Kristallnacht, Literally, "Night of Crystal"--Also, "Night of Broken Glass"

by Rabbi Eliahu Ellis & Rabbi Shmuel Silinsky

In one night of terror, German mobs destroyed what they could of the Jewish presence.

In November 1938, an event occurred which was called "Kristallnacht," or the "Night of Broken Glass."

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Synagogue Burning on Kristallnacht photo courtesy of Yad Vashem

The Germans were looking for a way to get rid of their Jews. Send them anywhere, but just get them out. Many Jews of Polish origin had come to Germany because conditions were so much better there than in Poland. The Germans saw this as a group to be easily gotten rid of.

They were rounded up and, on one cold, rainy night in the fall, they were herded and beaten across the border. 12,000-17,000 Polish Jews, who were not considered Poles any more, found themselves in a small border town in Poland that had a population of 6,000 Poles. There was no place to put them, so they were stuck into military stables, under impossible conditions. They hadn't eaten for days.

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Herszel Grynszpan photo courtesy of Yad Vashem

Two of these Polish Jews had a son named Henry Grynszpan, who was living in Paris. The boy was frantic with concern for his parents and felt that he needed to "do" something to publicize to the world what was happening to the Jews in Germany. This seventeen-year-old boy got a gun, walked to the German embassy in Paris, and shot the first man he saw- an embassy official named Ernst Von Rath. Von Rath died. This triggered a "spontaneous" uprising against the Jews. It had actually been planned for quite a while, and this was just the pretext to put the plan into action.

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Siegen Syngagogue Burning on Kristallnacht photo courtesy of Yad Vashem

In one night, 1,350 Jewish synagogues were burnt to the ground or destroyed; over 91 Jews were killed; 30,000 Jews were thrown into concentration camps; 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroyed; and thousands of Jewish homes were ransacked.

Germany did not produce plate glass at the time, and it took Belgium's total plate glass production about 6 months to replace all the windows that were broken. To top everything off, the Jews were charged 1 billion Deutsch Marks to pay for the damages.

It is hard for us to imagine the scope of destruction on Kristallnacht: Every town, every place had its little "shteibel." Germany was filled with beautiful, old synagogues that had been there for centuries. And overnight it all went up in flames. The Jews finally got the message: It was time to leave.

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Burning Dome of Synagogue on Kristallnacht photo courtesy of Yad Vashem

 

But ... where to go?

 

 

 

 

Destruction of Synagogues on Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass,
November 9, 1938.

Legend: Cities where synagogues were destroyed.

 

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

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"The Glory...And...Power"

"They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power...." (Psalm 145:11)

 

We were up at 05:00 yesterday to go to Washington, DC, to attend a military funeral at Arlington Cemetery; hence, no devotional. 

 

Some of you have been praying through the Psalms with us this month in preparation for next Tuesday's American presidential election.  Yesterday we read my "favorite" Psalm, 145.  No matter what happens in America next Tuesday and the days following, we will continue to "speak of the glory of Your Kingdom and talk of Your power," as long as we have breath in this life, and then with the angels and saints in Glory in eternity.  This is our mission statement in life, to declare the glory of King Jesus, the glory of His Kingdom, and the "the glory of....'the power of His resurrection.'"  What is that we pray? "Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever."  And what is that we preach?-- "the message of the cross...to us...the power of God." 

 

Humanism has been defined as "the doctrine emphasizing a person's capacity for self-realization through reason; [it] rejects religion and the supernatural." (Online Dictionary)  Darwin and his puppets, the humanists, the Democrat Party, CNN, MSNBC, et. al, have tried to destroy the "God-Breathed" Word in this generation more than ever.  The message of the cross is foolishness to the them------because they are "those who are perishing------- but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."  Humanism, self-realization, Darwinism, have proven powerless.  Look at history.  Look at the world right now.  Look at America.  Rejection of Jesus Christ, Who is "The Word of God," rejection of Jesus' Blood, Jesus' Cross, Jesus' resurrection, Jesus' ascension' Jesus' return, Jesus' eternal reign, leaves one with absolutely nothing but powerless dreams, powerless promises, powerless politicians, powerlessness Itself.  Americans will soon reveal whether they have "exchanged the truth of God for the lie," the power of God for the powerlessness of man.  

 

Here is a great old "truth" hymn of the Church, written in the midst of the Darwin frenzy and lie of the 19th century, which should encourage you today. May the "Church of the Living God" keep writing and singing such songs.

        "My faith has found a resting place,

        Not in device or creed;

        I trust the ever living One,

        His wounds for me shall plead.

 

        Enough for me that Jesus saves,

        This ends my fear and doubt;

        A sinful soul I come to Him,

        He'll never cast me out.

    

        My great Physician heals the sick,

        The lost He came to save;

        For me His precious blood He shed,

        For me His life He gave.

 

        Refrain:

        I need no other argument,     

        I need no other plea,

        It is enough that Jesus died,

        And that He died for me."

 

What say you?

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, this is my response to the Darwinian humanists--- Your Glory, Your Power, Your Christ.  Amen.

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*    November Mission to Berlin and Romania:    4-19

*    For the truth about the American invasion of Syrian sovereignty, go to: 

      www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com

       

 

 Looking Unto Jesus
Hebrews 12:2

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It Could Never Happen Here (German Christian, 1931)

"Then he began to curse and swear, 'I do not know this Man of whom you speak!'" (Mark 14:71)

 

Peter was a great disciple---- left his business to follow Jesus, walked on water, declared the "rock" by our Lord Jesus Christ, was to give the opening address of the Church at Pentecost.  But he had this problem.  When pressed, he folded.  Have you ever witnessed something or heard of something and said, "That could never happen here," or, "That would never happen to me?"  Beware-- "Given the right circumstances, the right situation, any one of us is capable of anything" (Billy Graham). 

 

I have never seen an election so emotionally driven as this one in the US.  Oh, there were those in Germany in the 1928, 1930 and 1932 elections.  Now the American church, even the evangelical and charismatic wing, is  showing alarming signs that it is willing to do what the German church did in the 1920's and 30's.  By letting race trump the Church, they denied the reign of Jesus Christ, promoted darkness over light, and saw twentieth century Germany plunge into a barbarism which made that of the Middle Ages look like a Sunday School picnic.  But, no worry.  It could never happen here.?.?

 

The other night there was a black Pentecostal pastor on a Pittsburgh TV station who is promoting and intending to vote for Obama.  Race and ethnic loyalty have defeated him.  It took three accusations to defeat Peter.  Is the America of the Constitution and Founding Fathers about to experience the same kind of defeat?  (You must read Obama's opinion of the Supreme Court and the Constitution at:

www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com  )

 

Are you a secret emotional voter, one whose prejudices, racial and gender, any loyalties supercede your commitment to Jesus Christ?  Do not be offended at this question.  Remember Peter.  Remember the assertion of Billy Graham.  Remember history.  Mostly, remember the "God-Breathed" Word----- "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love...."  Live and vote like it!  

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, may everything about me and the American Church reveal that You have "delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of [Your] love."  Amen.   

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Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

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