Many Christians today urge us to support the cause of the modern nation of Israel. The nation of Israel, we are told on one website, is “God’s special place on earth”, “a land for which God cares” in a special way, more than He does all the rest of the earth. Good News for Israel declares, “Israel is the linchpin in studying Bible prophecy… Without Israel, Bible prophecy doesn’t make sense.” And so a study of Nehemiah, with this mindset in place, would urge us to pray for modern day Jerusalem and invest time and money in the modern nation state of Israel.
But let me suggest that such folks, as well intentioned and passionate about Jesus as they are, are terribly misled. And the tragedy of their error is that rather than supporting the advance of the Kingdom of God by their work, they are undermining it. Why do I say this?