Sharing My Thoughts
What's In A Name
26 May 2026

Recently a friend who is a pastor was commenting on social media about some issues that have been raised concerning excesses in the Charismatic movement. He pointed out that many Charismatic Christians, are not discerning enough and said that we should be Biblical in our perspective on issues. One example he gave was how Jewish “settlers” had recentlt taken land from Palestinians in the "West Bank" and remarked that Christians should be more discerning in their support for Israel, and then, he tagged me specifically asking for my opinion.. So I gave the following reply.
You are correct to say we need a Biblical i.e. God's perspective on things, so let me take a look at the issues you brought up concerning Israel from this perspective:
The land that the world says these settlers "occupied" is known in the Bible as Judea and Samaria (See the picture), part of the land given by EVERLASTING COVENANT to Abraham, Isaac (not Ishmael) and Jacob a.k.a. Israel. One tactic the enemy uses to disconnect the people and land from God is to rename them. In the church today how many Christians are familiar with the names Hananiya, Mishael and Azariah? These of course were the friends of Daniel. If you notice their names, including Daniel’s, you notice that the last syllables are: "ah" and "el" - Yah(weh) and El(ohim). Satan had their names changed to Shadrach, Mesach, Abednego and Belteshazzar with the intent of changing their identity and separate them from God.
The land the world calls Palestine was, as we know; Israel and Judea. The Romans expelled the Jews from Jerusalem after the revolt of 70 AD and renamed the city Aelia Capitolina. Then after the Bar Kochbah revolt in 135 AD, they expelled the Jews from the whole land and renamed it Syria Philistina in honour of Israel's ancient enemies the Philistines. It was the British who referred to it as Palestine after the name given by Rome. So the "settlers" are actually settling in their own ancestral homeland. The world calls it the "West Bank" or worse "occupied territories".
As I said, this land was given by everlasting covenant to Abraham (Gen 15:17-21, 17:7-8), Isaac (Gen 17:20-21, 26:3-4) & Jacob a.k.a. Israel (Gen 28:13-15) take note that God said to Jacob that the land would be given to his descendants after him i.e. the Jewish people. No where in the Bible is this covenant ever revoked. In fact, speaking about Jewish leaders who were persecuting the church, Paul said their gifts and calling are irrevocable because of His covenant with the patriarchs. (Rom 11:29)
More seriously though, is that God claims the land as His own: Lev 25:23, Isa 14:25, Jer 2:7, Joel 3:1-2. The land belongs to HIM and He gave it to His firstborn son (Exo 4:22). The world can change its name but cannot change the fact. Actually in 2016 the United Nations even went as far as declaring that the Temple Mount and East Jerusalem have no connection to the Jewish people (UN Security Council Resolution 2334). The same UN that recently appointed Iran to sit on the council on women's rights when they executed a woman for showing a little bit of hair under her hijab.
God gave the land to Israel, but when Joshua led the people into the land, they did not just waltz in, and everybody gave way to them, they fought many battles to gain the land. I often wonder if they had the media and social media of today, what would these be saying about Joshua. Pretty much what they are saying today, I'll bet. They would accuse Israel of committing genocide.
Lastly, today Zionism has become a bad word, but biblically Zionism simply means the belief that the Jewish people have the right to live in their Biblical homeland. I recently did a teaching called “The God of Zion”, explaining God's love for Zion. Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilhMOLiJA5Q
