Palestine

In my last post which was written in Dutch, I argued that we as Christians have a history of almost 2000 years dominated by antichristian powers according to the classic view of the puritans.

One of the worst and hardest thing to accept for us as Christians is the hate towards Jews years after the destruction of the temple in 70.

We became proud (against Paul’s warning, Ro.11:18) and we became an empire dominated by antichristian Roman powers. (As foresaid by John, 1Jo.2:18)

It was Rome who thought it was good to call the land of Israel after its old pagan enemy: Palestine.

Blogger Judah from Kineti L’Tziyon mentioned it here:

“Q. If they’re not related to the ancient Philistines, then why are they called “Palestinians”?
A. Because Rome once hated Jews almost as much as Hamas does.
Rome renamed Israel to Syria Palestina in an effort to suppress Jewish presence in Israel.  Having sacked Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD, and after a failed Jewish revolt against the Romans in 135 AD, the Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina in honor of one of his Roman gods, to spite and dominate the disheartened Jewish rebels. Scholars believe it was around this time the Roman province of Judea was renamed to Syria Palestina, in honor of the Bronze Age enemy of ancient Israel.

OK, it was the pagan Roman empire who did not adopt Christianity yet. But after Constantine, Christians did not refuse antisemitism. Rather, they thought they were the chosen people of God, annihilating the Jewish people and their covenants. They did not even allow Jews to be Jews.

Is it not an idea for the Pope to revoke the renaming of Israel with Palestine? A good Christian doesn’t call Jerusalem Aelia Capitolina too, does he?

Don’t you feel here that we as Christians are also guilty? It are not only Muslims to look at when it comes to antisemitism. Historically Christians also have a great deal in it.

We have to reset the things in the right order. Conform the people of Israel “whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises.” (Ro.9:4)