“The Faith” vs. Catholicism, Zionism, & Christian Nationalism
The genuine Christian Faith was founded, expounded, and demonstrated by the Son of God who was and is “the image of the invisible God,”[1] perfectly reflecting the character and purposes of God. The Apostles then mirrored “the mind of Christ,”[2] having been “conformed to the image of [God’s] Son.”[3] They parroted Jesus’ teachings and followed His example of submission to God’s stated purposes and His self-sacrifice. The Apostles were secondary reflections of God’s purposes and His true character to this fallen world. Having learned this lesson well, Paul instructed the churches to continue this tradition: “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”[4] Thus all Christians are charged with following in the footsteps of Jesus and His Apostles, being lights of the knowledge of God and His purposes in this dark age. This is what Jesus meant in the Sermon on the Mount. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”[5]
But pristine Christianity was quickly eclipsed by various forms of pseudo-Christianity, all of which replaced the true “image” of God with false idol-images which distort and disfigure Jesus Christ, misrepresent God’s purposes in this age, and thus impugn God’s character. While there are many forms of pseudo-Christianity, this blog post is about how Christians are to relate to government, politics, and shaping the culture, not from a position of wielding power, but from the voluntary position of servanthood.
John 18:36 (LGV) Jesus replied, “My Kingdom is not out from this world. If My Kingdom was out from this world, then My deputies would have resisted so that I would not have been handed over to the Judeans. But My Kingdom is not now from here.”
Roman Catholicism was the byproduct of early Christianity’s merger with civil government. From the time of Jesus until Constantine, true Christians suffered at the hands of pagan Rome yet willingly submitted to persecution and martyrdom in order to be faithful to Christ and His message. But Constantine seduced the persecution-weary Christian bishops with the promise of relief. This was affected by elevating Christianity from its Christ-commanded submission to civil government and enduring persecution to wielding the power of government, from being willingly submissive to the power of the sword to wielding the power of the sword. In the process, the “light” and “image of God” was virtually extinguished.
The draw of the true Gospel has always been the price paid by God Himself. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” [6] The price paid by the Son is also the draw of the Gospel, whose “equality with God” was set aside when He chose to “empty Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men,” then afterwards “became obedient unto death.” These two things, the unfathomable love of God and the incomprehensible submission to God’s will by His only-begotten Son out of His own love for His Father and love for us, is the POWER of the Gospel.[7] The early Christian demonstration of Christ-likeness is THE CAUSE of Christianity’s conquering the known Roman world with the true Gospel. This is where the spirit and power of God resides. Why? Because: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. … We love Him because He first loved us.”[8] When Christianity traded the POWER and SPIRIT of God inherent in the true Gospel for the power of governing and of wielding the sword, Christianity became “Mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.”[9] Sure, a certain kind of “morality” was elevated in contrast to the immorality of pagan Rome. But, just as with the Pharisees of ancient Judaism, the leaders of this form of pseudo-Christianity were and are hypocrites. Christian leadership (which Christians are supposed to follow) lost its Christ-reflecting submissive spirit and thus the core of the Gospel was destroyed. The Spirit of God departed from His Temple, the Church of God. Yes, “Mystery Babylon” has to exist for God’s ultimate purposes to come to fruition, including all of the carnage and the blood of the martyrs that she drinks in the name of God. But true Christians, who have the mind of Christ, should want nothing to do with Mystery Babylon or the spirit behind it.
Israel today is at war with Hamas. The carnage on both sides is horrendous. Israel as a nation has the right to defend itself with force, as does any sovereign nation. But how did the present intolerable and unwinnable situation come about? It occurred when the Jewish people, thanks largely to “Christian Zionism” driven by the false doctrine of dispensationalism, once again used governmental power to attempt to bring about God’s promised Kingdom on earth just as Roman Christianity did beginning in AD 325. Israel would not have become a nation without the intervention of dispensationalist (Zionist) Christians who thought they were God’s tools. Nor could Israel have continued to be a sovereign nation without the continued support of the United States. This support is driven by Evangelical (Zionist – dispensationalist) Christians who support Israel’s unconditional right to the Land God promised Abraham, even while in rebellion against God’s Law and rejection of the Messiah. The Israeli government now holds the sword, and seeks to cling to the conditional promise of the Land while failing to meet the conditions set in the Law of Moses, or waiting for God to fulfill His promises of the permanent inheritance on His terms. “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.”[10] Israel was supposed to be a light to the nations, reflecting the character and purposes of Yahweh. But since World War II, Israel has virtually lost all moral authority (except among Evangelicals), being far removed from the “light to the nations”[11] which she is supposed to be and is destined to be. For now, Israel is the source for blasphemy against God just as Roman Catholicism is the source of blasphemy against Christ.
