Israel

Originally published August 5, 2025 at https://allisraelnews.com/blog/why-evangelicals-support-israel 

Nine months following my own arrival into the world the modern state of Israel was born on May 14, 1948. Gathered together with Israeli pioneers in the Tel Aviv Museum, David Ben-Gurion, who would become Israel’s first Prime Minister, pronounced, “We hereby declare the establishment of the Jewish State in the land of Israel.” Then, to the mesmerizing strains of Hatikvah, which would become the new state’s national anthem, the group of founders and observers began to sing together as their minds were filled not only with the euphoria and jubilation of the moment but also with the still seared scars of the recent horrors of the Holocaust and a thousand pogroms which had been propagated upon them in hundreds of places.  Israel and I have grown up together…through childhood…adolescence….young adulthood… and now into an age of maturity and experience.  

Fifty years ago I made my first journey to Jerusalem. From the moment I set my foot on the tarmac at the old airport at Lod I had the mystical sense that I had come “home.” Across this past half century and after almost one hundred return trips that feeling has never left me.  I love the Jewish state and I love the Jewish people. To say that “some of my best friends are Jewish” is not for me some type of condescending, racist attempt of self promotion or self justification. It is the honest truth as many Jerusalemites I’ve come to know and love across these past decades can readily attest.

The support of Israel by evangelical Christians like me is a complex and complicated phenomenon. It is not lost on me as I pen these words that many of our Jewish friends are skeptical of our support and for several reasons, some justified and some not. For those so small in number among the nations who have fought and sacrificed so much for a place to call “home” the keeping of their Jewish identity and heritage is, rightfully, of utmost importance. History has recorded many attempts down through the centuries of persecution at the hands of the church and blatant forced attempts at conversion which has led to skepticism on the part of some Jews to any acceptance of Christian support. Understanding the enthusiastic and unconditional support of evangelicals for the state of Israel still feels for some an uneasy and unhealthy alliance.

It is at this very point that a definition of an “evangelical” is in order. Who are “evangelicals?” After all, they number almost 100 million in America and when Africa is added into the mix they account for almost a half billion people worldwide. Evangelicals are followers of Jesus Christ. The very word derives from a Greek word appearing in the Christian Bible which means bearers of good news. They are not Roman Catholics, although a very small percentage of Catholics may identify as such. They are not main line Protestants, although a minute and diminishing number of mainline Protestants identify as such. Evangelicals are unashamed followers of Yeshua, believing that He is the promised Messiah. They adhere to a more literal interpretation of scripture believing that both the Hebrew and Christian Bible (Old and New Testaments) are divinely inspired and as Solomon proclaimed, they believe “Every Word of God is pure” (Proverbs 30:5). They hold to an eschatology that insists that God is still in covenant relationship with the Jews especially as it relates to the land of Israel which the Almighty gave to the Jews as “an everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:8). Evangelicals of my own bent outright reject any form of replacement theology which suggests that the promises God gave to the Jews are now bestowed upon Christians. It is true that the essence of evangelical commitment is faith in Christ and in His life, death, burial and resurrection. I often share with my Jewish friends who wish for me to not speak of this gospel that they are asking me to do something I would never think of asking them to do. That is, I would never ask a Jewish friend to stop being a Jew and I would hope they would not ask me to stop being a Christian for the sharing of our faith is the essence of our own spiritual experience. In the end I do not ask my Jewish friends to convert to my religion because I feel I have converted to their’s in my own belief that Yeshua is the promised Messiah. In the end we must ultimately leave this discussion with the words of the Torah, “Shall not the Judge of the whole earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25).

Why do evangelicals support the state of Israel? Evangelical support of Israel is multi-faceted and finds its roots in four areas; historical certainties, political concerns, theological considerations, and Biblical convictions. This list is not by any means exhaustive but provides a bit of a road map into evangelical thought and the motivation behind their unqualified, unwavering, and unconditional support or the Jewish homeland.

Historical Certainties 

In the modern debate over the land of Israel and especially its eternal capital of Jerusalem, evangelicals understand that history stands firmly on the side of the Jew. Apart from the Bible and its numerous validations of this point many extra Biblical indicators including a multitude of archeological discoveries validate the fact that King David established Jerusalem as the Jewish capital three thousand years ago. No serious historian would deny that the Jews occupied Jerusalem for hundreds of years until Titus and his Roman legions destroyed the city in 70 A.D. Then, after being dispersed for almost two millennia and seeing one of every three Jews in the world annihilated in Hitler’s ovens during World War II, they returned to reestablish, completely rebuild, and repeatedly defend their ancient homeland. History is on the side of the Jew.

