When False Teaching Morphs Into Antisemitism… It Rarely Stays Within The Confines Of Church Walls
By
Jonathan Brentner
November 9, 2025
Tucker Carlson recently made headlines with his anti-Jewish rant during his podcast interview of Nick Fuentes, a commentator with antisemite beliefs. They cleverly displayed their racial prejudice under the guise of questioning Israel’s prominent place in world affairs.
Although Tucker Carlson professes to be a Christian, the dialogue between the two turned ugly as they attacked what they called “Christian Zionists,” referring to them as having a “brain virus.” They ridiculed the belief of believers like us who believe that Israel has a special place in future Bible prophecy as God’s chosen people.
During the podcast, Carlson displayed his unmistakable bias against the Jewish people while at the same time mocking millions of believers. If he had done so against the blacks or Hispanics, his career as a journalist might have been short-lived at best. Instead, many conservatives continue to revere him.
What lies behind his hatred for the Jewish people? Is it not the teaching that God has rejected Israel?
Antisemitism Often Begins Inside the Walls of Churches
Based upon Carlson’s comments and his claims to be a Christian, it’s evident that he adheres to a form of Replacement Theology. This teaching asserts that God rejected the Jewish people after Jesus’ crucifixion and replaced Israel with the church. In other words, there’s no future restoration of a kingdom to Israel and no thousand-year reign of Jesus over the nations. The church inherited God’s kingdom promises to the nation of Israel, albeit spiritually rather than physically.
Historically, the anti-Jewish mindset of those who have held to Replacement Theology beliefs has never stayed within the walls of the church. During the Spanish Inquisition of the fifteenth century, the Catholic Church turned its fury against Jews as well as Protestants. Propelled by its belief that it was God’s true kingdom on earth, they forced hundreds of thousands to either convert or face torture and, in many cases, death. Because of its errant beliefs regarding Israel, the Catholic church persecuted the Jews during this time and forced as many as 100,000 of them to leave their homes in Spain.
Martin Luther, who also taught that God had rejected Israel, preached an angry sermon against the Jews after they failed to convert to Christianity. Adolf Hitler later used this message as a part of his justification for the holocaust.
Now we have a highly respected and influential conservative journalist taking his errant beliefs regarding Israel outside the church walls to the world. His words will influence many Americans, which will give Satan the opportunity to turn his angry words into hatred for the Jewish people. Carlson’s words are music to the ears of Israel’s enemies.
Pastors who deny Israel’s place in Bible prophecy or refuse to talk about Bible prophecy from the pulpit create a vacuum that the enemy seeks to fill with hatred for God’s chosen people. Please know I’m not saying that false teaching is the only reason for today’s rampant antisemitism, but it is one of them.
The Resulting Antisemitism Is Divisive
Not only does the antisemitism embedded in Replacement theology spill over into the world, but it also causes much division. Carlson’s comments are already causing divisions among conservatives. In his podcast, he specifically attacked Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz, who agree with him on most political issues. Another conservative commentator, Mark Levin, has also sharply criticized Carlson.
Senator Ted Cruz responded to Carlson’s put-down at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual summit on October 30, 2025. He said, “In the last six months, I’ve seen more antisemitism on the right than I have in my entire life. This is poison, and I believe we are facing an existential crisis in our party and in our country.”
The popularity of Bible prophecy teachings that come directly from Replacement Theology has long caused divisions among believers, and it’s getting worse. Because we adhere to Premillennial beliefs such as the Rapture, the thousand-year reign of Christ, and the Lord’s future restoration of a kingdom to Israel, we are no longer welcome in many “Bible-believing” churches.
Carlson had this to say about those he described as Christian Zionists: “I dislike them more than anybody … because it’s Christian heresy, and I’m offended by that as a Christian.”
Is this not what Jude wrote about long ago? (verses 17-21) It’s the scoffers, driven by errant theology, who divide the body of Christ.
Antisemitism Is Prophetic
What the Bible reveals about the Tribulation period tells us it will be a horrific time for the Jewish people. Jeremiah 30:7 refers to it as “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus urgently warns the Jewish people living in Israel to flee after the antichrist defiles the temple (Matthew 24:15-22). Zechariah 13:8-9 sadly tells us that only one-third of the Jews will remain alive at the end of the time Jesus refers to as “great tribulation.” It’s this remnant that will turn to Jesus with saving faith.
Twenty-five years ago, one might have said that the nations of the world would never accept such deadly persecution of the Jews. Now, however, we see vast numbers of people marching in support of Hamas in spite of its October 7, 2023, brutal and barbaric massacre of the Jews. Nations openly condemn Israel for seeking to eliminate the deadly threats on its borders.
