What side should we be on?
Article series: INTRODUCTION – WHO IS JEHOVAH? – WHO IS THE REAL ISRAEL – THE SCATTERING – THE GATHERING: ONE-FOLD – ONE ISRAELTHE MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL NOT CHOSEN – DANIEL 9 AND THE PRE-TRIBULATION DECEPTION – JUDAISM ACE IS NOT A GODLY REPRESENTATION OF OT – THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL – THE DIFFERENCE (between Biblical Israel taking of Canaan and modern Israel taking of Palestine) – What side should we take in the Palestinian and Israeli conflict?
Although the unconverted Jews are under condemnation for their decision to reject their own King, it does not mean or give anyone the right to harm them in any way. It is not our right to punish or revenge God. It is not our right to treat badly a people or an individual just because God removes either protection from them or reprimands them.
This is an important principle seen several times in the Bible. Those who take advantage of someone else’s punishment by afflicting them with cruelty, God will turn towards and punish them as well. God is sad over the loss of one single human. He does not want anyone to die. Every soul lost or soul gone astray is a painful loss to God (Ezek.18:32).
“Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness” (Psa 69:25-27)
Even in the case of Satan, we are not allowed to take it upon ourselves to punish him. If not him, how can we think we are allowed to do it to those deceived by him, or to his victims? “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee”. (Jud 1:9)
A whole book in the Bible is devoted to God’s anger against those who took advantage of Israel’s punishment. To those who cheered with joy when God was forced to remove His protection, and Judah was harmed by their enemies. God declared judgment upon Edom, Nineveh, and Babylon for attacking the ones God had punished. In the book of Obadiah, God declares war against Edom because of this attitude:
“For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress” (Oba 1:10-14)
If this does not alert any Christian from gloating, taking advantage of, or taking part in punishing those God has stricken, little will. Even Babylon, whom God allowed to conquer Jerusalem and the people there captive, He says will punished because they did it in a very cruel and heartless manner.
No amount of suppression made towards the Palestinians can in any way excuse the terror committed upon innocent Jews and Israelis on the 7th of October, discrimination at learning facilities, or the harassment of Jews around the world just for being Jews.
Even if someone were to be wronged, killing babies, kidnapping innocent, and raping innocents, is not doing “God service”. Even if Satan was the one to be behind the formation of the modern state of Israel, it will never and still not condone such or similar behavior. Nor does it allow anyone to harass Jews in other countries.
In the ongoing war between Palestinians and Israelis it is important to rethink that just because the state of Israel conflicts with God, it is God’s will to aid Muslims harming Jews. This should not even be thinkable for a true Christian.
Palestinians have, like their Jewish cousins, persecuted Christians. They both have a quarrel with God in that sense. The only one allowed to scold or punish such crimes is God Himself.
Despite modern Israel having no scriptural foundation to take back the land at this time, the generations that have been born there after the establishment of the state of Israel have no other homeland. They did not go there to chase others away, they do not necessarily have any other agenda than defending what is now the only home they have ever had. Many would have nowhere to go if driven from the land. Any people under threat, religious or not religious, fight for their survival in a threatening situation. It is not always a conspiracy. It is human to, when it is an “us or them” situation, to chose oneself and one’s family. The Palestinians do it, the Israelis do it. Everyone would do it.
There are religious Jews who suppress Palestinian’s rights because they think God wants them to take their property, that is an entirely different situation than those who are born and live in a neighborhood in previously taken or bought land and are just trying to survive their current situation. The Arabs did sell a lot of property to Jewish settlers before World War 1 and 2. They can’t sell these areas first and then claim it was stolen afterward. That is one situation. The other is the theft of arab properties in our day. Which can not be excused aside from religious conviction, which is not of God.
There are two different Israeli situations, mentalities, and purposes. One part is the Jews who think they are still chosen and called to exterminate the Palestinians from the land and those who just live where they grew up not knowing anything else.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is, therefore, a very difficult situation, where innocents are now suffering on both sides because of the actions of leaders, religious entitlement, fanaticism on both sides, and their forefather’s decisions.
