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What a miraculous and wonderful event and process unfolds before our very eyes today! How amazing it is that almost all the world is blind and even opposed to it! Therefore, God demonstrates, to both those who understand and those who do not, that without His grace in the most obvious of matters, humanity is “blind as a bat” and “deaf as an adder,” utterly incapable of comprehending anything, or of redeeming itself.
The Jews are an enigma to the world.
I marvel at the spectacular uniqueness of Israel and of the Jew in this world. How are Jews different from the rest of the world? Here is the most intriguing difference to me: Even from childhood, as a Catholic, I recall wondering, “What is a Jew? Is being a Jew a matter of race or of religion? Is it what they believe or what they are? Or is it both?” Is this question asked of any other people? If someone hears that I am Canadian, do they wonder if I am Canadian by religion? The same goes for the Germans, Dutch, English, Aborigines, Native Americans, Inuit, Chinese, Persians, Americans, you name them…everyone but the Jews. Or if someone hears that one is Catholic, or Buddhist, or Muslim, or Christian, is race a factor? No, though granted, there can be a predominance of race. While we have a rare few Gentiles who have adopted the Jewish religion, and proportionately even fewer Jews who have become Catholics or Christians or Buddhists, Jews are commonly Jews by religion and race in the main, unlike any other people. Think about it! The Jews are an enigma to the world.
What other nation, at any time in our history, has been dismantled, scattered across the earth, and has risen out of the ashes, as the legendary phoenix? Israel has returned after nearly 2000 years, truly, after 2500 years, if autonomy is considered, from ashes. Out of the literal ashes of Jewish people, by the ovens of the Holocaust – perpetrated on them by the world through Nazi Germany under Adolph Hitler’s demonic leadership, the land and identity of Israel were restored to the Jews.
Above all peoples of the earth, Jews have been discriminated against, hated, severely persecuted, and slaughtered en masse, by almost every nation on earth of significance…all of Europe, both western and eastern, the whole former U.S.S.R., Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas, including Canada. Were you aware that when shiploads of refugees sought shelter in Canada from Nazi butchery, Canada turned them away, and eventually many of those same people who were turned away were exterminated in concentration camps and elsewhere? So was the policy and prejudice of William Lyon Mackenzie King, a necromancer and spiritualist, and of his minister of foreign affairs. Yes, Canada has a blotchy record, with blood on its hands along with Hitler and the Nazis, and so many others.
Jews are unique in that they have been persecuted and oppressed not only by nations, but also by all the major empires of the world, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. They have been singled out for vicious extermination to this present day by many entities, including the most powerful and diabolical religious organization on earth in all of history, the Roman Catholic Church.
Same people, same land, and much the same language, traditions, and customs.
Were the Jews given a homeland in Uganda, as was once proposed, or South Africa, or South America, or Canada or anywhere else in the world? No. The very same piece of real estate that God promised to Abraham, and in which the Jews dwelt for 1500 years, was made available once more and returned to them. What are the statistical odds of the same people returned to the same land by a hating world after two millennia?
And that is not all – this same land was surrounded and even partially inhabited by implacable enemies of Jews: Arabs, Muslims, and the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. The Jews were outnumbered and out-armed fifty fold or more, surrounded on every earthly front, with their backs to the sea. Yet they not only survived, but also conquered their enemies in several major conflicts. What a marvel! If that is not a miracle of God, what is? If not a demonstration of His favor, what is?
Furthermore, Hebrew is the only ancient language that has been restored and established as a modern day language. Latin came, went, and stayed away to this day, as a common language. So with ancient Greek and so many others, but not Hebrew. Same people, same land, same religious beliefs, and much the same language, traditions, and customs.
We have a standing sound, detailed, and sacred record of the Jews and their nation from Abraham until decades after Jesus Christ, not to mention considerable record thereafter, in spite of their dispersal to the ends of the earth for nearly two millennia. The Biblical record, however, is no ordinary record. It is provenly inspired by God, with many prophecies, dreams and visions recorded and fulfilled centuries or millennia later. It is filled with thousands of statistics, names of real peoples, persons, places, events, and objects, very accurately recorded and thousands of times verified by archaeology and profane historical records, oral traditions, legends and artifacts. There is no book like it, not one, not even close. Same people, same land, same language, same religious beliefs and the same Bible!
