All Anti-Semitism is Anti-Christian, yes Anti-Christ – to hate the Jews is to hate the perfect Jew, Jesus Christ, to hate the apostles, the Mother of Jesus and finally the church. The decline of Roman Catholicism in France and Italy means the rise of Anti-Semitism. The Aryan Reich was one of the most anti-Christian nations in history. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) says in Moses and Monotheism that the attack against Jews is also an attack against Christians; “The hatred for Judaism is at bottom a hatred for Christianity and it is not surprising that in the German National Socialist revolution this close connection of two monotheistic religions finds such clear expression in the hostile treatment of both.”[1] In the United States the stature of the Jews increase according to their power and acceptance of their service; they are professionals in everything they do; although there still remains a strong undercurrent of Anti-Semitism in America, people who believe Jesus was the only good Jew, the only good Jew is a dead Jew, Anti-Semitism despises Jesus Christ, only Christian Zionism and the Federal Government really protects Israel, without their influence, the whole world would turn against the Jews. Zionism believes the Jews have a divine right to the Land that Christians and Muslims must honor. No less formidable figure than Nicholas Berdyaev (1874-1948), a believer in the “Russian Idea” that Russia on the basis of its Eastern heritage will bring the world to Jesus, to the Russian Millennium or World Communism, says this very thing; “There can be no doubt that Christians are a heavy burden of sin in regard to the people of Israel, and it is upon Christians that the duty of protecting them now rests.”[2] Pope Francis was once asked a question of what he thought of the Jews to which he replied, “How can the branches comment on the trunk?” Semitism Berdyaev says, “has been grafted on to the Christian spirit and is indispensable to its destiny.”[3] All Christians and Muslims for that matter stem from Semitism. It is difficult to think of Islam without its Jewish origins. The family resemblance is uncanny; similar languages, radical monotheism, dietary laws, scholasticism and mysticism. We should recognize at this point that it took the Jews centuries to abolish idolatry. Muhammad did it in only one generation that is in the course of his lifetime; although the Jews rejected Jesus they were also the first to follow him. Saul’s fanatical Judaism was legendary (Philippians 3:4-6); “in keeping the law blameless.” He executed or imprisoned Christians on the spot and mercilessly persecuted his own people if they professed Jesus Christ (Acts 8:1-3). People including the Jews everywhere feared him that is how he was able to enter the synagogues first, his reputation preceded him, he was the high henchman, the Heinrich Himmler of the Sanhedrin, Jewish Highest Court. Judaism was developed in captivity in Tel Aviv on the banks of the Euphrates in Babylonian exile. It is a stranger in an alien world longing for home, just as the Christians found themselves on a pilgrimage alienated from the Synagogue and despised by the Romans.
Judaism is the seed of which the Church is planted and Western Civilization, the right to exist along with different traditions, for enemies to live peacefully with each other, to share power, a democracy, given their perpetual majority or minority struggle. Jesus gives us human dignity, the ideal of freedom, the value of every single person, regardless of race, language, nationality, class and position in society, even someone as high as a Roman Emperor, such as, Constantine the Great, or lowly as a slave, such as Onesimus who was “more than a slave, but a brother” (Philemon: 16 NABRE) can be saved. Christians were much more generous in granting salvation than the Gnostics and Mystery Cults of the time who only catered to initiates. “It is the Man, the human ideal, freedom of Spirit that the world is attacking from every side.”[4] The ancient root of Christian democracy draws from the religious tolerance of the Edict of Milano AD 312 and the legalization of Christianity or what Tertullian called “religious freedom.” Church Historian Elaine Pagels says, early Christianity was born of human rights,
Tertullian demands from Roman magistrates something unprecedented−something for which he might have been the first to conceive the idea that American revolutionaries, more than fifteen centuries later, would incorporate into their new social and political system: freedom of religion, which Tertullian, writing in Latin, calls liberate religionis. Those of us who usually think of human rights and natural rights as concepts born of the Enlightenment, wrung from the violence of the French and American revolutions, might be surprised to see this African Christian standing up to defy Scapula, the Roman magistrate in Africa, circa 205 c. e., with these words: “It is a fundamental human right, a power bestowed by nature, that each person should worship according to his own convictions, free from compulsions.” [5]
