Review of In Defense of Israel by John Hagee
2007 October 22
I was hoping to come across a review of the John Hagee book, In Defense of Israel. Well, God sent someone here who wrote one! Praise the Lord. This is excellent…
Review of In Defense of Israel by John Hagee
If you had any lingering doubt that Hagee did not mean exactly what he said on the youtube video, after reading this you won’t. I say that with grief and sadness…
These are the apostate antichrist teachings of John Hagee. He explicitly and repeatedly denies that Jesus came to be the Messiah to the Jews. John Hagee needs to repent. All faithful and orthodox Christians need to warn others of his false teachings.
This saddens me the more I read what he (Hagee) says. We know no one just goes blind overnight… this is a man who preached the gospel for years and acted as if he understood what he was preaching!
Something enveloped his heart… he began to see things differently in scriptures until now he doesn’t see anything at all.
He is NOW A FALSE PROPHET!
HE IS NOW ANTI-CHRIST!
i AM GOING TO POST THE LINK ON MY BLOG.
Oxy, i can’t say for certain how or why he reached the point where he apparently is: making the false statements concerning Jesus not coming as the Messiah, or that the Jews were not rejecting Jesus as Messiah; it was Jesus who was refusing to be the Messiah to the Jews, etc etc..but i’ve seen it happen before, which causes me to wonder if the same thing hasn’t happened to him.
This may ‘ring a bell’ with you–i won’t get into names etc..but there was a well know Christian author, radio personality, and web owner some years back, who became very involved personally, with many of the government officials in Israel. She also became close to many of the Orthodox rabbis in Israel as well.(sound familiar?)
Many of her listeners and subscribers began to notice her pre-occupation with “everything Israel” …
She stopped reporting the news from a Christian perspective all-together, concentrating only on things from an Israeli perspective, etc..
She finally admitted after being more or less forced to openly, that she had been sitting under the teachings of these rabbis for some time and was renouncing Christ as the Messiah…
She and her family moved to Israel, & she changed her name (taking a Hebrew name).
My thought are this may be what is happening to Hagee. He, over the last few years, has become obsessed with all things to do with Israel–involved in the CUFI & Christian Zionist movement, close and intimately involved with Rabbis in Israel and here in the USA, and on top of that, has been very open in stating he will not present them with the gospel message for some years now…believing they don’t ‘need’ Jesus or the Gospel to be saved.
This is why it didn’t come as a huge shock to me to hear him make the false statements now.
You know, we can make anything or anyone an idol. That includes John Hagee, me, or you, if we’re not careful.
Hagee in my opinion, has made an idol out of a people–a people who are lost and need the Gospel.
I visited pastor John’s website, this is what I found:
Dr. Hagee was awarded the “Humanitarian of the Year” award by the San Antonio B’Nai B’Rith Council. It was the first time in the history of San Antonio that this award has been given to a gentile. Dr. Hagee was presented the ZOA Israel Award by U.N. Ambassador Jean Kirkpatrick. This award was given by the Jewish Community of Dallas, Texas. He was presented the ZOA Service Award by Gov. Mark White. Mayor Kathy Whitmire issued a special proclamation in his honor declaring Pastor John C. Hagee Day in Houston, Texas. Dr. Hagee has received numerous honors and accolades from national Jewish Organizations for his unwavering support of Israel.
http://www.jhm.org/pastor.asp
he has received so many awards from Jewish organizations, and probably has so many Jewish friends, that perhaps he may find it hard to offend them with the Gospel anymore.
Lee im sure you’re right, and how horribly sad that is…Jesus is that rock of offence. As a preacher of the word of God, Hagee had to know this. So he in fact made a choice..choosing to put a people over Christ.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 1Peter 2
Thank you for posting this. I am going to post this information on my blog also.
Would Romans 1:28 apply here?
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
I used to go to his church for over 10 years…..I really think he’s gone off the deep end.
I’m not sure Boycott..
Though he does seem to have fallen into fitting into Romans 1:22-23
He has made an image–an idol out of a land, a people, and a cause (CUFI) within his heart, and it appears this idol has turned him from the truth.
You attended 10 years–thats a long time. If i may ask, when did you notice a change in his ministry?
Hagee is not saying that Jesus was not the Messiah.
What Hagee is saying is that the Jews were expecting a political Messiah, a leader who would, like Moses, deliver them from the hands of the Romans at the time.
That is not why Christ came nor is it what Christ offered to do. Prophecy pointed to Jesus as The Messiah, and Jesus fulfilled that prophecy and was the Messiah.
The Jews were wanting Jesus to be the deliverer of the Jewish people from oppression. They were not looking at Him as a spiritual Messiah who would deliver them from their sins. They did not see Jesus as the perfect Blood Sacrifice that He had been sent to earth for.
