Anti-Semitism is becoming more and more prevalent among the nations of the world, and, unfortunately, among some in the church. The Simon Wiesenthal Center estimates that the level of anti-Semitism in Europe is now equal to the level of anti-Semitism that existed in pre-World War II Germany! What should be our reaction, as believers, when we are confronted with anti-Semitism?

The first order of business is to bring the situation before our Heavenly Father. We should begin with prayer. Believers who truly know the Father's heart know how He feels about those who hate and revile His chosen ones. Here is a succinct quote from Adonai Elohim Tzva'ot on the subject of His beloved Israel: "I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse." (Gen 12:3)

Every time you are faced with anti-Semitism, pray and ask the Lord for wisdom for that particular situation. However, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that ALL anti-Semitism is wrong in the eyes of the Lord, no matter how insignificant it may seem! God has spoken to us very clearly in His word about His love for Israel. In Jeremiah 31:3, He says to Israel, "I have loved you with an EVERLASTING love." His love for Israel is eternal, everlasting, and unchanging. He goes on to expound on His plans for this nation in the verses immediately following His declaration of love....describing how He will gather the people of Israel "from the far ends of the earth", and bring them back to their homeland. "They will come weeping and praying as I bring them back. I will lead them by streams of water on smooth paths, so that they won't stumble. They themselves will be like a well watered garden, NEVER TO LANGUISH AGAIN," (verse 12). God Himself has gathered the people of Israel back to the nation of Israel for His end-time purposes.

Secondly, we need to understand that the Lord has already punished Israel for her many sins and wickedness, by destroying the temple and dispersing the tribes throughout the nations. It is most assuredly NOT our place to "assist" God by continuing this punishment. Anti-Semitism throughout the ages has compounded and magnified God's chastening. God's corporate punishment of Israel is FINISHED! His punishment of the Jewish people ended in 1948, when their nation was once again established by the Hand of the Lord. He brought His precious flock back to their land, and He has declared their punishment over, their sorrows ended, and their mourning turned into joy! The church must come to an understanding of this. God will not punish Israel again. The tiny nation of Israel has won every war she has ever fought, and she will continue to win every war she is compelled to fight! "But all who devour you will be devoured, all your enemies will go into exile, those who plunder you will be plundered, those who pillage you will be pillaged...and I will punish everyone who oppresses them," (Jer.30:16-20).

Asher Intrater, a great Jewish end-time evangelist to Israel, explains in his book, From Iraq to Armageddon, God's evaluation of anti-Semitism in the exile: "Zechariah 1:14-15 'I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal. I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; for I was a little angry, and they helped-but with an evil intent.' The King James translates that last phrase as "they helped forward the affliction". The Hebrew is azru l'ra 'ah, which means 'they helped for evil'. The exile of the Jewish people was a punishment from God for our sins and for rejecting Yeshua (see Luke 19:44). However, the ill treatment of the Jews at the hands of the Gentiles during the exile added extra punishment that was contrary to the will of God."

Asher also points out that amazingly, God used His punishment of the Jewish people to bring the message of salvation to the Gentile nations! "The Jewish people were dispersed in exile in a parallel manner to which the gospel was spread around the world. As the Jews were exiled, so were the first-century Messianic apostles and evangelists dispersed with them. While the nation as a whole was being punished, the Messianic remnant brought blessing and salvation to the Gentiles."

Anti-Semitism stemming from believers can be seen as a form of rebellion against God...a refusal to receive and acknowledge His truth about Israel, which He has so clearly set forth in His word. From 1 Samuel 15:23, we learn that the sin of rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft! Yeshua himself said, in John 17:17, "Thy word is truth." When we confront anti-Semitism in the body, we should pray that the word of the Lord will be received, and then present the offender with the truth of the Word of God regarding Israel. We must never remain silent in the face of anti-Semitism among Christians. We have an obligation to these brothers and sisters to shine the light of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God upon them, that they might be turned from their rebellion and be brought to repentance.

We believers also have a call on our lives to take physical action, when necessary, to stem a rising tide of anti-Semitism. One awe-inspiring example of this kind of action is the Ten Boom family. Corrie Ten Boom, the well-known heroine of our faith, was sent to the notorious Ravensbruck concentration camp along with other members of her family, because of their efforts to save Jews during World War II. Corrie's grandfather, Willem Ten Boom, the man who bought the very same house that would later be used as part of the underground by Corrie's family, started a prayer fellowship specifically for the Jewish people. Although Corrie never knew her grandfather, he gifted her father, Casper, with an incredible legacy of love for the Jews. Casper spent his whole life among the Jews, working beside them, studying the Torah with them, living in Jewish neighborhoods, and participating in the Sabbath and Jewish Feast days and festivals. Both Casper and his father were believers in Yeshua, and never tried to hide their deep Christian beliefs, sharing the message of the gospel whenever possible. When the Nazis came to power, and compelled the Jews to wear yellow stars, Casper attempted to wear a star on his clothes also. When Corrie stopped him from wearing the star, he compensated by taking off his hat to every Jew he would meet! Casper ultimately gave his life for his dear friends, the Jews. He died in a German prison; his daughter Betsie, and his grandson, Kik, died in a concentration camp. His son, Willem, died soon after being released from another German prison. His daughter Corrie lived to proclaim to a world-wide body of believers a profound and enduring love for the Jewish people.

The Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer also gave his life for the Jews. He was executed in a concentration camp for his role in the resistance against Hitler. The church, he wrote, must fight evil in three stages: The first was to question state injustice and call the state to responsibility; the second was to help the victims of injustice, whether they were church members or not. Ultimately, however, the church might find itself called "not only to help the victims who have fallen under the wheel, but to fall into the spokes of the wheel itself" in order to halt the machinery of injustice.

Followers of Yeshua should react with prayer, words, AND actions when confronted with anti-Semitism. Here is our Biblical mandate: " 'Comfort, O comfort My people' says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem, and call out to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins," (Isaiah 40:1-2). We comfort Israel by standing with her through thick and thin; by speaking and acting against anti-Semitism, and by supporting her widows and orphans, her sick and her elderly, just as we in the church should be doing among the body of Christ. We explain to her that her iniquity has been removed through the shed blood of Her Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth, by supporting Israeli evangelistic efforts, and Messianic organizations that believe in evangelizing the Jews here in the United States.

We take action by raising our children to be "rescuers"...by gifting them, as did Willem Ten Boom, with a legacy of love for the Jewish people. We take action by expressing the truth, WHENEVER and WHEREVER possible, about the apple of God's eye, the nation of Israel. We take action when we choose to say "Yes, Lord, I believe your Word!". We take action when we REFUSE TO REMAIN SILENT in the face of anti-Semitism.

Choose to stand with the small, but powerful remnant as we stand with, and comfort God's people in these ever-darkening days.

For Zion's sake,

Cathy P.(Last name withheld upon request)