By Matija Šerić
After the war between Israelis and Palestinians erupted on October 7, 2023, American evangelicals were among the loudest supporters of Israel. 90 prominent pastors and other Protestant leaders issued the “Evangelical Statement in Support of Israel.” Citing the tradition of “just war,” the statement affirmed “Israel’s right and duty to defend itself against further attacks.” Evangelical leaders across the United States expressed sympathy, as reported by The New York Times, “for a country with which many of them feel intense spiritual, cultural, and political ties.” However, the unconditional support of the American evangelical community for Israel is not based solely on theological motives or love for the Holy Land. It is part of the bizarre theological-political phenomenon of Christian Zionism.
For Christian Zionists, support for Israel is rooted in Israel’s role in the End Times as prophesied in the Bible. This includes the Second Coming of Jesus to Earth, the bloody final battle of Armageddon, and the establishment of Christ’s reign over the world from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. According to this scenario, war is not something to be avoided, but rather something desired by God in order to fulfill biblical prophecy. According to Zionists, warfare between Jews and Arabs is collateral damage in service of a higher goal. Christian Zionists look forward to a war that will end all wars and usher in a Christian world that defeats evil and brings peace. Only those who accept Jesus as their savior will be saved. Unbelievers, including Jews and Muslims, will not survive.
Fiery Sermons of Christian Pastors
John Hagee, the controversial Texas televangelist and founder of the influential Christian Zionist organization Christians United for Israel in 2006, has long been one of the most powerful advocates of Zionism. On October 15, Hagee preached at the evangelical Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia. Speaking in front of a mural depicting events from the Book of Revelation, he claimed that the epic battle at Armageddon, or Mount Megiddo in Israel, would be “the bloodiest battle ever recorded in world history.” He asserted that the Bible had prophesied that armies coming “against Israel” from China, Russia, or Iran would be “wiped out by God.” Afterward, he predicted: “there will be 1,000 years of perfect peace, no presidential elections, no fake news, none of this nonsense.” Instead, there would be “one king and one leader, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. One law, and that will be His law.”
Hagee was not alone in preaching about the role of the Jews in the End Times. On the contrary, many Protestant pastors have done the same. The world’s largest religious television network and megaphone of Christian Zionist televangelism, Trinity Broadcasting Network, has presented the current war between Hamas and Israel as part of End Times prophecy. Popular preacher Greg Laurie told believers that recent events were a “super sign” that the “prophetic clock has started ticking, signaling the return of the nation of Israel to its homeland.”
Definition of Christian Zionism
According to David Brog, author of the book Standing with Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State, Christian Zionism can be defined as Christian support for the Zionist cause — the return of the Jewish people to their biblical homeland of Israel. Christian Zionists believe that the return of the Jews to Israel is in accordance with biblical prophecy and necessary for Jesus to return to Earth as king. They are partially motivated by the Bible and the words of the prophets. Additionally, they support Israel because they wish to “repay a debt of gratitude to the Jewish people for the coming of Christ and the foundations of Christianity,” as well as support a political ally.
Christian Zionists interpret both the Torah and the New Testament as prophetic texts describing future events concerning how the world will end with the Second Coming of Jesus. Israel and its people are central to their vision. They interpret passages from the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Isaiah as signs of the coming Christian era. Many Christians read the New Testament’s Book of Revelation as a prophetic text describing what the world will look like at the end of time. Christian Zionists claim that the Book of Genesis teaches that God will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse it. They insist that if America, as a state, does not “bless” Israel (that is, offer unconditional support to its government), God will curse America.
Origins
Christian Zionism is not a recent phenomenon but dates back to the Reformation era. It gained stronger support in England during the 17th century. English evangelical Christians introduced this idea into Jewish circles in the 1840s. During the 1880s, the English Anglican priest William Hechler founded the Christian Zionist Committee, which helped relocate Russian Jewish refugees to Palestine after a series of pogroms. In 1884, Hechler wrote a pamphlet titled The Restoration of the Jews to Palestine According to the Prophets. A few years later, he befriended Theodor Herzl, the founder of the modern Zionist movement, after reading his book The Jewish State. He joined Herzl in gathering support for Zionism.
The term “Christian Zionist” was first used by Herzl at the First Zionist Congress in 1897. Hechler even organized a meeting between Herzl and German Emperor Wilhelm II to discuss the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. The two remained close friends until Herzl’s death in 1904.
Christian Zionists viewed the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 as a historic event of immense significance leading toward the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. In the Zionist perspective, the Jews had restored their ancient homeland and begun returning to it, just as foretold in the Bible.
An important moment in the history of Christian Zionism occurred in 1979 with the establishment of the Moral Majority organization. It was founded by American Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell and consisted of conservative Christian political committees that successfully mobilized like-minded voters to support conservative Republican candidates. With nearly six million members, the Moral Majority became a powerful voting bloc during the 1980s and was credited with helping Ronald Reagan win the 1980 presidential election. One of the four fundamental principles of the Moral Majority was “support for Israel and the Jewish people everywhere.”
