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My Year of Jubilee

By Dr. Elias E. Hidalgo


Dr. Elias E. Hidalgo

In Leviticus 25:8-13, we read about 'the year of Jubilee', that was observed on the 50th year.

On November the 30th, 1989, I entered the period that I call 'My Year of Jubilee'. I believe that a thumbnail sketch of my life by way of a testimonial will bring honour and glory to our Lord for His wonderful loving care of me during these past 50 years.

There have been 'three' basic periods of my life that I want to share with you:

1) My Natural Birth, 2) My New Beginning, and 3) My Noble Blessing.

Approximately 26 years ago I wrote an article entitled, 'A Minority Within a Minority', which appeared in The Hebrew-Christian Alliance of America Magazine, now called, (The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America Magazine).

The above article described the background of my birth as a Sephardic (Spanish) Jewish child. My relatives migrated from Spain after the Inquisition (1492), through different places such as Turkey, Morocco, and ultimately arriving in South America sometime during the seventeenth or eighteenth century.

Almost twenty-five years after my birth, I became a child of God, by Grace through Faith, in the Messiah of Israel, The LORD Jesus Christ.

I was born into a 'minority' people (numerically that is), then, I discovered that being born of Spanish (Sephardic) Jewish heritage placed me in a second 'minority', especially growing up in New York City, where the majority of Jewish people were of European (Ashkenazic) descent.

At home my Father (Alexander Hidalgo) and I spoke Ladino (a mixture of Spanish and Hebrew), as opposed to most of the other Jewish people I met and knew as a child who spoke Yiddish (a mixture of German and Hebrew). The final and third 'minority' came when I accepted The LORD Jesus Christ as my personal Messiah and Saviour.

WITH MY LORD, I have discovered and experienced a blessed life in Him, for He is over all and in all. He is The Mighty One of Jacob, and through Him, I am in the MAJORITY.

MY NATURAL BIRTH:

I was born on November the 30th, 1939, in Caracas, Venezuela (South America). When I was approximately four months old my parents were given permission to enter the United States of America via Ellis Island and eventually New York City. It was in this great and grand city that I grew up and attended school throughout my primary and secondary educational years.

For most of my childhood and adolescent years we lived at 160 East Broadway, New York City, in the Lower East Side. Our apartment building, as well as almost the entire neighborhood, was populated with Jewish people. I grew up in a religious home, affording me the opportunity to be exposed to my own traditions, culture and even some well known Scriptures.

The first big tragedy in my life came when my adopted mother, Evelyn Sainsbury, passed away. I remember that I was barely nine years of age, and the rest of my growing up years my father became my entire family since I had no brothers or sisters, and what little family I had were still in South America and in other countries. My biological mother, of blessed memory, was Jewish. Her name was Victoria Levi. I never really had the privilege of knowing her. My father did his best to accommodate me in areas of need; nevertheless, I found myself seeking additional satisfactions, trying to fulfill my expectations on the streets of the 'Big Apple'. Obviously, the streets of New York could not fill the longing in my heart, and neither did my religious upbringing seem to completely answer my questions about life and its complexities.

By the time I reached High School, the only thing I could envision was leaving New York City; thus, at the age of eighteen, I joined the U. S. Air Force.

This was to be my first real experience away from all that I ever knew, especially from my accustomed Kosher style of life.

It was in the Air Force that I first began to seriously consider my spiritual inward being. There were several young men that I was stationed with that made an impression upon my life by the way they conducted themselves. It seemed as if they had such shalom (peace). After leaving the Air Force with an Honorable Discharge, I bought a Bible at a second-hand bookstore, and I began to do something that I had never done before. On my own, and with no prodding from anyone, I began to read the Holy Bible from cover to cover. Not only did I read The Scriptures once, but twice, from Genesis to Revelation. This brought me to my new beginning.

MY NEW BEGINNING:

I was born again (that is, I personally accepted The Messiah) on November the 18th, 1964 at 10:10 a.m., after I had read the Holy Bible over a period of about six months, and through the power of the Spirit of GOD and the Word of GOD, I realized that I was a lost sinner that needed to be saved and forgiven of all my sins. The LORD also gave me the understanding that Jesus of Nazareth was my precious Messiah and that all I had to do was to call upon The Name of the LORD. Thus, Yeshua (Jesus) heard my cry and saved me. It was in Carlsbad, New Mexico, a city of not more than 25,000 people where the outstretched and loving arms of my LORD extended His Mercy unto me.

