Tuesday October 17th, in the war between Israel and Hamas, a hospital was hit causing hundreds of fatalities. At first Hamas tried to blame Israel for the destruction, but Israel intercepted Hamas communications that that exposed that they knew the hospital had been hit by an errant Hamas rocket. [1] Such is the terrible consequence of a terrorist group whose soul ambition is to destroy Israel and Jews. Nothing is a higher priority to Hamas, not even their own innocent citizenry. The October 7th attack on Israel revealed their savage tactics target innocent the elderly, families, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, mothers and children, even infants. October 17th demonstrated their barbarity is even willing to risk the sick and infirm for their dark purposes. It’s a low point for humanity.
Since the October 7th Hamas invasion of Israel the media has been replete with coverage of the Israeli suffering and their military response. It didn’t take long for those caught up and deceived with a class struggle worldview to begin demonstrations to “balance” the coverage. [2] In the streets and on college campuses pro-Hamas pro-Palestinian demonstrations were quickly organized in an attempt to seize the talking point advantage. [3] Those supporting Hamas and justifying the inhumane carnage have been blinded by the God of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). Let me tell you why I say this.
The Bible says:
1 Thessalonians 5:20–22 (NKJV) – 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
The Bible also states:
2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) – 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV) – 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
These verses speak of the sufficiency and priority of scripture as a gauge for the things of life. That doesn’t mean we only look to scripture for information on a situation. There are practical facts related to events in life that serve as evidence to assess rights and wrongs. There are the actual immediate factual evidences such as eye witness accounts, testimonies, videos of circumstances and actions, and there is history to reference for context. All these must be gathered and assessed objectively so we can make an informed decision about where we stand in the controversies of life. These “facts” are important in our processing our positions. We will consider such facts when it comes to deciphering a Middle Eastern conflict such as the one going on right now. But the Bible is our baseline, our top authoritative source. We must go to the Bible for truth. Churches are supposed to be pillars of truth (1 Timothy 3:15) and therefore they should especially be places where those who attend can get sound scriptural input and guidance in all of life’s circumstances. That’s what this article intends to do. Considering this Biblical instruction, let’s go to the Bible to see what it says about Israel and Hamas.
Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist organization made up of Sunni Muslims. “Hamas” is an acronym in Arabic that stands for The Islamic Resistant Movement. “Hamas” in Arabic means zeal or strength. In Hebrew hamas means violent, cruelty, wrong, damage, injustice, oppressor, unrighteous.. For instance the word is used in Psalm 27, “Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence [Hebrew hamas]” (Psalm 27:12).
Hamas was designated a terrorist organization in 1997 by the United States and dozens of other countries because of their use of explosives, rockets, kidnappings, and suicide bombings. Hamas is supported by and a proxy of Iran. In 2005 Israel evacuated its troops from the Gaza. In 2006 Hamas won a surprise victory in the Palestinian Parliamentary elections. Hamas overthrew Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (who they felt were too secular) and established control of Gaza. Hams began using humanitarian aid for their terrorist missions. This led to the international community cutting off aid to Gaza to prevent possibly funds financing terrorist missions, e.g. tunnels, rocket attacks on Israel. This led to the impoverishment of Gaza. This is the consequence of voting Hamas into power. Protesters in the United States and elsewhere who demonstrate in support of Hamas should consider these facts.
According to their charter Hamas exists to kill Jews and wipe Israel off the map. Their charter of 1988 reads, “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it; just as it obliterated others before it” (opening paragraph.) Article 7 of the charter states, “The Day of Judgment would not come until the Muslims fight and kill the Jews.” [4] There mission is to destroy Israel and all Jews, and they will work to that end with great savagery as we saw October 7th. They use Palestinians and civilians as human shields for their operations, e.g. rocket launching sites. They set up rocket launchers at schools, hospitals, and apartment buildings so that when Israel bombs their positions it looks like Israel is the one who is depraved. (Israel sends notices to all civilians to warn them when they are going to bomb and area. Israel values life.) Hamas has actually prevented civilian evacuations to make an apparent publicity nightmare for Israel. Hamas has very little concern for human life. Hamas is an evil demonic ideology. They oppose peace with Israel. They oppose the existence of Israel and Jews.
