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OUN-Bandera leaflet from the World War II (Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Israel365News posted the following:

Jews scratch heads as Ukraine portrays itself as country that helped Jews during Holocaust

20 March 6, 2022

Ukrainian ambassador to Israel … Yevhen Korniichuk said … “Thousands of Righteous Gentiles in Ukraine saved Jews during the Holocaust.”

Portraying Ukraine as some haven for Jews during the war seemed somewhat confusing to those familiar with Ukraine’s role in the Holocaust.

That’s because, during World War 2, the Ukrainian people were more than happy to “assist” the Germans murder Jews.

In 1941, Operation Barbarossa decimated the Jewish population of Ukraine, reducing it from 870,000 to 17,000.

The German massacres couldn’t have been carried out without the help of local Ukrainians, as the Germans lacked the workforce to reach all of the destroyed communities, especially in the rural villages.

The nationalist OUN-Bandera faction of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army “openly advocated violence against Jews.” In August 1941, at its Second Congress in Kraków, OUN-B embraced anti-Semitism. “Twenty so-called ‘foreign’ nationalities were listed as enemies of Ukraine: Jews were first.” The resolution stated: “OUN combats the Jews as the prop of the Muscovite-Bolshevik regime.” On September 1, 1941, Ukrainian language newspaper Volhyn wrote: “The element that settled our cities (Jews)… must disappear completely from our cities. The Jewish problem is already in the process of being solved.”

The Lviv pogroms were two massacres of Jews from June 30 to July 2 and from July 25-29, 1941. The word “pogrom” is a Ukrainian word. …

In Korosten, the Ukrainian people executed the killings themselves, even without the Germans present.

So although there may have been some righteous gentiles in the mix, to use them as some justification for Israel “owing” Ukraine is insulting. https://www.israel365news.com/267099/jews-scratch-heads-as-ukraine-portrays-itself-as-country-that-helped-jews-during-holocaust/

Now, there were various groups in Ukraine during WWII. The above ‘nationalist’ group was anti-Russian and anti-semitic.

Here is some information from Wikipedia about them:

The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists …

In 1940, the OUN split into two parts. The older, more moderate members supported Andriy Atanasovych Melnyk and the OUN-M, while the younger and more radical members supported Stepan Bandera‘s OUN-B. … .pledging loyalty to Adolf Hitler. … In their role within the police, Bandera’s forces were involved in the extermination of Jewish civilians and the clearing of Jewish ghettos, actions that contributed to the OUN-B’s weapon stockpiles. In addition, blackmailing Jews served as a source of added finances. …

Violence was also an “extensive, widespread and frequent” occurrence in and was central in the group’s ideology and policy. The group was also said to take advantage of war time chaos to eliminate Polish, Muscovite and Jewish activist groups. (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, Wikipedia, accessed 03/06/22)

Below is the emblem of the OUN-Bandera from Wikipedia:

Notice that the leaflet at the beginning and the emblem above contain one or more crosses.

This brought to mind the murderous anti-Semite emperor Constantine.

Emperor Constantine declared:

Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way. (Eusebius’ Life of Constantine, Book III chapter 18)

Notice, also, the following (bolding in source):

Constantine was a pagan just like most of the Romans were. He worshipped the sun god SOL INVICTUS, which means the “unconquered sun.” If you were the devil and wanted this guy to obey you, what would you do? Use his devotion to the sun god of course! …

So in 312 AD … he saw an ankh in the sky and the words EN HOC SIGNO VINCES (“in this sign conquer”). And Satan’s forces made sure he won. … Constantine was the Pontifex Maximus …

• He set the holidays
• He set the sacrifices for the gods

That way Constantine could hold tight control over the pagan religions. But he also made himself the head of the “church.” … Now he wanted to UNITE these so-called “Christians.” So in 325 AD, Constantine as Bishop of Bishops presided over the Council of Nicea. It was to decide whose doctrine of the Godhead would be followed. The emperor’s plan worked. … In 321 AD this last great Caesar had made the “venerable day of the sun” (Sunday) into a “Christian” holy day. (Daniels DW. Did the Catholic Church Give Us the Bible? Chick Publications, 2013, pp. 43-49).

