(June 11, 2024 at 1:05 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote:(June 11, 2024 at 11:31 am)Questor Wrote: And if you think what happens to Israel doesn't matter, or that prophecy is irrelelvant, why do much of the world's population hate Jews with a passion greater than they have for life? After all, there are currently only about 14 million of us worldwide, and yet, we are the world's essential enemy . . . and have been since about 1400 BC.
The early church was at pains to make the Jews responsible for the death of Jesus and pretty much absolved the Romans who actually did it, if the stories are true. That began a cycle of Christians using Jews as a scapegoat. In addition the diaspora let do Jews being a widely dispersed group without a homeland that remained tight knit. Often restricted in the occupations they could follow, and benefitting from a high level of trust between each other, they naturally fell into trades such as lending at interest and commerce in high value goods. They became an ethnicity of middle men.
Jews are not the only ones to find themselves in such a position. Arab Muslims and expat Chinese were also not very popular and all three have suffered being run out of countries who thought their services were unneccessary or that anyone could do them as well. That usually wasn't a winning move for their economies, which made those countries even more miffed. In most cases in Europe, the Jews were there first and longest, and there was always the 'killing' Jesus thing.
Then they went and reformed Israel, a move not well received in the region; though it was as much the colonial powers just handing it to them as anything the Jews did.
Alternatively, the almighty creator of the universe likes to do hard by them.
Since YHWH does not, as a rule, simply pluck up a people group via angel-power, and place them where he wishes them to be, humans are encouraged, and even led to make things happen.
The fact that the series of events leading up to Israel reestablishing themselves in their homeland was done by men is to be expected, but that the Jews did return to their homeland despite the world being passionately against the idea is notable, and that they continue to survive is astonishing.
As for YHWH punishing the Israelites throughout time, it was always deserved, and thus the Israelites dispersed as was promised under the Mosaic Covenant. It does not negate the reality that Israel was re-established as prophesied, but rather set up the need for it.