Anti-Semitism hates the line of Jacob and loves the line of Esau. Rebekah was told that two warring sons struggled within her; “And the LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger’” (Genesis 25:23 NRSV). The East is definitely founded on Anti-Semitism, the West shows tolerance for the Jews, at least, this is the current arrangement. To hate the Jews is to hate Jesus Christ. This is because he is from the line of Israel, the Son of David, they even have written over the mosque “cursed is anyone who says, ‘Jesus is the Son of God.’” Muhammad was from the line of Ishmael who became one of the Arabian sons of Abraham, a very proud race indeed, making them cousins and historical enemies with the Jews. They have no tolerance for the Jews. Pro-Israel is a defining characteristic of Modern Western Society. The Federal Republic of Germany is now a Western province or power in its new found support for the Jews even paying reparations. The United Nations created the modern Israeli State, shouldn’t that count for something? The Jewish and Western Democracies must work together if either one of them wishes to survive the coming onslaught of Sharia Law, Russian Messiahship already being demonstrated in Ukraine and Chinese expansionism including the annexation of Taiwan. NATO may well recruit a Japanese and South Korean Army for a proper defense. There has been talk of rearming the Japanese and Germans, even with nuclear weapons in order to defend themselves without foreign aid. The West is way out numbered by the East only nuclear weapons keep the hordes of the East from taking Rome. As I said elsewhere abolishment of the atom bomb will lead to World War Three and a conventional Eastern victory. Possession of the bomb will lead inevitably to its use and its users own annihilation, on both, sides. Everyone who possesses nuclear weapons have ICBM’s pointed at them. War will be the world’s self-immolation, apocalyptic in nature, and it may very well be humanity’s own fault not God’s, self-inflected guilt. We bring into existence or at least create the conditions for the end of the world. It is only by divine providence we have so far survived and it is that providence that will bring us to ever lasting peace or nirvana, even the unthinkable. This is why we say “Godspeed” to those who are departing, “May they have a safe journey.”
To protect the Jews was the special province of Cyrus the Great – who felt himself called to restore the Jews and rebuild the temple. The Persian or in modern terms, Iranian Empire, flourished in its embrace of different traditions. Cyrus is remembered as one of the most benevolent emperors of ancient times. This makes Cyrus an archetype of a Western Emperor. Perhaps modern day descendants of Esau, Ishmael and Cyrus should follow their forbearers example and make overtures of peace with their brother Jacob. After all The Koran does call the Jews “the people of the book.” This would be the salvation of the world, Islam would become a truly leading world religion because everyone will see their kindness and generosity; Islam has everything to gain from forgiving the Jews for their treachery, of cheating Esau out of the birthright, which entitled them to the Land, just as Esau forgave Jacob (Genesis 27, 33); perhaps Israel should pay reparations or grant statehood to Palestine, for what they have created in Gaza, and be held accountable for its action and find a just solution, one that doesn’t include genocide; it is only Jesus who could bring them together. President Jimmy Carter was a Born Again Christian and found a way to, however, in part, through the Camp David Accords (1978) convert the two alienated brothers through Jesus Christ.
The text says God loves Jacob and hates Esau (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13), this was only an illustration of God’s sovereignty in providing salvation by grace. They should bless God that they were worthy to be part of this analogy. The godly are recognized according to all social lines in Jacob and Esau. God does not despise Esau, nor does he play favorite’s with any other nation. This represents the explicit teaching of the New Testament. Israel was only a vehicle used by God to bring all people to himself in Jesus Christ, but they are not cast off because they rejected their Messiah. God still has plans for them, as he does for every nation. Prosperity for Israel will mean a Cornucopia for the rest of the world. The Jews were told to pray for the peace of Babylon; for in their success they will find success (Jeremiah 29:7). The prophet Isaiah declared, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel my heritage” (Isaiah 19:25) God will make Jacob and Esau one in Jesus Christ; if this proves true, Christianity will regain its spiritual hold over world affairs as a moral majority or moral authority. We can think of the enormity of the impact if both the Jews and the Arabs converted to Christianity, to Christ himself not a creed, in order to resolve their differences?
