Marcus S. Bergmann, a Chassidic Jew receives eternal life (1846–1923)

The best night of Marcus Bergmann’s life was spent in a prison cell. Although he was there because his Jewish brothers falsely accused him, he had peace in his heart. They thought they could lead Marcus from his ‘wrong track’. He had received the ‘Crucified’!

Chassidic upbringing

Marcus Bergmann was born in the town of Wieruszow on the borders of Silesia. His father died when he was only a year old and when he was six, his mother died as well and his uncle Woolf took him in. Woolf Bergmann who, like his parents, belonged to the Chassidim, taught him with Talmudic and rabbinical literature. Marcus was going to be a rabbi, that was certain. However when he was just twenty years old, he heard a clear voice repeating the words of Genesis 12:1 over and over again, ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee’. Marcus obeyed the voice, and in 1866 he left his native country and came to England.

Seriously ill

In London he established a small synagogue to serve the God of Israel, but the Almighty decided otherwise. He became seriously ill and he had to spend several weeks in a hospital. When he felt a bit better, he began to read the Hebrew Bible again. One section that made a great impression on him was Daniel 9, especially the parts that are rarely read in the synagogue. Verse 26, which says, ‘The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself,’ was a mystery to him, but Isaiah 53 shed light. In verse 8 he read ‘…for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.’ Here it was plainly revealed to him ‘I belong to His people, and therefore, the Messiah also died for me.’

The truth discovered

When Bergmann returned home he prepared for prayer, but could not utter a single sentence out of the prayer book before him. He could only think of the words from Psalm 119:18, ‘Open Thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.’ He left the house, walked along the streets and prayed again in the words of the Psalmist, ‘Lead me in Thy truth’. God immediately answered his prayer to lead him to ‘Palestine Place’, a church center where Rev. Ewald opened the door. And while Passover was celebrated in the synagogues, Marcus got to know the Passover Lamb of God.

Eternal life received

Accused by the Jewish community, Marcus was detained, but the judge ruled him innocent and he was released, while his accusers were put behind bars. With a newfound dedication, Marcus preached the gospel to the Jews in London and he managed to translate the Old Testament in Yiddish. This pleased his Uncle Woolf, but he had not a good word to say about his conversion to that ‘Crucified’. Marcus was pronounced dead by his family, but received eternal life in Christ Jesus.