Everything Hagee says about Christ’s refusal to be the Messiah TO THE JEWS is absolutely true.
Christ was there to be the Messiah for the WHOLE WORLD.
Christ was not sent by God to show signs or to be the earthly Messiah the Jews wanted.
Hagee’s book never rejects Christ as THE MESSIAH. Hagee himself never rejects Christ as THE MESSIAH.
To claim that Christ was the earthly Messiah is to clearly go against Scripture and history as you can see that Christ NEVER did that.
To claim Hagee is an anti-Christ and a heretic is to take the words he has written out of context and to twist and warp the words he has written, just as you have wrongly accused him of doing to Scripture.
Hagee is a firm believer in every word of the Scripture and has preached such his whole life. Clearly you seek to undermine him and his teachings, or else you could see around these foolish accusations that after 40 years of being so close to God, he has had a change of heart.
Hi Ryan…
I won’t debate your points one by one…for it appears you agree with John Hagee’s theological positions, even after reading his book. Nothing i could say, if this is true, would change your mind.
One thing i will say…you point out Hagee has been close to God for 40 years..Paul wrote in 1Corth. 11:1-
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ”
What was Paul saying here? That as long as he followed Christ and the teachings of Christ, then, follow him. On the flip side of that statement, we could surmise Paul could be saying ‘don’t follow me if im no longer following Christ [only] or the teachings of Christ.
When John Hagee (who’s teaching i use to “follow”) began to preach and teach a radical form of theology, which included a form of dual covenant (or Two House) doctrine, and became more interested in joining and/or starting up a political movement (CUFI) which only recently called for the bombing of Iran, he no longer was preaching Christ–and Him alone, but began to preach another Gospel:
The Gospel of Politics and the Gospel of Israel.
The Word of God tells us:
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Gal. 1:6-12
my hope is he wakes up before its too late…
God bless…
Ryan Said:
“Hagee is not saying that Jesus was not the Messiah.
What Hagee is saying is that the Jews were expecting a political Messiah, a leader who would, like Moses, deliver them from the hands of the Romans at the time.”
I say:
Ryan you are correct in what you are saying about John Hagee on that particular individual point however, you also have to look at what he believes as an overall Theology to put his statements in his book into the correct context and to understand his true intent, not to mention the fact that he says the Jews were not to blame for rejecting Jesus as THE Messiah because they were expecting a different kind of Messiah.
This is clearly anti-Biblical and I challenge you to show me where it is Biblical.
His words are nothing more than Post-Modern Relativism. If what he says is true then no one could be damned to Hell for not accepting the Jesus of the Bible as the Christ, as if their idea of what a Christ is, is different than what the Bible says then they are excused from Judgment. And we know that is not true. This is where Theology goes when people do not remain true to the word of God, but begin to put their own personal subjective spin on what they want the Bible to say.
John Hagee is attempting to remove the offense of the Cross to the Jews, and that is Anti-Christ.
The whole point of Jesus being the type of Messiah he was to the Jews was to show them that they could not rest in their works to get into heaven but that they had to live by Faith, just as Abraham did. The Jews of Jesus day believed they were Righteous because they were Jews not out of any obedience or faith in God.
I have studied Judaism for many years. The Jewish Law, is not just the Written law: The Torah, it is both the Written and oral Law. The oral law is what Jesus preached against, as the oral law was the tradition of the elders, which made the written law of none affect.
After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD , the only Jewish Sect to survive was the Pharisee’s. And to ensure that their oral law was not lost, they had it codified or written down into the Mishna. The Mishna forms the basis of Jewish Law. I have read the Mishna and it for the most part contradicts the word of God or warps it so much that it does as Jesus said it does, it makes the written law of none affect. In other words it obscures it so much that it hides the truth in it.
But there is no Dual Covenant!
Now many people will say that is Replacement Theology. No it is not. Replacement Theology was based on Anti-Semitism and Racism. The Jews as a nation, as a race have not been discarded by God, but Judaism as the way to God HAS been done away with and that is not Replacement Theology:
Hebrews 8:7-13:
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
In that He says, “A new covenant, ” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
That’s interesting John…
A few days ago i came across someone’s thoughts on this book by Hagee–a Jewish believer. She made reference to something similar.
At the time i didn’t know exactly what she meant…thanks for clearing it up!
There is only one Messiah, not two. John Hagee is teaching the error of the Talmudic ‘rabbis’ that there are two Messiahs. Both the apostles and the Samaritan woman at the well understood correctly that there would only be one Messiah.
There are two times in the book of John where the word Messias (Messiah transliterated into Greek) is used instead of the regular Greek form Christ:
In John 1:41 upon hearing John the Baptist call Jesus the Lamb of God, Andrew went and told Peter,
“We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”
In John 4:25 the Samaritan woman at the well said to Jesus “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.” and Jesus said to her, “I that speak unto thee am he.”
