obedient to Jesus. God made from one blood every nation under heaven (Acts 17:26). He separated them at Babel, and He unites them in Christ.
Jesus Christ was not a Caucasian
Again, what difference does it make concerning the color of Jesus? He was Jewish, descended from Abraham and David. For most people, Jesus’ color is irrelevant, but the adherents of this cause insist repeatedly that He is Black. If Jesus had been Black, and the whole Jewish race had been Black (have they noticed what color Jews are to-day?), it would not matter to most of us; we would still call Him Savior—of all. But what does matter is the way these people abuse the Scriptures to try to make them say what is clearly not intended.
Two more sections are devoted to color. The first asks, “Was Jesus Christ a Caucasian man?” NO! The Scriptures cited to prove this pointless proposition are Revelation 1:13-15 (again), Daniel 10:5-6, Jeremiah 14:2, and Hebrews 7:14. Daniel 10:5-6 contains a vision of an individual not unlike the description of Revelation 1. A man is clothed in fine linen and girded with gold. His body is like beryl (green or blue), and his face has the appearance of lightning. His eyes are as lamps of fire, and his arms and feet are like polished brass. Daniel’s reaction is the same as John’s later would be. As previously asked, however, what does this multi-colored Jesus (if it is He) prove?
Jeremiah 14:2 says: “Judah mourns, and the gates of the city languish: they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.” This is a description of the famine, not Christ; people are dressed in mourning. It is not part of a prophecy even involving Christ. Apparently, this Scripture is cited because it contains the word black.
Hebrews 7:14 is often cited to show the proper use of authority. Jesus could not be a priest under the Law of Moses (apparently this religious group forgot their claim that we are still under the Law because they certainly would not want to call attention to this passage). Priests were authorized only to be from the tribe of Levi. Jesus was from Judah; therefore, He could not be a priest under the Law. Therefore, the Law had to be changed in order for Him to be a priest (Heb. 7:12). Verse 14 provides a great illustration of Biblical authority: “For it is evident that our Lord sprang from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.” However, the verse says nothing about racial color.
Immediately below the above paragraph is the one that asks: “Does His color matter?” Their answer is “YES!” None of the Scriptures that follow (John 4:24; 8:32; 7:38; 17:17; 3 John 4; Isa. 8:20) have anything to do with why Jesus’ color might be important. They all emphasize the importance of truth—something these folks would not recognize if it bit them.
Conclusion
This religious outfit is just one (of several) that preys upon those who do not know the Scriptures. They pull out passages that seem to, but do not, prove their wild and reckless assertions. They cannot prove any of their outrageous claims and deserve not to be taken seriously. Their outrageous claims cannot stand up to Bible scrutiny.