In Touch - 3rd Quarter 2020

LEGACY
David Pawson
Friend of Israel
By Robin Lane
On the evening of 21 st May I
heard of David Pawson’s
passing to glory at the age
of 90. Alongside the sadness of
another much-loved Bible teacher
leaving us, memories started
flooding back of David’s teaching
and the great help it has been to
me, as well as to very many others.
I had the privilege of working at
Anchor Recordings for some years
and thus had ready access to much
of David’s teaching, which had
been faithfully recorded in his
churches and at conferences.
A highlight for me was attending
his one-day seminar titled ‘A
Preacher’s Legacy’ in October
2010 – when he was 80 years
old. He led us through several
sessions on exegesis of scriptures
and sermon preparation, and then
completed the day by preaching an
evangelistic sermon. His passion
for preaching was still so strong
that when he finished the sermon
his audience rose spontaneously
to give him a standing ovation. It
was a very special occasion.
As well as being an enthusiastic
Bible teacher and preacher, David
was a friend of Israel. In his
memoirs he admits that at first
he travelled there just to see the
land of the Bible. But in 1967 he
“sat glued to the television screen”
throughout the Six-Day War and
started to gain more of an interest
in the people. That interest started
to emerge in his ongoing Bible
teaching.
In 2008 he wrote and published a
book titled ‘Defending Christian
Zionism’ responding to Stephen
Sizer and John Stott who had
written against Christian Zionism.
David believed that Christians
need a very clear understanding
of the Bible to gain a correct
perspective on the conflict in the
Middle East.
Perhaps his most important
work on the topic is the book
‘Israel in the New Testament’.
He developed that text over a
long period as he was invited
to the ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles
celebrations in Jerusalem year after
year to teach on the subject.
David was our main guest
speaker at the Christian Friends
of Israel UK Annual Conference
held in Eastbourne in September
2016. People warmed to him
immediately when he expressed
his delight at being able to teach
us from the Bible at the age of 86,
despite having cancer “all over
his body.” He taught with great
clarity and authority, first focusing
on ‘The Five Crucial Covenants’
among the whole set in the Bible.
David Pawson speaking on the five crucial
covenants in the Bible in 2016
David spent just over an hour
taking us through the Noahic,
Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic and
Messianic covenants.
He described the party involved,
the promise included, any proviso
made, any penalty associated, the
relevant duration and, finally, the
divine purpose.
In his second message, ‘Israel and
the New Covenant,’ he noted that
Jesus was sent to the Jews, that the
New Covenant is Jewish, that the
Jews were the first to benefit from
it, and that the disciples were not
in error when they asked Jesus
about restoring the kingdom.
Many of the Jews at the time
rejected the New Covenant, but
they will eventually benefit from
it. David looked forward to the
day when Jews and Christians are
one flock, one new man in Christ
Jesus, and live together in the new
Jerusalem.
David will be greatly missed, but
his teaching will live on in video,
audio and written form.
Praise the Lord!
ISRAEL AND THE NEW COVENANT
David Pawson & Werner Oder
Set of 3 audio CDs from the 2016 CFI UK Annual
Conference.
Disk 1 - David Pawson:
The Five Crucial Covenants
Disk 2 - Werner Oder:
It Is for Freedom that Christ Has Set You Free
Disk 3 - David Pawson:
Israel and the New Covenant
CDS131 // 3 CD set, approx 180 minutes // £10.00 (incl. UK p&p)
ISRAEL IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
David Pawson
This exciting study reveals that both the
people and the place called ‘Israel’ have a
significant role in God’s future plans for
world redemption. It’s a simple matter of
faith in God’s faithfulness.
Six books of the New Testament, now
including Galatians, are used here to
illustrate this important truth.
B393 // 220 pages // £11.50 (incl. UK p&p)
10 IN TOUCH • 3 rd Quarter 2020