Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel?

Regarding the prophecies surrounding the return of Israel involve

1) The Lord God is king over all the earth. This hasn't happened, so it's not a real Israel.

2) The curse of those who fight against Israel is not currently in effect .. so it's not a real Israel.

3) A picture is painted of a highway between Assyria, Israel, and Egypt. Pointing to a time of unprecedented peace. In which Israel is not "first" but third among the listed nations of the alliance. This hasn't happened, so it's not a real Israel.

The time in which "God chooses Jerusalem again" is a time when God takes over the earth role of government. The time we are currently in is when the kingdom was taken away from them and given to those bearing its fruit.

Since that is the case, the churches who are acting like the former stewards should take heed.

Michie said:

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel? This is an important question for our time.

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No, it does not.

Michie said:

Let me answer the question from the outset: No. Christians are not under a biblical command to support Israel.
However, they are under a biblical command to not be arrogant towards Israel.

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Strawman. . .

Michie said:

Whatever one thinks of Israel, Christians are absolutely under the biblical command to love Jews, just as they commanded to love people of any race. Christians are called to love their neighbor and their enemies (cf. Matt 5:43-48).

But why is this even a question? What is behind all of this?

For those paying attention, there’s a growing number of Americans taking an anti-Israel stance, and with this comes an all-out assault against any thinking that inclines one to believe that Christians have a biblical obligation to support Israel. “The Church is Israel,” they’ll retort! The message is, “God’s chosen people are Christians. Love the Church! Not the State that rejects Christ and was responsible for His very crucifixion!”

Coupled with this is a strong stance against Dispensationalism that teaches that Israel remains “God’s chosen people.” It follows a literal approach to the text — when God told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3); meaning if Christians bless Israel, they’ll be blessed, and if Christians don’t, they’ll be cursed. No one wants that, right?

Continued below.

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel?

All of this is relevant to the question because the Bible is concerned with our attitude that stems from what we should believe about Israel, rather than the political stance we take regarding them

www.christianpost.com

Click to expand...

Israel is not "Israel."
All mankind, including Israel, are on the same footing with God; i.e., salvation is only by faith in Jesus Christ (Ro 11:23).

Christians are not obliged to support Israel any more than any other nation.

But don't confuse that with their being a superb ally!

Michie said:

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel? This is an important question for our time.

Let me answer the question from the outset: No. Christians are not under a biblical command to support Israel. However, they are under a biblical command to not be arrogant towards Israel. Whatever one thinks of Israel, Christians are absolutely under the biblical command to love Jews, just as they commanded to love people of any race. Christians are called to love their neighbor and their enemies (cf. Matt 5:43-48).

But why is this even a question? What is behind all of this?

For those paying attention, there’s a growing number of Americans taking an anti-Israel stance, and with this comes an all-out assault against any thinking that inclines one to believe that Christians have a biblical obligation to support Israel. “The Church is Israel,” they’ll retort! The message is, “God’s chosen people are Christians. Love the Church! Not the State that rejects Christ and was responsible for His very crucifixion!”

Coupled with this is a strong stance against Dispensationalism that teaches that Israel remains “God’s chosen people.” It follows a literal approach to the text — when God told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3); meaning if Christians bless Israel, they’ll be blessed, and if Christians don’t, they’ll be cursed. No one wants that, right?

Continued below.

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel?

All of this is relevant to the question because the Bible is concerned with our attitude that stems from what we should believe about Israel, rather than the political stance we take regarding them

www.christianpost.com

Click to expand...

Not necessarily. But at present, it's an enigma we have to pray about because there isn't a clear and distinct metric by which to measure the authenticity of what is present in the world regarding the current state of Israel, and all too many on both sides of the pro and con divide talk and act like they're authorities on the chaos we have to interpret and endure.

The Question is: Is the Israel of the Old Testament the same as the State of Israel that has emerged as a result of the UN resolutions of 1947-48?

I don't understand how anyone can read Paul and not know the answer. For Paul, being an "Israelite" is a spiritual state. Circumcision is a matter of the heart. It's neither a secular state nor a matter of birth. One might disagree with Paul on that, but this idea that a Christian should support a secular, modern state as if it has some special blessing from God is a very, very new idea that I think would have given Paul heartburn.

Michie said:

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel? This is an important question for our time.

Let me answer the question from the outset: No. Christians are not under a biblical command to support Israel. However, they are under a biblical command to not be arrogant towards Israel. Whatever one thinks of Israel, Christians are absolutely under the biblical command to love Jews, just as they commanded to love people of any race. Christians are called to love their neighbor and their enemies (cf. Matt 5:43-48).

But why is this even a question? What is behind all of this?

