Understanding God’s Purpose with Israel : The Christian Response to Zionism and Anti-Semitism
Jinu Ninan
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Throughout world history, two opposing ideologies have stood on extreme ends of the spectrum — Zionism and Anti-Semitism.
Zionism, in its true sense, is not something wrong. It began as a movement to establish the idea that the land of Israel rightfully belongs to the Jewish people. However, today the term “Zionism” is often used by many to express blind support for Israel.
Anti-Semitism, on the other hand, has always been a blind hatred toward the Jewish people.Sadly, both attitudes can be found even within the Christian world. Whenever anything happens in Israel, these two groups awaken — taking opposite sides in passionate debate.
It is unfortunate that many Christians do not approach such matters with an open, Scripture-based analysis. Like the swinging pendulum of a clock, they are drawn to one extreme or the other, rather than standing on biblical balance.
In today’s Christian world — especially within Pentecostal circles — Christian Zionists are more prominent. Whatever Israel does, they justify it. Whenever a bomb explodes in Israel or a conflict breaks out in Palestine, they rush to interpret it as the fulfillment of prophecy. They grow eloquent about the Second Coming, identify the Antichrist, and explain the “666.” Some even preach that Christians must pray for Israel to win its wars, claiming that we must stand with Israel through intercession. In doing so, they often display a tragic lack of compassion, even toward innocent civilians and children on the other side.
Those who claim that “no further signs are left before Christ’s coming” suddenly find every new conflict a sign of His imminent return. Yet, once the crisis subsides, their fervor and sermons about preparation fade away. Much of this is not born of true biblical or historical understanding but of an emotional, romantic attachment to Israel.
(It must be noted that this criticism is not directed toward genuine biblical scholars who study Israel’s role through sound historical and theological methods. Rather, it addresses those who sensationalize every event they see — the so-called “prophecy interpreters” who turn speculation into doctrine.)
On the other hand, there are those who are Anti-Semitic. They argue that since Israel rejected Christ, God has permanently rejected Israel. Having rejected the Son, they say, the Father has also rejected them — that God has no longer any covenantal relationship with the Jewish nation, and that the Church has replaced Israel as the new “chosen people.” According to this view, Israel now lives under God’s wrath and curse, and all their sufferings are divine punishment — the essence of what is known as Replacement Theology.
Although these two teachings stand on opposite ends, both are equally dangerous. Replacement Theology, in particular, has historically produced deep and widespread anti-Jewish sentiment within Christianity. Sadly, it is a false theology that has been taught by many through the centuries — and is still being taught today.
The Far-Reaching Dangers of False Theology
False doctrines may appear harmless at first, but history shows that their consequences can be vast and devastating — often beyond what their teachers or followers could imagine.
Because many failed to correctly understand Romans chapters 9 through 11, Replacement Theology took root — and it has left a trail of tragedy throughout Church and world history.
According to this theology, God’s first plan (Plan A) was to choose the Jews. When that plan supposedly failed, God devised a new plan (Plan B): to reject the Jews and replace them with the Gentiles. This theory has led many into severe hatred and persecution of the Jewish people.
Several early Church Fathers — Barnabas, Irenaeus, Origen, John Chrysostom, and later Saint Augustine — embraced and taught this theology. Saint Augustine’s writings later influenced Martin Luther, the pioneer of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, who, tragically, held this doctrine with great zeal and intensity.
Martin Luther authored several anti-Jewish works: On the Jews and Their Lies, Warning Against the Jews, and Vom Schem Hamphoras (in German). In these writings, he claimed that God had rejected the Jews and that they should be eradicated from the earth. History bears witness that Luther — the great German theologian — became a bitter anti-Semite. His writings would later influence Adolf Hitler himself.
In Hitler’s notorious autobiography Mein Kampf (page 213), he refers to Martin Luther as “Germany’s great reformer.” During the Nazi regime, Luther’s book On the Jews and Their Lies was reprinted and circulated to justify the extermination of Jews.
Hitler and the Nazis sought nothing less than the total annihilation of the Jewish race. Their ideology, Nazism, declared the Aryan race to be the world’s most superior and destined to rule, while the Jews were deemed the lowest and deserving of extinction.
What is most tragic is that during the Holocaust, both the Catholic and many Protestant (especially Lutheran) churches largely remained silent and indifferent. This silence must be understood in light of the theology they had inherited — that God had already rejected the Jews, and therefore the horrific suffering they endured was seen as divine punishment upon them.
