Why do evangelicals support Israel so strongly?

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerGuest.jhtml?itemNo=807769 ^

[yochanan]

Why do evangelicals support Israel so strongly? Is the American Jews' fear of fundamentalist Christianity based on constitutional principle, or social and cultural snobbery and political partisanship?

A Match Made in Heaven is a funny, readable, book. It is the most entertaining way to struggle with questions such as "Why do evangelicals support Israel so strongly? Is their philo-Semitism just a front for their true purpose to convert Jews? Do the evangelicals, as their opponents charge, really want to use the Jews as cannon fodder at the battle of Armageddon? Or are they simply responding to the biblical commandment to love Israel? Finally, is the American Jews' fear of fundamentalist Christianity based on constitutional principle, or social and cultural snobbery and political partisanship?"

We will discuss these questions this week, and readers, as usual, can send their questions to rosnersdomain@haaretz.co.il.

How do America's Orthodox Jews relate to Zionist Evangelicals?

Joe Feld

Paradoxically, Orthodox Jews have the fewest problems with a Jewish-Evangelical relationship.

For one thing, a lot of Orthodox Jews and Evangelicals share conservative social and political positions. Orthodox Jews, for example, are rarely troubled by church-state separation issues. They send their own kids to parochial schools; they're glad to get government money via faith based programs; many are opposed to abortion, and they tend not to be too concerned about the good opinion of the "international community" - ie, Europeans.

Most Orthodox Jews also have a stronger connection to, and concern about, Israel than the secular or liberal majority. Orthodox Jews are more likely to care about a candidates' position on Israel. As a Democratic activist told me, if Cynthia McKinney ran for President as a Democrat, she'd get fifty percent of the Jewish vote.

Some Orthodox Jews are opposed to any

[mountn man]

Obviously your talking from points told to you, by someone who was told those points by someone, who was told the same points.

Sort of like someone who does a book critic of a NYT best seller, without ever reading it, but what he thinks it says.

Forget about "actual" theology, if you had read the NYT best seller Left Behind, written by Tim Lahaye, who you mentioned, you'd realize that his views and the views of the others you mentioned, are that Armaggeddon happens at the end of the 7 year tribulation period, not at the end of the millenial reign.

I was brought up with the teachings of the rapture, but as I've gotten older and studied scripture for my self, I never see the rapture mentioned. But the tribulation and Armaggeddon and the millenial reign and the final judgment all most definetely are.

Throughout history God has protected his people (Jews or gentiles) but has never removed them completely from tribulations.

A person who focuses on a rapture, focuses on escaping terrible times. The person who focuses on end times focuses on time running out for the great commision.

The person focusing on the rapture if it doesn't happen isn't prepared for what follows. Meanwhile a person focused on end times is prepared even if there is a rapture.

[LiteKeeper]

We also are aware of how the Book ends.

And the good news - we win!

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Genesis 12:3 is pretty clear about what happens if you choose the latter.

See #37... (the nature of the war against Genesis).

[onedoug]

...the fact that they're a peace loving nation and the fact that Jews are brothers to Christians is really secondary.

These things are actually of a piece.

Shalom.

[hosepipe]

[ Why do evangelicals support Israel so strongly? Is the American Jews' fear of fundamentalist Christianity based on constitutional principle, or social and cultural snobbery and political partisanship? ]

No...
Serious Jews know they should believe in Jesus Christ on some deep level..
All the first christians were Jews..
And many many Jews are Now.. both worldwide and in Isreal..

[GOPPachyderm]

I have to disagree with you. We don't need to support Israel in order for it to be an intact nation so that Christ will return. Whether America supports Israel or not, it will happen as prophesied.

We stand with Israel because of our great debt to her. God very clearly states He will bless those who bless Israel. That's enough reason for me.

[Hoodat]

Why do I, an evangelical charismatic Christian, support Israel?

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:1-4

[GOPPachyderm]

The real question is why do liberals support anti-democratic, anti-women, terrorist dictators. Now there is no question to that one. It defies all logic.

