The Real Jews?

While we were in New York, we came across a group of street preachers, so we stopped for a moment or two to hear what they were saying. However, it was unlike anything I've heard before, and certainly not witnessed even on the streets of Belfast.



The group involved was, I believe, the Israelite Church of God in Christ Jesus. They're an interesting group, who claim that those who we naturally think of as ethnic Jews are not actually real Jews. Rather, the twelve tribes were descended through the African-American slaves, who are the real Jews, the chosen people of God. They even had a poster set up with the places where each of the tribes is reportedly from - but I didn't get close enough to study it.

Their core message seemed to be that one day God would vindicate his people, the negroes, the real Jews, and in their version of Armageddon, the white peoples and Chinese peoples and Arab peoples would serve the negro. A reversal of those years of slavery, if you will. They also claim that Jesus was a negro, not an ethnic Jew.

Their method of preaching, indeed, the very way they presented their message was to misinterpret the scriptures and prophets' message of the Messiah, applying it to their own ethnic group. So a random verse or two from Isaiah, with one guy reading a few words, then the other shouting out his own interpretation. White people need not apply, and the street preacher and his colleagues were specifically targetting people they perceived to be the real Jews to sign up to their movement.

I've since been able to find out a bit more about the group, with reports on the Washington City Paper website. They preach a racial gospel, which is good news just for those they perceive to be part of the ancient people of God, not open to all. Reminds me of a quote: If it's not good news for all, it's not good news at all.