The Biblical roots of Hamas. All of this can be traced back to Abraham having an offspring named Ishmael by the Egyptian Hagar (Genesis 16-18). But the real undergirding cause of such antisemitism is Satan himself. Satan wants to destroy God’s people so that God’s plans will be thwarted and so that he can cause pain to God when He sees the suffering of His people. Antisemitism is Satanism (e.g. Revelation 12:4). Satan wants to destroy the redemptive plan of God. Beneath the surface is a spiritual war.
What about the Land? Hamas and other groups accuse Israel of being “occupiers” or colonialists who have stolen the Land. The Jews are not occupiers. The Jews are the indigenous people of the Land. They lived in the land 2100 years before anyone was ever called “Palestinian.” Israel was in the Land 2600 years before Islam was even a religion!
Archeology has found an ancient Egyptian stone steely from the 13th century BC that has the name of “Israel” on it. There is a Canaanite steely from the 9th century BC that speaks of King David as the king of Israel. For thousands of years it’s been well documented that the Land belonged to Israel.
From the captivity to Babylon in 586 BC until 1948 AD when Israel reasserted its right to the Land, the Jews were dispersed from the Land and persecuted throughout the world. Fro Jews who did stay in the Land, they were dominated by world empires such as the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, the Araba Islamic empire, Catholic Crusaders, Mamelukes, Ottomans, then the British Empire. Therefore, because of all these oppressors the ownership of the Land by Jews was submerged.
What about the Palestinians? In 135 AD Roman Emperor Hadrian, to disrespect the Jews who had revolted, dispersed them from the land and named the Holy Land area “Palestina” after the Philistines who were Israel’s perennial enemies. He did this to disrespect and infuriate the Jews. From that point on until 1948 everyone who lived in the area, Arabs, even Jews, were referred to as Palestinians.
The Land belongs to Abraham and his descendants. But God in His word says:
Genesis 15:18– On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates
This is an area of land roughly 3000 square miles, (covers modern day Syrai and Iraq), far more than Israel has today. The land belongs to Abraham and his descendants. Israel never has occupied all the Land, but has the God ordained right to possess what proportion of the Land it now occupies. As we will see, this is an “everlasting” gift from God by covenant.
The Ottoman Turks occupied much of the Land until because of World War I England defeated them and partitioned much of the Land. This is what’s called The British Mandate. In 1917 the British established the Balfour Declaration giving the Jews a segment of this land. This Land has been apportioned and reapportioned over the years leading up to 1948 when Israel established herself as a nation in a portion of the Land that is only a fraction of what God promised Abraham. The Jews are not colonialists, but indigenous people who have been given the Land by God.
Is this fair? Youth today are passionate about the oppressed and oppressors. They care about people. But they and others need to know why and what is the proper cause to defend. Israel is not the aggressor here. There are 22 Arab states and 52 Muslim states that surround Israel one Jewish state. That fact in and of itself should tip the balance of those preaching “proportionality.” War is messy and not everything Israel does is justifiable. But the Land belongs to Israel, and world public opinion and policy has historically demonstrated a tendency to unfairly tie Israel’s hands behind her back when it comes to defending herself. The opposition and hatred toward Israel which contends that the Palestinians were dispossessed, is not only wrong, but demonic. We will show that as we go to the Bible.
But why must we support Israel, what is the Biblical basis for that? Let’s turn to God’s word for direction in answering this question.
God’s Covenant with David. That Israel has a right to exist and to be supported by those who claim to be God’s followers is confirmed by God in Psalm 89. This is a psalm of David, King of Israel, which states even though God disciplined David’s descendants and “seed,” “Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail. My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone from My lips. Once I have sworn in My holiness; I will not lie to David: His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me; It shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky” (Psalm 89:33-37).
God’s discipline does not sever His covenant. When we look at Israel historically, we see a nation that is the brunt of great suffering. Some of that suffering is the consequence of oppression and persecution by those who hate Jews. Other parts of the suffering of Israel are God’s discipline. And when it is the latter we should never assume God’s discipline means He is rejecting Israel.
God has disciplined Israel historically. But God’s promise is not to make a complete end of Israel or sever her from His plans. God states:
Jeremiah 30:11 (NKJV) – For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’
God disciplines those He loves (i.e. Hebrews 12:3-11). God disciplines with the purpose of preparing the object of His discipline to further fit into His plans. God’s discipline of Israel confirms His ongoing plans for Israel.
