“WHAT NATION OF PEOPLE ON THE EARTH IS HATED AND DESPISED MORE THAN ANY OTHER THAT HAS EXISTED IN HUMAN HISTORY? THE ANSWER IS ISRAEL !”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about Israel ; its place in history, and more importantly its place in the future as related to the Church of Jesus Christ …

…Today the Middle East is a hotbed of violence, social disorder, abuse, terrorism and bloodshed. We can effectively say that for centuries, almost all the world’s problems of fighting and war surround the people of Israel and those of the Middle East . The second American-Iraqi War to free the Muslim peoples of its despotic ruler, Saddam Hussein, is still an ongoing battle against the evil his terrorism fomented among Muslim followers of the false god Allah and Muhammad its prophet. These fanatic followers have forged an Islamic Jihad, a campaign of terror and bloodshed to rid the world particularly of Christian and Jewish peoples. Yet I submit to you there has never been more opposition, hatred and prejudice against any nation of peoples on the face of the earth, more than the Jewish Nation of Israel.

Today there are mixed emotions and attitudes of Christians toward the Israeli people. In addition, the hatred of Hitler and Nazi Germany that once tried to cleanse the European peoples of the Jews has resurfaced with a bold and outspoken attitude and action of anti-Semitism.  Indeed, although we’ve moved into the 21^st century, peace, tranquility and love of fellow man is not the rule of our world today. However, after we pause one more time for a musical moment, I want to return and talk with you about the JEW and the Christian and what is really to be our Christian attitude and actions toward these persecuted and deeply hated people. Stay tuned for more is to come…

…Perhaps the most historic moment in modern human history was not the winning of World War II with its defeat of Hitler and his Nazi Germany and the Emperor Hirohito and his Japanese aggression. No, the greatest moment of human history in the 20^th century occurred on May 14, 1948 when the Jews of the world, particularly of Europe, following the war returned to their ancient homeland and forged a new world nation by becoming the Israelis of Palestine. This new emergence of a formal state was not without its detractors. Mainly Britain of all people who should have known better, attempted to thwart this home-going by disarming the Israelis and heavily arming their Arab neighbors. Yet when the Jews arrived in the land of Palestine and claimed the land to be their Jewish homeland on May 14, 1948 , a new state was born which was called “ ISRAEL by them.

History however reveals that very next day, the Muslim world declared war against them and invaded them from all side to drive them into the sea. Out numbering them ten to one, their fate seemed inevitable. However, in spite of the well-trained and heavily armed Muslim forces that attacked this small fragile people, Israel prevailed and defeated them, thus protecting the nation and state of Israel from total annihilation once again.

Soon it will be a half century since the Jews re-occupied the land of Palestine that long ago was their homeland. Still their Arab neighbors with severe hatred and bent on their destruction continue to attack and terrorize the Jews living in the land. What’s worse, there is no nation of peoples on the face of the earth who consider defending them or supporting their right to exist as a state, and even more as a nation, save the American people. Today anti-Semitism is on the rise again, with almost all the nations of the earth taking a negative stand against them. For popular world opinion, Israel can do nothing right, even defending their lives from violent terrorism in their midst is condemned by these nations now known as the United Nations. Why just a year or so ago, grossly unreported by America ’s leftist news sources, we learned…

"The United Nations General Assembly decided the Jews do not have a right to sovereignty over even one inch of Judea , Samaria and the Gaza Strip - integral parts of their ancient, biblical homeland. Instead, the world body declared, the land belongs to a group of people that has never before in history constituted a unique cultural entity or sovereign nation - the Palestinian Arabs. A resolution recognizing 'Palestinian' sovereignty over these territories was introduced, and passed by a vote of 140-6.”

The little nation of Israel comprising a geographical area the size of the State of Connecticut , with a population of about 500,000 is the most hated peoples on the face of the earth! Why???