Emperor Constantine considered the cross as a sign to kill people.

Apparently, so did the OUN-Bandera.

I am NOT saying this to give people excuses not to pray for those in Ukraine or Russia or to not assist refugees.

I am bringing this up because in the future, people will again persecute and kill under crosses of various types according to Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholic writings.

Here is some information from the Latin Tiburtine Sibyl abouta leader that many Greco-Roman Catholic writings look forward to and crosses:

Then will arise a king of the Greeks whose name is Constans. He will be king of the Romans and the Greeks. He will be tall of stature, of handsome appearance with shining face, and well put together in all parts of his body. ..

He will devastate all the islands and the cities of the pagans and will destroy all idolatrous temples; he will call all pagans to baptism and in every temple the Cross of Christ will be erected.

 “Then Egypt and Ethiopia will be eager to stretch their hands to God.” ~

Whoever does not adore the Cross of Jesus Christ will be punished by the sword. (Translated from the edition of E. Sackur, Sibyllinische Texte und Forschungen. pp. 185-186; cited in McGinn B. Visions of the End: Apocalyptic Traditions in the Middle Ages. Columbia University Press, 1998, pp. 49-50)

Here is something from a Greek Orthodox source:

Discourse of a Holy Man to Emperor Manuel II Palaeologous (15th century): Then the Emperor will say to them: ‘Fathers and brothers of ours, it is good to make an expedition against our enemies, in order to resurrect the Cross to avenge the blood of our people‘. (Tzima Otto H. The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Scriptural Prophecies. The Verenika Press, Rock Hill (SC), 2000, pp. 101-103)

Here are some Greco-Roman Catholic writings that indicate that some in the future who wear crosses will be persecutors:

St. Francis de Paul (1470):…From your lordship shall be born the great leader of the holy militia…These devout men shall wear on their breasts, and much more in their hearts, the sign of the living God, namely the cross…members of this holy order…

…the Great Monarch…He shall be a great captain and prince of holy men, who shall be called ‘the holy Cross-bearers of Jesus Christ,’ with whom he will destroy the Mahometan sect and the rest of the infidels. He shall annihilate all the heresies and tyrannies of the world. He shall reform the Church of God by means of his followers, who shall be the best men upon the earth in holiness, in arms, in science, and in every virtue…They shall obtain dominion over the whole world, both temporal and spiritual…

God Almighty will exalt a very poor man of the blood of Emperor Constantine…who shall on his breast wear a sign which you have seen at the beginning of this letter (a red Cross)…He will gather a grand army, and the angels shall fight for them…

This religious order shall be the last and best in the Church: it shall proceed with arms…Woe to tyrants, to heretics, and to infidels to whom no pity will be shown…An infinite number of wicked men shall perish through the hands of the Cross-bearers…most holy Crossbearers elected by the Most High, who, not succeeding in converting heretics with science, shall make vigorous use of their arms…These holy Cross-bearers shall reign and dominate holily over the whole world until the end of time…

But when shall this take place? When crosses with the stigmas shall be seen, and the crucifix shall be carried as the standard. The time is coming when the Divine Majesty will visit the world with a new religious order of holy Cross-bearers, who will carry a crucifix, or the image of our crucified Lord, lifted up upon the principal standard in view of all. This standard will be admired by all good Catholics; but at the beginning it will be derided by bad Christians and by infidels…You shall destroy the sect of the Mahomet, and all infidels of every sect. You shall put an end to all the heresies of the world…

He shall be the great founder of a new religious order different from all the others…This shall be the last religious order in the Church and shall do more good for our holy religion than all other religious institutes. By force of arms he shall take possession of a great kingdom. He shall destroy the sect of Mahomet…There will be one fold, one shepherd. He shall reign until the end of time. On the whole earth there will be twelve kings, one emperor and one pope. (Culleton, p. 157-161).

St. Bridget of Sweden (died 1373): …war shall end when an emperor of Spanish origin will be elected, who will, in a wonderful manner, be victorious through the sign of the Cross. He shall destroy the Jewish and Mahometan sects… (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p. 154).

