Do you know an anti-Semite? Send them this article!

When we think of anti-Semitism, we automatically think of “Jews”. The truth is, “the Jews" has become a blanket description for all Israelites – but, in reality, only someone born into the Tribe of Judah can claim they are Jews.

Remember, “Israel” consists of 12 Tribes, Yehudah (Judah/"the Jews") is just one of them … and they happened to be the Tribe YHWH chose to safeguard His Torah when He banished His people into the nations for their constant disobedience (see Jeremiah 3).

Now – many Christians are under the erroneous impression that when God supposedly “divorced” Israel, it automatically made Christians His “chosen” because they’ve “accepted Jesus”. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Genesis 49: 10 The scepter will not pass from Y'hudah, nor the ruler's staff from between his legs, until he comes to whom [obedience] belongs; and it is he whom the peoples will obey. (CJB)

Genesis 49 is, of course, referring to Messiah Yeshua during his second coming, when EVERY knee will bow! (Philippians 2:10-11 and Romans 14:11. Remember, “every knee” didn’t bow the first time he was here - as a matter of fact, they killed him.) The crux of tis scripture is that “the scepter will NOT pass from Judah UNTIL that time. This means, no one is replacing the Jews as YHWH’s chosen…

Same with the following scriptures which refer to a FUTURE time when Yeshua returns as the Lion of Judah (Genesis 49:8-9) when he sits on his throne in the Temple (Zechariah 14:1-21).

Isaiah 11: 10 On that day the root of Yishai, which stands as a banner for the peoples - the Goyim will seek him out, and the place where he rests will be glorious. 11 On that day Adonai will raise his hand again, a second time, to reclaim the remnant of his people who remain from Ashur, Egypt, Patros, Ethiopia, 'Eilam, Shin'ar, Hamat and the islands in the sea. 12 He will hoist a banner for the Goyim, assemble the dispersed of Isra'el, and gather the scattered of Y'hudah from the four corners of the earth. (CJB)

Micah 4: 2 Many Gentiles will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of ADONAI, to the house of the God of Ya'akov (Yehudah's father)! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of ADONAI from Yerushalayim. (CJB)

Before we move on, let’s back up and talk about that “divorce” issue for a moment. In ancient Hebrew (Jewish) culture, a “certificate of divorce” was mandatory to terminate a marriage. Without it, the marriage remains. Thus, our first question should be: “Exactly, WHERE is the divorce certificate?” Answer: There isn’t one! Check it out:

Malachi 2:16 tells us that YHWH HATES divorce. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 tells us that a man CANNOT remarry his ex-wife. Matthew 5:31-32 says that one who puts away his wife (for some cause other than fornication) causes her to commit adultery....

There are tons of other scriptures concerning the "divorce" issue, but the question remains: Would YHWH really do that to His "bride"? Would He allow His Divine and Holy Son (His “arm” – Isaiah 53:1, and the Word, John 1:1,14) who will represent YHWH again upon his return to earth, to "marry" a divorced and defiled bride?

Isaiah 50:1  Thus says Yahweh: Where is your mother's writ of divorce by which I repudiated her? Or to which of my creditors have I sold you? Look, you have been sold for your own misdeeds, your mother was repudiated for your acts of rebellion. (NJB)

Notice the question “WHERE is the certificate of divorce?” in the first verse. That means ... THERE WASN'T ANY! YHWH never divorced either Judah or Ephraim, but He did "send them away" for a time. Since there was no writ of divorce to make the separation official, YHWH reserves the right to bring them back at any time - and He will! You'll see this as you read the passage AFTER Jeremiah 3:8, which is apparently overlooked by many.

So, if you go back to at least the beginning of Jeremiah 2, you find that Adonai is berating Israel for their backsliding and their crimes against Him. Jeremiah goes on at some length using metaphor about how Israel's behavior was like that of a prostitute.

