The Highly Contagious Sin of Anti-Semitism
“Hissssss,” Says the Serpent
NOTE TO THE READER — This next section on the ancient Serpent is written as a childlike satire. Due to the intense nature of this highly sensitive subject, this capricious style will help the reader to understand this issue as spiritual and not a battle between flesh and blood.
Thus we continue to see the unfolding saga of the successive slithery steps of Satan, the slimy Serpent, Hissssss..... The loathsome creature was truly in a revolting development. In his beady-eyed, near-sighted vision, he had not foreseen that the spilled blood of Messiah would bring eternal salvation to Jews and Gentiles. He, like all mankind, had no clue of the “great mystery,” that through Messiah’s death, the ancient wall of hostility between Israel and the Gentiles would be destroyed (Ephesians 2:14). The Gentiles would be joined with Jews to form one new man (Ephesians 2:15), a mighty army under whose feet the Devil’s ultimate defeat is sealed. Oh, how the ancient Serpent had cherished that dividing wall separating Jew from Gentile! Although it had been constructed by Yahveh to protect His chosen people from Gentile influences, the old Devil found it to be a real asset in his warfare against the Jews. How often Satan and his legions had fortified that dividing wall with their venomous lies. How diligently the Adversary had worked to keep that wall erect. What was he to do now that the dividing wall was destroyed? Surely there would be a mass exodus of his earthly allied forces over to the ranks of his arch enemy, Yahshua (Jesus). What a major defeat for Satan to see the Gentiles marching as one new man—together with the Jews—in bonds of peace, love, and obedience to their Commander in Chief.
Yahveh had outwitted him again! There was big trouble with a capital “T” for the Serpent General and his legions. Satan raged as he remembered how that wall had served his evil purposes for so many centuries. Now, in one day, on a tree at Calvary, he outsmarted himself and grossly miscalculated the consequences of his evil plot. The wall was destroyed right in front of his beady eyes. It disintegrated into nothing under the blood of the Redeemer of mankind. But all was not lost for the Adversary. Out of his defeat emerged another diabolical plan. He remembered well from slithering about and spying on his enemy that Yahshua (Jesus) had said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:25). With that point in view, Satan devised a new strategy. He must erect another dividing wall to separate the one new man back into two opposing peoples. This scheme would ultimately cause the precious spilled blood of Yahshua (Jesus) to appear ineffective and become a mockery to the world. This called for a red hot celebration to be given by the crafty Devil and all his demonic cohorts. The Serpent General, puffed with pride over his brilliant brainstorm, began chanting one of his old, proven satanic slogans. “Divide and Conquer” became the motivating motto and anthem for this new strategy. All of hell’s legions were once again marching to its destructive beat.
In Sheol’s conference room, the Prince of Darkness called a meeting of his best diabolical minds. The topic for discussion was how to separate what Messiah had joined together. A devious plan was implemented; they would construct another dividing wall. As this satanic meeting was in session, the Spirit of Truth was working mightily to add Jews and Gentiles to Yahshua’s (Jesus’s) army. This army, known as the one new man, was inseparably linked together with bonds of peace, love, and unity. Around the holy camp was a high, thick wall of protection to safeguard the costly unity and purity of Jew and Gentile, which Messiah died to purchase. The Almighty built this wall with pure truth and reinforced it with the mortar of Paul’s warning to the Gentiles in Ephesians 2 and 3, and Romans 11.
Paul, an Israelite and brave spiritual soldier, had once been Satan’s puppet. Now he was Yahveh’s high-ranking ally within Messiah’s army. Keenly aware of the Devil’s strategies, this spiritual warrior was going to be much trouble to the Serpent General. The protecting wall was partially Paul’s handiwork. It served to protect the holiness of the redeemed remnant. More specifically, it guarded the hearts and minds of believing Gentiles from the Serpent’s ancient pride and hostility toward the Jews. Satan knew that once the Jewish apostles died, it would only be a matter of time before their teachings and safeguards would be diluted. Then the engrafted Gentiles (Romans 11:17) would become vulnerable to these insidious anti-Semitic attitudes once again.
That day came. The great apostles died; their words were soon misunderstood and distorted through Gentile men. It was prime time for the Serpent General and his troops to advance. He scouted the unguarded area, slithered up and scaled the wall. The coast was clear for him to infiltrate the ranks of Yahshua’s unsuspecting soldiers. His evil eyes peered hatefully over the protective wall. His venom boiled when he saw many Gentiles whom he had bound from birth. Once, they had been his agents of anti-Semitism on earth. Now, through the blood of Yahshua (Jesus), they were allied with the Jews. To his disgust, the Serpent saw Jews and Gentiles marching in harmony as a holy army. Oh, how he hated that unifying love! These redeemed soldiers marched in synchrony, following their Commander in Chief and praising Yahveh. This one new man battalion was being divinely prepared and empowered to bombard the gates of hell as they went forth in Yahshua’s (Jesus’s) name.
