Church of God News

Anti-Semitic graffiti

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Antisemitism is, sadly, in the news again:

Neo-Nazi threats force Jewish group in Sweden to close

3 April 2017

A Jewish community association in northern Sweden has decided to close following a series of far-right threats, seven years since it opened.

Their centre in the town of Umea was targeted with swastikas and daubed with messages like “we know where you live”, and a car was vandalised.

Local members said the authorities had been unable to provide enough security.

Community spokeswoman Carinne Sjoberg said some people no longer dared to come to the centre.

Neo-Nazi group Nordfront were behind the hate campaign, she said, initially targeting her but then other members of the community too. The last straw came at the weekend when the windows of a member’s car were broken.

“Our kids go to ordinary school, so members started to feel they didn’t want to bring the children,” she told the BBC.

“My mother and father are (Holocaust) survivors, so this is not OK. Enough is enough. It was like stepping into their shoes in the 1930s.”

There has been a surge of anti-Semitic actions and other ‘hate crimes’ in the USA this year (see also First they came for the Jews, then will they come for the true Christians?):

This February, more than 100 gravestones were vandalized at the Chesed Shel Emeth Society Cemetery outside of St. Louis, Missouri and at the Jewish Mount Carmel Cemetery in Philadelphia.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has called anti-Semitism in the U.S. a “very serious concern.” An ADL task force confirmed that 800 journalists in the U.S. have been targeted with more than 19,000 anti-Semitic tweets. The organization also reported an upsurge in anti-Semitism on U.S. college campuses.

Most disconcerting, however, is the ADL’s admission that, although this increase in anti-Semitism is troubling, “it is essential to recognize that, for both positive and negative reasons – we are not alone.” In the 10 days following the presidential election in 2016, nearly 900 hate-motivated incidents were reported, and many on college campuses. Many of these incidents targeted Muslims, people of color and immigrants as well as Jews. 04/02/17 http://theconversation.com/what-history-reveals-about-surges-in-anti-semitism-and-anti-immigrant-sentiments-74146

The truth is that people on the Democratic side of the American political divide are guiltier of acts of Jew-hatred and there is a problem with the anti-Jewish attitude of African-Americans and Hispanics.

The statistics of hate crimes in America clearly show that the main class of victim are Jews, far more, for instance, than Muslims.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes have risen year on year according to Anti-Defamation League statistics. So this phenomenon is nothing new. The main leap in anti-Jewish offences occurred during the Obama Administration and nobody, except ADL, spoke up about it. 04/01/17 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/20342

Last year, was a record anti-Semitic year in the UK (see Berkeley protests against speech; Record year for anti-Semitism in UK).

Antisemitism and threats against Jewish facilities are wrong.

My wife and I attended Worldwide Church of God services in a Jewish Community Center in Long Beach, California for a number of years. At least once it was hit by anti-Semitic graffiti that I am aware of.

Sadly, in the Greco-Roman world, various ones who claimed Christianity have long promoted antisemitism.

Antisemitism may have been a factor in the Vatican recognizing a Palestinian state (see Was anti-semitism a factor in Vatican recognition of the state of Palestine?).

According to Eusebius’ Life of Constantine, Book III chapter 18, the Eastern Orthodox saint and Roman emperor Constantine in the fourth century stated:

Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way.

The way that Jesus, who was Jewish, taught differently was love, not hate. Jesus never taught to have ‘nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd.’ Roman Catholics refer to Constantine as ‘Constantine the Great,’ but he obviously held anti-Semitic views. And Constantine was not the only major leader to hold such views.

Persecution against ‘Jews’ has often turned into persecution against those with biblical Christians practices.

Notice something that Jesus said what would happen to Christians:

20 If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. (John 15:20)

Around 332, Constantine issued what is known as the Edict Against the Heretics which included persecution against Christians who held to the original faith and had practices, such as the date of Passover, the same as the Jews (see also Persecutions by Church and State).

Persecution has occurred against those who have kept the seventh-day Sabbath throughout the church age.

Of course, there was also Adolf Hitler.

Sadly, many in Europe, USA, and elsewhere still hold anti-Semitic views.

Some of the Palestinians think that terrorism should be employed this month:

April 2, 2017

WASHINGTON – Using social media to call for terror attacks and fires “to burn the land like an inferno,” Palestinians geared up for Israel’s Passover week observances and their own annual April 17 celebration of “Prisoner’s Day.”

The ruling Fatah Party of the official Palestinian Authority government led the cries for violence that would “escalate the confrontation with the occupier.”

“Let us turn April 17, 2017, into a fire that will burn the occupiers and burn the land like an inferno under the feet of the tyrants, and let’s escalate the popular resistance everywhere,” the Fatah student movement posted on the official Fatah Facebook page. “Therefore, we call on our brave students and the masses of our people to escalate the confrontation with the occupier at all the places of confrontation.”

Palestinian Media Watch noted that that the threats are “yet another example of how Facebook allows and enables Fatah’s terror promotion.” http://www.wnd.com/2017/04/passover-week-terror-promised-by-palestinians/#QwTgiHRFpw2zxYGL.99

Facebook seemingly allows such posts–this suggests an anti-Semitic bias there. Lest this seem unfair to Facebook, it was reported:

In previous April 17 “Prisoner’s Day” terror, some 16 Israelis have been murdered. http://www.wnd.com/2017/04/passover-week-terror-promised-by-palestinians/#QwTgiHRFpw2zxYGL.99

Therefore, those at Facebook should take this threat more seriously than it seems to have.

We will see persecution greatly increase before Jesus returns. And this will not be limited to Jews, but will include all real Christians:

25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)

4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Revelation 13:4-10)

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:15-18)

For more details see the article Persecutions by Church and State.

The underlying antisemitism throughout the world will allow for this coming persecution, especially when the Beast’s government will mandate it (Revelation 13:15-17).

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 3rd, 2017 at 7:00 am and is filed under Prophecy.

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