I will make of thee a great nation… and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee. — Genesis 12:2–3

Antisemitism is rising. It is not just found in political movements, media pundits, and educational campuses—it is growing within churches, too.

It is my concern that Gen Z is asking questions but finding too few people willing to provide Bible answers. There are serious underlying issues at hand that often get no attention.

  • Confusion about Israel’s place in Scripture
  • Replacement theology
  • Sympathy toward anti-Israel narratives from popular media and pundits
  • Silence when antisemitism is present

God made Abram a promise in Genesis 12, and God always keeps His promises.
So we must examine what Scripture says. We must build our lives upon the Bible. Where should Christians stand when it comes to Israel?

What Are the Three Groups of People in Scripture?

1 Corinthians 10:32 teaches that there are three groups:

Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: – 1 Corinthians 10:32

  1. The Jews (those born of Israel)

  2. The Gentiles (all other nations)

  3. The Church of God (those who have trusted Christ)

By birth, we are either Jew or Gentile, but in Christ we are born again and placed into the church. But understand this: the church is not Israel, and Israel is not the church.

Romans 11:1 makes it clear: “Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.” Even though God is working through the church today, that does not mean He has forgotten Israel. He has made promises to them, and God always keeps His promises.

Are We Seeing Prophecy Fulfilled?

Ezekiel 36:24 says:

“I will take you from among the heathen… and bring you into your own land.”

God promised that if the Jews did not serve Him, He would cast them out of the land. Yet, God did not leave them hopeless; He also said He would gather them back together.

A brief survey of Israel’s history will help us see Bible prophecy unfold:

Biblical History

  • Under Solomon, the Jews built a Temple to serve the LORD.
  • From 605 B.C. to 586 B.C., the Babylonians came against Jerusalem
  • In 586 B.C., Jerusalem was destroyed and the Temple was burned.
  • The Babylonians were conquered by the Persians, who reigned during the time of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
  • The Persians allowed the Jews to return and rebuild their temple
  • This was the 2nd Temple – later expanded by King Herod.
  • Israel returned to the land, though under Gentile rule
  • When we come to the New Testament, the Jews still occupy the land, but they are still under Gentile rule. The Romans are in charge.
  • In A.D. 70, Titus, the Roman general, ordered Jerusalem and the Temple destroyed. In this attack, many Jews were killed. The historian Josephus placed the death toll at around 1 million.

Post-Apostolic History

  • The Jews continued to revolt from Roman rule until about 135 A.D. when the Romans ordered the desolation of the land of Judea. Towns and villages were destroyed, many Jews died, and the remaining Jews were scattered across the world with no place to call home.
  • In the 7th century, the Arabs took possession of the land.
  • Later, the Ottoman Turks assumed the land around 1517, and Palestine was considered part of the Ottoman Empire until Turkey was defeated in World War I.
  • The land was taken over by British Rule in 1917 under General Allenby.
  • Before the Turks were defeated, in 1881, a resettlement movement began, which was later championed by Theodor Herzl.

Modern History

  • By WWI, about 80,000 Jews were living in the land, and by 1939, that number had grown to about 400,000.
  • By 1939, about 400,000 people were living in the region. However, Arabs made life very difficult.
  • During WWII, Jews living in Europe were subject to horrific persecution and the Holocaust. About 6 million Jews died!
  • However, this did garner sympathy and support for the Jews!
  • A historic event took place on May 14, 1948 when the British withdrew control of Palestine and Israel declared itself a nation!

“Never before has an ancient people, scattered for so many centuries, been able to return to their ancient land and reestablish themselves with such success and such swift progress as is witnessed in the new state of Israel.” – John Walvoord

God said He would gather them—and He has. This is not a spiritual return yet, but it sets the stage for what is to come.

Whose Land Is It?

Genesis 15:18 says:

“Unto thy seed have I given this land.”

Liberal media preaches that the Palestinians have been under oppression and occupation for 75 years by the Jews, and that they are just trying to take back what was theirs.

Basically, these left-wing outlets are saying Israel is the problem here. Israel took the land, and it was not theirs anyway!

How do we make sense of all of the rhetoric? We must go to what God said as a fixed point of reference, and we discover that God gave the land to Israel.

It is a small strip of land—about the size of New Jersey—yet it is the most contested place in the world. The Jews have never even occupied all that God promised them, which would stretch from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates River. What God has given, He has given.

Yes, there are people who think Israel should give up the land, and there are some who cast Israel as standing in the way of peace because of the issue. However, using a normal, literal approach to Scripture, one can clearly see two unmistakable principles:

  1. The Bible teaches that the church and Israel are not the same.
  2. The Bible also teaches that the land was given to Israel, and that grant has not been revoked.

What Events Are Yet to Come?

Consider these verses

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)

The Bible provides a framework of prophetic events.

  1. A 3rd Temple must be built
  2. The Battle of Gog and Magog will take place
  3. A 7-year peace treaty will be signed, only to be broken
  4. The Tribulation must take place as God calls His people – not just to their land – but unto CHRIST!

There is coming a day when the Jews will recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah. God is not only bringing them back to the land—He is bringing them back to Himself.

What Is America’s Role?

Genesis 12:3 still stands:

I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.

America has been blessed of God. If we want God’s blessing, then we must be a people who bless Israel.

Bible-believing Americans are in a unique position to choose leaders who support Israel as well as to provide political, humanitarian, and military support to the Jewish people.

This is a time for Christians in America to beware of the rising rhetoric against the Jews. Because of what we know to be true about God, we reject this sometimes subtle, and sometimes open, disdain of the nation of Israel.

What Must We Do as Christians?

Psalm 122:6 says:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

As Christians, we should:

  • Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
  • Pray for the safety of the Jewish people
  • Pray for their leaders
  • Pray for their defense forces
  • Pray for the innocent who are suffering

We should also seek to bless Israel in whatever way we can.

When there are needs—whether food, medical aid, or resources—we ought to be willing to help. And above all, we must continue to get the Gospel to all people.

A Final Word

Biblically, it is clear that God has made promises to Israel, and that He has not forgotten about the Jews.

Antisemitism is more than a political issue. It is a sin of the heart. Satan has been masterful in turning many against the Jewish people, as seen in the enslavement of the Jews in Egypt and the atrocities committed by leaders like Herod and Hitler.

The need for such a time as this is biblical conviction and boldness. Christian leaders must teach biblical truths and principles concerning the Jews. Honest conversations around the Bible should be held, teaching what the Scriptures make clear. Christians in America can vote for leaders who will support Israel.

We must encourage God’s people to place the emphasis where God places it, and we must remember what He said to Abram.

I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.