Religion, ignorance, and persecution. Throughout the centuries, people have been occupied with religion. Those who have perceived the actual intention of the Lord, which is fellowship with Himself, appear to have been a minority.

The Jews, in numerous instances, have missed God's heart. They have focused on their religion (as they do today), worshiping the letter of the Law rather than God who gave the Law.

The Gentile believers, in numerous instances, have also missed God's heart. They delight in their observances, their social gatherings, and especially in their structures. They worship their ministers, their buildings, their music, their social relationships, and—in the present hour—themselves and their pleasures.

The learned men of Judaism are highly esteemed for their disciplined lives and no doubt have a battle with personal pride. The popular Gentile ministers of today are worshiped by their followers and also may have a problem with personal pride.

It often is true that people, both Jews and Gentiles, are somewhat ignorant of God's actual reason for revealing Himself. Because of this ignorance, because of the practice of religion apart from an understanding of the goal of the religious practices, the worshipers of God often have persecuted one another.

The attitude of Gentile religionists toward the Jews has been abominable, whether we are referring to the assumption of Divine authority by the lords of the Catholic and Protestant churches or the violence of Martin Luther and other reformers and teachers. In addition, the established churches have persecuted viciously and murdered literally millions of Jewish and Gentile believers who have dissented from their dogmas and practices.

Christ was not murdered by the Jewish people but by envious, self-seeking, deceived practitioners of the religion of Judaism. Gentile leaders have murdered millions of their fellow believers because these persecutors were self-seeking and grievously deceived. The heads of the various denominations have, at times, allowed Satan to express his envy and rage in themselves. Religionists often murder the Lord's Christ and hate and persecute other religionists who do not agree with them.

In the last days, the religionists will see the advantage of uniting and they will create the great Babylon (man-directed Christianity) and establish it on the banks of the Euphrates.

Then the whore, Babylon, organized religion, with the blessing and assistance of Antichrist, will crush the testimony of the Holy Spirit in God's elect.

Gentile believers need to understand the following: It was not the Jewish people or the Jewish race that murdered Christ, it was self-seeking, envious religionists, the leaders of the religion of Judaism, who hated God when they saw Him.

Jewish people need to understand the following: It was not Christ, or the elect of God in whom Christ is being formed, who have persecuted and murdered the Jews for two thousand years, it has been the Gentile religionists, the leaders of the Gentile denominations. They have never understood God's love for the Jewish people. If they had realized the fullness of God's plan for the Jews they would not have reviled and persecuted them but would have demonstrated kindness and concern for their plight.

To be continued.