Chris Lange, FISM News
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The horror of the Oct. 7 massacre of 1,400 Israeli citizens at the hands of Hamas terrorists shocked the world, resulting in a declaration of war and the stoking of deep divisions across the globe. But as these physical, political, and ideological conflicts take shape, many fail to recognize that a spiritual war is taking place, according to some experts.
Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of founding Hamas member Sheikh Hassan Yousef, said that the mainstream media is “afraid” to acknowledge that the attack on Israel is part of a genocidal religious movement.
Yousef said during an interview with Fox News that Hamas is more dangerous than ISIS, noting “the division and the global confusion” being sown by the Iranian-backed terror group.
Yousef, who renounced Hamas in the 1990s and converted to Christianity a decade later, referred to the group as “a raging religious movement against Israel” that wants “to annihilate the Jewish people because they are Jewish people, because they are a Jewish state” – something he said that the media refuses to acknowledge.
Several politicians and Western media outlets have parroted Hamas’ anti-Israel propaganda, fanning the flames of antisemitic rhetoric, violence, and hatred of Israel. The New York Times on Monday walked back its erroneous report that Israel bombed a Gaza hospital, admitting that it “relied too heavily on claims” made by Hamas.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday accused Israel of unleashing “epic suffering” in Gaza as it wages war on enemies whose end game is to wipe Israel off the map.
Yousef, who served as an informant for Israel’s international security service, explained that the Iranian-backed group is not a national or political movement, but rather one “driven by dark hatred toward a race, toward a nation.”
Miles McPherson, Senior Pastor of San Diego’s Rock Church, echoed Yousef’s warning in an article he penned for The Christian Post this week. McPherson was on a flight back to the U.S. from Israel on Oct. 7 when he and his fellow passengers began receiving texts about the Hamas terrorist attack. McPherson could see smoke billowing up from the Holy Land at the outset of the coordinated massacre.
Like Yousef, McPherson said that the Israel-Hamas war goes beyond political and ideological divisions to something of far greater significance.
“We cannot turn away from this. The current events in the Middle East carry a global and spiritual significance, and we have to pay attention,” McPherson wrote. “It’s vital for us to be aware of what’s happening, seek understanding about the issues, and above all, to pray.”
‘SATAN HATES THE PEOPLE OF GOD’
The Denison Forum recently published a prayer guide for Christians concerning Israel that included guidance in understanding the “spiritual warfare” playing out in the Middle East. The first is acknowledging that the Enemy is a “‘liar and the father of lies’ (John 8:44) whom Scripture calls ‘the deceiver of the whole world’ (Revelation 12:9).”
Second is recognizing that “Satan hates the people of God.” The article explains that, since the Enemy cannot defeat God, “he attacks his children. And he has been attacking the Jews, God’s ‘chosen people’ (Deuteronomy 14:2), for millennia.”
Finally, the atrocities committed against Israeli citizens bear evidence of Christ’s warning that Satan “comes only to steal and kill and destroy’ (John 10:10).”
The forum asserts that it is critical that Christians recognize “what the Enemy is doing so we can counter him in the Spirit.”
A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
Evangelist and Living Waters founder Ray Comfort described the “horror” unfolding against Israelis at the hands of Hamas as “demonic” in a recent CBN interview. Comfort, like many other faith leaders, said that Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled before the world’s eyes. He asserted that this should spark action, rather than fear, among believers.
“When we look at these things, it should stir us to fulfill the Great Commission,” Comfort said. “To take courage and say, ‘I’m going to talk to my neighbor and just say to him, ‘You’ve been following what’s happening in the Middle East. Do you know it’s all mentioned in the Bible? Do you know the Gospel?’”
Comfort acknowledged that many Christians are frightened that the unrest in the Middle East could “easily escalate into a worldwide attack on anything godly, any Jews, any Christians throughout the world.”
However, he urged believers to remain focused on “the end of the story — the hope seen at the conclusion of Revelation.” This, he said, “should bring peace to believers rather than igniting stress.”
‘A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY’
Tom Ascol, President of Founders Ministries and The Institute of Public Theology, stressed that the events unfolding in the Middle East present a unique opportunity for believers if they are willing to seize it.
“What Hamas needs is Jesus Christ. That is exactly what Israel needs. It is what every Muslim, Jew, and Gentile needs,” Ascol said, adding that the only true hope for mankind “is our crucified, risen Savior.”
“You will have opportunities to speak of Christ as this war continues,” he said. “Do not miss them. Pray for wisdom and boldness to make the gospel known.”
Ascol further challenged Christians to focus on the Gospel rather than fixate on reports carried by the media and, in particular, on social media platforms.
“Make it a goal to spend as much time reading and meditating on God’s Word as you do consuming news from the media,” he advised.