Jews are a relatively small group of people compared to the whole world. Israel is a tiny, little nation. They are a couple of gnats landing on a large person. Proportionally the Jews and Israel receive a very big, gigantic reaction from the rest of the world.
Admittedly, I notice the Jews every day even though almost all of my days now I speak to none, not a single Jew. I don’t have to go out of my way to ignore Jews. None live where I am.
On the other hand, during my time in California, on average Jews were more hostile to me than any other people. When I came to a door and saw a mezuzah shema (mezuzah means “doorposts”) on the doorpost, that meant a tough, very difficult situation was coming about 100 percent of the time. I want to have a good conversation with a Jewish person and it is very disappointing that most Jews treat someone like myself, who loves them, worse than anybody.
Even with the very poor treatment, I support Jews and Israel. My wife and I go out of our way to befriend Jewish people. I even understand their hostility. It isn’t merited, but it is understandable.
Why Israel and the Jews?
Maybe you have a hard time comprehending why so many people, especially young ones, right now are opposing Israel and the Jews. These are harsh and even dangerous times. It is widespread and many times violent. Maybe even stranger, Jews themselves are part of the opposition. Quite often the stories or the narratives contradict. The two or more sides or factions tell clashing stories.
My main point of writing this post is to answer why so much hatred for the Jews and for Israel, What could this be? What causes this? Here it is and not necessarily in this order: The most prevalent reasons, I think, I will present at and toward the end, not the beginning.
Contrasting Theologies
Supercessionism
One, differing and contradictory theological positions cause the hatred. Many Jews don’t participate in the theology that brings the incendiary treatment of them. They don’t believe anything, but it doesn’t make any difference. This as a section could be a very long explanation and discussion, almost an entire book.
I don’t think theology figures the degree of hatred that explains the present reaction to Israel and the Jews. Those who see Israel replaced by the church, called supercessionists, don’t hate Israel because of that usually. They aren’t still blaming the Jews for crucifying Jesus. Some Jews may think this engenders hot passion, but most people, even if they’re supercessionists, don’t care about this. They aren’t going to do what we see happening, just because of this theology. These people haven’t even heard of supercessionism.
Supercessionism could describe a theological position that forms a premise for violent activity against the Jews, but it doesn’t provide the main impetus for hostile activity against them. It can provide a kind of positional justification, but not the reason. I remember getting slapped in the face by a Sophomore, when I was a Freshman in high school, while on a field trip, looking at leaves for Biology class. When I asked him why, he said, “Because I wanted to.” Several reasons contributed to the slap I took from him.
Allegorization
The supercessionist allegorizes scripture. He can twist scripture by not taking it literally. Dozens or hundreds of positions arise from spiritualizing what God’s Words say.
A moderated form of supercessionism exists that supports Israel and the Jews. Those who take the attenuated position will support Israel, despite their Roman Catholic or Protestant ecclesiology. If someone is going to allegorize scripture, then he can take the direction of supporting Israel, despite thinking that God replaced Israel with the church.
Envy
Two, many unbelievers are flat-out envious of the Jews. They see Jews and Israel as a privileged caste. They’re jealous. On average they’re rich and successful by the world’s standard. Jealousy likes people losing what they have. Few to none are jealous of the Palestinians.
Satan’s Hate
Three, Satan hates Israel. This hatred manifests itself in Genesis 3 with the serpent bruising the seed of the woman. Sure, the seed is Jesus, but one cannot separate Jesus from the descendants of the woman and of Abraham. Satan gladly attempts sticking his thumb in God’s eye with the crushing of Israel and the Jews.
End Times
Four, we’re getting closer to the end. Let’s say that the future time when enemy nations surround Israel is December. The rising hatred of nations against the Jews is August. You’ve got to get to August to get to December. I’m not saying actual August and December, but a metaphor, like Thanksgiving coming before Christmas.
