The Jewish people defiled the land of Israel, and they were scattered and dispersed.

Ezekiel 36:16-19

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“Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. ” Ezekiel 36:16-17

During the time of Jesus Christ on this earth, the Jewish people resided in their homeland, with Jerusalem as their capital, the Temple as a central place of worship, and a unified Jewish culture. However, many of the Jewish leaders were corrupt, influencing those under their authority. They adhered to their own traditions rather than God’s will. They denied Jesus Christ and orchestrated a plot that led to His crucifixion. From the eyes of God, the actions of these leaders were viewed as impure, corrupt, and wicked. In Matthew 23, Jesus Christ describes the corruption and wickedness of the Jewish leaders.

“Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it. So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds.” Ezekiel 36:18-19

During the time of Jesus Christ on this earth, many Jewish individuals were perceived as rebels within the Roman Empire. It is widely believed that Simon the Zealot, one of Jesus’ Apostles, was initially a revolutionary seeking a Messiah to forcefully overthrow Roman rule. The term ‘Zealot’ in Matthew 10:4 refers to a group determined to violently overthrow Rome.

Additionally, a Roman commander mistook the Apostle Paul for a notorious leader of four thousand assassins. “As Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commander, ‘May I speak to you?’ The commander responded, ‘Do you speak Greek? Aren’t you the Egyptian who recently incited a revolt and led four thousand assassins into the desert?'” (Acts 21:37-38). When given the choice to release Jesus Christ from crucifixion or Barabbas, the Jewish people chose Barabbas, known as a rebel, murderer, and thief. The Roman governor declared, “It is your custom for me to release someone to you at Passover. Would you like me to release the King of the Jews?” They all shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (John 18:39-40).

On top of being marred with a reputation of being rebels and shedders of blood, the land of the Jewish people was filled with idols. An idol is anything that people choose above God to direct the path of their life. The Jewish people were far from the will of God, rejected the love, compassion, and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and oppressed the presence of the Holy Spirit. In a sense, the Jewish culture was their idol, their false god, as they put the Jewish nation above the will of God for them to receive Jesus Christ.

In 70 A.D., approximately 37 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the Jewish people were dispersed among the nations. This event coincided with the Roman general Titus’s destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. For 1878 years, from 70 A.D. to 1948, the Jewish people remained scattered globally, and the land of Israel lacked a Jewish nation or government. This dispersion was God’s judgment for the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was not until 1948 that the Jewish people returned to the land now known as the State of Israel.

It is discerned that God’s will is for us to be peacemakers and to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. The diagnosis is that we inhabit a world rife with conflict, division, violence, bloodshed, and animosity towards the Living God. This world operates under a false deity that gives them their thoughts, feelings, actions, and words. Our intention is to live for Jesus Christ, being set apart from worldly ways by dwelling in the Holy Spirit’s presence. We actualize this intention by being among the devoted few who tread the narrow path of life, avoiding the wide path of mainstream society that leads to ruin. We recognize the success of this plan when our minds are transformed and renewed, not shaped by the world’s culture.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1