Out of the loins of Abraham, the father of Israel, have proceeded the three major religions of the world…Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Out of Judaism has come the true Christianity, not Catholicism, not the confusions of the “Protestant” churches, called “Christianity” (much of which is borrowed from the Catholic Church, which is pagan to the core), not Mormonism, not the JWs, not the “old roots of Jewish, Messianic worship,” but true, spiritual, born again Judaism. This was made possible and set in motion by the Messiah, Who is called the Christ (the Anointed One), to save the entire world. He alone could do it because it involves a change in nature and only the Creator can do that. We cannot change so much as the color of one hair on our heads.
Was it not our sins, and not the Jews, that killed the Christ?
It is important to note that while Islam came by Arabs, whose father was Ishmael, a son of Abraham, it did not come by Judaism or from Israel.
The Jews crucified the Savior of the world. But why did the world, particularly the Catholic Church, persecute and hate the Jews for crucifying Jesus Christ? Was not Jesus a Jew? Did He not come by the Jews? Were not the first believers Jews? Were not the Jews the ones who went forth to the rest of the world, proclaiming the Messiah, the Savior of all humankind? Are not the Scriptures clear that it was necessary, yea, of paramount importance that Jesus die, that if He did not die, we would all be without hope? Was it not by the priesthood that the Lamb of God had to be sacrificed, on Passover, so that the blood might be daubed on the doorposts of all that believed, to save them from the world, sin, death, darkness, themselves, and Satan? Did not the Jews do their God-ordained service? Was it not our sins, and not the Jews, that killed the Christ? Did not God have all this purposed beforehand? As Peter declared at Pentecost:
“This One given to you by the before-determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and by lawless hands, crucifying Him, you put Him to death; Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it” (Acts 2:23-24).
The Biblical testimony is clear: We all killed Him, every last one of us; we are all guilty, one no less than another. Why are the Jews then hated? Why has not the world “minded its own business,” allowing the Jews to settle their own affairs internally? Because God began a work in Israel and extended it to the rest of the world by the Jews. That’s why! Israel involves everybody, believe it or not, like it or not.
Israel is recorded to be, and Jews are known as, the chosen of God. This has been said of no other nation, at least not with all the earmarks, the hatred by the world, a holy book, and all the things I have mentioned. No, Israel and the Jews are singular, unique, outstanding in many ways.
It is a matter of record (these facts were brought to our attention by H. Bendor on the MidEast Truth Forum). For example, consider this: The Islamic population of the world is about 1.3 billion and growing. It is credited with the following Nobel prizes: Literature, one; Peace, three (one of those being to Yasser Arafat, who no more deserved a peace prize than a fox deserves to be named “Chicken Savior of the Century”); Chemistry, two; Medicine, two; and Physics, one.
On the other hand, the Jews number about 13 million people, 1% of the Muslim population, and have the following to their credit in Nobel prizes: Literature, twelve; Peace, nine; Chemistry, twenty-five; Economics, twenty-one; Medicine, forty-eight; and Physics, thirty-eight.
The Jews have far exceeded the Muslims in productivity and achievement.
Let us do some percentages. If Muslims outnumber the Jews 100 to one, the Jews excel the Muslims in Literature 1200 times, Peace 300 times, Chemistry 1250 times, Medicine 2400 times, and Physics 3800 times. Muslims do not even show for any contribution in Economics, while Jews have been awarded twenty-one Nobel prizes in that field. Astounding! And to think that Europe rid itself of six million such people and replaced them with forty five million people who seek its subjugation, burning its churches and synagogues, violently rioting in the streets, burning thousands of cars in France, demanding their rights, despising their host countries, killing “infidels” (non-Muslims) all over the world! You deserve it, Europe! Enjoy!
Shall we look at it in terms of percentages? If you have one and increase it by one, you have increased by 100%. Therefore, the Jews have exceeded the Muslims in productivity and achievement as follows: Literature, 120,000%, Peace, 30,000%, Chemistry, 125,000%, Medicine, 240,000%, Physics 380,000%, and Economics…to infinity! These statistics boggle the imagination!
As spectacular as the difference may be, we are not done. Let us examine other relevant facts:
Is lack of a homeland a legitimate excuse? The Jews have been dispersed to the ends of the earth, without a homeland for 2000 years (without control of their own land for 2500 years), hated, persecuted, plundered, and killed almost everywhere that they have tried to live. Not so with most Arabs and Muslims, who have had their own and many nations for a long, long time.