Has the Church Replaced Israel? Replacement Theology or Secessionism holds that the church replaces Israel. Those with this view claim there is no scriptural basis for seeing modern day Israel as being prophetically significant. They say that because modern day Israel is for the most part unrepentant and not living righteously before God under the Covenant standards set forth in God’s word, that it cannot be counted as something done by God. They see modern day Israel as more of a secular political creation than a work of God.
It is true that modern day Israel is filled with atheists and those who have rejected Jesus as Messiah. Those who deny the prophetic significance of modern-day Israel go on to say that people who believe in the prophetic significance of modern-day Israel work against the possibility of any diplomatic compromise involving the Land in the Middle East. This is because they believe Israel must take possession of the Land to fulfill prophecy. They say those who support Israel’s possession of the Land are really going to end up sacrificing Israel because of unrealistic expectations that spill over into diplomacy.
Those holding to a secessionism say Christian Zionists are guilty of wooden literalism when it comes to scripture and claim that the passages in the Bible pertaining to Israel are allegorical or symbolic and pertain to the church instead. (It’s interesting that those who Ezekiel ministered to in his day said much the same thing when he was warning them of a literal impending captivity – Ezekiel 20:49) They say seeing modern day Israel as the only rightful occupiers of the Holy Land is bad theology and not fare to the Palestinians.
It is important to approach the Bible inductively rather than deductively. When we approach the Bible deductively, we come with an already established belief and seek to find proof text support for what we already believe. This leads to manipulation of the scripture, twisting it to say what we want it to say. Instead we should be inductive, that is, we come to the scripture open to hear what God wants us to hear. Inductive study of God’s word is objective and weighs evidence in its overall context.
There is a rule of interpretation that those who study God’s word correctly live by and it is called The Golden Rule of Interpretation which is:
When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of the related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise. [5]
We will seek to follow this rule in our consideration of what the scriptures say about Israel.
Allegory. An “allegory” is a story, poem, picture, or work of art that has a hidden meaning or message to be discovered by individual interpretation, e.g. Pilgrim’s Progress. The problem with seeing scripture as purely allegorical is that the original meaning is left up to interpretation rather than the original Author’s intent. For instance, when interpreting Revelation 12 allegorically “the woman” mentioned in the chapter can be interpreted to refer to the Church. However, when interpreting the chapter inductively we find that the description of the woman found in Revelation 12 coincides with the description of the people of Israel given by Joseph in Genesis 37 (Genesis 37:9). Scripture, not the individual interpreter, is the best gauge of what scripture means.
But Israel is a secular nation? How can we explain the continued secularism of modern-day Israel? When we look at scripture there is evidence that modern day Israel is a stage in God’s plan to restore Israel and not the final product (Ezekiel 36:24-27). Further in our study we will see in Ezekiel 37 evidence of stages of development in Israel’s reestablishment as a nation:
- First the nation of Israel is seen as scattered bones referring to the dispersion (37:1-2).
- Then sinews being connected referring to pre-1948 re-gathering of Israel (37:6a).
- Then flesh coming onto the bones referring to Israel becoming a nation and up to the present (37:6b).
- Then skin covering the body which would be Israel in the Tribulation (37:6c).
- Then finally breath to the body which would refer to the national conversion of Israel (37:5, 6d). [6]
Dr. Randal Price summarizes the stages of the restoration of Israel as follows:
- Israel will be re-gathered to the Land before the Tribulation in unbelief (Ezekiel 36:24).
- Israel will be re-gathered to the Land through persecution and for judgment (Ezekiel 20:33-35; Jeremiah 16:15-16). Persecution has been a main cause of the Jewish people to return to the Land.
- Israel will re-gather to the Land in stages: first physically to the Land – Ezekiel 36:24; then spiritually to the Lord – Ezekiel 36:25-27. (see Matthew 23:35-37)
- Israel’s re-gathering will be sequential and uninterrupted. Once Israel is back in the Land, they are there to stay (Isaiah 11:11).
- Modern Israel parallels the Israel predicted to exist in the End Times (Ezekiel 38:8, 11-12). [7]
God is doing something in modern day Israel. “We are in the last days of the last days of the church and on the eve of the first days of the last days of Israel.” [8] We are on the precipice of the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). But salvation for Israel is on the horizon for Israel (Isaiah 2:2).