Christian Nationalism in the United States is just the latest form of the same spirit of “Mystery Babylon.” Just as Roman Catholicism extinguished the “light,” and just as Israel extinguished their light, so also is Evangelical Christianity extinguishing the “light” by seeking to bring about their misguided version of God’s will on earth through their own might and political power. Donald Trump used the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) slogan and promise of a Christian utopia in exactly the same way Constantine used the promise of his own version of a Christian utopia of a Roman Church-State. The election of Mike Johnson to the speakership of the House of Representatives is just another move on the chess-board between two opposing powers, neither of which have the Spirit of God or the power of the message of the Gospel. Like Roman Catholicism, like the modern state of Israel, Christian Nationalism in the United States trades the power and Spirit of God (attained only through lowly submission to all God-ordained authority, patience in trials and persecution for Christ’s sake, and seeking the true HOPE and inheritance) for the power to wield supremacy and even the sword, all the while pretending to be God’s instrument. What will be the result? It will be no different than what Roman Catholicism produced and what Zionism has produced. Hatred for God and for His Son, because His people do not reflect His character or His purposes. They instead seek to bring about their own vision of God and His will by human efforts and ignoring God’s commandments.
To modern Israel God’s message is the same as in Zerubbabel’s day: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.”[12]
To Evangelical Christians God’s message is the same as in Jesus’ day: “Jesus replied, ‘My Kingdom is not out from this world. If My Kingdom was out from this world, then My deputies would have resisted so that I would not have been handed over to the Judeans. But My Kingdom is not now from here’.”[13]
To all Christians God’s message continues to be: “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”[14]
[1] Col. 1:15
[2] 1 Cor. 2:16; Phil. 2:5-8
[3] Rom. 8:29
[4] Phil. 3:17
[5] Matt. 5:16 (NASB)
[6] John 3:16 (NKJV)
[7] Rom. 1:16
[8] 1 John 4:10,19
[9] Rev. 17:5
[10] Zech. 4:6 (NKJV)
[11] Isa. 42:6; Isa. 49:6
[12] Zech. 4:6 (NKJV)
[13] John 18:36 (LGV)
[14] Rev. 18:4-5 (NKJV)
9 thoughts on ““The Faith” vs. Catholicism, Zionism, & Christian Nationalism”
Hi, Would you mind explaining further on what you meant by “For now, Israel is the source for blasphemy against God”? Thanks.
Michelle,
My comment refers to Israel collectively, not to individual Jews. In Romans 2, Paul summarized the state of unbelieving Israel which rejected Christ. In vs. 24, quoting Isa. 52:5 (LXX), he wrote “‘For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ as it is written.” This state has not changed. In fact, Israel is as dug in with their opposition to God’s Spirit as it was in Paul’s day.
In Israel’s ancient past, Yahweh was glorified when He moved against Israel’s enemies, whenever they went into battle and God was with them. But when Israel moved against her enemies outside of the blessing and specific command of God, Israel was humiliated and thus Israel’s God was mocked and blasphemed. What is happening now with Israel’s very aggressive attack on her enemies will be no more successful than when Israel decided to enter the Promised Land to conquer it after they had first rejected God’s command to go into the Land, and then God condemned them to 40 years wandering in the wilderness (Num. 14:39-45). The Israeli government today is secular. It bears the sword by its own presumed might, not by the Spirit of God. Israel will be brought to its knees because this is the only way that national repentance can take place. Then God will give them the promised window for national repentance. In the end, God will deliver Israel. But only after great tribulation.
During the 1800’s many Christians came by reading the Scriptures to understand that Israel would come back to their own land; It just so happened. Looking at it from a historical view we see how the Jews realized that it didn’t matter what they did, they were the world’s scapegoat and therefore persecuted again and again. It was for that reason they worked out a plan to settle in the nearly desolate country of Palestine as emperor Hadrianus had renamed the land of Judea and Samaria to get rid of all jewishness. During the whole time since 1947 when the UN accepted a jewish state it has been clear that God really helped his people by doing great miracles so Israel could conquer their ennemies. Of course this has been a spiritual battle above all. But all these blessings didn’t make them humble toward the God of Abraham.
Many Christians who read Gen 12:1-3 understood that are consequnces for people in how they react to Israel. They who bless Israel will be blessed by God. This word has been valid since then and has nothing to do with the fact that Israel came to its promised while still in unbelief. However the prophecy of the dry bones (Ez.37) tells us that the people of Israel would become a nation again, in spite of being in unbelief at the start but through enormous pressure (The Great Tribulation) calling for their Messiah. This is predicted by Daniel 12:1, Jer.30:7 and Jesus (Matt.24). I think all this is true apart from having people having a dispensational or any other way of understanding.
The nations of the UN realised that it would be extremely inhumane to refuse the Jews to have a country where they could live as a nation considering all the jews had endured during the holocoust.
Well, I think that was reasonable in all aspects. And all of this is safely in Gods hand who will perform his plan for his people Israel. There’s no reason to clamp down on those who hold a dispensational view in understanding Scripture.