Even if Jews are not right with God, it gives no one the right to attack them or harm them. God wishes us to be good to everyone, even love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us. Any Christian should in the right mind, therefore, pray earnestly for the salvation of the Jews and that of Palestinians. When Jesus was not received in a Samaritan village His disciples were fired up in what they thought was holy rage with the purpose to harm those who rejected Christ. Christ makes clear this is not something His followers should even consider “And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” ”But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” (Luke.9:52-56)
Jesus said and revealed He knew that an Israeli state would exist when He came back, but he also revealed that Christ would still not be received then, and preaching the gospel and the persecution, as a result, would continue until that final day: “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come” (Mat 10:23)
We are called to save them, not kill or torment them. And saving someone can only be done by showing them love and charity. And once unwelcome, we must leave them alone, not punish them. Christ could not express his will on this topic any clearer. The Christian persecution of Jews during the Middle Ages is not of Christ’s spirit.
The problem between Palestine and Israelis was created by the elites defying God foremost, and within this situation are thousands of innocent Palestinians and Jews just trying to live life with the cards they have been handed. A man protecting the only land he has ever known, the only family he has ever had, the only community he has ever been part of, is something that is a natural instinct for anyone.
However, it is expected that no one should desire freedom from someone else’s suppression. Therefore, even this conflict has to be viewed with the greatest care for everyone. Christ reveals the principle: “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (Rev 13:10). Our patience when witnessing and experiencing cruelty is not giving in to the desire of, and practice of revenge.
God is not on the Palestinian’s side, anymore He is on the side of those claiming to be God’s Israel but has been “cut off”. Like the Lord said to Joshua: “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come” (Jos 5:13-14).
What side are you on, he asked the Lord. And the Lord replied, “Nay”. God represents His own justice system.
Therefore, if we think we should support Palestinian attacks on modern Israel, we find ourselves supporting another group that needs to turn to God and repent against another who needs to do the same. Nor should we cheer and rejoice when the state of Israel kills innocent Palestinians. (Those who are criminals must be punished naturally, there is a difference between discrimination and crime). Palestinians have no more right to God’s land than anyone else who has failed to accept Christ as their atonement.
A Christian may pray for souls, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the fatherless, and be hospitable and loving, but under no circumstance should we stand on any side who uses “a sword” against their neighbor while claiming to do God justice.
We must help innocent Jews. It also means helping innocent Palestinians with physical and spiritual bread, but not aiding any method of terror. It means showing kindness to Jews living in our countries, helping to protect them from the hate and cruelty that they receive just because of their race. We should do this for anyone who is attacked for the actions committed by someone else or who is randomly attacked for their race.
We can safely love and show kindness to any Jew and Muslim in our lands without going against God. The cruel treatment Jews often have received in Christian lands is not something we should repeat. At the same time, we need to understand the difference between loving the one led astray, and supporting their apostasy or deceptions. A Jew may feel it is hate to be confronted with their sins and religious deceptions, however, this is not truly harassment unless it is forced upon them. It is important to differentiate and to understand that what someone perceives as hate is not always real hate. Telling someone lies to get advantages with them is not love. The former articles here will for many Jews be perceived as hate, although they are meant to save.
The truth is, that the world is controlled mostly by money and not religion. According to Revelation, the Jews are not the biggest threat to God’s people, but Christians themselves. We are not called to do a witch hunt against Jews or any other race, but to preach the gospel.
The idea that the Jews control or are trying to control the world would hardly involve your everyday Jew living in your neighborhood. Nor is it our business to fight Jewish supremacy if it were even true. Most people would wish the world to follow their beliefs or to make a world system where they are ahead of others and are not suppressed anyway. Again, this is a natural human instinct and most groups desire the same. This is why culture is ever-shifting, power balances are ever-shifting. Suppressors become victims and victims become supressors. It is the ultimate result and chaos that comes from confusion and Satan’s lies. Everyone is fighting for their family and people’s right to assistance. It is why every country and nation has a military. It is not a conspiracy theory, it is how life is in a sinful world full of conflict. Everyone lives by the rule of survival of the fittest.