Well the answer is varied, but all are based on one underlying theme – there is a spiritual force of evil that rules this fallen world and has an abiding hatred for the descendants of Abraham’s son, Jacob. That force is Lucifer the devil, known as “Satan” in God’s Word. This is a fallen angel of God in the heavenly realms, who before the world of humanity was created, sinned against God the Creator and vowed to destroy God and all that He created and loved. Satan, the arch enemy of mankind, has special hatred for one particular group of peoples known as the Jew or Israelis. Why such hatred? The answer is found in Scripture,

Rev 12:13, 17 (NLT)  And when the dragon [Satan] realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the child… 17 Then the dragon became angry at the woman, and he declared war against the rest of her children--all who keep God's commandments and confess that they belong to Jesus.

This phrase, “persecuted the woman,” speaks specifically of the present and future intense persecution of Israel and is the subject of many passages in the writings of the Old Testament prophets as well (Leviticus 26:40-45; Deuteronomy 30:1-5).

Of course, all the persecution and destruction the peoples of Israel which have continued since they were driven out of their homeland long ago, were predicted by God in the Bible. You see God raised up one man named Abraham and promised him that he was God’s chosen instrument to bring forth the Messiah of the world, the Savior of all men. To do this, God promised Abraham that He would preserve his children for all generations until that promised Messiah would come and finally reign over all the earth. Listen to God’s specific promises to Abraham that relate to all his children through the line of Jacob, even those living today.

Gen 12:1-3 (NLT)  Then the LORD told Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will cause you to become the father of a great nation.... 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."

Gen 17:1-2 (NLT)  When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty… 2 I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to make you into a mighty nation…"

This is known in theology as the ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. It is an unconditional promise made by God the Creator to preserve Abraham’s children through his son Jacob, born by his wife Sarah. From Jacob came the twelve tribes of Israel, that to this day defy all human reason as to why they still exist as a nation of people. History reveals that all other nations of people that existed in Abraham’s day, are gone and melted together into one stream of humanity we call the Gentiles. Yet God’s promises to Abraham were fully kept until the day the promised Messiah of humanity came. Now this promise to Abraham was not without a price. Satan learned of this quickly and then mounted a campaign to destroy every descendant of Abraham who was born through Jacob. If he could do that, the Messiah would be unable to arrive as promised. However until the very last moment when Satan forged a hate campaign against the greatest Jew who ever lived, Jesus Christ the Righteous One and Savior of the world, God triumphed over Satan by allowing him to put to death His Son Jesus Christ. However by dying on that Roman cross at the hands of Satan, God then concurrently offered Jesus up as the sacrificial lamb promised and needed to atone for the sins not only of Israel , but the world! Thus, God fulfilled the greatest promise to Abraham and the world. We read in,

Gen 12:3 (NLT)  “…. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."

Indeed, this prophecy has among all others been fulfilled literally in Jesus Christ. The death of the Lord Jesus was the full payment of all sin for the all the world of every generation that either looked forward to the Messiah’s coming by faith or looks back by faith, and trusts explicitly and alone in His atonement for their sin penalty coming.

But since Christ died, one would think the devil would now leave off his hatred and oppression of the nation of Israel who brought us the Messiah. However, what I read to you from the Book of Revelation tells us differently, as it says that Satan knowing Christ will return to fulfill the other portion of God’s promises to Abraham and the world, his abiding hatred for the Jews will continue and one day increase just before Christ returns to take possession of the entire earth to rule and reign there forever.

This is exactly why so many unsaved Gentiles of the world, regardless of what nationality they belong to, or religious persuasion they follow, other than true Christianity, hate the Jew!