There can be no doubt, therefore, that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and that Jews (Andrew and Peter were Jews) believed him to be the Messiah. THE Messiah, the ONLY Messiah.
Amen jk…
The scriptures refute Hagee’s stance totally.
Hi Ryan,
If you would like to refute anything I wrote in my review of Hagee’s book, please feel free to do so on the forum on my site.
As it stands, it seems to me that your points were pretty thoroughly refuted in Post 14 by John, so I won’t bother repeating what he already said here.
I pray our Lord blesses you in your study of His Word,
Richard
Thank you all for your bringing to light this heresy.
It is sad to hear this news .
Calling for a U.S. attack on Iran is also heresy from what Jesus called us to be.
A most dangerous Constantinian sort of apostacy where the Kingdom of God now resides in Washington as salvation will come by way of the bomb.
It shows us all the danger of high, heady ministry and how easily our flesh is picked off by Satan.
God ,keep us all small and humble before you.
My prayer is that Jesus will bring something wonderful out of this as only He can.
Awakening the Jewish people to their need for their Messiah Jesus ,because neither America nor her false peacemaker president the messiah of Israel.
Let the devils lies backfire on him once again is my prayer.
amen Marcel.
I liked the way you put this:
I agree with you whole heartedly. Thats an excellent observation. We’re seeing all types of different Gospels today–the one which marries Christianity with politics is one of the most dangerous and deceptive.
We have a large group today which could be called The New Galatians.
Hey pj,
I wasn’t going to bother answering Ryan’s post, but I just couldn’t let it rest. Now I see it was of God. This heresy really needs to be so thoroughly refuted that there is no doubt in any Christian’s mind concerning it. Here is what I wrote over on my forum (where its formatted a little better):
Ryan’s post displays the gross confusion Hagee has wrought in the body of Christ by his equivocation over the word “Messiah.” In one sentence, Hagee means “THE MESSIAH” (meaning the true Biblical Messiah) and in another sentence he means nothing but a “political Messiah.”
It appears that this confusion was by design, with an aim to deceive. In his effort to exonerate “the Jews” Hagee almost always used the word “Messiah” to mean “a political Messiah” except at one key point – the beginning of his argument! We need only quote his own words in context to expose the deceptive methods of this serpentine teacher of God’s Holy Word:
============================================
From In Defense of Israel, page 132 (verbatum):
============================================
The Jews Did not Reject Jesus as Messiah
Most evangelicals believe the Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah and therefore qualify for God’s eternal judgment. Replacement theologians have said that “the covenant with Israel was broken because she would not accept Jesus Christ whom God sent.” (6)
Is this statement about the Jewish people biblically true? No! In order to respond to this misstatement about the Jews, several questions must be answered:
============================================
End quote
============================================
In the first sentence, Hagee asserts that “Most evangelicals believe the Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah.” This means that “Messiah” here must be taken in the “evangelical” sense, or the sentence would be false. The same sense is implied in the quote concerning “Jesus Christ whom God sent.” I will refer to this “Messiah” as the Biblical Messiah.
Hagee then asserted that “this statement” is false. What statement? The statement that the Jews rejected Jesus as the Biblical Messiah! But what then does Hagee argue throughout the next dozen pages? He argued that the Jews did not reject Jesus as the Political Messiah! This is PURE MADNESS Hagee’s argument is logically incoherent. Technically, he based his entire thesis on the logical fallacy known as an equivocation, meaning that he used the word “Messiah” with two different meanings in the same argument. He posed the question: “Did the Jews reject Jesus as the Biblical Messiah?” and then set about to prove that they did not reject Him as a Political Messiah. In layman’s terms, Hagee pulled a “bait and switch” on his readers. The gravity of this sin is evident in the fact that he has deceived so many people. Ryan never had a clue that Hagee had pulled the wool over his eyes and robbed him of the Biblical truth of Jesus as the Biblical Messiah. And worse, any Jew reading his book can say “Right on! Jesus was no Messiah!” Hagee’s teachings put souls in danger.
Richard
Hi Richard…hope its ok that i give the link to your post on biblewheel forum. You’re right…this can’t be allowed to go by the wayside as so many other false teachings have done recently.
Thats one thing i’ve noticed: some big Christian leader or teacher will come out with flat out apostate teachings–and as in this case, heresy, and after the ’shock’ wears off, it is quickly forgotten. That ought not be!
Anyway, for anyone interested in reading Richards further comments on Hagees book, you can find it formatted HERE
By the way, a good Christian friend of mine ordered the book Friday from amazon.com. We’re going to be reading it also…
I had to read your newest post again Richard… bait and switch…thats a good way to put it.
When i read things like the quotes from Hagee’s book, i see the enemy’s hand at work. Our enemy, who we know hates the Word of God, always seems to use circular reasoning in the hope of confusing God’s children, through false teachers.