Léon Bloy (1846-1917) a nineteenth century French Roman Catholic Apologist once wrote concerning the Jews,
Suppose that there were people round you continually speaking of your father and mother with utmost contempt, who had nothing to offer them but insults and offensive sarcasms, how would you feel? Well this is just what happens to our Lord Jesus Christ. We forget, or rather we do not wish to know, that our God man is a Jew, nature’s most perfect Jew, the lion of Judah, that his mother was a Jewess, the flour of the Jewish race; that the Apostles were Jews, as well as all the prophets, and finally that our whole sacred Liturgy is drawn from Jewish books. In consequence, how may one express the enormity of the outrage and blasphemy of vilifying the Jewish race?[6]
The salvation of the Jews and the Restoration to the Promised Land will be fulfilled in the Millennium. This will give historical precedent to the return of Christ. These two events will happen simultaneously. The Jews will believe and God will send his Messiah to rescue them. The world waits for the Jews to convert before coming to an end, but the Jews wait for the world to convert first. They will believe when the full number of the Gentiles is saved. The Great Commission must be fulfilled and the Jews brought to faith before Christ returns. Just as the native branches were broken off and the wild grafted back in, so the restoration of the native to its proper place will lead to abundant life; “For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead” (Romans 11:15 NRSV). Princeton theologian Charles Hodge lists “the conversion of the Jews” as the second condition for the return of Christ, preceded by universal evangelism following the rise of Antichrist.[7]
We believe in the restoration of the Jews to Zion and her witness to the nations. Zechariah predicts national conversion; “And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weeps bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (12:10 NRSV). Paul promises “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26 KJV). This speaks to the conversion and restoration of the Jews. Just as their falling away meant salvation for the Gentiles, so the Fullness of the Gentiles will precede the conversion of the Jews. Hodge puts it this way, “The rejection of the Jews was the occasion of the conversion of the Gentiles; and the conversion of the Gentiles is to be the occasion of the restoration of the Jews.”[8] Salvation comes first to the Jews then the Gentiles; Jesus himself said, “for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22 NRSV). This sets the entire precedent of the New Testament as Jewish literature of the first century. Paul always spoke to the Jews first in the Synagogue before going to the Areopagus. At the Jewish rejection of the Messiah this fortune has been reversed. Now salvation comes first to the Gentiles and then to the Jews. Jesus told the Philadelphians that he will make the Jews come and worship before the feet of the Christians so that they will know that he loves them (Revelation 3:9). The Jews of the Book of Revelation are described as Satanic because of their opposition to Christians. Paul says they are enemies of the gospel, but blessed for the sake of the Patriarchs (Romans 11:28, 29). They are still sons of Abraham, however in disbelief. This was a common condition of the ancient Israelites who were always tempted by idolatry, no sooner did Moses ascend the Mount to receive the Ten Commandments than Aaron formed a golden calf and the people broke out into sexual orgies. The Kings of Israel and Judea constantly struggled with marrying foreign wives to form political alliances, Solomon had six hundred wives. The Israelites practiced Baal worship; ate pork, Ahab and Jezebel being the prime example. They even offered child sacrifices to Moloch a pagan deity that required the life of the first born. This would have wiped out the house of Judah, no more kings will be born from it, the first born always will be sacrificed. The Messiah could never be born; since he will be the first born. To save the world from this condition that is genocide or christocide, God exiled the remnant to Babylonia. The Babylonian Exile or sometimes called Captivity purges the Jews from eating pork and practicing idolatry and miscegenation. In Babylon they became once again the chosen people. Who were called out by God to be a witness. In the Book of Hosea the Jews were cast off because of their idolatry, but once again resorted to God after a period of trial; “the LORD loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods” (3:1 NRSV).
The Millennium will fulfill Israel’s destiny as a nation to testify to God’s love as well as his holiness. Simeon predicted that the baby Jesus will become, “A light to the Gentiles, and the glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:32 NRSV). The Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants will both reach their greatest heights when the Messiah rules from Jerusalem. In the Millennium God will honor his promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and give their descendant’s title to the Land from the Nile to the Euphrates, perhaps this shows a future geography of the Zion World Capital. This gives it real historical certainty. What was promised in time will be answered in time, not eternity; this is not a simple allegory. The entire Old Testament logic leads to a kingdom of God on earth. This makes a literal Millennium and a saved Israel a metaphysical necessity in the plan of God. Christ will then offer a redeemed planet to God as a holy sacrifice, so that God may be all in all.
[1] Sigmund Freud, Moses and Monotheism (UK: The Hogarth Press, 1939), 145.
[2] Nicolas Berdyaev, Christianity and Anti-Semitism, trans., by A. Spears and Victor B. Kanter (New York: Philosophical Library, 1954), 4.
[3] Ibid., 48, 49.
[4] Ibid., 28.
[5] Elaine Pagels, Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, & Politics in the Book of Revelation (New York: Viking, 2012), 131. Tertullian To Scapula, 2: Tamen humani iuris et naturalis potestatis est unicuique quod putaverit, colere nec alii obest aut prodest alterius religio.
[6] Léon Bloy quoted in Berdyaev, Christianity And Anti-Semitism, 1.
[7] Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986 [1873]), 792.
[8] Ibid., 807.