Evangelicals appreciate these historical certainties and quietly played a part behind the scenes in various and sundry ways particularly with the establishment of the modern state.  The first nation to recognize Ben Gurion’s declaration of the new state of Israel in 1948 was the United States of America. History records that among others working behind the scenes of President Harry Truman’s recognition of Israel was an evangelical Baptist pastor in Texas named J. Frank Norris. Norris was the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Fort Worth which had for decades been recognized as one of the largest and most influential churches in the country. Late in 1947 Norris began a letter exchange with Truman laying out the scriptural, ethical, and moral grounds for the legitimacy of the establishment of a Jewish state. Basing his arguments on biblical texts like Deuteronomy 30:3-5 in the Torah Norris persuaded Truman, himself a Baptist, that God was in covenant relationship with the Jews and that the Bible foretold of the reestablishment and regathering of the Jews from the ends of the world to Jerusalem. After several exchanges Truman invited Norris to the White House to participate in a conference specifically related to Israel and the Middle East conflict. Norris’ persistent and persuasive communication with the leader of the free world resulted in the United States de facto recognition of the new Jewish state within minutes of Ben Gurion’s proclamation. The list of evangelicals supporting Israel goes on and on including the British colonel, Orde Wingate, whose deep evangelical faith during the years of the British Mandate motivated him to the task of training the Israeli armed units who became the forerunners of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). All this is not to mention the multitudes of evangelicals like the Ten Boom family in Holland who hid and saved Jews during the dark days of World War II sacrificing their own lives in the process. Many of these evangelicals are remembered as “Righteous Gentiles” at Yad Vashem, the memorial to the holocaust in Jerusalem. The Holy City is also host to the Friends of Zion Museum, which tells their stories in an engaging interactive manner and has become one of the most visited museums in Jerusalem.

These historical certainties and thousands of others like them add weight and bring validity to the explanation of evangelical support of the modern state of Israel. Evangelicals support the state of Israel because of plain historical and factual certainties. History is on the side of the Jews.

Political Concerns

While not a primary driving force of evangelical support of Israel, political concerns in the region do play a part. Many evangelicals view Israel as a key ally in the Middle East and appreciate the fact that it is the only democracy in that entire part of the world. Evangelicals have shared values with the Jewish state particularly as it relates to the rule of law and religious freedom. In a region that is daily front page news around the world due to its conflicts and wide spread instability these political concerns play a significant role in the commitment evangelicals embrace towards the Israeli people. Common values and interests on issues such as opposition to radical Islamic extremism strengthens the bond between evangelicals and the Jewish people. The infamous events on the dates of September 11, 2001 and October 7, 2023 have solidified this bond. It is for these political concerns that evangelicals see Israel as a resilient and democratic nation, always in threat of its very survival, and for these reasons deserving of their support. 

Theological Considerations

If we were to trace back the evangelical’s historic support of Israel we would find the most significant reason rooted in their interpretation of scripture of both the Hebrew and the Christian Bible. Evangelicals believe in a literal interpretation of Biblical prophesies. For the most part they have adhered to an eschatology that is dispensational in nature acknowledging that God divides history into a theological framework of distinct periods or dispensations.  Because of this view many evangelicals see the regathering and the reestablishment of the Jewish state with its capital in Jerusalem as a significant marker in God’s own divine plan of the ages. Hence, they believe the promise related to Israel and the Jews found in Genesis 12:3-“I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you and in you all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” Evangelicals see a Biblical mandate to “comfort” God’s people Israel (Jeremiah 40:1). They also appreciate the reality that in these days God has raised up Israel and made her  “a light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6) through literature, the arts, science and innovation. Theological considerations far to numerous to mention here play an important role in the continuing support of Christian evangelicals for the state of Israel.

Biblical Convictions

Being rooted in a conservative Biblical hermeneutic is the leading issue in the unwavering support Israel continues to receive through the generations from evangelical believers. One of the greatest tangible proofs that the Bible is true is the way prophecies are made and fulfilled and the way promises are made and kept within the pages of holy writ. And, the most obvious of these prophesies and promises are the ones God has made and kept with His chosen people, the Jews. Evangelicals are well known for adding to the Israeli economy by their taking millions of people to the Holy Land annually. They know that if you are looking for proof that God will keep His promises a trip to Israel and an observance of the miracle of a people dispersed among the nations for almost two thousand years who have returned to their promised land, made the desert bloom again, and against all odds re-emerged as a world leader is proof positive. Evangelicals primarily support Israel because of their strong Biblical convictions.

