The Greater Holocaust

 I watched a short video from the Holocaust museum. It concerned an album of pictures depicting the lives of the officers over the Auschwitz prison camp, and covered the period of May through December 1944. Auschwitz was the place where thousands of Hungarian Jews were murdered by the Nazis, with much of that happening during 1944. The pictures showed ordinary looking men with their families at different functions as they were overseeing the mass destruction of so many other humans. This caused me to reflect on the horrors and atrocities committed against the Jews during WWII as over six million Jews (men, women, and children) were slaughtered by different methods. It makes your spirit shudder to think about it.

It also prompted me to reflect on what the Scriptures say awaits the nation of Israel in the end times. As horrible and nightmarish a time as the Holocaust was, it pales in comparison to what lies ahead for those who are of the nation of Israel, whether they live in Israel or not. The Lord warns about this in Matthew 24:15-22 ending in verse 22, "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved." We see a little more about this in Revelation chapter 12 where in verse 13 we see the vengeance of Satan upon Israel that starts after Satan is cast out of heaven at the mid-point of the tribulation. In Zechariah 12 and 13 we see this time described and in Zechariah 13:8-9 the word of God tells us that two thirds of the nation of Israel will perish, but that He will bring one third through the fire. This corresponds with Zephaniah 3:11-13, Joel 2:28-32, Jeremiah 50:20, Isaiah 4:1-3, Daniel chapter 8, and Romans 9:27-29. What a horrible time for the Jews as two thirds of all the Jews in the world will perish. The nation of Israel is still under the divine judgment of God for its forsaking God, breaking its covenant with God, and rejecting the Messiah. God will not completely forsake the Jews, but will save the one third that He refines through the fire. All of this is included in the divine plan of God and in the one eternal purpose mentioned in Ephesians 3:11 and further explained in Romans 9-11.

So a greater Holocaust is coming, a time of great tribulation, a time that happens after the fullness of the Gentiles has been completed. Let us not be indifferent to the plight of the Jews for the eternal plan of God revolves around them, and it includes us as we have been grafted into their rich spiritual life and heritage. In thinking about all of this I am brought to a state of humility before the Lord as I have pondered as Paul in Romans 11:33 "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!"

Oh Lord, we can not attain to this as it is too high for us and too wonderful for us. Thank you Lord for including me in your eternal plan. Thank you Lord for selecting me and preparing my place in Your plan from all eternity. Strengthen me by Your Spirit in my inner man to faithfulness in carrying out the stewardship entrusted to me. Will and work in me Lord to completeness, lead me away from temptation, and let not evil have its way with me. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth just as it is in heaven. Work out Your decrees until all Scripture is fulfilled, righteousness reigns, and You and You alone are glorified in Your saints in that day. Amen