Opinion: The End Times – America, Evangelical Christianity, and Israel’s occupation of Palestine

Marek Piwnicki | Unsplash

The ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinians have deeply affected a vast majority of the global population. People worldwide are exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed by the distressing scenes unfolding before their eyes. It is the first time in history that we can witness the live massacre of a nation with a simple click of a button. This has taken a toll on everyone globally, sparking protests worldwide, with tens of thousands expressing their outrage over the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza.

However, despite widespread global opposition to these attacks, America, it seems, stands as an exception by staunchly supporting Israel. It remained the singular country that vetoed humanitarian aid to Gaza, has not yet agreed to a ceasefire, and continues to provide Israel with billions in military aid. So, the question arises: Why does America provide such extensive support to Israel, and what do they gain from this?

There are multiple explanations, but one that is highly significant is often not discussed enough and is tied to Christianity and its concept of the End Times.

Evangelical Christians greatly influence the political decisions made by the United States government, because they dominate one of the most powerful pro-Israel lobbies in America with over 10 million members. (“The American Evangelical Christians and the U.S. Middle East policy: A case study of the Christians United for Israel (CUFI)”, www.proquest.com)

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Editor’s Note |

“I have faith, and, in terms of belief, outlook, and attitude towards scripture, I would place myself in the Liberal Reform Jewish tradition I grew up in. I read the Bible, and if I’m in a church service and the gospel is read, I remind myself that this is Jewish writing rooted in the Hebrew Bible, particularly the Hebrew prophets.”

He sees himself standing in the tradition of Isaiah, Amos, and Micah and aspires to be “a prophetic Jewish voice” himself. He says who he is married to is “really beside the point. Either what I’m saying is correct, or it isn’t. Christians and Jews have got to talk about these things, and we’ve got to talk about them honestly.

“We Jews have got to acknowledge our culpability in what has happened to the Palestinian people, and that has to be the first step in trying to reach a just settlement.”

Read More: An Outsider in My Own Community by Robert A. H. Cohen

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Understanding the beliefs of Evangelical Christians clarifies why they staunchly support Israel. Many Evangelicals see Israel as playing a pivotal role in what they consider the End Times. For them, it’s a biblical belief that as soon as the state of Israel is established, Jesus will return to Earth, triggering the battle of Armageddon, which they view as a holy war. According to their faith, in this war, Jews and other non-Christians will suffer for accepting the Antichrist as their messiah and will be killed. They believe that true Christians will be spared as they will have been raptured (taken directly into Heaven) before the war begins. Following this, they believe Jesus will rule the world from the temple mount in Jerusalem. (“The dispiriting truth about why many evangelical Christians support Israel”, www.msnbc.com; “John Hagee: Understanding End Times Prophecy (Full Episode) | Praise on TBN”,www.youtube.com)

This becomes clear after listening to John Hagee, an evangelical pastor, and the founder of Christians United for Israel, he says:

“God is getting ready to defend Israel in such a supernatural way it’s going to take the breath out of the lungs of the dictators on planet Earth but we are living on the cusp of the greatest most supernatural series of events the world has ever seen ready or not.

“Hagee said when Jewish people are present in Israel ‘the clock starts ticking’ on the rapture.

“What will come soon is the antichrist and his seven-year empire that will be destroyed in the battle of Armageddon. Then Jesus Christ will set up his throne in the city of Jerusalem. He will establish a kingdom that will never end.” (“‘This war is prophetically significant’: why US evangelical Christians support Israel”, www.theguardian.com)

Evangelical Christians justify their support of Israel based on passages from the Bible, such as “Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.” (Numbers 24:9)

From this, they believe that if America, as a country, does not bless Israel, meaning if it does not offer its government unconditional support, God will curse America. (“Televangelist Pat Robertson Warns U.S. Will ‘Suffer Curse’ from God If Dems Don’t Support Israel”, www.newsweek.com)

We can also see how important the creation and support of Israel is to the Christians from the following statement of pastor Jerry Falwell:

“I have arrived at the conclusion that unless the United States maintains its unswerving devotion to the State of Israel, the very survival of that nation is at stake […] Every American who agrees Israel has the right to the land must be willing to exert all possible pressure on the powers that be to guarantee America’s support of the State of Israel at this time.” (Simon, Merrill (1984), Jerry Falwell and the Jews, p. 62)

