For Zion's Sake

Much of the Church’s historical stance on Israel has ranged from ambivalence to outright hostility. While there has always been a remnant that has held to a sober-minded, biblical view of Israel and recognized the centrality of Israel in God’s plan for redeeming his creation, the prevailing narrative from at least the third century has skewed towards the view that the promises to Israel have been spiritually realized through the establishment of the Church. However, in modern times, particularly following the Holocaust and the establishment of the modern state of Israel, a more biblical leaning regarding the promises Israel has gathered momentum. For instance, we see in this in the growth of the Messianic movement and Evangelical support for Israel. However, this is often drowned out by popular ‘trendy’ supersessionist voices, particularly in academic circles, and progressives who do not hold to a literal view of scripture.  

While there is a growing move amongst scholars countering this narrative, including non-believing Jewish scholars (e.g. Amy Jill-Levine and Mark Nanos), it is not clear that this has filtered down fully to the pulpits. On the other hand, many supporters of Israel have such a zeal that they will put politics over the Gospel. I for one have been guilty of this in the past in my zeal to stand by Israel politically. While I would much rather be accused of loving God’s segulah too much rather than not at all, sharing the love of Yeshua is the primary way to bless Israel, foster reconciliation in the Middle East and align ourselves with God’s will for the nation. Standing with Israel amidst a sea of unwarranted criticism and rising antisemitism should be a natural by-product of this love. Additionally, anyone who truly understands the nature of the conflict in the Middle East – and what Israel is up against – recognizes that standing with Israel is simply the moral and just thing to do. On the other hand, jumping on the bandwagon of unwarranted criticism for Israel, a habit which supersessionists tend to fall into, is not an effective way to provoke Israel to jealousy at all, which Gentile believers are called to do. 

In Church history, we can see the violent fruits of supersessionism play out from the third century onwards. This ideology picked up steam with the post-70AD move to a Gentile majority in the Church and the push to interpret the Old Testament in light of the New, rather than the reverse. The allegorical approach to interpreting Old Testament prophesies, notably espoused by the Alexandrian school and Church fathers such as Origen, had a particularly distorting effect on how the Church viewed God’s covenant with Israel. To put it simply, the prevailing narrative was that the Church had replaced Israel, since Israel had squandered their calling and rejected the Messiah. The Church then took on the Covenant blessings, but ironically exempted itself from its curses. I do note there are various forms of supersessionism, with some scholars using categories such as punitive and economic supersessionism. While I will not delve into the various forms here, what is clear about this overarching theological perspective is that it resulted in centuries of persecution of the Jewish people. Throughout Church history Jewish people were accused of ‘deicide’, experienced multiple pogroms, forced conversions and blood libels, including false accusations of host desecration and ritual murder. Given the fruits of supersessionism in history, it is no wonder Jewish people are skeptical of Christianity. The Church has added to the veil, and the only way to repair the damage is to repent and recover a biblical view of Israel.

So given all of this, what does aligning ourselves with God’s will for Israel actually look like biblically?

To begin, what is God’s heart for Israel? The Hebrew prophets are filled with the answers to this question, and these answers are clear if one takes Israel to mean literal Israel. I believe we have strong reasons to contend the term ‘Israel’ is exactly what it means. How absurd would it sound to the immediate audience of the prophets, who likely found so much comfort in these promises, to suggest that references to Israel didn’t even apply to them, and the word would take on an entirely different meaning in the future? God is not a liar, and when you are awake to the centrality of Israel in God’s plans to restore creation, and how the nations are blessed by this, the Hebrew Bible comes alive and you realize our blessed hope is way more awesome than what you were taught in Sunday school. The fact is that God’s promises to restore Israel and establish Messiah’s literal, earthly reign from Jerusalem are the central themes played out in the Hebrew prophets. I have always wondered how supersessionists can make any sense of the Hebrew prophets in the absence of a futurist, literal view of scripture. However, God’s programme has not changed, nor does He change.

Staying on God’s intentions and heart for Israel, let’s examine a few seminal scriptures. In Isaiah 62:1-5, we can see God’s heart and zeal for Israel:  

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,  and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. 

Here we see that God will not relent until Israel’s righteousness shines forth and is projected towards the nations. God’s marriage covenant with Israel will be renewed and the land will no more be called forsaken. This has yet to come to pass. There has not yet been a time where Israel could be declared righteous on a national level, nor has it dwelt in a permanent secure state. But God will not relent until this comes to pass, and he will bring it about through the New Covenant promise and outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all of Israel at Yeshua’s second coming. As believers after the heart of God, we should join Him in this zealous prayer and hope for Israel. We cannot remain silent until the Lord can finally and permanently delight and rejoice over his precious chosen people.

And what becomes of those nations who are not aligned with God’s will for Israel, who not only treat Israel with arrogance but seek to disrupt God’s physical land promises to Israel? Joel 3:1-3 is one passage that lays out the judgement to come for those who are unaligned with God’s plans for Israel: 

 For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it. 

Some scholars have suggested Yeshua is likely referring to this same event when outlining the sheep and goat judgement in Matthew 25:31-46. Notably, this occurs in the context of the Olivet discourse and judgement of the nations. 