Because I had read in the Holy Bible that water Baptism was very much a part of one's faith in the LORD, I immediately called a local Baptist Church, and at 7:30 the same evening of my New Birth, I was immersed into the waters of Baptism. The Minister that Baptized me demonstrated much love and kindness and seemed to know the Holy Scriptures; therefore, I asked him if he could recommend a school that I could attend so that I also could become knowledgeable of Holy Writ. I applied to the same Bible School that he had graduated from, and when I received my letter of acceptance to attend Bible Baptist Seminary (Arlington Baptist College), I jumped for joy, and within several months I was off to school to learn about my new found faith. In 1965 I began what would be a twelve year process of educating myself and learning about God's love to all people,"... to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile" (Romans 1:16).

From 1965 to 1977, I pursued my educational career as I attended and graduated from several Theological schools. All of this brought me to my Noble Blessing.

MY NOBLE BLESSING:

After several years of ministry, on June the 1st, 1974, at the direction of the LORD, I began my complete 'faith' walk with Him, and as a result, the establishment of our present Hebrew-Christian Bible Fellowship (Shalom Scripture Studies, Inc.) became a reality. For nearly twenty-five years we have been able to work in the Vineyard of our LORD.

Both my wife (Mrs. Ari D. Hidalgo) and I have worked and ministered in California, Oregon, Washington, and in 1983 in Jerusalem, Israel. Beginning March the 5th, 1986, we worked in the Twin Cities for over ten years in the fields that are white unto harvest for our Lord and Saviour. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul (the Twin Cities) have been a challenge for us. We knew basically no one when we arrived, but GOD, opened many doors of opportunity for us in witnessing GOD's Message to Israel. In the summer of 1996, at the direction of The LORD we established the headquarters of Shalom Scripture Studies, Inc., in Savannah, Georgia, as my wife and I answered the call of God to work and minister in a new state.

OUR MINISTRY:

We are currently on television in thirteen states and in over 300 cities all over the United States, from coast to coast. Our literature and tape ministry continues to grow and expand beyond our expectations. Our three weekly fellowship meetings also continue to grow and prosper in Minneapolis and Savannah.

Thanks be unto our Lord that we now are on the Internet challenging Jewish and Gentile people with the Good News of Messiah.

From being born into a minority, to discovering that I actually belonged to a smaller minority, to the ultimate happening, and that is, becoming a believer in Yeshua (Jesus) at the age of twenty-four, I can only say with the Apostle Saul-Paul, "...Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of CHRIST JESUS my LORD:" (Philippians 3:8a).

"...Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of JESUS CHRIST" (Philippians 1:6).

Shalom (Peace) in Him...

Dr. Elias E. Hidalgo

 

Palestine vs. Israel
as the Name of the Holy Land

By Dr. Thomas McCall

During the last few centuries, the world, Christians included, has fallen into a bad habit. We have bought into some early Roman propaganda. We have used the name Palestine, which Roman Emperor Hadrian placed on the country of Israel in 135 A.D., for so long that it has become common usage. This would be as incorrect as calling the Russia of today the "Soviet Union" or referring to Berlin as "East Germany". The thoughts below by our ministry's senior theologian, Dr. Thomas S. McCall, completely explore the subject. If you know somebody who's fallen into this habit, please share this article with them. - Zola

Current Propaganda's Use of Palestine

There is a propaganda war going on now with regard to the term "Palestine". At one time it might have been argued that Palestine was an innocuous designation of the Middle Eastern area, that is generally thought of as the Holy Land. During the last few decades, however, the term Palestine has been adopted by Arabs living in Israel in the area west of the Jordan River. It is specifically employed to avoid the use of the name Israel, and must be considered an anti-Israel term. In all Arab maps published in Jordan, Egypt, etc., the area west of the Jordan River is called Palestine, without any reference to Israel. Palestine is the term now used by those who want to deny the legitimate existence of Israel as a genuine nation among the family of nations.

The term now adopted by the political entity within Israel that is gradually obtaining more and more pockets of territory through the "peace process", is the PA (Palestinian Authority). Although it must deal daily with Israeli officials, the PA hates to use the term Israel in any of its communications.

Palestine, therefore, must now be considered a political propaganda term with massive anti-Israel implications. The world press uses the term to question the legitimacy of modern Israel. Christians also have used the term Palestine for centuries in referring to the Holy Land. In earlier times this might have been excused (although biblically questionable) because of its common usage. In light of the current propaganda war against Israel, however, Christians must now re-evaluate the term Palestine and consider whether it is biblically, theologically or prophetically accurate.