[GOPPachyderm]

I meant there is no answer. There is no answer to that one, not "there is no question to that one." Ooops.

[CyberAnt]

For me it's not about converting them .. it's about understanding Israel's place in Biblican prophecy.

And .. any nation which support Israel is blessed - and we are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

"If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:31)

[YOUGOTIT]

Why do evangelicals support Israel so strongly?

First IMHO we must understand some history:

1. In the beginning ALL Christians were Jewish not just a few or not just some but ALL. Christianity was a Jewish sect and had it not been so then Roman citizens who were Jews would not have spread the word throughout the Roman Empire.

2. The major cities in what are now the countries of Italy, Turkey, Syria, Greece and other lands within the Empire, where Christianity got its major participants and believers, were cities that had large number of Jewish inhabitants who accepted the Christian Jewish sect. Saint Paul was Jewish and a convert to the Christian Sect whose duty, before he converted, as I understand it was to kill those who belonged to the Christian sect.

3. Since the nation of Israel dissolved after King Solomon died and was divided into two nations (the nation of Israel in the north and the nation of Judea in the south). When the King of Babylon, destroyed both the north and south sometime in 500 BC, Israel ceased to exist. When Persia overran Babylon the southern citizens were allowed to return to Judea and from this came the name Jews. Citizens of Judea.

4. In addition to the Jews who inhabited Judea, the Roman census done in the last century BC in the districts of Jerusalem and Joppa states that the inhabitants are mixed tribes of Egyptians, Arabians and Phoenicians. This also describes the inhabitants of Galilee, the plain of Jericho and the territories of Philadelphia and Samaria.

5. After the conquest of Alexander the Great of all the territories in the Middle East and his death when his conquests were divided between his generals (Alexander Jannacus ruled the territory of Judea), the Romans conquered the land and established Hyrcanus as chief Priest and Herod as King.

6. To help Herod and Hyrcanus expand the Temple Augustus made the following edict on Jewish Rights in 1 BC.

“Caesar Augustus, pontifex maximus, holding the tribunician power, proclaims: Since the nation of the Jews and Hyrcanus, their high priest, have been found grateful to the people of the Romans, not only in the present but also in the past, and particularly in the time of my father, Caesar, imperator, it seems good to me and to my advisory council, according to the oaths, by the will of the people of the Romans, that the Jews shall use their own customs in accordance with their ancestral law, just as they used to use them in the time of Hyrcanus, the high priest of their highest god; and that their sacred offerings shall be inviolable and shall be sent to Jerusalem and shall be paid to the financial officials of Jerusalem; and that they shall not give sureties for appearance in court on the Sabbath or on the day of preparation before it after the ninth hour. But if anyone is detected stealing their sacred books or their sacred monies, either from a synagogue or from a mens' apartment, he shall be considered sacrilegious and his property shall be brought into the public treasury of the Romans.”

7. The historical record is what it is, however, the question as to why Christian evangelicals support and help present day Israel cannot be answered by history but by faith and the belief in the one God, the God of Israel who said many times that others outside of the tribes of Israel worshiped him, and I can find NO readings (in ancient texts) that say worship by others outside the tribes of Israel is not allowed. And in reading (and reviewing classes by Professor Gary A. Rendsburg) by both Jewish and Christian translators of the Bible and sections of the Torah it is clear that one who helps Israel is doing the right thing,

8. I support Israel, but not necessarily those who seem to have lost their way in their support of Israel and if one looks back into antiquity this has happened before.

9. Not being an evangelical, but a Christian, I feel it is my duty to support Israel and even if I were not, the support of a free nation that gives its people freedom is worthy on our time and effort.

10. Sorry for this rather long dissertation on the question but it is one that I have been considering for some time.

[GOPPachyderm]

While I agree with you in large part, I desire that they may know their Messiah!

[popdonnelly]

It's fortunate that somebody supports Israel strongly. Doesn't appear to me that many people do.

[KevinDavis]

Ditto.......

