Whenever Israel comes under attack from one of their enemies (such as is happening as I write this), you will see Christians on social media encouraging others to pray for Israel or pray for the peace of Israel. Why? Not that this isn’t a good thing. Of course it is. But why do they request prayer specifically for Israel? Why are they so concerned about Israel? Five reasons:
One, it’s because they believe the nation of Israel is still the people of God.
Two, they believe Genesis 12:3 still refers to that nation.
Three, they want to be faithful to Psalm 122:6.
Four, they don’t want America to lose God’s blessing (Ge 12:3).
Five, they believe that God still has a plan for Israel apart from the Church. They believe that Israel has a key role in end-time prophecy.
They (dispensational Christians) have this understanding about Israel because they still view Israel through the lens of the Old Testament. However, this is not the view of the New Testament. Let’s do a comparison between the two testaments:
(Genesis 12:1-3 – NKJV) – 1 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. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 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.”
When God made this promise to Abram (Abraham), that He would “bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you,” to whom was God referring? For sure, this promise applied to the nation of Israel, to the ethnic Jews that would come through Abraham’s line under the Old Covenant. However, in Galatians chapter 3 (also Romans 4), Paul reveals that this promise has a wider application under the New Covenant:
(Galatians 3:6-9 – NET) – [6] Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, [7] so then, understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham. [8] And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” [9] So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.
(Galatians 3:14-16,19 – BSB) – [14] He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. [15] Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended. [16] The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ………[19] Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.
(Galatians 3:29 – BSB) – And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
Paul reveals that when God made the promise of Genesis 12:1-3 to Abraham, He ultimately had His Son primarily in view, and secondarily those who are in Him—those who place their faith in Him, both Jew and Gentile. This promise was completely fulfilled in Christ and His Church. All the covenant promises had Christ in view.
Accordingly, when God says that He will “bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you,” this means that in the age of grace or the Church age (since the time of Christ), this primarily applies to Christ, and secondarily to the people of Christ, not to the ethnic people of Israel. Likewise, when God says that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Ge 12:3), this pointed directly to Christ and to those who place their faith in Him (Ga 3:7-9). This is the ultimate fulfillment of that promise.
Therefore, when Christians today apply this “blessing or cursing” to the nation of Israel, they’re misapplying it. It no longer refers to the blessing or cursing of those who bless or curse the ethnic people of Israel, but to Christ and to the people of Christ in Him, which together, make up the Church.
Some (many?) dispensationalists believe that this type of theology encourages anti-Semitism. While it may be true of some who hold to this view, it’s not true of me. I don’t condone anti-semitism at all. Shame on Christians who do. I actually support Israel. I respect that they are a free country and are a strong ally of America, and that they allow Christianity to be practiced in their country. More importantly, if one understands the unity between the OT and the NT, there’s no way a Christian could ever be anti-Jew, especially when you consider the fact that Jesus Himself came through the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and that the early membership of the Church consisted entirely or almost entirely of Jewish believers.
However, one can not or should not support or “bless” Israel (Ge 12:2-3) unconditionally. Because, first of all, as I already explained, Genesis 12:1-3 ultimately refers to Christ and His Church, not to the nation of Israel. Furthermore, if dispensationalists insist that this promise to bless or curse refers strictly to the treatment of the nation of Israel, then they have a real problem.
Specifically, what if Israel becomes a terrorist nation, such as Iran? While that may be highly unlikely, what if they did? What if they turn against Christians, like Iran has? Are they going to continue to give their support to Israel? But if they don’t support Israel, aren’t they setting themselves up to be “cursed?” But how could they rightly give their support (blessing) to a terrorist nation, which also outlaws Christianity? There is a real conflict here that dispensationalists must consider.
I believe the only way that Christians could ever bless Israel unconditionally is if that promise ultimately and actually has Christ and His Church in view. Christ’s Church will never become a terrorist organization, or anything else evil—for she is pure and holy, set-apart to Christ. This cannot be said of the nation of Israel. They are, in fact, already evil and always have been, and can possibly become much more evil. That is why God destroyed both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel. Of course their greatest evil is their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. That is why He destroyed them again in AD 70. That is their history. However, to be clear, in modern times, they’re not evil in the same sense terrorist nations are, and certainly no more evil than the United States, or any other country, generally speaking (Ro 3:22-23; Ro 11:32).
In truth, if Israel ever turned completely against Christianity and America – which consists of many millions of Christians – I believe the “curse” of Genesis 12:3 would instead be upon them. In fact, because of their rejection of Jesus, the curse of that promise is already upon them (Ro 11:7-10,25; 2 Cor 3:13-16). But if they were to ever turn against Christians as many other countries have, then I believe the “curse” of that promise would increase further.
Now consider this! What an amazing revelation we have here. Israel rejected Christ and Christianity, and the result is that “a hardening has come upon part of Israel” (NRSV – Ro 11:25). Now I confess that I don’t understand all that is involved with this hardening, but I do know that it’s a judgment against this people—as evidenced by God’s judgement against them in AD 70 (Matt 21:42-44; Lu 17:25). Yet, according to Genesis 12:3, the “curse” is reserved for those who curse Israel! Yet, God destroyed Israel, for a third time! Does that not strongly (if not obviously) indicate that Genesis 12:3 actually has Christ and His Church in view? The true people God? When you stop and think about it, this is a very strong argument against Dispensationalism, is it not?
In regard to God’s rejection of Israel and turning to the people of Christ worldwide (Matt 21:42-44) – consisting of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles – lest dispensationalists quote Romans 11:1-2, God has not rejected individual Jews. That is quite obvious. Jesus was a Jew. Paul himself was a Jew. It was the corporate people of Israel that God rejected, not individual Jews. That’s what Paul is referring to in Romans 11:1-2. God’s focus turned away from the nation of Israel to His Church, through whom the gospel of Jesus Christ would be spread to the whole world.
In regard to this “blessing and cursing” as it relates to America, let’s be clear about this. God has not historically blessed America because she supports Israel. I believe God has blessed America because she has always supported Christianity.
Many Christians seem to believe that if America turns against Israel, God will withdraw His blessing. First of all, I don’t believe America would ever do that without just cause (terrorism, attack on our country, etc). Secondly, God would only withdraw His blessing from America if it turned against Christ and His people—which is something we’re already seeing develop more and more.
To wrap this up, the people who are ultimately in view in Genesis 12:2-3, are God’s true people, which are those who are in Christ of the New Covenant. Dispensationalists who are always quoting the Genesis promise to “bless” Israel, seem to elevate the importance of that nation above the Church—who are the people of Christ. While they may certainly deny such an idea, the reality is, we never hear them use that passage in regard to the people of Christ, who are the true representatives of God in the world. At least I’ve never heard them make that reference. But why not? There should be no debate about who the true people of God are, that they are those who have embraced His Son—whom Israel rejects. So how does Genesis 12:3 not apply to God’s people in Christ during this present age?
In conclusion, while I support Israel, I do so because they are a free country (allowing the practice of Christianity) like America is, and are one of our strongest allies. I do so because Jesus came through that line of people, and that Christianity has Jewish roots, which began with Jewish believers. But I don’t support that nation unconditionally. However, I do support Christ’s Church unconditionally—and that is the only way that Genesis 12:3 can ever be applied unconditionally, and for all time.
I believe this one point alone completely discredits Dispensationalism and their position on Israel.
