Does Acts 1:6 Teach Christians Should Support Modern Israel?

The foolishness of Israel supporting Christians often involves the assumption that a nation that is called Israel ought to be supported because that nation is called Israel. It is no wonder that many also fall prey to believing concepts and movements which are connected with the name Jesus without discerning that the real Jesus of the Bible has nothing to do with that concept or movement. Christian Zionism itself is in this category. The real Jesus actually judged the Jewish nation in AD 70 and left Jerusalem in the hands of the Romans to be destroyed because He didn’t want to be associated with the wicked people which had rejected Him and were blaspheming His name. Zionist Christians don’t adequately consider and take heed to this. As a result, they blasphemously connect Jesus to the very people He disassociated from long ago in their endeavor to have a nation without honoring Him as their rightful King. The faithful remnant of Israel which are His true people are His faithful disciples, whether they are naturally Jews or Gentiles, who do indeed honor Him as their rightful King. This brings us to the verses in Acts chapter 1 which some who advocate Christian support for the modern nation of Israel actually try to use to make their case.

Acts 1:1-6: “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”

Here is a dose of common sense which Christian Zionists don’t have. What kingdom are the Apostles referring to in Acts 1:6? Obviously the Davidic kingdom (see 2 Samuel 7:12-16). Who were the Apostles expecting to sit on the throne of that kingdom? Israel’s Messiah, the Son of David according to the flesh. There is no other kingdom associated with Israel which would be congruent with what the Apostles were asking about in Acts 1:6. And who is the true Messiah of Israel which has a rightful claim to the throne of David? Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:30-33: “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Does Jesus reign over modern Israel? Has He returned to sit on the throne of David? Do Benjamin Netanyahu and the Knesset take directions from Him? No. It is rather the opposite. Could modern Israel then be the fulfillment of what the Apostles had in mind when they asked the Risen Jesus about whether the kingdom would be restored to Israel? No. That restoration did not happen at that time and it has not happened since.

Christians who support modern Israel, and who go to Acts 1:6 to make their case, basically claim that modern Israel is a kingdom restored by Jesus which rejects Him as its King.

Though all nations are filled with wickedness which opposes the right ways of the rightful King of mankind, Christians don’t commonly associate other nations with Jesus like they do with modern Israel. Modern Israel is also in another category of wickedness due to how it is founded on nothing but treachery, theft, and murder; and due to how it is essentially a counterfeit revival involving the very people which Jesus disassociated Himself from long ago through the judgment on Jerusalem by the Romans. They are essentially seeking to negate that judgment while yet claiming they are God’s chosen people. They continue to reject their rightful King and claim they have a right to the land which they were kicked out of long ago for rejecting Him. Over and over again in the Bible (and dealt with frequently in many of our previous studies) the Lord stated plainly that the Jews would be rooted out of the land if they were not obedient to Him.

The Christian Zionists blaspheme Jesus Christ by attaching Him to the nation which rejects Him and commits sins against Him which make even other wicked nations astonished and horrified due to how malevolent and loathsome they are. Christian Zionism is utterly wicked and illogical. Modern Israel supporting Christians act very wickedly.

Continuing from Acts 1:6 and reading Acts 1:7-11: “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Modern Israel is a counterfeit revival. We still do not know when Jesus will restore the kingdom to Israel. It has not happened yet. It will obviously not happen until He returns. And when that happens, the Jews who are looking for another messiah will not have a part in His kingdom. The Bible is clear on that. If Israel thinks it has found another messiah, one who is its friend in its wickedness, that is a fake messiah which is not the return of the real Jesus. No one gets favor from Him because they are naturally Jewish. He will destroy the unrepentant when He returns and send them to hell- not take the side of unrepentant Jews and cause them to prosper and reign with Him in their sin. He does not show partiality.

Matthew 3;8-10: “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

Luke 19:27 (this is Jesus speaking in the Gospel accounts concerning what He will cause to be done after He has returned): “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”

The kingdom of David is not yet restored. Modern Israel is a counterfeit restoration. Those who would be on the real Jesus’ side should not support it and should rather contend against it in its sins which have piled up to the heavens.