“In fourteen hundred and ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
It was a courageous thing to do
But someone was already here.
Columbus knew the earth was round
So he looked to the East while westward bound.
But he didn’t find what he thought he found,
And someone was already here.”
In case you missed it, today (10/9) in many parts of the country, we celebrate Columbus Day.
I am sure you have all heard the lyrics to this song regarding the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. While it was written to explain the indigenous people who were already here when Columbus discovered America, there are many other situations connected to his discovery that most have never heard about and yet have had an incredible impact on the world, Christianity and prophecies regarding the Jews.
For example, in 1492 Queen Isabella of Spain issued a decree forcing all Jews to exit Spain within 90 days or risk execution. They were told to get out of the country but were also informed they were not to take anything of value with them. Their livestock, gold, silver, etc. were to be left behind for the Queen to confiscate. Interestingly, the last day of their exit from Spain was the 9th of Av in the Jewish calendar. If you have read my previous posts (Jewish Tragedies on The 9th of Av/Tisha B’Av – a 2023 Update), you know the 9th of Av is the annual day of mourning for the Jewish people because both of their two Holy Temples were destroyed on that exact same date hundreds of years apart along with many, many other tragedies they also have faced as a people.
So, what did Queen Isabella do with all the wealth she confiscated from the fleeing Jews? She financed an Italian man named Christopher Columbus to seek a shorter way to India by sailing west from Spain. Of course, she did not know there was a large piece of land in between Spain and India. If such a route had been discovered this would have given Spain a far easier path to ship products from India.
But Columbus had a very different motive to accept this journey. What very few people know is that, while he was a devout Catholic, his ultimate goal was to liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Lands from Muslim Ottoman control. By doing this he would help fulfill prophecy regarding the return of the Messiah to rule the world justly from Jerusalem. Of course, he also believed this would enhance the Roman Catholic Church’s involvement in that final kingdom. At the time he made his first voyage (he made a total of 4) in 1492 to the west, the Ottoman Empire controlled much of Europe, northern Africa and the land of Israel. It would have been very difficult to travel east to get to Jerusalem on land or through the Mediterranean because the Ottoman Empire had already defeated most of the armies in the area. Instead, his plan was to get to Jerusalem by travelling west from India.
How do I know this? Christopher Columbus actually wrote a book called The Book of Prophecies! It is estimated he wrote this book between his 3rd and 4th (and final) voyage in approximately 1502. When I heard about this book, I checked with Barnes and Noble and saw they had it for sale. I bought it intending to discover what prophecies he discussed and was astonished to read what I had never heard about before. His goal was not to discover a faster, safer way to India. His goal was not to reestablish the Jews in their God Promised land but rather to fulfill the Biblical prophecy that the entire world would be preached to and then the end would come. Columbus even wrote a letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella stating his sole purpose was to reconnect Jerusalem with the Catholic church and to convert the Jews to Christians.
The theory, which I have previously written about (Replacement Theology is a LIE and God NEVER LIES!), states the false belief that even though God Promised the Land of Israel to Abraham and his Jewish offspring, God must have changed His Mind when the Jews rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah and instead, He gave the land to the Christians. Today, Replacement Theology is still taught by a number of “Christian” churches. If accurate this would make God a liar!
Even back then, over 500 years ago, Columbus recognized the importance of Mark 16: 15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” In his day, Columbus believed he was fulfilling God’s purpose for him. Instead, as we now know, America was established with basic Judeo-Christian morals and culture, and this has been a true blessing to the entire world by America helping to spread the Word of God and also to be the most charitable than any other country in the history of the world. God’s Plan was not Columbus’s plan, but it still accomplished far more. His Plan was not Columbus’s plan but was far better! These are Words worthy of telling others about, “…therefore comfort one another with these words.” God does have a Plan and it is far better than anything we could ever imagine!
May God Bless you as we attempt to bring others to the knowledge of a Loving God!