I was intrigued by a recent article titled: “The Battle for Israel Is Now Being Fought Inside the Church.” Of course, the mainline denominations have become increasingly anti-Israel. This isn’t surprising given that for centuries they have accepted the tenets of Replacement Theology, believing that God long ago rejected the Jewish people.
The article correctly described the premillennial beliefs of those it described as “evangelicals.” However, not everyone in this group sees Israel’s rebirth as a nation as the first step toward the Lord restoring the kingdom to the nation at His Second Coming.
Sadly, the battleground is no longer between mainline denominations and evangelicals, but it’s rather inside the walls of churches that profess to be Bible-believing.
The Roots of Antisemitism
Amillennial beliefs have surged in recent decades in churches that profess belief in Scripture’s inspiration and inerrancy. It’s not uncommon for statements of faith to include strong language affirming Scripture as God-breathed while also proclaiming an end-of-the-age Second Coming as the very next event on God’s prophetic calendar.
The most popular no-Israel belief of our day is that of Dominion Theology, which teaches that the church will change the world and bring millennial conditions to the world before Jesus’ return to Earth. The aforementioned Replacement Theology remains a close second in popularity among “evangelicals.” Those in the Covenant Theology camp believe it was always God’s intention for Israel to transition to the church.
The dismissal of Jesus’ thousand-year reign from Mount Zion, as common in all these variations of Amillennialism, has long been a breeding ground for antisemitism, and today is no different. Pastor and author Gary Hamrick described it this way in an article on Harbinger’s Daily:
We’re seeing pastors today who refuse to support Israel because they’ve been influenced by Replacement Theology’s faulty interpretation of Scripture, and there are terrible repercussions for giving place to this damaging theology.
When the church entertains the idea that God has somehow replaced His covenant with the Jewish people—it provides fuel for the fire of those who would do Israel harm.
Make no mistake—this is a spiritual battle. Satan incites antisemitism, and antisemitism is satanic. And no one bears more responsibility in the fight against antisemitism than the church.
It’s not that all those who ascribe to a no-Israel view of future Bible prophecy have ill feelings toward Israel or the Jewish people. They do not. However, there has been a cause-and-effect pattern throughout church history as the teaching that God has rejected Israel has provoked hatred of the Jews. As Pastor Hamrick stated, it’s “a spiritual battle,” and it’s behind today’s resurgence of antisemitism.
Why Does It Matter?
Sadly, the battle extends beyond just hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people. In many instances, amillennial beliefs chip away at Scripture’s authority in other areas far too important to ignore.
It’s no accident that churches’ mainline denominations, long steeped in Replacement Theology, are the most prone to acquiesce to the world’s woke agenda. If God’s Word doesn’t really mean what it says about Israel, then alternative views of other passages become more inviting and eventually accepted.
As if the tendency toward antisemitism and wokeness were not enough, the belief that God could turn His back on promises to Israel also erodes the foundation of salvation “by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:1-10). If faithfulness to the Lord matters in God keeping His covenant promises to the Jewish nation, then is it not possible to extend the same reasoning to believers under the promises of the New Covenant?
I recently learned that a prominent advocate of Dominion Theology believed we are responsible for both being saved and remaining saved. That’s not grace, and it contradicts what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-10. Besides that, such teaching creates a clear path to boasting about one’s salvation.
Another prominent advocate of another no-Israel view of Bible prophecy believes that Jesus’ death on the cross didn’t pay the penalty for our sins, but only made our salvation “possible.” Is that not light-years away from the Christian faith revealed throughout all of Scripture? And yet, he’s a revered author.
Granted, these are isolated examples and don’t reflect the views of most Amillennialists. On the other hand, Replacement Theology opens the door to elevating behavior over that of relying solely on God’s merciful and gracious provision for our salvation. If God can renege on His promises to Israel because of behavior, what does that say about our security as believers?
I wrote my latest book, Irrevocable: The Case for Israel, to provide irrefutable evidence for Israel’s continuing place in Bible prophecy. In the process, however, I was awestruck by how God’s merciful dealings with Israel mirror His steadfast love to me and to all who trust Him as their Savior. Like Israel, we rely on God’s unfailing promises.
As I studied and wrote, the book became so much more than just compiling an abundance of evidence pointing to Israel’s future restoration as a kingdom. It also became a way to highlight the wonders of God’s unfailing love to His people, whether to the Jews or to us as New Testament saints.
The surging tide of antisemitism prompted me to start writing a book defending Israel’s place in Bible prophecy. In the end, it also became a way to proclaim God’s steadfast love.