They are energized unknowingly by satanic forces that rule this world. Listen to the warnings of Scripture that tell us of this behind the scenes hostility,

Eph 6:12 (NLT)  For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Now with that understanding behind us we must ask. What relationship must those who follow Christ have with the Jews of our world today? Surely the Jew knows not Jesus Christ as their Savior and more, most are offended by even stating that Jesus of Nazareth born long ago as a Jew, is their Messiah. So far as category sake, there are only two types of peoples in this world – the “Saved Ones” and the “unsaved ones.” The “Saved Ones” constitute only one group of people -- who are called Christians today. Specifically only those who believe and  literally follow God’s Word and promises concerning salvation through the blood death of Christ; coupled with obedience to God’s Word for life and living for the New Testament Christian follower.

Now one of the most important calls for obedience is to believe God’s Word! The Bible is not a book of fairy tales and stories to encourage us to better living. No, it is a book of truth and promises to be understood and believed literally as written. Those who claim the Name of Christ and reject the literalness of Scripture, are not true followers, and one day will find all claims to know Jesus will be revealed as false. Listen to God’s Word on the matter,

John 2:23-24 (NIV)  Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.

Mat 7:22-23 (NIV)  Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

 These among other such Scriptures tell us that many will in every age since Christ’s death, claim to believe in Jesus, or profess to follow Him, or call themselves Christians, but Jesus says, for the most part, their professions and deeds to try and prove it will be counted false. Why? Because to believe in His name, refers to a full surrender of the seat of our very being called the heart, coupled with the mind, emotions and will being re-dedicated to loving Jesus Christ as one’s Savior and God. When one accepts Christ by faith, God promises to send into their very being His presence by taking us residence within us by the Holy Spirit. Once that is done, along with it comes the birth of a brand new “spirit” that becomes part of who we are, and guarantees us eternal life.

Those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ thus fully believe His Word and respect God’s wishes and plan for the world in which we live. Part of that plan is that God still plans to keep His promise to Abraham and defend and protect his children of every generation because there is one more fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that must literally come. What is it? Well, it is the return of the Jew to his homeland of Palestine and to regather them there for the day when their Messiah will come and take possession of them as a nation and rule the world for a thousand years followed by eternity.

Now the problem we face as Christians is how are we to act towards the Jew who now is back in their land, but not in faith and belief. Furthermore, Jesus Christ has not returned to take possession and rule the world and the Jew among all the other nations of the world.

The answer is, we wait, but while we wait we honor, respect and do all we can to help the Jew to be ready for their Messiah to come and claim them once again.

True Christians will not persecute, promote or tolerate anti-Semitism of any sort. Furthermore, true Christians will do all to help them survive and to live at peace as much as possible. Sadly, there is a growing element of anti-Semitism among professing Christians who follow the theology of faith called AMILLENNIALISM. This unfortunately comprises a vast majority who claim to be believers in Christ. Amillennialism says God is through with the Jew, God has fulfilled all his promises to them and owes them nothing as to the unfulfilled promises to Abraham. As such the Jews who reject Christ today are their enemies.

Yet, for the evangelical Christian who believes God’s Word, the warnings of Scripture remain as do its historical fulfillments. God said to Abraham and the world to know,

Gen 12:3 (NIV)  “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse…”

God warns humanity that anyone or any people or nation that will persecute the children of Abraham through Jacob, will suffer God’s wrath in this life and possibly the next. Why? Well for one thing, Abraham's relation to God was so close that to bless or curse him was, in effect, to bless or curse God (Gen. 20:2-18; 21:22 -34; 23:1-20).

Even to this day. God is preserving the Jew and promises to one day bring them all back to the land of their forefathers and begin His plan of taking back the earth from Satan and his “seed” or followers. That plan may soon unfold since Israel is back in the land already. Now without being dogmatic about it, there is Scripture that very strongly intimates we are living in the last days before the Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ returns in glory to place the Jew fully in the land for a 1000 years at his side along with His Church. Beginning in the Old Testament God literally promised through the prophet Ezekiel that God would one day open the graves of the Jew and bring their dead bones back to life in the land of promise. Listen,

Ezek 37:12-14 (NIV)  Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel . 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'"

The graves represent the nations of the Gentiles in which God scattered the Jews because of sin. For over 2500 years since 606 B.C. -- when God brought in the “times of the gentiles,” and scattered Israel from the land -- the promise is sure that God will settle the Jew back in the land He gave them. This will be fulfilled literally prior to the Lord Jesus’ return at the end of the seven year tribulation period. Indeed, God always keeps His Word!

