Why do many Christians strongly support Israel, even though the Jews rejected Jesus and plotted to have him killed?
It sounds like a contradiction. But for many Christians, this support is not political at all. It begins with a biblical prophecy. They believe that the return of the Jewish people to the land, the importance of Jerusalem, and the final war around it are all part of the events that must take place before Christ returns to the earth. In their view, Israel is more than a modern state. It is proof that prophecy is unfolding before their eyes. That is why they strongly support Israel and Zionism.
Biblical Prophecy
The Return to Jerusalem
For many Christians, the prophetic sequence begins with the belief that God will gather the Jewish people back from different parts of the world and bring them to Jerusalem.
This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.’
Zechariah 8:7–8
Jerusalem at the Center of Conflict
Jerusalem becomes the center of a global confrontation.
I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.
Zechariah 12:2–3
The Great War
The nations gather against Jerusalem and a great war breaks out around it.
‘In the whole land,’ declares the Lord, ‘two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, “They are my people,” and they will say, “The Lord is our God.”
Zechariah 13:8–9
The Bible says that the war will be so severe that two-thirds of the people will die, and only one-third will remain alive.
The Lord Fights for Jerusalem
And then comes the climax. They believe that Jesus will come back and fight the battle in support of Jerusalem.
I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.
Zechariah 14:2–4
According to the Bible, God brings the people back to Jerusalem, the nations gather against it, a devastating war follows, and then the Lord Himself intervenes and fights the battle. That is why many Christians see the struggle over Jerusalem as a sign that prophecy is unfolding before their eyes.
How other books in the Bible are added
The book of Zechariah in the Old Testament is usually the main reference, but other books from the Bible are also brought in to complete the picture.
Ezekiel 36:24 is often used to support the idea of regathering of Jews in Palestine.
For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.
Ezekiel 36:24
This verse is commonly read as a return of Jews from exile before the final events unfold.
Then some Christians connect the book of Zechariah to Book o Acts 1. The book of Acts says Jesus ascended into heaven and that he will return “in the same way” the disciples saw him go.
After he said this, he (Jesus) was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:9-12
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city.
The Mount of Olives appears in verse 12, which is why many Christians link Acts 1 with Zechariah 14, even though Acts itself does not directly quote Zechariah.
Questions for the Christians
If Jesus were in the world today, would he approve of the killing of children?
Would Jesus support and defend the genocide, bombing of civilians, and the destruction of homes?
Would Jesus stand with the oppressors while the weak are massacred without mercy?
These are moral questions that cannot be brushed aside in the name of prophecy.
A person may believe in biblical prophecy. But if that belief leads him to support injustice, overlook genocide, and defend the killing of innocents, then he has compromised morality.
No prophecy can make oppression righteous. No end-times belief can make the slaughter of children acceptable. Belief in prophecy should never make a person blind to oppression and injustice.
How can a follower of Jesus defend oppression and genocide?
Conclusion
Many Christians support Israel because they believe the prophecy in the Book of Zechariah is unfolding before their eyes. They see the return of the Jews, the conflict over Jerusalem, and the return of Christ as part of the same prophetic sequence.
But one question cannot be avoided:
Can belief in this prophecy ever justify defending genocide, oppression, and injustice? Would Jesus approve of it?
FAQs
What is the main biblical reason many Christians support Israel?
Many Christians believe in prophecy, especially Zechariah 12–14, which they read as placing Jerusalem at the center of end-times events.
Why is Zechariah so important in this discussion?
Because Zechariah speaks about Jews returning to Jerusalem, nations gathering against Jerusalem, and the Lord fighting for it. Those themes strongly shape Christian end-times readings.
What other Bible books are often used?
Ezekiel 36:24 is often used for regathering language and Acts 1 is often linked to Zechariah because of the Mount of Olives and the promise of Christ’s return.
Do all Christians see it this way?
No. Christian Zionism is influential, but it is still one interpretive tradition, not the only Christian view.
