Israel and Christians, A Biblical Case for Friendship with Israel

Why Christians Should Support Israel

I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever

– Exodus 32:13

Many Christians feel a deep connection to the land of Israel and this bond goes beyond political considerations. It‘s rooted in the Bible, specifically the enduring promise God made to Abraham and his descendants, the prophets, priests and kings of the Bible. God gave the title deeds of the land of Israel to the Jews, and Jesus was Jewish, as were His disciples, and He will return to reign from Israel.

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors

– The Song of Mary, the Mother of Jesus (Luke 1:54-55)

As Christians, we are called to stand with those God has chosen and to honour the lineage that brought forth the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This exploration of the Bible‘s teaching on Israel will delve deeper into why supporting the modern State of Israel holds significant biblical meaning. While disagreements on policy and politics may arise in Israel (and by Christians elsewhere), the Bible provides compelling reasons for Christians to stand with the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

• For out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel (Matthew 2:6)
• Get up, take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel (Matthew 2:20)
• So he got up, took the child and His mother and went to the land of Israel (Matthew 2:21)
• Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matthew 8:10)
• Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24)
• Jesus said, “When the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28)

Israel is mentioned 2,431 times in the Bible and 87 times in the New Testament. Holy Scripture speaks about the nation and people of Israel in the past, present and future tenses. Israel has been used by God, it is being used by God and it will be used by God in the end times.

Discover 15 Powerful Reasons to Stand with Israel

Then they gathered around Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority”

Jesus Confirms the State of Israel will be Reborn (Acts 1:6-7)

1-5: An Unbreakable Covenant

• An Unbreakable Covenant: God established an everlasting covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with no conditions attached (Genesis 17:1-8). This enduring bond signifies God‘s enduring love for the Jewish people. God has not rejected Israel forever because the promise to Abraham was not conditional on their obedience (Romans 11:25-16).
• Preserved for a Purpose: Despite historical challenges, the Jews remain a distinct people (Jeremiah 31:35-37). This preservation highlights God‘s faithfulness to His covenant and proves a future purpose for Israel, as prophesied in Scripture.
• Blessings for Blessing Israel: The Bible promises blessings for those who bless Israel and curses for those who oppose them (Genesis 12:3). This principle underscores the importance of supporting the Jewish people and the State of Israel. To hate Israel is to hate the Lord‘s plan and people. In addition, Jesus taught that to hate another is the same as murder.
• Salvation‘s Roots: Christianity‘s foundation lies in Judaism (John 4:22). Jesus, the disciples and the early Christians were all Jewish. The Gospel message spread from Jewish believers to the Gentiles (Acts 1:6-8).
• The Church was Founded in Jewish Jerusalem. The first Christians were Jews who recognised Jesus as their Messiah and they hosted the first church council in Jerusalem. These Jewish believers had to determine whether Gentile followers of Jesus should abide by Jewish law or be liberated to follow Jesus as Gentiles (Acts 15:1-31).

My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: his seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me; it shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky

– Psalm 89:34-37

Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labour than she gives birth to her children…Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her

– Isaiah 66:8, 10

6-10: Israel and the End Times

• A History of Persecution and the Need for Repentance: Sadly, the dispersion of the Jews often resulted in mistreatment, particularly by those claiming to be Christians (Genesis 12:3, Zechariah 1:15). Recognising this painful past fosters empathy and a desire for a different future. Christians must display the fruit of repentance by supporting the State of Israel today.
• Prophetic Return: The Jewish return to their homeland fulfils biblical prophecy (Ezekiel 36:8, 24). This event signifies God‘s ongoing faithfulness to His promises.
• The End-Times and Israel: The Jewish people have a specific role to play in the end times (Zechariah 14:3-4, 8-9, Acts 1:6-7, Romans 10-11, Galatians 6:16). Supporting Israel contributes to the fulfilment of God‘s plan.
• Israel, the Only State to Ever Rule the Land: Despite our concern for the suffering of others, God promised the land of Israel to the Jews. There has never been a country called Palestine in history and the name itself was created to erase the memory of the Jewish connection to the land. To give Jewish land to Arabs is to resist God‘s plan as revealed in Scripture (Exodus 32:13). There are 22 Arab nations possessing 13 million square kilometres of land. There is only one Jewish nation, Israel, with Israel possessing approximately 22,072 square kilometres of land, including Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. Israel gives Arabs full Israeli citizenship if they want it, but the Arabs expelled 99% of their Jewish citizens from the 1940s-70s
• To You and Your Descendants Forever: God gave the title deeds to Israel. To make any other choice is to fight against God (2 Chronicles 20:7). Many have claimed the land of Israel in history, but God gave the land to Israel forever.

• The End Times Book
• Heaven, Paradise is Real Book
• The Battle of Armageddon
• 666 – The Mark of the Beast
• The Second Coming of Jesus
• The Nephilim: Who were they?
• Who are the 144,000 in Revelation?
• Israel’s Peace Treaty with the Antichrist
• A Third Temple in Jerusalem will be Built
• The End Times, Articles and Studies

11-15: Israel a Blessing to All

• Israel Loves Arabs and Christians: Two million Israelis are Arabs and enjoy equal rights. All other Middle Eastern nations persecute Christians and deny most Arabs their rights (Matthew 5:43). In addition, Israel is the only functioning democracy in the Middle East and Arabia.
• Archaeology Proves Scripture: Everywhere you dig in Israel, you find Hebrew inscriptions and biblical cities. Arab colonisers in Israel have no distinct history, culture or language, and no claim on ancient Biblical Hebrew inscriptions and archaeology. Archaeological discoveries in Egypt, Syria and Iraq etc. have all proven the ancient nation of Israel.
• Messiah‘s Seat of Power: Jerusalem, the eternal and undivided capital of Israel, is prophesied to be the seat of government for the returning Messiah (Isaiah 2:3). A secure Israel and an undivided Jerusalem is crucial for the fulfilment of this prophecy.
• A Blessing to All: Ultimately, God desires Israel to be a blessing not only to themselves but also to the Arabs (Isaiah 19:23-25). Supporting Israel will contribute to this future peace and reconciliation. Jordan, Egypt and nations covered by the Abrahamic Accords have been blessed by making peace with Israel.
• Choose this Day Whom You will Serve: Christians must support God‘s will for Israel and reject satan‘s plans. The Islamists and secularists want to destroy Israel ‘from the river to the sea,’ because the devil thinks if he can destroy Israel from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, he can destroy God‘s redemptive plan for Israel and the Messiah‘s return (Joshua 24:15, Acts 1:11).

The Lord God said, ‘For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries and bring you into your land…I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations…not for your sake do I do this’

– Ezekiel 36:24-32

By understanding these biblical reasons, Christians can better understand the importance of supporting the Jewish people and the State of Israel. If you have ever resisted God‘s plan for Israel and the Jews, you can ask the Lord to forgive you and release you from all curses and hindrances that you called down upon yourself.

He [the Messiah, Jesus Christ] shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, and His enemies will lick the dust 

– Psalm 72:8-9

If you want to know more about the end times and Israel, read this book: The End Times, the Book of Revelation. Its prequel, Heaven, Paradise is Real is also available.

By Paul Backholer. Find out about Paul’s books here.