Christ comes when the gospel has been preached to all the world, not when we have fought all of Christ’s enemies here on earth. For Christ will come and battle all His enemies Himself, and therefore we should be at peace and not think we are to exceed this judgment by taking up our sword or aiding the military, unfair legislations, or inhumane discrimination. Jesus was clear in his speech, it is not for us to remove the tares from the wheat because we are all deceived and biased and are not fit for the task. We do not see the complete picture and will remain wanderers on this earth without ever seeing it all (Matt.13:24-30)
Whoever is God’s enemy and in alliance with His enemy, whether it is the Jew, the Muslim, the apostate Christian, the communist, or the atheist, it is left to God to execute the judgment this time. For only He knows who is deceived and who is deceiving willfully. There are good and bad among all groups of people.
There are good Jews and bad Jews, good Muslims and bad Muslims, good Christians and bad Christians, and so on. We can not fight an entire group thinking we do God justice. Therefore, our call is to love and preach the truth. To point at the lies among doctrines, but not to persecute the one who has those same doctrines.
The purpose of “exposing Israel” in this article series, is not to be used for verbal or physical violence against Jews or to support even meeting them with suspicion. It calls out doctrinal lies that are the underlying cause of the misery we now see in the Middle East. The doctrines that have deceived Jews and Christians alike. The pain, the heartache, and the losses of both sides in the conflict are a direct consequence of false doctrines. If the false doctrines among both continue, there will never be any chance of peace. Both sides fight for their survival.
We may all believe a false doctrine unintentionally in our own lives. Communication and Bible study can help clear some of these issues. Once the harm is done, we need to do our very best to help anyone deceived back to God. Do not kick them while they are down.
Thus, we stand by the truth, not by a race or a group of people. As the Lord said to Joshua, we should also say when asked what side we are on. “Nay”, we are for the Lord. And the Lord is for loving and saving the lost. Therefore, it is my recommendation for no one to persecute either the Jew or the Palestinian, but to practice true Christianity instead to all groups. Any physical intervention needed, we need to give to God in prayer. He who knows and sees all will judge fairly. If needed, He will physically intervene directly in a conflict as we see He does many times in the Bible.
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:4-9)
As we will continue this study, Christ’s words are important. We are not fighting a race, a people, or a nation. However, we must understand the truth as well as we can, for the deceptions lead us away from Christ and can cause us to accidentally aid the enemy and his purpose. Therefore, as harsh as it may appear, the apostasy of the Jewish (ACE) belief system must be addressed. Firstly, because many Christians are leaving Christ’s righteousness to seek the righteousness taught by apostate Judaism. Secondly, we need to be on alert for all deceptions that can lead us astray, whether it is deceptions from Christians or Jews. Any doctrine that might put souls in danger must and should be addressed.
If you aid a soldier so he can kill, you partake in that killing. If you shelter or show kindness to a Jew persecuted for his or her race, or religion, it is a blessing. Christ desire that we are to be peacemakers who do good, and to treat anyone as our “neighbor”. Cruelty and even neglecting to care for a “wounded Jew” is therefore a crime against Christ. Anyone showing kindness to a “fallen” or “wounded” Jew, is like the merciful Samaritan, whom Christ wishes us to be more like. He said: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt.5:44-45)
Are the Jews still rejecting Christ our enemy? The truth may be hard to swallow for many. They are Christ’s enemies and therefore also our enemies. They are still fighting Christ and preventing the gospel from reaching others. They are preventing the word from finishing. But this is how Christ tells us to fight His and our enemies. To pray for them. As Jesus said: “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luk 23:34).
It is not us or them, or us versus them. It’s us versus bad inhuman behavior regardless of race, color, or religion. If God let it rain on even those who hate him, to care for them, who are we to persecute anyone in His name? God clearly states any human’s right to live in peace, and eat their bread because He values human life, and we have to value every human life as well. That includes those who do not believe as we believe.
Be, therefore under God’s judgment, anyone who uses the bible study presented here, to show cruelty against a Jew for being a Jew.
Now that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, we have no country here to fight for except the heavenly city, we have only souls to fight for. We must in this world be conscientious objectors and a humanitarian, reflecting Christ’s values to everyone.
Please come back for the continuation of the article series: The Israel Deception.