Christians today are asking serious questions in response to the 7 October attack by Hamas, to Israel’s ensuing war in Gaza, and to the huge anti-Israel protests around the world:
Why are the Jewish people and their state hated so much? Why is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict so long-lasting and traumatic? How does modern Israel relate to biblical Israel? Are we witnessing fulfilment of biblical prophecy in any way? How should we relate to the Jewish people now, given that our Saviour is for ever Jewish (Luke 1:32-33; Rev 22:16)?
Simplistic Bible-based responses by some church leaders treat this conflict as if it were just a personal disagreement – ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Matt 5:9); ‘Never take your own revenge’ (Rom 12:19); ‘Love your enemies’ (Luke 6:35). Of course these principles are godly, and modelled by Jesus Himself. But until we have forgiven a neighbour for torturing, raping and then slaughtering our own little sister or grandmother, we Christians have no right to lecture the grieving citizens of Israel.
Even if we were to treat this like any other international war, the Bible has far more to teach us. God has entrusted governments with ‘the sword’ to avenge evil and enforce justice (Rom 13:1-7; Luke 14:31-32), and although individuals should not resort to violence (Matt 26:52), soldiers serving their government can use force justly (Luke 3:14; Matt 5:41). ‘Just war theory’ is a robust Christian concept based on biblical patterns found throughout the history and laws of Israel. At the same time, the Bible recognises the tragic justice of collective punishment for the offences of leaders (Luke 19:41-44; 20:15-19; 23:27-31), provided there is due warning given (Luke 11:49-51) and opportunity for innocent individuals to escape (Luke 21:20-22). If Jesus decreed this for His own beloved nation, others cannot expect different standards of justice.
Applied to the current war in Gaza, Israel has taken pains to conduct its warfare against Hamas (not a war against Palestinians) strictly according to international law, as it always does. After all, the idea of human rights originated in Israel’s own teaching that every human is equally made in the image of God (Gen 1:27; Amos 9:7). Israel fully recognises its unique ‘chosen’ status as a nation is not because they are better than any other people (Deut 7:7-8; 9:4-7). This is why Israel has consistently welcomed Gazans for urgent medical treatment, even Hamas leaders and their families, and feel they must justify any change of policy even during wartime. Israel’s efforts to spare Palestinian civilian lives during war surpass any other army in the world. So it is utterly immoral to equate Israel’s collateral damage of civilian deaths in Gaza with Hamas’ sadistic targeting of defenceless civilians in southern Israel.
However, we must not treat this conflict as if it were ‘any other war’. Regardless of Israel’s response to Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, they remain chosen and loved by God, with irrevocable ‘gifts and calling’ (Rom 11:28-29). The entire Bible is centred around this one ethnic group, so how can we ignore their ongoing identification with God as a major factor in this war? I propose to explore this significance in three areas: the underlying excuse for attacking Israel at home and abroad, the tactics of Israel’s enemy, and the proper reaction of Christians toward the Jewish people.
First, the Bible speaks clearly about the ‘gift’ of the land. When pro-Palestinians echo the demands of Hamas that ‘… Palestine will be free’, they are tacitly approving the designation of Israel as an illegitimate coloniser of indigenous Palestinian land. So Christians need to become better informed about modern international law. In 1922, the community of nations unanimously recognised Jews to be indigenous alongside Arabs. They legally granted the land ‘from the river to the sea’ to the Jewish people as a national home in 1922, next door to an Arab state in (Trans)Jordan, implementing Churchill’s original two-state solution for all ‘Palestine’. Neither was expected to expel its ethnic minorities, however sadly from 1948 onwards there were equivalent numbers of Arabs and Jews who did flee, as often happens.
The history and legality of the State of Israel did not begin in 1948. But neither did it begin in 1922 or 1917. The Bible records that Israel inherited from father Abraham God’s ‘gift’ of the land as an eternal covenant (Gen 15:17-21; 17:7-8; etc.; Exod 6:5-8; 32:13). Even within their future ‘new covenant’, God again promised to ‘plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul’ (Jer 31:31-37; 32:36-42). The condition of possessing this inherited land that was ‘given for all time’ was that Israel keep God’s commandments (Deut 4:40), hence Israel’s repeated exiles from the land. But as Paul affirmed, Israel’s ‘gifts’ are not revoked despite sin or exile (Rom 9:4; 11:28-29). We also note that the land was never Israel’s exclusive possession. The law repeatedly affirms that ethnic minorities have equal legal status (Exod 12:43-49; Lev 24:10-22; Num 15:11-16, 29-31), provided they too worship Israel’s God (Jer 12:14-17).
Surprisingly, the prophet Ezekiel discerned that God would regather the Jewish people to the land even before their repentance and spiritual transformation, to prove His own unmerited faithfulness (Ezek 20:39-44; 36:16-32). And the prophet Isaiah made Israel’s hope dependent upon the nations. When nations have been drawn to Israel’s Messiah, they will then assist the Jewish people to return to their ancestral land (Isa 11:10-12; 49:5-7, 22-23; 60:4-9).
