To answer this question, we have to go back to the beginning. We have to understand how persecution against God’s people began in the first place.
- When and where were God’s people first persecuted and why?
“How are you fallen from heaven, O Shining One, son of Dawn! How are you felled to earth, O vanquisher of nations! Once you thought in your heart, “I will climb to the sky; Higher than the stars of God I will set my throne. I will sit in the mount of assembly, On the summit of Zaphon:I will mount the back of a cloud—I will match the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14)
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him…And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.” (Revelation 12:7-9,13)
“Then He asked, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman You put at my side—she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’ And the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done!’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent duped me, and I ate.’“(Genesis 3:11-13)
“Cain said to his brother Abel … and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him.” (Genesis 4:8)
Answer: Persecution against G-d’s people actually began in Heaven. A covering cherub known as the Shining One (a.k.a. Lucifer, Satan) coveted G-dlike authority and deceived many angels into helping him try and take it by force. They warred against those angels that were loyal to God, and as a result, they were cast out of Heaven.
On Earth, Satan immediately began persecuting humanity. He deceived Adam and Eve and moved their son, Cain, to murder his brother, Abel. Satan wars against G-d by persecuting people who are loyal to Him. He is a literal being that has literally persecuted G-d’s people throughout human history.
Further Reading: Ezekiel 28:14,15; 1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 1,2; Zechariah 3:1,2
- What did God promise to do about this conflict between good and evil?
“The LORD said to Abram, “…I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing…And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you.”” (Genesis 12:1-3)
“Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples… you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’” (Exodus 19:5-6)
“By oppressive judgment he was taken away, Who could describe his abode? For he was cut off from the land of the living Through the sin of my people, who deserved the punishment… But the LORD chose to crush him by disease, That, if he made himself an offering for guilt, He might see offspring and have long life, And that through him the LORD’s purpose might prosper.” (Isaiah 53:8,10)
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14)
“And they [the wicked] went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” (Revelation 20:9)
Answer: G-d promised to bring this conflict to an end. He chose Abram and his descendants to share the knowledge of this conflict and teach His laws to all the families of the earth. In so doing, the nations would have been prepared to accept Jesus as their Savior, His sacrifice for their sins. They would side with G-d’s people.
When this work is done, the L-rd will return to save His people and at the appointed time, He will destroy Satan and his followers. They will never persecute His people again.
Further Reading: Isaiah 49:6, Ezekiel 28:16, John 3:16
- So why are the Jewish people always being persecuted?
“He further showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the LORD, and the Accuser [Satan] standing at his right to accuse him. But [the angel of] the LORD said to the Accuser, ‘The LORD rebuke you, O Accuser; may the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! For this is a brand plucked from the fire.’” (Zechariah 3:1-2)
“Now, if you obey the LORD your God, to observe faithfully all His commandments which I enjoin upon you this day, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth…The LORD will put to rout before you the enemies who attack you…” (Deuteronomy 28:1,7)
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, set him free at Ramah, to which he had taken him, chained in fetters, among those from Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. The chief of the guards took charge of Jeremiah, and he said to him, “The LORD your God threatened this place with this disaster; and now the LORD has brought it about. He has acted as He threatened, because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey Him. That is why this has happened to you…” (Jeremiah 40:1-3)
Answer: G-d chose the Israelite nation to share His knowledge and laws with the world. These things, if faithfully shared, would bring the conflict with Satan to an end. To maintain their war with God, Satan relentlessly persecutes G-d’s people. But G-d has signally and repeatedly protected His people throughout their history.
The children of G-d are also persecuted when they violate the covenant they made with Him. He allows their enemies to attack them to help them see their sin and their need to turn back to Him. When they do, G-d turns their affliction and works to deliver them.
Further Reading: Daniel 3,6,9; Ezra 1:1-4
- Has God forsaken the Jewish people? Why haven’t they been destroyed?
“However, the LORD refrained from destroying Judah, for the sake of His servant David, in accordance with His promise to maintain a lamp for his descendants for all time.” (2 Kings 8:19)
“You bore with them for many years, admonished them by Your spirit through Your prophets, but they would not give ear, so You delivered them into the power of the peoples of the lands. Still, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.” (Nehemiah 9:30-31)
“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.” (Romans 11:1-2)
“The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: ‘Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it what I tell you.’ Jonah went at once to Nineveh in accordance with the LORD’s command…” (Jonah 3:1-3)
Answer: NO! Thousands of years of persecution has led many Jews to believe this, but G-d has faithfully preserved them from every attempt made to destroy them. He has not forsaken His people.
But G-d did not prolong the days of the Jews arbitrarily. He still wants them to be the means by which He can bless the families of the earth. Like Jonah, G-d is calling His people a second time to share the knowledge He gave them to the world.
Further Reading: Isaiah 56:3-7;Daniel 4:31-34; Zechariah 8:22,23
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