Rev. Willem JJ Glashouwer is a preacher within the PKN. Rev. As chairman of the ‘European Coalition for Israel’ and president of ‘Christians for Israel International’, Glashouwer is actively involved in the work of Christians for Israel. In his book ‘Why Israel?’ one chapter is devoted to hatred of Jews and specifically the root of anti-Semitism. Here is a brief summary of that chapter.
The root of anti-Semitism
- Rev. Glashouwer: Why Israel?
- The Old Covenant People
- Added to the new covenant
- Rev. Glashouwer: Hatred of the Jews is hatred of the God of the Jews
- ‘Christian’ hatred of the Jews
- Killers of God
- Replacement theology
- Hatred of Israel is hatred of God
Rev. Glashouwer: Why Israel?
The Old Covenant People
In the book Why Israel? In eleven clear Bible studies, Rev. Glashouwer discusses topics such as the covenants, the Biblical meaning of the land of Israel and the position of Jerusalem. One chapter is devoted to the root of anti-Semitism.
T he answer to the question in the title of the book is clearly answered by Glashouwer: Israel has been the people of God for thousands of years. The old covenant people are still the apple of God’s eye and have a universal calling. God chose Israel as His chosen people to bless the nations of the earth and to reveal Himself to the world through this people. God chose Israel as the nation from which Jesus Christ (Jesus the Messiah, Yeshua haMashiach) would be born.
Added to the new covenant
The Church has not replaced Israel. The Church is not the new Israel! It is time to put an end to replacement theology. Israel is Israel and the Church is the Church. God will fulfill all the promises made to Israel, just like the promises made to the Church. The believers from the Gentiles are grafted into the new covenant of God with Israel (Romans 11:17-18,24). The believers from the Gentiles have been added to the new covenant with Israel and have not replaced Israel!
Rev. Glashouwer: Hatred of the Jews is hatred of the God of the Jews
What is the cause of the ever-increasing virulent anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews? Rev. Glashouwer makes it clear that hatred of the Jews is fundamentally hatred of the God of the Jews. This is expressed in Psalm 83:
O God, do not hold your peace,
do not hold your peace, O God, do not look blankly, Your enemies are stirred, Those who hate you lift up their heads, They have plotted against your people, They have plotted against your favorite together, and say, ‘Come, we will destroy this nation, and Israel ‘s name will never be mentioned again.’
They have plotted together and united against you…
The ranks are closing against Israel. The psalmist lists the enemies who have plotted and united against God’s people:
The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the sons of Hagar, Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre. Even Assyria has joined and reached out to the sons of Lot.
Against Israel, the greatest enemies suddenly become friends . We see this in Jesus:
On that day Herod and Pilate became friends, while they had always been enemies (Luke 23:12).
That hatred of Israel has been there from the very beginning. Think of the situation of the people in Egypt, or of Jew-haters like Haman. But the biggest Jew hater so far was Hitler, who systematically exterminated Europe’s Jews.
‘Christian’ hatred of the Jews
Killers of God
Rev. In the chapter, Glashouwer reflects on the ‘Christian’ hatred towards God’s people. (Physical) Christianity held the Jews (collectively) responsible for the death of Jesus. It preached hatred against what they saw as ‘murderers of God’. In this article I will take a closer look at this false accusation. The Church has shamefully misbehaved towards the Jewish people for centuries. One can read the moving book ‘Blood on Our Hands’ by Michael L. Brown about the guilt that Christians have towards the Jews and anti-Semitism in church history. Rev. Glashouwer writes: ,It cannot be repeated often enough: Crusades, Inquisition, pogroms and Holocaust are forms of Christian anti-Semitism or took place in the Christian world, (p. 149).
Replacement theology
According to Rev. Glashouwer, the replacement theology that has been proclaimed for centuries, the (false and anti-Christian) doctrine that Israel has been dismissed as God’s chosen people and that the Church has taken its place, has become deeply ingrained in the ‘blood’ of the Church. Both in Roman Catholic theology and in the Protestant and Eastern Orthodox churches. This teaching is still widespread, especially among Arab and Palestinian Christians, ,so that they often have little difficulty in agreeing with the hatred and condemnations that their Muslim Arab brothers express towards Israel, (p. 150).
Hatred of Israel is hatred of God
Glashouwer emphasizes that Christian hatred of Israel is also hatred of God. There seems to be a change in the climate of thought in the Christian world towards Israel. Glashouwer is skeptical about it: ,How deep that goes remains to be seen. In fact, the best years of that theological thinking are already behind us, (p. 150). According to Glashouwer, theological thinking seems to be changing in favor of a Palestinian ‘liberation theology’. In general, there seems to be no special place for Israel in Christian theology. Theology is human work, because fortunately God thinks completely differently about it! The Bible testifies again and again that He is faithful to His covenants with Israel.
read more
- Rev. Willem JJ Glashouwer: Why Israel? – Book review
- Martin Luther and the Jews and his 7 anti-Jewish measures
- Anti-Semitism New Testament: Johannes et al. anti-Jewish?
- Jesus-confessing Jews incorporated into Christianity and the Church?
- Biblical prophecies Israel: diaspora, return of the Jews