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[Newbie]

Why are true Christians so often expected to support Israel (despite their atrocities in Gaza)?

[jimwalton]

Christians' support of Israel is by no means an endorsement of their politics or their military actions. Atrocities have been committed by all sides in the perpetual Middle East conflict, and those are morally unjustifiable. In my post I am not taking a stance on the rightness or wrongness of action by the Palestinians, Israelis, Syrians, or anyone. All I'm saying is that Christian support of Israel doesn't necessarily mean they condone every action of the Israeli government or military.

Christians are generally in support of Israel because of their understandings of prophecies in the Bible about Israel returning to the land of Abraham and flourishing there. There is much disagreement among theologians about whether or not "Israel returning to the land" is meant literally (it will be a historical event) or metaphorically (the church is now the new "Israel", and all such prophecies are meant to be understood spiritually in relation to the church). Those who understand the prophecies to be literal/historical are glad to see Israel back in the land and want to support that Zionistic dream.

But there's a caveat: What's to say that this return to the land (circa 1948) is the one of Biblical prophecy? True, the Bible doesn't mention a series of returns, exiles, returns, exiles, and then the final return, but prophecy is a tricky business that rarely (oh, I should say never) mentions everything we'd LIKE to know. But I think it's fair to say that Christians, in their eschatological fervor, support Zionism because they would like to believe that Jesus is returning soon, and feel that a literal Israel in historic Canaan/Palestine is an important part of that picture.

[Manhandler]

Thanks for such a thorough answer!

[Wee Willy Wilky]

The question about Israel is a question we have been talking about a lot lately. Should we support Israel, and why? How far should this support go, just aid or military? Is the reason political and/or religious? My friend gave an answer on that facebook page, that said we should support Israel and no explanation is needed. I'm the type that always asks why, so I like to hear the reasons people believe what they believe. A lot of my views have been changing over the past few years, especially since I have been looking into the Anabaptist. Their history is pretty amazing, and they were considered outside the Catholic church and the reformers. They even got the nickname the radical reformers. I'm not saying I agree with everything they did, but some of their tradiitons are exactly what our churches need right now.

[jimwalton]

I don't believe in "Israel, right or wrong," and I don't believe the Bible teaches it. When Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, He judged them as he did any other nation. God is no respecter of persons. Sin is subject to judgment; no nation gets a free pass to do evil. Sure, God was patient with the Israelites, for 400 years! But remember he had been patient with the Canaanites for 400 years also, and he was patient with the Assyrians (book of Jonah), etc. His patience with Israel doesn't mean he endorses everything they did governmentally and militarily. Remember also that he decried their attitudes and behavior over and over throughout the OT. God didn't endorse "Israel, right or wrong," and neither should we. Remember also that he decried their attitudes and behavior over and over throughout the OT. God didn't endorse "Israel, right or wrong," and neither should we. That they are the "chosen people," even in the OT, never casts a blind eye to their sin. Is Israel sinning now? I'm not commenting on that. God is their judge. All I'm saying is that Israel doesn't get a free pass. Neither does America. Neither do Christians. Your relationship with God doesn't brush over behaving badly.

[JBrown]

I guess I have always sided with Israel because they were God's chosen people, and the land that they occupy is the "Holy Land" where most of the religions would love to have for their own. Muslims, Jews, and Christians, all alike, hold the area very close to their hearts. Seeing that I am a Christian I can't explain my defense of the Jewish nation, except that if it falls, I feel the end is near. But one thing that many forget about was that Israel, in the Bible, was divided up into the twelve tribes. Israel was never a nation until 1312. By "the fall of Israel" does that mean the country in the news these days? Or does it simply mean the people that made up the tribes of Israel? I don't want to see any people wiped of the face of the earth, but the country of Israel holds no significance to me as a person. I feel my only bond with them is the Good Book.

[jimwalton]

I understand what you're saying about the Israelites and their land, though I guess I beg to differ about some of the things you said. The people group, all 12 tribes together, were known as the "Israelites" as soon as Israel (Jacob) died (Gn. 50.25, and on into Exodus, which, granted, was 400 years later). They were also known as the "sons of Israel". Exodus 3.16 mentions the "elders of Israel", which would tell me that as a nation they were known as Israel then. So also in Ex. 4.22, when the people group as a nation is identified as "Israel" (see also Ex. 5.2, et al.).

The land was not called Israel; it was the people who were known as Israel. In that sense it's much like the church. We have all been taught, and rightfully so, that the church is the assembly of persons, not the building in which they gather. In the same sense the people are Israel, not the land in which they live, though in the Bible on occasion it does identify the land as "the land of Israel" (1 Sam. 13.19). We know that ultimately it was the Lord's land, on lease to the people. And it was a holy land, set apart for the Lord and his people.

As far as the "fall of Israel," I'm not sure what you're getting at. Israel fell in 722 BC at the hands of Assyria, and Judah fell in 586 to the Babylonians. But the prophets Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah mention a restoration of Israel (Zech. 14.8-21), not a future fall. We can talk about this more if you wish. Zech. 14.2 mentions an attack against Jerusalem that will succeed, but only temporarily; the people will not be totally wiped out, but then the Lord himself will defend and restore them (Zech. 14.3ff.).

There is strong feeling among Christians that the Jews will have a special place in the scenes of the end times, that the land must belong to the people of Israel as part of the end times events, that a literal temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem, that there will be a revival among Jews and they will turn back to Christ in great numbers, and that we must do everything possible to support the Jews and their nation. These are interpretations of Scriptures that not all agree with, but they are very popularly held. Even so, we cannot endorse evil being perpetrated by the Israeli people or the Israeli government, if and when that happens. As I mentioned before, while Israel as a people group are repeatedly identified as God's chosen people (Dt. 7.6 and others), the Bible never endorses "Israel—right or wrong". If the Israelis are sinning in their military actions, those actions should be halted.