Welcome back Bible students! There are growing cancers within the church and we have focused on three of them:
There are many others, but we’ll close out this series with a very significant threat that is not commonly addressed in the church.
Danger #4: The onslaught of antisemitism, including within the church.
The premise of this mini-series comes from Ezekiel 33, in which the prophet is speaking specifically to Israel. Yet there is a principle to be applied to us: faithful watchmen must sound the alarm to protect the people from impending danger. Friends, the church at large is in danger and it is time to blow the trumpet.
We’ll split this warning into two sections: 1. How the church arrived at this point (today’s post), 2. Vulnerabilities within the church (tomorrow’s post).
Antisemitism is not a new phenomenon. It has been around for hundreds of years. However, once more concealed, it has become especially overt since the October 7, 2023 attack which emboldened Jew haters.
Unfortunately, in centuries past, the church fostered hostility toward Jews, leaving a stain requiring the church to confront. Many believers today are not aware of “Christian” involvement in the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, the Holocaust and other efforts to discriminate, expel and/or kill the Jewish population. Those horrific events had a terrible impact on the relationship between Jews and Christians.
Rest assured, antisemitism is a spiritual attack, not a political or cultural one. Throughout history, Israel has been hated and many wish to destroy the nation so that “the name of Israel will be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:4) Does the church recognize this spiritual battle? Do we respond appropriately to it?
Thankfully, once the Bible was translated into common languages and ordinary Christians discovered the Jewishness of Jesus and the Jewish roots of their own faith, support for the return of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland began to take root. The Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel caused reflection on the part of Christians, particularly Evangelicals who began to flock to Israel to experience the Holy Land with a different perspective. “Christian Zionism” sprouted and is now attacked by those who continue to desire the demise of Israel and the Jewish people. (Zionism is a belief in the right of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland promised by God.)
Great progress in Jewish-Christian relations has been achieved, and amazing bridges have been built. But there is a resurgence of antisemitism since 2023, led by the political push toward anti-Zionism. (Denial of the right of Israel to their ancestral homeland.) While criticism of the Israeli government and their policies is not antisemitic, denying Israel’s right to exist crosses that line, and demonizing Israel invites violent attacks by those bent on destroying them.
Antisemitism is most certainly a danger to the church whose roots are solidly planted in Judaism. Consider this: Abraham, a Gentile pagan idol-worshipper from Ur of the Chaldees, was called by God to be the father of the Jews. Through Abraham and his descendants, Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life, was crucified, buried and rose from the dead for our sins. Through Jesus Christ, our Jewish Redeemer, we have salvation.
No Jews, no Jesus, no salvation. Our very own faith is rooted in Judaism.
Satan cannot get to us as believers. But he can attack Israel, the root of faith in the One True God, in an effort to drag as many as possible to hell with him. Genesis 12:3 commands us to bless Israel. Why? Because that is the root of our faith.
Antisemitism is a danger to the church. In fact, some suggest Israel is the church’s last critical battle before the Second Coming. Whether or not it is the last, it is absolutely a critical battle.
- Does your church support Israel?
- Does your church teach about Israel?
- Does your church train you to bless Israel?
If not, ask why. Perhaps you can lead a home Bible study based on God’s truth about Israel. (Many good resources exist. Check out Behold Israel or One for Israel for great resources.)
Check back tomorrow to find out the vulnerabilities in the church. See you then!
Looking for the Blessed Hope 