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And the Nations Were Silent

AND THE NATIONS WERE SILENT

MIKE CUNNINGHAM

May 5, 2007

Early one morning several weeks ago while I was alone in our living room reading Newsweek Magazine, I came across a black and white photograph accompanying a review of a recently published book chronicling the account of one of the most evil events in human history. Although I haven’t finished reading it, I’m still pondering the scene in that photo which must have been taken when I was about seven or eight years old.

The pitiful looking men, women and children in that picture could never have imagined the horror they were soon going to experience. Each person’s facial expression, especially their eyes, portrayed an unmistakable spirit of hopelessness. As I took it all in, an intense feeling of sorrow gripped me and wouldn’t let go.

Scenes such as that one have a way of staying with me. In fact, I’m sure I’ve viewed that particular picture several times over the years. But this time I did something quite different with it. In my mind I substituted the grim faces of the victims who were lined up on a city street and surrounded by their armed uniformed captors, with those of my wife and the rest of our family, and then each of you and your loved ones  faces together with all those special people through whom the Lord has blessed me in various ways, and I broke down and sobbed like a baby.

And then I drew myself closer and closer and closer to God. I lifted everyone up in one of my most fervent prayers, pleading with our merciful Father to deliver each of us, not just from what more than six million Jews and other human beings suffered in “The Holocaust,” but from every form of evil. Always!

About a week or so later while I was praying and thinking about this morning’s message, my thoughts wandered to the beginning of a series of profoundly life altering events which had been predestined to occur in the life of a stocky little eight year old barrel-chested boy named Elias. Although he didn’t realize it at the time, each tragic incident unfolded exactly as it had been foreordained and planned by the Sovereign One who works out everything precisely in accordance with His will (Ephesians 1:11).

Elias, together with his siblings and devout Christian parents lived peacefully alongside their Jewish neighbors in a land in which its inhabitants could trace their ancestry back to first century Christianity. Unknown at the time to the young boy was the fact that a series of international intrigues and clandestine agreements had been taking place behind the scenes which would change his life forever. All Hell was about to break loose.

When word reached the boys tiny village that all but 50 of the 400 people in a neighboring village had just been slaughtered by Jewish Zionist soldiers, even, “The native Jewish people were shocked and disgusted. In tears, they protested that such things violated their ancient beliefs. Upon hearing the news about Deir Yassin, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem flew into a fury.” Years later Elias was to write: “The Jews who had been our neighbors, our friends who lived with us and shared our customs, ached for us. They could not understand or accept such violence, but they were powerless to help. And the nations were silent.”[i]

The Zionist Military pressed forward committing “acts of purification” and “cleansing” in a region which you and I know as “The Holy Land.” They drove almost a million of the young boy’s countryman into refugee camps while leaving tens of thousands of those who had been brutally slaughtered behind. Years later, recalling that wide-awake nightmare, Elias wrote, “Night after night I would lean my head against Mother, fingering the fish and doves on her necklace, and hear Father pray: “Forgive them, O God. Heal their pain. Remove their bitterness. Let us show them Your peace.”[ii]

Nevertheless, the people of the world, including millions of followers of the Risen Savior, remained silent, just as others had during the Holocaust of the Second World War. It was as though people deliberately cupped their ears with their hands so that they wouldn’t have to hear the agonizing pleas of the victims. Those poor wretched devout Jews must have been crying out to God day and night asking, “where are the righteous O Lord, where are they,” as they perhaps recalled the words of King Solomon and those of a righteous man named Job as he offered his defense to God.

Proverbs 29:7 (AMP) 7 The [consistently] righteous man knows and cares for the rights of the poor, but the wicked man has no interest in such knowledge.

Job 29:10-17 (ESV) 10 the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. 11 When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved, Why?, 12 because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him. 13 The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. 14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. 15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. 16 I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. 17 I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth.

Job 31:13 (ESV) 13 “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me,

Job 31:20 (ESV) 20 if his body has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

It’s as though Job is saying, “if I hadn’t done all these things then I would be guilty and deserving of the terrible suffering I’m enduring, but I’m innocent. I did nothing to warrant what I’m going through. That righteous man knew God. Wouldn’t you imagine the parents of little Elias and other adult Christians living in the Middle East at the time would have wondered, if, because of their silence, perhaps most of the millions of professed American Christians didn’t truly knew God? Can you imagine someone who knows God and as far as is possible not doing his or her utmost to help the needy? Consider this rhetorical question the Lord once asked Jeremiah concerning Shallum the King of Judah:

Jeremiah 22:16 (ESV) 16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the Lord.

Obviously God doesn’t expect you and me to provide for the needy beyond that which we are capable. But we certainly ought to be doing whatever is possible to alleviate the plight of the worlds oppressed such as making their predicament a matter of continual prayer.  We Christians also ought to be persistently attempting to influence our elected officials, and hounding them to do something about the injustice in our world. They may do something good, if for no other reason than to shut us up in hopes of getting our votes.

Luke 18:2-5 (ESV) 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ”

Felix the Governor cut the Apostle Paul slack while he held Paul in prison, but he did so for his own selfish interests which were so characteristic of the man.

Acts 24:26-27 (ESV) 26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. 27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

America’s Evangelical Christian Church is still being justifiably criticized for its moral silence concerning the abolition of slavery and its apathetic hands-off response towards the Civil Rights Movement. As I said a moment ago, as we have opportunity, we must passionately speak out and protest against all forms of oppression and injustice. However, we must be absolutely certain we do so for the right reason. And above all, we must not be silent! For instance, what I’m about to share certainly has given me a lot of food for thought. I hope it does each of you, too.

