The hatred directed at Israel today is breathtaking.
On college campuses, in political circles, on social media and even from some church pulpits, the Jewish state is increasingly portrayed as the villain of the modern world. The pressure to abandon Israel has become relentless.
Yet in the middle of that noise, Pastor John Hagee recently delivered a reminder the church desperately needs to hear: Jerusalem does not belong to the United Nations, the European Union, the United States or any other earthly power.
Jerusalem belongs to God.
“The fact of the Bible is that God chose Jerusalem as the place where His name would be there forever,” Hagee declared. “Jerusalem is God’s house on earth. Jerusalem is God’s address.”
That truth has not changed.
The nations may rage. Politicians may redraw maps. Activists may chant in the streets. God is not renegotiating His covenant.
For thousands of years, Jerusalem has stood at the center of God’s redemptive plan. Hagee pointed to Psalm 132, saying, “‘The Lord has chosen Zion, that’s Jerusalem, and He hath desired it for His own habitation.’ That means God lives there.”
The Battle for Jerusalem Is Spiritual, Not Political
That reality explains why Jerusalem remains the most contested city on earth.
For centuries, empires have risen and fallen while Jerusalem remained at the center of conflict. Kings, armies and political movements have fought over its streets, its hills and its future. Yet despite repeated invasions, occupations and wars, the city remains exactly where God said it would be.
“Jerusalem has been conquered and reconquered 44 times in history. Yet it stands. Why? Because God has sworn to establish it forever,” Hagee said. “Jerusalem standing is a testimonial to the keeping power of God.”
Many critics of Israel view the struggle over Jerusalem strictly through a political lens. Scripture presents something far deeper. Behind every battle, every diplomatic dispute and every attempt to divide the city is a spiritual conflict that stretches back thousands of years.
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Hagee did not mince words.
“The supernatural battle for Jerusalem is not over,” he said. “The battle of Islam versus Judaism is a supernatural struggle.”
The hostility directed toward Israel today is often wrapped in the language of politics, justice or international relations. Yet Jerusalem has always drawn opposition because it occupies a unique place in God’s plan. The city He chose has become the city the world cannot stop fighting over.
Zechariah foretold that Jerusalem would become a burdensome stone for the nations. Today’s headlines read like a confirmation of that prophecy.
What should the church do?
Stand with Israel.
Not because Israel is perfect. No nation is. Not because every action of every Israeli leader is above scrutiny. It isn’t.
We stand with Israel because Scripture leaves no room for confusion about God’s covenant purposes. The God who promised the land to Abraham has not reversed Himself. The God who declared Jerusalem His city has not changed His mind. And the God who commands us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem has not withdrawn that instruction because it became unpopular.
At a time when hostility toward the Jewish state is spreading across Western culture, believers should be careful not to adopt the world’s view of Israel while claiming to uphold God’s Word.
The King Is Coming to Jerusalem
Hagee recalled a moment at the Western Wall that changed the course of his life. Looking at an elderly Jewish man praying with tears in his eyes, he felt God impress something on his heart.
“That man is your spiritual brother,” Hagee said. “All the things that are good spiritually came to us through the Jewish people.”
That conviction eventually led to the founding of Christians United for Israel, which today represents millions of Christians who refuse to abandon the Jewish people.
The reason is rooted in Bible prophecy. God’s prophetic story is moving toward Jerusalem, not away from it. The city that occupies the center of Scripture will also occupy the center of Christ’s earthly reign.
Hagee reminded believers that when Jesus returns, He will not establish His throne in one of the world’s political capitals.
“He’s not coming to Washington. He’s not coming to Rome. He’s coming to the city of David. He’s coming to Jerusalem.”
Those words cut through the confusion of a world searching for answers in governments, institutions and political movements. The climax of human history will not be written in Washington, Moscow, Beijing, Brussels or New York. It will unfold in Jerusalem, where the Messiah will establish His kingdom and fulfill every promise God has made concerning Israel.
As hostility toward Israel intensifies, the church cannot afford to retreat into silence. This is the moment to reject the pressure of popular opinion and anchor ourselves in what Scripture actually says.
The same God who preserved Jerusalem through empires, invasions and wars is still watching over His city today. The same God who scattered the Jewish people among the nations also brought them home. And the same God who promised that His Son would one day reign from Jerusalem will keep that promise as surely as He has kept every other one.
That’s why believers should continue praying for the peace of Jerusalem, continue standing with the Jewish people and continue watching the prophetic signs unfolding before our eyes.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