Ten Biblically Sound Reasons to Support Israel
Why is supporting Israel so important? What is the basis for supporting Israel? Those are the questions we will consider in this study.
Antisemitism is on the rise. November 9th, 2023 marks the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass. On that night in1938 Nazi’s in Germany promoted a night of lawlessness to persecute Jews and their property. Jewish businesses were torched and destroyed. Approximately 100 Jews were murdered that night, simply because they were Jewish. This was the beginning of what would become known as “The Final Solution,” a demonic sinister plan to annihilate all Jews. Today we see again the rise of antisemitism. Israel is under constant threat of annihilation by her Middle Eastern neighbors.
In 1948, the nation of Israel was birthed because of the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were genocidally exterminated by the Nazis. Geographically, Israel is the size of New Jersey. Politically it is important to support Israel for it is the single democratic state in the Middle East. But more importantly, we should support Israel because God encourages us to do so.
What does the Bible say about Israel? That is really all that matters. God reveals his will in His word, and we should search the scriptures to see what the truth is (John 17:17; Acts 17:9-10). Here are Ten Biblically Sound Reasons to Support Israel.
- We Should Support Israel Because of the Abrahamic Covenant.
In Genesis 12:1-3 God establishes a covenant with Abraham and his descendants:
Genesis 12:1–3 – Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
God called Abraham out of the pagan occultic Ur of the Chaldees. Abraham obediently answered God’s call. God looked into the heart of this first patriarch of the Jews and made him and his descendants the basis of blessing and cursing. Abraham is not only the first patriarch of Israel but is the “Father of Faith” for the Christian too (e.g. Romans 4). Because of God’s covenant with Abraham with its stipulation that blessings and cursings are dependent on how we treat Abraham and his descendants, and because Abraham is a model of faith, we should support the descendants of Abraham, the nation of Israel.
2. We Should Support Israel Because Israel and the Jews Are Loved by God
Why did God select or elect Israel and the Jew? Was it because they were greater, smarter, richer, wiser? No. God says in His word that He chose Israel because he loves them. In Deuteronomy it states:
Deuteronomy 7:6–8 – 6 “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
God’s love to Israel is steadfast and unwavering (Lamentations 3:22). Therefore, if God loves Israel, we should too.
3. We Should Support Israel Because of God’s Everlasting Covenant with Her
God in His word testifies to the everlasting nature of His covenant with Israel (e.g. Deuteronomy 30; Psalm 45; 72; 89; Jeremiah 7:7; 25:5; 30-33; Ezekiel 37:25-26):
Jeremiah 31:31–37 – 31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
God speaks of a “new covenant,” where His law is written on the heart of people. It is a covenant by which people can “Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me.” Jesus reiterated this in His High Priestly prayer – eternal life is knowing God in Christ, i.e. a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus (John 17:3).
35 Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His name): 36 “If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the Lord, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.” 37 Thus says the Lord: “If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord.
This is a clear statement of the everlasting nature of God’s covenant with Israel. God does not replace Israel with the Church. Yes, we are living in the Church Age. But as we will see further on in our study, God isn’t finished with Israel.
The Abrahamic Covenant is Everlasting. The everlasting nature of this covenant began with God’s ceremony with Abraham where Abraham and God walked through the split opened sacrificial animal in Genesis 15 (cf. Genesis 15:9-19). This symbolized a life commitment to each other in this covenant. Since God is eternal, the covenant ceremony regarding God is also eternal.
God reiterated the “everlasting” nature of this covenant with Abraham and his family of people when He instituted the rite of circumcision which was a sign of the “everlasting covenant” (Genesis 17:1-14). God states, “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you” (Genesis 17:7). The miraculous birth of Isaac to the elderly Abraham and Sarah was further proof of this (Genesis 17:15-27).
Israel and the Church are separate and distinct. If we are going to understand God’s prophetic plan truly and accurately we need to understand that Israel and the Church are separate and distinct, and God has separate and distinct purposes for each. The idea of the “church” did not come until the New Testament – e.g. Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:11 – 3:21. While we are presently living in the Church Age, God isn’t finished with Israel but will return to using Israel in His plans in the future.