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” 

If it is indeed Israel that Yeshua is referring to as his brethren who were hungry, sick and imprisoned, then the implications for those nations and peoples that have aided and abetted antisemitism throughout history are stark. Whether the Jewish people are the referents here or not, the principle remains. During centuries of persecution culminating in the Holocaust, the Church stood by and did not help Yeshua’s brethren when they were hungry, sick and imprisoned. Yet justice will be served when Yeshua judges the nations.

In Romans 11:17-22 Paul also provides us with a warning against being arrogant towards unbelieving Israel, including that you are at risk yourself of being cut off if you hold this posture.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive treedo not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

Paul’s statement ‘If God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you” should serve as a warning to those who hold that God has rejected Israel. How much more would God not spare you, if he didn’t spare some of the natural branches? Here we see how supersessionism leads to an undermining of the trustworthiness of God. Additionally, this serves as a warning that your arrogance towards Israel risks you being cut off. The implication here is that arrogance towards Israel is not a fruit you would expect in someone who is truly saved.

Later in Romans 11:25-26, Paul address the idea that Israel has fallen beyond repair:

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brother: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

Here Paul states that a partial hardening has come upon Israel. However, this will only be the case until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and then all of Israel will be saved. ‘Until’ implies this is a temporary state. There is still a future where all of Israel will achieve a national, corporal salvation. This is not merely referring to the remnant of Messianic believers throughout history, but Israel as a nation, as a political entity, at the time of Yeshua’s return.

Earlier in Romans 11:11-12, Paul reinforced the idea that Israel has not stumbled beyond redemption. He also curiously states that salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous.

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean.

What does it mean to make Israel jealous, and has the Church through history fulfilled this calling? I submit the Church has failed at this. It has displayed arrogance towards the natural branch with centuries of mistreatment and persecution that culminated in the Holocaust. In addition, we have perpetuated the false narrative that the Torah is now abrogated and that following the Jewish Messiah means you can no longer be Jewish! We have also suggested that there will be no physical rein of Messiah from Jerusalem, just an ethereal existence in heaven. No wonder Jewish people have their hearts heartened towards the Gospel – we ourselves have contributed to this. Do you seriously expect Jewish people to buy that the Jewish Messiah is anti-Torah and that the earthly promises made to Abraham will be fulfilled symbolically through an eternal sing-a-long in the sky? It is an absurd notion. God deemed his creation good from the beginning. His purpose is to redeem his fallen creation and dwell among us, as he intended from the beginning. God will not fail at this.

Provoking Israel to jealously should involve aligning ourselves with God’s heart for them. He is clear that He is zealous for Israel to turn to him and become righteous. We need to join God in this hope, while not becoming arrogant ourselves, knowing it is only because of Israel’s stewardship of the oracles of God and the Jewish Messiah that salvation has come to us. We are grafted in as part of one big family. We should love our older brother and be in relationship with him, knowing he will return.

So what does this look like practically? First, we need to love Israel and the Jewish people authentically. Stand with them when their enemies are scoffing at them. Stand against antisemitism in all its forms. The fact is that the Church failed during the Holocaust, having become hard-hearted towards the Jewish people on account of a false theological position. Yes, there were righteous Gentiles, but if the Church as a whole had stood up, the Holocaust would not have happened. We cannot make this same mistake again. We have a responsibility to be educated about antisemitism, the spiritual and political situation with Israel, and to stand up against prejudice towards the Jewish people in all its forms, including anti-Zionism. This means we also need to guard against holding double standards. Of course Israel is not immune to any criticism. But when you criticize Israel, ask if you apply that same standard to your own country or any other country in the world. Israel has enough critics – do you really need to add another voice?

We also need to recognize that Satan is behind anti-Semitism and has been relentless in his pursuit to wipe out Israel as a people since the beginning. He has been obsessed with trying to prevent the seed of the woman who would ultimately crush him (Gen 3:15). He has also been behind the Church’s historical anti-Semitism, knowing that adding tares to the Church would further add to the veil and present Jewish people from knowing their Messiah. After all, Jesus will not return until his people accept him – Satan is hellbent on stopping this. We must stand against the enemy’s schemes and stand with God.

Most importantly, we need to be building authentic, loving relationships with our Jewish brethren, not with ulterior motives. Showing them the love of Yeshua in a respectful and organic way is exactly how they will be provoked to jealousy. Understand the history and sensitivity that comes with proselytization and the notion of being ‘converted’. Understand that if a Jewish person accepts Yeshua, they do not need to neglect their Jewish identity. In fact, there is nothing more Jewish than becoming a believer! We need to counter the narrative of much of the Church that says a Jewish person stops being Jewish after accepting Yeshua. This is absolutely false, and another added layer to the veil that we ourselves have helped create.

We need to stand with Israel and the Jewish people, with a gratitude for having been grafted in and knowing God’s relentless love for his people. Most importantly, we need to share the love of Yeshua in a tactful manner, in line with God’s will to declare his people righteous. And we know there will come a time where we will answer to God for this. Let’s align with God’s heart for Israel and work to reunite the family.