The Many and Varied “Chosen Peoples”: Which Are You? How Do We Know?

(chosen series)

“Salvation Is of The Jews”
(Yeshua/Jesus – John 4:22)

From Wikipedia, including Ted’s editions.

For the descriptive term in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, See People of GOD.

Throughout history, various groups of people have considered themselves to be the chosen people of a deity, for a particular purpose.

The phenomenon of a “chosen people” is well-known among the Israelites and Jews,…
…where the Hebrew term [עם סגולה / העם הנבח], am segulah / ha-am ha-nivhar“,…
originally referred to the Israelites as being selected by YAHWEH to worship only HI…
…and to fulfill the mission of proclaiming HIS Truth throughout the world.

Some claims of chosenness are based on parallel claims of Israelite ancestry,...
…as is the case for the Christian Identity and Black Hebrew sects—
…both of which claim themselves (and not Jews) to be the “true Israel”.

Others claim that the concept is spiritual, where individuals who genuinely believe in God are considered to be the “true” chosen people.

This view is common among most Christian denominations, who historically believed that the church replaced Israel as the People of GOD…
…known as supersessionism or Replacement Theology.

Anthropologists commonly regard claims of chosenness as a form of ethnocentrism

Judaism
The three largest Jewish denominations – Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Reform Judaism…
…maintain the belief that the Jews have been chosen by God for a purpose.

Sometimes this choice is seen as charging the Jewish people with a specific mission—
…to be a light unto the nations and to exemplify the covenant with God as described in the Torah.
This is first prominently outlined in Genesis 12:2.

While the concept of “chosenness” may be understood by some to connote ethnic supremacy…
…Conservative Judaism denies this, as it claims that as a result of being chosen, Jews also bear the greatest responsibility,…
…which incurs the most severe punishment upon disobedience.

“Few beliefs have been subject to as much misunderstanding as the ‘Chosen People’ doctrine.

The Torah and the Prophets clearly stated that this does not imply any innate Jewish superiority.

In the words of Amos (3:2)You alone have I singled out of all the families of the earth
that is why I will call you to account for your iniquities.

The Torah tells us that we are to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”…
with obligations and duties that flowed from our willingness to accept this status.

Far from being a license for special privilege, it entailed additional responsibilities…|
…not only toward God but to our fellow human beings.

As expressed in the blessing at the reading of the Torah, our people have always felt it to be a privilege to be selected for such a purpose.

For the modern traditional Jew, the doctrine of the election and the covenant of Israel…
…offers a purpose for Jewish existence that transcends its own self-interests.

It suggests that because of our special history and unique heritage,…
…we are in a position to demonstrate that a people who take seriously the idea of being covenanted with God…
…can not only thrive in the face of oppression but can be a source of blessing to its children and its neighbors.

It obligates us to build a just and compassionate society throughout the world,…
especially in the land of Israel where we may teach by example…
…what it means to be a ‘covenant people, a light unto the nations.”

Likewise, Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits views the concept of “chosenness” as God choosing different nations
…and by extension individuals, to perform unique contributions to the world, similar to the concept of division of labor.

“Yes, I do believe that the chosen people concept is affirmed by Judaism in its Holy Writ, its prayers, and its millennial tradition.

In fact, I believe that every person—and indeed, in a more limited way, every individual—
…is “chosen” or destined for some distinct purpose
in advancing the designs of Providence.

Only, some fulfill their mission and others do not.
Maybe the Greeks were chosen for their unique contributions to art and philosophy,…
…the Romans for their pioneering services in law and government,…
…the British for bringing parliamentary rule into the world,…
…and the Americans for piloting democracy in a pluralistic society.
The Jews were chosen by God to be ‘peculiar unto ME’ as the pioneers of religion and morality;
…that was and is their national purpose.”

Christianity and derivatives

Christian Identity
Christian Identity is a belief that holds the view that only Germanic, Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Nordic, or Aryan people…
…and those of kindred blood are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and hence the descendants of the ancient Israelites.

Seventh-day Adventism
Believe themselves to be “chosen” by GOD for a special last days mission in preparation for the Return or Second Coming of Jesus/Yeshua (Geeshua)

Main articles: Remnant (Seventh-day Adventist belief) and Three Angels’ Messages

Mormonism
In Mormonism, all Latter-Day Saints, are viewed as, covenant or chosen, people…
because they have accepted the name of Jesus Christ through the ordinance of baptism.
In contrast to supersessionism, Latter-Day Saints do not dispute the “chosen” status of the Jewish people

Mandaeism
Mandaeans formally refer to themselves as Nasurai (Nasoraeans) meaning guardians or possessors of secret rites and knowledge. Another early self-appellation is bhiri zidqa meaning ‘elect of righteousness’ or ‘the chosen righteous’, a term found in the Book of Enoch and Genesis Apocryphon II, 4.

Rastafari|
The Ethiopian people as the true children of Israel, and thereby chosen. Reinforcement of this belief occurred when Beta Israel, Ethiopia’s ancient Israelite First Temple community, was rescued from Sudanese famine and brought to Israel during Operation Moses in 1985.

Unification Church
Sun Myung Moon taught that Korea is the chosen nation, selected to serve a divine mission, and was “chosen by God to be the birthplace of the leading figure of the age” and was the birthplace of “Heavenly Tradition”, ushering in God’s kingdom.

Islam: Sunni and Shiite
In general, Islam teaches that GOD chooses those who Choose HIM, as HE has Mercy upon all who turn their faces toward HIm.

However, once hearers of the Word of the  Prophet Muhammad,…
…they then become responsible to behave and act accordingly or suffer the wrath of GOD, quite often from the hands of Muslim disciples.

This is very similar to what the Bible teaches.  See Romans 2: 9-21

Yet, the Sunni and Shiite Muslims hate and war against each other as to which is the Chosen of Allah to reign in the infidels, et al.

Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam – Elijah Muhammad was outspoken and called for the establishment of a separate nation for black Americans and the adoption of a religion based on the worship of Allah and on the belief that blacks were his chosen people.

Cherokee (pronounced CHAIR-uh-key).
The name comes from the Creek word chelokee, which means “people of a different speech.”
The Cherokee refer to themselves as Ani’-Yun’wiya’, meaning “the real people” or “the principal people” or Tsalagi,…
which comes from a Choctaw word for “people living in a land of many caves.”
The tribe’s original name was “Kituwah,” which is why the traditional group calls itself the United Keetoowah Band.

Maasai religion
The traditional religion of the Maasai from East Africa maintains that the Supreme God Ngai has chosen them to herd all cattle in the world, and this belief has been used to justify stealing from other tribes.

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