It’s been more than 20 years since I visited Jerusalem in a tour group with my church here in New Zealand. As we wandered the markets of the old city, tried our hand at haggling and bought gifts and souvenirs, one thing really surprised me. In many of the stalls were merchandise with American flags, “Israel loves America” logos and even pictures of American airforce planes.
Clearly as a Kiwi, I wasn’t their target customer, but these shopkeepers had no qualms marketing their goods to the thousands of American tourists who visit Israel each year. It was such an overt and jarring reminder of the complex relationship between Israel and America.
As war continues to rage in the Middle East, it’s interesting to note how American Christians, particularly Evangelicals, have become a major driving force for US foreign policy. Many Christians in the United States are staunch supporters of the state of Israel—and that Evangelical support has a huge impact on the United States’ relationship with Israel as a whole. Donald Trump characteristically geared a rally speech to his audience in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on August 17, 2020, when he declared, “We moved the capital of Israel to Jerusalem. That’s for the Evangelicals. The Evangelicals are more excited about that than Jewish people.”
American Evangelicals aren’t just supporting Israel politically—they’re shaping prophecy through foreign policy
Even though Evangelical Christians are only 14 per cent of the population, they make up a third of the Republican Party base. Elizabeth Oldmixon, a University of North Texas political scientist who studies Evangelicals and their relationship to Israel, has estimated that about a third of Evangelicals are likely to put Israel policy at the centre of their electoral decision-making. I’ve often wondered why Americans, particularly Evangelicals, are among Israel’s most vocal supporters and I’ve discovered that for many, their investment in Israel is informed by their understanding of the Bible and in particular, their interpretation of prophecy about end-time events.
One of the flashiest of these was made famous by the Left Behind series of books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins. These books became New York Times bestsellers and were also made into movies in the early 2000s. The key event in these stories is the “secret rapture”, when all Christians in the world disappear (up to heaven). This view of prophecy is called Dispensationalism. It views the restoration of a Jewish State in Israel as one of the dominos that needs to fall before the Rapture, the seven years of tribulation, the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, the Battle of Armageddon and finally the return of Jesus and His believers to reign on earth for 1000 years. Evangelicals feel their role is to work and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Dispensationalists hold a “Premillennialist” view—that is, that Jesus will return before the millennium (1000 years).
Another view held by a growing number of Evangelicals is what’s called “Post-Millennial Reconstructionist” theology. They believe that the church will bring in the kingdom of God by reconstructing society through social and political activism. They see America, in particular, as key to bringing in a millennium of peace and prosperity, faith and righteousness prior to the return of Jesus. Christian Reconstructionists are joined by Prosperity Gospel advocates who believe that the “kingdom” (of God) is now and that the prosperity promises of the millennium can be experienced in the present.
The Prosperity Gospel comes from Pentecostal tradition and its adherents tend to be pro-Israel too—but for very different reasons to Dispensationalists. They tie support to Israel to their theology, believing that God will bless you to the extent that you bless Israel. This is based on a verse in Genesis 12:3 where God says to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” Because Israel is key in both Premillennialists and Postmillennialist views held by American Evangelicals, they are highly motivated to use political activism to support Israel.
so, what does the Bible say about the Millennium?
The word millennium is not actually used in the Bible but is a term for the 1000-year period described in Revelation 20. This chapter is the sole descriptor of the biblical Millennium. For this reason, any information about the events of the Millennium must be derived primarily from this passage. In Revelation 20, two key events are described as happening during the 1000 years.
(1) Satan is bound and unable to deceive the nations and, (2) believers who have been resurrected at the first resurrection (at Christ’s second coming) are seated on thrones to judge. They are called “priests” and reign with Christ.
Nowhere does this chapter say that this reign with Christ will happen on earth or in Israel as the Dispensationalists believe nor does it imply that it is spiritually happening on earth in our current age as Postmillennialists believe. It is the resurrection at Jesus’ second coming that brings His followers up to meet Him in the clouds, as the apostle Paul affirms in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever.”
Before Jesus returned to heaven, He reassured His disciples that, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2,3).
These resurrected believers are described in Revelation 20 as those who “come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years” but in heaven, not on earth. It isn’t until after the 1000 years that God and His people return to earth, Satan is destroyed and “God makes his dwelling with men” (see Revelation 20:5,9 and 21:2,3).
At the end of the 1000 years, Revelation 20:5 tells us the rest of the dead will come to life—that is, those who were not resurrected at Jesus’ second coming. But before they are resurrected to receive their final destruction, Revelation 20:12 describes a courtroom scene: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” This judgement occurs during the Millennium while God’s people are reigning with Jesus in heaven as judges and priests. Before the final destruction of sin, sinners and Satan, there is a judgement period and it is Jesus and His people doing the judging. It is a process that will allow all to see that God is fair and loving in all His dealings. It is a final vindication of God’s character.
Revelation’s Millennium isn’t about earthly power—it’s a picture of justice, transparency, and God’s character revealed
Revelation 20:15 says, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”, which as the previous verse explains is “the second death” (an ultimate, final death). Seventh-day Adventists are among the few Christians who believe this particular interpretation of Revelation 20. They hold to a Premillennialist view (the Millennium takes place after Jesus’ return) but emphasise that the Millennium does not take place on earth in Israel. Rather, the Millennial reign of God’s people will be in heaven.
This view of the Millennium is more concerned with a revelation of God’s loving character and how every human is given the freedom to choose or reject Him. It reveals God’s full transparency in the judgement and allows all to see that He has honoured each individual’s free choice and is loving, merciful and fair in all His dealings with humanity.