A sympathizer of Hamas and outspoken antisemitic, Zohran Mamdani, is now the mayor-elect of New York City. As Amir Tsarfati posted on Telegram, many of the Jews who live there are now in fear for their future. Will the Lord use this to bring many of them to Israel?
Is it not ironic that Carlson’s hatred of the Jews and “Christian Zionists” is fulfilling the literal interpretation of Scripture that he ridicules?
The false teaching that God rejected Israel and reneged on His promises to the nation finds its way outside the walls of churches, where it often morphs into antisemitism. It happened in the past. It’s happening now, and make no mistake: it’s music to the ears of those who hate the Jewish people.
Israel And Prophecy: There Is A Cost When Churches Neglect To Study And Teach The Whole Counsel Of God.
Jim Showers
As I travel and speak, people often tell me they no longer hear teaching about Israel and Bible prophecy in their churches. Their comments reveal two distinct realities: (1) There once was a time when they did hear such teaching in church, and (2) preaching what God says about Israel and prophecy has fallen out of favor.
As a pastor’s son, I realize many topics need to be addressed from the pulpit, and pastors have less time than ever to communicate God’s truth. In many churches, the pastor has merely 30 to 45 minutes on the weekend to speak to his flock. Without the Sunday evening services and midweek Bible studies that were the norm in many churches in bygone years, Sunday morning has become the pastor’s only time to teach the Word to his congregation.
Given such limitations—and with the ever-growing emphasis on Reformed Theology in many circles—the value of studying Israel and prophecy has diminished.
But there is a cost to neglecting the study and teaching of this significant part of God’s counsel. A consequence is that fewer people in the pews stand behind Israel and the Jewish people. This is a troubling trend because Israel’s strongest Gentile supporters are evangelical Christians; but that may not be the case in the future.
I hear some people say studying prophecy is a waste of time because it divides people. They believe preaching Christ is what is necessary to save and unite people. When I visited the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky, I was struck by the fact that Noah, whom God calls “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5), warned the world of God’s impending judgment and the only way to escape it. When Noah preached, he was teaching prophecy—a message of future judgment given to him by God. The judgment had not yet occurred, but it was certain to come because God said so.
When we preach prophecy today, we, too, are warning people that a judgment of God will someday fall on this world for its rebellion against Him; and the only way to escape it is through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. When the church fails to teach prophecy, Christians fail to obtain a fully developed worldview and are unable to see all that God is doing to redeem the world.
They lose the vital connection with Israel and fail to warn others of their need to avoid God’s judgment through faith in Jesus. This consequence is the greatest cost of not teaching what God says about Israel and prophecy. For you see, God’s redemptive plan goes through Israel. Israel is the conduit of our blessings—past, present, and future.
A few days before Jesus went to the cross, He said the days leading to His return will be like the days of Noah. People will be focused on enjoying life and ignoring God’s warning of judgment until it is too late (Mt. 24:38–39). It may just be that we are living in days like Noah’s, as Jesus’ return is drawing very near.
Whether Tucker Carlson is antisemitic is a subject of significant debate and controversy, particularly among Jewish groups, who are financed by foreign aid tax dollars, and by multiple Jewish lobbies demanding more and more US foreign aid tax dollars.
Critics who are Jewish point to specific actions and rhetoric as evidence of antisemitism, while Kirk’s supporters argue he is simply questioning U.S. foreign policy and that Jewish criticism is a “deflection” tactic to maximize US foreign aid.
In September 2025, during a memorial service for Charlie Kirk, Carlson made comments that Jewish lobbies, and aid-financed Israeli media, described as “promoting” antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Comparison of Kirk’s death to the “crucifixion of Jesus” and depiction of individuals plotting to silence Jesus was criticized as invoking harmful blood libel tropes and modern Israeli stereotypes.......centering on Bible teachings that Jews killed the Jesus who came to save them b/c he was an itinerant carpenter and not the royal figure the Jews demanded.
The unpopular Anti-Defamation League (ADL) lobby and other Jewish organizations lobbying vigorously for billions in tax dollars for Israel have, for financial reasons, condemned Carlson, citing instances of language and conspiracy theories that are antisemitic or white supremacist tropes.
Popular examples of “antisemitism” among Jews include Christians blaming Jewish mega-financier George Soros for various societal problems and questioning the patriotism of those who question U.S. support for Israel, citing Jewish dual loyalty.
Carlson and his defenders often frame his questioning of American support for Israel as legitimate foreign policy debate, arguing that labeling such inquiries as “antisemitism” is an attempt to silence valid Christian criticism.
They contend that questioning U.S. government dealings with any foreign country, including Israel, does not inherently make one an anti-semite.......and is actually a responsibility of elected officials.