Combating Antisemitism and the Christian’s Responsibility, Part 1 of 3 | October 11, 2025

Chris Katulka: Welcome to The Friends of Israel Today. I'm your host and teacher, Chris Katulka. Now first I want to encourage you to visit our website, foiradio.org to keep up on all things that are related to The Friends of Israel Today radio program. There you can listen to all of our broadcasts. That's 10 years, a decade, worth of content with links to our featured products highlighted in the show. Or you can support our ministry if you believe that people, Christians, need to hear the importance of supporting and praying for Israel and the Jewish people biblically. I want to encourage you to click on that donate button to help continue teaching biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah. Please visit foiradio.org now. Today we're starting a new series on combating antisemitism. That's the hatred of the Jewish people and really what our responsibility is as Christians.

We're going to be focusing in for the next three weeks on Isaiah chapter 62, and today we're going to be heeding the words of the prophet Isaiah when he writes, “For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent. For Jerusalem's sake, I will not remain quiet.” Before we get to that, let's take a look at what's happening in the news. During a meeting with families of fallen soldiers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that no part of President Trump's proposed peace plan will move forward until every one of the hostages is safely returned to Israel. Additionally, Netanyahu stressed Israel will resume fighting if Hamas lets the deadline lapse. Well, here's my take. If Trump's push to end the war between Israel and Hamas has revealed anything, it's that the Iranian-backed terror group has already lost the war and its grip on Gaza. The real question is whether Hamas can surrender control so easily. Personally, I won't hold my breath.

Last July as Jewish people in Munich gathered for Friday evening Shabbat prayers, an anti-Israel demonstration erupted outside their synagogue. An unsettling echo of darker times in Germany's history became a reality. The march organized by the group “Palestine Speaks” under the slogans, “Stop the Genocide” and “Free Palestine” quickly devolved into a torrent of antisemitic hate. Protesters could be heard shouting “Death to the IDF!” and “Zionists are fascists!” They even labeled Israeli hostages as “war criminals” while praising Hamas. Despite their clear hostility, city officials permitted the demonstration to pass within feet of the Jakob Synagogue claiming that there was “no sufficient indication of risk.” But the timing on Friday night for the protest, the beginning of Shabbat, it certainly was not lost on the Jewish leaders. Holocaust survivor Charlotte Knobloch condemned the city's decision as reckless and provocative. Yet where hate gathered, courage rose to meet it.

Several hundred Munich residents, Christians and Jews, formed a human chain around the synagogue, physically separating the Jewish worshipers from the marchers. Among them stood a Christian woman named Gisela, wearing a yellow pin for the Israelis taken hostage by Hamas. She said, “Standing by the side of our Jewish brothers and sisters is the least we can do.” Local clergy joined the effort, linking arms with believers and rabbis alike, creating a living shield of solidarity. Their quiet courage compelled authorities to bolster police protection—150 officers, mounted patrols and checkpoints were established. In the face of hate, light broke through. That night in Munich, Germany became more than just a protest, it became a test of moral clarity. Because when antisemitism, the hatred of the Jewish people, rises, silence is not an option. As Bible-believing Christians, we know right now that there is tension in the air.

That tension that I'm talking about is this, even down to our own salvation. Yes, we have been delivered by the blood of the Lamb. Yes, our salvation is secure in Christ, but the New Testament reminds us that we are still waiting for its completion. That's the tension. Ephesians says that we have been “sealed with the Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance in the future.” That means our salvation is a present reality, but the kingdom to come and our glorification is still waiting its fulfillment. We live in the in-between—redeemed yet still waiting for all of God's promises to be fulfilled. That's the tension. And in the middle of that tension, Israel and the Jewish people remain central to God's plan of redemption. Until Christ returns, Satan is going to do everything that he possibly can to destroy both the Church and Israel because both are testimonies of God's covenant faithfulness. And that's why for the next few weeks we're going to talk about what it means to live faithfully in this tension and to love what God loves and to stand where God stands and to refuse silence where God demands speech and nowhere is that called clearer than in Isaiah 62.

The prophet writes in Isaiah 62:1-5, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.” 