The Serpent General was enraged as he saw more and more prison doors flying open, and his captives being freed to follow Yahshua Messiah. That did it! He was not going to take this lying down. He was no weak little garden snake. He was the ancient Serpent, and this was no time to slither back! He called an emergency meeting and said: Devious demons and crafty cohorts, Our name is at stake. Everything we’ve killed for, all the souls we’ve captured, and all the venom our fangs have injected into humanity could be lost. Sharpen your fangs. Increase your production of the ancient venom. Be ready to attack!
Then the Serpent continued: Here’s the plan—HISSSSSSss. Work only in the dark. While some of the soldiers are sleeping, wait for the watchmen to grow weary and look for breaks in the walls. Slither down quickly into their camp and hide in the dust. During the day, look for those who have broken rank—those who are not busy with the Commander’s business. These are the ones who usually neglect to put on their full armor; they make perfect targets. Lunge for the heel and inject the FORGETFUL ONES with the ancient venom of hostility, pride, and jealousy toward the Jewish people. The Serpent General and his crafty troops slithered over the wall and through the developing cracks, directly into the ranks of the unsuspecting soldiers. The initial attack was subtle. There were only a few who could be caught off guard. The words of the apostle Paul were still sealed in their memories and protected their hearts. The Devil knew he had to be sneaky. The form of venom and its symptoms must not be too obvious, or his plot would be in vain.
May the Holy Spirit grant us humility and a willingness to see how far man’s doctrines have veered from Yahveh’s original heart and plan. May He impart to us an understanding of His purposes as clearly expressed through the full counsel of both the Old and New Testament Scriptures.Before we begin this overview, we should be mindful of two important facts. First, the Almighty clearly states, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8). Throughout history, Satan, the ancient Serpent (Revelation 12:9), has strategized relentlessly to thwart the Almighty’s glorious eternal plan. The apostle Paul reminds us that we must not be “ignorant of his schemes” (2Corinthians 2:11).
Yahshua (Jesus) said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:25). With that point in view, Satan devised a new strategy. He must erect another dividing wall to separate the “one new man” back into two opposing peoples (Ephesians 2:14-16). This scheme would ultimately cause the precious spilled blood of the Savior to appear ineffective and become a mockery to the world. The Enemy also knew that once the Jewish apostles died, it would only be a matter of time before their teachings and safeguards would be diluted. Then the engrafted Gentiles (Romans 11:17) would become vulnerable to his insidious anti-Semitic attitudes once again. That day came. The great apostles died; their words were soon misunderstood and distorted through Gentile men. The Enemy could now inject the forgetful ones with his ancient venom of hostility, pride, and jealousy toward the Jewish people. His initial attack was subtle. There were only a few who could be caught off guard. The words of the apostle Paul were still sealed in their memories and protected their hearts (Ephesians 2 and 3, Romans 11). The Devil knew that his form of venom and its symptoms must not be too obvious, or his plot would be in vain.
Lethal Injection
From the second century on, Satan’s attacks increased in number. By the fourth century, he had successfully injected his anti-Jewish poison into several key Christian leaders. Consequently, many had become spiritually sick and delirious from his lethal bite. Before long, these victims began to react in ways that were contrary to the heart and purpose of their God and Savior. Indeed, the Serpent had succeeded! By infiltrating Yahshua’s (Jesus’s) ranks, he had deceived many Gentile believers and enlisted them to promulgate his anti-Semitic doctrines and traditions. The wall of division between the Jews and Gentiles was resurrected. This was a time of darkness and gloom in world history. The bright light of the Savior’s love and the full counsel of Yahveh’s Word became obscured behind the doctrines and traditions of Gentile men.
Viper Eggs—The Big Lie
The Enemy’s infiltration of Yahshua’s (Jesus’s) ranks was meeting with success. As the full counsel of Yahveh’s Word became increasingly diluted and distorted, many unsuspecting victims became hatcheries for Satan’s venomous offspring. Ignorance of Scripture and of the Heavenly Father’s heart and plan for Israel became the perfect environment for these “viper eggs” to thrive. There, they incubated, later hatched, and then matured as anti-Semitic religious and political doctrines. These doctrines would mobilize many Christians in a diabolical onslaught against Messiah’s beloved brethren.
One of the biggest, most destructive lies that the Serpent hatched as a viper egg among Christians was that Jews are Christ-killers; so it came to be believed that Jews are eternally rejected by God. Based on totally unscriptural foundations, many Christians now began to believe that the church had replaced Israel. These venomous lies led to the continued distortion of the Word of God over the centuries. But Messiah said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Regarding who killed the Savior, Scripture is clear. Yahshua (Jesus) predicted to His disciples before His death: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes [representing only a small fraction of Israel], and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up” (Matthew 20:18-19).
The Bible tells us: “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Yahshua (Jesus), … both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel …” (Acts 4:27). Jews, Gentiles, Pilate, Herod, and the Roman government were each partially responsible for Messiah’s death. In truth, however, Yahshua (Jesus) made it clear that these men had no power to kill Him apart from His Father’s perfect will. Indeed, it was Yahveh’s perfect will that the Son willingly give His life as the sacrificial Passover Lamb. In this single, glorious act, Yahshua redeemed His Jewish brethren and made a way for Gentile aliens to be joined with Israel to partake of Messiah’s salvation. HalleluYAH!