Way back in the unfolding chapters of the Torah God made a promise to Abraham saying, “Get out…to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation…and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3). Next the Lord enlarged this promise by giving them a land saying, “I will establish My covenant for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants…also I will give you and your descendants after you the land…as an everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:7-8). God repeated this promise of the land to Abraham’s son Isaac and to his son Jacob as well, “The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants…and in you and your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 28:13-14). And God kept His promise.

Israel became a world power under the kingships of David and Solomon. But, they began to follow after other gods. God repeatedly warned them He would not tolerate the worship of other gods by warning, “You will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you…you shall find no rest” (Deuteronomy 4:27). True to His word the Jewish people were scattered after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

For two thousand years they lived as an often despised and persecuted people without a land to call their own. Against all odds these chosen people maintained their identity and lived generation after generation with the constant hope that they would celebrate their annual feasts “next year in Jerusalem.” God promised them in scripture that there would come a day when He would regather them from the four corners of the earth, bring them back into their own land and reestablish them as a nation. He promised, “I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all the countries, and bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24). And what He long ago promised He performed…and, I have been blessed to witness this within my own lifetime. Never in recorded human history has a nation been reborn in such a fashion. Two and a half millennia earlier through the Prophet Isaiah God had promised, “It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people…assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:1-12).

On Christian pilgrimages to Israel today evangelicals walk the streets of Jerusalem and see Russian Jews who fled persecution and pogroms, dark skinned Ethiopian Jews some believe to be descendants of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Sephardic Jews from the surrounding Arab nations, and Ashkenazi Jews with their black coats and long beards from Eastern Europe all blending together, just as God so long ago promised, into one Jewish state, God’s own chosen people.  No wonder evangelicals call it the “promised land.”

Evangelicals primarily are staunch supporters of Israel because of their Biblical convictions. After all, if God did not keep His covenant promises to Israel what reason do we have to believe that He would keep His covenant promises to us?

Evangelical support of Israel is not going away…not now…not ever. Evangelicals worship a Jewish Messiah and we can not love Him without loving the Jewish people. Evangelicals read a Bible that is a Jewish book and we can not love it without loving the Jewish people. Regularly in our churches we “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). And, we confidently join the prophet in affirming, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep quiet; for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be silent” (Isaiah 62:1). Evangelicals stand with the God of the Bible and His chosen people the Jews…now…and forever!

Originally published June 16, 2026 at https://allisraelnews.com/blog/the-elephant-in-the-room-christian-zionists-the-gospel-and-the-jews

Our Israeli friends are quick to acknowledge that evangelicals, especially of the Christian Zionist variety, are among their most fierce and loyal supporters. However, if we are completely honest, we both must admit that there is “an elephant in the room” with us. This idiom describes a situation where two people are discussing a certain topic while at the same time conveniently avoiding an issue that is as big as an elephant standing in the room with them that can not be ignored. It refers to an obvious truth that everyone notices but no one wants to discuss because it is uncomfortable for some, awkward for others, and potentially confrontational and controversial to everyone.

Evangelicals who are both Christians and Zionists live with a bit of an unintentional dichotomy. The core calling and essence of the Christian faith is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the whole world baptizing them and teaching them to do all the things the Lord has commanded us. This is what it means to be an evangelical. The very word, evangelical, comes from a Greek word in the Christian Bible meaning “bearer of the good news.” The commission left to all Christians from the Lord’s own lips was to share His gospel with the entire world. And yet, the fear of many of our Jewish friends is that in embracing Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and coming to faith in Him means assimilating into a form of gentile Christianity, thereby potentially undermining the very idea and essence of Zionism itself. 

This tension has led some Christians to abandon all missionary efforts particularly in their relationships with Jews. Others move to the opposite extreme abandoning Zionism altogether eventually ending in a form of replacement theology that contends God has rejected the Jews, replaced them with the church and revoked their covenant promises. And, then, there are others who walk the fine line of not compromising on either of the principles of being a Christian or of being a Zionist at the same time. They strongly believe God is in covenant relationship with the Jewish people, particularly as it relates to the land, while not hiding what they believe and unashamedly sharing their faith. They believe it is possible to assent to the claims of the Christian Bible without losing a Jewish identity.