People may wonder how Evangelicals arrived at the belief that establishing the state of Israel would lead to the end times. This belief often comes from how they understand certain parts of the Old Testament such as:

“And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” (Isiah 11:12)

“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.” (Ezekiel 37:21)

Bible scholars interpreted these verses to mean that the return of Christ or end times would occur when the Jewish people returned to Palestine and the state of Israel was established. (“Zionism: Christian Zionism” by David Krusch”, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org)

That is why a Popular evangelical pastor Greg Laurie in a speech regarding the Israel and Hamas war on 13 October 2023 said that the recent events were a “super-sign” that the “prophetic clock ticking is the regathering of the nation Israel into their homeland.” (“War in Israel: A Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy?”, harvest.org)

Additional evidence supporting this notion that Evangelical Christians are behind the support of Israel is the role of William Eugene Blackstone, an American evangelist, who is regarded as a Father of Zionism. He wrote the Blackstone Memorial in 1891, a petition urging the American government to facilitate the return of the Jewish people to Palestine. He is recognised as one of the pioneers in initiating this movement. (Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 53/4, p. 787, www.etsjets.org)

By thoroughly examining the provided information, we can comprehend why there is resistance to a ceasefire and why America persists in supporting Israel’s occupation of Palestine because a ceasefire for them is seen as slowing the process of the birth of the state of Israel. The faster the Palestinian people vacate Gaza, the swifter the state of Israel is created, quickening the return of Jesus and the dominance of Christianity globally!

Jewish Zionists also support this idea, viewing it as the fulfilment of God’s promise of land to the Jews mentioned in the Torah. (Genesis 17:8) However, they hold contradictory beliefs compared to Christians regarding the coming Messiah.

So, Jewish Zionists and evangelical Christians, share the ultimate goal of establishing the state of Israel, but with different outcomes in mind. On the surface, it might appear that Christians and Jews have united forces, especially given America’s immense support for Israel. However, Christian Zionism (Evangelical Christians) seeks to establish Christian dominance on a global scale. This scenario once again proves the truthfulness of the Quran, where God Almighty states that Jews and Christians will continue to stand in disagreement with each other until the Day of Judgment. (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.114)

It is evident from America’s actions and decisions that they are ready to go to great lengths to support Israel, consistently emphasising Israel’s right to self-defence. In this process, innocent civilians being massacred seems to hold little to no significance to them. Perhaps they should grab their notepads and consider taking a page from Islam, understanding that in a state of war, no harm should come to the elderly, women, or children. However, it appears as if they flourish on the blood of these innocent children, rejoicing in their suffering and pain.

Isn’t it absurd that when bloodshed occurs in the sacred name of Islam, the world erupts in condemnation and it’s swiftly labelled as terrorism? However, when individuals or nations, claiming to adhere to the teachings of Christianity and Judaism, drive a narrative steering the world towards a massive conflict that would engulf the world in violence and bloodshed, world leaders seemingly turn a blind eye. This apparent hypocrisy challenges America’s claim of being a champion of human rights, perhaps, a more fitting title should be the champion of human crises.

The world leaders and those orchestrating these plans should be reminded of a verse in the Holy Quran where God states: And they planned, and Allah [also] planned; and Allah is the Best of planners. (Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, Ch.3: V.55)

We witness a divine plan in action as non-Muslims observe the distressing violence and crimes against humanity inflicted upon the Palestinians. As these individuals clutch the flesh and body parts of their loved ones the only words to escape their lips are “Hasbunallahu wa ni‘m al-wakeel” (‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and an excellent Guardian is He’) and “Alhamdulillah” (all praise belongs to Allah), this profound act has left non-Muslims worldwide in awe and a state of shock, forcing many to reach for the Holy Quran, seeking to understand how such devotion to God is possible. Numerous videos capturing these moments circulate on social media, showing how individuals, moved by the steadfastness of the Palestinians, have embraced Islam after delving into the pages of the Holy Quran. (“Young Americans are picking up the Qur’an ‘to understand the resilience of Muslim Palestinians’”, www.theguardian.com)

So, while these supposed world leaders continue planning, they should remember that the True Living God is also at work.