The following is one headline that followed the Bondi beach massacre.
Bondi Beach massacre: Church of Ireland archbishop condemns ‘creeping anti-Semitism plaguing the world’
(Belfast Newsletter, 15th December 2025)
The attack on the Jewish families is but the latest in a mounting wave of ‘anti-semitism’
Condemnations abound as are calls by the public and political leaders for action to be taken to stop the victimising of the Jewish people.
What is not evident is an understanding of what lies behind such attacks!
For this we must turn to the Bible and there we will learn that to REJECT the Lord Jesus has terrible consequences.
XENOPHOBIC
To link the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus with the Jewish race is considered xenophobic and racialist by many who are ignorant of the truth of God.
Repeating historical facts regarding the rejection of Christ by the Jewish race is not any more racist than teaching the history of Germany’s part in the Second World War!
That history includes the massacre of millions of Jews in a most devilishly cruel manner. It is not wrong to recall such terrible events and to comment truthfully on them, condemning them afresh!
RECORD
The Lord has given us an inspired account of the sad and inexcusable action by Israel when they, in the words of Isaiah the prophet, some six hundreds years before Calvary, “despised and rejected” Him.
“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not,” Isaiah 53:1-3.
I say, ‘inexcusable’ because as John states in his Gospel: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. . . . This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen,” John 20:30-31, 21:24-25.
The Saviour wrought miracles far beyond those recorded in the Gospels. I alway think of what is recorded in Luke 4:40.“Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.”
What I have highlighted is to be noted and, in the light of Acts 10:38, something of the almost limitless number of benefits heaped upon the needy by the Saviour is to be recognised! “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
Truly the three years of Christ’s ministry were “days of heaven upon the earth,” Deuteronomy 11:21.
OBSTINACY
The obstinate spirit of the majority of Jewish people, back some 2000 years ago, is displayed in the actions of the man whose ear Peter very wrongly cut off in an effort to stop the arrest of His Saviour.
“Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus,” John 18:10.
Being the servant of the high priest, he likely was more zealous in his attempts to arrest the Saviour and was therefore to the fore of the mob that descended upon Christ and His apostles in Gethsemane.
It is interesting that Luke, the physician, records: “And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him,” Luke 22:51.
This act of kindness by the Lord Jesus toward an enemy did nothing to persuade His attackers to desist from their evil intentions! They ignored the demonstration of power and mercy. No mention of it was made during the time of His unjust trial, not even by the man thus healed!
This shows how bent the spiritual leaders of the Jewish nation were on killing the Saviour.
CROWD
There was an endorsing of the murderous endeavours of the hierarchy by the multitude gathered to watch the trial of the Lord Jesus. When Pontius Pilate, recognising the innocence of the Saviour and also the evil motivation of the Jewish leaders, said he intended releasing Him, the response of the people was most damning!
“And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: no, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (for of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will,” Luke 23:13-25.
Matthew’s account includes a most dreadful declaration of the mob!
“When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified,” Matthew 27:24-26.
In that most horrific and blasphemous cry you have the reason for the ongoing troubles of the Jewish people.
WELL WARNED
The Lord had warned His people Israel a long time before, when the showed yet again their tendency to turn from God, trample over His mercy toward them. He also reminded them of the wonderful privileges bestowed upon them as the chosen nation.
Deuteronomy 28, a long chapter, which records in great detail the blessings that obedience to God’s Law will bring and the dreadful consequences of disobedience!
I cannot quote all 68 verses of the chapter, so I would ask you to consult it for yourself. Here is a sample of the judgment that would follow defiance of God.
“And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see,” Deuteronomy 28:64-67.
The final scattering of Israel took place in AD 70 when the Roman Army destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and dispersed the Jewish captives throughout their empire. That scattering continued, until today, I believe I am correct in saying that there are members of the Jewish race in every country of the world!
IT WILL END AT HIS RETURN
The trouble the Jews have long experienced will cease when the Lord has accomplished His purpose and brought his ancient people to a repentant acknowledgment of their dreadful sin in rejecting the Saviour!
Heed these prophecies!
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness,” Zechariah 12:9-13:1.
“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark,”Zechariah 14:1-6.
The return of Christ to deliver His ancient people will follow immediately after three and a half year of intense tribulation which will bring about their humbling and repentance.
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. . . . Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,” Matthew 24:15-21, 29-31.
This is the time of tribulation is referred to by Jeremiah as “the time of Jacob’s trouble”!
“And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: but they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished,” Jeremiah 30:4-11.
REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH
The peace and deliverance from tribulation that Israel will enjoy, following the return of Christ, will also be enjoyed by the whole earth to a wonderful degree. Man’s rebellion against the Lord, so evident today and throughout the previous ages of the world, will be greatly surpassed as the Saviour occupies the throne of this world’s government.
Here are some verses upon which I base the view I have just expressed.
“And the seventh angel sounded (that is, the last trump which signals the return of Christ); and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever,” Revelation 11:15.
“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more,” Isaiah 2:1-4.
“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you,” Zechariah 8:20-23.
REVIVAL
Christ shall reign for 1000 years during which the earth shall enjoy what can only be called a glorious period of revival!
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious,” Isaiah 11:1-10.
This is to where the world is travelling, though this is the time spoken of by Paul, when “in the last days perilous times shall come,” 2 Timothy 3:1.
The “perilous times” will come to an end when Christ returns and destroys Antichrist, the very embodiment of lawlessness and rebellion. This is foreshadowed to a degree, by the Saviour’s ending of the troublesome times created by the devil-possessed man of Gadara, Mark 5:1-15.
The Saviour ended that ‘perilous time’ in mercy, saving the poor man. But He will end Antichrist’s reign of terror by judgment!
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh,” Revelation 19:19-21.
Dear Christian, these are truths we should ever keep before us to lighten the dark days that are to come upon the earth.
They are truths that every pulpit should be proclaiming, since that is why such truths are revealed to us in the Bible!
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand,” Revelation 1:1-3.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
15th December 2025