Discerning the Times with the Israel-Hamas War
War is a terrible thing. The events that have transpired in the recent weeks surrounding the Israel-Hamas War are enough to make your stomach churn. The images and videos circulating the internet are tragic. It absolutely breaks my heart. Noncombatants have been killed including women, children, and the elderly. Thousands have died.
These recent events have sparked a strong American surge to support Israel in order to fight evil and terrorism. While fighting evil and terrorism and helping those in need are indeed noble, many Christians in America declare supporting Israel in the Israel-Hamas War as the right “Christian” thing to do. They quote Gen 12:3 and declare if they bless Israel, they will be blessed. Christian thought leaders say that because they are God’s people, we should support them. Others indicate these are signs of the end times. With all this rhetoric it is easy to get swept up in it all.
As Christians, how do we view Israel today? Are they God’s people? Must we bless them? Are these recent events signs of prophetic fulfillment of the end times? How should these events affect our Christian walk?
In order to answer these questions, we must discern the times so we can redeem the time. We must use the Bible to have a sound mind, walking circumspectly with the knowledge of God’s will today (2Ti 1:7, Eph 5:15-17).
Is Israel God’s People?
This is an important starting point. A large portion of the Bible speaks about the promises of God to the nation of Israel. At other points in history, Israel was indeed God’s people. But even during the Old Testament, God cast them away due to their unrepentance and disobedience, while graciously offering them mercy later (Hos 1:6-9, Exo 19:5, Jer 33:24-26).
Not all Israel is Israel. The Israel of God was always the faithful remnant who sought the Lord by faith through the Old Covenant (Rom 9:3-7). The nation was often disobedient in the majority and hard of heart (Rom 10:1-3). Their rejection of God the Father (Old Covenant disobedience and idolatry), God the Son (killing their Messiah), and the Holy Spirit (early Acts persecution and the stoning of Stephen) proved that the nation was uncircumcised in their heart and ears (Mat 15:3-14, Acts 7:51, Rom 9:31-33).
The Bible is extremely clear about Israel’s standing today. Israel is blinded (2Co 3:14). Israel is fallen. Israel is an enemy of the gospel today and in need of God’s grace.
“[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy… [28] As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.” – Romans 11:11,28
The good news is that God will fulfill His promises to Israel when Jesus comes back to judge the nations and establish His 1000-year kingdom through the New Covenant with Israel and the House of Judah (Rom 11:25-27, Heb 8:8-13).
“[25] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. [26] And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: [27] For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” – Romans 11:25-27
Does this mean we are anti-Israel? No… it just means that Israel doesn’t hold a special spiritual position today. As Christians, we are pro-getting-people-saved regardless of their current heritage or religious affiliation.
God’s people today are those in the Body of Christ, where there is no Jew or Gentile or national distinction (Gal 6:15, Col 3:10-11). You become a member not by circumcision and law obedience, but by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ to forgive you of your sins (1Co 15:1-4, Eph 1:13).
Must We Bless Israel to Receive Blessing?
Biblical references abound for blessing Israel, but one of the most popular occurs in Genesis 12:1-3.
“[1] Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: [2] And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: [3] And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” – Gen 12:1-3
Logically, people want blessings from God and want to avoid the curses. This is all fine and dandy, but what if how God has blessed people in the past is not the same as now? What if God is not doling out curses, but is longsuffering today to sinners by offering His free grace to all so that they can be saved (1Ti 1:16, 2Pe 3:9,15)?
It’s not enough to quote the Bible, we must be dispensational. We must recognize how God is operating today, because His instructions for different groups, at different times, can be different! Context matters!
To start, we are not under the law but under grace (Rom 6:14). Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. He became a curse for us, by bearing the judgment we deserved on the cross, dying for our sins (Gal 3:10-14). In Christ, you cannot be cursed. You have His righteousness and are permanently at peace with the God of the universe because of what Christ did for you (Rom 3:20-28, 4:3-5, 4:23-5:2).
In Christ, you already have all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Eph 1:3). If you have them all now… how do you get more by blessing Israel?
Our blessing from God comes from Jesus Christ alone and not Israel or their covenants. If we must bless Israel to receive God’s blessing, we conflate the sufficiency of God’s grace, distort the gospel, and fall into the same trap the Galatians did thinking our works have the capacity to earn us blessing from God (Gal 3:1-3).
Are These Events a Fulfillment of Prophecy or Signs of the End Times?
Inevitably when any sort of conflict arises concerning Israel, there is a multitude of end-times date-setters that begin to declare that these are the signs of the end-times. Organizations start shipping over red heifers in preparation for prophecy fulfillment. Are these events pointing to the end times?
As always, we must search the scriptures so that we can walk circumspectly, with our eyes wide open (Joh 5:39, Act 17:11, Eph 5:15).
To begin, many Christians forget the multitude of clear passages telling us that NO ONE knows when Christ will come back to restore the kingdom of Israel and judge the nations. Any attempts to do so are to do so are vain and direct the attention of Christians away from what they should be focusing on.