4. We Should Support Israel Because Israel is an Instrument to Make God Known
Israel is a chosen instrument of God to make Himself known to this lost world. When God called and sent Moses to gain the liberty of His people who were enslaved in Egypt, this enslavement didn’t catch God by surprise. Indeed, early in God’s words to Abraham, 400 years ahead of time, He speaks prophetically of a bondage His people would experience in Egypt:
Genesis 15:13–16 (NKJV) – 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
That they may know. Why would God allow His people to be put in bondage? The account of Exodus indicates it was so that God in delivering His people, could make Himself known and distinguish Himself as greater than all other gods.
Exodus 6:7 (NKJV) – 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exodus 7:5 (NKJV) – 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”
God delivered the people of Israel from bondage so that Moses would know Him and His power (Exodus 6:1-2), so that the people of Israel would know God and His power (Exodus 6:5-9), and Pharoah and the Egyptians and the world would know God and His mighty power and superiority over all other gods (Exodus 7:5, 17; 8:10, 22; 9:14, 29; 10:1-2; 11:7; 14:4).
The Exodus of Israel from Egypt demonstrated how God elected Israel to be the instrument through which He would make Himself known. From the beginning God has made a distinction in the care of Israel. If God cares for Israel and elects them to special service, we should recognize that and support Israel too.
Later in the book of Isaiah God refers to Israel as “My witnesses”:
Isaiah 43:10–12 – “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior. 12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the Lord, “that I am God.
Isaiah 44:8 – Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’”
Even when Israel was defeated and went into captivity, God had a plan to use them to make Himself known:
Ezekiel 36:16–38 (NKJV) – 16 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. 18 Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it. 19 So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. 20 When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ 21 But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. 22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.
God elected Israel to be a witness for Him to the Gentile nations. Israel for the most part, was lifted up in pride and disregarded this calling of God. But in the Latter Times they will once again be regrafted into God’s original plans of being instrumental in making God known to the lost world.
5. We Should Support Israel Because of God’s Special Prophetic Plans for Israel.
When Israel became a nation once again on May 14th, 1948, they fulfilled a prophecy God gave through the exilic prophet Ezekiel about 2500 years earlier. When the captivity of Israel was completed around 586 BC, God gave them hope by predicting they would one day return to the land as a nation. In the book of Ezekiel it states:
Notice, God’s dealings with Israel prophetically are not merely for the sake of Israel, but that the Name they tarnished by their idolatry and sin might be “hallowed” once again. Ezekiel 36 goes on to say:
24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.
Notice, even when Israel returned from captivity they were not free in their own land but were under the control of others. This had been their land, but it wasn’t “your own land,” until much later, in 1948!
25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”
God speaks of a future time when His people would sincerely repent of their sins.
33 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. 35 So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
When God’s people returned from captivity they did rebuild, but they were still under the thumb of others (e.g. Persians, Greeks, Romans). These words weren’t fully realized until 1948 and the rebirth of the nation of Israel. It was then that a very desolate area was transformed (according to God’s words) into a fertile agricultural wonder.
37 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will increase their men like a flock. 38 Like a flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”’”
God’s promise to bring Israel back to their land as a nation was fulfilled in 1948.
But wait a minute, what about Israel presently being one of the most secular immoral nations on earth? How could that be part of God’s plans? How can we support a nation that supports immoral lifestyles and other ways contrary to God’s word? The answer is bound up in the Dry Bones prophecy of Ezekiel 37 where it states:
Ezekiel 37:1–14 – The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’”
Notice the sequence of the bringing Israel back to life: bone; sinews; flesh; then breath (literally in Hebrew ruach or spirit). Israel right now is flesh and bones without the breath of the Spirit. But a time will come when The Holy Spirit comes upon Israel, for some during the Tribulation (e.g. Revelation 7 and 11), for others at the Second Coming of Christ.
A time yet future will come when Jerusalem is a central point of conflict and as the world turns against Israel, God will open the eyes of His people with Christ’s return. The prophet Zechariah explains this stating:
Zechariah 12 (NKJV) – The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: 2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. 4 In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.’ 6 In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem. 7 “The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. 8 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.
Yes, today Jerusalem is the center of perpetual tension in our world today. Israel today is very secular and very sinful. But God isn’t finished with Israel. God has a plan to save Israel. And because of that we ought to support Israel.
