How should Christians today understand the many promises and prophecies in the Old Testament about the future of Israel and its land? Are Christian Zionists justified in believing that these have been fulfilled in the return of Jews to their land since the 1880s and the creation of the State of Israel in 1948? This book discusses all the key texts about the restoration of Israel that are quoted in these debates, questioning the Christian Zionist interpretation and offering an alternative. This is followed by a detailed study of two important Old Testament texts dealing with the future of Israel, Ezekiel 33–47 and Zechariah 9–13, understanding them in their original context and exploring how they are interpreted in the New Testament. This is no theoretical, ivory-tower debate. We are dealing here with the most bitter and protracted conflict of the last 150 years; and the way we interpret the Bible has profound political consequences.

This volume is the most extensive of its kind as a major set of collected essays from a wide range of scholars on the question of the promises of God to Israel. These essays put forward the position that unconditional promises were given to Israel, which have not been fulfilled in the church or any other entity. At the consummation, there will be a continuing role for the Jews, realized through their national and territorial hope of a restored-redeemed Israel. This volume contains an eclectic group of contributors who have reached this position from various approaches to interpretation. The essays exhibit both positive argumentation and engagement with supersessionist literature.

What does the Bible teach about the role of the Jewish people and the nation of Israel today? What is God's plan for the future of Israel and the neighboring countries? How can believers in Jesus be part of God's peace process in the Middle East? The People, the Land, and the Future of Israel walks through the Bible's account of the role of Israel and the Jewish people—both now and in the future. Each contributor offers a profound insight into God’s unfolding plan and purpose for the nation of Israel as the Scripture depicts them. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of both current and future events in the Middle East as described in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Features an extensive foreword by best-selling author Joel Rosenberg who addresses the question, Will there ever be peace for Israel and her neighbors? Each chapter includes a scannable QR code that links to a short video introduction by the author of that chapter, introducing its topic. Discussion questions in each chapter aid book group and classroom discussion.

From the founder of a messianic congregation: A powerful call to fulfill America’s destiny by breaking down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles. America, drifting away from God and in a grave moral crisis, stands at a major spiritual crossroads. The truth of how this nation was founded and what its founders believed is being suppressed. Is America a Christian nation? Were America's founders Christians? Does America have a prophetic destiny? If so, will America fulfill that destiny? These questions and more are answered by Rabbi Eric Carlson in Is God Done with America? Based upon the “One New Man” of Ephesians 2:15, America’s spiritual DNA was established through a prayer spoken by the founding colonists of the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia—the birthplace and spiritual root of America. A portion of this prayer, exactly as it was written and quoted from the book Lawes Divine, Morall and Martiall for the Colony of Virginea, printed in the year 1612, was spoken twice daily: “And call in the Jewes together with the fulnesse of the gentiles, that thy name may be glorious in al the world, the dayes of iniquity may come to an end, and we with all thine elect people may come to see thy face in glorie, and be filled with the light thereof for evermore.” This prayer not only reveals a portion of Americas prophetic destiny, it is key to the restoration of contemporary America’s dying church. Is God Done with America? contains critical information regarding Jewish revival, the restoration of signs and wonders to the body of Messiah, and the reconciliation of Messianic Jews and Christians into one unified body.

As a military police officer forty-four years ago, author W. Richard Viall made a traffic stop of an evangelical Christian woman. The interaction with her serendipitously raised his curiosity about the end times, and throughout his thirty-seven-year career in law enforcement, he maintained his curiosity regarding the subject. Ultimately, Richard learned many mainstream Christians regard the fictional account of end times in the Left Behind series of books as fact. He truly wishes the initial rapture would be as easy as the books make it out to be. But he sees nothing in the Bible to indicate that. Based on logic and allegorical and literal interpretation, The Next Medo-Persian Empire presents Richard’s deductions on the prophecy. He discusses what will happen in the time leading up to the rapture and during the last seven years after. It explains the signs leading to the end and how the next Medo-Persian Empire will be one of those signs.