Is poverty a legitimate excuse? The Arabs and Muslims have had a lucrative possession of oil, the major energy resource of the world, while the Jews, as a nation, have had none.
Is lack of arms an excuse? The Jews have had none, while the Muslims, from their inception, have waged war against the world, particularly against Jews and the West.
The Muslims are everywhere waging war, burning flags, vandalizing, killing, demonstrating and crying, “Death to America! Death to Jews! Death to Denmark! Death to cartoonists! Death to Rushdie! Death, death, death!” They oppress their women, brandish their swords and guns, decapitate people publicly, blow themselves up, killing indiscriminately, rage and rail, and we are supposed to do what? Respect and honor them? Believe that they have the truth? Believe that their religion is compatible with the Bible? Yeah, right. Mohammed, what a legacy you have! As you sow, surely shall you reap, you and your followers. You have deceived, intimidated and slaughtered the world. You cannot do so with the Final Judge of all the earth, or escape His wrath.
And what is the promised reward for the Muslim “martyr”? It is the fulfillment of every lust of the flesh imaginable…food, wine, women, and song! And the more they obey the Koran and kill, the greater their supposed reward! It is in the Koran! Do not tell me I am discriminating. I only declare two things: One, what is in their “holy book,” the Koran, and two, what they are doing and teaching. Prove me wrong!
Behold, Israel and the Jew! Behold, their Maker and Protector!
Does anyone, anywhere, at any time, see the Jews doing or teaching these things? Yet, while the Jews give themselves to productive pursuits, and accomplish great things, their detractors can do nothing but gnash their teeth and cry, “Conspiracy! Zionist plot!” How Jews have suffered contradiction and false accusations, even as did and does the Messiah suffer the ignominy, reproach, and contradiction of liars, thieves and murderers, many of whom come to Him smiling, feigning friendship and fidelity, as did Judas! How undeserving of the Jews is this wicked world! But I tell you that the day is now upon us wherein God is about to “balance the books,” once and for all. Behold, Israel and the Jew! Behold, their Maker and Protector!
Is influence and partisanship an excuse? While the world has often agreed to Arab demands and sought to please them to maintain or gain oil supply, and while the Jews have been hated by the world, remarkably it is this same hating world that has bestowed these awards on the Jews, not because they are Jews, but because of what they have contributed to the world in the judgment of many.
However, let me make this crystal clear: I do not credit the Jews for their achievements. I credit God for them. Why do the Jews have such excellence of achievement? It is because of this promise, which God gave to Abraham in the very beginning:
“And Jehovah said to Abram, Go out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house into a land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation. And I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those that bless you and curse the one who curses you. And in you shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).
God made that promise to Abraham and to his descendants thereafter from time to time. He keeps His promises, even though the Jews, as a nation, have not believed and obeyed. They have excelled not because they are anything special, but because God is their God and they are His chosen people. Some say that the Jews are no longer the chosen people of God. This is a very foolish notion, as I am clearly proving. There are those who say that the Jews of today are imposters, usurpers. Why then are they doing so well? Not bad for frauds! Others say that the nation of Israel has been cast off and replaced by Christians. But here is what the Bible and the God of Israel says:
“For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you should be wise within yourselves; that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the nations has come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, ‘There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is My covenant with them, when I have taken away their sins.’ Indeed as regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes. But as regards the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the free gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:25-29).
Now the promises God made to Abraham were not only for the physical nation of Israel, but for all the descendants of Abraham by and through faith, which includes Gentiles. As the apostle Paul, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, said:
“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that outwardly in flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart; in spirit and not in letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God” (Romans 2:28-29).
He also said this:
“Was any called having been circumcised? Do not be uncircumcised. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? Do not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God” (1 Corinthians 7:18-19).
Who can withstand God? All enemies of Israel will fall.
We have called and called to many, saying, “Believe on the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the world! Repent of your false religions, of your sins, of breaking God’s Law handed down from Moses to Israel. Repent of false gods and all evil. Turn to your Creator, Who revealed Himself to Israel and to many in this world over the ages, and you will be healed, prospered and blessed in every way.”
