Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have considered it unbelief. Of course, I have long regarded it as unbiblical, and that came through a long time ago in my preaching as a young pastor and in all my writing since then. Yet despite the fact that it’s by far the most popular teaching in churches today, the assertion that the church is the “new Israel” is a denial of what the Bible clearly teaches.
The harm that this teaching causes extends far beyond the walls of the churches where it’s proclaimed. The belief that the church, rather than Israel, fulfills all of God’s kingdom promises to the Jewish people breeds antisemitism among Christians, which far too often spills over into the unbelieving world. We understand Satan’s hatred of Israel and the Jewish people that’s becoming increasingly evident in the unbelieving world, but its presence among believers is inexcusable at best.
Tucker Carlson is “Exhibit A” of the damage that emanates from this errant theology. He claims to be a born-again Christian and often speaks at events sponsored by organizations that profess to be “Bible-believing.” Yet he made headlines last year with his anti–Jewish rant during his podcast interview of Nick Fuentes, a commentator with similar anti-Israel attitudes.
During the broadcast, Carlson went beyond attacking the Jewish state to that of ridiculing “Christian Zionists,” whom he described as having a “brain virus.” Despite his profession of faith, he had no problem mocking believers who adhere to a literal interpretation of Scripture regarding Israel’s future.
Carlson describes himself as an Episcopalian, which is a liberal denomination long immersed in the belief that God rejected Israel and replaced the nation with the church. Although he says the Episcopalian Church has “abandoned its biblical moorings and, for some, even its belief in God,” he still clings to its belief that God’s purposes for the nation of Israel ended long ago.
He also made headlines in his conversation with Mike Huckabee, during which Carlson claimed that the people living in modern-day Israel have no connection to the Jewish people in biblical times. Of course, the ambassador quickly corrected him on his adoption of a viewpoint made popular years ago by the most ardent haters of the Jewish people.
How did we arrive at the place where a prominent Christian is voicing antisemitic propaganda? Did it not originate with the teaching that the church is the recipient of all the kingdom promises God made to Israel?
What follows is the path that has led me to the conclusion that at its heart, this teaching is unbelief and harmful to many in the body of Christ.
God Loves Zion
In a recent statement, Tucker Carlson also “joked that the Old Testament should be updated and rewritten.” Perhaps he recognizes on some level that its prophets contradict his beliefs regarding Israel and the Jewish people. More than that, one cannot read the Psalms without recognizing that God’s love for Zion resounds throughout its pages, as we read in Psalm 87:1–3: “His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah” (emphasis added).
The Lord has a vastly different view of “Christian Zionists” than does Mr. Carlson. Today’s antisemitism among Christians deeply saddens the heart of our Lord. He dearly loves Zion and Jerusalem. One cannot negate Zion’s place as the future place of Jesus’ rule over the nations apart from rewriting a great many Psalms penned by various writers. The Psalms lead us to this inescapable conclusion: God is the ultimate Zionist!
What does it say about God if He can inspire a great many verses proclaiming His love for Zion and later reject it along with its people? If He can so completely change His mind concerning His objects of love, does that not add a layer of insecurity to us as New Testament saints? A biblical understanding of Israel’s place in Bible prophecy enhances our understanding of the gospel and the unmerited mercy we abundantly enjoy each and every day.
The Lord Promises to Restore a Kingdom to Israel
There are two reasons behind my conclusion that the denial of Israel’s place in future Bible prophecy is unbelief. First, it has come about from my increased understanding that so many passages, written by the Psalmists and many prophets over an extended period of time, clearly predict a glorious future restoration of Israel with Jesus reigning from Mount Zion. I cannot see any other way to interpret the words of Scripture.
My next book project takes my readers through all the Old Testament prophets, looking at what the Lord revealed to them about Israel’s future. Each day, the evidence continues to mount, and I cannot escape the clarity of the message that resounds from Genesis through Revelation: God will most surely restore a kingdom to Israel.
Second, the other reason that lies behind my conclusion that such teaching is unbelief is this: those who deny a future for the nation of Israel must also negate the clear intent of so many New Testament passages. In order to support their viewpoint, they must remove all the futuristic aspects of Matthew 24 up to Jesus’ words about His Second Coming in verses 29-31. How can they maintain their claim for a sudden switch to the future when Jesus predicates His return on the previous verses, which they say belong in the distant past? And such teaching has led many to conclude that Jesus’ Second Coming happened in AD 70!
Similarly, adherents of the view that the church is the new Israel must strip Revelation chapters 4-20 of all their futuristic content while preserving the eternal state (although some tell us that the last two chapters have also reached fulfillment). Such an approach greatly damages the clear intent of God’s Word and effectively erases the relevance of Bible prophecy for the day in which we live.
The immediate danger in the unbelief of what God’s word says about the future is that it leads to an undue emphasis on this life. Sadly, this also erases the comfort the New Testament affords believers with its focus on Jesus’ imminent appearing and living forever with immortal and incorruptible bodies.
Yes, of course, I’m aware that many Christians who dismiss Israel’s role in Bible prophecy also believe in eternal life. However, based on listening to countless sermons by those who hold to this teaching, I know their emphasis is predominantly, if not exclusively, on this life. If the pastor even mentions eternity, which is quite rare, it usually happens in the closing prayer.
I have also observed that believers who agree with this errant teaching regarding Israel talk solely about their aspirations for this life as though nothing can possibly interfere with their assorted goals. It’s not that wise planning is bad, but the danger lies in their attempt to make this life the paradise it can never be while they ignore the paradise the Lord promises them throughout the New Testament.
It might seem harsh to characterize the teaching that the church is the recipient of all God’s promises to Israel as unbelief and, in many ways, harmful to the body of Christ. For me, however, this conclusion has become inescapable based upon the words of Scripture and from recognizing that this theology far too often breeds antisemitism along with a sole preoccupation with this life, one that’s oblivious to the transitory nature of our lives in this, the season of Jesus’ appearing.
