Israel-Palestine

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY

Introduction

Dispensationalists (a large subset of Christian Zionists) argue that the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948 and the return of the Jews to 'their land' happened in fulfilment of promises and prophecies given to Israel in the Old Testament. In this chapter we will examine these claims within the larger scheme of dispensationalism and then suggest an alternative, more Christ-centred approach to Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel. 

In order to help us explore these matters, I will simply refer you to a lecture, an article and a book which I have found particularly helpful in dealing with them.

Deconstructing Dispensationalism

This is a lecture given by Steve Gregg in September 2023. In it he explains the history of dispensationalism, what it is and why he rejects it. In his lecture he identifies what he claims are its three major distinctives:

• Biblical Literalism - it takes Bible prophesy completely literally; 

• The Church And Israel - it distinguishes between Israel and the church believing that God's purposes for Israel continue into the present era;

• Eschatology - it has a distinctive understanding of what will happen in the 'end times' before Jesus returns.

He then goes on to unpack and critique each of these distinctives from a Biblical point of view. We will focus on the second of these in our next chapter but this lecture will help you to understand how their view of Israel and the church fits into and is intimately connected to the broader theology of dispensationalism.

You can listen to the lecture below.

A Christian Approach To Old Testament Prophecy Concerning Israel

This is an article written by Christopher JH Wright, an Old Testament scholar who serves as International Ministries Director for the Langham Partnership. In it he argues for a Christian approach to Old Testament prophecies about Israel by situating them in the 'universal context of God's promises to Israel' and applying the 'universal thrust of Old Testament eschatology'.

He emphasises that Israel's election was for the purpose of blessing all nations, and that prophecies should be interpreted as pointing towards the work of the future Messiah who establishes a new covenant and kingdom. This means interpreting these prophecies through the lens of the larger biblical narrative, not as isolated, nationalistic promises.

You can read the full article here.

Christian Zionism And The Restoration Of Israel

This is another excellent book by Colin Chapman. In it he examines all the key texts about the restoration of Israel that are said by dispensationalists to be have been fulfilled in modern times and offers an alternative explanation.

Click on the image below for further details and to purchase a copy from Amazon.

Conclusion

I have never been involved in a church where dispensationalism was taught. However, I have listened to  a series of sermons recently in which the dispensational view the modern state of Israel as a fulfillment of prophecy and an indication of what is yet to come on the so-called prophetic clock was forcefully and urgently presented as proof that the time is short and that those outside of Christ needed to turn to Him in order to be right with God before the rapture of the church happens and the seven-year period of tribulation begins. 

I have no problem with sinners being urged to turn to Christ and be right with God but this is not the basis on which they should be urged to do so. Like the Left Behind series of books it is an attempt to frighten people into the Kingdom in order to avoid the coming tribulation. And while the consequences of rejecting Christ are indeed frightening - even if having to go through a literal seven year period of tribulation is not one of them - the emphasis of the gospel is on the goodness and love of God as something to be embraced, rather than on the wrath of God as something to be avoided. The gospel calls us to repentance in light of God's mercy; and repentance involves a genuine desire to turn from our sin and be changed from within - rather than merely escape its consequences in the afterlife. 

Furthermore, as I listened to these sermons, and to what was said about Israel in particular, it struck me how far removed this theology was from anything that was happening on the ground. There was no mention of the suffering being inflicted on the people of Gaza and the West Bank by the actions of the Israeli state; no reference was made to any accusations of genocide, ethnic cleansing or apartheid, nor was any consideration given to the possibility that there might be any truth in these. The only thing that seemed to matter was how the events taking place in the Middle East fitted into the prophetic timetable so beloved by dispensationalists. What was happening to the Palestinians as a result of Israeli actions did not seem to matter at all. The only cautionary note I heard was to the effect that supporting Israel does not mean we have to support everything the Israeli government does.

But as well as being far removed from reality, it seemed to me that was being said was also very far removed from the teaching of Jesus. There was no hint of compassion for the people affected by Israel's actions, no mention of any desire to work for justice and peace in the region - only the inevitability of bloody warfare until the last great battle of Armageddon and the need to choose your side. The whole three sermons were completely devoid of what I understand to be core Christian values and this only underscored for me the need for a Christ-centred approach to Old Testament prophecy - such as that outlined by Chris Wright above.

A friend of mine regularly uses the events surrounding the establishment of the state of Israel as proof that the Bible is true since, as he sees it, what was predicted in the Old Testament is now coming true in the events that are unfolding in the Middle East. Again I have no problem with him urging people to take the Bible and its message seriously but to base this on the dispensationalist interpretation of modern day events as the fulfilment of prophecy is a dangerous approach. What if events in the Middle East don't turn out as the dispensationalists predict? The Bible will then be discredited in the minds of those who have based their belief in its reliability on a false interpretation of Old Testament prophecy.

Munther Isaac rightly comments on all of this (emphasis mine):

'For too many years, many Christians, and many evangelicals in particular, have looked at our land and conflict through the lens of prophecy. In fact, one could argue that most Christian Zionists, and many evangelicals, are obsessed with prophecy and the end times. American Christianity is buzzing with bestselling books, movies, and prophecy experts. Some websites provide weekly updates on some sort of a 'prophecy meter' or end-times watch, to monitor the signs of the end times. Prophecy update videos have hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube. Consider the fact that Tim LaHaye's Left Behind series has sold more than sixty-five million copies. That is tragic! How many views were shaped by these? How many countries and nations were dehumanised by the ideologies of superiority that his work is contingent on? 

'The certainty with which some of these televangelists and even 'theologians' and pastors speak is shocking to me, and it comes across simply as arrogance. They are sure they have it right! They preach as if they are 100 percent sure that their theology is right, perhaps even inspired. Who am I to dare to question the validity of their teachings? They are 100 percent sure that Iran will attack Israel, just as they were sure it was going to be Russia and then China. How many more countries and nations will be demonised before they wake up? 

'And regarding this conflict, they are completely convinced that the current state of Israel is the fulfillment of prophecy and that the rapture will take place 'any time soon.' The irony for us Palestinian Christians is that evangelicals with their overemphasis on prophecy have lost the capacity to be prophetic. 

'You want to prove that the Bible is right? It is not done by self-fulfilling prophecies or by pointing to world events as prophecy fulfillment. That is not how you prove that the Bible is right. We prove that the Bible is right by radical obedience to the teachings of Jesus and by validating that Jesus’ teachings actually do work and can make our world better. Let us love our enemies, forgive those who sin against us, feed the poor, care for the needy and oppressed, walk the extra mile, be inclusive not exclusive, turn the other cheek, and maybe then the world will start taking us seriously and believe our Bible!'1

I once thought that dispensationalism was a relatively harmless doctrine on which Christians could agree to differ without any serious consequences either way. It was all about the future, after all; time would tell whether its predictions were accurate or not. Other than as a distraction for those obsessed by it, it did relatively little harm. But hearing of its consequences for Palestinian Christians, who tell us that as a major influence on Christian Zionism it is fueling a genocide that could not otherwise have happened, I have changed my mind and would now regard it as a dangerous heresy that needs to be rooted out of our churches.

In the following chapters we will look at two particular issues that arise from our examination of dispensational theology in relation to Israel. Firstly, we will consider what the Bible says about the relationship between Israel and the church. Are the Jews sill God's chosen people or has the church replaced Israel as the people of God? Secondly, we will consider what the Bible says about the relationship between Israel and the land of Palestine. Whose land is it anyway?

Notes

1. The Other Side Of The Wall by Munther Isaac