Last week, the United States announced it would open its embassy in Jerusalem in May to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel – ahead of schedule.
While some Christians advocated for moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, others cautioned the move could appear provocative and incite violence.
News about Israel is of interest to many Christians primarily because of prophecy, not politics. Specifically, some Christians believe moving the US embassy to Jerusalem is a prophetic sign; others, however, aren’t so sure.
Last month, I summarized the findings of LifeWay’s recent survey of Christian beliefs about issues involving Israel – from the nation’s place in the Bible to its treatment of Palestinians. In that survey, 80% of evangelicals said the “rebirth” of Israel in 1948 was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
With the May deadline approaching, let’s examine two different opinions Christians hold about the US embassy move to Jerusalem.
Position # 1 – Moving the US embassy to Jerusalem is a bad idea.
– Christians who hold this position worry the embassy move could lead to violence and bloodshed.
– They reject the notion that God’s promises to Abram apply to modern Israel.
– Their concern is peacemaking, and they don’t want to support practices that seem contrary to the teachings of Jesus, particularly injustice.
SOURCE CHRISTIAN NEWS
