To what extent?

[Damien50]

How far did ancient Israelite proselytizing reach? I know the intent of God was to have Israel lead the world(ironic twist of events considering the present time) and I also know that He sent prophets like Jonah to foreign lands but how far did they go?

 

[Kung Fu]

How far did ancient Israelite proselytizing reach? I know the intent of God was to have Israel lead the world(ironic twist of events considering the present time) and I also know that He sent prophets like Jonah to foreign lands but how far did they go?

As far as I am aware from an Islamic perspective and to some extent from a NT perspective the prophets that were sent to Israel were only meant for them and this is evident in their writings today which is why they DON'T proselytize and why they're community scattered and ultimately dwindled due to how isolated they were from the public and still are today.

I'm sure there's more to the story though.

 

[Damien50]

As far as I am aware from an Islamic perspective and to some extent from a NT perspective the prophets that were sent to Israel were only meant for them and this is evident in their writings today which is why they DON'T proselytize and why they're community scattered and ultimately dwindled due to how isolated they were from the public and still are today.

I'm sure there's more to the story though.

No, I mean how many prophets did God send out from Israel to other nations.

 

[Kung Fu]

No, I mean how many prophets did God send out from Israel to other nations.

I don't know if He really did. I mean if they were sent to Israel they were sent to Israel I'm not sure of any prophet that was sent to Israel and then take a detour to preach to non-Israelites. The only time they interacted with non-Israelites was if they had no choice and if it was to benefit or protect the Israelites and their worship.

However, does that mean only Israelites received prophets. Of course, not. The Quran tells us that all communities and nations had prophets sent to them in order for them to know their God and His Oneness.

 

[Damien50]

I don't know if He really did. I mean if they were sent to Israel they were sent to Israel I'm not sure of any prophet that was sent to Israel and then take a detour to preach to non-Israelites. The only time they interacted with non-Israelites was if they had no choice and if it was to benefit or protect the Israelites and their worship.

However, does that mean only Israelites received prophets. Of course, not. The Quran tells us that all communities and nations had prophets sent to them in order for them to know their God and His Oneness.

You're misunderstanding lol. Jonah was sent from Israel to Nineveh to turn them from their sin. So the question is basically were there more Jonah's?

 

[Todd]

My understanding from reading God’s word in the OT was that if Israel had continued to follow God and kept the Covenant, God would have blessed them so far beyond comprehension that the other nations of the world would recognize the God of Israel. Kings and nations would have come to them to learn of their God.

God only sent Prophets to Israel because they were continually turning away from him.

 

[Damien50]

My understanding from reading God’s word in the OT was that if Israel had continued to follow God and kept the Covenant, God would have blessed them so far beyond comprehension that the other nations of the world would recognize the God of Israel. Kings and nations would have come to them to learn of their God.

God only sent Prophets to Israel because they were continually turning away from him.

Well there's Jonah to Nineveh and Obadiah(?) To Edom so far

 

[Lisa]

Well there's Jonah to Nineveh and Obadiah(?) To Edom so far

Wasn’t that a one time deal? And it seemed it had more to do with obedience to God’s will than anything else...Where God proves He knows best and sends Jonah to Ninevah and they believe? However, it seems Jonah didn’t learn a thing.

I always thought that the Israelites were learning to obey and follow God more than be like Christian’s and evangelize. Only they couldn’t keep faithful to God, they wanted to be like the world and God was always telling them to quit that.

I think God’s miracles had the people around Israel scared by His strength and that was the preaching?

 

[Yahda]

Joel 2:27 and you will have to know that I am in the midst of Israel. And that I am the Lord your God and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.

After that I will pour out my spirit on every sort of flesh and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions and even on my male and female slaves I will pour out my spirit in those days and I will give wonders in the heavens and on earth blood and fire and columns of smoke before the day of the Lord. And everyone who call on THE NAME OF THE LORD ( name of the Lord, not any other name) WILL BE SAVED.

 

[Todd]

I always thought that the Israelites were learning to obey and follow God more than be like Christian’s and evangelize. Only they couldn’t keep faithful to God, they wanted to be like the world and God was always telling them to quit that.

I think your close Lisa. I think God wants both. If we are truly free, living free from the power of sin and people can see the joy of the Lord in our countenance they will want we want.

Unfortunately the worlds view of Christians is more like miserable, rigid, judgement, condescending, prudes. I didn’t say that’s what most Christians really are, just what the world sees because of enough bad apples in the mix.

 

[Lisa]

I think your close Lisa. I think God wants both. If we are truly free, living free from the power of sin and people can see the joy of the Lord in our countenance they will want we want.

Unfortunately the worlds view of Christians is more like miserable, rigid, judgement, condescending, prudes. I didn’t say that’s what most Christians really are, just what the world sees because of enough bad apples in the mix.

