Church of God News

Anti-Semitic protestor in Berlin (Boris Niehaus)

COGwriter

There is a lot of anti-Semitism in Germany:

There were more than 2,000 reported anti-Semitic incidents in Germany in 2020 and just under 2,000 the previous year. That’s around or five or six incidents, some of them involving violence or verbal abuse, every day.

If that number is sobering, bear in mind that it is definitely an underestimate because so many anti-Semitic outrages go unreported. Studies of this particular problem reveal different motives among victims for not reporting their ordeals. Some don’t believe that what they experienced would warrant police time, some feel a sense of shame or embarrassment, and many fear that going to police would lead to them becoming victims of further reprisals. Accessed 05/05/22 https://www.jns.org/opinion/german-anti-semitism-real-and-perceived/

The report entitled “Anti-Semitism and Immigration in Western Europe Today: Is there a connection?” presented findings and recommendations from a 2016-17 project involving five separate national reports from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The research was commissioned by the Berlin-based “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” Foundation (EVZ) and led by the Pears Institute for the study of Anti-Semitism, Birkbeck, University of London. …
Fear leading to emigration

Notably, the report’s findings indicated rising fear among Jews in every country studied. In Germany, for instance, 78 percent of German Jews noticed an increasing threat, according to a 2017 study.

Just shy of half (48 percent) of the readers of the Dutch Jewish weekly Nieuw Israelitisch Weekblad said last year they were concerned about security and anti-Semitism. In 2016, about two out of three (63 percent) French Jews had the impression that there was “a lot” of anti-Jewish sentiment in their country. In fact, Jewish people in France take the threat so seriously that quite a few have left: while about 1,900 French Jews emigrated to Israel in 2012, the number rose to 7,800 in 2015 and 5,000 a year later — still more than double the number just a few years earlier.

Belgian Jews are also worried, with authorities in Brussels advising people in more than one case to no longer publicly show their religious affiliation. …

Moroccan Dutch, and more recently Turkish Dutch, youths have been involved in harassing Jews on the streets. Dutch citizens with a Muslim background were clearly present in anti-Semitic incidents in the summer of 2014, with supporters of the so-called Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization waving black flags and chanting “Death to the Jews” in Arabic. …

“Anti-Semitic attitudes and/or behavior are disproportionately present among Muslim minorities as well as among people with sympathy for extreme right-wing groups,” the researchers said in their summary of findings. 03/18/22 https://www.dw.com/en/anti-semitism-on-the-rise-western-european-jews-think-so/a-44884904

Many people hate others, and the Jews tend to be one of the more hated groups. But that is not how people are to live.

Notice something that God had Moses record:

8 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)

It is not just physical, ethnic Jews that are at risk–spiritual ones are as well (cf. Romans 2:28-29; John 15:20; see also The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions).

There was a poem many years ago by Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

It is not just Jews that are hated or will be in the future. Throughout history, true Christians have sometimes been called “Jews” and have been subject to persecution supposedly directed towards Jews. True Christians also had to suffer through the so-called Inquisition (see The Spanish Inquisition), which utilized torture against those that had Church of God beliefs–and more is expected in the future (see Persecutions by Church and State). Protestant leaders, including Martin Luther, have also promoted antisemitism and Church of God persecution (see The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong) as have various ones who were Eastern Orthodox (see John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople and Antisemite).

Real Christians have always been on the side of being persecuted and have never been on the side of the persecutors. And this will be true again in the future.

People should not be antisemitic. People should not hate others.

It is not just certain Muslims who hate Jews–many who claim Christ still hold anti-Semitic views, and some take direct anti-Semitic actions.

Sadly, we will see persecution greatly increase before Jesus returns (cf. Daniel 7:25; 11:30-35; see also Persecutions by Church and State)–this will affect Philadelphian Christians.

All the faithful will be subject to persecution and being betrayed by professing believers (Matthew 24:9-13, Mark 13:12-13; Luke 21:16-18; Daniel 11:32-35).