God is a God of love, justice, and peace. And he has called his people to make him known to the nations by imitating him. As Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Dalrymple contends that the nature of the kingdom of God contrasts the kingdoms of the world in that the kingdom of God manifests power through love (hence, the cross) whereas the kingdoms of the world manifest power through violence. It was against the powers of the world that Jesus tells his disciples, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword" (Matt 26:52). Jesus was saying, this is not how we do things in my kingdom. In light of this observation, the question now becomes, "What does this mean when it comes to war, especially war in the Middle East?" This book attempts to address this question by framing it first in light of the mission of God's people (part 1). Then it examines the central issues related to the promises to Abraham of family (descendants) and land (part 2). Finally, it addresses some of the present issues surrounding the war on Gaza and the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict (part 3).

Many are the contentions and suspicions surrounding the Sabbath and its corollaries. Inadequate answers and the lack of answers only fuel these contentions and suspicions. There is an urgent need for a thoughtful and critical response to the Sabbath and the crisis which has characterized it. This response must demonstrate no respect for any particular denomination, but can stand the test of biblical integrity. The author attempts to pellucidly address the Sabbath and all the factors upon which it is contingent, putting to rest the anxieties and empowering those who genuinely desire answers to this age old issue, regardless of their denominational affiliation. The scope and depth with which the author examines the Sabbath provides indispensable information regarding Israel and the Church, and their relationship to each other. The Sabbath injunction forms part of the Ten Commandments, which were given within the context of a specific covenant. The goal of this investigation is to determine the covenant in which the Sabbath injunction is found and whether or not it is binding for Christians. It is the author's prayer that as you examine the Sabbath and the various factors akin to it, that God will give you the spirit of revelation, wisdom, and understanding.

The activities of pro-Israel pressure groups and lobbyists in the US are well-known. But the pro-Israel lobby in Europe is less prominent in both academic and media accounts. In a unique account, Elvira King identifies the pro-Israeli groups which attempt to influence policy-makers and implementers in the EU, specifically examining Christian Zionist groups. Through a detailed study of the European Coalition for Israel (ECI), the only Christian Zionist lobby in Brussels, Elvira King analyses whether and how a religious group can (and can fail to) influence decision-makers in the EU. By exploring the context of European relations with Israel as well as the mechanisms through which pressure groups are able to influence EU-wide policies, King offers an analysis which demonstrates how the EU can be a site where religion and politics meet, rather than just being a secular institution. It therefore contains vital primary research for both those interested in the pro-Israel lobby as well as those examining the role of religion in politics more generally.

While the conflict in the Middle East continues to fester, many Christians advance a theology that perceives these events to be the hand of God. Has God truly brought the Jewish people back to the land in fulfillment of biblical prophecies? Must we truly bless Israel in order to be blessed by God? Lost in the midst of the turmoil over the Holy Land reside Christian communities. Has the church--in an effort to see prophecy fulfilled--failed to care for the least of "these brothers of mine"? This book steps into this controversial topic with several aims. First, Dalrymple answers two key questions: Are the Jews still God's chosen people? And does the Holy Land belong to them? Dalrymple contends that just as Jesus is the fulfillment of God's purpose for the Temple, so also Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham that he would receive the Holy Land and an uncountable number of descendants. Dalrymple also responds to some of the common assertions set forth by Christian Zionists: "Many might still ask: 'Why should I care about what happens in Israel and Palestine?' The fact is that we must care. And we must alert the Church that we must care. Too much is at stake. We have Christian brothers and sisters throughout the Middle East in general and in the Holy Land in particular who have been directly impacted by our theological opinions. As a result, the Church cannot be silent. It must not be silent."

Martin Luther’s nailing of the Ninety-Five Theses on the church door at Wittenberg was a pivotal moment in the birth of what would become known as the Reformation. More than five hundred years later, historians and theologians continue to discuss the impact of these events and their ongoing relevance for the church today. The collection of essays contained in this volume not only engages the history and theology of this sixteenth-century movement, but also focuses on how the message and praxis of the Protestant reformers can be translated into a post-Christendom West. With contributions from: Victor A. Shepherd James Keller Gwenfair Walters Adams W. David Buschart David Fitch Wendy J. Porter Jennifer Powell McNutt