Jeremiah 3:8: I saw that even though backsliding Isra'el had committed adultery, so that I had sent her away and given her a divorce document, unfaithful Y'hudah her sister was not moved to fear - instead she too went and prostituted herself. (CJB)

NOTE: Although it sounds like a divorce happened, it didn’t. It will become clear in a moment. Please keep reading:

Jeremiah 3: 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north: '"Return, backsliding Isra'el," says ADONAI. "I will not frown on you, for I am merciful," says ADONAI. "I will not bear a grudge forever. 13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have committed crimes against ADONAI your God, that you were promiscuous with strangers under every green tree, and that you have not paid attention to my voice," says ADONAI. 14 "Return, backsliding children," says ADONAI; "for I am your master. I will take you, one from a city, two from a family, and bring you to Tziyon. (CJB)

Jeremiah 31:31 "Here, the days are coming," says ADONAI, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Isra'el and with the house of Y'hudah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by their hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; because they, for their part, violated my covenant, even though I, for my part, was a husband to them," says ADONAI. 33 "For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra'el after those days," says ADONAI: "I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, 'Know ADONAI'; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I will forgive their wickednesses and remember their sins no more." (CJB)

So, to reiterate, you can see in Jeremiah 3:8 YHWH threatened divorce but He also gave Israel a chance to repent. Apparently, somehow, Israel did repent, and if you will take a few minutes to read Isaiah 50, you’ll see it is writing about a future PAST the prophecy of Jeremiah 3, after Israel repented and got the promised forgiveness (i.e. that the threatened certificate of divorce was not given.) Otherwise, the Scripture is contradicting itself.

Also note Isaiah chapters 49-50 covered all 12 tribes. YHWH points out that they broke His covenant - "though I was espoused to them" (Jeremiah 3:14) - but He did NOT say in Jeremiah 31:31-34 or anywhere else that the infidelity actually resulted in divorce. People fail to see that the stick of Ezekiel 37:16-22 is in the hand of one shepherd who will rule over them all, one nation....

Isaiah 49:1 Coasts and islands, listen to me, pay attention, distant peoples. Yahweh called me when I was in the womb, before my birth he had pronounced my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow and concealed me in his quiver. 3 He said to me, 'Israel, you are my servant, through whom I shall manifest my glory.' (NJB)

The Covenant Promises YHWH made through Abraham are for the benefit of ALL nations (Genesis 17:7); and we are told that ALL who accept YHWH as their God are to do "exactly as" HIS people do, because the same law, "same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you." (Numbers 15:13-16)

Messiah Yeshua is the "seed" who came to his own people to fulfill the Promise – to the Jews first and then the Gentiles (Romans 1:16, 2:9-10; Matthew 10:5, 6). We are all ONE IN MESSIAH! (Romans 12:5; Galatians 3:28). Same God, same rules!

It’s not good to bash either the Jews or the “religion” of Judaism. You see, Judaism took its cue from the Word of YHWH which has been around for as long as man has been alive - or at least 6,000 years. Granted, Judaism didn’t become known as a “religion” until after our third Patriarch, Jacob, had a son named Yehudah (Judah) who headed the Tribe of Yehudah, where the term “Judaism” originated.

Regardless, EVERYONE in those days who believed in YHWH – including Adam and Eve (who found out first-hand what happens to those who deliberately disobey ADONAI’s Divine Instructions in Righteousness, which is what is now known as Torah (first five Books of the Bible) – which pertain to ALL of us).

Catholicism and Christianity arrived on the scene approximately 1,900 years ago. Both "religions" borrowed Scriptures from the Torah, then twisted them and began insisting (thanks, in part, to the much-misunderstood writings of Paul), that Torah is a curse!

In the meantime, they changed the Name of our Savior along with the dates of His birth, death and resurrection and came up with their own "holy days" while negating His commanded Biblical Feasts and the Seventh Day Sabbath.

In view of the above, you can see, there is no way that Christians have replaced Jews as YHWH’s chosen! Something to keep in mind is this:

If it hadn't been for “the Jews” being scattered into the nations (Ezekiel 36:19) YHWH and His Son Yeshua would have remained the best-kept secret of tiny, little Israel, and the rest of the world would still be writhing in Paganism. One cannot condemn those Jews who are not yet Believers in the Messiah Yeshua because God hasn't yet opened their spiritual eyes. (Same with many Christians who are busy rejecting YHWH’s Torah….)

