Christian Zionism in Joel’s Own Words
Source Quotes from When a Jew Rules the World by Joel Richardson
Organized by Post
These quotes are drawn directly from Joel Richardson’s book When a Jew Rules the World and are included here to document the theological claims addressed in each post of The Christian Zionism Delusion series. Each quote reflects views challenged with Scripture in the corresponding article.
Post 1 — Is It About the Land or the Lord?
Why Christian Zionism Reduces the Kingdom to Dirt
“The land promises made to the children of Israel are among the most thoroughly repeated and emphasized realities within all of the Bible.”
— p. 37
“Within the various passages that detail the boundaries of the promised land… the promise also included a large segment of the Sinai Desert, much of modern-day Lebanon, a large segment of southern Syria, a large portion of Jordan, all of the Golan Heights, as well the West Bank and Gaza.”
— p. 28
“If we say that God is not going to literally fulfill His promises to the faithful remnant among the Jewish people, how then can we… claim to trust Him with regard to our own salvation?”
— p. 26
Post 2 — The Covenant Misread
How the Abrahamic Promises Are Fulfilled in Christ
“The New Testament in no way abrogates the literal promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
— p. 71
“We must affirm that the Abrahamic Covenant… is an eternal and unfulfilled covenant that includes the physical land of Israel as part of its substance.”
— p. 72
Post 3 — What the Prophets Saw
Spiritual Fulfillment, Not Political Restoration
“A day is coming when the Messiah will personally rule over all the nations from Jerusalem. This is the message of all the prophets.”
— p. 77
“From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible testifies to the coming restoration of Israel — physically, spiritually, and politically.”
— p. 27
Post 4 — When Jesus Reigns from Zion
What It Means That Christ Rules Now
“The day is coming when Jesus will rule the nations from Jerusalem, and the Jewish people will be vindicated as God’s chosen nation.”
— p. 11
“Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, will sit on the throne of His father David in Jerusalem and rule over all the earth.”
— p. 69
Post 5 — The Political Kingdom That Wasn’t
How Jesus Rejected Earthly Dominion
“Jesus will return to rule as the Davidic King from Jerusalem, establishing a global government.”
— p. 83
“The Bible speaks of a literal kingdom headquartered in Jerusalem.”
— p. 77
Post 6 — Is it Anti-Semitic to Preach Fulfillment?
Unmasking the Weaponization of That Term
“To suggest that the Jewish people are no longer chosen, or that the Church has replaced Israel, is a form of theological anti-Semitism.”
— p. 73
“The greatest threat to the Jewish people… is the denial of the enduring biblical covenants made with them.”
— p. 12
Post 7 — One People of God
Why the Church Is Not a Parenthesis
“The Church is not Israel. Israel is not the Church. God has two distinct covenant peoples with distinct roles and destinies.”
— p. 71
“To blur the distinction between Israel and the Church is to blur God’s ultimate purposes.”
— p. 72
Post 8 — The End of the Matter
What the Bible Says About the Consummation of All Things
“Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives, enter Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate, and reign over the earth for a thousand years from the Temple Mount.”
— p. 69
“The return of the Jewish Messiah to Jerusalem will mark the beginning of the restoration of all things.”
— p. 28