October 2019
The Ashes of Auschwitz
“I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” Isaiah 48:10
By Mike Wingfield
A few months ago, I approached my board of directors and shared with them that I was being compelled by the Lord to visit the former Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland. Part of me did not want to make this trip. I have been to the museum of the Holocaust in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, many times. However, this did not seem to satisfy the yearning God had put on my heart. I told myself that I was too busy and my schedule was full. After sharing my heart with my board, they approved my request and I made the trip during the first week of August.
I cannot begin to tell you how this experience has made a lasting impact in my personal life and ministry. Without question, this was one of the most sobering and heart-wrenching experiences in my life. God spoke to my heart in many ways, some of which I will share with you in this newsletter.
One of the most prevalent signs of the last days is the global hatred for Israel. According to the Bible, when the end comes, the world will hate Israel and be zealously plotting its destruction.
Satan’s attack upon Israel and the Jewish people is, in essence, an attack upon God and His eternal purposes. If Satan can destroy Israel or annihilate the Jewish people, He will have defeated God. Since the call of Abraham 4,000 years ago, Satan has made this his aim.
Both secular history and the Scriptures testify to the violent global rejection of the Jewish people in the history of the nations. The plague of anti-Semitism has been with the Jewish people since the birth of the nation in Egypt more than 3,500 years ago. The Psalmist declared, “Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say” (Psalm 129:1). While speaking to His Jewish disciples about the end times, Jesus said, “… and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). Hundreds of years before the time of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah wrote to the Jewish nation and delivered God’s message, “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10).
As you examine the pages of Jewish history there have been many periods of horrific persecution and rejection. However, one of the most deadly attacks upon the Jewish people took place during the Holocaust more than seven decades ago. During this 10-year period about 6 million Jewish people were killed.
During the horrific days of World War II, the Nazi regime developed a plan to re-engineer the human race by removing the undesirable minorities that did not measure up to its standards. At the heart of these liquation efforts was the annihilation of the Jewish people. This plan was personally created and orchestrated by the Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler, who was the leader of the Third Reich from 1933 to 1945.
Most people do not know that the plan to liquidate the Jewish race during the Holocaust was in part fueled by the teaching and writings of Martin Luther, who preceded Hitler by 400 years. Luther, a former Catholic monk in Germany, is best known for becoming the leader of the protestant reformation. While we can thank the Lord for many of the efforts of Luther, we need to take note that his teaching concerning the Jews and understanding of Biblical prophecy continued to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church. Like so many in his time, Luther did not know the prophetic Scriptures. He believed in what is today called “Replacement Theology.” This dangerous and erroneous teaching promotes the lie that God has permanently divorced the Jewish people from His covenant and replaced them with the Gentile church.
Luther hated the Jews. He wrote a book called The Jews and Their Lies. In this book, he wrote, “First, their synagogues should be set on fire. … Secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed. … Thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer-books and Talmuds. … Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach any more. … Fifthly, passport and traveling privileges should be absolutely forbidden to the Jews. … Sixthly, they ought to be stopped from usury [charging interest on loans]. … Seventhly, let the young and strong Jews and Jewesses be given the flail, the ax, the hoe, the spade, the distaff, and spindle, and let them earn their bread by the sweat of their noses. … We ought to drive the rascally lazy bones out of our system. … Therefore away with them. …
“To sum up, dear princes and nobles who have Jews in your domains, if this advice of mine does not suit you, then find a better one so that you and we may all be free of this insufferable devilish burden — the Jews.” (https://www.wnd.com/2017/04/was-martin-luther-an-anti-semite/)
One can easily see how Hitler, 400 years after these words were written by Luther, could use this ideology that was already a part of the church in Germany. During the years leading up to the Holocaust, Germans were fed a constant diet of anti-Semitism. Jews were ridiculed, falsely accused, and portrayed as a burden upon society. They were quickly denied employment, education, and the basic freedoms of life. They were forced to wear a yellow star on their clothing to mark their Jewish identity, attracting rejection and inhuman treatment.
The plan of Hitler was successful. A great majority of Germans supported his goal of the extermination of the entire Jewish race. For example, Hans Frank, the governor general in Nazi occupied Poland in 1944, stated, “The Jewish are a race that must be totally exterminated.” In preparation for their final demise, the Jewish people were forced to leave their homes and were forced into designated ghettos. A million or more Jews died in the ghettos while waiting to be transported to the death camps. They died of starvation and diseases, succumbed to the harsh conditions, or were killed by the Germans.
When the time came for their transport to the death camps, they were driven like cattle into railroad cars. Hundreds were crammed into each railroad car. They were forced to stand up for most of the journey that in some cases took days. There was no water, very little food, and no bathroom facilities. Ventilation was poor. Many died on t hese trains before their arrival at the concentration camps, hundreds of miles away.
