The Scofield Bible The Book That Made Zionists of America’s Evangelical Christians

BLESSING ISRAEL, CURSING ITS CRITICS

Genesis Blessing of Israel

The phrase “bless Israel and you be Bless The Scofield Bible” appears to reference the interpretation of Genesis 12, which states, “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”.2 This verse has been a focal point for discussions about the relationship between God’s promises to Abraham and the modern state of Israel.

C.I. Scofield, in his annotated Bible, emphasized the significance of this passage, suggesting that it has been “wonderfully fulfilled in the history of the dispersion”.4 His commentary has influenced many evangelical Christians to view support for the modern State of Israel as a theological obligation. According to Scofield, nations that have persecuted Jews have faced judgment, while those that have protected them have been blessed.4

However, some interpretations argue that the promise in Genesis 12 is not solely about the modern nation-state of Israel but also about the spiritual lineage of Abraham, including the church.3 This perspective suggests that blessing the “Israel of God” refers to supporting the church rather than the political entity of Israel.

The debate around this verse continues, with some viewing it as a call to support the Jewish people and the state of Israel, while others see it as a broader spiritual promise that extends beyond political boundaries

Central to Christian Zionist belief is Scofield’s commentary (italicized below) on Genesis 12:3: “‘I will bless them that bless thee.’ In fulfillment closely related to the next clause, ‘And curse him that curseth thee.’ Wonderfully fulfilled in the history of the dispersion. It has invariably fared ill with the people who have persecuted the Jew—well with those who have protected him. The future will still more remarkably prove this principle.”

Drawing on Scofield’s rather tendentious interpretation, Hagee claims, “The man or nation that lifts a voice or hand against Israel invites the wrath of God.”

But as Stephen Sizer points out in his definitive critique, Christian Zionism: Road-map to Armageddon? (available from AET’s Middle East Books and More): “The promise, when referring to Abraham’s descendants, speaks of God blessing them, not of entire nations ‘blessing’ the Hebrew nation, still less the contemporary and secular State of Israel.”

Notwithstanding this more orthodox reading, The New Scofield Study Bible, published by Oxford University Press in 1984, intensified Scofield’s interpretation by adding, “For a nation to commit the sin of anti-Semitism brings inevitable judgement.”

“Sustained by a dubious exegesis of selective biblical texts,” Sizer concludes, “Christian Zionism’s particular reading of history and contemporary events…sets Israel and the Jewish people apart from other peoples in the Middle East…it justifies the endemic racism intrinsic to Zionism, exacerbates tensions between Jews and Palestinians and undermines attempts to find a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, all because ‘the Bible tells them so.’”