God’s Judgment
Five, God will bring more judgment on Israel. This goes back to Daniel 11-12. Israel didn’t want to go back to the land to rebuild the temple and the walls. They felt comfortable staying in captivity Yes, those people cried for the blame for Jesus’ death. The rest of history would give regular chastisement to Israel and the Jews. It would never be easy.
God is working His plan.with Israel to get the nation to the place where the enemies surround them. Now supportive nations like the United States hold back natural and supernatural world rejection of the Jews and Israel. More of that protection disappears, emboldening the opposition.
Woke Philosophy
Six, a woke philosophy dominates the education system. It’s a kind of zero sum game. Israel grabs and gets, and because it does, these other nations starve and diminish. It’s got a racial component to the darker skinned Palestinians. And there is a class warfare piece to it. Israel is upper class, getting favored status.
The idea too is that an international money cabal, led by the Jews, money grubbing and hungry, leaves other people without the privilege. The university types see themselves as with some revelatory enlightenment. They see through the deceit into the Jews. Jewish people join these in this, feeling ashamed to be a Jew. This is the main narrative being pushed to result in the widespread Jew and Israel hating.
A religious component enters from the Palestinian or Hamas, that accompanies the class envy. What they think is a true religion, Islam, Judaism discredits it. Their anger becomes its own self-fulfilling prophecy. And yet it hasn’t worked. Powerful nations try to annihilate the Jews and yet they go down in flames.
God Still Has a Plan for Israel
The Abraham and Davidic Covenants are still intact. They are operational. God still has a plan for Israel. Those who attack Israel do so against a warning from God. These nations haven’t been blessed and won’t, because they won’t accept these promises God made. They should favor God with favor for Israel, even if they don’t like what Israel believes and does.
Israel is not a threat to the world. Overall Israel provides great blessing to the world. I’m not saying Israel is saved. They will be. God will save Israel. In the meantime, we should hope Israel thrives.
I am mostly pro Israel for reasons you lay out above. At the same time it is possible that actions in Gaza have gone too far with leveling the place and killing and starving tens of thousands of civilians without even accomplishing much in getting Hamas. The college kids are reacting to that atrocity even with the (really not that many that have been substantiated) anti Semitic incidents certainly being in the wrong and busting up admin buildings being wrong. I’m just trying to walk and chew gum at the same time. It seems callous or illogical of you to not at all mention the situation in Gaza, whether to agree or disagree.
Mark,
I’ve been to Israel and firsthand make my judgments. Israel can’t defeat Hamas without collateral damage and the world unjustifiably expects of Israel what it does for no other nation. 90 percent of Palestinians would have Israel destroyed and 100 percent of Hamas from the river to the sea. Hamas uses people, including people and hospitals, as human shields. Hamas does this to engender sympathy and alliance from a very biased world, which obviously is working as seen in your comment. I would counsel Israel to take out Hamas quickly. Do it now. Get past this time of judgment. There may be no better time to eliminate Hamas. None of us, I repeat, none of us would put up with this and we would be more harsh than Israel. The same characters would protest in the U.S., but we would still do it, because a large majority would do that. Look at after 911. How many do you think we killed in those wars following that, including civilians?
The hatred Israel is getting is amazing to me. It is so clearly Satanic. It also shows–again–just how much evil and wickedness and communist brainwashing is going on at college campuses. These brave college protestors should emigrate to Gaza and see how they like to live under Hamas’ rule.
Kent,
I have two points:
(1) “I want to have a good conversation with a Jewish person and it is very disappointing that most Jews treat someone like myself, who loves them, worse than anybody.”
When many Christians use the word “love” toward sinners, they tend to have a humanistic element associated with it. The way I have come to understand and apply “love” toward sinners, is based totally on my love, obedience and glory towards God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the best sermons I heard as a young Christian was “10 shekels and a shirt” by Paris Reidhead. If you have not heard it, it would be a blessing.