Thus, there are three approaches found within the confines of evangelicalism that play out in their relationship with their Jewish friends. One approach is to put the evangelism and missionary aspect of their faith aside in order to cooperate with Jewish Zionists in hopes of gaining their trust. They believe that the establishment of the Jewish people back in their ancient homeland and their continued existence there is an essential focus. They leave it to God to reveal the Messiah to the Jewish people at some time in the future. These are often referred to as the “non missionary Christian Zionists.”

Then there are the “non Zionist missionaries” within the Christian circles. They take the opposite approach even to the extent of targeted missionary activity toward Jews and are unconcerned with the issue of eventually erasing Jewish identity. They see Jewish people as no different than Hondurans or Italians or any other people group on earth.

Finally there are those in the evangelical world who insist that both being a fruitful evangelical and a faithful Zionist can exist together.  That is, that it is possible to see the Jewish people as heirs to the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenantal promises of God that are “everlasting” and “forever,” while, at the same time, not compromising their core belief that Jesus Christ is the promised Jewish Messiah. This group see themselves, as Paul delineates, as “wild branches” grafted into the Olive Tree and believe as the Apostle proclaims that “the branches do not support the root of the tree but the root supports the branches” (Romans 11:18). 

This latter group insists that both these truths can exist simultaneously in a way for those Jews who might come to faith in Messiah to still maintain their Jewish identity. They would never ask a Jew to stop being a Jew. They contend that the Jews did not “occupy” Israel in 1948 but returned to their homeland to reestablish what was already theirs. In a similar way they believe for a Jew to place his or her faith in Messiah is not so much converting to a foreign religion, but, in a sense, returning to their own spiritual heritage.  Jesus said the gospel came first to the Jew, and then to the gentiles.

So it follows that evangelicals fall into these three distinct groups when it comes to the term “Christian Zionists.”  Some take a compromised approach, some a conflicted approach, and others a complementary approach to this elephant that exists in the room.

A COMPROMISED APPROACH

Some Christian Zionists adopt what might be called a compromised approach. They arrive at a point of compromise when it comes to the claims of the gospel in order to accept what in some cases results in a sort of dual covenant approach to the issue. This approach basically removes the term “Christian” from Christian Zionism.  This group intentionally avoids their own Biblical mandates as believers eliminating any evangelistic talk what so ever, even to the extent of seldom, if ever, even mentioning the name of Jesus to their Jewish friends.  They end up compromising their own professed beliefs that are at the very center and core of the Christian gospel.

In essence, this approach leads to being recognized more as a Zionist Christian rather than a Christian Zionist. Desirous of gaining the trust and acceptance of their Jewish friends they put what they claim to believe about the gospel message off to the side in hopes of gaining support and cooperation. They believe the big issue is seeing the Jews back in the land of Israel as a precursor to prophetic events of the “last days.” While still contending they believe the gospel, they trust God to reveal Himself to the Jews at some time in the future, while abstaining from pressing the claims of the gospel to the hearts of their Jewish friends.

A CONFLICTED APPROACH

Some evangelicals choose a more conflicted approach. While those adhering to the more compromised approach basically remove the term “Christian” from Christian Zionists, this second group is guilty of removing the term “Zionist” from the equation. They do not see Israel as any different from any other country in the world nor do they think Jews are different from any other people group in God’s economy. 

This particular group of evangelicals would prefer to avoid the term Zionism altogether. They have adopted the error of Replacement Theology believing that God has rejected the Jews and replaced them with the church.  Thus, they contend that all God’s promises given to the Jews are now bestowed upon the church.  The importance of maintaining Jewish identity, even after the horrors of the Holocaust and thousands of pogroms in thousands of places, is of no importance to them.

In their spiritual blindness they do not see all the unconditional promises God gave to the Jews especially through the Abrahamic Covenant. They stray from the heart of Jesus Himself who stated His primary mission and assignment was to come first to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). The Apostle Paul echoed this truth in his introduction to his great theological treatise to the Romans saying that the gospel came “to the Jew first and then to the the Greek” (Romans 1:16) even going so far as saying he wished himself to be “accursed and cut off from Christ” for the sake of his Jewish brothers (Romans 9:3). The early church was totally a Jewish phenomenon until we arrive at the first gentile convert in Caesarea recorded in Acts, chapter ten.

A COMPLEMENTARY APPROACH

Finally, a segment of Christian Zionism prefers a more complementary approach. This group keeps both the Christian and the Zionist elements intact while unashamedly claiming the term, “Christian Zionism.” They believe it is possible to not compromise their faith and belief system while at the same time supporting the Jewish people and the Jewish state with passion and commitment. 

