Could a tide of persecution be about to engulf America? We have been sheltered from much of the evil around the world, but things could suddenly change. A flood of wickedness has risen in the world like never witnessed before – at least in recent times. The gates of evil began to open on October 7, 2023. That’s the day Hamas invaded the southern border of Israel to kill and mutilate1400 people.
The reports from that day are unbelievable. People were gunned down like animals. Females of all ages were raped and then killed. Babies were beheaded; one was even cooked alive in an oven. The horrors of that day will be forever etched in the minds of those who witnessed the horrific massacre and those who assisted in the cleanup. Stories of unprecedented hate, abuse, mutilation, and horror may be worse than the evil reports recorded throughout history.
What happened on that day was certainly not human. Hamas was inspired by a Satanic agenda aimed to kill, steal, and destroy as many Jews as possible. What took place was a new level of spiritual warfare that will only end when Jesus returns. In Revelation 12:12b we are told, “For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” This means that the world is about to experience an unprecedented increase of evil. The intense hatred and animosity we are seeing today stems from the early days of Jewish history – and this is just beginning. What is happening in Israel may very well increase and eventually spill over toward Christians in the coming days.
When the Jews were miraculously delivered by the hand of God from Egypt, they faced their first enemy as a free nation. In Exodus 17, Israel was confronted by the people of Amalek. (Read Exodus 17:8-16.) Israel was unprepared for that battle, and the attack was sudden and unprovoked.
Moses immediately knew this conflict was not just a physical battle. So, he commissioned Joshua to lead the men of Israel into the battle, while he ascended a hill overlooking the valley of Rephidim – to pray. Along with Aaron and Hur, Moses interceded while the battle was fought in the valley. He held up the staff God had given him in Egypt as a form of intercession. When he did, Israel prevailed – but when he lowered the staff, Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur helped to hold up his arms all day until the battle was won.
After it was over, God told Moses to write down what happened and to recite it in the hearing of Joshua. I’m sure Joshua thought he had won a great victory – but the real battle was fought on the hill through the intercession of Moses, Aaron, and Hur. At the end of Exodus 17, the Lord declared that He would have war with Amalek from generation to generation. This was the first real spiritual war recorded in Scripture.
What provoked Amalek to attack Israel? It wasn’t because they invaded Amalek’s territory or did anything to harm them. The reason they attacked goes back to a time long before that day. To really understand what led to the attack, we need to consider the history between these two nations. The Amalekites were the descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau – Jacob’s twin brother. According to Jewish tradition, the first-born son was entitled to certain rights and privileges. Jacob, however, conspired against Esau to take away those rights, along with their father’s blessing. That was a big deal back then. (You can read the entire account in Genesis 25 – 36.)
The two brothers separated for years, since Jacob moved away for fear of Esau’s revenge. When they met again, Jacob feared for his life, and yet, Esau received him back as his brother. Nevertheless, a root of bitterness may have remained in Esau’s heart toward Jacob for stealing his birth right and blessing. Even though God had richly blessed both Esau and Jacob, the account of those early days were probably passed down to Esau’s descendants – first to his son Eliphaz, and then to his grandson Amalek. That root of bitterness has grown and prospered throughout the centuries into an intense hatred for the descendants of Jacob – whose name God changed to Israel.
So, here we are now, some 5,000 years later, and the hate for all Jews is still very much alive in the descendants of Amalek. It was that spirit of hatred that drove Hamas to commit the unspeakable crimes on October 7th. Like the battle in Exodus 17, this too was a spiritual battle, a war between Israel’s descendants and Amalek’s. Yes, there is a major ground war taking place in Gaza, but another war is also happening in the invisible realm over Israel. This war has unleashed the spirit of antisemitism dating back to the early days of the nation of Israel’s beginning. So, what does this mean for us, as believers in Jesus?
The hatred that drove Hamas to commit unspeakable crimes on October 7 is not natural. The origin is spiritual; it’s demonically inspired. Satan has been trying to get back at God since he was expelled from his lofty position in the heavenly realm in the early days of creation. (See Isaiah 14:12.) God chose Abraham and his offspring to fulfill His original plan to bring blessings to all the people on earth (Genesis 12:1-3). The Jews, Abraham’s descendants were God’s chosen people to be that source of blessing.
From the early days, as Israel grew into a nation in Egypt, the devil sought to oppose them. During the 430 years in Egypt, they went from being blessed by one Pharaoh to being hated and despised by the next. When they were finally delivered by the hand of God working through Moses, the oppression in Egypt was replaced by the intense hatred from the Amalekites. That marked the beginning of the hostility that Israel would encounter from that time on. No other nation on earth has faced the continual opposition that Israel has – and survived. That alone should tell us that this is not just a natural conflict.
Satan will never cease in his efforts to destroy Israel through antisemitism. At the same time, Christianity has likewise been in his sights. For millennia, Satan has tried to annihilate both the Jews and the Church – unsuccessfully. Though Christians have suffered persecution throughout the Church Age, for the most part, those in America have been sheltered from the spirit of the anti-Christ.
This country was founded upon Biblical principles by those who wanted a place where they could freely worship the Lord. That vision prevailed for around 200 years. However, over the last 40 plus years, America has departed from the ways of the Lord. We are now living in a post-Christian nation, drifting further and further from our Biblical foundations. Subtle forms of persecution have now entered our land.
In recent years, Christian have been sued for refusing to comply with the LGBTQ movement. Others have been overlooked for job advancements for vocalizing Biblical values in the workplace. America as a nation has rejected the Biblical principles that govern our land. This has become evident with the voting majority. Just recently, Ohio passed a referendum for an amendment to their state constitution legalizing abortion. These are all indicators of things to come. I foresee an increase in persecution of both Jews and Christians coming to America.
Several years ago, a well-known pastor stated that Christians should ignore the Old Testament. In his opinion, it only reflects a negative view of the God of love in the New Testament. Modern atheists have rejected the teachings of Christianity because God is presented as a “genocidal maniac,” who commissioned Israel to kill all of Amalek. Who would want to follow a God like that? The idea of dismissing the Old Testament is a foreshadow of what is to come. Here is where I believe we are heading…
Those who oppose Israel will join in the condemnation of the God of the Old Testament. They will declare Him a God of hate – and the cause of this current “genocide” taking place in Gaza. That line of reasoning will eventually spill over into Christianity. The spirit of antisemitism will stir up the spirit of the antiChrist to attack Christians. I see this as a very plausible scenario in the coming days.
Remember, this war in Israel is a spiritual battle, not just a natural conflict. Satan will not give up. He will continue to war against all people, but especially those who love and serve God. He hates humanity and stirs up men to do the same… You can be sure that the hatred displayed on October 7th was demonically inspired. So, we shouldn’t be surprised when we see more of the same here in America. I’m afraid the hatred toward the Jews will turn into hatred toward Christians… It’s coming to America!
