Is Modern Israel the Israel of the Bible?

A Wesleyan-Holiness Perspective on Covenant, Nationhood, and the People of God

As violence escalates between Israel and Iran, many Christians instinctively “stand with Israel”—often with the sincere belief that doing so honors Scripture, aligns with prophecy, or reflects God's heart. But beneath that impulse lies a crucial question:

Is the modern State of Israel the same “Israel” we read about in the Bible?

The way we answer that question shapes more than headlines. It shapes theology, mission, prayer, and even our willingness to speak for peace in the face of war.

Why This Matters

When we confuse modern political Israel with biblical covenant Israel, we risk:

• Theological error
• Political idolatry
• Ignoring the Gospel’s call to peace and justice
• Dehumanizing Palestinians, Iranians, and others created in the image of God

Understanding this question requires us to listen not only to the Bible but to history, theology, and the voices of both Jews and Christians—including perspectives that challenge our assumptions.

What “Israel” Means in the Bible

In the Old Testament, “Israel” refers to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—those called to be a holy nation and a blessing to the world (Genesis 12:1–3, Exodus 19:5–6). The covenant involved people, land, and a call to holiness and justice. But that covenant was always conditional on obedience, never a blank check (Deuteronomy 28, Jeremiah 7).

Throughout the Old Testament, when Israel strayed from justice and holiness, God raised up prophets—not to rubber-stamp the nation's actions, but to critique, confront, and call them back to covenant faithfulness. God never promised to bless an unrighteous Israel. Rather, His love for Israel often showed itself in His willingness to discipline and correct them (Isaiah 1, Amos 5, Micah 6).

The prophetic pattern of Scripture is this: God critiques His people when they act unjustly. That pattern still applies today. The Church’s role is not to defend modern states uncritically, but to be a prophetic voice, calling nations—including Israel and the United States—to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).

In the New Testament, Jesus is revealed as the true Israelite, the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets. Paul writes:

“Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel... it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise” (Romans 9:6–8).

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

This radically redefines the people of God—not by ethnicity or geography, but by faith in Christ.

How Do People Today Understand “Israel”?

Among Jews

• Religious Zionists believe the modern state of Israel is part of God's providential plan and fulfillment of ancient prophecies.
• Secular Zionists support Israel as a political refuge for Jews, especially after the Holocaust, without religious or biblical justification.
• Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews often oppose modern Zionism, believing a Jewish state should not exist until the Messiah comes.
• Non-Zionist or anti-Zionist Jews (including some progressive voices) criticize Israel’s policies or question the theological legitimacy of the state altogether.

Among Christians

• Dispensationalists (mainly evangelical) believe God has a separate, ongoing covenant with national Israel and that Israel must be restored physically for end-times prophecies to be fulfilled. They view modern Israel as a direct fulfillment of prophecy.
• Mainline Protestants and Catholics tend to distinguish between biblical Israel and modern Israel, emphasizing justice and peace for both Jews and Palestinians.
• Christian Zionists support Israel politically, sometimes uncritically, believing that blessing Israel leads to God’s blessing (Genesis 12:3).
• Wesleyan-Holiness and fulfillment theologians believe the promises to Israel are fulfilled in Jesus and extended to all people through faith, while still affirming the unique historical and theological place of the Jewish people.

I’ll explore Dispensationalism in depth in a later post, but it’s important to name it here. It is the dominant view behind many American evangelicals’ political support for Israel, and its implications—both theological and ethical—must be reckoned with.

What the Wesleyan-Holiness Tradition Teaches

Our tradition affirms that:

• Jesus fulfills the covenant with Israel. He is the true Israelite.
• The Church is not a replacement, but a continuation of God’s people—expanded to include all who believe.
• God's promises are now centered in Christ, not a modern nation-state or ethnic group.

Holiness is not marked by ethnic identity or national borders. It is marked by faith, love, and the presence of the Spirit. That’s why Paul declares there is “neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

What About the Modern State of Israel?

Founded in 1948, modern Israel is a secular, political nation-state. It was created after centuries of Jewish suffering and persecution—including the Holocaust—and exists today as a homeland for Jews and others.

As Christians, we can affirm:

• Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, like any other nation.
• Our duty to oppose antisemitism in every form.
• The enduring value of the Jewish people in salvation history.

But we must also affirm:

• Modern Israel is not the same as biblical Israel.
• Its government, military, and policies are not above critique.
• Its treatment of Palestinians and others must be examined through the lens of biblical justice.

Why We Must Be Clear

When Christians conflate modern Israel with biblical Israel, we:

• Justify war and occupation with misused Scripture
• Fail to stand with Palestinian Christians and Arab believers
• Replace the Gospel of peace with a theology of nationalism

We are called to love Israel. But love does not mean silence in the face of injustice or uncritical support of military power. It means pointing to the Messiah who fulfilled the law and invites Jew and Gentile alike into the people of God.

Final Thoughts

The Jewish people remain beloved by God (Romans 11:28). We honor their history. We mourn their suffering. And we rejoice when any come to see Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham.

But as Wesleyan-Holiness believers, our allegiance is not to any nation—not Israel nor the USA—it is to the crucified and risen Christ who makes peace by the blood of His cross (Ephesians 2:14).

Let us not confuse the Kingdom of God with the politics of man.
Let us seek peace, justice, and salvation for all people—Israeli and Palestinian, Iranian and Arab, Jew and Gentile.

Next up in the series:
What Is Zionism? And Why Does It Matter?