Now how are we to react to modern day Jews in Israel ? Are they the “chosen people,” protected by God to do anything they wish, good or evil? The answer is no, and as Christians we should respond accordingly. We should support the Jewish nation in Israel that does good and lives  righteously according to the moral laws of Israel . But when the Jews of Palestine do evil, or sin, we should rebuke them and where necessary withhold any blessings of help and consideration towards them, while always protecting them from their enemies. The Jew as a people and nation are presently unsaved as their Gentile neighbors the Arabs are. Both need to be saved and need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Therefore we should strongly evangelize the Jews worldwide, and we should care for them and help them were possible to see the love of Jesus through the Church. This means extending aid where possible, and comfort too. Yet, while they either refuse or remain in the perilous state of being unsaved, we should pray for Israel ’s peace, and prosperity in the hopes it will lead them to be saved. Paul the greatest Jew of the New Testament era wrote,

Rom 11:1-2 (NLT)  I ask, then, has God rejected his people, the Jews? Of course not! Remember that I myself am a Jew…2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning…”

Rom 11:25-26 (NLT)  I want you to understand this mystery, dear friends, so that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Some of the Jews have hard hearts, but this will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. Do you remember what the prophets said about this? "A Deliverer will come from Jerusalem , and he will turn Israel from all ungodliness.

The Bible predicts God is working out a plan. At present, we are in an era called the “times of the Gentiles.” In this time period, God has allowed the Gentile nations to rule the earth and His ancient people Israel , because of their sins, to be on the bottom. But this time period permitted to begin in 606 B.C., has a time to end too. When it does, God will again begin to openly raise up His people Israel to national significance. In the Tribulation, after the Church of Jesus Christ is raptured away from the earth, God will save a multitude of Jews and raise up an exact number of evangelists known as the 144,000. They will move out over the earth to win souls to the Messiah Jesus Christ. During the seven years of Tribulation, called Jacob’s trouble, God will allow suffering and heartache upon them, to soften up their hardened hearts to be willing to accept the Messiah, and His coming again at its conclusion. Yes, when Christ appears at the end of the Tribulation, we are told what will happen to the Jews as a whole. Listen.

Rev 1:7 (NIV)  Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

Particularly the Jew who sees the resurrected and living Savior Jesus Christ with His pierced hands, they will in an instant believe and be saved! The complete restoration of Israel will climax the purging trials of "the time of Jacob's trouble." This event take place when Christ returns to earth to establish His millennial kingdom centered in Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:8-10; 13:1; 14:9), which follows the Great Tribulation period (Matthew 24:29-31). In fact, the surviving and resurrected Jews will all acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior in that day.

Meanwhile, although the Jew is back in the land, it is not a completed fulfillment of Scripture that promises God will bring them out of the Gentile nations and back to the land.

However, it is a sign, I believe, that the end draws near, and all of us need to be sure we first are saved ourselves and in a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This can be done by simply surrendering your heart and life to Jesus Christ, acknowledging your sins and calling upon Christ to save you and forgive you based on His death and resurrection for you.

So in conclusion, those who are Christians must always be friends of Israel and do all we can to help them get saved now, and support them to insure they are not persecuted by Satan’s crowd surrounding them. But also, when Israel sins we need to publicly rebuke them; And, when Israel cries for help, we need to be there with prayer and positive aid. So that, my friend, is the state of affairs of Israel and Christianity. God is watching how we treat Abraham’s children. Those who mistreat and persecute them will pay often in this life, but always in the next. But those who show kindness and help will be blessed in this life and eternity. May God add His blessings to these thoughts for Jesus sake. Amen.