Antisemitism: More than Meets the Eye

What is Antisemitism?

Antisemitism is a politically correct expression for “Jew-hatred.” It involves hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews. Antisemitic attitudes often involve false conspiracy theories that portray Jews as controlling forces behind social problems and global events. Furthermore, the promotion of negative stereotypes about Jewish people—such as depicting them as greedy, deceitful, or overly powerful—perpetuates harmful ideas and fuels discrimination. Oftentimes, anti-Jewish animosity escalates from verbal attacks to physical violence against Jewish people or their communities.

Anti-Zionism is an ideology closely linked to antisemitism. It rejects the legitimacy of the State of Israel, the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. Anti-Zionists claim that the Jewish people have no right to the land of Israel. Anti-Zionism and antisemitism often overlap but are not the same. There is a subset of anti-Zionists who do not hate all Jews for their mere existence. Instead, they are opposed to the existence, legitimacy, and even the self-defense of Israel. Technically speaking, they are Ziophobes. Nevertheless, no matter the label—antisemitism, anti-Zionism, or Ziophobia—they all stand in opposition to God's promises to the Jewish people via the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1–3).

Anti-Jewish Hate Crime Statistics

On August 5, 2025, the FBI released hate crime data as reported by law enforcement agencies from across the country. These agencies documented a total of 11,679 hate crime incidents, impacting 14,243 victims throughout the calendar year 2024. Although hate crimes against Jews in the United States reached an all-time high in 2024, the numbers don't tell the whole story. This is because the FBI's report does not include statistics for some major cities that do not report hate crimes. In addition, hate crimes are widely underreported across the country.

Even though Jews make up only about 2% of the U.S. population, roughly 17% of all hate crimes are committed against Jewish people. Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks—the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust—the tide of anti-Jewish hate has risen precipitously. American Jews experienced extreme levels of violence, harassment, intimidation, and vandalism at unprecedented levels, motivated by antisemitism.

Antisemite of the Year

Any person who harbors deep-seated hatred of Jews is an antisemite. The dubious honor of “Antisemite of the Year” goes to a formerly conservative influencer, Candice Owens. The “Antisemite of the Year” is an annual designation awarded by the advocacy group StopAntisemitism to individuals who are guilty of promoting antisemitism. Owens happily acknowledged the designation by expressing gratitude to her supporters. She, despite calling herself a Christian, is consumed by an unbridled demonic loathing of Israel and the Jewish people. She seems to have forgotten that on judgment day, she will stand before a Jewish judge named Yeshua (Jesus).

You can see the anger in Candice Owens' eyes and hear the hatred in her voice as she spews rage-filled rhetoric against Jews. It is exactly the kind of demonization of Jewish people that inspires atrocities like those witnessed on October 7, 2023.

Spiritual Roots of Antisemitism

The root cause of antisemitism, “the oldest hatred,” dates back to the creation narrative. In the beginning, God created man, placed him in the Garden of Eden, and gave him only one restriction: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:16). Then Satan, described as a serpent, tempted Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She then gave the fruit to Adam, who also ate it. In response, God said to the serpent, “I will put hostility between you and between the woman, and between your offspring and between her offspring; he will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Notice that Genesis 3:15 introduced five key parties in an ongoing conflict: (1) the serpent, (2) the woman, (3) the collective offspring of the serpent, (4) the collective offspring of the woman, and (5) the individual offspring of the woman who will strike (crush) the head of the serpent. Knowing the identity of each party is crucial.

First, who is the serpent? There is no mystery about the identity of the serpent. Elsewhere in scripture, God explicitly describes Satan as a serpent. For instance, in Revelation 12:9, God speaks of the great dragon that was thrown down to earth as the “ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan” (c.f. Rev 20:2).

Second, the woman, in the immediate context, is Eve. However, the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy unfolds far beyond Eve and her immediate offspring. Many Bible scholars refer to Genesis 3:15 as the “protoevangelium,” meaning the first presentation of the gospel. Genesis 3:15 is a concise yet comprehensive overview of God's plan of redemption. Genesis 3:15 indicates that a righteous descendant of the woman will defeat the serpent. Many believe this is a veiled reference to Yeshua (Jesus). God's plan of redemption, which began in the Garden of Eden, unfolds throughout Scripture and culminates in the Book of Revelation with the second coming of Yeshua (Jesus).

To better understand the identity of the woman in Genesis 3:15, it is helpful to recognize that in biblical symbolism, a woman often symbolizes a spiritual entity or community. For instance, in the Old Testament, Israel is frequently depicted as a woman (Isaiah 66:8–10, and others). Similarly, the New Testament describes the Church as the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7–8, and others). With this in mind, I believe Revelation 12 provides the answer to the question, “Who is the woman in Genesis 3:15?”

