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Antisemitism and Bible Prophecy
The recent rise in antisemitism is a sign of the times
August 13, 2021 - Audio, 15.38 MIN
(Links at bottom of page to download free viewers.)
Why are the Jews so hated and what is it about the Jew which sparks such an outrage in people? Hello and welcome to another Bible in the News.
This week The Guardian ran a report "Gaza conflict led to record rise in UK antisemitic attacks, charity says”. The report stated "Community Security Trust recorded 639 incidents in May, 49% of the total for the first half of 2021. A charity that monitors antisemitism and provides security for British Jewish groups has said the Gaza conflict that broke out in May resulted in its highest recording of anti-Jewish hate incidents. The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 1,308 such incidents nationwide between January and June 2021, a 49% increase on the same period in 2020 and the highest recorded in the first half of a year.”
Back in May, tensions were running high between Hamas and Israel. Hamas had demanded Israeli forces were removed from the temple mount compound where they had been stationed to stop stones being thrown down on Jewish worshipers and to contain the vast crowds. During this time, Hamas arranged for more than 150 rockets to be fired, indiscriminately, towards Jerusalem. Israel, in response, conducted various airstrikes against a number of Hamas installations in Gaza.
By all accounts these tensions have simmered down. But what they did do was expose the ugly face of antisemitism that is underlying the populations of the West.
The May out break in violence saw huge protests against Israel in many major European cities. Protestors were reported to be chanting anti-semetic slogans including things like “death to the Jews”. In London some very horrific scenes were seen where a convoy of cars, painted in Palestinian flags drove slowly around Jewish areas chanting obscene things about Jews. This was not an isolated incident.
Another report said: "German police in all major cities are on high alert as each evening brings renewed anti-Israel demonstrations that, over the weekend, tipped over into riots peppered with anti-Semitic slogans… The high point of the radicalised anti-Israel sentiment came on Saturday in Berlin when a demonstration that began with 1,200 marchers tripled in size and descended into a full-scale street battle.” (May 17th 2021, Germany struggles to contain anti-Semitism slurs at Israel protests, The Irish Times)
French media outlet France 24 ran a report which stated:
"Police in Paris on Saturday fired tear gas and aimed water cannons at protesters defying a ban on marching against Israeli attacks on Gaza. Paris police said they made 44 arrests and that one officer was injured breaking up a gathering of protesters… Between 2,500 and 3,500 protesters converged on the heavily immigrant Barbès neighbourhood in the north of Paris, according to interior ministry figures, amid a security presence of involving some 4,200 officers… Thousands also marched in the Spanish capital Madrid, where protesters chanted “This is not war, this is genocide!” in Spanish, with some people holding up homemade signs that read ““USA Terrorist State” and “Muslim Lives Matter.”
In another news story by pIndia this overview was given:
"As the tension is escalating between Israel and Gaza, the attacks on Jewish people have increased worldwide. In London, hundreds of thousands of “peaceful protestors” marched for Palestine and raised slogans against the Jewish people. In a video from Belgium, Belgians chant “death to Jews” at “pro-Palestinian” protest. It was all happening in the name of “freedom of expression”. In a viral video, pro-Palestine protesters were seen advocating the rape of Jewish women. In another video, a Jewish man was attacked in New York. The pro-Palestinian mob attacked him with a metal chair that led to a severe head injury. In a video from Canada, Pro-Palestinian mob was seen attacking a Jewish man. When a woman tried to save him, she was molested by the mob. Synagogues were also vandalised in Germany last week following the escalation of violence between Palestine and Israel. Protests and also become violent in France on Saturday.” ("From vandalising synagogue with Nazi’s hooked cross to chants of ‘death to Jews’: Anti-Jew hate on the rise amid Israel-Palestine conflict: pIndia, 17th May).
One begins to wonder do these people really care about so called “human rights” when they are chanting things like “death to Jews” and other obscenities?
The most remarkable thing though is that in the face of this widespread rational and racist abuse of the Jewish people there was silence from so called “social-justice” anti-racists and human rights activist groups.