They understand the Jewish covenants. Having just emerged from centuries of Egyptian slavery God declared to Israel at Mount Sinai—“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6). Israel’s assignment was to show all the nations of the earth what it looked like to live under the reign and rule of the one true God. Obedience to the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19-24), including the Ten Commandments, was the pathway to accomplishing this task. 

But, in no way did this Mosaic Covenant, which was conditional, replace or cancel the unconditional promises God had previously given the Jewish people under the Abrahamic Covenant. Unlike the covenant with Moses, which was conditional and temporary, God’s unconditional covenant with Abraham, repeated to Isaac and Jacob, rests entirely on God’s own promises and not on Israel’s performance. 

Since the law, while it defined holiness and exposed sin, could never be kept nor could transform the inner man, it did stir a hope for something greater—The New Covenant. Jeremiah records the words of God, “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my people…for they shall all know Me from the least of them to the greatest…For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34). 

Israel’s utter failure to meet the demands of the Mosaic Covenant could never undo what God had earlier and unconditionally promised to Abraham. Centuries later the Apostle Paul would address this in his Galatian letter reminding us that the law came four centuries after the promises to Abraham—“The law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God so as to make the promise void” (Galatians 3:17). Even when Israel failed miserably under the Mosaic law, God’s purposes for His chosen people Israel remained anchored firmly in the promises He had earlier made to Father Abraham.

Consequently, those Christian Zionists who take a complimentary approach to the issue do not compromise their own faith. At the same time they also insist that there is a particular promise (“I will make you a great nation”-Genesis 12:2) to a particular people (“To You I will give the land”-Genesis 17:8) in a particular place (“The land of Canaan”-Genesis 17:8) for a particular purpose (“In you all the families of the earth will be blessed”-Genesis 12:3).

Our Jewish friends are wise enough to know that a true Christian Zionist is just that. First, a Christian who has placed his or her faith and trust in Jesus, whom they believe to be the Jewish Messiah. And, they are also Zionists who respect Jewish heritage and who believe God still has a plan for this special people whom He has chosen and loves. They believe God when He says of the Jews, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set His love on you…it is because the Lord loves you” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).

Christian Zionists tend to care deeply for the people who are central to the storyline of their entire Bible. When true Christian Zionists and their Jewish friends live in mutual respect for one another, are honest with one another while remaining focused on their respective callings and mutual objectives, they suddenly discover a new dynamic. And the result? There is no longer…an elephant in the room.

Originally published March 18, 2026 at https://allisraelnews.com/blog/a-call-for-keeping-christian-in-christian-zionism

What is a Christian Zionist?

A lot of people have opinions about Christian Zionism, but many don’t truly understand what it means or what those of us who hold this view actually believe. Too often we allow others to define the term for us. So it helps to begin by clearing away some common misconceptions.

Being a Christian Zionist does not mean blindly supporting every decision made by the Israeli government. Nor, does it mean offering unconditional or uncritical acceptance to every policy issuing out of the Knesset. It does not mean excusing injustice, nor does it mean ignoring the suffering of innocent Palestinians. Scripture consistently calls God’s people to compassion, fairness, and humility. The Torah teaches, “Do not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, since you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9).

Supporting Israel must always be grounded in biblical values as well as promises, including the dignity and worth of every human life. As the prophet Micah reminds us, God requires that we “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him” (Micah 6:8). Any theology that overlooks the pain or suffering of the truly oppressed has journeyed far from the heart of God.

What, then, is Christian Zionism? Simply stated, it is the conviction that the Bible teaches God’s promises to Israel—especially those related to the land—remain in effect and valid today. Scripture repeatedly declares these promises to be “everlasting” and “forever.” Christian Zionism affirms Israel’s right to a Jewish homeland on the very soil their ancestors began inhabiting more than three and a half millennia ago. It teaches that while the church shares in Israel’s spiritual blessings, it does not replace Israel in God’s unfolding plan of redemption. The very existence of Israel stands as a powerful testimony to God’s faithfulness as a Promise Keeper.

To be a Christian means that through repentance and faith we have placed our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Understanding the essence of Zionism requires no more research than examining the root of its name—Zion. “Zion” appears more than 150 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, referring to the city of Jerusalem. Mount Zion stands at the heart of Jerusalem and is known as the dwelling place of God. Zionism is nothing more—and nothing less—than the historical reality that Jerusalem is the capital and home of the Jewish people, established by King David nearly 3,500 years ago. To be a Christian Zionist simply means that we, as followers of Yeshua, affirm this indisputable truth. 

