How Should Christians React to the Global Surge in Antisemitism?

If you are paying attention to the news, you most likely feel some anxiety about the future. Most people are looking around, wondering what is happening, what is coming next, and where do we go from here. Take heart because Scripture is ahead of the curve. The Bible is more relevant than tomorrow’s newspapers. When the Apostle Paul wrote about Christians in the last days, he encouraged us by saying, “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:4). What does Paul mean by “this day?” This is the time period Paul describes in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 as “the last days.” What he means by “surprised” is that we should not be overwhelmed nor overtaken by fear and anxiety. 

By being “children of the day” (1 Thessalonians 5:5), we are able to perceive and discern what is happening in the world. So it should be with the rise of antisemitism. Christians, of all people, should understand what is happening and why it is happening. Rather than consuming the news and feeling anxious and fearful, Christians should understand that behind every news headline rages a fierce, spiritual war. 

What is antisemitism? 

While all people groups experience a level of disputes, clashes, and even hatred, it is only the Jews who have a specific and defined name for the discrimination against them. Antisemitism is hostility to or intolerance against Jewish people. It is a form of racism. Currently, there are 2.4 million Jews living in the United States. Since the October 7th Hamas attack, the FBI tells us that threats against Jews are up 400% in America, let alone the rest of the world. 

People today seem to think that antisemitism is a result of the land dispute between the Israelis and the Palestinians. This is a false narrative. Long before Israel was rebirthed as a nation, antisemitism raged. The Holocaust alone proves this point. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, and Israel was displaced from their homeland until it became a state once again on May 14th, 1948.   Therefore, antisemitism is not tied to the physical land. It is a spirit.

Where does antisemitism come from?

Satan insights antisemitism. Right now he is globally fanning the flame before our very eyes. Recently, I was teaching at a conference in Asheville, NC. My wife and I decided to go eat downtown. Parking was a challenge, so we had to walk for several blocks to get to the restaurant. The closer we came, the more I could hear a crowd that had gathered. Because it was a Sunday morning, my first thought was that a church had moved its service to a public gathering. I was wrong. I began to hear the chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” 

The spirit of antisemitism has influenced hatred toward the Jewish people since biblical times. Pharaoh tried to exterminate the Jewish people, but God preserved Moses (Exodus 2). A wicked man named Haman devised an evil plan to wipe out the Jews in the days of King Ahasuerus, Queen Esther, and her uncle, Mordecai. This story is found in the Old Testament book of Esther. When Jesus was born, King Herod ordered the murder of every baby boy two years old and under. Satan’s goal has always been the annihilation of Jews. When people chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” they mean the annihilation of Israel. They are saying from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, Israel should be wiped off the map. My point is that this is not anything new in our day. This spirit of antisemitism has been at work for generations. The question is why?

Why does Satan hate Israel?

Satan hates Israel because they revealed to the world God’s eternal plan of redemption. Mark Hitchcock, a Pastor and expert in Bible prophecy, masterfully explains why Satan hates the Jewish people. Pastor Mark clarifies the progression of God’s ultimate plan. “It is about seed, soil, and salvation.” The Jewish nation began with God setting Abraham and Sarah apart to become a people for His own glory. Through the birth of their son, Isaac, the promise of salvation to humanity began. God used the seed of Abraham, God used the soil of Israel to bring forth ultimate salvation for mankind. 

God sovereignly chose the Jewish people to become His people. He became their God, and in this way, He taught humanity how God, the one true and living God, should be reverenced, honored, and worshiped. It is through the people of Israel that God brought the light of the knowledge of God to all peoples. Furthermore, it is through the Jewish people that the scriptures have come to us. Be assured that Satan hates the truth of God’s Word, and therefore, he hates the means by which it came. Not only did Israel bring us the light of the knowledge of God, and not only did they deliver the scriptures for all peoples, but Israel birthed the Savior. It was to a Jewish couple, Joseph & Mary, that God ordained His son, Jesus, to be born into a Jewish family and Jewish life to bring hope to the nations of the world. For this reason, Satan hates the Jews. 

Do you realize that the same hatred Satan has for the Jewish people is the same hatred he has for born-again Christians? Why? It is because the scriptures teach that those who are in Christ are also of Abraham’s seed. “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Satan hates you because, like Israel, you are part of God’s redemptive plan.  

How should today’s Christians respond to antisemitism?

Are the rising tensions in the Middle East simply geopolitical problems? Is the war that is raging simply a clash of ideologies? I would argue that what we are watching play out goes far deeper. This is a spiritual war. While many Christians would rather ignore this crisis, and others would rather rant and argue, I think we would be wise to develop a spiritually mature biblical response. 

Paul describes for us in vivid detail what the last days will be like. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Doesn’t this sound like today’s news headlines? Would you agree that we are living in the last of the last days?

So, how should Christians respond to wars, humanitarian crises, and geopolitical differences? Here is a simple strategy. First, engage in healthy biblical conversations. What do I mean by biblical? Allow the scriptures to shape your worldview rather than current news outlets or social media influencers. Pay attention to the conversations around you and engage them with biblical truth. Second, season your conversations with evangelism. Look for opportunities to share the hope the Gospel brings. If you pay attention, God will open many opportunities for you to share your faith with those who think differently than you. People need Jesus. This means that people in Israel need Jesus, and the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and West Bank need Jesus. The Arab world needs Jesus. And so do your next-door neighbors. The beauty of the Gospel is that it is good news for all people. Lastly, be careful that you do not entangle yourself with silly, meaningless debates. Do not entangle yourself with distractions.  As Christ's followers, let us rise above the noise of conflicts and opinions. Instead, seek to point people toward Christ. Why? Because we are engaged in a war much larger than ourselves. As people of faith, be wise, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and be serious about your part in sharing the Gospel. 

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Chad Roberts is the founder and lead pastor of Preaching Christ Church. He is the author and Bible teacher for Awakened to Grace. He has authored Calling on the Name of the Lord, Awakened to Grace, and He’s in the Waiting. He has traveled through forty countries, sharing the Gospel, and training leaders. When the unexpected storm of blindness slammed into Chad’s life in 2018, he had a decision to make. He could resign to the life of disability or he could go forward trusting God with the unknown. He could not have continued on without the support of his amazing wife of over fifteen years, Sadie. Their four children, Piper, Emmy, Hudson, and John Mark, are their greatest joys. They live just outside the Great Smoky Mountains in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Chad’s pastoral career has not been defined by blindness. Rather, it is his clear, biblical teaching that continues to grow an audience. He has traveled through forty nations, training pastors and strengthening churches.

Today, Chad teaches people to trust a God they cannot see. His days are filled with the things he loves most: leading, speaking, writing, and of course, coffee! He is a spiritual content creator. By God’s grace, he is emerging as a trusted spiritual voice in people’s lives. Chad may have blindness, but blindness does not have him.

This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.