There are many schools of thought within the Christian world as far as eschatology (end-times doctrines) are concerned. The Scriptures are obviously not clear as to how history will pan out, or we would not have
eminent scholars holding such different views. However, whatever one’s view on End Times, I think we will all agree that we are seeing generational changes in world affairs, particularly with what is happening in Iran.
Assigning Significance to History
So, what can we make of current affairs then? Firstly, if we believe God is on the throne, then history is not just a chance collection of geopolitical events; we must assign a divine significance to history. Secondly, we must assign significance to Israel. That tiny sliver of land, and the Jews being a tiny minority of the world’s population, continues to hold centre stage in world affairs at so many different levels—not just in the political arena, but also in areas like technology. If that cannot be clearly seen, then one must be living under the proverbial rock.
Thirdly, and most importantly, what is happening on
planet Earth is directly and fundamentally connected to the great cosmic conflict between Light and Darkness. With all that in mind, we must assume there will be a climax of history, even if we don’t know what that will look like. So, in the face of change, the question posed by Dr Schaeffer a generation ago, “How should we then live?,” is more relevant than ever.
A New Generation of Issacharites
“From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command” (1 Chronicles 12:32). These men had acute political understanding of the challenges facing Israel and, despite their numerical inferiority, had great influence.
Many Christians sense that a new generation of Issacharites is needed. The church in the West desperately needs pastors and leaders who have a desire to ‘understand the times’ and know what God’s people ought to do. Recently, I was reprimanded for passing on a copy of this newspaper in a local church. “I am not being antisemitic,” said the minister; “It’s just that Israel is such a polarising subject, and we don’t want that controversy in our church.” So, what is so controversial about Israel?It’s all Israel’s Fault!
I thought I would pose that question—“Why is Israel so controversial?”—on a Google AI search engine. The supposed distillation of accumulated human wisdom should make it clear. The answer came back loud and clear: it’s all Israel’s fault, and a litany of transgressions was listed—“occupation, abuse of human rights, denying the right of return, genocide, apartheid”—and the list went on. It was antisemitic to the core.
What is antisemitism, and why is this evil referred to as “the most ancient of evils”? Well, firstly, it is integral to the cosmic conflict that occurred before time as we know it began, and secondly, it is ancient because it emerges in the first book of the Bible, as a warning in Genesis 12:2–4, when God addresses Abraham:
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.”
Of course, very few Christians would want to curse Israel, but the Hebrew word for ‘curse’ is translated poorly in many translations. The ESV says it best: those who ‘dishonour you’ I will curse. The word simply means to treat lightly, or as of no or little consequence. So, anyone who says Israel is a topic to be avoided and not publicly supported is guilty of contravening this injunction of the Almighty.
Although antisemitism is the focus of this article, there are many other great moral challenges being avoided by the church because we don’t want to be political and we don’t want to cause offence. Sadly, that mindset will inevitably spell the death knell of the ‘established’ Church unless more ‘men of the tribe of Issachar’ can be found to provide the moral leadership needed.
To contact Barry, email admin@beershebavision.org. If you would like to know more about Beersheba Vision, go to their website at beershebavision.org
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