J.C. Ryle: A Voice for Israel’s Restoration
John Charles Ryle, the first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, was a towering figure in 19th-century Christian thought. Best known for his unshakable commitment to biblical truth, Ryle championed the authority of Scripture and boldly declared that Israel’s restoration was a certainty rooted in God’s unbreakable promises. Yet today, the very Church he helped shape has drifted far from these foundational convictions.
God’s Covenant with Israel
Ryle firmly believed that God’s covenant with Israel was eternal. In Are You Ready for the End of Time?, he wrote, “The future gathering of Israel is sure.” For him, this was not a matter of speculation or allegory but a divine guarantee woven into the fabric of Scripture. He saw Israel’s restoration as a testament to God’s faithfulness, pointing to passages such as Ezekiel 36 and Isaiah 43 as undeniable proof that the Jewish people would one day return to their homeland. To Ryle, disregarding this promise was tantamount to questioning God’s very character.
The Church’s Departure from Biblical Truth
Ryle’s unwavering stance on Israel stands in stark contrast to many modern church leaders. He maintained that God’s commitment to Israel was inseparable from His nature as a covenant-keeping God. However, today’s Anglican leadership, including figures like the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, often align with political perspectives that undermine Israel’s biblical inheritance. Welby’s endorsement of the International Court of Justice’s stance labelling Israel’s land as “illegally occupied” illustrates just how far the Church has strayed from Ryle’s convictions.
Ryle would have strongly opposed such a departure from Scripture. He saw Israel’s restoration not as a political issue but as a divine necessity. For him, to deny Israel’s place in God’s prophetic plan was to deny the reliability of God’s Word itself.
A Call to Uphold God’s Promises
Ryle’s warnings remain profoundly relevant today. The Church must not only preach personal holiness but also uphold the entirety of Scripture, including God’s promises to Israel. To ignore these truths is to risk losing the foundation of biblical prophecy.
Psalm 105:8-10 (NKJV) affirms this enduring covenant:
“He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.”
Like Charles Spurgeon, Ryle understood that God’s dealings with Israel were an integral part of His redemptive plan. He recognized that the Church and Israel had distinct yet intertwined roles in God’s purposes. His conviction was clear: if God’s promises to Israel could be revoked, then so could His promises to the Church. This was not an abstract theological concern—it was a matter of faith in God’s unchanging nature.
Ryle’s Enduring Legacy
John Charles Ryle’s steadfast belief in Israel’s restoration serves as a powerful reminder that God’s Word is not subject to cultural or political trends. His writings challenge us to ask: are we willing to stand firm on Scripture, even when it is unpopular?
In a time when the Church’s stance on Israel is often ambiguous or politically driven, Ryle’s voice calls us back to biblical clarity. He reminds us that God’s plan for Israel is not a minor detail but a central theme in redemptive history—one that will unfold precisely as God has ordained, regardless of human opinion.
May we, like Ryle, hold fast to the truth that God’s promises are unshakable. His Word endures, and His covenant with Israel remains as steadfast as ever.
As we reflect on Ryle’s legacy, let us recommit ourselves to upholding the full counsel of God’s Word, remembering that His faithfulness to Israel is a testimony to His faithfulness to us all.