Therefore, Jesus Himself testified to an ongoing longing to regather Jerusalem’s exiled ‘children’ from the Diaspora (Matt 23:37-39; see Isa 49:14-22), such as Greek-speaking Jewish pilgrims (John 7:35-36; 12:20-32). He understood His mission as being the son of David who would gather both Judah and the ‘lost’ northern tribes of Israel, to be one flock with one shepherd (John 10:15; 11:51-52; echoing Ezek 37:21-24, also Isa 56:6-8). He also prophesied that at some point after the Roman exile, when salvation has been offered to all nations, Jerusalem would again be restored to Jewish sovereignty or ‘kingship’ (Luke 21:24; Acts 1:6-8). When He returns to reign on earth, His Jewish apostles will then govern the twelve tribes of Israel, and likewise His servants from the nations will inherit ‘kingship’ over their nations (Matt 19:28; 25:31-40; Rev 2:26-27; 7:3-10).
The entire Bible, from beginning to end, testifies that God will surely bring His Jewish people back into their land from the ends of the earth. And this promise will be accomplished only by Israel’s Messiah Jesus (Rom 15:8; 2Cor 1:20), through those nations who rally to His standard. This clear biblical teaching was celebrated and pursued by mainstream evangelical Christianity in Britain for 300 years, recognised by scholars as a primary influence on our 1917 Balfour Declaration. This included some of our greatest spiritual forebears such as Watts and the Wesleys, Simeon and Spurgeon, Müller and M’Cheyne, and even leading intellects like Milton, Locke and Newton.
Biblical literacy has plummeted in the British church during the last century, so it is little wonder that the convictions of our esteemed ancestors are so rarely reflected today. Had they been alive now, they would be eagerly awaiting and interceding for the imminent spiritual outpouring upon the regathered Jewish nation, prophesied in Ezekiel 36 and 37.
Second, the Bible alerts us to the tactics of Israel’s enemy. Israel’s primary opponent throughout history has been Satan, the Father of Lies (John 8:44) and the Accuser of the Brethren (Rev 12:7-12; Luke 10:17-20), whose greatest challenger is Israel’s angelic prince Michael (Dan 10:20-21; 12:1). Satan hates the Messiah who will destroy him, and therefore he hates the nation of Israel who gave birth to Messiah (Rev 12:1-6, 13-17; Gen 37:9-10).
Antisemitism is the most persistent racial hatred in humanity’s history. It arises not only from the unjustified jealousy of nations towards the one chosen to bless them (Gen 18:17-33; 27:29; Isa 19:24-25), but also simply because darkness hates and fears the light (Isa 60:1-3, 14). The Jewish people still carry God’s special revelation and glory (Rom 3:1-2; 9:4-5), so Satan is determined to slander and slaughter the nation who mediates God’s blessing on earth (Est 3:8-9; Rom 11:12, 15; 15:8-12).
All of Scripture bears witness to the common human failures of the Jewish people, but Satan goes further, stirring up the world he controls in unending false accusations out of all proportion to Israel’s faults. In the current war, Israel is unfairly blamed for every death in Gaza, whether combatants, human shields of Hamas, or victims of Gazan terror rockets, even for simply retaliating to Hamas’ sickening aggression. And on our streets and social media, selective sympathy for only these specific Palestinians (abused for decades by their own people) often masks violent spiritual hatred of the one and only Jewish state.
Sometimes criticism is justified, yet when Satan prosecuted the leader of the Jewish nation in Zechariah 3:1-7, the pre-incarnate Angel of the LORD rebuked the accuser by interceding for the guilty on the basis of God’s election. He still does the same for us (Rom 8:34), so let us not be found imitating Satan’s work when it comes to Israel.
Third, the Bible defines right attitudes and actions towards Jewish people. Just as children are to honour their parents and wives their husbands for God’s sake (Eph 6:1-4; 5:22-33), without necessarily implying that the authority figure is morally superior (1Pet 3:5-6), so also the nations should honour the Jewish people as God’s chosen leader nation (Rom 1:16; 2:9-11; 11:28-29).
The centurions and the Canaanite woman who demonstrated proper humility as non-Jews, received blessings associated with ‘salvation’ which Jesus said ‘is from the Jews’ (Luke 7:2-10; Acts 10:1-6; Matt 15:21-28; John 4:22; see Isa 35:4-6). He also taught that He will judge nations based on how we have treated ‘the least of these brothers of Mine’ (Matt 25:40), which must at least include Jesus’ ethnic kinsmen.
So Paul warned non-Jewish believers against arrogance and ignorance about God’s ongoing and especially end-time purposes for His ‘beloved’ Israel, even in their unbelief (Rom 11:17-28). Instead, he taught that we who have shared in their spiritual blessings ought to minister to them in practical ways (Rom 15:26-27).
In these troubled times for Jewish people worldwide, the least we can do is stand up publicly against all who hate and slander them, for Jesus’ sake.
An edited version of this article has been published by Premier Christianity magazine on 30 Nov 2023:
https://www.premierchristianity.com/opinion/israel-gaza-war-dont-ignore-what-the-bible-actually-says/16802.article
Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash.
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