ISAIAH 49:6

⁶ Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

The name of Israel is mentioned 2,314 times in the Old Testament and 85 times in the New Testament. It is the most significant name mentioned after “God”.

Numerous figures and groups throughout the history and in modern times have been hostile towards the Jewish people and the modern state of Israel, often motivated by theological, political, or social beliefs. 

Historical figures and groups

• Early Christians: As the early Christian church defined itself and separated from Judaism, some early Christian leaders spread antisemitic ideas.
  • John Chrysostom (349–407 AD): The Archbishop of Constantinople, who wrote homilies denouncing Jews. He argued that it was a duty for Christians to hate Jews and that synagogues were worse than brothels and dens of iniquity.
  • Justin Martyr and Origen: These early Church Fathers taught hatred of the Jewish people as early as 130 AD.
• Other Protestant reformers: Though less virulent than Martin Luther, other prominent Reformation figures also held anti-Judaic beliefs.
  • John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli: They also considered Judaism to be an archaic religion.
• Ezra Pound: An influential poet and writer who was also a virulent antisemite. He embraced conspiracy theories about Jewish control of banking and media and broadcast pro-Fascist propaganda during World War II.
• Nazi Germany: The Nazis exploited Martin Luther’s antisemitic writings to justify their ideology and actions, including the Holocaust.
• Arab and Muslim leaders: Figures like Yasser Arafat have promoted hostility towards Jews. State and non-state actors in the Muslim world have often opposed Israel, particularly those supporting radical interpretations of Palestinian nationalism or Islamist ideology. 

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!