In Revelation 12, John sees a vision of a woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1). The imagery of the sun, moon, and twelve stars mirrors Joseph's dream in Genesis 37:9–10. There, the sun and moon represented Joseph's father, Jacob (Israel), and mother, Rachel. The twelve stars are Joseph and his brothers, the twelve tribes of Israel. And so, the woman in Revelation 12 represents the nation of Israel.

Furthermore, Revelation 12:2 describes the woman as being pregnant, in labor, and about to give birth. This symbolizes Israel's role in bringing forth the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). In addition, in Revelation 12:5, the woman's child is caught up to God and His throne. This alludes to Yeshua's (Jesus') ascension to heaven following His crucifixion and resurrection. Yeshua's (Jesus's) vicious crucifixion was a mere “bruise on His heel,” since after three days He would rise from the grave. Although Satan thought he had defeated Christ when He died on the cross, nothing is further from the truth.

Let's return to the question, “Who is the woman in Genesis 3:15?” Since it was Mary who gave birth to Yeshua (Jesus), some people erroneously conclude that the woman in Revelation 12 is Mary. However, the symbolism of the sun, moon, and twelve stars encompasses the entire nation of Israel, to which Mary belonged. Although Eve and Mary each play critical roles, the woman represents Israel.

Third, who are the collective offspring of the serpent? Satan has no biological children. However, he does have many spiritual children. To recognize his spiritual children, we first need to understand that God places everyone into one of two categories. These categories are the righteous, who trust in the Lord, and the unrighteous, who, whether they realize it or not, are following Satan. Consider the statement made by Yeshua (Jesus) in John 8:44, when he criticized some religious leaders: “You belong to your father, the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires.” He called them children of the devil because they bear characteristics of “the ancient serpent,” who was “a murderer from the beginning” and is “the father of lies,” etc. And so, the collective offspring of the serpent includes everyone who does not have faith in God and His Son, the Lord Yeshua.

Fourth, who are the collective offspring of the woman? Since we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, in one sense, we are all offspring of the woman, but we are not all the same. Consider Cain and Abel. However, when we look back to Cain and Abel, we find hostility between them. Although they were from the same biological parents, they belonged to different spiritual parents. Cain, a child of the evil one, murdered his righteous brother, Abel (1 John 3:12, c.f. Genesis 4:3–8). So, here, Cain is the offspring of the serpent, whereas righteous Abel is the offspring of the woman. Abel's faith in God was credited to him as righteousness (Hebrews 11:4). Likewise, those of us who live by faith in God are the collective offspring of the woman.

Fifth, who is the individual offspring of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent? By identifying the woman as Israel, we also recognized Yeshua (Jesus) as the one who will ultimately defeat the serpent.

Here's what we know, in summary: (1) the serpent is Satan, (2) the woman is Israel, (3) the offspring of the serpent are the unrighteous who do not follow God, and (4) the offspring of the woman are the righteous who have faith in God. (5) The individual offspring of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent is the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

After Satan deceived Eve, she ate from the one tree that God had forbidden them to eat. In response, God vowed to humiliate the serpent by making him crawl and “eat dust” (Genesis 3:14) before crushing his head. Thus, God put animosity between the serpent and the woman, and between her offspring and the serpent's offspring.

Revelation 12 describes this centuries-long conflict, which will continue until it reaches a boiling point during the Great Tribulation. In brief, the “dragon,” that is, the devil, pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But, after failing to destroy the Messiah and God's plan of redemption, the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus (Revelation 12:13, 17). Satan is not powerful enough to defeat God, so he does the next best thing: he takes revenge on the people of God, both Jews and non-Jewish Christians.

Have you tried, and yet failed, to find a rational, logical explanation for antisemitism? That's because antisemitism defies logic and rational reasoning; it is spiritual at its core.

Why Does Satan Hate the Jews?

We know that Satan, also called the Adversary, is like a roaring lion seeking to devour its prey (1 Peter 5:8). Although Satan hates everyone, he has a special animus against the Jews, but why?

To understand Satan's particular hatred of the Jews, we must first realize that the Jewish people are the result of a miracle God performed long ago. This goes back to the saga of Abraham and Sarah. As a young woman, Sarah was unable to conceive and bear a child. However, much later, when Sarah was an old woman and well beyond childbearing age, God promised her a child. And, just as promised, Sarah gave birth to her miracle child, Isaac. But the miracle did not end with the birth of Isaac; it was only part of a covenant God made with Abraham.

The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant found in Genesis 12:1–3. God reiterated the covenant to Abraham's son Isaac in Genesis 26:2–5 and to Isaac's son Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) in Genesis 28:13–15. The main provisions of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are summed up in three unilateral promises: land, many descendants, and blessings to all the families of the earth. The modern State of Israel is but a portion of the Promised Land. Also, the Jewish people are the ethnic descendants of Abraham and Sarah through their great-grandson Judah. But, more importantly, Yeshua (Jesus) came from the land of Israel and the Jewish people. Satan hates Yeshua, who will crush his head, and consequently, he hates the people from whom Yeshua came. Still, the question remains: since Satan lost his war against God when Yeshua rose from the grave, why does he persist in his attacks on the Jews? The answer is self-preservation!

