“Free Palestine” and the Rebellion Against Christ

Neither modern Israel nor Palestine holds God’s covenant. Christ is the true Israel, and His kingdom is peace.

The Deceptive Slogan

“Free Palestine.” The words sound like a cry for liberty. They carry the weight of suffering and the allure of justice. But slogans deceive. Behind them often lies a very different reality. This one has become a banner for terrorism, bloodshed, and hatred of order. It glorifies chaos instead of peace. It calls rebellion against God’s law “freedom,” when in truth it is slavery to sin.

The Word of God Speaks

The Bible tells us to expect such movements. “Why do the nations rage and the peoples meditate on a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against Yahweh and against His Anointed” (Psalm 2:1–2, LSB). Every rebellion is ultimately against Christ.

Isaiah warns, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20, LSB). That is what happens when terrorism is called liberation and violence is named justice.

Paul reminds us of God’s order: “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God… for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain” (Romans 13:1, 4, LSB). True justice is the restraint of evil, not its celebration.

And Christ exposes the root: “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44, LSB). Bloodlust and rebellion are not freedom. They are the devil’s work.

Counterfeit Freedom vs. True Liberty

The gospel proclaims real liberty: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1, LSB).

This isn’t the freedom mobs or militias seek. It is freedom from sin, the liberty to obey Christ, to live in righteousness, and to walk in peace. The “freedom” of Hamas and of Western radicals waving the same slogans is no such thing. It exposes their bondage to rage. It is slavery to lawlessness. It promises liberation but delivers only chains.

Covenant Theology Brings Clarity

The confusion deepens when Christians misread Israel and Palestine through the lens of covenant. Covenant theology guards us from this error.

The promises to Israel were types and shadows fulfilled in Christ. “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ” (Galatians 3:16, LSB). The old covenant pointed to Him.

The church, united to Christ, is the true Israel of God. “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household” (Ephesians 2:19, LSB). Paul ends his letter to the Galatians blessing “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16, LSB), speaking of the church.

Hebrews reminds us that Israel’s institutions were “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5, LSB). They were never ends in themselves.

Neither modern Israel nor Palestine holds covenantal title to God’s promises. The inheritance is not a strip of land. “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as Your possession” (Psalm 2:8, LSB). Christ said, “Blessed are the lowly, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5, LSB). The covenant points us to Christ, who owns the whole world.

Rejecting False Alignments

Christians fall into error when they choose sides on false terms. Christian Zionism wrongly assigns covenantal promise to a modern nation-state. “Christian Palestinianism” romanticizes rebellion as liberation. Both are covenantal errors. Both distract from the truth: Christ is the true Israel, and in Him the church inherits the nations.

Calvin warned that civil order is God’s gift, given to restrain chaos. The Westminster Confession (23.3) affirms that magistrates are to punish evildoers and preserve good order. When Christians align with movements that despise such order, they deny God’s design.

A Pastoral Call

Compassion is not compromise. We ought to grieve for civilians suffering under tyranny and war. We should pray for both Jew and Gentile to find life in Christ. But compassion does not mean blessing lawless movements. To endorse rebellion is to bless the works of the flesh.

Christians must learn to discern slogans. Not every cry for freedom is the freedom Christ gives. Not every call for justice is rooted in God’s justice. Compassion for individuals must never become allegiance to causes that hate Christ.

Christ, the Prince of Peace

The kingdom of Christ is the only true hope of peace and civility. “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will be on His shoulders… There will be no end to the increase of His government or peace” (Isaiah 9:6–7, LSB).

Every movement that wars against civility ultimately wars against Him. Their slogans cannot hide their rebellion. But Christ reigns now, and His kingdom is advancing. His peace will fill the earth.