There's a theological movement in America that most Christians consider heretical, and yet it may be the most potent force shaping U.S. foreign policy worldwide and most recently in the Middle East. It's called Christian Zionism, and its adherents actively want more conflict in the region because they believe that events' escalation and acceleration will fulfil biblical prophecies.
A fringe claim, you might say. It's a straightforward reading of how dispensationalist premillennialism has moved from a controversial 19th-century doctrine into the corridors of power. And here I'll try to explain how[1].
In 1909, a man named Cyrus Scofield published a reference Bible that looked ordinary on the surface. King James text is the same as any other. But tucked into the margins are thousands of footnotes: his own interpretations printed on the same page as scripture. Guess what happens next!
He intentionally wrote them as theological blueprints that reframed the entire biblical narrative through a particular lens: modern political Israel is the fulfilment of God's covenant with Abraham. The Jewish state isn't just a nation among nations. It's a divine instrument, and supporting it is a Christian duty.
The Scofield Bible proliferated through American seminaries and churches in the decades leading up to the Balfour Declaration of 1917. By the time Britain formally endorsed "a national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, millions of American evangelicals had already been primed to see this as prophecy unfolding. To this day, institutions like Dallas Theological Seminary and much of the Southern Baptist infrastructure still operate within this dispensationalist framework.
The Three Pillars of InterventionThe Three Pillars of Intervention
The argument for why the United States will eventually move militarily against Iran rests on three pillars:
1. Imperial Maintenance
The U.S. has built an empire of bases, alliances, and dollar-denominated trade across the Middle East. Iran represents the last significant state actor outside this framework. Maintaining regional hegemony requires neutralising it.
2. Pressure from Allies
Saudi Arabia and Israel both view Iran as an existential threat. As key partners in the American-led order, they exert enormous diplomatic and intelligence pressure on Washington to act.
3. The Israel Lobby
This is where theology meets policy. The lobby isn't just AIPAC. It's a vast network of evangelical organisations like Christians United for Israel, the Heritage Foundation, media networks, and mega-churches. All collectively form a constituency for whom unconditional support for Israel is non-negotiable.
Why War Is The PointWhy War Is The Point
Dispensationalist premillennialism requires Middle East conflict. I know it could sound uncomfortable, but that's what it is. The theological logic works like this: Jesus will return after a series of prophetic events, including wars, tribulations, and the ingathering of Jews to Israel. Peace in the Middle East would actually delay the Second Coming. Conflict accelerates it.
As one analysis puts it: "If you believe Jesus is coming back and he's going to destroy the world we live in, then war is an opportunity for a new world."
This isn't metaphorical for true believers. They look at rising tensions between Israel and Iran, between Israel and Hezbollah, and between Israel and Hamas, and they see not catastrophe but fulfillment.
For young men who feel hopeless about the future, for those of us who see no path to homeownership, stable employment, or family formation, this theology offers something extraordinary: a free lottery ticket. You don't have to achieve anything. You just have to support the right side, and the apocalypse will sort everything out ~lol.
The Heresy That Ate American ChristianityThe Heresy That Ate American Christianity
Mainstream Christian theology, including Catholic, Orthodox, and mainline Protestant, has largely rejected dispensationalism as heretical. The early Church Fathers didn't teach it. The Reformation didn't produce it. It's a 19th-century innovation, born in the same era as British imperial ambitions and Rothschild banking interests.
Even within Judaism, the Orthodox Neturei Karta argue that Zionism violates Jewish law. The Torah itself says the Jewish people cannot return to the land until they've repented and become righteous. A secular, socialist nation-state funded by Western banking interests doesn't satisfy that condition.
Yet this "heresy" has advantages that orthodox Christianity lacks:
- It's simple. You don't need centuries of theological education. Read the footnotes, believe the timeline.
- It's exciting. The end of the world is coming, and you're living through it.
- It's politically useful. It aligns perfectly with the interests of defence contractors, energy companies, and geopolitical strategists who want an assertive American posture in the Middle East.
- It's fantastically organised. The dispensationalist movement is small but disproportionately mobilised. They show up at town halls, fund primary challenges, and vote as a bloc.
The Iron and ClayThe Iron and Clay
There's a prophecy in Daniel about a statue with feet of iron and clay, two substances that don't mix. Some interpreters see this as a symbol of the union between state power and religious authority, between empire and church.
What's happening in American Christianity right now looks something like that. Mega-pastors with political connections. Seminary-trained chaplains briefing troops on eschatological warfare. Presidential candidates crediting Christian Zionists for embassy moves and military aid.
The Orthodox patriarchs in Jerusalem recently issued a statement calling Christian Zionism "absolutely destructive as a heresy in the Christian sense". However, statements don't stop carrier groups.
What This Actually MeansWhat This Actually Means
This isn't an abstract theological debate. It has concrete consequences:
- $310 billion in cumulative U.S. aid to Israel, more than any other country
- Military briefings that frame conflicts in spiritual terms
- Political candidates who treat unwavering support for Israeli military operations as a litmus test
- A constituency that views diplomatic solutions as obstacles to God's plan
The people driving this don't see themselves as warmongers. They see themselves as servants of prophecy. That's what makes it so difficult to challenge; you're not arguing against a policy position. You're arguing against someone's understanding of divine will.
A Question Worth AskingA Question Worth Asking
If you're a Christian reading this, you might ask, Is this what the faith teaches? Is the Gospel really about supporting specific nation-states and their military campaigns? Or is there a different way to read the texts that have been repurposed to justify this framework?
You might, likewise, ask: should a theological interpretation held by a minority of American believers be allowed to determine whether the United States goes to war?
Either way, the conversation matters. Because the next major military conflict in the Middle East won't be driven solely by oil interests or strategic calculations. It will be driven by prophecy, by people who believe they're helping God fulfil his plan.
And they're organised. I'm not religious, so I don't innerstand how religious people think, but remember that on this planet Earth, most people are religious, and they take their religion very, very seriously. You must innerstand they're willing to die for the religion because they think that if they die for the religion, they'll go to heaven. That's exactly right, because the empire is not giving people any hope, and religion gives people hope... the poor will always lose because they are the ones having nothing to lose and the ones that are easily influenced; the rich will always win no matter what happens. The poor don't realise it. That's why they're poor.
And if I say 'poor', I don't mean it in a disparaging way; indeed, 'rich' is much more degrading, as I consider being wealthy a much more honourable way of living, no matter how much one has. The important thing is being happy with what one has and is able to defend and maintain.
This is part of a series examining the geopolitical forces that most people never see. If you found this useful, consider boosting or sharing. These conversations matter more than most people realise. ↩