Do Christians Have to Stand With Israel?

In this article, I want to address an issue that urgently needs clarity in the body of Christ, though I do not presume to resolve every aspect of this debate in one sitting. There is a real need for clarity, and whether you agree with me or not, my goal is that we engage this topic with biblical balance, charity, and a wholehearted rejection of positions driven by fear, ignorance, or political idolatry.

Let me be clear from the outset: I hold to a premillennial, dispensational understanding of Scripture. I believe God is not finished with ethnic Israel. His covenant promises remain intact, and He will fulfill them. There is a future for a remnant of Israel in God’s redemptive plan (Romans 11). 

But that conviction does not require blanket, uncritical support of every action taken by the modern state of Israel. And that’s where clarity is desperately needed.

Define Your Terms, Lest You Divide Without Meaning To

We’ve seen how loaded phrases can become like those back in 2020. People shouted, “Black lives matter.” And your response meant everything. 

Every Christian affirms the dignity of all people made in God’s image. But was that statement being used as a biblical truth, or as a slogan tied to a broader ideology? If you responded by raising a fist that meant one thing. If you responded by saying, “Of course black lives matter, and so do white ones and brown ones too!” you would be met with an entirely different response. 

That’s just one example of how a phrase means different things depending on who is using it. 

The same is true with the current cultural slogan in many circles which rings out: “I Stand with Israel!” 

I think it’s very healthy and important for the unity and clarity of the church to explain what you mean when you say that. It can mean any number of things, and definitions matter. 

• Do you mean affirming God’s covenant promises to the Jewish people?

• Supporting the modern nation-state politically?

• Endorsing every military action?

• Rejecting all criticism as antisemitic?

Those are not the same thing. And unless we define our terms, we risk confusion, division, and binding consciences where Scripture does not.

Now, I want to define some more terms and answer key questions so you can understand this subject Scripturally. 

Who (or What) is “Israel”?

Before answering whether Christians must stand with Israel, we need to clarify what Scripture means by Israel. The Bible uses the term in multiple ways:

• Ethnic Israel – the physical descendants of Abraham (Romans 9:3–5)

• Spiritual Israel – those who share Abraham’s faith (Galatians 3:7)

• National Israel – the geopolitical entity, both in the Old Testament and in its modern form

Failing to distinguish these leads to theological and practical confusion. As renowned dispensational scholar Michael Vlach writes, “The New Testament does not cancel, reinterpret, or spiritualize away the Old Testament promises to national Israel.” God’s commitments to Israel remain. But those promises do not automatically translate into unconditional endorsement of a modern government’s decisions.

What Should We Believe About Israel? 

Forget the caricatures and extreme views. Forget Ted Cruz interviews and Tucker Carlson debates. Let’s just think through this based on Scripture! What is a proper, biblically-grounded view of Israel? 

First, God’s promises to Israel are fulfilled through a believing remnant. This means that Christians should affirm what Paul teaches in Romans 9–11:

• “They are not all Israel who are descended from Israel” (Rom. 9:6)

• There will be a remnant chosen by grace (Rom. 11:5)

• There will be a future large-scale turning of Jewish people to Christ (Rom. 11:26)

This has at least 3 implications that cannot be ignored: 

• Not every ethnic Jew is saved

• Never has been

• Never will be

The simple, biblical, and reasonable truth we can believe is that God’s covenant promises are fulfilled through believing Israel, not unbelieving Israel.

What Can We Believe About a Future National Turning to Christ? 

Christians can believe that in connection with the end times (often tied to the tribulation and the return of Christ in the dispensational view), there will be a significant, widespread conversion of Jewish people. There will be a national repentance. Michael Vlach is helpful here again, explaining that, “The salvation of Israel in Romans 11:26 refers to a future generation of Jews who will turn to Christ in faith.” 

Notice that I have not argued for (nor could I do so!) from Scripture that there is some automatic salvation for all Jews. This is not “automatic salvation,” it is a future mass conversion as part of God’s plan. 

The Millennial Kingdom Includes Redeemed Israel, Not Unbelieving Israel

In dispensational thought, the millennial kingdom fulfills promises made to Israel (land, kingdom, restoration), but those promises are experienced by redeemed, believing Jews. As Robert Saucy emphasizes, God’s promises are fulfilled “in a redeemed Israel,” not in unbelief. Therefore, we must understand that a proper, dispensational-leaning view of Israel teaches that not all Jews are saved, but that God will faithfully save a future believing remnant of Israel, fulfilling His covenant promises through those who come to faith in Christ.

