A Spiritual Cancer
There is a quiet but deadly illness spreading throughout our world and – at times – even within the church: the hatred of Zion.
This hatred is more than a political disagreement or a passing cultural trend. Scripture reveals that hostility toward God’s purposes for Israel and the Jewish people is ultimately spiritual in nature. Like a cancer, it spreads through deception – through distorted theology, hardened hearts, and false narratives about God’s covenant promises.
If this is a spiritual cancer, then God’s Word serves both as the diagnosis and the cure.
The Bible allows us to examine our hearts honestly and ask difficult but necessary questions:
Do my views about Israel, Zion, and the Jewish people align with Scripture?
Am I being shaped by God’s heart or by “the spirit of the age” (1 Corinthians 2:12-14)?
Have I unknowingly adopted attitudes that oppose what God has declared precious?
These questions matter because Scripture speaks clearly about Zion. God chose Zion. He loves Zion. He promises to dwell there. He calls His people to pray for Jerusalem and warns against hostility toward His covenant purposes.
In a world increasingly marked by confusion and rising antisemitism, believers must remain anchored in the truth of God’s Word rather than cultural pressure or political narratives.
In this blog, we will examine key passages that reveal God’s heart for Zion and why followers of Messiah must guard themselves against the spiritual cancer of antisemitism and anti-Zionism.
God chose Zion
The Bible leaves little room for ambiguity regarding God’s choice of Zion.
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His home.
This is My resting place forever;
I will make My home here because I have desired it.
(Psalm 132:13–14)
Zion is not an accidental location in God’s plan. God chose it, desired it, and calls it His resting place forever. Any theology that dismisses Zion as irrelevant or merely symbolic must wrestle honestly with the plain testimony of Scripture.
God loves Zion
The Bible goes even further. God does not merely choose Zion – He loves it. Psalm 87:2 declares: “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.”
This is a remarkable statement. Among all the places connected with His people, God singles out Zion for special affection. His love for Zion is intentional, covenantal, and enduring.
For believers, this raises an important question: if God openly expresses His love for Zion, should we not seek to understand why?
Zion in God’s redemptive plan
The prophets consistently connect Zion with God’s future purposes for the nations.
Zechariah 2:10 reads: “Daughter Zion, shout for joy and be glad, for I am coming to dwell among you.”
The passage continues by declaring that many nations will join themselves to the Lord. Zion is not merely about one city or people group isolated from the rest of humanity; rather, God’s work in Zion becomes part of His worldwide plan of redemption. The story of Israel and the story of the nations are deeply connected throughout Scripture.
God has not forgotten Zion
History has brought tremendous suffering upon the Jewish people. Exile, persecution, and dispersion have often caused many to wonder whether God had abandoned His promises.
Yet Scripture gives a resounding answer:
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or lack compassion for the child of her womb?
Even if these forget,
yet I will not forget you.
Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.
(Isaiah 49:15–16)
God’s commitment to Zion is not fragile or temporary. His covenant faithfulness flows from His own character. Even in seasons when His purposes seem hidden, the Lord remains faithful to His promises!
Should believers remain silent?
Because discussions about Israel and Zion can be controversial, some Christians prefer to avoid the subject entirely. Yet Scripture repeatedly calls God’s people to pray, speak, and stand faithfully regarding His purposes.
I will not keep silent because of Zion,
and I will not keep still because of Jerusalem,
until her righteousness shines like a bright light.
(Isaiah 62:1)
The biblical posture is not indifference, nor is it hostility. The biblical posture of a believer should be faithful concern rooted in God’s promises because believers are called to care about the things God cares about.
A call to pray for Jerusalem
Isaiah continues with a powerful exhortation in Isaiah 62:7: “Do not give Him rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem the praise of the earth.”
God invites His people into persistent prayer for Jerusalem and for the fulfillment of His purposes. This does not mean ignoring the complexities of modern politics or the realities of suffering in the Middle East. Rather, it means approaching these matters with biblical humility, compassion, and confidence in God’s sovereignty.
Prayer for Jerusalem is ultimately prayer for God’s kingdom purposes to be fulfilled and for His peace and salvation to reach the nations.
The future of Zion
Some claim that earthly Zion no longer has any place in God’s future plans. Yet the Psalms and Prophets repeatedly speak of restoration, compassion, and future glory.
Psalm 102:13 says: “You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her – the appointed time has come.” The passage goes on to say a few verses later: “For the Lord will rebuild Zion; He will appear in His glory.”
This is not the language of abandonment. Rather, this is the language of restoration. The prophets of the Old Testament envision a future in which Zion becomes a testimony to God’s faithfulness before the nations.
Isaiah writes in Isaiah 60:15:
Instead of your being deserted and hated,
with no one passing through,
I will make you an object of eternal pride,
a joy from age to age.
What was once despised will one day become a testimony to the glory and faithfulness of God.
Jesus and Jerusalem
Some believers assume the New Testament minimizes the importance of Zion or Jerusalem. Yet Jesus Himself spoke of Jerusalem with honor in the Gospel of Matthew when He called Jerusalem the “city of the great King” (5:35).
The New Testament does not erase God’s promises. Instead, it consistently points to the faithfulness of God and the central role of Messiah in fulfilling His redemptive plan.
Applying the biopsy: examining our hearts
When we bring all these Scriptures together, a clear picture emerges:
The Jewish people are still God’s chosen people.
Israel is the Lord’s heritage, with a future in His redemptive plan.
Zion occupies a unique place in God’s purposes – past, present, and future.
Given this, as believers we must take seriously the warning about the spiritual cancer of hatred for Zion. That hatred can show up in many subtle forms: contempt for the Jewish people, resentment toward Israel, or even theological systems that dismiss or erase God’s stated purposes for Zion.
So how do we guard our hearts?
Take a spiritual biopsy. Compare your own views – and the views you hear from others – about Israel, Zion, and the Jewish people with what God’s Word actually says.
Align your heart with God’s heart. Study Scripture and let God’s revealed character and promises shape your perspective – not media narratives or cultural pressures.
Stand against antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Wherever the spiritual cancer of hatred for Zion appears – in conversation, teaching, or culture – stand firmly with the truth of God’s Word.
Pray for Zion and the Jewish people. Obey the call of Isaiah 62 to “give Him no rest” until He establishes Jerusalem as a praise in the earth.
A long-standing calling
For over 130 years – since 1887 – Life in Messiah has sought to share God’s heart for the Jewish people, proclaiming the hope of the Messiah and standing against the spiritual cancer of antisemitism.
As we look at Scripture, we see this is not a side issue. It is deeply connected to God’s character, His promises, and His unfolding plan of redemption. May we be a people who love what God loves, honor whom He honors, and stand where He stands – especially when it comes to Zion and the Jewish people.
This blog was adapted from the Life in Messiah YouTube video A Spiritual Cancer, based on a script written by Levi Hazen and published by the ministry’s Digital Media Team in February 2026.
We would encourage you to consider the questions listed above in the blog if you haven’t already:
Do my views about Israel, Zion, and the Jewish people align with Scripture?
Am I being shaped by God’s heart or by the spirit of “the age”?
Have I unknowingly adopted attitudes that oppose what God has declared precious?
And we will add an additional question to consider:
4. Am I willing to let God’s Word correct my assumptions, even when it challenges what I may have previously believed?
For resources on antisemitism – our statement on antisemitism, how to fight antisemitism, blog posts on the subject, and more – click HERE.