I came to this conclusion- “I did not call you to go into all the world for them, but rather I called you to go into all the world for MY SAKE. The world deserves Hell, but I loved the world and I endured the agonies of hell for mankind! Do not I deserve the reward of my suffering? Do not I deserve those for whom I died for and therefore for the great love that I loved you with, have I not command you to go into all the world and preach the gospel?
Therefore, I do not preach in the streets and witness for the sake of the ungodly heathen, but rather I go for the sake of my Savior who endured the agonies of Hell for me and has given my the power to live a life of holiness through the sanctification of the Spirit.
As Brother Reidhead clearly pointed out, ” Christianity says, “The end of all being is the glory of God.” Humanism says, “The end of all being is the happiness of man.
(2) “Overall Israel provides great blessing to the world. I’m not saying Israel is saved. They will be. God will save Israel. In the meantime, we should hope Israel thrives.”
I disagree that we should hope that Israel thrives. We should no more care for them than any other nation in the world. They hate the Lord Jesus Christ and deserve the judgment of God like any other nation, for they are against the church. Therefore, I am suggesting “hands off” and take no position. If anyone cares about them, then go and preach to them as I have, telling them the truth of their sins and hope in the gospel, even as you have.
I agree with your point that we mainly do what we do out of love for God. But the second commandment, love thy neighbor, is a justifiable motive. God loved and loves the world. So should we.
One more point. The Abrahamic covenant says that we should bless Israel. Maybe you don’t believe that covenant.
Kent wrote:
“The Abrahamic covenant says that we should bless Israel. Maybe you don’t believe that covenant.”
I am not under the Abrahamic covenant. That is for Israel and it is based on what they do to keep the land until the Lord Jesus Christ comes to establish the Jewish nation and all its people (Romans 11). They have failed to uttermost and deserve the wrath of God based on the Mosaic Covenant as given to them to obey based on Deuteronomy 28-29.
I would pray for the peace of Jerusalem when they receive the Prince of Peace. Other than that, I stand with the mind of the Spirit as given by the Apostle Paul. They only have gotten worse at this point:
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. (1 Thessalonians 2:15-16)
PS: What is happening to them now is what they deserve based on all the prophetic truth established from Isaiah to Malachi.
II will personally not stand in God’s way in treating the nation as he has. The world is against them (they did not start this conflict!), which makes no sense unless you believe what is written in the scriptures!
Then it makes perfect sense when God stirs nations against them for hating the God of the scriptures and doing what they did to the Messiah, the King of Israel!
Tom
Dear Mark,
Vast amounts of food are going into Gaza, a huge percentage of which is stolen by Hamas and resold on the black market by them at very high prices. So there is actually lots of food going into Gaza, but people are short on food because Hamas is stealing it. I can’t blame you for not knowing this, though. It is amazing how biased against Israel our media are and how facts about what Hamas is actually doing aren’t getting out. Please see:
https://www.factsandlogic.org/
for reliable information.
Also, buildings are destroyed there because Hamas hides in civilian clothes among civilians (whom they refuse to let shelter safely in their underground tunnels). There would be no more buildings destroyed if they returned the hostages and surrendered. There would also be no more buildings destroyed if they stopped hiding behind women and children, put on military uniforms, and came out to a battlefield to fight Israel like men, instead of hiding behind the skirts of women like cowards. The blood of the dead civilians in Gaza is on the hands of Hamas.
Tom,
When you say we should take no position, you are equating terrorists with people who just want peace. Are both the terrorists and the Jews who they gang-raped, tortured, and murdered on October 7 unregenerate? Yes–although even here they are not equal, because the Jews are still God’s physical people. Is the Jewish response to eliminate Hamas–who say they will keep repeating 10/7 over and over again until they have killed all the Jews–and the work of the IDF, which does more than any military I know of in the entire world to reduce civilian deaths, while Hamas does everything it can to increase the death tolls among people in Gaza, equivalent? These are not equivalent. We should absolutely not take “no position.” That is wrong.