In summary, Christians should believe 4 truths when thinking through this subject: 

 → Not all Jewish people are automatically saved

 → There is no blanket ethnic guarantee of salvation

 → There will be a future, large-scale redemption of believing Israel

 → All salvation is only through faith in Jesus Christ alone

There should be no blanket favoritism, no political or ethnic idolatry, and no using the phrase “I stand with Israel” unless you know what you’re standing for and how your terms are defined. And even then, like the phrase “black lives matter,” perhaps the phrase has been culturally hijacked so it’s no longer helpful for the conversation. One may prefer to say, “I believe God is not finished with ethnic Israel and that all people—Jew and Gentile alike—are saved only through faith in Christ.”

The Real Question

Now, let’s sharpen our focus on the issue at hand and ask: Does believing God has a future for Israel mean Christians must support every action of the modern state of Israel?

The answer is: No.

That is not a denial of Scripture, that is not antisemitism, that is not being an ungrateful Gentile, or blaspheming Christ because He was a Jew. It is a refusal to confuse biblical theology with modern geopolitics. 

Let me give you a simple summary of truths that can help you navigate this cultural and theological conversation.  

1. God Is Not Finished With Israel

Romans 11 makes this unmistakably clear: “God has not rejected His people” (v. 2). There is coming a future salvation of Jewish people. It will be a national turning to Christ. Robert Saucy again explains, “The future salvation of Israel is grounded in the faithfulness of God to His covenant promises.”

Therefore, a Christian may reject any theology that erases Israel from God’s redemptive plan while understanding that an affirmation of Israel’s future is not the same as affirming every present political action. 

2. Christians Must Reject Antisemitism

As it is with any people group, hatred toward Jewish people is sin. Even if you disagree with the state’s decisions or have strong and clearly articulated disagreements with my theological positions in this article, all Christians must reject racist ideologies. The covenants, the law, the Messiah all came through Israel (Romans 9:4–5), the heroes of the faith throughout the Old Testament are predominantly from Israel, Paul the Apostle was a Jew, so was Peter, and countless other faithful Christians. Therefore, any form of antisemitism is incompatible with the gospel.

But rejecting antisemitism does not mean suspending moral evaluation of a nation-state. You can love Jewish people and still think carefully about political decisions made by Israel’s government.

3. No Nation Operates Above Moral Accountability

One of the most overlooked truths in this conversation is in Scripture, Israel itself was held accountable by God. The prophets repeatedly called Israel to repentance, justice, and righteousness. Being God’s covenant people did not exempt them from moral evaluation, it actually intensified it.

Why would we assume modern Israel is beyond critique? Like every nation, Israel operates in a fallen world, led by imperfect leaders, making complex decisions in real time. Christians should be cautious about giving any government a moral blank check.

4. Our Ultimate Allegiance Is to Christ, Not a Nation-State

Philippians 3:20 reminds us: “Our citizenship is in heaven.” Christians are not called to political tribalism, but to kingdom allegiance. Therefore, we can:

• Pray for Israel

• Love Jewish people

• Long for their salvation

• Support justice and peace

But we must not confuse loyalty to Christ with loyalty to any earthly nation, Israel included.

So…Should Christians “Stand With Israel”?

That depends entirely on what you mean. If you mean: 

• Affirm God’s promises to Israel → Yes

• Reject antisemitism → Yes

• Pray for peace and salvation → Yes

If you mean:

• Uncritically support every political or military decision → No

• Label all disagreement as antisemitic → No

• Treat modern Israel as beyond moral evaluation → No

The modern state of Israel should not be simplistically equated with covenant Israel in a way that makes every modern policy decision divinely sanctioned.

In these days of cultural unrest and geopolitical tension, we do not need reactionary politics, antisemitic rhetoric, or blind allegiance. Furthermore, we don’t need theological confusion, undefined slogans, and pressure to conform to political litmus tests. We’ve lived through 2020 and seen what happens when Christians don’t define terms, get their theological views from Scripture, and walk in love for one another despite differences. 

What we need is biblical clarity. God keeps His promises. Christ builds His Church. The gospel must be preached to Jew and Gentile alike. And Christians must think carefully, define their terms, and refuse to let slogans replace Scripture.