[Lucas McCain]

"Evangelicals are aware of who God's chosen people are. We also are aware of how the Book ends."

That's the problem. Most Evangelicals are so totally duped by premillennial crap that they are completely unaware of who God's chosen people are. God has no more interest in the Jews than He has in the Norwegians (or any other nation). God's current holy nation, special people are Christians, of any and all ethnicity. Period.

[Texas Songwriter]

I understand your statements. However this is a brief summary which may help.

God chose Abraham to give rise to the nation of Israel. He said, "I will bless them that bless you, and I will curse them that curse you."

Jesus came to the Jew first. The rest of us were grafted into the true vine.

In Romans, Paul rhetorically asked, then immediately answered his own question. "Hath God forgotten his people? God forbid, for I too am an Israelite (Jew). But they are blinded in part for a season until the time of the Gentile be fulfilled.

Salvation is first to the Jew, then the Greek (Gentile)

As far as the Jews scorning and ultimately crucifying Jesus, I believe Jesus would say that He gladly laid down His life to make recompense for my sins, the Jews sins, your sins. It was me, my offense of infinite justice which nailed Jesus to the Cross. To all who would come to Him.

For dispensationalists, we now are in the dispensation of Grace (unearned, unmerited favor with God, not because of anything we did or who we are, but because of Jesus and what He did at the Cross. He went to the Cross in spite of my sinful ugliness...Because of who He is and in spite of who I am.

There seems mystery in this, but I think it is the crux of Gods plan.

[prov1813man]

I think the more interesting question is why do Jews continue to embrace those whose sworn policies are the destruction of both Israel and the Jews?

As an "evangelical" Christian, if not for the biblical admonition that "those who bless....will be blessed and those who curse...will be cursed", I must say I would find it difficult to continue supporting a people whose actions and policies so clearly are in opposition to the best interests of our nation and our world.

From the bolshevik "revolution" to the current anti-american liberal left....well, this would just continue into a rant, my tagline sums it.

[Matchett-PI]

The sad part is that they actually think the eschatological beliefs of Darby and Schofield ("premillennial dispensationalist crap") is part of "the gospel".

[mountn man]

God made a covenant with Israel. Lets call it the ultimate promise. Much like a marriage, but God made all the rules and the entire agreement. Gods view is that no matter what Israel does they are still his people, and that HE made a covenant with them. Today, we view covenants or promises or contracts things that can be broken, altered, or ignored as we see fit, whether the other has wronged us, or no longer is convenient for us.

But this is not Gods way. He made the covenant, and he will stick with it.

But it doesn't mean he doesn't discipline his people. Discipline is not the same as rejection.

As far as your point about the Jews railroading and crucifiing Jesus. They did nothing he didn't allow. Read the new testament and you'll see that he new all along his future. He new what their plans were for him before Judas left to betray him, and yet he told Judas to be quick about it. Instead of trying to flee, he goes to the garden and prays. Instead of running from the Jews, from what he knew was facing him, he prays. Prays so intently and so distraught he sweated dropds of blood.

He could have called a legion of angels to whisk him away (if he actually needed that) and they could have destroyed everyone.

But he didn't.

We consider the police and fire fighters who went into the WTC as heroes, because they knew what possibly awaited them, and yet they went anyway.

Is Jesus any less a hero for doing what he did, knowing what was ahead of him?

So was he murdered, or did he sacrifice himself?

The ancient Israelites and todays Jews are Gods chosen people. Not chosen for a free pass to heaven, but chosen to reveal God. Heaven or access to God is limited to faith. And faith alone. No matter your heritage. No matter your religion. No matter how many people pray for you. Heaven is only by faith in Jehovah God and his son, and what he did.

For a Christian to deny Israel's (Jews) position, means they are denying God's covenant with the Jews, and devalues God's covenant. Something God himself can't do.

That has an impact on Christians. Because if you have no consideration for Gods covenant with Israel (Jews), how can you have proper consideration for Gods covenant with Christians?