During the early years of the Holocaust there were more than 50 death camps scattered across the Nazi-controlled areas of Europe. During the last three years of the war, the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in Poland became the major center for the Nazi efforts to exterminate the entire Jewish race. It is estimated that as many as 1.5 million Jews were killed at this camp.
When the trains arrived at Auschwitz, or its sister camp, Birkenau, only 3 miles away, the Jews were separated based upon who was fit for work. Those who were not able to work – the elderly, children and infants, mothers with small children, or the sick – were immediately sent to the gas chambers. Statistics suggest this usually represented about 70 percent of those on the train. They were led to an area where they were forced to undress and told they were going into a large shower room. Hundreds were forced to enter. When the door was finally locked, the German agents dropped Zyklon B pesticide into the chamber. As the poisonous vapor filled the room, these poor people screamed and cried out for help until they died about 20 minutes later.
After the deadly vapor had dissipated, some of the Jewish prisoners were forced to remove the dead bodies. Most of them were taken to the crematorium area. It was the goal of the Germans to cremate as many Jewish bodies as possible. At the height of the war, they were cremating an average of 4,756 bodies per day. Many other Jewish people were murdered and buried in massive graves just outside of the death camps. Tons of cremation ashes were dumped into the rivers and ponds around the areas of Auschwitz and Birkenau.
Those who were kept as prisoners were forced to live in crude barracks. They were forced to surrender all personal belongings, were issued prisoner clothing, and were photographed, and tattooed with a number. They were tattooed with a number because in just a few short weeks they would lose so much weight they could not be identified by the photo taken at the time of their entrance into the camp.
The goal of the camps was to make these prisoners slaves of the German war effort. It was their intention to kill these prisoners in about four months by starving them and submitting them to horrific and inhuman living conditions. They worked in the intense heat of the summer and during the harsh cold winters with no extra clothing or heat. They worked for 14-15 hours per day and their food rations consisted of weak coffee, water, a few pieces of moldy bread, and a small cup of very watery soup. They slept in bunks with about a dozen people and had only a few minutes each day to visit the bathroom.
Each morning, at daybreak, the prisoners were forced to gather outside for roll call. In some cases they had to stand in the intense heat or sub-zero temperatures while they waited for everyone to be accounted for. If someone was found to be too weak for work, they were sent to the gas chambers.
The entire camp was surrounded by an electrified bob wire fence. Sections of the camp were also isolated with the same kind of fence so that they could prevent a massive rebellion or attempt to escape. Guard towers were located along the perimeter of the fence. German guards were told to shoot any prisoner who tried to escape. Those who did kill prisoners trying to escape were rewarded with cigarettes, vodka, and attendance at parties.
Some prisoners faked an escape so that they would be killed. It was their way of ending their torture. Those who did escape were usually tracked down by dogs and returned to the camp where they were hung in the presence of their fellow prisoners at roll call the next morning.
Finally, the Germans realized that they were going to lose the war, and the prisoners would be set free after the death camps would be discovered. Therefore, they began to erase as much evidence as possible. They burned down the wooden barracks at Birkenau. They forced thousands of Jewish prisoners to march to other camps deeper into the German occupied areas. This march took place in the cold and harsh conditions of winter. Many of the prisoners were already frail, and had no shoes or clothing to endure the freezing conditions. Many prisoners that collapsed in the snow were shot. The path of this march was littered with frozen Jewish bodies.
Hitler lost the war and he did not complete his mission of eliminating the Jewish race. His war was doomed to fail because He was in direct conflict with the God of Israel. The Lord promised Abraham that He, the Almighty, would curse those who curse His chosen people (Genesis 12:3). The continued presence of the Jewish people is guaranteed by the God of Jacob. He has declared, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6). Furthermore, the Lord used the Holocaust to briefly soften the heart of the international community and bring about the creation of the modern state of Israel. These two events are wielded together in God’s prophetic plan. Psalm 102, which seems to be an amazing prophecy about the Holocaust, connects the suffering of His people with the building up of Zion. Ezekiel’s amazing prophecy of the vision of the valley of dry bones teaches that God will resurrect the dead nation of Israel and call the people back to their ancient homeland. God said, “Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:12). Many of the people who returned to Israel had the tattoos on their arms as survivors of the death camps.
As I reflect upon my visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau I believe I now know why the Lord directed me to make this visit to Poland to see the actual remains of the Holocaust death camps. First, I am reminded that the doctrine of replacement theology created the atmosphere for the Holocaust. This doctrine, which rejects God’s eternal promise given to Israel, attempts to denigrate the Jews with a false interpretation that the church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. As witnessed by Luther, this leads to a twisted view of the prophetic Scriptures and ultimately to a hatred for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. Most of the pastors and churches in the United States hold to this deadly and deceiving doctrine. This is being duplicated around the globe and is setting the stage for the final rejection of Israel. Furthermore, most of the church today is Biblically illiterate concerning Biblical prophecy.
