Wondering about the End Times and the State of Israel?

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The State of Israel and Scriptural Israel

Posted on June 25, 2025

As missiles were flying back and forth between Israel and Iran during the "12 Day War," last week, a friend asked me the following question regarding the modern State of Israel:

Given that Israel as a nation is currently not "converted to the faith of Christ," how should we see them at this time? I see some Christians having a "support Israel no matter what" mentality, while others insist that a secular Israel nation should not be treated much differently from other unrepentant nations. What would be your nuanced view and advice for Christians in these times?

See my reply below.

More on Israel & the End Times:

"The Future of Israel" - A sermon from Jeremiah 31
"The Olivet Discourse" - The Jerusalem prophecies of Jesus
"We Do Not Want You to Be Uninformed" - a sermon on the Rapture from 1 Thessalonians 4
"A Gracious Hallelujah" - a podcast episode on Revelation 19 and the salvation of Israel
"Christianity and Israel" - a podcast episode from Albert Mohler
"Will Every Jew Be Saved?" - John Piper Q&A
"Who Is the True Israel?" - John Piper on Romans 9:6-8
"Should We Side with Israel or Palestine?" - John Piper Q&A

80 years before the birth of the modern State of Israel, J.C. Ryle said,

"I believe that the Jews shall ultimately be gathered again as a separate nation, restored to their own land, and converted to the faith of Christ, after going through great tribulation.

(Jeremiah 30:10, 11; 31:10; Romans 11:25, 26; Daniel 12:1; Zech. 13. 8, 9.)"

~ Reformed, Anglican Bishop J.C. Ryle in 1867 [source]

Nuance is difficult in a brief comment. But I'll try.

Christians should NOT support the State of Israel as a "no matter what". Christians MUST hold the State of Israel accountable in the same way we would any other state.

Christians should NOT support those who seek the destruction of the State of Israel. Christians MUST seek the well being of all nations and oppose all who seek to destroy innocent life.

Christians should NOT treat Israel just like any other nation or state. Christians MUST humbly recognize...

that after 26 centuries of punishing ethnic Israel for their rejection of the covenant, God is now in the process of laying the groundwork for the fulfillment of His plans and promises to the ancestors of ethnic Israel; and,
that God will, on the day of His choosing, convert every living survivor of ethnic Israel to faith in Jesus Christ. And when that day comes, and every member of ethnic Israel in the world believes in Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God's covenant promises, then, together with every believer in history, they will be "counted as children of the promise" (Rom 9:8).

That day could be tomorrow. Meaning almost every Jew alive is about to turn to faith in Jesus Christ. Or that day could be a hundred years from now. Meaning the Jewish people today are the grandparents of those who will turn to faith in Jesus Christ. But that means Jews should have a special place in the hearts of Christians, and be a special focus of our prayers.

MUCH LIKE Christians have a special affection for those we discern are not far from turning to faith in Jesus Christ.

God's gracious plan to save Israel by grace, awakening them to faith in Jesus Christ, in spite of their stubborn, national rejection of Christ, and millennia of reaping the consequences of their rebellion against God, is a sign to the world confirming the truth of the Gospel and the imperative of falling on the mercy of God through the Lord Jesus Christ while there is still time. All people on earth need to hear this call and need to believe this Good News.

RC Sproul on the future salvation of ethnic Israel.

Are You Ready for the End of Time?

By J.C. Ryle

For a theologically Reformed introduction to premillennial historicism, from a very credible source, I recommend this book by J.C. Ryle. He was a 19th century Anglican pastor and an outstanding expositor, still widely read and highly regarded among evangelicals today (Ryle's commentaries on Matthew, Mark, and Luke are part of the popular Crossway Classic Commentary Series, by Crossway, publisher of the English Standard Version of the Bible).

His little book on the end times rings with the same sort of sound exposition of Scripture found in his commentary on the Gospels, and he brings that same practical helpfulness and exegetical skill to the subject of Bible prophecy.

His preface in this book contains a list of his convictions about the end times that show him to be both historicist and premillennial (but he doesn't see it as his task to try and prove either position). In the chapters that follow he shows from Scripture that God will keep His promises to save and restore the nation of Israel (remember this was written almost a century before the modern State of Israel was born). But he also shows the great importance of ensuring that every reader examines himself to see if he is genuinely united to Jesus Christ by faith. This book is a treasure you will be lending out and recommending.

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