Israeli free-speaking newspaper <http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/994682.html>Ha'aretz reports that anti-Christianity toward messianic Christians in Israel is now so intense they can't worship safely without armed protection. Militant ultra-orthodox Jewish settlers dominate most local government and police in central Israel and the West Bank. Police do nothing as Christians are harassed and threatened with violence. (See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/christiansinisraelrepost.html#part2>"Christians in Israel: An Endangered Species") In October, a Jerusalem church used by messianic believers was mysteriously torched. A messianic teen was critically injured by explosion of a package bomb in his face; police believe ultra-Orthodox terrorists were responsible. Angry orthodox Jews publicly burned hundreds of New Testaments. (See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/burningnewtestaments.htm>"Burning New Testaments in 'Democratic' Israel") Official persecution of Christians is sharply on the rise in Israel. Ha'aretz says, "Calev Myers, a lawyer who represents messianic Jews, said he has fought 200 legal cases in the past two years. Most involve authorities' attempt to close down houses of worship, revoke the citizenship of believers or refuse to register their children as Israelis In incidents of violence [against Christians], police are reluctant to press charges." The government of Israel maintains a hands-off policy. It contends that Christians who witness and are persecuted deserve it. The government is just as anti-Christian as local magistrates. Israel continues to attempt to deport a German Christian student for the alleged "crime" of witnessing. (See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/christiandeportedfromisreal.htm>"Christian Deported from Israel") History of Persecution As every Bible student knows, Jewish leaders did not welcome the emergence of Christianity in the first century. The Pharisee Saul of Tarsus led ruthless and homicidal persecution of the infant church until his miraculous conversion to Christianity. The Book of Acts recounts several dozen instances of violent persecution of Christians throughout Israel and the Mediterranean. Such Jewish hatred may have continued under Nero, a convert to Judaism.(1) Perhaps the greatest authority on ancient Rome, Edward Gibbon, asserts that Nero's zealously Jewish wife, the beautiful Poppaea Sabina (ancestor of one of the most renowned sages of the Talmud, Rabbi Meir)(2), almost certainly incited Nero to blame a relatively unknown sect, the Christians, for the burning of Rome.(3) In that persecution, countless Christians (including most of the apostles) were martyred. Yet, unable to destroy Christianity physically, anti-Christian Jews attempted to destroy it spiritually. The Jewish Encyclopedia says some early church fathers said all heresies of the time began with Jews (4) who wanted to poison Christian teachings. The Encyclopedia flatly states that Jews inspired gnosticism-the most destructive heresy in Christian theology. Gnosticism's bad premises have negatively influenced both Augustinian Catholicism and Calvinist Protestantism to the present. (5) Circumstances (and God's grace) restricted the first-century Sanhedrin from persecuting the church into extinction. Yet the Talmud and Zohar-most sacred texts for observant Jews-burn with hope of someday renewing violent persecution against Christians as "idol worshipers." These rabbinic scriptures teach that the coming Judaic one-world order will uphold Hebrew monotheism with zero tolerance toward those who believe in a "polytheist, three-in-one God," Christians. (See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/israelisattackamalek.htm>"Israelis Attack 'Amalekites'-with Baseball Bats!" ) New Power to Persecute The power to persecute Christianity has largely returned to Judaism through Jewish control of big media and "hate crime" laws. Jewish supremacists are encouraged as never before that they might finish what their forefathers began in the Book of Acts (See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/jewsconfirmbigmedia.html>"Jews confirm Big Media is Jewish" See also, <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7217700265038533779>"Hate Laws: Making Criminals of Christians") Meanwhile, evangelical Christians remain in denial. In view of rising anti-Christianity in Israel, Christian leaders and media are silent. Unbiblically, they refuse to find fault with a nation and religion they believe God forbids them to criticize. Evangelical leaders hope that somehow the increasing anti-Christianity coming from orthodox activism in Israel will subside as a result of even more palavering of Christian "love" and "blessing." They have no solution for rising Jewish anti-Christian activism and media corruption in the western world. This threat to