Do they treat Christ’s churches differently? Yes. If you are a citizen of Israel, you can preach the gospel to Jews and Muslims and everyone else and they can’t kill you or imprison you for it. What happens if you convert a Muslim in Gaza? Expect to be tortured and then have your mutilated body thrown off from a tall building. Take no position on this? That is wrong. That is evil. Hamas is worse than WWII Nazis–the Nazis were ashamed of killing the Jews and tried to cover up what they were doing. Hamas puts it on the Internet and boasts about it. Your comment is shameful.
Amen, thank you for writing. I agree. I think for Christians, there should be pause given for the cause of the Jews. While they don’t believe in their Messiah today, they did give us the Messiah and His Holy Scripture, thereby blessing all the world. Now in their time of need, we should be minded to help and support them, and maybe, some of them will see this kind of ‘love in action’ toward them, as a result of the Jewish Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ working in the Gentiles, and may help them consider Him and the Gospel.
Another thought I have had on this subject, not an original one, the hatred and attacks on the Jews are almost all Satanic in origin, he being the chief conspirator against them. If the Devil can invalidate the Lord’s everlasting covenant with the Jews, he may be able to invalidate God’s judgment of himself, not that I could know that, but it seems plausible, given the near universal hatred of the Jews the world over. This near universal hatred for the Jews too, I think only serves to validate the literal reading of end time events, for if the Jews are no longer relevant, as many Supersessionists suppose, why do obvious satanic forces deeply hate the Jews and continuously seek out to destroy them? It would seem the Jews matter very much in the mind of Satan, who seeks their destruction. Therefore, as Christians, we should take the opposite stand. I think even without this kind of reasoning you can come to the same conclusion through scripture alone. I say it for a Supersessionists mind that may think they’re following Scripture.
Good point, Bro Benjamin.
Agree with you Benjamin.
Doctor Brandenburg,
What is your opinion about the Khazar Theory of the Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews?
Hi Tim,
I don’t think that theory has much traction in the United States. I don’t think it is a cause of what’s happening today, that people think they aren’t Jews, so they have no claim on that land, that it’s a bunch of fakes just fabricating themselves as Jews to get a country that’s not theirs. Maybe some people in the Middle East have pushed it, so people think it. Maybe some Moslems in the U.S. think it, because it’s pushed by their people overseas.
I believe the Jews in Israel and in many places elsewhere are Jews. It also fits a biblical position.
I doubt this theory is well-known in the Middle East because it’s mostly academic. But I do tend to give it a lot of credence. It definitely makes sense historically – the Khazar elites did convert to Judaism, which then spread demotically, and after the destruction of the Khazar state, many of the people fled westward for refuge. It also tends to make sense genetically as while there is some conflicting data, quite a few genetic studies on Ashkenazi and Sephardi populations indicate primarily Turkic markers, along with Slavic, Germanic, and Italic admixtures, along with some Semitic (there was a Jewish population living in the Crimea which was under Khazar suzerainty).
But also, and most importantly, Scripturally it makes sense. We know the Jews were spread abroad, but the way the Bible seems to indicate “spread abroad” is that they were scattered mostly around what we might call the “greater Near East.” Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Persian, Armenia – these all had documented Jewish populations all the way from the intertestamental period to (especially) the centuries after the Roman destruction of Israel in 70 AD.
It is THESE folks who are the real Jews, the descendants of ancient Israel. E.g. the Mizrahi of Egypt, the Yemeni Jews, the Babylonian Jews, etc. The Ashkenazi and Sephardis are not really a part of this, and are “Jews falsely so called,” I believe. Incidentally, at least until fairly recently, these Middle Eastern Jews were basically treated as second- or third-class citizens in Israel itself. Yet, THESE are the folks who “…shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son…” (Zech. 12:10) when “…all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans 11:26).
Hi Tim,
It’s very complicated. It’s not something that I think I would be able to sort through, but I know God will.
