This article was edited/updated on March 3rd, 2022
Amidst the invasion of Russia into Ukraine, there is still much we don’t know. Early reports reveal that there has already been shelling in the capital city of Kiev, and Ukraine has already shot down an enemy aircraft over the city. Many have fled to western parts of the country, and others who remain are stuck by downed transportation or no means to escape.
As Christians, we should be concerned for our Jewish and Christian brothers who reside in Ukraine. There are more than 200,000 Jews living in the country, and Israel has been making potential plans to bring them to Israel in the face of a war with Russia. We have yet to see if this mass aliyah will materialize. Could this be part of the greater Exodus spoken of in Jeremiah 16:14-15?
“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.”
Now is the time to pray for the Jews of Ukraine, not only that they will be protected, but also that they will have an irresistible draw to return to the land of Israel. In the face of Russian invasion, we should pray that they will have a means of escape back to the land of their forefathers.
I recently came across information from a pastor in India concerning Ukraine’s violent history with the Jewish population of Ukraine. Going back as far as 1905, violent pogroms were committed against the Jews of Ukraine, with thousands killed by their neighbors and Ukraine’s own militias and armies. During the Russian Civil war between 1918-1921, estimates say that between 30,000-60,000 Jews were killed by both of Ukraine’s armies as well as independent warlords.
During the Holocaust, Ukraine was more than eager to help the Germans slaughter Jews. In 1941, Operation Barbarossa destroyed the Jewish population of Ukraine. According to Yad Vashem, by 1943, nearly half of Ukraine’s 2.5 million Jewish population had been murdered. Because Germany lacked the manpower to reach all of the remote villages in the country, the massacres of the Holocaust could not have been accomplished without the help of the local people.
In 1941 the Second Congress in Kraków OUN-B embraced anti-Semitism. In a resolution passed by their Congress, twenty so-called ‘foreign’ nationalities were listed as enemies of Ukraine. Jews were first on the list. On September 1, 1941, a Ukrainian language newspaper Volhyn wrote:
“The element that settled our cities (Jews)… must disappear completely from our cities. The Jewish problem is already in the process of being solved.”
It is clear from history that Ukraine not only eagerly helped Germany to massacre their Jewish neighbors and citizens, but they even carried out killings and pogroms on their own, without the support of the Nazis.
Amidst Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, our position should not be one of judgment. Rather, we should use this opportunity to make sure that our personal stance is clearly aligned with God’s Word. Zechariah 14 says that all nations will one day fight against Jerusalem. As believers in the bible, we should stand even stronger with God’s Kingdom, the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. When the time comes, let us make sure that we are counted on the right side of history.
As Christians, no matter what part of the world we reside in, we have a responsibility to:
- Pray for Ukrainian Christians – that God would have mercy on them, and that they would turn to Him in repentance and revival.
- Pray for Ukrainian Jews to be kept safe under the shelter of God’s wings, and for them to be able to return to Israel.
- Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for that is the only way that peace will spread to the entire world.
At the end of Matthew ch. 23 The Messiah tells the scribes and Pharisees “You will NOT see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of The LORD!’ “, and I must ask you – “just what exactly IS the name of The LORD?”. You can find it written in Holy scripture of the Hebrew TaNaKh (Old Testament) 6,827 times. There are over 2,300 manuscripts, so far, that have been discovered that contain Yod Hey Vav Hey with ALL 3 vowel points, and it is NEVER pronounced ‘Yahweh’ – but ALWAYS “YeHoVaH” (accent last syllable). This is very important for the times that are nearing – The End Of Days, The Close of an Era, THE DAY OF YEHOVAH. Get comfortable invoking that Name as it is the only name under Heaven that can save – especially the one who comes with The Name built right in to His own Name – YeHo’shua, which is ‘Yeshua’ long form(Yeshua means Yehovah’s salvation). It is the Name Yeshua taught His disciples, and it is the Name He called upon Himself! Peace and Amen
We really bless the Lord for everything He has done for us. I want to appreciate all of you my brothers and sisters, and thank you for your encouragement and illumination and enlightenment that you are sharing with us.
However i would like to ask you to share your views of how you interpret the holy scriptures in the Spirit of humility and love, acknowledging one another views of scriptures interpretation in the Spirit of helping one another rather than in the Spirit of arguments, strives or fighting.
May the Lord help us to have peace, joy and happiness in our engagements.
Shalom!
Hello everyone,
I appreciate the feedback on this article – I want to briefly clarify that my intention in writing this article was never to pass judgment on Ukraine. As believers, many of our ancestors, and the nations where we were born are guilty of the same crimes that Ukraine committed against the Jews over the centuries. We can only repent, go in a new path, and fall on the mercy of God for the horrible way that so many of our countries treated the Jewish people.
That being said, I apologize if several of the sentences in this article were unduly harsh towards Ukraine. I realize that I may have been insensitive, and would never want to pass judgment on another nation.
Rather, my goal is to remind ourselves that we should strengthen our own resolve in standing with God’s land and people, as the Bible is clear that one day our very own nation will fight against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14).
I have removed/edited several sentences in this article to better reflect the heart of what we are trying to convey. We pray for the people of Ukraine daily.
Blessings,
Luke Hilton