Biblical Use of Palestine

The term Palestine is rarely used in the Old Testament, and when it is, it refers specifically to the southwestern coastal area of Israel occupied by the Philistines. It is a translation of the Hebrew word "Pelesheth". The term is never used to refer to the whole land occupied by Israel. Before Israel occupied the land, it would be generally accurate to say that the southwestern coastal area was called Philistia (the Way of the Philistines, or Palestine), while the central highlands were called Canaan. Both the Canaanites and the Philistines had disappeared as distinct peoples at least by the time of the Babylonian Captivity of Judea (586 B.C.), and they no longer exist.

In the New Testament, the term Palestine is never used. The term Israel is primarily used to refer to the people of Israel, rather than the Land. However, in at least two passages, Israel is used to refer to the Land:

Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead who sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. (Matt. 2:20-21)

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say to you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man shall have come. (Matt. 10:23)

The first passage is when Joseph, Mary and Jesus returned from Egypt to Israel, and the second has reference to the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the Land of Israel. Jesus, Matthew and the angel speaking to Joseph use the term Israel with reference to the Land, even though the term was not then recognized by the Roman authorities.

It is clear, then, that the Bible never uses the term Palestine to refer to the Holy Land as a whole, and that Bible maps that refer to Palestine in the Old or New Testament are, at best, inaccurate, and, at worst, are a conscious denial of the biblical name of Israel.

History of the Term Palestine

Where did the term Palestine originate from? How did the world and the church get into the habit of calling the land of Israel "Palestine"? One of the guides we use in our tours to Israel is Zvi Rivai, an Israeli Messianic believer, who has done considerable research on this subject. Zvi informs us that before 135 A.D., the Romans used the terms Judea and Galilee to refer to the Land of Israel. When Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the Roman government struck a coin with the phrase "Judea Capta," meaning Judea has been captured. The term Palestine was never used in the early Roman designations.

It was not until the Romans crushed the second Jewish revolt against Rome in 135 A.D. under Bar Kochba that Emperor Hadrian applied the term Palestine to the Land of Israel. Hadrian, like many dictators since his time realized the propaganda power of terms and symbols. He replaced the shrines of the Jewish Temple and the Sepulchre of Christ in Jerusalem with temples to pagan deities. He changed the name of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitalina, and changed the name of Israel and Judea to Palestine. Hadrian's selection of Palestine was purposeful, not accidental. He took the name of the ancient enemies of Israel, the Philistines, Latinized it to Palestine, and applied it to the Land of Israel. He hoped to erase the name Israel from all memory. Thus, the term Palestine as applied to the Land of Israel was invented by the inveterate enemy of the Bible and the Jewish people, Emperor Hadrian.

It is interesting to note that the original Philistines were not Middle Eastern at all. They were European peoples from the Adriatic sea next to Greece. It may have pleased Hadrian to utilize this Hellenistic term for the Jewish land. In any case, the original "Palestinians" had nothing to do, whatsoever, with any Arabs.

Christian Adoption of the Term Palestine

One of the first Christian uses of the term Palestine is found in the works of the Church historian Eusebius, who lived in Caesarea. He wrote around 300 A.D., as the Roman persecution of Christians was ending and the Emperor Constantine began to accept Christianity as legal. Eusebius did not accept Hadrian's designation of Jerusalem as Aelia Capitalina, but he did use Hadrian's term Palestine. Eusebius considered himself to be one of the bishops of Palestine. Thus, the anti-Israel, anti-Christian name of Palestine was assimilated into the Church's vocabulary as the Byzantine Empire was being established.

The Church has, since that time, broadly used the term Palestine in literature and in maps to refer to the Land of Israel. It should be noted, however, that the Crusaders called their land the Kingdom of Jerusalem. When the British received the mandate after World War I, though, they called the land on both sides of the Jordan River, Palestine. This became the accepted geo-political term for several decades, and those who lived in the land were called Palestinians, whether they were Jews, Arabs or Europeans.

Even evangelical Christians who believe in the future of Israel have used the term Palestine. The New Scofield Reference Edition of the Bible has maps in the back entitled "Palestine under the Herods". There never was a Palestine under the Herods. This is a serious misidentification. It would be something like looking at a modern map of Texas and having it titled "Mexico in the Twentieth Century".

The MacArthur Study Bible published just last year contains a map called "Palestine in Christ's Time" There are numerous references in the notes to something called first-century Palestine.

It appears that Bible-believing Christians have either knowingly or unwittingly followed the world, pagans and haters of Israel in calling Israel by the anti-Israel term Palestine. It is found throughout Bible maps, Bible commentaries and textbooks.

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Reprinted with permission from Zola Levitt Ministries, Inc. and www.levitt.com Map by Rev. Jack A. Molloy