“Dwight Wilson, author of Armageddon Now!, convincingly demonstrates that dispensational premillennialism advocated a “hands off” policy regarding Nazi persecutions of the Jews during World War II. Since, according to dispensational views regarding Bible prophecy, “the Gentile nations are permitted to afflict Israel in chastisement for her national sins,” there is little that should be done to oppose it.” Wilson writes that “It is regrettable that this view allowed permillennialists to expect the phenomenon of ‘anti-Semitism’ and tolerate it matter-of-factly.”[iii]

Wilson describes “premillenarian views” opposing “anti-Semitism” in the mid thirties and thereafter as “ambivalent.” There was little moral outcry “among the premillenarians…against the persecution, since they had been expecting it.” He continues:

“Another comment regarding the general European anti-Semitism depicted these developments as part of the ongoing plan of God for the nation; they were “Fore gleams of Israel’s Tribulation.” Premillennialists were anticipating the Great Tribulation, “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” Therefore, they predicted, “The next scene in Israel’s history may be summed up in three words: “purification through tribulation.” It was clear that although this purification was part of the curse, God did not intend that Christians should participate in it (in spite of the fact that it would bring them punishment)—and that any moral outcry against Germany would have been in opposition to God’s will. In such a fatalistic system, to oppose Hitler was to oppose God.”[iv]

“Other premillennial writers placed “part of the blame for anti-Semitism on the Jews; ‘The Jew is the world’s archtroubler. Most of the Revolutions of Continental Europe were fostered by Jews.” The Jews, especially the German Jews—were responsible for the great depression.”[v]

Wilson maintains that it was the premillennial view of a predicted Jewish persecution prior to the Second Coming that led to a “hands off” policy when it came to speaking out against virulent “anti-Semitism”. For the premillenarian, the massacre of Jewry expedited his blessed hope. Certainly he did not rejoice over the Nazi holocaust, he just fatalistically observed it as a “sign of the times.”’[vi] Wilson offers this summary:

“Pleas from Europe for assistance for Jewish refugees fell on deaf ears, and “Hands Off” meant no helping hand. So in spite of being theologically more pro-Jewish than any other Christian group, the premillenarians also were apathetic—because of a residual anti-Semitism, because persecution was prophetically expected, because it would encourage immigration to Palestine, because it seemed the beginning of the Great Tribulation, and because it was a wonderful sign of the imminent blessed hope.” [vii]

1 John 3:17 (AMP) 17 But if anyone has this world’s goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?

James 4:17 (ESV) 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

It isn’t just certain things that we do which are sinful, but also those which we don’t do. I sometimes wonder which is worse.

Many folks have lots of knowledge about the Bible are very quick to sing praises of His repeatedly blessing them. They know without a doubt that it is through Him alone from which each and every one of their blessings flow. They have been enlightened. They have tasted the heavenly gift. They have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God (Hebrews 6:4-5) and yet, any thinking person, Christian or otherwise, can’t help wondering where their heart really is; when, except for times something effects them personally, they are no more than silent bystanders on the road leading to eternity. Jesus warned about the shocking surprise awaiting many of the so called “good people.”

Matthew 25:41-45 (AMP) 41 Then He will say to those at His left hand, Be gone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me and entertain Me, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me with help and ministering care. 44 Then they also [in their turn] will answer, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? 45 And He will reply to them, Solemnly I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least [in the estimation of men] of these, you failed to do it for Me.

Proverbs 21:7 Proverbs 21:7 (ESV) 7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just.

Proverbs 29:7 (AMP) 7 The [consistently] righteous man knows and cares for the rights of the poor, but the wicked man has no interest in such knowledge.

You and I ought to pause from our often self induced hectic lifestyle, and look closely deep down into our hearts, and then ask ourselves this question: “If I were put on trial and I was charged with being a follower of the One who tells us to love each other as He has loved us, would there really be enough evidence to convict us? Please remember what I have told you folks many times in the past; whenever I say something like this I am also preaching to myself. It behooves us also to take the following Proverb from King Solomon very seriously:

Proverbs 21:13 (NKJV) 13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard.

Before I close I want to assure you folks that all dispensationalists didn’t

respond to the plight of the World War Two Jews with silence, and also of the fact that some of the godliest Christ-like people are dispensationalists. However, millions of them allowed themselves to be deceived and to be caught up in a belief system which I believe the Apostle Paul would describe as being “a fruitless work of darkness,” just as perhaps millions of truly born-again Christians today are involved in pseudo Christian churches.


[i] BLOOD BROTHERS, p, 48 ©1984, 2003 by Elias Chacour, Chosen Books, a division of Baker Book House Co. Grand Rapids, Mi. 49515.

[ii] Ibid, p.49.

[iii] Dwight Wilson, Armageddon Now!: The Premillenarian Response to Russia and Israel Since 1917 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1977), Reprinted by the Institute for Christian Economics in 1991 with an updated foreword by the author. Cited by Gary DeMar, The Bloody Future of Israel In Dispensational Eschatology http://www.americanvision.org/articlearchive/bloody_future_of_israel.asp?vPrint=1

[iv] Wilson, Armageddon Now!, 13.

[v] Wilson, Armageddon Now!, 94.

[vi]Wilson, Armageddon Now!, 94.

[vii] Wilson, Armageddon Now!, 94. Emphasis added

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