Israel and Christianity

When I hear or see a news story about Israel and the middle-east
crisis, the reporter always seems to convey a sense of hopelessness and
despair when speaking of the situation. The question is, can there or will
there be peace in this part of the world anytime in the near or distant
future? The answer to that question is yes, when Jesus Christ comes back to
rule on earth and judge mankind.

As a child attending parochial school, I was given an excellent
education up to and including the eighth grade. My parents sacrificed to send me
to this school and while I didn't appreciate at the time, that strong foundation
of primary education has served me well through life. When it came to high
school I could have continued to learn but chose not to. Sports, cars
and girls were far more interesting. During my whole Catholic school
education I was taught many things about God but don't remember their
mention of Jesus coming back to earth. I know that I confessed to not
paying attention but probably would have remembered that important fact
if it had been presented to me.

In Micah, Chapter Four, the prophet was given several visions of the
future for Israel and Jerusalem. In this chapter, the author gives us a
view of enemy nations gloating over Israel's pending destruction
(think Iran, Syria etc.), calling for the blood of the Jewish people
and how the enemies of Israel will gather to destroy her. In the book
of Isaiah the prophet writes of God's faithfulness to Israel and how He
will not forget her and how He will protect her from her enemies. Isaiah
also speaks of how Israel will stand in the end with no nation to
support her at all.

As a bible believing Christian, I have asked God to show me in His word
why He was and is so concerned about this little country that seems to
cause so much anger to her enemies. After all, I had watched the
Israeli army flatten Palestinian houses, put down revolts and demonstrations
and none of these actions endeared me to the people of Israel. I reasoned
that Israel was at best, as bad as its enemies and wanted to know for
myself why God showed favor to such an incomplete group of people. As
God can only do, He answered me with the words of the prophet Ezekiel.
This man of God was given the commission to minister to the wayward
people of Israel and God infused in him hardness and stubbornness to
match the people he was to speak to.

This "Watchman for Israel" reports that God said in Chapter 28:25,
that the people of Israel will live in the land that He gave to them
through their ancestor Jacob and they will be gathered from distant
lands and returned to build homes and plant vineyards. God further
warns that the enemy nations that wish to destroy Israel will be punished and
treated with contempt by Him and that they will know that I am the
Lord their God.

In Chapter 34:29 the message continues with the promise to place His
people in a land that is fertile so that they will never go hungry
again or be scorned by foreign nations. God further describes Israel as, His
people and He, as their God. More prophetic words follow in Chapter
36:22-38 describing why God considers Israel to be His people and by
telling them that even though they have been sinful and profane in
their actions among the societies of the world, He will wash them clean, will
give them restored faith and will replace their stony heart with a
faithful one. He will do this not because the people of Israel deserve
it but instead because He is protecting His holy name and fulfilling a
promise made to Abraham long ago.

According to these scriptures, we live in exciting times. We are alive
to watch God bring the people of Israel home and establish a strong,
diverse and successful nation. God brought His people from all points
of the earth and restored her cities, vineyards and society. This does not
mean that Israel has fulfilled her divine appointment, quite to the
contrary as Israel suffers the same societal sins shared with the rest
of the modern world. The fact is that Israel is led by men and women who
are secular in both spirit, design and action. They do not even recognize their
position with the Creator and rely on country's like ours to develop policies
that are against God and pleasing only to their secular benefactors and
determined enemies.

In modern day Israeli society you can read newspaper reports of school
violence, murder, racism, pornography, child abuse, suppression of
other religions (including Christianity), Jewish elitism, immorality among
the clergy, organized crime, gambling, governmental failures of bribery and
graft and assorted other terrible crimes found in all societies. The
critics and enemies of Israel point to these failures and ask,
rightfully so, "These are God's special people, you have to be
kidding me?" Despite all of these human shortcomings I have never
found a place in God's word where He has renounced these promises
to His people.

While we are watching the fulfillment of prophecy we must keep in mind
that God is not through working with Israel, or us. God is patient and
sees what we will become, not who or what we are now. The final part of
His prophecy involves the replacement of the stony heart with a
faithful one. At that time we will watch Israel become the nation that God says
that they will eventually become.

An interesting part of the Christian church in America believes in the theory of “replacement theology” meaning that the modern Christian church is the replacement for the people of Israel and that what the bible teaches about Israel is no longer valid. Believers in this theory, also known as Supersessionism, are convinced that because the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, they fell short of their calling as God’s chosen people. Rooted in a theory promoted by a second century early Christian theologian by the name of Marcion of Sinope, this theory known as Marcionism, is evident in the Christian faith today. This man lived between the years of 110 to 160, was an early Christian theologian and was a very capable organizer. He founded a church and established himself as Bishop and according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, his church “was perhaps the most dangerous foe Christianity has ever known”. Marcion based his church on the gospel of Jesus Christ and the writings of Paul the Apostle only. This was a pretty good trick because Jesus and Paul referenced the Old Testament writings constantly in their teachings. Marcion felt that it was his job to deliver Christianity from false Jewish Doctrines. He was successful in spreading his church as I have stated earlier, he must have been a very good organizer of people because he built a church organization that expanded throughout the known world and rivaled the Catholic Church for centuries. Marcion’s ideas have lasted through today and have been reappearing in different guises, for example in the aforementioned Jefferson Bible, Albert Schweitzer the Nobel Prize winning author and missionary and even today in the Jesus Seminar movement. All of these examples have one thing in common; they have rewritten the word of God to meet their needs and beliefs and failed to submit to God’s word. The very word (biblical teaching) that defines who God is, not who man thinks that He is.