I thought mr50 was wondering if anyone in the OT went out like Jonah to evangelize and my comment was that they weren’t really told to evangelize the world, but in another context, they world watched them because of the things their God did.

Christianity is a different thing altogether where God has told us to share the Good News. God told the Israelites to not be like the people’s around them, not share Him with the peoples around them. Except in the one instance of Jonah. And I think it was for entirely different reasons but the upswing is the people of Nineveh believed.

 

[Todd]

[QUOTE="Lisa, post: 85567, member: 28] God told the Israelites to not share Him with the peoples around them.[/QUOTE]
I didn’t know that. Can you share the scripture that says that?

 

[Lisa]

[QUOTE="Lisa, post: 85567, member: 28] God told the Israelites to not share Him with the peoples around them.
I didn’t know that. Can you share the scripture that says that?

You cut up what I said...
I said that God told the Israelites not to be like the peoples around them, not share Him with the people around them. God was warning them about playing the harlot and being upset when they did throughout the OT.

 

[Lisa]

At the time of Jesus, it sounds as though proselytism by Jews, not just prophets, was extensive, and he had a few indelicate, politically incorrect, things to say about their results, as well:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land [NIV: travel over land and sea] to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
(Matthew 23:15)​

Control issue. Do as I say not as I do.

 

[Todd]

@Lisa
My bad, I read it wrong and thought you were saying God told them not to share him with those around him. I agreed with the part of not being like them so I tried to quote only the part I was asking about and seeing I am on my phone right now I messed it up.

I think we are on same page about that.

 

[Damien50]

I'll sum it up to a no

 

[Daciple]

So I dont to what extent God sent out Prophets from Israel to other Nations, however I do believe that thru Israel God made Himself known to almost if not all of the area in the Middle East during that time and probably into all of the known world during the Roman Era.

Reading the Bible we see Abraham was called from Ur which was in Iraq, and he brought Abraham throughout much of that Area proclaiming Himself God thru him. He also used Joesph and Moses to proclaim Himself in Egypt, then the area of the Wilderness. Israel then came into Canaan where God used them to testify of Himself. The Bible speaks of all of these Nations coming to know about Him via Israel in some form or fashion.

Whether that was from War or Kings or literal Prophets coming to them. The Bible testifies often of Israel making pacts and leagues with all the surrounding Nations, eventually Babylon captures them and thus Israel and those taken captive speak throughout that entire Nation which took over almost the Entire Middle East.

So if you are speaking of independent Prophets that went out from established Israel to other Nations, there are very few account of that, however there are MANY accounts of Prophets or others proclaiming the One True God to all these other Nations in the known world in Ancient Times. And as I said earlier I am sure that the God of Israel was known throughout all of Europe during Roman times because of Israel as well. And now thru Christ, Israel and the God of Israel has been made known to all of the World today...

 

[Vytas]

Repent or you will be killed in forty days...Im not sure this could be called proselytizing...They weren't asked to believe they were asked to repent...What does it suggest?

 

[Damien50]

So I dont to what extent God sent out Prophets from Israel to other Nations, however I do believe that thru Israel God made Himself known to almost if not all of the area in the Middle East during that time and probably into all of the known world during the Roman Era.

Reading the Bible we see Abraham was called from Ur which was in Iraq, and he brought Abraham throughout much of that Area proclaiming Himself God thru him. He also used Joesph and Moses to proclaim Himself in Egypt, then the area of the Wilderness. Israel then came into Canaan where God used them to testify of Himself. The Bible speaks of all of these Nations coming to know about Him via Israel in some form or fashion.

Whether that was from War or Kings or literal Prophets coming to them. The Bible testifies often of Israel making pacts and leagues with all the surrounding Nations, eventually Babylon captures them and thus Israel and those taken captive speak throughout that entire Nation which took over almost the Entire Middle East.

So if you are speaking of independent Prophets that went out from established Israel to other Nations, there are very few account of that, however there are MANY accounts of Prophets or others proclaiming the One True God to all these other Nations in the known world in Ancient Times. And as I said earlier I am sure that the God of Israel was known throughout all of Europe during Roman times because of Israel as well. And now thru Christ, Israel and the God of Israel has been made known to all of the World today...

That's what I was looking for thanks.

 

[KoncreteMind]

The original intent according to the OT was for all of Israel to be priests of God (Exodus 19:5-6) which is why God said that He made His word known ONLY to Israel (Psalm 103:7, 147:19-20). A priest, imo, can't be a priest without having some sort of congregation. Which was where the rest of the world was supposed to come in.

In the latter days, if one is to believe the OT, they will take this same role again

Zechariah 8:23
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'"