(Hi all. Just got my account activated. Looks like I'll be confined only to this section. All right, I'll try and make the most out of it. I'm going to start by posting a subject I had written on another forum, using the same screen-name)
I'll be blunt. Many Christians have yoked themselves with unbelievers because of their support of the anti-Christian state of Israel and the Jews.
Many, if not all, Christians today are staunch supporters of Israel and the Jewish people, for reasons they will justify with various scriptures. Of course, one reason is because Israel holds immense prophetic value to Christians and is in line with their rather Israel-centric interpretations of prophecy. However, was Christian interpretation of prophecy always in favor of Israel? Or was it a more recent phenomenon?
History shows us that the Christians had distanced from the Jews and that things weren't always so rosy between Christians and Jews. For a long time, it was a widely held belief that the church had replaced Israel. (See). It could be said that the early Christian establishment was basically anti-Jewish. I won't get into the details here, but I'll leave you with a starting point for your own research to verify for yourselves.
source 1
source 2
More information is easily available, just google "christian+anti-semitism". Once you are done familiarizing yourself with Christianity's dark history of anti-semitism, you might be wondering how and why many Christians today have come to "love" the Jews and the Israeli state.
An early example of Christian hatred for Jews : In 638 AD the Muslims who entered Jerusalem under Umar were shocked to find that the Christians had turned the holy site of the temple mount into a garbage dump, mainly in an attempt to humiliate the Jews, who were accused of having killed Jesus. It was the Muslims who cleaned up the temple mount and lifted the Christian ban on Jews and allowed them to return and live. Its also known that during the crusades, the Jews fought alongside the Muslims during the siege of Jerusalem in 1099.... and that the Jews preferred Islamic rule over Christian rule. So going back in time, we see that things were very different with regard to the relationship between Christians and Jews.
How Christian interpretation of prophecy changed over time
Today its blindly assumed that Christianity has always been supportive of Jews and that prophecy was always interpreted in favor of the Jews, the same way as its done today. But where did this very idea come from? The bible? The truth is that Christian support for the Jews and a Jewish state is a relatively new phenomenon, dating back only to a 19th century Christian movement calling for the Restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land
After World War 2, when the state of Israel was finally established in 1948, it not only changed maps, but also the mindsets of many Christians with regard to prophecy. It paved the way for a bizarre belief system known as Christian Zionism. , who's adherents fanatically support the Israeli state, because they see it as a sign that they are a step closer to witness the Messiahs return.
The establishment of the new Jewish state in the middle east prompted new trends in prophetic interpretation, that for some mysterious reason, favored Jews and their state in the middle east. New ideas on prophetic interpretation began to evolve over the next few decades, thus shaping Christian interpretation of prophecy. Its present form holds ideas such as :
- The Jewish state of Israel was prophesied to be restored
- 1948 was the year of its fulfillment.
- Jews from all over the world would be gathered to the newly founded state.
- Jews are the chosen people and are the sole recipients of Abrahams blessing.
- Israel will win all its wars, including Armageddon.
- Israel will miraculously accept Jesus be redeemed.
- Israel will be saved from destruction.
... etc.
All these ideas are parroted on various websites, forums, youtube videos etc. and are evident of an extreme pro-Israel mentality among many Christians. They operate on the logic that Israel HAS to prevail and that Israel HAS to be redeemed. One needs to pause and ponder if any of these pro-Jewish eschatological ideas were present during earlier Christian times, when the Jews were, to put it mildly, not so popular with the Christians.
"The primary evidence that God exists is the existence of the Jewish people"
-Pat Robertson
This is just one example of the blind, fanatical support of the anti-Christian Israeli state that has become an ingrained part of the faith of many Christians. Most of the prophecies that Christians quote in support of the Jews / Israel have always part of bibles, yet their interpretations have varied over time. Christians back then did not interpret prophetic scriptures in a way that was favorable to Jews. The reason why prophecies are being interpreted with a pro-Israeli / pro-Jewish flavor is because Christianity has been reshaped to accommodate new ideas in favor of the state of Israel and Jews.
As a result, most Christians today live with this strange infatuation with the Jews and the Jewish state that rejects Jesus as Messiah and insults him as a false prophet (among other things).... while, at the same time, condemning as the "enemy" another people who honor Jesus as Messiah. This upside down logic is the direct result of pro-Israeli Christian leaders influencing the minds of regular Christians. This kind of thinking that compels Christians to adore the same people who, as their scriptures say, killed the central figure of their religion is NOT influenced by the bible, but rather the warped minds of Christian authors and speakers. It is this mixture of religion and politics that has led many to confuse godless politics with religion.
What we have here is a preview of the end times deception. On one hand, we have the Jews who utterly despise Jesus... and on the other, we have the Christians who say they love Jesus... but in an absurd twist of logic, Christians adore and support the Jews who insult Jesus. Will the Christians who have been deceived into supporting the anti-christian state of Israel also be deceived into supporting the anti-Christ? I'd say its very possible. If Christians want to walk hand-in-hand with Israel, they will either swim together or sink together.