When I say Satan attacks the Jews out of self-preservation, I mean that Satan understands that when Yeshua returns, an angel will lock him away in the abyss for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1–2). When the thousand years have ended, he will be released for a short time only to be thrown into the lake of fire, where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:3, 7, 10)—an ignominious ending for one who wanted to elevate himself above the Most High God (Isaiah 14:13–14). But how does this connect to antisemitism? But how does this relate to the issue of antisemitism?

To see how Satan's pending demise is his motivation for antisemitism, consider this: Yeshua (Jesus) will not return until all Israel says, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord' (Matthew 23:39). On that day, “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), but Satan will be doomed. And so, if Satan can annihilate the Jewish people, he can prevent the return of Messiah Yeshua and thus save himself from the lake of fire. Knowing that his time is growing short is more than sufficient motivation to pursue the Jewish people with vengeance.

Antisemitism, Persecution, and Genocide

Antisemitic hatred quite often leads to the persecution of Jews and Jewish communities. And persecution, when fully metastasized, ends in genocide. One of the earliest historical examples of hatred toward Jews turning genocidal is in the Old Testament. Haman, the antagonist in the Book of Esther, devised a scheme to exterminate all Jews in the Persian Empire. But his plot backfired, resulting in his execution. Nevertheless, Haman was but one in a very long line of people intent on destroying the Jewish people.

Antiochus IV, a profoundly wicked man, rose to power during the intertestamental period. The intertestamental period is the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments. During Antiochus' reign of terror from 175 to 164 B.C., Jews were compelled to abandon their Jewish identity and assimilate into the pagan culture or face execution. If Antiochus IV had succeeded, the surviving remnant would've assimilated into the pagan culture to the point of the erasure of Jewish identity.

The Crusades wreaked havoc on European Jewish communities during the 11th–13th centuries. These “holy” wars, initiated by Roman Catholic popes, were anything but holy. The Crusaders were primarily “Christians” in name only, who believed they were on a sacred mission. However, the atrocities committed by the Crusaders give Christianity a bad name. I feel confident in assuming that on judgment day, most, if not all, of the Crusaders will hear Yeshua (Jesus) say something like, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 7:23, 25:41).

The twentieth century witnessed the rise of Adolf Hitler and his genocidal Nazi regime. The Nazis were responsible for the Holocaust, the mass murder of six million Jews between 1941 and 1945. Post-Holocaust survivors popularized the slogan “Never Again,” which served as both a memorial and a warning. Unfortunately, October 7, 2023, taught us that, when it comes to evil, we should never say “never.” According to Hamas, October 7 was only the beginning.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

Psalm 122:6 calls us to “pray for the peace (shalom in Hebrew) of Jerusalem: May those who love you prosper.” Shalom is more than a mere ceasefire or absence of hostility. According to Strong's Hebrew Lexicon, shalom (H7965) broadly includes completeness, safety, health, and welfare, in addition to peace as in tranquility and contentment, peace between individuals and with God, and peace from war. Truly, shalom is a word that is rich in meaning. Our prayer for shalom ought to include more than just the city of Jerusalem, the heart of Israel. Our prayer ought to include all Israel and Jewish people worldwide.

The second part of verse 6 is a promise of blessing for those who love Jerusalem: May those who love you prosper. When most people hear the word “prosper,” they immediately think money, money, money. But the Hebrew word shalah, translated as “prosper,” is not about materialism. Shalah means at ease, in safety, happy, and yes, to prosper. Nevertheless, our primary motivation for prayer should be our love for our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) and His “Chosen People.”

The seed of antisemitism planted in the Garden of Eden has grown like an invasive weed and now encircles the globe. Unfortunately, antisemitism will not end until the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) returns and stamps it out once and for all. In the meantime, we must be “watchmen on the walls” who pray continuously for God's purposes and protection over Jerusalem and beyond (Isaiah 62:6–7). And never forget that the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective (James 5:16).

One Final Note

Antisemitic attacks often spike around Jewish holidays such as Hanukkah and Biblical holy days such as the Feast of Tabernacles. The October 7, 2023, massacre took place on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. What's more, this was also a Sabbath. That is the day Hamas chose to attack Israel. Perhaps, not so coincidentally, the attack occurred 50 years to the day after the start of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. We ought to be especially vigilant in our prayers during God's appointed holy days.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you prosper. May there be peace within your walls and prosperity inside your fortresses” (Psalm 122:6–7).