Zionism vs Replacement Theology
- Hooman Matine
- Feb 23
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 27
“I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you”, says Ted Cruz as he cites the Bible to Tucker Carlson to explain why he supports giving privileged treatement to Israeli Lobby groups in Washington.
Those who watched the interview in the summer of 2025 know that those two men came to the interview with two distinct points of view: Tucker came with the replacement theology point of view, and Cruz came with the Zionist point of view. In this case, both men are right about certain things, and both men are wrong about other things. In this piece I will do my best to clarify the true way that the church should interpret this question of whether Israel is the church or whether it's still the nation Israel.
In the case of Ted Cruz, he is correct that Israel of the Bible is Israel of today. I
believe the Jewish people are God’s chosen people, and God’s promise to bless those who bless them and curse those who curse them still stands. This is very easy to defend. Just read Romans 11 : 17-19. Paul says it better than I ever could. Read for yourself:
“But if some of the branches were broken off (non-believing Jews), and you, being a wild olive (a gentile), were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches (believing Jews), but if you are arrogant remember that it is not you who supports the root (the Jewish nation), but the root supports you.”
We as Christians must be grateful that God has saved us, but we must also remember that God chose the Jewish race, and we must not take these people in vain, but have high regard for them, not because they are better, but because it is commanded. Let us not forget that this is why every single prophet, including our Lord, Jesus the Christ of God, are all Jewish.
Now let us also remember that Jews are people after all, and they are not perfect, but are sinners like the rest of us, and as a result God punishes them, just like He punishes all disobedient children. This is what we read throughout the entire old testament: God blessed the Jewish race, the people disobeyed God, God allows them to get invaded, and they get scattered abroad, then after a time, God allows them to come back to Israel. This cycle happens over and over.
In fact the Jews are the only people in the world who constantly go back to their homeland after being defeated in battle. Back and forth; in and out. No other people have had that experience. If a nation is invaded, usually, that nation either defends itself, or ultimately, they go out of existence. Not Israel, throughout history Israel has been invaded, and decades later, God brings them back to the land. Then the people disobey God, and he allows them to get invaded again, and again, God brings them back.
This cycle has been going on since the days of Joshua when Israel was first given the land of modern-day Palestine. Why should we expect the cycle to stop? Because some proud gentiles don’t like the fact that God chose the Jews to be His people? There’s no reason to think that God suddenly stopped this cycle, and as we just read in Romans 11, even the Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles specifically warns gentiles not to be arrogant toward what he called the “natural branch” of Christ, which is the Jewish race.
Now the question is how do we bless the Jews?
Do we bless them with unlimited military equipment and turn a blind eye to war crimes they commit? This is where I know many people will disagree with me. Unfortunately, the truth is there is no such government in the world that does not sponsor terrorism. Terrorism is in the fabric of governments, and if you don’t think so you are walking around with blinders on.
9/11 and the resulting “war on terror” is just one example of this. Think about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think those were righteous wars? Do you think George W Bush loves Jesus? I can’t think of anything more absurd, but I’m not condemning America, it’s just the way it is. Governments are sponsors of terror. All governments. The US, Iran, China, Russia, and yes, Israel. There is no government that does not commit terror.
I acknowledge that Israel is killing innocent people, and I don’t like it, but that is precisely what all governments do, and have done since the beginning of time. Why should we suddenly expect perfect behavior from an Earthly nation now?
Here is where I do side with Tucker Carlson: call a spade a spade, and call AIPAC a foreign lobby group. On one level it’s just semantics, but on another level, it’s about being honest. So while I am a Zionist, I am also a realist, and I believe that the truth matters.
What shall we say then? Are we hopelessly bound to the governments of the world? No, but it is God’s job to punish Israel, just has He has done for centuries, not ours. Don’t forget that God has said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay”. Don’t usurp God’s authority by taking up arms against Israel, or falsely claiming the Jewish people are not God’s chosen. Yes, they are sinners, and they are making God angry with their sins, but remember, God will ultimately defeat His enemies – even inside the borders of Israel. So you don’t have to worry about it.
Therefore, one can be a Zionist (which means you believe that the geo-political nation-state Israel of modern day is the same entity as the Israel of the Bible) and at the same time disagree with the government of Israel, and understand that God will punish them for their crimes against humanity.
Maybe it is God’s will that someday in the future, the President of the United States take some sort of political action against the state of Israel, what power do you have over that? None. But as for you, private citizen of the world, just keep blessing the Jewish people by loving them, and trying to break the gospel into that community. Don’t take it upon yourself to condemn another country. God will take care of that if and when He wishes. That’s not our responsibility.
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