If we study history honestly, we must admit that — in the twenty centuries since Christ — the Jewish people have suffered the worst persecutions not primarily from Nazis or Muslims, but from Christian leadership itself, including both Catholic and Protestant institutions. The root cause of this lies in the false, anti-Semitic interpretation that “God rejected Israel and replaced them with the Church.”
The Physical Promise and the Spiritual Promise to Jews
What does the Word of God teach about this subject? Though it is a topic that deserves detailed explanation, I will try to present it briefly.
When we study this subject from the foundation of Scripture, we must study in detail the promise that God gave to Abraham — the father of both the Jews and the Gentiles.
Because everything begins from there.
In Genesis chapter 22, when God blessed Abraham, He said:
Genesis 22:17–18
“I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.
Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies,
and through your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed — because you have obeyed My voice.”
In the first part of this blessing, in verse 17, we see a physical prophecy concerning the nation of Israel, the descendants of Abraham.
But in the next verse, we see a prophecy that goes beyond the physical — a spiritual promise.
It says: “Through your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed.”
This means that through Abraham’s descendants — that is, through the nation of Israel — all nations of the earth would receive physical blessings.
And as the fulfillment of that prophecy, the world has indeed been blessed physically through the nation of Israel.
In the areas of culture, science, economy, and literature, the world has been enriched through Israel — this is a historical fact.
Although the Jews make up only 0.2% of the world’s population, they have received about 20% of all Nobel Prizes.
Those who call this coincidence are people who neither know the Word of God nor understand history.
But more than physical blessing, the main theme of this passage is that through the promised Seed — born as a Jew from among Abraham’s descendants, that is, through Jesus Christ — all nations of the earth would receive a spiritual blessing.
That promised Seed is Christ Himself.
And the blessing that comes to all nations through that Seed is the adoption as sons through the Holy Spirit, as Paul explains in Galatians chapter 3.
Galatians 3:16
“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.
The Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.”
Galatians 3:14
“He redeemed us so that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
Galatians 4:6–7
“Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father.’
Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
That is to say:
God’s plan was not merely that the world would be blessed materially through Israel,
but that through Israel would come Jesus Christ,
that through Him Israel itself would be spiritually blessed,
and that through Him, all nations would receive eternal life and spiritual blessing through faith in Christ.
However, the nation of Israel, as a people, did not receive this spiritual blessing.
Though Jesus Christ came to His own — to Israel — as a nation the majority rejected Him.
The religious leadership of Israel, who were chosen by God to build His spiritual house, rejected the living Cornerstone, Christ Himself, and stumbled upon Him (Romans 9:30–33; 1 Peter 2:4–8).
God Has Not Rejected the Nation of Israel Completely
But here we must understand an important truth.
Because this truth is not properly understood, many have taught anti-Semitic and “Plan B” doctrines that contradict the Word of God.
We must clearly understand this:
Even though the majority of Israel rejected God, God has not rejected them completely.
Not only that — God has not changed His divine plan.
Those Jews who believed in Jesus Christ were accepted by God as His children,
and through them the Gospel was spread to the Gentiles.
The parable of the wicked tenants told by the Lord has been wrongly interpreted by many, leading to the false idea that God completely rejected the Jewish people, and resulting in harsh anti-Semitic attitudes.
Matthew 21:42–44
Jesus said to them,
“Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
Many misunderstood this parable, thinking that the Lord rejected the entire Jewish nation.
But those who heard Him knew exactly whom He meant.
Matthew writes,
“When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them.” (Matthew 21:45)
That is, the religious leaders of Israel — the chief priests and Pharisees — who were chosen by God to build His house, were the first to reject the Lord.
And the Lord rejected that religious leadership, along with the people who refused to accept Him as the Messiah.
But even then, there remained a group of Jews who believed in Jesus Christ.
Together with believing Gentiles, they became the spiritual house, built upon Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone.
The twelve disciples of Jesus,
the three thousand believers who formed the first Church —
all of them were Jews.
Through them, the Gospel went out to the Gentile nations.
The apostles, the foundational stones of the Church, were all Jews.
Thus, by His grace, God preserved a remnant among the Jews,
and together with the Gentiles who believed, justified them by faith within His divine plan.
The religious leadership of Israel rejected the living Cornerstone, Christ,
but those who believed in Him — both Jews and Gentiles — received life through Him.
They were built up as a spiritual house and a royal priesthood.
Spiritual Promises Are Fulfilled Only Through the Church
Therefore, today all spiritual blessings of God in Christ Jesus belong only to those who are His children — those who are part of His Body, the Church — whether Jew or Gentile.