Did you hear Isaiah's heart in that message, in those verses? “For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent.” See, even Isaiah is living in prophetic tension when he wrote that because the promise of restoration has been given by God already, but it hasn't arrived yet. Even the Jewish people around Isaiah were weary and disillusioned and doubtful, and yet Isaiah said, “I will not keep silent.” His persistence is not political. It's deeper than that. It's spiritual. When he's declaring that until God's promises for Israel are fulfilled, he will keep speaking. He will not give into apathy. You can hear Isaiah, he refuses to be silent for Zion's sake and for Jerusalem's sake. Now, those are interesting phrases. What does it mean for Zion's sake? Zion and Jerusalem are actually synonymous with one another, both representing the heart of God's covenant with his people. Zion isn't just geography, it's the complete story of the Jewish people in one word. It's the visible reminder that God's promises to Israel are real, specific, and they're everlasting.

Isaiah's passion is not merely for a city, but for the faithfulness of God to his covenant promises. Yet ever since October 7th, we've seen an alarming rise of hatred toward Israel and the Jewish people, not only in the streets of Europe and the Middle East, but even more heartbreaking in the pews of churches. More and more Christians, even some pastors are questioning whether the land of Israel has any biblical significance at all. I saw one Christian write this online: “Israel failed to obtain the righteousness of God. Jesus was perfectly faithful on behalf of Israel. Therefore, Jesus is the true Israel of God. And because Gentiles are in Christ, the Church is faithful Israel in Him.” They ended by saying, “The Church hasn’t replaced Israel—the Church is faithful Israel.” But my friends, that statement does replace Israel. It spiritualizes what God made literal. Another well-known evangelical recently said when talking about supporting Israel today, “We don't need to concern ourselves with the land of Israel anymore because Jesus demystified the land.” Demystified the land? I'm sorry, I remember Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, not demystifying it. 

When we talk about Israel, we're talking about three inseparable realities—a land, a people, and a blessing. The land is the physical territory God promised to Abraham. That's the land of Israel. The people are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Jewish people. The blessing is the covenant promise that through Abraham's seed, all the nations on earth will be blessed. These are not symbolic categories. They are tangible covenantal truths. And when you erase the land, you erase the people and when you erase the people, you erase the blessing. And that's why Isaiah's words are so relevant today. In a world eager to reinterpret God's promises, Isaiah stands as a prophet of persistence: “For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent.” See, Isaiah 62 sits near the climax of the prophet's final vision. Between chapters 40 and 66 of Isaiah from the movement of judgment on Israel to comfort, from exile to restoration.

This is the comfort section that we're looking at here in Isaiah 62. This is the comfort section of Isaiah, a declaration that God's faithfulness will prevail even when his people are unfaithful. Isaiah envisions a day when God's vindication will “shine out like the dawn” and her salvation will “blaze like a torch.” That word vindication means public justice—God putting things right, in front of everybody. And when that happens, “the nations will see it.” Isaiah says so. Isaiah refuses to stay silent until God's faithfulness to Israel is seen by all the nations and that's what drives him and that should drive us. Isaiah will not be silent. It's not just prophetic, it's prescriptive for us. It models what faithful believers must do when God's people are maligned. When Jewish men and women are targeted simply for being Jewish, when college campuses echo with calls for Israel's destruction and even churches grow cold to God's covenant promises, that's when the Church must say, “For Zion's sake, we will not keep silent.”

We are living in a moral testing ground, not unlike Munich. Antisemitism is not a Jewish problem, it's a spiritual problem. It's rebellion against the God who chose Israel as his instrument of blessing, and so when a Christian remains silent in the face of antisemitism, they are silent against the very God who says, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” Even the apostle Paul warned Gentile believers in Romans 11:18, “Do not boast against the branches,” in talking about Israel and the Jewish people. In other words, don't forget who you are grafted into. See, the root supports you, not the other way around. Friends, silence in the face of antisemitism, it's not neutrality, it's complicity. And so when we come back we're going to unpack more of Isaiah's words, and why it matters that we not stay silent or keep quiet just like Isaiah.

