I am sure this going to anger some people, but so be it. Christian Zionism is a theological and political movement primarily among evangelical Protestants (especially in the United States) that expresses strong support for the modern State of Israel and the Jewish people’s right to the land. Its beliefs are rooted in a particular interpretation of the Bible—known as dispensational premillennialism—which views biblical prophecies as literal and still applicable today.
Christian Zionists (aka CZs) take God’s covenants with Abraham and his descendants (the Jewish people) as eternal and unconditional. The CZs rely to two snippets from the Old Testament / Pentateuch to justify exalting the modern state of Israel:
Genesis 12:3: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.”
Genesis 17:8: God promises the land of Canaan “to you and your descendants after you… as an everlasting possession.”
Christian Zionists support Israel because they believe the Bible literally promises the Jewish people an eternal covenant with the land, that modern Israel fulfills ancient prophecy, and that backing Israel aligns believers with God’s end-times plan and brings divine blessing. This theological conviction drives both spiritual solidarity and strong political advocacy.
But there are several problems with this. Let’s start with the polygamous activities of Abraham. The initial promises to Abraham in Genesis (e.g., Genesis 12:1–3, 15:18) are broad, speaking of blessing Abraham’s “offspring” or “seed” (zera in Hebrew) without naming a specific child. Abraham had eight sons total: Ishmael (with Hagar), Isaac (with Sarah), and six others (Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah) with Keturah (Genesis 25:1–6). Abraham, if he were alive today, would fit in well in some Florida retirement villages that are notorious for rampant sexual activity among the senior citizens.
So why do the CZs assume that God’s promise to Abraham only applies to Isaac and not the other seven offspring? I maintain that is a consequence of author bias. The traditional Jewish (and much Christian) view attributes the entire Torah—including the first five books (Genesis through Deuteronomy)—to Moses himself, around the 13th–15th century BCE, as divine revelation received at Sinai and written down by Moses. The is ZERO archeological evidence to support that claim.
Hellbound and Down 