“Blood toucheth blood.” That was the future prophesied by Hosea in the year 790 b.c. Australia was painfully reminded of this reality on Sunday evening, when two Islamic terrorists opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.

At the time of writing, 16 people have been confirmed murdered, and more than 40 injured. The victims’ ages are between 10 and 87. It is the worst mass shooting in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.

Naveed Akram, 24, and his 50-year-old father who is yet to be named, arrived at Bondi Beach in the late afternoon on December 14. They draped a black flag on their vehicle before mounting a nearby footbridge and began to open fire on the nearby Hanukkah celebrations.

One hero bystander was able to tackle Naveed, wrestling one of the guns from the terrorist before being shot twice—though he has survived. Police then responded, killing the father and severely injuring Naveed, who remains in critical condition. Police also discovered two homemade explosive devices at the scene.

The government condemned the massacre as an anti-Semitic terrorist attack. The Australian Security and Intelligence Organization admitted that one of the shooters was on their terrorist watchlist. How the two came to be in possession of high-powered rifles is yet to be explained.

This morning, Australians are undoubtedly shaken and looking for answers. Many are rightly angered at the government for failing to curb the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia. Ever since the Oct. 7, 2024, terror attacks in Israel, Australia has seen a dramatic rise in anti-Semitism. It has been so noticeable that on August 17, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to the Albanese government calling on them to confront the escalating violence and rhetoric.

Where is this rise in anti-Semitism coming from? Netanyahu lays the blame on the government for supporting a Palestinian state. Others site the influx of immigrants who do not share our values and refuse to assimilate. But anti-Semitism and terrorism are not exclusive to Australia. We see them throughout the world.

The heart and core of such atrocities are exposed in the pages of the Bible.

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).

Ephesians 2:2 names the devil as the prince of the power of the air—one who broadcasts his evil attitudes into the minds of men. Those men who gunned down families playing together at Bondi Beach had minds molded and shaped by this evil being.

When John wrote the book of Revelation, he placed the ultimate blame squarely on the shoulders of the devil. Yet we too have our part to play.

“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” (Isaiah 1:4). Here God shows that we bring much trouble on ourselves because of our sins. Most Australians don’t even know what sin is! 1 John 3:4 shows that sin is the transgression of God’s law. But we haven’t just forsaken that law. We have forgotten the one who gave us the law in the first place.

God has never been so forsaken in Australia as He is today. Rampant immigration has weakened Australia’s Judeo-Christian heritage, and a nation of great material blessings has fostered a spirit of materialism and selfish pursuits.

This is the reality Australians must wake up to! “Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:10-11).

Following a similar attack in America in 2016, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote:

Sin kills! When we suffer, God suffers. But the suffering won’t stop until people heed the warning. … “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6). Will you turn to God? It is our responsibility to know the Bible. If we forget God’s law, He will forget our children!

As Ezekiel pointed out, we need not suffer these terrible tragedies! The radical Islam festering in our suburbs has been a disaster waiting to happen. And the casual approach of the government has only emboldened anti-Semites across the nation. But it is not the ultimate root of this disease. We must trace its roots back to the rightful perpetrator—the devil. But then we have to ask ourselves individually, “Why is Satan having such success in our nations?”

If we are honest, we will acknowledge the warning of Hosea. We open ourselves up to attack when we drift from our great Protector. The God of the Bible is not the Jewish God, or the Christian God. He is the God of all mankind.

If good is to triumph over evil, and peace over terror—if we want to see an end to the “blood touching blood”—then it must begin with our own repentance. A return to God and His laws. To turn from our wicked ways and acknowledge His authority over our lives.

There is hope in this tragedy. John and many other biblical writers also prophesied what would occur when we do draw close to our Maker. “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

Many tears are being shed in Australia today. God promises to wipe those tears away. There is a bright future ahead, beyond the sin and suffering of today. If you are struggling with the news this morning, take out your Bible. Read of King David’s repentance in Psalm 51. Read about the day Satan will be held to account for his actions in Revelation 20:1-3. And read about the world of peace that will be ushered in by the conquering Jesus Christ in Isaiah 2:4.

Consider downloading and reading Herbert Armstrong’s free book The Wonderful World Tomorrow—What it Will be Like, or order a hard copy here.

God alone can win this war on terror. It is high time we turned back to Him for the answers.