I wrote this blog in the wake of the Israel-Iran war that took place over the past few weeks (June 2025). Without trying to make this political, I have to admit that it’s been difficult to watch the antisemitism that has exploded since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023. Antisemitism is a fancy word for the hatred of the Jews, and we’ve seen it rear its ugly head on college campuses and in political discussions worldwide. I suppose we should not be too surprised by this, of course, as it’s been going on for thousands of years and will probably continue until Jesus comes again.
Let me be clear: I believe antisemitism is evil and has its roots in demonic power. It is fueled by the spirit of the “antichrist” (see I John 4:1-3) which is alive and well on planet Earth. Verse 3 of that passage tells us that because many people are opposed to Jesus, the spirit of the world is, by nature, against (or anti) Christ. Keep in mind the prefix “anti” can mean against or in place of. Satan’s hatred for the Jews and for Jesus is on full display through this demonic spirit — but you wouldn’t know that unless you read your Bible and were in-tune to spiritual issues. There is a spiritual battle going on all around us (Ephesians 6:10-20) that we must acknowledge, prepare for, and fight against if we are to stand for Christ. Antisemitism and persecution of Christians are two aspects of this spiritual warfare, and both are explained in the Bible.
Revelation chapters 12-13 are primarily about spiritual warfare and the cost of following Jesus. These two chapters present necessary background information to help us better understand the nature of the unseen war taking place all around us. If we focus on just Rev. 12, for example, we learn quite a bit about the backstory of this epic spiritual battle including Satan’s hatred for Jews and Christians. Chapter 12 is all about the birth of Jesus, Satan’s attempt to kill Him, and Christ’s ascension into glory. In the end, Satan is cast out of heaven in humiliating defeat and the people of God become the primary target for his hatred and vengeance.
Assignment — Read Revelation 12
[The Woman]
A great and wonderous sign appeared in heaven. The Apostle John saw “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” (12:1). The number twelve in Scripture is significant and almost always refers to either Israel or, more generally, to God’s people. She probably represents the nation of Israel, although some believe she represents Mary, the mother of Jesus and a daughter of Israel. However, the sun and moon speak of her splendor as God’s chosen nation, while the twelve stars point to the twelve tribes of Israel (reminiscent of Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9). Therefore, she best represents the people of God because she is pregnant with the Messiah. I believe she is Israel, the nation that gave birth to the Messiah.
[The Child]
The child is the Messiah – Jesus. A male child who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter (Genesis 49:10; Psalm 2:9). Satan will try to kill him at birth, of course (and used the murderous King Herod as his puppet in Matthew 2:13-18), but the child will be snatched up to heaven and established on His throne. This clearly represent the Nativity story as well as Christ’s resurrection and ascension to heaven.
[The Red Dragon]
John then sees another sign in heaven: “an enormous red dragon…” (12:3), with numerous heads and horns and crowns representing political power and authority. The dragon is Satan (as explained in verse 9), who wants to kill this child the moment it is born (12:4). Again, this should remind us of the Nativity story, but it is also reminiscent of the curse between the woman and the serpent in Genesis 3:15. Satan clearly wants to stop the Messiah from redeeming the world and tried numerous times in the Old Testament to kill off the Messianic bloodline through King David. Thankfully, he did not succeed. Rev. 12:7-9 tell us there is a war in heaven, but Satan and a third of the angels are on the losing end and are thrown out of heaven and down to earth. (See what Jesus said about this in Luke 10:18.)
Revelation 12:4 is an important glimpse into Satan’s story. (For more on this see Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28:14-16). Many believe Isaiah and Ezekiel tell of Satan leading a failed rebellion in heaven and being cast out as a result. It’s believed Satan convinced a third of the angels to join him in his doomed rebellion and now they all pay the price and lose their access to heaven once and for all.
After the child is snatched up to heaven (12:5), the woman flees into the desert to be protected by God. There are many theories about her flight and protection, but for now, I want to focus on the outcome. Rev. 12 ends with the humiliated devil landing on earth, enraged and determined to destroy every last Jew and Christian he can find (verses 13-17). It is a repeat of what we read at the beginning of the chapter, but with a bit more added detail (see below). Of course, none of this should surprise us in light of Peter’s warning that the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), or Paul’s warning that we are in a spiritual battle and need God’s armor every day (Eph. 6:10-18).
Spiritual Warfare Ahead
While the woman may represent the Messianic community, her offspring are described in the last verse of Rev. 12 as “those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (v. 17). I believe that’s referring to Jews and anyone who claims to be a Christian today! Since the Devil’s ultimate goal was/is to destroy Israel and stop the Messiah from ruling the nations, he is furious that his plans have always been foiled by God. And they always will.
However, this does not stop him from pouring his vengeance out on those he hates and causing as much havoc and destruction as he can. He hates the Jews as God’s “chosen people,” and he hates anyone who worships Jesus as Lord and Savior. This explains much of what’s happening in our world today, including both the global antisemitism and persecution of Christians as well.
Yet one thing is certain: God is on the Throne and He protects His children. He always has, and He always will. This is evident in the modern-day nation of Israel. They are surrounded by tens of millions of Muslims who hate them and wish they did not exist. But they do. They thrive and survive in the land God promised to them through Abram (Gen. 12:1-3), and nothing can change that. Therefore, I do not believe God has turned His back on Israel and “replaced” them with the Church (see Romans 11:1). In my opinion, that’s not biblical and it’s bad theology.
Therefore, I encourage you to not endorse, approve, or engage in the antisemitic fervor sweeping our country and world today. In fact, quite the opposite: I encourage you to support and pray for Israel instead. God blesses that (see Genesis 12)! And remember, we will all stand before Jesus one day and give an account for our lives, behaviors, thoughts, and words (see Rev. 20:11-15). I can promise you that on the day of judgment it will not go well for those who hate the Jews. We must remember that not only does salvation come from the Jews (John 4:22), but the one who will sit on the judgment throne was once a Jewish rabbi!
