Theological Christian Perspective to the War in Israel

Since 1947-48, when the modern state of Israel was established by the United Nations, there has been a continuous stream of conflict and violence against Israel by its neighbors. The Six-Day War in 1967 is considered by both Jews and Christians as divine intervention. Against enormous odds, Israel deflected the simultaneous attacks from the surrounding nations, defeated them decisively in six days, and recaptured Jerusalem and especially the Temple Mount which had been denied her by the UN mandates. Many have compared that seemingly supernatural feat with certain biblical events where God fought for Israel against incredible odds. Yet, having gained this great victory, and even acknowledging God’s own apparent intervention, the modern state of Israel immediately caved to pressure from the UN and gave up territory gained including the Temple Mount in order to secure a “peace” settlement that relied on the UN for security instead of Yahweh.

Perhaps it is merely coincidence (or just my imagination). But I see a parallel here with the events leading up to the Babylonian exile. Twenty years before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem he came to Jerusalem and forced Jehoiakim king of Judah to submit to him and become his vassal.[1] Immediately following this, God sent bands of raiders from the surrounding nations to harass Judah constantly.[2] At the end of twenty years, God gave Judah a golden opportunity to repent and avoid Jerusalem’s destruction and the impending seventy-year Babylonian exile prophesied by Jeremiah.[3] This opportunity was by entering into a covenant with God to allow all of their slaves to go free[4] since they had failed to do this for many years as the Sabbatical-year commandment required.[5] At first the people agreed, entered into a solemn covenant with God, releasing their slaves as the Law of Moses and Jeremiah’s prophecy required. But almost immediately they changed their minds, broke their covenant, and put their slaves back into bondage. Having spurned this last opportunity to avoid the desolation of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, Nebuchadnezzar’s armies destroyed Jerusalem, demolished the Temple, and took the Jews captive for seventy years. At the end of those seventy years, God sent His “anointed,” Cyrus, king of Persia, to set Israel free to rebuild Jerusalem and the House of God.[6]

There were twenty years between Judah becoming a vassal kingdom in serving the king of Babylon and the last chance God gave them to have liberty and avoid the prophesied seventy-year exile. Likewise, there were twenty years between Israel’s serving the United Nations as a vassal kingdom, and God’s supernatural intervention in the Six-Day War, gaining back all of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

Following their ancient failure, Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews served Babylon for seventy years before God finally delivered them through His “anointed” Cyrus in the 70^th year. In modern times, the state of Israel has served the whims of the United Nations ever since 1967, repeatedly giving up more and more land for empty promises of peace, only to be attacked and harassed continually. If this apparent parallel is indeed by design, Israel’s slavery to the UN will be abolished by the “Anointed” King of Israel, Jesus Christ. The Jewish – biblical year from Rosh Hashanah 2036 through Rosh Hashanah 2037 will be the 70^th year counting from the Six Day War.

The title of this blog post is “THEOLOGICAL CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE TO THE WAR IN ISRAEL?” Christianity is divided on how to relate to Israel into two main camps that are both extreme in my opinion. On the one hand, Protestant denominations which tend to be “amillennial” in their eschatology claim that God was finished with Israel when they rejected Christ, and all of the promises to Israel in the Old Testament are to be figuratively applied to “the Church” and its alleged heavenly destiny. This is called “Replacement Theology” and has roots all the way back to the time of Augustine. These Christians tend to support the Palestinians and view the modern state of Israel as oppressor of downtrodden peoples. They think they are reflecting true Christianity by supporting the supposed victims of Israel’s occupation. There is also an undercurrent of antisemitism among many of these Christians.

The other extreme comes from those who hold a “dispensationalist” viewpoint, claiming that Israel is God’s “earthly people” while the church is God’s “heavenly people.” These see the Abrahamic Covenant, especially the permanent Land inheritance, as unconditional for Israel. This means that Israel has a divine right to all of the land God promised to Abraham. In this view, Christians have an obligation to support the modern state of Israel when it comes to their right to the Holy Land. They often quote God’s statement to Abraham in Gen. 12:3 to justify complete support of Israel, “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you.”

Neither of these extreme views are biblical. The amillennial view denies the literal fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and many of His promises to the nation of Israel in the prophets, ultimately making God a liar. Yet the dispensational view ignores the New Testament teaching regarding Christians having an inheritance also along with Israel in the Kingdom, and the requirement of Israel’s national repentance in order to realize the Abrahamic permanent inheritance of the Land. Dispensationalists unconditionally support Israel’s right to the land now while remaining in rebellion against God, something that the Bible absolutely opposes. The cursings found in the Law of Moses require exile for Israel, persecution by her enemies, and God’s House in Jerusalem remaining desolate for the specified time. The Babylonian exile was marked by the desolation of the Temple for seventy years. The Roman exile, which began in AD 70, has also been marked by the desolation of the Temple Mount. Jesus predicted the Roman exile in Luke 21 and that it will end “when the times of the gentiles are fulfilled.” Until then, the nation of Israel remains under the curse of the Law and will continue to be until they are prepared to acknowledge Jesus Christ and say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”[7]

It was God who sent the surrounding nations to harass Judah when they became a vassal state for Nebuchadnezzar.[8] It was God who sent Nebuchadnezzar to destroy His own House in Jerusalem and take Judah captive for those seventy years.[9] It is the same God of Abraham who sent the Roman armies to destroy Jerusalem and His House the second time.[10] God continues to use Israel’s enemies for her discipline until she returns to Him. Very soon the “ten kings” of Rev. 17 will arise from the old Roman Empire and the Two Witnesses will begin to prophesy in Jerusalem for 1,260 days. The recent events in Israel and Europe are no doubt setting the stage. Everything is progressing according to God’s plan.

Christians should always be supportive of the oppressed, regardless of whether it is individual Palestinians who are used as pawns by their own leaders, or the Jewish people who are being murdered by their enemies. We should be compassionate towards Israelis and Palestinians, demonstrating God’s love for all people who will repent.  But it is not our business to be involved in the political situation, or to publicly resist whatever God is doing in bringing this situation to its prophesied conclusion. It will not end well for those who resist God, either in His blessing or in His harsh discipline.

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[1] Dan. 1:1-2

[2] 2 Kings 24:1

[3] Jer. 25:11-12; Jer. 29:10

[4] Jer. 34

[5] Deut. 15:12

[6] Isa. 44-45; Dan. 9

[7] Matt. 23:39

[8] 2 Kings 24:1-4

[9] Jer. 21:7; Jer. 22:25

[10] Matt. 22:1-7