I will end with the same quote from Paul, that I started with... so as to leave something for Christians to think about.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
I'll be blunt. Many Christians have yoked themselves with unbelievers because of their support of the anti-Christian state of Israel and the Jews.
Many, if not all, Christians today are staunch supporters of Israel and the Jewish people, for reasons they will justify with various scriptures. Of course, one reason is because Israel holds immense prophetic value to Christians and is in line with their rather Israel-centric interpretations of prophecy. However, was Christian interpretation of prophecy always in favor of Israel? Or was it a more recent phenomenon?
History shows us that the Christians had distanced from the Jews and that things weren't always so rosy between Christians and Jews. For a long time, it was a widely held belief that the church had replaced Israel. (See). It could be said that the early Christian establishment was basically anti-Jewish. I won't get into the details here, but I'll leave you with a starting point for your own research to verify for yourselves.
source 1
source 2
More information is easily available, just google "christian+anti-semitism". Once you are done familiarizing yourself with Christianity's dark history of anti-semitism, you might be wondering how and why many Christians today have come to "love" the Jews and the Israeli state.
An early example of Christian hatred for Jews : In 638 AD the Muslims who entered Jerusalem under Umar were shocked to find that the Christians had turned the holy site of the temple mount into a garbage dump, mainly in an attempt to humiliate the Jews, who were accused of having killed Jesus. It was the Muslims who cleaned up the temple mount and lifted the Christian ban on Jews and allowed them to return and live. Its also known that during the crusades, the Jews fought alongside the Muslims during the siege of Jerusalem in 1099.... and that the Jews preferred Islamic rule over Christian rule. So going back in time, we see that things were very different with regard to the relationship between Christians and Jews.
How Christian interpretation of prophecy changed over time
Today its blindly assumed that Christianity has always been supportive of Jews and that prophecy was always interpreted in favor of the Jews, the same way as its done today. But where did this very idea come from? The bible? The truth is that Christian support for the Jews and a Jewish state is a relatively new phenomenon, dating back only to a 19th century Christian movement calling for the Restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land
After World War 2, when the state of Israel was finally established in 1948, it not only changed maps, but also the mindsets of many Christians with regard to prophecy. It paved the way for a bizarre belief system known as Christian Zionism. , who's adherents fanatically support the Israeli state, because they see it as a sign that they are a step closer to witness the Messiahs return.
The establishment of the new Jewish state in the middle east prompted new trends in prophetic interpretation, that for some mysterious reason, favored Jews and their state in the middle east. New ideas on prophetic interpretation began to evolve over the next few decades, thus shaping Christian interpretation of prophecy. Its present form holds ideas such as :
- The Jewish state of Israel was prophesied to be restored
- 1948 was the year of its fulfillment.
- Jews from all over the world would be gathered to the newly founded state.
- Jews are the chosen people and are the sole recipients of Abrahams blessing.
- Israel will win all its wars, including Armageddon.
- Israel will miraculously accept Jesus be redeemed.
- Israel will be saved from destruction.
... etc.
All these ideas are parroted on various websites, forums, youtube videos etc. and are evident of an extreme pro-Israel mentality among many Christians. They operate on the logic that Israel HAS to prevail and that Israel HAS to be redeemed. One needs to pause and ponder if any of these pro-Jewish eschatological ideas were present during earlier Christian times, when the Jews were, to put it mildly, not so popular with the Christians.
"The primary evidence that God exists is the existence of the Jewish people"
-Pat Robertson
This is just one example of the blind, fanatical support of the anti-Christian Israeli state that has become an ingrained part of the faith of many Christians. Most of the prophecies that Christians quote in support of the Jews / Israel have always part of bibles, yet their interpretations have varied over time. Christians back then did not interpret prophetic scriptures in a way that was favorable to Jews. The reason why prophecies are being interpreted with a pro-Israeli / pro-Jewish flavor is because Christianity has been reshaped to accommodate new ideas in favor of the state of Israel and Jews.
As a result, most Christians today live with this strange infatuation with the Jews and the Jewish state that rejects Jesus as Messiah and insults him as a false prophet (among other things).... while, at the same time, condemning as the "enemy" another people who honor Jesus as Messiah. This upside down logic is the direct result of pro-Israeli Christian leaders influencing the minds of regular Christians. This kind of thinking that compels Christians to adore the same people who, as their scriptures say, killed the central figure of their religion is NOT influenced by the bible, but rather the warped minds of Christian authors and speakers. It is this mixture of religion and politics that has led many to confuse godless politics with religion.
What we have here is a preview of the end times deception. On one hand, we have the Jews who utterly despise Jesus... and on the other, we have the Christians who say they love Jesus... but in an absurd twist of logic, Christians adore and support the Jews who insult Jesus. Will the Christians who have been deceived into supporting the anti-christian state of Israel also be deceived into supporting the anti-Christ? I'd say its very possible. If Christians want to walk hand-in-hand with Israel, they will either swim together or sink together.
I will end with the same quote from Paul, that I started with... so as to leave something for Christians to think about.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
h34r:
