Today, we remember when the Nazis surrendered. Hitler may have surrendered, but the devil never did.
Unfortunately, the same demonic ideology that drove the Nazis is still alive in the world today. In America, Jewish students are harassed on college campuses, and anti-Israel protests always include violence against Jewish students and vandalism of school property. In France, it is not safe to wear Jewish jewelry, and the list goes on.
We say never again, but do we mean it? Congress just voted against an anti-BDS bill. Do we not remember the boycotting of Jewish businesses and the night of the broken glass that led to what came later in Germany, Poland, and other places?
When Israel left Egypt, they encountered Amalek:
Exodus 17:8-16 KJV “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. [9] And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. [10] So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. [11] And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. [12] But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. [13] And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. [14] And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. [15] And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: [16] for he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Deuteronomy 25:17-19 KJV “Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; [18] how he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. [19] Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.”
Later in Israel’s history, King Saul did not obey the voice of the Prophet and allowed King Agag of the Amalekites to live. Later, Samuel did what Saul should have done, and for that reason, the kingdom was taken from Saul and given to David (1 Samuel 15-16).
Many years later, we come to the story of Queen Esther. Haman, who wanted to destroy the Jews, was a descendant of Agag (Esther 3:1).
If you follow Agag, Amalek, Amalekite, and Edom throughout Scripture, you will find the demonic spirit behind antisemitism, or more accurately called Jew-hatred.
Unfortunately, until the time of the Messiah and the Third Temple, there will always be antisemitism. But there is coming a day when the nations will be judged for how they treated Israel, both the people and the land (Gen.12:3; Zech. 12:1-3; Joel 3:1-2).
As I watch the rise of anti-Judaism sentiments in the Church, it breaks my heart. I pray that every Christian has an awakening to God’s love and plan for the Jewish people and realizes the importance of the land covenant given to them (Gen. 12:1-7; 13:14-17; 15:18-21; 26:2-5; 28:10-15).
The Church has not replaced Israel; it comes alongside her. Jesus is not the fulfillment of Israel; he is the Messiah who will reign from the Third Temple in Jerusalem. It is helpful for us as Christians not to begin in John’s Gospel but to begin where God does, in Genesis, and follow Scripture’s narrative all the way through. When you get to the theology of salvation and sanctification in Romans, read chapters nine through eleven, dealing with Israel as Paul wrote it. Israel is not a euphemism for the Church; Paul wrote to the believers in Rome not to be ignorant of Israel and God’s promises to them. In his letter to the Ephesians, the first twelve verses deal with the Jewish people, and then in verse thirteen, he says, “In whom ye also trusted…”
To my fellow believers on this Victory Day, remember the words of Paul:
Romans 9:4-5 KJV” who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”
Romans 11:13-27 “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-20 KJV” Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Destroy and fulfill are Hebrew idioms for wrongly and rightly interpreting. To rightly interpret means to show you how to live. The New Covenant is not some Christian thing; it has always been Jewish (Jer. 31:31-40 and Ezek. 36:22-38). We, through faith, get to be grafted in. When you read these two passages, you will notice that along with the New Covenant comes the fulfillment of the land promise.
When the disciples asked Jesus about the end of the age, He first said, “See to it that no one deceives you.” The greatest deception in the Church today is regarding the place of the Jewish people and the land of Israel. We must be like the Bereans and search the Scriptures to see if what we have been taught is true. If we begin at the beginning and go all the way through Revelation, I do not believe any Christian can come away with the belief that the Jewish people are not still God’s chosen people and that Israel is God’s dwelling place. If you look closely at Scripture, Zion is the specific dwelling place of God (Deut. 12:11; 1 Kgs. 8:29, 41-43; Psa. 9:11; Isa. 8:18; Joel 3:19-21; Amos 1:2).
As I close, I am reminded of the celebration of Purim (the story of Queen Esther). It says that all those who aligned themselves with the Jews celebrated. Paul wrote in First Corinthians chapter five that because Christ our Passover Lamb is sacrificed, we celebrate the feast.
As a Christian, I am a proud Zionist, Isaiah 62:1-2 KJV “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” (see Isaiah 60-62). As a Christian, I stand with the Jewish people because I have been grafted into a Jewish olive tree. As a Christian, I follow a Jewish Rabbi, whom many call Jesus, but whose Hebrew name is Yeshua. As a Christian, I say, Am Israel Chai, The People of Israel Live!
For more on God’s promises to Israel, get Billye Brim’s mini-books, God’s Promises of the Land of Israel and Judgment of the Nations for How They Treat Israel
Casey D. Bell 
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