Steve Conover: You know Chris, I was recently rereading Elwood McQuaid's book, It is No Dream, and I was reminded once again of why it's one of my all-time favorite books.

Chris Katulka: I couldn't agree more, Steve. Dr. McQuaid, he may be with the Lord now, but his voice still speaks so clearly through this book.

Steve Conover: It's true. If anyone wants a biblical understanding of God's plan for the Jewish people, this is a must read. He does an excellent job of weaving in the modern history of Israel, and I can't say enough good things about it.

Chris Katulka: Well, his biblical insight and his deep love for Israel and really his connection with Jewish leaders, it comes through on every single page.

Steve Conover: And the newest version is even better than when I first read it because it not only includes maps and photos, but it's expanded since the first release.

Chris Katulka: Steve, It Is No Dream isn't just a good read, it's a reminder of God's promises and his faithfulness through the ages.

Steve Conover: Don't miss out on this timeless book, It Is No Dream. You'll come back to it again and again. Get your copy today at foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: Welcome back everyone. We've been looking into some of the final words of Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah chapter 62. A chapter of hope, a chapter of restoration, anticipation, and a chapter of comfort for the Jewish people who were facing tumult. And in the midst of the anguish, Isaiah is preaching to a people who would not believe his message. But he refused to stay silent and he refused to stay quiet about Jerusalem and Zion. Why is that? Because he understood something we often forget. God's plan for Israel is inseparable from his plan for the world. If God were to abandon his promise to Israel, what confidence would you have that he'd keep his promise to you in Christ? God's faithfulness to them proves His faithfulness to us. Isaiah understood that the hope and restoration of Jerusalem and Zion was not just for Israel's benefit, but for the benefit of all of creation.

Through Israel's salvation will come the world's resurrection—the world's renewal, when he makes all things new, when they believe in Jesus. That's when all things change and that's why he says in Isaiah 62:2, “The nations will see your vindication.” Because when God restores Israel, the nations will witness his glory. So what does this mean for us today? It means we cannot be bystanders in a world that's once again turning against the Jewish people. When synagogues are vandalized, we can't shrug our shoulders. When Jewish students are harassed, we can't remain silent. When political leaders question Israel's right to exist, we can't just simply look away. We must link arms with our Christian sister—I mentioned earlier in the last section of the program, Gisela, who was in Munich—with every believer who says, “Standing by our Jewish brothers and sisters is the least that we can do.” That is not political. That's biblical. Our silence is never neutral. Silence in the face of evil is agreement with evil. 

The German pastor Martin Niemöller famously said after the Holocaust, “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I wasn't a socialist. And then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. And then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.” We cannot repeat that pattern. For Zion's sake, we cannot keep silent. Genesis 12:3 still stands: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse.” That promise was not revoked at the cross, it was expanded. The Messiah, born in Israel, became the blessing to the nations. And yet that blessing still flows through God's Chosen People.

Psalm 122:6, commands us, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; May they prosper who love you.” That's not a political slogan, it's a divine mandate. The question is, do we? Do we pray for the peace of Jerusalem? Do we stand with God's covenant people in their hour of need? Or do we, like so many in history, fall silent? When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we're actually praying, “Maranatha, our Lord come.” Isaiah's hope was anchored in a future reality that one day God would restore Zion completely. And as believers our hope is the same. We know the Redeemer will come to Zion. We know that Jesus will reign from Jerusalem, the city of the Great King. We know that every promise God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David will be fulfilled in the Messiah's kingdom. And that's why silence is not an option—because the gospel itself is bound up with Israel's story and when the Church forgets Israel, it forgets its own roots.

Now maybe you're wondering, okay, what can I do? How can I live this out? How can I make a difference? You know what you can do? You can start small. It might be small, but it's powerful. In fact, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry wants to send you, are you ready? 50 free stickers that declare your support for Israel and the Jewish people. Stickers? You might be going, stickers? Yeah, of course stickers, because sometimes the smallest things make the loudest statements. Stick them on your cell phone, your water bottle, your Bible, your car, wherever people can see them. Each one is a simple, visible way to say, “For Zion's sake, I will not be silent.” Let these stickers testify to your convictions for Jerusalem and Zion, reminding others and yourself that you stand with God's Chosen People. Visit foiradio.org today and you can sign up and get your 50 free stickers from The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. 

