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Ukraine, The Jews & the Lesson For Us Today – Part 1

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: 

  1. Pray for Ukrainian Christians – that God would have mercy on them, and that they would turn to Him in repentance and revival.
  2. 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. 
  3. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for that is the only way that peace will spread to the entire world. 

Luke Hilton

Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, Luke discovered his passion for Israel at age of 16. Since then, he's shared the story of Israel's restoration across the globe through speaking tours, films, and articles, inspiring Christian Zionists to stand in support of Israel.

Luke is based out of Israel, serves as Director of Marketing for HaYovel and is an author and show host for The Israel Guys.

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20 comments

  • This announcement was made later in the day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-698512 It is what is probably next on the planning boards since Russia controls Syria. Read these words from Ezekiel:
    The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek (modern day Turkey, Georgia, and Russia) and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia (Iran), Cush (Ethiopia) and Put (Libia) will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer (area around Black Sea- which Russia just annexed) with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.

    “‘Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

    “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.” Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages[e] will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?”’
    “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

    “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

    • “God’s judgment?” Are you guys idiots? Their President is Jewish! Here is yesterday’s quote from him: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Jews around the world to speak up in a video posted to social media early Wednesday. “Don’t you see what is happening? That is why it is very important that millions of Jews around the world not remain silent right now,” said Zelenskyy, who is Jewish. “Nazism is born in silence. So shout about killings of civilians. Shout about the murders of Ukrainians.”

      • 1st of all he is NOT an idiot. He sees better than you do, it appears.
        Zelenski is a court Jew, even less Jewish than Disraeli was. He married a non-Jewish woman & they raise their children NOT as Jews. He is Pro-Arab, Pro-Palestinian. In case you don’t know ALL the charters & ALL the Arab language speeches by the leaders of ALL the Palestinian organizations & their Imams call for the ethnic cleansing, the genocide of ALL the Jews in Israel AND the rest of the world, and taking over the land of Israel to establish there yet another Muslim state.

  • Your thoughts on what will be the hook in the jaw that brings Russia and 5 more armies against Israel in Ezekiel chapters 38,39?????
    I was in Isrek 2019 with 350 apostolic Penticostal Christians. I’m Jewish on my mother’s side of family and wanted to visit Israel before i died. I’ve compleated reading the Bible 18 times starting 19 this week. Wondering about the Christian groups
    that travel to Israel to pick grapes ????

    • I believe that “hook” will be Israel’s natural gas reserves. Western Europe, especially Germany relies heavily on Russian energy. These countries will be cut off from their source of energy from Russia and will turn to Israel for their energy needs. Russia will attack Israel to gain control of those natural gas fields. The other nations mentioned, all muslim, will be all to happy to join Russia

  • This is just what is going to happen in the last days before the Millennium of righteousness and peace, when Messiah, Jesus Christ with all of his saints reigns. I believe this and everybody who lives, can see it. Amen.

  • Israel is the only place on the face of this earth that is not Anti-semetic .Bring them Home to ISRAERL.

  • All Prophets Prophecies comes true. God is a Sovereign God. Vengeance and wrath against evil doers was on His almighty hands as He promised to His chosen people.

  • We are in the birth pain generation expect more to quickly take place. This is judgment, God is trying to get the world’s attention for repentance. Soon many will raise their fist to God in full rebellion unwilling to repent. Then after that unable to enter the Kingdom of God as their fate will be set for worshiping the Beast. That time is not far off it seems to me. Even so Lord Come Quickly.

  • The intimation that this invasion of Ukraine is God’s judgement is insensitive and, frankly, disgusting. God’s ways are above our ways.

    Yes, we should bless the Jewish people and condemn those who work to oppress the Jewish people. But God also asks us to seek justice and LOVE mercy.

    We should strongly embrace the lessons of Job when we engage with the suffering of others.

    • It is written that the blood & spiritual essence of every Jew who was murdered because she/he was a Jew is collected by Hashem (God) and HE has a special cloak made of that. When HE takes vengeance on those hateful murders HE wears that cloak.
      Yes Hashem is merciful, yet He is Justice as well & justice at times demands a slap down. Look at the Great Deluge of Noah’s time. Look at what happened to ancient Egypt for the cruel enslavement of the Hebrews/Jews. Look at what Hashem to Nebuchanezzar – made him insane made him imagine he was an animal for 7 years to wander in the wilds let his hair and nails grow, wandering on all fours.
      Is this that is going on there now something of that type? Is it not? We cannot say for sure. But it may well be.

      Ukrainian murderous hatred against Jews goes back to the middle-ages. Pogroms & massacres for a millennium at least. In 1768 Ivan Gonta and his army invaded the town of Uman and slaughtered 30,000 Jews in 3 days!!! The Jews who tried to hide in the Synagogues were murdered by him firing cannons into those houses of worship & then setting fire to the remains!

  • Wow! Its all happening before our eyes! I am a intercessor! So l have today been praying and interceding for all the Jews in Ukraine..hope they get out of there, to safety in Israel in Jesus name Amen! Thank you Jesus! Yeshua!💞🙏🔥🇮🇱

  • That is all true and let us pray for Christian ,Jewish and Peace of Jerusalem city! All Prophet’s prophecy will come to pass in the name of the Lord. We need to stand with Jewish and Christian as well as Israel people.

  • Is there a nation (other than Israel) that has not lightly esteemed the Jews? Can anyone honestly say that their country is not subject to God’s wrath? We should all humble ourselves before the Lord and pray for forgiveness for what our ancestors did, and repent that He should not have reason to be angry with us. Expect to witness the fulfillment of prophecy in our lifetime.

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