6. We Should Support Israel Because God Used Them to Save Us!
Do you enjoy and love God’s word? Do you love the message of the Old Testament? Do you love Jesus? Do you love the redemptive plan of God revealed from Genesis to Revelation? If you appreciate and even love these things, then you should be thankful to Israel and the Jew. Paul states Israel is the source through whom God provided these rich blessings to us:
Romans 9:1–5 (NKJV) – I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
Israel was used by God to provide us with:
- Adoption into the family of God – “to whom pertain the adoption,”
- The concept of God’s glory – “the glory,”
- The covenant relationships with God – “the covenants,”
- The Law of God – “the giving of the law,”
- The testimony and Old Testament examples of serving God – “the service of God,”
- The promises of God – “and the promises;’
- They are the source of our blessed Savior Jesus – “5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.”
The Apostle Paul had a heavy burden for the salvation of Israel and his brethren. God has used them so mightily, so incredibly, so miraculously, mostly in spite of themselves. But because of all that God did through Israel and out of gratitude for how God blessed us through Israel, we ought to support Israel.
7. We Should Support Israel Because Israel Needs the Gospel
To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). Israel was blessed by God in many ways, and yet when Jesus came, they rejected Him. This was heartbreaking for Paul. When Messiah Who was promised hundreds of years in advance by God through the prophets did come in Christ Jesus, God’s people for whom He came, rejected Him. Should we therefore reject Israel and the Jew? Perish the thought!
Paul goes on to state:
Romans 10:1–21 (NKJV) – Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Israel and the Jew needs Jesus to be saved from their sins. There is no other way to eternal life; there is no different way of salvation from sin (cf. also Galatians 1:6-10).
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
This is the plan of salvation for all people.
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.”20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”21 But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”
Israel needs Jesus and we who know Him ought to support Israel by sharing the gospel with them.
8. We Should Support Israel Because God Isn’t Finished with Israel
God did punish Israel for her sins (Amos 3:2). But God isn’t finished with Israel. Some have mistakenly accepted the false teaching that the church replaces Israel in God’s plans. We are presently in the Church Age, but God isn’t finished with Israel. The Apostle Paul speaks of God regrafting Israel into His Vine and a great spiritual revival that will take place in Israel:
Romans 11
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not!
You can’t get a much clearer statement that God isn’t finished with Israel. The Church has not replaced Israel. The Church and Israel are separate and distinct with distinct purposes in God’s plans.
For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
Throughout history God has always reserved a righteous remnant of His people. Paul is an example of this righteous remnant.
7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.” 9 And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always.” 11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not!
Israel stumbled that the Gentiles might receive the gospel too (cf. Acts 10 and 15). But they are not totally out of God’s plans.
But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
God uses us the Church, and our relationship with God in Christ, to provoke Israel to return to the Lord. We can support Israel by living attractive Christian lives that God uses to draw Jews to Himself in Christ.
13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
We owe a great deal to Israel the “olive tree.”
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
Those who God has used so mightily to reveal Himself to the world and save them, should not be looked down upon in pride by us. God can and will one day graft Israel back into His plans.
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
When the last Gentile has come to the Lord, “the fullness of the Gentiles” will have come in. It’s at this point that Jesus will Rapture His bride the Church out of this world, and Israel will once again become the prime instrument of God’s dealings on earth.
26 And so all Israel will be saved,
This is an incredible statement. Does it mean every single Jew will come to Jesus at some point or is Paul speaking with hyperbole? Either way, there will be a great move of the Spirit on Israel and for that we should join Paul in rejoicing:
as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
As Paul discusses God’s future for Israel he can’t help but burst into praise to God.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Praise the Lord for His plans with Israel and join Him in His plans by supporting Israel.
9. We Should Support Israel Because Israel is Central to God’s Prophetic Plans
A day is coming when in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye blink, Jesus will come and take His bride the Church out of this world. After that happens, there will be a seven-year time of Tribulation on earth where God shakes up the lost to their need of salvation and wakes up the nation of Israel to use them again to make Himself known in this fallen world.
God will accomplish this by way of 144,000 Apostle-Paul-like Messianic Jews who will evangelize the world during this time of Tribulation (Revelation 7). During this time God puts His seal on the 144,000 and protects them supernaturally (compare Revelation 7 with Revelation 14 – none were lost). Indeed, this seven-year period is the last part of a 490-year prophecy given to Daniel about the people of Israel (Daniel 9).
