After the fall of Adam and Eve, God promised that a “seed” of the woman would be born to “crush the head of the serpent” (Gen. 3:15). That started a war between God and Satan.
The seed was to be born through the Jewish people. Therefore demonic forces have always tried to kill the Jews in order to kill the seed of Messiah within them.
Throughout the Torah, before they entered the Promised Land, the people of Israel are attacked repeatedly:
- In Egypt, Pharoah tried to kill all the male children (Ex. 1).
- Then the Amalakites attacked them (Ex. 17)
- Then the Edomites (Nu. 20:14)
- Then the Canaanites (Nu. 21:1)
- Then Sihon and the Amorites (Nu. 21:21)
- Then Og from Bashan (Nu. 21:31)
- Then Balak and the Moabites (Nu. 22)
The attacks on the Jewish people continued throughout ancient history (Est. 3:6), during Herod’s time in the gospels (Matt. 2:16), and then the Roman Empire. Anti-Semitism spread into the church, into Europe, the Nazis, and today in Islamic Jihad. Anti-Semitism is perplexing to Jews. Why does everyone seem to hate us?
God Reveals Himself
God reveals Himself to mankind in the form of a man … and that Man is Jewish. The Gentiles are supposed to worship Him as Christ and receive His authority as King. Not only that, but this Jewish Messiah then appoints 12 other Jewish men to rule the world with Him (Matt 19:28). That makes the Gentile nations jealous and offended.
Some of our Arab Christian friends say that they have trouble sharing the gospel because it sounds to their neighbors and relatives as if it is a message of Jewish-Zionist superiority.
Yeshua will one day return to Jerusalem. At that time Satan will be incarcerated for 1,000 years. Yeshua’s return is connected by covenant and prophecy to the Jewish people (Matt. 23:39; Zech. 14). Satan cannot attack Yeshua directly; therefore he tries to annihilate the Jewish people in order to prevent Yeshua’s return.
Some ultra-orthodox Jews attack Messianic Jews. There is a similarity between the “Anti-Messianic (anti-missionary)” spirit and the spirit of Anti-Semitism. Ultimately both are aimed at stopping Yeshua from returning and ruling. Anti-Semitism tries to kill the Messianic seed from the “outside”; Anti-Messianics try to stop the Messianic seed from within.
The Anti-Messianic missionaries tell our people that they should not believe in Yeshua because this has brought anti-Semitism and disasters. There is a great paradox here: Anti-Semitism is a reaction to the New Covenant, but not because it is anti-Jewish—rather because it is too pro-Jewish.
Asher Intrater and his wife, Betty, are the co-directors of Revive Israel Ministries, an apostolic ministry team dedicated to revival in Israel.
For the original article, visit reviveisrael.org.