The underlying antisemitism in Europe and throughout the world will allow for this, especially when the time comes when the Beast’s government mandates it (Revelation 13:15-17).

This will happen in Europe according to Revelation 13.

In the past, Christians were persecuted because they:

• Claimed Christianity
• Kept Passover on the 14th
• Refused to eat unclean meat
• Would work on Sunday
• Had false accusations railed against them
• Were binitarian
• Kept the Sabbath
• Kept the Fall Holy Days
• Were not trinitarian
• Taught that the pope was an Antichrist and precursor of the final Antichrist
• Having and teaching from the Bible
• Rejected papal authority
• Did not accept idols
• Had different teachings than the Church of Rome
• Had writings Rome did not like
• Rejected Roman sacraments
• Objected to the dress of the Roman ministry
• Considered Rome to be the prophesied Babylon
• Taught that in the time of the final Antichrist that some would fall away
• Had practices that Rome considered Jewish
• Refused to baptize infants
• Did not participate in carnal warfare
• Teaching the millennium
• Taught the Kingdom of God
• Baptized adults

In the future, according to Catholic teachings, they will also be persecuted for:

• Not accepting non-biblical teachings about Mary
• Not accepting the Great Monarch (Beast, King of the North)
• Teaching that the Kingdom of God will come soon
• Not wearing crosses as a mark (cf. Revelation 13:16-17; see also Mark of the Beast)
• Keeping the biblical Sabbath in accordance with the commandments
• Possessing/advocating writings that disagree with the Church of Rome
• Teaching after the Great Tribulation begins that Jesus will return within a few years

Christians have been persecuted for holding doctrines that we in the Continuing Church of God hold and are clearly expected to be persecuted in the future for holding Continuing Church of God doctrines.

Persecution is a fact of history. It has happened before and we should be prepared for the fact that it will happen again.

As far as emigration goes, yes, many Jews have left Europe. Some have relocated to the USA, whereas others have gone to Israel or other nations.

Jesus said that His followers would sometimes have to flee:

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes (Matthew 10:23).

Severe persecution is expected to occur against the Sabbath-keeping Philadelphian Christians just prior to the time the true Church is to flee (please see the article There is a Place of Protection for the Philadelphians):

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. (Matthew 24:9-20)

And then will come the Great Tribulation:

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand (Matthew 24:21-25).

It may well be that Philadelphian Christians in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere may decide that they need to flee to the tiny nation of Israel prior to the start of the Great Tribulation. And that may be why Jesus made comments about fleeing Judea (watch also What is the Fate of Christians in Europe and Elsewhere?).

Jesus indicates that the end time persecution may be the biggest test of faith for believers. Notice:

7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7-8)

The Bible and the facts of history have revealed persecutions for the people of God. While false Christians have also been persecuted, true Christians have never been the persecutors as true Christians “do not imitate what is evil” (3 John 11). Those who really want to know what happened to the true Church of God should begin with the The History of Early Christianity page.

The Bible shows that end time persecution will come (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:17).

The underlying anti-Semitism in Europe and throughout the world will allow for this, especially when the time comes when the Beast’s government mandates it (Revelation 13:15-17).

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 13th, 2022 at 7:00 am and is filed under Prophecy.

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• Anti-Semitism in Germany: Jewish life ‘under threat’ says Charlotte Knobloch
• DW: German Foreign Minister Maas slams ‘massive’ attacks on Israel; EN: Anti-Semitism on rise worldwide, in US, Europe
• New report shows Jews in Europe fear rise in Anti-Semitism: But more than Jews will be affected later
• German court rules Israeli cannot fly on Kuwait Airlines: Anti-Semitism is not over in Europe
• CBN: French Synagogues Closing as Jews Flee Anti-Semitism
• Donald Trump condemns acts of Anti-Semitism
• Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg writes against anti-Semitism
• VOA: ‘Rising Anti-Semitism in Europe Prompts Exodus’
• The Coming Persecution of the Church