The Holocaust

[sheep wrecked]

Apparently, today is a commemorative day in remembrance of the Holocaust 69 years ago. This video was released today - an album of pictures that have not been seen before from the prison camp where the Jews were annihilated. What a horrifying tragedy.


http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/130950

[4given]

Thank you Sheep for the link. I've seen in the past a few youtube videos where on Holocaust Memorial Day a siren goes off and no matter where you are in Israel you stop in silence - I've watched traffic on the motorways just stop and people get out of their cars and stand in silence.

A few years ago I got to visit Anne Frank's home in Amsterdam. I agree - what a horrifying tragedy.

[Rose of Shushan]

Thank you Sheep for the link. A horrifying tragedy indeed.It shows to me the sheer utter depths of evil that man can sink to.And though I want to say "never again" it sounds hollow because similiar things occur today in Sudan and Rwanda and the world look on or rather they look away!
My thoughts are with the Victim´s families with survivors and those affected and I long for the day when every tear shall be wiped away!

[ezra]

Many Christians also died in the camps along with the Jewish people....a fact often overlooked. Every year on the Memorial day, in my congregation, we also remember the Christians who suffered along with the Jewish people.

[YYZ Skinhead]

Antisemitism and anti-Christianity are satanic and prove that Satan exists and he wants to destroy God's people. There is no rational reason to murder millions of innocent people because of their faith.

[sagebrush]

Let me just throw out this thought in reference to the Holocaust and the nation of Israel. Those who survived the Holocaust in Europe and helped to establish the nation of Israel in 1948, were broke, but not broken, in the Scriptural sense. Two-thirds of European Jewry had been exterminated. The remnant or the one-third that remained were, understandably, left with physical and emotional scars few of us could ever imagine. But, in general, there was one all-important response to their experiences in which they sadly and tragically, failed to exhibit, and that was "repentance."

Paul wrote the following in II Cor. 7:10, "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death." Herein, lies the crux of the matter. What came out of the European Holocaust was a people who were sorrowful, bitter, defiant, humiliated, but did not produce a godly sorrow of repentance, leading to salvation. Unfortunately, what it did produce for the most part, was a worldly sorrow.

God is faithful to His covenant and will bring the fulfillment of this covenant with Israel, not according to their faithfulness, but according to His faithfulness and glory and honor. As His covenant with Israel is still in effect, so are the blessings and the curses. "But, we also need to remember that "the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable." As I am sure you are familiar, Rom. 9, 10, and 11 speak much about God's relationship with Israel, as well as what the Church's or Gentiles attitude towards them.

How is it possible that an even greater Holocaust can occur than that of the horrors of the Holocaust of World War? The answer is not in the degree of persecution, as it is difficult to imagine anything more terrible than what they suffered. But rather, it is in the scope of these persecutions. The first Holocaust destroyed two-thirds of European Jewry. The future Holocaust will destroy two-thirds of world Jewry. This will be the final chapter of God's dealings with the Jewish people which will produce a Godly repentance for those who survive, and thus, the nation of Israel, "those according to the promise," will finally qualify to possess the Land of Israel permanently. And, it will be during these most turbulent days of world history that the Church will shine its brightest and fulfill her obligation to the Jews in appreciation and recognition of her debt to the Jews (Rom. 11).

What we see today in Israel is most definitely part of that process. But, I cannot stress enough that this is part of God's preordained process towards national redemption and not as many suppose as "The Final Return." What many well-intentioned people, including evangelicals fail to understand, is this current possession of the Land is only temporal. I will not list them here, but a multitude of Scriptures make it very clear that at the end of this age, only a redeemed people will be able to enter the Land and dwell permanently in peace. In light of Scripture, this will mark "The Final Return."

As a final thought, we must not view the European Holocaust or the ongoing turmoil with Israel as events in a vacuum. rather, these are the fruits and consequences of countless generations of disobedience to God's covenant with them. To be sure, the "blessings and curses" forewarned by God in the Mosaic Law, along with the perpetual warnings proclaimed over many generations through the prophets, were not idle threats. And though there has always been a faithful remnant from the very beginning, through New Testament times, to this present age, the historical fact is that Israel as a whole has continued in her disobedience. Subsequently, they have yet to fulfill their calling in being a "light to the nations" and God has determined to bring this about because He is faithful to His word.

In spite of all this, "from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers...... "For just as you once were disobedient to God but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they may also may now be shown mercy." "For if their rejection be reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

Sagebrush