Looking at the situation of today we can see that the massacre of october 7th leading to the attempt to eliminate Hamas will become an impossibility. There is no real solution for the problem of the satanic inspired hatred of the Gazans against the Jews. For them and their fellow jew haters it’s not about a two state solution. Their only wish is to kill ALL the Jews, just because satan wants to prevent that there will be a jewish nation being able to call for the Messiah. Till then as Scripture tells us “War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.” (Daniel 9:26).
And as for the Jews the Tribulation will lead to such enormous trouble that they eventually will give up their pride and desperate call for their Messiah to free them. Well thats’ exactly what Matthew 23:39 and Zech.14 tell us will happen. With all this in mind, let’s bless the people of Israel by praying for the peace of Jerusalem.
@Theodor:
A close reading of Genesis 12:1-3 shows that this blessing/curse was for those who do so to Abraham, not Israel.
It is to Abraham and his Seed (Christ and those baptized into Him) that are Abrahams seed and heirs of the permanent land promise, which comprises a much much larger area than the current state of Israel.
I agree, Doug. Conflating the nation of Israel which came out of Abraham with “Abraham” himself is one of the common errors of dispensationalists.
Gen. 12:203 (NRSV) 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
In Galatians 3:8-10 Paul referenced this very “blessing of Abraham” as follows: 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.” 9 For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed. 10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.” (NRSV).
This “blessing of Abraham” extends only to those who are of “the Faith of Abraham,” and not to the whole nation, especially while they remain under “the curse of the Law.” The “blessing of Abraham” is defined in Gen. 28:4 as follows: “4 May he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien– land that God gave to Abraham.” (NRSV). Thus the “blessing of Abraham” is the permanent inheritance of the Land in the Kingdom through the resurrection to immortality (eternal life). Christ is “Abraham’s Seed” (Gal. 3:16) and all those joined to Christ become “Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” (vs. 26-29). Again, Paul contrasts the “blessing of Abraham” with the “curse of the Law” in Gal. 3:3-14 as follows: 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us– for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”– 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (NRSV). It is self-evident that unbelieving Israel cannot partake of the “blessing of Abraham” while they remain under “the curse of the Law.” Sure, God is not finished with Israel as a nation, and He will bring a remnant through the fire who will return to Him and embrace Jesus the Messiah. But it is wrong for Christians to “bless” the state of Israel and expect that in doing so they are fulfilling Gen. 12:1-3 and in return they will be blessed according to this promise. Jesus Christ is “Abraham’s Seed” and those baptized into Christ (Jew and Gentile) are “Abraham’s seed,” thus part of Abraham. THIS is the entity (Abraham) that when “blessed” by people will receive God’s blessing. THIS is the entity (Abraham) that when cursed will be cursed by God. Unbelieving Israel curses Jesus Christ, Abraham’s promised ‘Seed,’ as a matter of their liturgy! Therefore, not only are they under the “curse of the Law” as outlined in Deut. 28-30, but they are also under the “curse” of Gen. 12:1-3 UNTIL they repent.
Unbelieving Israel has been broken off from the Olive Tree (Rom. 11) of which Christ is both the “root” (Isa. 11:10) and the “branch” (Isa. 11:1), as He declared Himself in Rev. 22:16. Paul’s stance and attitude towards the unbelieving nation of Israel in Rom. 9 & 11 is precisely what our stance should be. We are all under some kind of ‘curse,’ the curse upon the ground and “death” that has passed upon all who descended from Adam. But the solution is not to deny the curse or ignore the curse, but to “embrace the curse” in humility and recognize that it is justly deserved, because this is what leads to repentance and then God’s mercy. This is what Israel must do. But right now they are not embracing the curse of the Law or the curse of Abraham. Like Saul they are “kicking against the goads.” Until that nation has their own “Damascus Road” experience, the hatred and disaster will continually be heaped upon them. We are not doing them any favors by “blessing” them, because that does not lead to repentance. Only recognizing the discipline of God for what it is can do that.
Than you Tim for your response. Very clear and unambiguous. I’ve been trying to explain these things to some of my friends at church, and although very few would describe themselves as dispensationalists, some unwittingly think along those lines. The conversations sometimes get heated (on their part. I become frustrated and sad) I’d like to share what you’ve written via copy and paste, as they are not part of this blog discussion.
Sure Doug. Copy and paste away!
I would like to add however that I don’t think we as Christians should stand idly by and not extend help and aid on an individual level to those suffering in Israel – on both sides. Humble Compassion from Christians – a sweet aroma of Christ – on this level could go a long way towards that National Repentance when the time comes.
Absolutely! I agree completely. We must be equally compassionate towards individual Israelis and Palestinians, without getting embroiled in who is in the right and who is in the wrong and who owns the land. Doing so completely blunts the message of Christ and creates a situation where Christ is portrayed as either “pro-Israel, Zionist” (even while they reject Him) thus anti-Palestinian, or “pro-Palestinian” (even though they approve of the vile actions of Hamas) and thus “anti-Israel.”