Christian civilization will not go away unless Christians face these threats head on and protest. To turn the other cheek does not mean to be silent before evil. Testing Christian Limits Evil Jewish leadership, from Israel to America, is testing Christians to see how much abuse they will take. Hitler and Mussolini tested the West in 1939 with preliminary wars of aggression in Spain and Ethiopia. In the same way, militant Jewish activists use hate crime prosecutions (such as conviction of Rev. Stephen Boissoin in Canada) to lay groundwork for worldwide persecution of Christians. So far, Jewish supremacists must be delighted in how evangelicals continue to cooperate, even as such Jews undermine our Christian civilization. At the turn of the 20th century, a holocaust of anti-Christian persecution erupted from Jewish-inspired communism in Russia. Tens of millions of Christians in Russia and, later, China, southeast Asia and Cuba died. (See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/jewishactivistscommunism.html>"Jewish Activists Created Communism") Today, a malignant trickle of persecution insidiously proceeds from Zion, spreading across the world landscape. It still could be dried up if Christians identify its leaders as Jewish and expose them to the withering heat of public displeasure. That is not happening. The source from which it emanates is sacrosanct to Christians and allowed to flow unobstructed. With such spectacular complicity from most Christian leaders, there is little to restrain even more aggressive anti-Christianity. Scripture says full-blown persecution will eventually break forth over the whole earth as the great harlot, international Jewish control, devastates the church. (See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/israelcontrolmideast.html>"Israel Prophesied to Control Mideast") Israel, the first to spiritually marry her divine husband, Christ, apostasized and became the mother of spiritual whoredom; she killed Him. Ever since, she has sought another husband, Anti-Christ, who will give her world dominion and take away her shame. Initially, the great harlot will undoubtedly use her hate crimes laws to imprison evangelical "anti-Semites."(See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/usgovcondemns.htm>"US Government Condemns 'Unintentional' Anti-Semitism" ) Ultimately, Christian "idolaters" will be executed as heretics under the Talmud's Noahide laws. (See <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/comingjewishutopia.html>"Coming Jewish 'Utopia' Ruled by Noahide Laws") Rev. 17:6 says Israel will become drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. The beast she rides upon, anti-Christ, will "wear out the saints of God" (Dan. 7:25) and "destroy the mighty and holy people [the church]" (Dan. 8:24). How is a juggernaut of persecution this ominous empowered to worldwide dominion? By the eerie silence of the Christian world right now! Endnotes: 1. "Nero," Jewish Encyclopedia, page 88. 2. Ibid. This article says that, according to the Talmud, Nero converted to Judaism and Rabbi Meir descended from him. 3. Gibbon, Edward, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume I, page 459, Modern Library, New York. Gibbon says the Jews bitterly resented Roman dominion of Palestine and had a much stronger motive to burn Rome than did Christians. "But the Jews possessed very powerful advocates in the palace, and even in the heart of the Tyrant; his wife and mistress, the beautiful Poppaea, and a favorite player of the race of Abraham, who had already enjoyed his intercessions in behalf of the obnoxious people." 4. "Gnosticism," Jewish Encyclopedia, page 681. This article says, "It is a noteworthy fact that heads of gnostic schools and founders of gnostic systems are designated as Jews by church fathers. Some derive all heresies, including those of Gnosticism, from Judaism." "...the principal elements of Gnosticism were derived from Jewish speculation" "since the second century B.C. gnostic thought was bound up with Judaism, which had accepted Babylonian and Syrian doctrines." 5. My video <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4452153918748081072>Zionism and Christianity: Unholy Alliance considers at length the bad influence of Gnosticism on Augustinian, Calvinist doctrine. I point out that Calvin's teaching of unconditional salvation (eternal security) was directly influenced by Jewish Gnosticism. Both Augustine and Calvin largely bought into the Gnostic idea that to inhabit a physical body is sin. With little confidence in obedient, daily trust in Christ to save us, they turned to covenant guarantees: "once saved, always saved," and loyalty to the true church, Rome. Their lack of conditions of obedience laid the foundation for evangelicals' almost universal belief that Israel also enjoys a covenant-based unconditional right to occupy Palestine, even in disobedience.