In 1980, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem was founded. It is a very influential Christian Zionist organization headquartered in Jerusalem. That same year, Falwell, whose televised sermons were watched by millions, said of Israel: “I firmly believe that God has blessed America because America has blessed the Jews. If this nation wants its fields to remain white with grain, its scientific achievements to remain remarkable, and its freedom to remain intact, America must continue to stand with Israel.” Falwell dissolved the Moral Majority in 1989, but conservative Christians remained vocal advocates for Israel even though they lacked a formal structure for pro-Israel political action.
The Dispensationalist Foundation of Zionism
Dispensationalist Christianity, embraced by Zionists, is a way of interpreting the Bible accepted in some Protestant churches (evangelicals, Baptists, Pentecostals, and the charismatic movement), according to which Christianity did not replace Judaism but restored its lost elements. According to the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and most other churches, the Jews ceased to be the chosen people after rejecting Jesus, and the Jewish people were replaced by the Church — the theology of replacement.
However, Israel plays a central role in the dispensationalist view of the end of the world. Dispensationalist Christians believe that the Jewish people, not the Church, are those to whom Israel was promised in the Bible. In their view, Christianity was not created to replace Judaism but to restore it. Dispensationalism has overshadowed replacement theology as the dominant form of Christian thought in contemporary America.
Pastor Hagee explicitly condemned replacement theology: “We believe in the promise of Genesis 12:3 regarding the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. We believe this is an eternal covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham to which God remains faithful.” Evangelical ideologue Pat Robertson repeated this statement while touring Israel during the war between Israel and Hezbollah, saying: “The Jews are God’s chosen people. Israel is a special nation that holds a special place in God’s heart. He will defend this nation. Therefore, evangelical Christians stand with Israel. That is one of the reasons I am here.”
Pastor Hagee claims that he and other Christian Zionists support Israel because they owe gratitude to the Jewish people, not because they seek Jewish conversion to Christianity. “The Jewish people gave the world Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets. The Jewish people do not need Christianity to explain their existence. But Christians cannot explain our existence without Judaism. The roots of Christianity are Jewish.”
Strong Zionist Support for Israel
Christian Zionists provide strong political and financial support for Israel, visible both through actions of the U.S. government and private initiatives. They have donated large sums of money to support Israel, including funding the settlement of Jews from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia in Israel. Pastor Hagee raised more than $4.7 million for the United Jewish Communities. Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to help poor Jews around the world move to Israel.
When Israel’s tourism industry was in crisis between 2000 and 2003 due to conflict with Palestinians and Islamist terrorism, Christian tourists from the United States visited Israel in large numbers. Televangelists such as Pat Robertson and Benny Hinn traveled to Israel during that period and promoted visits to the country. Another pro-Israel group, the Christian Israel Public Action Campaign, sponsored four missions to Israel. American Christians also helped the Israeli economy by participating in “Shop Israel” events in the United States, where Israeli merchants came to America to sell their products.
Christian Zionists – More Zionist Than the Jews
Christian Zionists are more conservative than many Jews regarding Palestinians. They support Israel retaining all settlements in the West Bank. They opposed Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005. They also criticized Israeli government policies of handing over parts of the West Bank to Palestinians. Christian Zionists, like followers of the Israeli right wing, believe that Israel should never surrender any part of the land to Palestinians because God gave Israel to the Jews.
After former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon implemented the Gaza disengagement plan and then fell ill several months later, Pat Robertson claimed his illness was “God’s retribution for giving up part of biblical Israel.” Asked about Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s plan to evacuate settlements in the West Bank, Robertson said: “It is an absolute disaster… I do not think the holy God will be happy about someone giving away His land.”
Christian Zionists have actively lobbied for the end of territories governed by the Palestinian Authority. They “oppose the Middle East peace process because they oppose the physical division of Jerusalem or Israel,” according to Dr. Clifford Kiracofe, a former adviser to the U.S. Senate. Christian Zionists have also been criticized on several occasions by the UN Security Council as an obstacle to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Strong Influence of Christian Zionists on Republicans
Christian Zionists have great influence over Republicans in the United States. Their influence on Democrats is smaller but still present. The largest number of Christian Zionists is found in America — more than 30 million, according to author and academic Tristan Sturm. Most belong to evangelical churches in the “Bible Belt” of the southeastern and southern United States.
When President Donald Trump moved the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in the spring of 2018, even he acknowledged that most Americans, including American Jews, opposed the decision. However, Trump made the move for his evangelical supporters, who were ecstatic. Pastor Hagee claimed that he personally convinced Trump during a White House dinner by telling him that Jesus would return to Jerusalem “to establish His throne on the Temple Mount, where He will reign for one thousand years of perfect peace.” Hagee, who described the embassy move as “nothing less than a divine miracle,” personally blessed the embassy in Jerusalem.