Over the centuries Jew hatred has undertaken many different guises. The latest form is now being seen. Current anti-Israel attitudes are clearly spilling into anti-semitism. At the heart of this ideology is a curious warping of reality. Taking what originally was the Arab nations attempt to annihilate the right of Jews to return to their ancestral home it turns this into the idea that the Jews are trying to annihilate the Palastinain Arabs. It suggests the only indigenous people of this area were Palestinian Arabs and not Jews which is a blatant lie.
Part of the explanation for all of this is the influence of Marxist ideology that now dominates left-wing thinking through “social justice” in the West. Predicated on the doctrines of atheism, humanism and post-modernism this ideology promotes a narrative of the oppressed vs the oppressor. This simple narrative which “groups” people into classes and pits them against each other is key to understanding the latest hatred being witnessed against Jews. Israel is painted as the privileged oppressor and so the narrative is that they should be pulled down. Israel is considered powerful with the IDF and all its equipment. They can’t possibly be victims. And so even when Jewish civilians are being killed the West seems less sympathetic to when Palastinian-Arabs are killed by Israel - even if Israel go to lengths no other army on the planet goes to to try to mitigate civilian deaths. The “grouping” of all Jews into this narrative of being privileged and oppressors is there for all to see.
But why is it that this is happening and can we see hints that this might be the case in latter day Bible prophecy?
The scriptures tell us that God chose the natian of Israel to be his special people. The reason for this is given right back in Deuteronomy at the time of Moses. God declares:
"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers...” Deuteronomy 7:6-8
The Jews then are God’s people. As it says in Isaiah 43:10, they are His “witnesses”. As a natian God gave them a law which they subscribed to - it’s known as “The Law of Moses”. Within that law certain blessings were outlined if they were to be faithful to it - but also certain cursings. This is what we read:
"…if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God… all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee… And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee… and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other... And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:” Deuteronomy 28:15, 37, 63-65
Therefore antisemitism is an example of this prophecy being fulfilled. The Jews were scattered from their land in AD70 by the Romans. They have wandered and become a byword amongst the nations. They have found no ease even when they ahve seemingly become quite successful.
But what of recent events?
Well the prophets, compelled by the Spirit of God, also wrote about the return of the Jews to their land. An event which, since 1948 and the establishment of the state of Israel, the world has been witnessing. This regathering of the people of Israel was foretold by many prophets - and the Lord Jesus Christ himself who stated that the Jews:
"shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24).
But when they return and Jerusalem is no longer "trodden down of the Gentiles” the prophets talk of a multi-nation invasion. For example we read in Zechariah:
"For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” Zechariah 14:2
"And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” Zechariah 12:3
And so the people of Israel will be attacked. Terrible atrocities will take place. Another prophecy that we often refer to here on Bible in the News is Ezekiel 38. There we see a social focus on the hatred of the nations against the people of Israel. For example, when describing the attack the prophecy declares the invader comes:
"To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations,” (v12)
"And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land;” (v16)
And so, as students of the Bible we look, week by week, at the events of the world to see signs of these things coming to pass. Do we see a hatred of Israel forming in the nations? Can we perceive this hatred bubbling over into a united invasion of Israel and an attack on the Jews? The recent spike in antisemitism is indeed a sure sign that we are living in the days that are leading up to this great controversy of the world with Israel.
The final end to the Bible prophecies relating to this though is not one of Gentile or Arab victory over the Jews. The picture we get from latter day prophecy is that the Lord Jesus Christ will return and save the people Israel. They, through him and his followers, will be victorious over the haters of Israel. He will reestablish the Kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6) and rule on his Father Davids throne (Luke 1:32).
."At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.” Jeremiah 3:17
This has been Matt Davies with you for another Bible in the News. Join us again next time God willing as we watch the signs of the sure coming of Zions king.
Bible in the News provides a weekly analysis of world politics and events
in the light of Bible prophecy — the Bible in the News!
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