Rise Of Anti-Semitism

18 October 2026  Isaiah 45:1,4-6

“I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not.” (Isaiah 45:4)

Cyrus the Great had several motives when he allowed the Jews to return from Babylonian captivity in 538 B.C. For one thing, it was sure to make his Persian Empire more stable. The Babylonians, and the Assyrians before them, had dealt with conquered lands by the tactic of displacement. They would remove the best and the brightest of the conquered territory into captivity, and replace them with people from other conquered lands, people who had neither linguistic or cultural attachment to the new place, and so were unlikely to fit in and perhaps become part of a rebellion.

Cyrus figured this just made everybody angry. He was more likely to have happy subjects if he allowed them all to return home. He did, and they were happy.

God’s people have been around the block plenty enough times to know that we cannot finally trust any government of this world. Governments come and go, and a friendly government today is replaced by the tyrannical government of tomorrow.

For another thing, with happier, and therefore more loyal, subjects in Judea, which bordered Egyptian territory, Cyrus would have a reliable buffer province between Persian territory and the other great power in the region. Happy Jews in Judea was good strategic defense.

For a third thing, Cyrus could present himself to all his subjects everywhere as a benevolent ruler, and thereby legitimize his rule, by restoring religious property to formerly captive peoples.

Isaiah gave Cyrus very high marks for all this, even referring to him as the “anointed one” (Isaiah 45:1) – in Hebrew mashiach, or more commonly messiah. This is not to be confused with The Messiah, who would come at the end of days and bring the promised Kingdom of God, but still being called a junior varsity messiah was a pretty big deal. Isaiah also said, however, that this all happened not because Cyrus was so great, but because God was. The Israelites had endured one exile because they were not clear about who was ultimately in charge. Isaiah didn’t want the Jews to get careless, and have to endure another.

God’s people have been around the block plenty enough times to know that we cannot finally trust any government of this world. Governments come and go, and a friendly government today is replaced by the tyrannical government of tomorrow. The Persians were defeated by Alexander and the Greeks in the fourth century, and some of Alexander’s successors revived the brutal tactics of the Assyrians and Babylonians against the Jews, even elevating the brutality to new levels. In our time, you wouldn’t think perhaps that violent anti-semitism would get any traction while the Holocaust is still a part of living memory (there are an estimated 196,600 Holocaust survivors still alive), but the close connection between certain extremist groups and violent anti-semitism never seems to go away, and the foul odor of anti-semitism doesn’t seem to bother them. Significantly, it doesn’t seem to bother a lot of U.S. young adults either – according to a 2025 Harvard-Harris poll, 60% of U.S. 18-24 year olds favor Hamas over Israel. There is considerable debate about what numbers like this mean, but the very fact that we have to argue about violent anti-semitism is a troubling indicator of overall moral and cultural hygiene.

Other indicators of a sharp uptick in religious interest and commitment (sharply increased Bible sales, more conversions to Christianity on campus, increased attendance at worship services et al.) may be signs that more people actually get it, that they see Jesus really as the source of purpose, meaning, and moral clarity that so many are looking for, that our ultimate loyalty has to be really ultimate, as high as Jesus, as high as heaven.

In God’s mercy, may it be so.