Because listen, Isaiah’s words echo through the centuries: “For Zion’s sake, I will not keep silent. For Jerusalem’s sake, I will not remain quiet.” He refuses silence because God is faithful. He refused silence because God’s promises endure. He refused silence because the nations need to see Israel’s vindication. Church, now it’s our turn. When hatred marches outside the synagogues, when universities chant for the destruction of a nation, when pulpits go quiet because they’re afraid to offend, may we say with Isaiah, “For Zion’s sake, I will not keep silent.” Like Gisela in Munich, may we stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish friends—because standing with them is standing with the God who keeps His word. And one day, when Jesus returns and Jerusalem becomes the praise of the earth, we will rejoice with Israel and say, “The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Until that day—we speak. We stand. We bless. And we will not be silent.

Steve Conover: Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life and ministry of Holocaust survivor, Zvi Kalisher.

Mike Kellogg: I want to thank all of you for the wonderful time I recently had in America. It

was so good to be where people can openly sing “What a friend we have in Jesus” without fear. Here in Israel we can say “the Lord,” or “the Almighty,” but it will be a long time before we can say the name of Jesus without ridicule.

On my first day back at work after my visit to the United States, my co-workers were not happy to see me because they know I am not ashamed of Jesus. No one asked, “How was your trip?” Instead, they asked questions such as, “How many people did you lead astray?” and “Are there not enough Christians in the United States already?” I told them, “It is written, ‘For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem’ [Isa. 2:3]. And where am I from? Jerusalem!”

I am happy to be ridiculed for the Lord’s sake. I allowed my co-workers to continue mocking. Finally, one asked, “Do you have a nervous system? If we were in your place, we would have had a nervous breakdown by now.”

I told them, “Now you can see the big difference between us. As a believer, the Lord has blessed me with much patience. You have cursed me with many unkind words, but I have no hatred for you. If you do not like to speak with me, then please do not do so; however, I only want to help you to keep your souls and not lose them. This you can do through the love of God and not through hate.”

One asked, “How can we love you when you have left our God?” I told them, “I believe on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There is only one God––Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” I went back to my work with a song. I was happy because I know I have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus. I was happier than on other days, even with all their curses, because the Lord had given me a good feeling in my heart.

My friends, on the other hand, were unhappy and they came to me again, this time with questions. “Tell me how you can believe a man is God,” one said.

I replied, “I know only what I read in Psalm 110:1: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand.”’ David realized his Son would be his Lord because He was God.”

They were surprised to hear this, and one remarked, “We thought you spoke only from the New Testament.” I said, “Now you can see even in the Old Testament you can find the Lord, our Messiah. He is the One of whom Moses spoke in Deuteronomy 18:15, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’” 

“How is it that we do not know all of this?” one asked.

I replied, “Even King David said many times in his prayers, ‘Teach me, O Lord.’ If you will have the heart of your father David and ask the Lord, He will teach you by His Spirit.”

I thank the Lord that at the end of our talk they acted more like friends than enemies. Please pray with me that they will come to the Lord for salvation.

Chris Katulka: Thank you so much for joining us on The Friends of Israel Today Radio program. Next week we're going to continue part two of our series on the responsibility of Christians combating antisemitism and we're going to be continuing our focus on Isaiah chapter 62. Now, don't forget to get your copy of It Is No Dream. More Information is on our website, foiradio.org. And if you would like those 50 free stickers that support Israel and the Jewish People, again visit our website, foiradio.org. Our mailing address is FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Again that’s FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. You can also call us on our listener line. That’s 888-343-6940. Again that’s 888-343-6940. Today's program was engineered by Bob Beebe. Edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. The late Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold. Lisa Small is our executive producer. Sarah Fern is our associate producer. Steve Conover is the executive director of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, and I am your host and teacher, Chris Katulka. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Passion for God's Word. Compassion for God's Chosen People.