Israel and the Church: Perspective from VISION Calvary Chapel Pastor Garid Beeler
Video by VISION Calvary Chapel
Garid Beeler, senior pastor of VISION Calvary Chapel in Irvine, CA, taught a powerful lesson on why we, as evangelical Christians in Calvary Chapel, strongly stand with the state of Israel. Garid delivered his sermon soon after the satanic attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, against innocent and unsuspecting civilians in Israel. But Garid’s message is important and timeless—believers need to be reminded of God’s plan with Israel as the views of the world try to paint Jews as occupiers, even though the Lord specifically gave the Hebrews the land thousands of years ago.
I wanted to take just a few moments to address many questions, concerns, and even differing viewpoints on the subject of Israel and the relationship that the Church has with Israel today.
I’ve found that over the years, there comes a point in every church’s life where there is a need to teach and revisit timeless truths. These are often an affront to the worldview or ever-changing cultural norms of the day. And when I say “an affront to the worldview,” we need to understand that God’s ways are not accepted by the world. The world is evil and set against God.
If you’re a follower of Jesus and have chosen to hold a biblical worldview, then you must understand that most of the world—if not all of it—is not going to agree with you. If we had a secular worldview as a church, the world would love its own. But because we are not of this world, we must ask ourselves: Why would I seek to have a worldview that reflects that which I am not?
It’s nothing new that the message of the Gospel causes offense. Paul wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, where he said: But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
So Christ Jesus, whom we know as our Lord and Savior, is the power and wisdom of God—and that is what we seek today.
I need to be very clear from the beginning: What we are discussing is a spiritual issue. There is a spiritual battle raging in this world, and we cannot be ignorant of that truth. Any work of the Lord—whether in your life or globally—will be met by resistance from the devil. Any work the Lord wants to do in you or through you, Satan wants to shut down.
And many of us—hopefully all of us—desire the wisdom and power of the Lord to navigate life in a way that pleases Him. So I’m going to jot down a couple of things that are important for us in understanding the world’s current events.
1. Why Is the Church Focused on Israel?
This is a great question. Maybe you grew up in a Christian home and were taught about it, or maybe you’re new to the faith and have no clue. But here’s the big picture:
The Bible is a book about Israel. It records both historical and prophetic truths about Israel—past, present, and future. From Israel came the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He was born, raised, and ministered in Israel. He came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He died and rose again in Israel. And guess what? He will return to Israel.
When we ask what the Church should focus on, it should ultimately be Jesus. And if something involving Israel is important to Jesus, then it should be important to us.
2. What Is the Church’s Relationship with Israel?
According to Scripture, God has not yet fully completed His plan for the nation of Israel. And the Church has not replaced Israel. Paul writes in Romans 11:17 that we, as the Church—like a wild olive tree—were grafted in among God’s people. That means we became partakers of the root and fatness of the olive tree.
When Israel rejected the Messiah, the Gospel went to the Gentiles. But Romans 11:23-25 explains that Israel will be grafted in again if they do not continue in unbelief. This is a supernatural work of God. Paul also warns the Church not to be ignorant or arrogant regarding this mystery. Blindness has come in part to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
This period—from the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC until Christ’s return—is known as the time of the Gentiles. It’s the Church Age.
3. Why Is God Concerned with Israel?
God began His plans with Israel through His promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3: “Get out of your country … to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation … I will bless those who bless you and curse him who curses you.”
From Abraham’s seed came the Messiah. In Genesis 15:7 and 18, God said He gave Abraham and his descendants a specific land—from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates. God did give Israel that land, but because of sin, Israel lost the freedom to rule themselves.
For centuries, Israel was effectively off the map. So many in the Church began to believe that the Church must have replaced Israel. Thinkers like John Calvin couldn’t imagine Israel becoming a nation again.
But then we read the prophecy in Ezekiel 36:24: “I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.”
And on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again—fulfilling that prophecy. Yes, there are those who refer to Israel as occupiers, but the Jews were living in that land long before anyone was called Palestinian—over 1,200 years earlier—and 2,600 years before Islam was founded.
Historically, the land has been ruled by Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, the Islamic Empire, Catholic Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, and the British. In 135 AD, the Roman emperor Hadrian expelled the Jews and renamed the region “Palestina”, after Israel’s ancient enemy, the Philistines.
From then until 1948, the land was known as Palestine, and both Arabs and Jews were referred to as Palestinians. Some Jews alive today have birth certificates that say “Palestinian”. But once Israel became a nation again, fulfilling Ezekiel’s prophecy, they were known again as Israel.
We’ve all seen the news. I have friends on the ground sending updates. The attacks by Hamas are truly demonic and evil. Our church, because we are Bible-believing, must stand on the truth of God’s Word and His future plans.
We unequivocally stand with the nation of Israel—and with Palestinians who are against acts of terror. We support God's plan to bring Israel back to its land, and it would be religiously and personally unwise to fight against something God has ordained.
We also support God’s plan for restoring Israel’s relationship with Him. There’s still a seven-year period of judgment coming, centered on Jerusalem. God is not done with Israel.
In Ezekiel 38–39, there is a prophecy about a future war. Nations like Russia, China, and others from the Middle East will form an alliance against Israel, but God will intervene and protect His people.
Conclusion
This is a spiritual battle. Satan always seeks to come against God’s purposes. To annihilate Israel would be to attempt to erase God’s promises. We cannot allow that.
We must align ourselves with God’s plan. But let’s also be clear—standing with God’s plan does not mean we are against protecting children, women, or innocent people. This isn’t a political issue—it’s a spiritual one.
We’re not pro-this or pro-that—we are pro-Jesus. And our love for Christ should reflect God's heart: that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Let’s pray:
Father, we lift up what’s happening in Israel and in Gaza. We know that Hamas is evil—there’s no question about that. Terrible things have happened. But we also know that the people of Gaza are under oppression from evil rulers, and we pray You would set them free.
We pray for the families, for the hostages, and for the missing. This grieves Your heart. And that’s why we are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Lord, this will continue to be a focal point until the day You return and stand on the Mount of Olives. We pray that Your chosen people who have rejected You would be restored to relationship with You through Jesus, their Messiah.
We don’t just pray for one nation—we pray that the whole world would come to know You. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Fight this battle in the spiritual realm. Have mercy, be gracious, and protect those ministering on the ground—those preaching the Gospel and serving practically.
Help us as a church to honor Your Word and be a people with a biblical worldview. May there be no greater influence in our lives than Your Word and the work of Your Spirit.
In Jesus’ name we pray, and all God’s people said: Amen.
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