Christian Zionism means that we are followers of Yeshua who believe the Jews have the right to live securely within the borders of their ancient homeland. We are passionate about this because our faith calls us to be passionate about the things that stir God’s heart. And He leaves no doubt about His love for Zion: “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her” (Zechariah 8:2). Christian Zionists desire to love what God loves, with that same great zeal and fervor.

Yet within Christian Zionism lies an inherent danger. We can become so passionate in our support for Israel that we unintentionally become Zionist Christians rather than Christian Zionists. The order matters. We are not Zionist Christians; we are Christian Zionists. Nothing is more important than our personal relationship with the living Lord. First and forever, I am a Christian. My chief devotion is to Jesus Christ. Because of this, I take His promises in Scripture as faithful and true. And that is precisely why I am a Zionist—I believe God keeps His word. I hold in my hands, and in my heart, a Bible that is trustworthy, infallible, and unchanging.

My Jewish friends understand this clearly. I make no apology that the essence of evangelical faith is personal trust in Yeshua—His life, death, burial, and resurrection. If my Jewish friends were to ask me not to speak of this gospel, I would gently remind them they would be asking me to do something I would never ask of them: to stop being who I am. I would never ask a Jewish friend to stop being a Jew, and I hope they would never ask me to stop being a Christian. Sharing our faith is the very essence of our spiritual identity. In a sense, I often tell them, I have converted to their true faith, believing that Yeshua is the promised Jewish Messiah. Ultimately, we must leave such matters in God’s hands, trusting the words of Scripture: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25).

Maintaining a primary purpose is essential for success in any endeavor. A pen’s primary purpose is to write. I would rather own a cheap, reliable pen than an expensive one that smudges and skips. An automobile’s primary purpose is transportation, to get us from point “A” to point “B.” I would rather drive an older car that always starts than a new one that frequently stalls. Likewise, our primary purpose as believers is to love God supremely—with all our heart, soul, and mind—and then allow that love to overflow to others.

When asked which of all the 613 commandments to the Torah was the greatest, Jesus replied: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hinge all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40). The greatest way to love Israel and stand with the Jewish people is to first love God with our entire being. This is our primary purpose.

The Apostle Paul echoes this priority: “In all things He must have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18). To the Philippians he writes, “This one thing I do… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13). Not ten things. Not five. One thing. Focused devotion to Christ protects us from the rebuke given to the church at Ephesus, who had “left their first love” (Revelation 2:4).

The surest way to love Israel and oppose the rising tide of antisemitism is to love our Lord supremely. When we do, we learn to love what He loves and those whom He loves. Scripture is unmistakable as to God’s love for the Jewish people: “You are a people holy to the Lord your God… chosen… for His treasured possession… it is not because you were many that the Lord set His love on you and chose you… but because the Lord loves you” (Deuteronomy 7:6–8).

Though Scripture affirms God’s eternal covenant with Israel, believers must guard against allowing their passion for Israel to overshadow their supreme devotion to Christ. Keeping “Christian” front and center in Christian Zionism does not weaken our love for Israel—it strengthens it. Loving Yeshua supremely intensifies our commitment to His people. After all, how can we love our Jewish Messiah without loving the Jewish people. We read a Jewish book, the Bible. When we read it every day of our lives we tend to care even more deeply for the people who are at the center of the entire story.

One of the greatest dangers of Christian Zionism is that political activism can replace spiritual devotion. History teaches that God’s people stumble most often not when they reject Him outright, but when they elevate good things above ultimate things. Israel suffered discipline and exile when devotion waned and obedience faded. Christian Zionists should heed this warning. To champion Israel politically while neglecting the gospel spiritually and supremely is a recipe for our own failure. We must always remain true Christian Zionists, not simply Zionist Christians.

True love for Israel is not found in waving flags, catchy slogans, or political posturing. It flows from a heart passionately devoted to our living Lord, expressing love for the Jewish people whom He calls the “apple of His eye.”

Our ultimate hope is not in nations or military strength, but in the risen Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns over all. When He holds first place, our love for Israel is pure, faithful, and scripturally grounded. He is the coming King of Israel, who one day will reign from Jerusalem on the throne of David. Until that day—and every day in between—we must “do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) and keep “Christian” in Christian Zionism.