Christian Zionists often attack Democratic politicians for allegedly not supporting Israel enough. In a recent sermon, Hagee thunderously accused President Biden of “betrayal” without specifying the exact reason. He also urged his audience to “vote for someone who at least loves America.”
For Christian Zionists, the Israeli government’s shift to the right after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power is not alarming. They do not see Netanyahu’s policies as a threat to Israeli democracy or Palestinians, but rather as a positive development. According to their interpretation, the creation and expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which they call by the biblical names Judea and Samaria, fulfill God’s plan for the return of the Jews to Israel.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, white evangelicals are “the religious group most likely to express a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the Israeli government (68%).” Similar attitudes are found among the Black evangelical community.
Suspicion Among American Jews
Despite their support for Israel, many American Jews do not feel comfortable with Christian Zionists. This unease is based on occasional Christian antisemitism, replacement theology, evangelical proselytizing, and disagreements over political issues.
Christian Zionists claim that Jews have no reason to distrust their motives for supporting Israel because they do not believe they can accelerate Christ’s Second Coming. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says regarding His return: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
While most American Jews are politically liberal, Christian Zionists are generally conservative Republicans who oppose abortion and same-sex marriage and support prayer in schools. Most Jews are especially concerned about attempts by the Christian right to weaken the separation of church and state. Anti-Defamation League director Abe Foxman openly stated that if the domestic agenda of the Christian right were ever realized, it would turn American Jews into “second-class citizens in our own country.”
Rejection of Zionism by Most Christian Churches
For most Christians, the City of God has nothing to do with Jerusalem or the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead, it predicts the sack of Rome (410 AD) and is associated with the teachings of Saint Augustine, whose rejection of millennialism was adopted by the Council of Ephesus (431 AD). Therefore, neither Orthodox nor Catholic Christians accepted Zionism in any form.
The Roman Catholic Church does not support the theological premises underlying millennialist Protestant restorationism and generally opposed Jewish control over Christian holy sites in Palestine. Theodor Herzl had an audience with Pope Pius X in the Vatican in 1904 and sought his support for establishing a Jewish state in Palestine. Pope Pius X stated: “We cannot prevent the Jews from going to Jerusalem, but we could never sanction it. The soil of Jerusalem, if it was not always sacred, has been sanctified by the life of Jesus Christ. As the head of the Church, I cannot tell you anything different. The Jews have not recognized our Lord, therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people.”
After Herzl explained that his project of creating a Jewish state was not religious but secular, the Pope responded: “Must it be Jerusalem?”
While rejecting the theological foundations of Christian Zionism, the Holy See was concerned that holy Christian sites might fall under the control of a Jewish state whose religion explicitly does not recognize Jesus. The Vatican maintained good relations with the Ottoman Empire and later with British authorities. After the publication of the UN Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947, the Holy See advocated for Jerusalem to become a special “international city,” as stated in the encyclical Redemptoris nostri cruciatus.
Until the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church openly lobbied against Zionism, including the Church in the United States. Due to theological tensions, the State of Israel and the Vatican established formal diplomatic relations only in 1993, and this was recognition of political reality rather than a theological act.
In 2006, leaders of Palestinian Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Syriac Orthodox, and other churches published a letter known as the Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism, expressing opposition to Christian Zionism as a “false teaching.” The letter stated that the alliance between Christian Zionists and political leaders had produced “endless cycles of violence that undermine the security of all peoples of the Middle East and the rest of the world.”
Conclusion
Christian Zionism is one of the most extraordinary and bizarre political and theological phenomena not only of the modern age but arguably of all time. It is bizarre that Christians unconditionally support the State of Israel in political actions toward Palestinians that often have little to do with Christian — or even general humanistic — norms. Some Zionists go so far as to interpret every action of the State of Israel as the action of God Himself.
Most importantly, Christian Zionism is theologically incompatible with Judaism, which holds a strongly negative view of Jesus Christ — the central figure of Christianity.
According to Jewish theology, Jesus of Nazareth was neither the Messiah nor the Son of God. Jews believe that the Christian understanding of Jesus contradicts monotheism, the belief in the absolute unity and uniqueness of God, which is a central pillar of Judaism. They regard Christian worship of Jesus as idolatry, strictly forbidden in Judaism.
The Jewish rejection of Jesus as the Messiah is based on Jewish eschatology, which maintains that the coming of the Messiah will be associated with events that have not yet occurred, such as the rebuilding of the Temple, the messianic age of peace, and the gathering of the Jews in Israel.
Historically, most Jewish writers and scholars regarded Jesus as the most harmful “false prophet,” and the views of Jewish rabbis toward Jesus were and remain negative. Judaism has never accepted any biblical prophecy that Christianity attributes to Jesus, nor His miracles.
Despite this Jewish rejection of Jesus, Christian Zionists continue to fanatically idolize the State of Israel.
