John Thomas (Christadelphian) - Legacy

Legacy

Thomas did not claim to be any kind of prophet, or in any way inspired, but only through independent study to have concluded that many traditional church teachings were incorrect and that from the Bible he could prove that position. Modern Christadelphians generally believe he was right and adhere to the positions he established as defined within the Christadelphian statements of faith; Christadelphians feel, too, that Thomas' example of an inquiring attitude is also an important legacy.

Thomas wrote several books, one of which, Elpis Israel (1848), in its first section, sets out many of the fundamental scriptural principles believed by Christadelphians to this day.

Thomas' exposition of Bible prophecy, and led to him making various detailed predictions about then current day events many of which did not come to pass, as was noted in the foreword to subsequent editions of Elpis Israel after his death, a point that Thomas himself accepted could happen.

However, Thomas' main focus on the re-establishment of a national homeland for the Jews in Israel and the role Great Britain would play in its statehood have seemed to prove broadly accurate. This is seen by many Christadelphians as evidence that Thomas had a broadly correct understanding of the main thrust of Bible prophecy. Around 1850 Thomas wrote the following, based on his understanding of what the Bible said about the return of the Jews to the land of Palestine:

There is, then, a partial and primary restoration of Jews before the manifestation, which is to serve as the nucleus, or basis, of future operations in the restoration of the rest of the tribes after he has appeared in the kingdom. The pre-adventual colonization of Palestine will be on purely political principles; and the Jewish colonists will return in unbelief of the Messiahship of Jesus, and of the truth as it is in him. They will emigrate thither as agriculturists and traders, in the hope of ultimately establishing their commonwealth, but more immediately of getting rich in silver and gold by commerce with India, and in cattle and goods by their industry at home under the efficient protection of the British power. But to what part of the world shall we look for a power whose interests will make it willing, as it is able, to plant the ensign of civilization upon the mountains of Israel? The reader will, doubtless, anticipate my reply from what has gone before. I know not whether the men, who at present contrive the foreign policy of Britain, entertain the idea of assuming the sovereignty of the Holy Land, and of promoting its colonization by the Jews; their present intentions, however, are of no importance one way or the other, because they will be compelled, by events soon to happen, to do what, under existing circumstances, heaven and earth combined could not move them to attempt. The present decisions of "statesmen are destitute of stability. ... The finger of God has indicated a course to be pursued by Britain which cannot be evaded, and which her counsellors will not only be willing, but eager, to adopt when the crisis comes upon them.

—John Thomas, Elpis Israel, ch. 17, The Resurrection of Israel - The Second Exodus - the Millennium - "The End"

The Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the British Mandate of 1922 established Britain as the political force in charge of Palestine. After British rule the secular State of Israel was established in 1948.