They alone have eternal life,
they alone possess all the spiritual blessings of heaven.
The unbelieving Jew or the nation of Israel has no share in these blessings if they do not believe in Jesus.
(Ephesians 1:2)
That means:
Even if the nation of Israel wins or loses earthly wars, as long as they do not come to Christ, they are heading toward hell.
There is no spiritual connection between a believer in Christ and a Jew who does not believe in Him.
The Earthly Promises Concerning Israel Still Remain
Yet, at the same time, we must also understand that God still has an earthly plan concerning the nation of Israel.
For the God who was rejected by Israel has not rejected Israel.
Paul states this clearly:
Even though Israel was unfaithful, God will not break His covenant made with Abraham,
for God does not repent of His call or His election.
Romans 3:3
“What if some were unfaithful? Does their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? Certainly not!”
Romans 11:1–2
“I ask then: Did God reject His people?
By no means!
I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.”
That means:
In God’s earthly plan, the nation of Israel must remain.
They must return to their own land.
And ultimately, they must return to Jesus Christ — this is part of God’s divine plan.
God is faithful to His promises.
That is why, though they faced persecutions unlike any other nation in history,
though they were scattered to the ends of the earth,
they were not destroyed,
they were restored to their own land,
and even though many nations have tried to destroy them, they still stand strong today.
If we study world history impartially,
we will see that every nation, empire, or leader that tried to destroy Israel has perished —
but Israel, by the miraculous hand of God, has survived and endured.
The reason is simple:
God is faithful to His covenant with them.
Therefore, every attempt to destroy Israel as a nation has its origin in a satanic source.
That is why both Islamic extremism and anti-Semitism come from the same root — they are two sides of the same coin.
A true Christian believer must oppose both.
The Spiritual Restoration of Israel Is Part of God’s Plan
Not only do the earthly promises to Israel remain,
but Scripture also teaches about their future spiritual return.
In Romans 11:14–24, Paul explains a vital truth to the Gentile believers in Rome:
Do not be proud or boastful, thinking that God rejected Israel and chose the Gentiles in their place.
Israel was the natural olive tree of God,
but some branches were broken off because of unbelief.
The Gentiles, who were wild olive branches, were grafted in by faith.
Yet, these wild branches (the Gentiles) have been grafted among the natural branches of Israel.
God has not rejected the natural branches altogether — some were broken off, yes, but only for a time.
Both groups stand only because they share the same root — Christ, the root that bears them.
The branches do not support the root; the root supports the branches.
Therefore, Paul warns the Gentile believers to remain humble and steadfast in faith.
If they fail to continue in God’s grace,
the God who did not spare the natural branches (Israel) can also cut them off.
But one day, God will graft the natural branches — the Jews — back into their own olive tree, that is, back into Christ.
Paul continues:
Romans 11:24
“If you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree,
how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!”
A large part of Israel is hardened, Paul says,
but this hardening is partial and temporary —
it will last only until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
Then the entire nation of Israel will turn and be saved.
Romans 11:25–26
“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters,
so that you may not be conceited:
Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,
and in this way all Israel will be saved.
The Deliverer will come from Zion;
He will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
Paul concludes this teaching by saying:
Romans 11:30–31
“Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience,
so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.”
That means:
Because of Israel’s unbelief and hardness of heart, salvation came to the Gentiles.
But through the mercy shown to the Gentiles, one day Israel too will return by faith and be restored into God’s redemptive plan.
When that day comes, the hardness of Israel’s heart will be removed,
and God will show mercy and receive them again.
In Summary
In short, the Kingdom of God is the Church.
God’s spiritual purposes are carried out through His children — the Church.
There is no spiritual connection between unbelieving Israel and the believing Church.
Therefore, when Christian believers pray for Political Israel to win earthly wars,
or give political support as though it were a spiritual duty —
there is no spiritual basis for that.
Believers’ warfare is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).
Supporting political or military conflicts in the name of spirituality is a misunderstanding.
(Every individual has the freedom to take a political or historical stance,
to support truth and justice — but that has nothing to do with spirituality.)
Yet, God has never completely rejected the Jewish people whom He chose through Abraham.
Through the believing remnant among them, He laid the foundation of His Church.
And concerning the Israel that rejected Him, God still has an earthly plan —
a plan that includes their return and final spiritual restoration.
Therefore, to say that because Israel rejected Jesus, God has forever rejected them,
or that His plan now concerns only the Church,
is itself another kind of false teaching.
We must stay clear of both these opposite extremes.