“[36] But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. [37] But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. [38] For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, [39] And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” – Matthew 24:36-39
“[6] When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? [7] And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” – Acts 1:6-7
“[8] And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? [9] And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” – Daniel 12:8-9
If God wanted us to know when these events occurred, He would have told us. No one knows the day or the hour (or the week, month, or year).
Additionally, the rise of conflicts doesn’t indicate the end is near:
“[6] And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. [7] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” – Matthew 24:6-7
Beware… any time war hits the news cycle, especially in the Middle East, end times date-setters and those that proclaim to have a secret knowledge of Bible prophecy come out of the woodwork and sell millions of dollars in books, collect tens of thousands in donations, and rake in filthy lucre with flesh-enticing YouTube videos. At its worst it’s dishonest racketeering, at its best it’s the blind leading the blind. The Bible has ample warnings about this behavior (1Ti 6:10, 2Ti 4:3, Titus 1:11).
If you’re in the Body of Christ, you won’t be around for the day of the Lord, you will have already met the Lord in the air (1Th 4:13-18, 1Co 15:51-58). There’s no need to worry or be fearful. Endurance through the tribulation, or the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Israel’s trouble, which you are not a part of), to receive the kingdom is not how you get saved (Jer 30:7). Avoiding the mark of the beast isn’t even a decision you’ll have to concern yourself with, you’ll be long gone. The Thessalonian church had the same worries, but Paul comforted them:
“[1] But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. [2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. [3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. [5] Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. [6] Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. [7]For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. [8] But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. [9] For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, [10] Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. [11] Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Many who fear the end times may not understand that if they’ve trusted in Christ’s sacrifice to pay for their sins, they have nothing to fear! Upon trusting in the gospel, you’re already sealed with the Holy Spirit until your bodily death (Eph 1:13-14, 4:30). You are eternally secure!
How Should These Events Affect Our Christian Walk?
The bottom line is that the Israel-Hamas War shouldn’t affect our Christian walk at all. Jesus coming back tomorrow or coming back in 2,000 years shouldn’t impact the way you love and serve Him at all.
God’s will today is for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. This hasn’t changed. Edifying the Body of Christ in truth and love and evangelizing lost souls with the gospel of God’s grace is our mission, not to recapture the temple mount. We do not usher in the New Covenant for Israel and the house of Judah, it’s on God’s time and it doesn’t concern your membership in the Body of Christ.
“[1] I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; [2] For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. [3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; [4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4
So, what can we do? Pray for those on both sides of the conflict to be saved. Pray for those in authority that we might lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Continue to preach the gospel to those who are lost. Comfort those in the Body with the hope of salvation, not fear of a tribulation that’s not for them.
Right Doctrine to Protect You
As this article has shown, it is EASY to cherry-pick verses out of the Bible to get a point across, when your audience has a limited Biblical literacy or when you let your emotions overtake your mind.
The prosperity gospel movement is a perfect example of this. Consider this passage in Malachi 3:8-10:
“[8] Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. [9] Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. [10] Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” – Malachi 3:8-10
See! Give me money or else you’ll be cursed!
Christ became a curse for you! You’re no longer under the law, which included tithing, but grace. You’re at peace with God by faith in Christ’s blood (Gal 3:11-13, Rom 5:1-2). Giving today under grace is as we purpose in our hearts, not out of necessity like it was under the law (1Co 9:7).
Right doctrine protects you from manipulation. The armor of God, which concerns the Bible and God’s truth, allows you to stand against the devil’s deception (Eph 6:10-17). We must equip ourselves with the knowledge of God’s word so that we aren’t deceived.
In light of the Israel-Hamas War, we must hold teachers and preachers accountable for seeking to twist God’s Word for monetary gain or scratching the itching ears of those in the pews.
Conclusion
How you view Israel in general can impact your view of the gospel, God’s will for you, and your identity in Christ. If you are supporting Israel for moral or political reasons, great, you have the liberty to do so. If you are supporting Israel because you think it is your Christian duty, you need to rightly divide your Bible and recognize today Jesus Christ is working through you and the Body of Christ, not Israel. If you think these events are signs of the end times, then I encourage you to focus on the doctrine that edifies the church, not itches the ears (2Ti 4:2-4). We must open our eyes to the dispensationally considered scriptures, recognizing God’s progressively revealed will and what He is currently doing through the Body of Christ, not Israel.
To close, this article is not antisemitic nor is it even anti-Israel in the conflict abroad. It is pro-Bible and pro-discernment amidst a myriad of hysteric voices who want to use the Bible to advance their own agenda. Be wary of it. Know who you are in Christ and what He has made you to do, for it will guard you against every wind of doctrine that seeks to blow you about and destabilize your walk (Eph 4:14). Let us walk in love and truth with a sound mind, seeking to edify the Body and preach the gospel to those who aren’t saved, whoever and wherever they are.