God has taken me, Victor, a Gentile, an outsider to the commonwealth of Israel, both physically and spiritually, and has circumcised my heart, making me a Jew, as He has done with others. Yes, it has been hard, but it has been very good. As Abraham, I have also had to go out of my country, from my kindred, from my father’s house, and, in obedience, God has shown me a land and greatly blessed me. He has, as the Scriptures promise, blessed those who have blessed me and cursed those who have cursed me. Many times have I seen it with my own eyes over these several decades.
With such a testimony of the success and blessing of the Jews and of Israel, with such momentous historical happenings occurring with that people, how does anyone not see that God’s hand is upon them? How dare anyone oppose them? Do they not see that God’s promise to Abraham holds true, without fail or even possibility of failure? Who can withstand God? All enemies of Israel will fall. The very things they would have happen to Israel will happen to themselves. Today, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, promises the annihilation of Israel. Miserable, deluded creature! Watch and see who gets annihilated! He rails against the God of Israel and will perish in his evil intentions, words and actions. As it is written:
Psalms 2:1-12 MSG
(1) Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples?
(2) Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers:
(3) “Let’s get free of God! Cast loose from Messiah!”
(4) Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first He’s amused at their presumption;
(5) Then He gets good and angry. Furiously, He shuts them up:
(6) “Don’t you know there’s a King in Zion? A coronation banquet is spread for Him on the holy summit.”
(7) Let me tell you what GOD said next. He said, “You’re My son, and today is your birth day.
(8) What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? Continents as a prize?
(9) You can command them all to dance for you, or throw them out with tomorrow’s trash.”
(10) So, rebel-kings, use your heads; Upstart-judges, learn your lesson:
(11) Worship GOD in adoring embrace, celebrate in trembling awe.
(12) Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode, but if you make a run for God–you won’t regret it! A David psalm, when he escaped for his life from Absalom, his son.
Is Israel God’s son? Yes, indeed, he is, and he called His son out of Egypt:
“And you are to say to Pharaoh, The Lord says, Israel is the first of My sons…” (Exodus 4:22 BBE).
The fall of the Jewish people made the world spiritually rich.
Has God disowned His son, Israel, forever? Will He not fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his sons and progeny? Here is the record:
“So I ask, ‘Has God rejected His people Israel?’ That’s unthinkable! Consider this. I’m an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He knew long ago…” (Romans 11:1-2 GW).
And:
“So I ask, ‘Has Israel stumbled so badly that it can’t get up again?’ That’s unthinkable! By Israel’s failure, salvation has come to people who are not Jewish to make the Jewish people jealous. The fall of the Jewish people made the world spiritually rich. Their failure made people who are not Jewish spiritually rich. So the inclusion of Jewish people will make the world even richer” (Romans 11:11-12 GW).
The Messiah came by the Jews, from Israel, and He also came out of Egypt, as it is written:
Matthew 2:13-15 BBE
(13) And when they had gone, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream, saying, Get up and take the young Child and His mother, and go into Egypt, and do not go from there till I give you word; for Herod will be searching for the young Child to put Him to death.
(14) So he took the young Child and His mother by night, and went into Egypt;
(15) And was there till the death of Herod; so that the word of the Lord through the prophet might come true, Out of Egypt have I sent for My Son.
So we see that the tiny nation of Israel has not only been a physical but also a spiritual blessing to all the earth, for those who have blessed it.
Who can argue that the most predominant trouble spot in the world today is not the Middle East, as it has been at many and various times throughout history?
There are few who would deny their antagonism and frustration with Israel as the troubling spot of the Middle East. Almost every Arab, Persian and Muslim has sought Israel’s destruction, unlike any other nation there.
Three world cultures and religions vie for a piece, if not entire control, of Jerusalem, unlike any other city on earth.
Of all of Jerusalem, the one piece of land the Jews covet most by far, and which the Muslims hold on to jealously, is the Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock stands and has stood now for a long time.
While the Middle East is the powder keg of the world, Israel is the powder, Jerusalem the fuse, and the Temple Mount the igniter. Watch what happens to the whole world when once it decides to come against “God’s son.” If indeed God’s son, Israel and the Jew are immortal and thus invincible. There is no weapon that can prosper against physical or spiritual Israel, or against the physical or spiritual Jew, because it cannot prosper against God. These things are decreed in Heaven, the realm of ultimate rulership of the universe, where all things are determined and, if so, none withstood, or even altered.
Thankful to be a true Jew in Yahshuah HaMashiach, a.k.a. Jesus Christ,
Victor Hafichuk