Jew-bashing is NOT the way to please God! The Bible tells us that anyone who goes up against them in any way will suffer His wrath:

Genesis 12:3  I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed. (CJB)

So, as you can surely see by now, to hate “the Jews” is a huge mistake in God’s eyes! Instead of trying to build yourself up to be “special” or “better than,” perhaps it’s time to simply be filled with joy that you are “grafted into Israel” through the blood of Messiah Yeshua.

Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a people set apart as holy for ADONAI your God. ADONAI your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his own unique treasure. 7 ADONAI didn't set his heart on you or choose you because you numbered more than any other people - on the contrary, you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 Rather, it was because ADONAI loved you, and because he wanted to keep the oath which he had sworn to your ancestors, that ADONAI brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from a life of slavery under the hand of Pharoah king of Egypt. (CJB)

Again, note that YHWH wasn't talking to only the Jews at that point; but, rather, to the 12 Tribes of Israel....He didn't give the Land only to "the Jews"; He gave it to the descendants of Abraham.

Genesis 15:18 That day ADONAI made a covenant with Avram: "I have given this land to your descendants - from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River - 19 the territory of the Keni, the K'nizi, the Kadmoni, 20 the Hitti, the P'rizi, the Refa'im, 21 the Emori, the Kena'ani, the Girgashi and the Y'vusi." (CJB)

Jeremiah 31:35-37: This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the LORD Almighty is his name: "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me." This is what the LORD says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done," declares the LORD. (ESV)

Romans 11:25 For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won't imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra'el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; 26 and that it is in this way that all Isra'el will be saved. As the Tanakh says, "Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya'akov 27 and this will be my covenant with them...when I take away their sins." (CJB)

IMPORTANT: Just because a Gentile has accepted the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it doesn't mean they have replaced "the Jews". They are simply part of "Israel".

Romans 11: 25. (For I want you to know this) mystery, that blindness of heart has in some measure befallen Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles will come in: 26. And then will all Israel live. As it is written: A deliverer will come from Tsiyon and will turn away iniquity from Ya'akov. 27. And then will they have the covenant that proceed from me when I will have forgiven their sins.

28. Now, in the Good News, they are enemies for your sake; but in the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake. 29. For Elohim is not changeable in his free gift and in his calling. 30. For as you too were formerly disobedient to Elohim and have now obtained mercy because of their disobedience; 31. So also are they now disobedient to the mercy, which is upon you, that there may be mercy on them likewise. 32. For Elohim has shut up all men in disobedience, that upon all men he might have mercy.

33. O the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of Elohim! For man has not searched out his judgments; and his ways are inscrutable. 34. For who has known the mind of Master YHWH? Or who has been a counselor to him? 35. Or who has first given to him and then received from him? 36. Because all is from him, and all by him, and all through him: to whom be praises and benedictions, for ever and ever: Amen. (AENT)

For clarification, "All Israel" refers to those souls who make Teshuva (turn to YHWH) and welcome the Spirit of Mashiyach. Rav Shaul (Paul) does not say or mean that every Jew or Israelite by race will enter into the Malchut Elohim (see Matt 22:2-14; 25:1-12).

In closing, if you are guilty of harboring resentment or arrogance toward “the Jews” then, hopefully, this article has served to help you better understand why an attitude adjustment is needed. Blessings on your as you continue to learn and grow!

This article has demonstrated that Gentiles (Christians) are part of Israel and it is important to embrace that and therefore no reason for anti-semitism. If your “anti-semitism”, on the other hand, is based on a hatred of Israel, then you need to sit down and figure out exactly why you feel that way.

Max Nordau, the great Jewish leader in the late 1800’s wrote: “The Jews are not hated because they have evil qualities; evil qualities are sought for in them because they are hated.”

If you study your inner-self and pray about the the reasons why you may hate Jews, perhaps Adonai will open your eyes and you can truly become the child of God He is desiring you to be.