The major Christian churches that are identified as having this theology as part of their doctrine include the Roman Catholic Church, United Methodist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, African Methodist Episcopal Church, The Episcopal Church, Churches of Christ, Corsicana, Texas, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, United Church of Christ and Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, Jopli. It should also be noted that the Mormon church or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believes that it’s members have also replaced Israel and are in line for the blessings intended for God’s Chosen People.

The Christian Churches that do not embrace Supersessionism are the Southern Baptist Convention, Church of God in Christ, National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. INC., National Baptist Convention of America Inc., Assemblies of God, National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc., Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc., American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. and the Baptist Bible Fellowship International.

What this means is, that out of the top twenty two Christian Churches in America, over ninety six million Christians believe that they and their churches have replaced Israel as God’s Chosen people while just over forty two million remaining members of those top churches still believe in the bible as it is written. In fact President George Bush was raised in the Methodist church and it is quite possible that he believes that the church has supplanted Israel as God’s chosen people. This belief is directly at odds with New Testament scripture in the book of Mark that says Jesus came, so that Scriptures (Old Testament) may be fulfilled, not cancelled out by biblical revisionists.

In addition to the established and larger Christian Churches, there are many non-denominational churches in America who have large congregations and have rejected “replacement theology” and are bible based in their teachings. While Israel is, and should be wary of Christians who subscribe to this belief, bible based Christian churches are more likely to side with Israel and will be an asset to them in the future.

I can’t help but see irony in the list of church’s that share this theology. Largely because of this kind of thinking, the Roman Catholic Church instituted the Reformation (partly based on replacement theology) and one of the churches hated most by them was the Lutheran church. Now, one of the branches of that church are in agreement with the very theology that was used to suppress them in the past. Another thing that I find amazing is that major Christian churches are in total agreement with the Mormons in this tenant of faith. These churches don’t consider The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to be a Christian church but yet they share a basic theological premise of replacement. Lastly, all of those churches that are in a hurry to claim the blessings from God that are promised to His Chosen people, never seem to mention wanting the curses that were also promised. You can’t “cherry pick” your faith; the curses come with the blessings.

In regards to the future of Israel, this theology explains why ordained clergy, insisting that the connotation “reverend” be placed before their names can get away with the reference to New York as “Hymietown” and why famous movie actors unleash a string of anti Semitic insults in a drunken rage receiving front page scrutiny in the process. It is easier to dismiss the Jews and Israel if you discount what the bible says and if you subscribe to the modified theological premise of replacement theology. The real irony is that the Jewish faith denies the inerrant word of God in the bible and with the replacement church, regards the prophetic books of Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and others to have historical value at best with no appreciation of their prophetic value.

A big reason that this replacement theology has been revived is because of Palestinian Christians and their supporters have made an effort to undermine Israel’s scriptural claim to their land. One of the leaders of this revised theology is the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, Riah Abu El-Assal who himself is a Palestinian. It is reported that he has publicly stated, “We are the true Israel…no one can deny me the right to inherit the promises, and after all the promises were first given to Abraham and Abraham is never spoken of in the Bible as a Jew…He is the father of the faithful”.

By redefining Israel’s claim to the land and undermining the validity of that claim, we as Christians become at odds with God. When we tailor the word of God to meet our beliefs and needs we cut away essential truths that God intends for us to use as a foundation of our faith. The secular and religious world may be at odds with the Jews and Israel from time to time and we may not understand their actions, but God’s word says that who Israel is and what she does is no consequence to you and me. According to Ezekiel 36:22, the land and people of Israel are where they are today, not because of who they are, but instead because who God is. He states that He is Lord and fulfills the promise to Israel so as to protect His holy name.

President George Bush was raised in the Methodist church and it is quite possible that he and other influential Christians believe that the church has supplanted Israel as God’s chosen people. President Obama says that he is also a Christian, what denomination, I don't know, and what he believes in regards to this topic is a mystery. It may help us to better understand how our country relates to Israel in a political sense if we know what our leaders believe. The secular view of the State Department and the skewed biblical view of other leaders in the Executive branch of government can explain our current actions and lack of action in regards to Israel. Add into that mix of thought the secular government of Israel and their motivations, no wonder the situation is so confusing to the casual observer lacking a biblical view on the matter. And to kick the whole matter up a notch, throw in an enemy that is also in denial of the true word of God and has contorted that word to justify their actions. It is possible that this theology, by itself, could help undermine the continued support that Israel receives from the United States and could help fulfill the prophecy of the bible that says that Israel will be alone in the world without any allies or protection. The fact that man distorts the word of God to fulfill prophecy is truly ironic.