Hello Tim,
The theory you are referring to is nonsense and anti-semitic, adopted by Holocaust-denying Muslims like Abbas to justify murdering the Jews in Israel. Please see:
https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/untangling-false-claims-about-ashkenazi-jews-khazars-and-israel
https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2014-06-26/ty-article/khazar-myth-busted/0000017f-db86-df62-a9ff-dfd788d80000
I don’t want to get into a discussion of it with you, but I am mentioning this mainly for others who might read this blog post’s comments. I don’t want them adopting an anti-Jewish conspiracy theory.
Thanks.
Hi Thomas,
I’m sorry, but simply throwing a Magic Word at this doesn’t make it go away. Despite the two (non-academic) articles cited, there is actually quite a bit of data to support the Khazar theory. Elhaik’s paper was certainly not the only one finding a non-Semitic genetic origin for the Ashkenazi population. We should note, though, that while his methodology had problems (using Kartvelian populations as proxies for Turkic), it doesn’t fundamentally change the actual thesis, which is that Ashkenazis are not Jewish, but Turkic. I really think it ought to be apparent from the evidences that the real Jewish people are the various Middle Eastern Jewish populations, and that’s what the genetic evidence supports. Really, I think my position is the true, actual philo-Semitic position to take.
Please be careful about citing the ADL as a source. They are a virulently anti-Christian, left-wing progressive organisation that has equated Christianity with Nazism in the past. They’re definitely not your friend and they’re definitely not a group you’d want to be associated with.
Tim,
Where I’m at right now without going into this to the degree that you have is to have a default position to accept Jews, who say they’re Jews, that they are Jews. God knows if they are not. What does someone get out of proving that one group, calling themselves Jews, are not Jews? They say they are. They think they are. They have been treated like they are. I’m guessing that during the Holocaust, many, if not most, were wishing they weren’t for the moment.
I have a hard time proving these things. I skimmed a recent article that did one of these DNA tests, and these Ashkenazis in this were not 100 percent, because they had a different mom or dad.
I hear that you are saying you are friendly to Jews, truly, more than someone who denies the theory you’re proposing here. However, that doesn’t seem how the actual people take it. They take it like it’s a theory that is intended to eliminate something from their lives, their heritage, etc.
When I look at these people, they look Jewish to me. The narrative seems to support that they are Jews overall.
I don’t think there is a scriptural thing here. You point to one point, that is, the dispersion of the Jews. I don’t get the point. The folks calling themselves Jews coming back to Israel is the story, as I see it, but I don’t have to be right. I’m still for Israel, the nation Israel, who seems to support these people right now, but God will sort through it in the end. It will be 144,000 actual Jews in Revelation. It will be a true nation Israel that will mourn.
Hi Tim! Could you please tell us approximately what percentage of academic historians agree with your conspiracy theory that the Jews are not really Jews? People affiliated with radical Muslim universities, pro-terrorist people like Abbas, and sources of communist propaganda do not count, so please tell us the books by serious Western historians defending your theory, what serious responses to these books you have read debunking it, and why you think that the serious historians defending the theory are better than the 99+% of historians who are against it. Also, please confirm that the serious historians you provide are not Holocaust-deniers, Muslim terrorists, communists, or neo-Nazis (your theory is delightful to many in these groups).
Thanks.
I am not planning to respond again.
Dr. Brandenburg,
We will probably just have to agree to disagree then. It’s apparent that talking about this generates some emotional responses in some corners that aren’t conducive to an intellectual discussion about this subject, so it’s probably best to just rebury it in the sand.
Thomas,
If you’re not planning on responding again, then why would I take the time to answer your question above in any great detail?
Hi Tim,
I didn’t feel emotional about it. Hope it didn’t come across that way. I also don’t think my answer was uniquely intellectual either. I’m probably not going to dig in too far, but I wanted to explain why.
Hello Tim,
I just wanted to mention that I am not mad at you as a person. I would strongly suggest that you evaluate why it is that terrorists in the Middle East really like your theory but academic historians in the West do not, but that is nothing personal. Thanks.