My visit to these death camps also impressed upon me the level of deception that accompanied the hate-filled mission of the Nazi regime. From the very beginning, the Nazis lied to the Jewish people about their plans to eliminate them. They told them they were being selected for work. The sign over the gates at Auschwitz, which is still there today, reads, “Work will set you free.” As the trains arrived and people walked through this gate, the Germans forced Jewish prisoners to form an orchestra and to play soothing music to calm the Jews on their march toward death. When the Jews entered the area to disrobe and enter the gas chambers, the orchestra was there and they were told they were going into the chambers to take a shower. Shower heads were installed to add to the deception.
At the heart of this evil regime was war and death. They had plans to create a utopia without God and to re-engineer society for their own benefit. The Muslims, socialists, and communists within the United Nations and in our own U.S. government are doing the same thing. They are deceptively orchestrating everything toward war and death so they can create a New World Order that fits their political or religious deceptive frame-work. During Hitler’s rise to power, the masses were so deceived that they placed their complete trust in a man who was filled with hate and evil. The world is being uniquely prepared to do this one more time. The international community is being prepared for the arrival of Antichrist. When he steps on the stage, much like Hitler did at a time of economic hardship in Germany, the world will eagerly embrace him and he will lead them to their death and eternal doom in their opposition against God. Concentration camps and the death of hundreds of millions are a part of the immediate future of our world. Read Revelation 13:11-18.
Iran’s relentless aim to annihilate the Jewish nation of Israel illustrates just how late it is in these last of the last days. In the last few decades, Iran has openly declared that it will ultimately rid the world of the presence of the Jewish nation. In spite of this threat, much of the world continues to do business with Iran as if nothing were wrong. China, Russia, Turkey, India, and many of the European nations continue to purchase oil from Iran and blatantly disregard the economic sanctions that the Trump administration has placed upon Iran. During the years of the Obama administration, these nations joined the U.S. supported of Iran’s march toward the development of a nuclear program. It was no secret that Iran’s aim was to develop nuclear warheads. While very few nations would openly admit it, it appears that the world is ready to sacrifice the future of the nation of Israel upon the altar of economic convenience. In reality, they do not really care about the Jewish nation of Israel.
This is one of the reasons why President Donald Trump and his administration are hated so much within the U.S. and the international community. President Trump wants to make America great and support the future of Israel. This does not fit within with the diabolical agenda of those who want a New World Order. The liberal left in America and Europe hate Israel and are blind to the dangerous threat of Islam. They are so filled with hate that they are blind to the truth.
Conditions are ripe for the appearance of the Antichrist and his deceptive and deadly government that will hate believers in Jesus Christ and the Jewish people. He will decapitate Christians (Revelation 13:15; 20:4). He will declare a war to annihilate the nation of Israel. This is called Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).
According to the prophetic Scriptures, the attack upon Israel and the Jewish people will reach unprecedented levels in the last few years of the end of this age. Today, Israel is surrounded by 22 Islamic nations that hate the only Jewish nation in the world. These nations have a population that is 60 times greater and a land mass that is 640 times larger. Yet, because God is on Israel side, the Goliath of hell is no match for little David who has declared “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).
A greater holocaust for the Jewish people is in the immediate future. They can see it coming. A few years ago, Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, expressed the fear that “we currently face as great a threat to the safety and security of the Jewish people as the one we faced in the 1930s — if not a greater one.” (www.religionnews.com/2015/05/21/people-hate-jews-judaism-commentary)
Zechariah 13:8-9 indicates that God will preserve one-third of the world’s Jewish population during the final 7-years of the Tribulation Period. This entire Jewish remnant will be saved (Zechariah 13:8-9, Daniel 12:9, and Romans 11:26). Today’s Jewish global population numbers about 15 million. That would indicate that about 10 million will perish during the Tribulation. The red dragon of hell (Satan) has declared war on the Jewish people (Revelation 12:1-17).
This war is heating up and is about to travel across America. Get ready for the shout that will take us out!
Political Changes in the U.S. and Israel
The world has two political leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who are fighting against the creation of a New World Order. These two men are also willing to go to war with Iran to halt its wicked agenda. It is not an accident that these two leaders are hated by the world and are currently fighting for their political futures.
As a result of the recent elections in Israel, it is not clear whether Prime Minister Netanyahu will be able to put together a right-wing coalition to form a government that will enable him to continue with his conservative agenda. Should a more liberal government take control in Israel, it could pave the way for a more secular government that would accept the lies of the Antichrist and his false offer for peace. This false peace covenant that will start the Tribulation Period (Daniel 9:27), will be made with an Israeli leadership that the prophet Isaiah described as being those who scoff at the Biblical land covenant and the messianic hope of Israel (Isaiah 28:14-22). The time is getting late! Be ready!