When Adolph Hitler set about to systematically destroy the Jewish community in Germany, he imposed an economic boycott urging the German people to not buy from Jewish businesses. Starting with this economic boycott, Hitler was able to systematically destroy the Jewish population in Germany. It is important to note that I do not equate Hitler to the following American and International churches and organizations but to a minor comparative degree, The Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Episcopal and United Methodist Church all called for limited economic boycotts of Israel in 2004 and 2005. The Presbyterian Church warned Motorola, Caterpillar, ITT Industries and United Technologies that if they continued to supply Israel with cell phones, night vision equipment and helicopters that they would not have any chance at the church investment funding that currently tops eight billion dollars. Other mainline Protestant churches have followed in the campaign to use corporate divestment as a tactic to influence the future of Israel. It should also be noted that international groups such as the World Council of Churches and the Anglican Consultative Council have also urged similar economic boycotts of Israel. The ironic aspect of this situation is that both the Christian churches involved and the secular government of Israel are both operating outside of bible truth and both think that their position is the correct one.

To add even more irony to this whole debate, a recent discovery in Dublin, Ireland speaks volumes. A construction worker found an 800 to 1000 year old copy of the book of Psalms while digging with a backhoe. The discovery of the 20-page book overcame tremendous odds because of its fragile nature surviving in the ground for all of that time and then to be unearthed and spotted before it was destroyed is in itself amazing. This ancient medieval document was found open to a page describing, in Latin script, Psalm 83, in which God hears complaints of other nations’ attempts to wipe out the name of Israel. Is it possible that God allows this fragile document to survive and to be a witness to His word regarding Israel? Is it a coincidence that this book was found at the same time that the world is increasingly coming against Israel? I believe that where God is concerned, there are no coincidences and those who have made themselves the enemy of Israel in the theological, military or social sense should be very careful how they proceed.

Everyone in the world looks at the middle-east conflict with such confusion and uncertainty, with no government or individual able to offer a reasonable and simple solution. It is a situation that defies all logic as we have a small country that is surrounded by its enemies, that same country has defeated those enemies on the battlefield several times and for good measure has a 4,000 year old grant deed of trust proving that it owns not only the land it occupies but also owns the
land that many of her enemies live on. Even Israel's enemies do not dispute that God gave them the land and they also point out that, in their opinion, Israel depends on the United States too much and not enough on God. A large part of the continued conflict is fueled by Israel's enemies finding her unworthy of the land and promises that God bestowed upon her. It matters not what the world
leaders think, what her enemies think or even what her own leaders think, because
God has said that He is in charge of the future of Israel, no one else.

We, as Christians are called to know all of God’s word. When we parse it according to our intellect, then we are espousing only what our brain can accept, not the full intention that He lays out in His inerrant word. In reading the bible I have found many opportunities to be perplexed and troubled by what I have read. Some things I will never understand and look forward to asking Him to educate me as I spend eternity with Him. Despite my confusion in such matters I trust that God planned for my inadequacies and never intended for me to know and understand everything in the first place.

Recently, I had an opportunity to speak at length to a man who described himself as a member of the Presbyterian Church. During our conversation, we discussed replacement theology and the position of Israel in regards to prophecy in the bible. He explained to me that his church does teach that Israel no longer is a factor in regards to scripture and that it was very possible that we are currently living in a period of millennial rule. He used the example of how the Christian church is growing on a world - wide basis to support this theory. He also felt that recent books concerning “end times” prophecy were misleading, without merit and causing confusion among fellow believers.

After the conversation, I felt a sense of sadness for my brother in Christ. On one hand, this man does a tremendous amount of work to promote the kingdom of God. On a personal level and through his church he feeds, educates and houses many people less fortunate. He promotes Jesus Christ in his ministry and follows the two greatest commandments that Jesus gives us in Matthew 22:37-40. In those words, we are commanded to love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves and that all other commandments and all other demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. Without question, this man is doing the work of God and no one could doubt the validity of his obedience to God’s word. The only nagging sense that I could not shake did not involve the salvation of my brother, but instead the loss I felt for him as he was and is influenced by a scriptural view of the bible adopted by his church hierarchy. A loss of appreciation for how it is evident that God is fulfilling bible prophecy on a daily basis and has Israel at the center of it.

This is an exciting time in history and to use a sports metaphor, I am glad that God has not only given me a front row seat, but a game day program so that I can follow the action and know who all the players are as well as the necessary background information to see how much time is left on the game clock.