For those paying attention, there’s a growing number of Americans taking an anti-Israel stance, and with this comes an all-out assault against any thinking that inclines one to believe that Christians have a biblical obligation to support Israel. “The Church is Israel,” they’ll retort! The message is, “God’s chosen people are Christians. Love the Church! Not the State that rejects Christ and was responsible for His very crucifixion!”

Coupled with this is a strong stance against Dispensationalism that teaches that Israel remains “God’s chosen people.” It follows a literal approach to the text — when God told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3); meaning if Christians bless Israel, they’ll be blessed, and if Christians don’t, they’ll be cursed. No one wants that, right?

Continued below.

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel?

All of this is relevant to the question because the Bible is concerned with our attitude that stems from what we should believe about Israel, rather than the political stance we take regarding them

www.christianpost.com

Click to expand...

It's a really good question, and one for our times. I heard that Tucker Carlson had a disagreement with Ted Cruz on the matter. So, I have a different take on it than many.

I'm not a Dispensationalist, but I agree with them that God is out to save the nation, or to bring the nation into Christianity in some way. My own belief is that God could've judged and removed unbelievers in Israel centuries ago, but opted not to do this, recognizing that His way to bring about the salvation of entire socities requires a long, patient process in which unbelief must be tolerated for a long time before final judgment falls. This allows many to choose Christ, and to exercise his witness and judgments on earth.

But God has, as Dispensationalists claim, promised Abraham the deliverance of the Jewish People in the end. And we are seeing this process take place. And just as God showed great hostility towards nations that persecuted Israel when she was down, so God has continued to show great hostility to nations in our time who oppose the Jews in their time of weakness, before they are able to uncover their need for Christian defense.

That is why it is imperative for even former Christian nations to exercise discretion, and not cave to the forces that are hostile to Israel and oppress them. What the Muslims have been doing to Israel is obviously ungodly and wicked. There is no question that a large part of the world discriminates against the Jewish State primarily because the Muslims who hate it provide a greater economic and political benefit.

Michie said:

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel? This is an important question for our time.

Click to expand...

The Bible calls Christians to honor their word.

America has an agreement with Israel. IT is one of our Allies.

And the nation of Israel does not (as a nation) choose to declare war on the God of the Bible

Michie said:

Christians are absolutely under the biblical command to love Jews, just as they commanded to love people of any race. Christians are called to love their neighbor and their enemies (cf. Matt 5:43-48).

Click to expand...

true. Lev 19:18

Philip_B said:

The Question is: Is the Israel of the Old Testament the same as the State of Israel that has emerged as a result of the UN resolutions of 1947-48?

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The Israel that was constituted after Babylonian captivity came about as a result of a decree by the pagan Emperor Cyrus.

Is that supposed to matter? Does that instruct us to pay no attention to them?

No. Christians are not commanded to support the state of Israel.

If something, Christians should support Christian nations. However, even this is not any kind of a command.

We should support justice and the party that keeps the international law. If Israel breaks the international law and does horrible things to Palestinians, we should be against that. When Israel is right and doing the right thing, we should support Israel.

No. The modern state of Israel is biblically, religiously, theologically, and spiritually irrelevant.

-CryptoLutheran

Michie said:

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel? This is an important question for our time.

Let me answer the question from the outset: No. Christians are not under a biblical command to support Israel. However, they are under a biblical command to not be arrogant towards Israel. Whatever one thinks of Israel, Christians are absolutely under the biblical command to love Jews, just as they commanded to love people of any race. Christians are called to love their neighbor and their enemies (cf. Matt 5:43-48).

But why is this even a question? What is behind all of this?

For those paying attention, there’s a growing number of Americans taking an anti-Israel stance, and with this comes an all-out assault against any thinking that inclines one to believe that Christians have a biblical obligation to support Israel. “The Church is Israel,” they’ll retort! The message is, “God’s chosen people are Christians. Love the Church! Not the State that rejects Christ and was responsible for His very crucifixion!”

Coupled with this is a strong stance against Dispensationalism that teaches that Israel remains “God’s chosen people.” It follows a literal approach to the text — when God told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3); meaning if Christians bless Israel, they’ll be blessed, and if Christians don’t, they’ll be cursed. No one wants that, right?

Continued below.

Does the Bible command Christians to support the State of Israel?

All of this is relevant to the question because the Bible is concerned with our attitude that stems from what we should believe about Israel, rather than the political stance we take regarding them

www.christianpost.com

Click to expand...

During the Great Tribulation, supporting Israel will be a requirement for unbelieving gentiles to enter the kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46)

But now, no, because Israel has fallen, we have salvation direct and purely from grace (Romans 11:11)