Anne Catherine Emmerich (October, 1820): warriors, led by a rider on a white horse; and … citizens and peasants, many of whom were marked on the forehead with a red cross. As this army drew near, the captives and oppressed were delivered and swelled the ranks whilst the demolishers and conspirators were put to flight on all sides (Emmerich AC. The Life and Revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich. Schmöger edition, Vol. II. Approbation: Bishop of Limbourg Peter Joseph. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1976, pp. 290-291).

Josefa von Bourg (d. 1807): God will choose a descendant of Constantine, Pepin, and St. Louis, who has been tried by a long period of exile to rule over Europe. He will have the sign of the cross on his breast … Under him the Catholic religion will spread as never before (Culleton, pp. 181-182).

Of course, Jesus (e.g. Matthew 5:11-12; 10:23) taught that Christians would be the persecuted, not the persecutors (see also Persecutions by Church and State).

Yet some who claimed to be Christians, like the Crusaders (word means ‘cross-bearers’) and OUN-Bandera have used the cross as a symbol for their militaristic ways.

It is not just Jews that are hated or will be in the future. Throughout history, true Christians have sometimes been called “Jews” and have been subject to persecution supposedly directed towards Jews. True Christians also had to suffer through the so-called Inquisition (see The Spanish Inquisition), which utilized torture against those that had Church of God beliefs–and more is expected in the future (see Persecutions by Church and State). Protestant leaders, including Martin Luther, have also promoted antisemitism and Church of God persecution (see The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong) as have various ones who were Eastern Orthodox (see John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople and Antisemite).

Real Christians have always been on the side being persecuted and have never been on the side of the persecutors. And this will be true again in the future.

People should not be antisemitic. People should not hate others.

Sadly, we will see persecution greatly increase before Jesus returns (cf. Daniel 7:25; 11:30-35; see also Persecutions by Church and State)–this will affect Philadelphian Christians.

All the faithful will be subject to persecution and being betrayed by professing believers (Matthew 24:9-13, Mark 13:12-13; Luke 21:16-18; Daniel 11:32-35).

This will happen in Europe according to Revelation 13.

In the past, Christians were persecuted because they:

• Claimed Christianity
• Kept Passover on the 14th
• Refused to eat unclean meat
• Would work on Sunday
• Had false accusations railed against them
• Were binitarian
• Kept the Sabbath
• Kept the Fall Holy Days
• Were not trinitarian
• Taught that the pope was an Antichrist and precursor of the final Antichrist
• Having and teaching from the Bible
• Rejected papal authority
• Opposed veneration of the cross
• Did not accept idols
• Had different teachings than the Church of Rome
• Had writings Rome did not like
• Rejected Roman sacraments
• Objected to the dress of the Roman ministry
• Considered Rome to be the prophesied Babylon
• Taught that in the time of the final Antichrist that some would fall away
• Had practices that Rome considered Jewish
• Refused to baptize infants
• Did not participate in carnal warfare
• Teaching the millennium
• Taught the Kingdom of God
• Baptized adults

In the future, according to Greco-Roman Catholic teachings, they will also be persecuted for:

• Not accepting non-biblical teachings about Mary
• Not accepting the Great Monarch (Beast, King of the North)
• Teaching that the Kingdom of God will come soon
• Not wearing crosses as a mark (cf. Revelation 13:16-17; see also Mark of the Beast)
• Keeping the biblical Sabbath in accordance with the commandments
• Possessing/advocating writings that disagree with the Church of Rome
• Teaching after the Great Tribulation begins that Jesus will return within a few years

Christians have been persecuted for holding doctrines that we in the Continuing Church of God hold and are clearly expected to be persecuted in the future for holding Continuing Church of God doctrines.

Persecution is a fact of history. It has happened before and we should be prepared for the fact that it will happen again.

The underlying anti-Semitism in Europe and throughout the world will allow for this, especially when the time comes when the Beast’s government mandates it (Revelation 13:15-17).

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This entry was posted on Sunday, March 6th, 2022 at 9:00 am and is filed under Religious News.

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