This seven-year period is described in Revelation 6-19. In this period of prophecy Israel, and in particular Jerusalem will be the center of the world’s attention (Revelation 11). This period of seven years begins when the Antichrist and Israel enter into a seven-year covenant. Halfway through this covenant Antichrist betrays Israel (Daniel 9:24-27; 2 Thessalonians 2). It is likely at this point of betrayal that Israel, who mistakes Antichrist for their messiah, is brought to their sense by God to realize Jesus is their Messiah (Zechariah 12). And then, at the end of the Tribulation, Jesus will return at His Second Coming to the Mount of Olives situated just outside the eastern gate of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14). Yes, God has big plans for Israel and because of that we ought to support Israel.
10. We Should Support Israel Because Satan Wants to Destroy Israel
Antisemitism is once again on the rise. Antisemitism is a repeated occurrence throughout history. Why is that? Why is there this repeated genocide and persecution of the Jew? They are a small and few-in-number people. Why are they so often the target of persecution and genocide? That answer to that is bound up in the objective of Satan.
Satan has sought to usurp the throne of God Almighty from the beginning. In pride he revolted against God to displace Him and as a result God cast him out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12-21; Ezekiel 28:11-19). From that time Satan has sought to destroy humanity who carries the image of God (Genesis 1:26).
But Satan seeks in particular to destroy Israel because he knows they are the object of God’s love and affection, but more importantly, if he can destroy Israel, he will show God to be weak and impotent to protect His beloved Israel, as well as thwart God’s sovereign prophetic plans that include Israel. Because of this we ought to support Israel.
In the Tribulation, when Satan the dragon is cast from heaven, this devil turns his attention to Israel in one last ditch effort to destroy the plans of God by destroy His instrument Israel. This is depicted in Revelation 12:
Revelation 12:13–17 (NKJV) – 13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
If Satan can destroy Israel, he will have shown God to be unfaithful to His word and impotent to carry out His prophetic plans. But the revelation of jesus tells us Israel will not be destroyed because God will protect them. Because of that, we should support Israel.
Yes, there are solid scriptural grounds for supporting Israel. We need to pray for Israel as the psalmist was inspired to write:
Psalm 122 –
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,
4 Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the Lord,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For thrones are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek your good.
Support Israel, based on scripture, as the Spirit leads you.
[1] https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/israel-releases-audio-of-hamas-discussing-misfired-rocket-that-hit-gaza-hospital/vi-AA1iquZe?ocid=00000000&p2=%5EEQ%5Emedici%5E&prod=HP&cmpgn=medici&annot=false&sameTabLaunch=false&o=APN12175&installSource=other&geo=en_US&browser=Chrome&darkMode=false&ueid=4b3b7f02-5a9d-41a1-848a-eae31d0ddfc4&doi=2021-04-29
[2] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/greg-gutfeld-this-letter-from-harvard-student-groups-could-have-been-written-by-hamas/ar-AA1ipk2v?&p2=%5EEQ%5Emedici%5E&prod=HP&cmpgn=medici&annot=false&sameTabLaunch=false&o=APN12175&installSource=other&geo=en_US&browser=Chrome&darkMode=false&ueid=8de1c1e5-dfd8-4296-ad9f-531dc72ff01c&doi=2021-04-29
[3] https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/its-terrifying-and-sad-how-college-campuses-became-pro-hamas-hotbeds-antisemitism and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZuki8mQzMo
[4] This is a link to a great message by Gary Hamrick Israel, Hamas, and the End Times – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNs2tt7auQ4 . The reliable research done by Pastor Hemrick was a valuable resource for this article.
[5] Randall Price of World of the Bible ministry in a teaching entitled Is the Modern State of Israel Prophetically Significant? at the 11th Annual Tulsa Prophecy Conference – www.worldofthebible.com
[6] Randall Price of World of the Bible ministry in a teaching entitled Is the Modern State of Israel Prophetically Significant? at the 11th Annual Tulsa Prophecy Conference – www.worldofthebible.com
[7] Randall Price of World of the Bible ministry in a teaching entitled Is the Modern State of Israel Prophetically Significant? at the 11th Annual Tulsa Prophecy Conference – www.worldofthebible.com
[8] Ibid. Randall Price. Is the Modern State of Israel Prophetically Significant?