Its a pretty good ploy too– After all it “sounds reasonable”…right, correct etc…but it never is once its discerned and looked at through the eyes of scripture. This is why its of vital importance for Christians to know the Word!
Everything Richard said about the book is unfortunately correct, plus worse. Another bait and switch Hagee uses is to refer to the Old Covenant as if it were the Mosaic law (which it is) and then elsewhere to refer to it synonymously as the Old Testament, as in the first 37 books of the Bible. Same thing with the New Covenant and New Testament, which he confuses. The whole book is a jumble of confusion as well as what has to be intentional proof-texting, since when he argues that the crucifixion was not the fault of the Jews but the Gentiles, he totally ignores verses that spread the blame and just picks out text that blames it on the Gentiles. As for Ryan’s claims softening what Hagee said about Jesus not coming as the Messiah, I have to wonder if he’s even read the book, if perhaps like me before I read it, is just thinking the best, that surely Hagee didn’t deny Jesus came as Messiah–but he did, over and over again!
Hi Orde…
Thanks for more insight into the contents of this book–the more people who’ve read it and comment the better, is how i feel.
I read tonight [elsewhere] that on his program which aired this weekend that yes, he did include the plug for the book, but apparently had the claims in the previous video, concerning:
Jesus not being the Messiah to the Jews, Jesus refused to produce a sign, because it was not the Father’s will, nor his, to be Messiah, The Jews were not rejecting Jesus as Messiah; it was Jesus who was refusing to be the Messiah to the Jews, etc etc..taken out of the promo.
Guess he was told the book wouldn’t sell if he kept those things in the video promo for the book–too bad he didn’t think of that when he wrote it.
But you know what? I thank the Lord for bringing it out…for revealing what this man really believes. God wants His children to know….
God bless…
I guess I’m going to have to read the book. Such bold claims makes me think that he is either making blasphemous claims, completely lost his mind, or speaking from a Jewish perspective and just being taken out of context. I can see what Ryan is getting at above where he’s talking about Jesus not coming the first time to be the Messiah that they had hoped for. Honestly, I thought that is what Pastor Hagee was talking about when I first listened to the video. I have a lot of respect for Pastor Hagee from listening to countless, well-constructed, moving sermons. His bold approach is what Christianity needs. If pointing out that not believing that Jesus Christ is the only way to Salvation offends people, then so be it. No need to sugar coat anything. Jesus, during His time on earth, was bold in what He preached. So bold, it led to the sadducees and pharisees conspiring to eventually killing Him. With all that in mind, I’m going to hold any opinion of this book back until I read it. Either way, I will return to post what I got from it. One thing is for certain, 100 times out of 100, I will side with the Word of the Bible over Any person about ANYTHING.
On that note, it’s time to put on my tin foil hat… please don’t try to commit me.
Hypothetically speaking, if Hagee’s claims are in fact blashemous, not misunderstood:
This being a most “interesting” time in the history of our world, I find it oddly peculiar that someone considered a leader is going out of his way to make a peace with Israel, false prophectic claims, leading a strike to wage what can possibly be the greatest war, etc.
Also, here is a link that has Dennis Prager interviewing Pastor Hagee after his “Night to Honor Israel” in San Antonio. If you can, and have the time to commit, it’s a 34 minute audio clip that is very interesting and well worth the small sacrifice to listen to in it’s entirety, but if you can’t, please go to roughly 3:15 left in the interview and listen to Pastor Hagee address one of the caller’s questions.
http://indefenseofisrael.org
Another thing I would like to point out is a page from Pastor Hagee’s website under his beliefs.
http://www.jhm.org/beliefs.asp
I might just be playing Devil’s Advocate (pardon the pun), but to honestly draw a complete conclusion, it is only right to look at EVERYTHING.
Thank you all for your time and a chance to discuss this. God Bless.
Hi Denny..
thanks for the comments and links. Yes, i’ve read Hagee’s web page and his beliefs…
I watched John Hagee for years, every Sunday afternoon before returning to Sun. evening service at my Church–i always, back then, enjoyed his preaching. What caught my attention, long before this newest book came out, was his involvement within the Christian Zionist movement, which is 100% political, which led to him starting up CUFI…
Something about it, and the interviews i was reading with him, did not seem ‘right’…call it what you will, i believe it was the Holy Spirit telling me to look more closely, and to watch…i did.
Even though he was quoted by more then one reputable news source, The Washington Post, and The Jerusalem Post, being two, as saying in an interview that God had a separate plan for the salvation of the Jews in Israel, which led him to see no reason to give them the Gospel, (which he denied later) i gave him the benefit of the doubt. But as time went on and other similar comments were made by him, which he didn’t even deny, i knew then be believed in a form of dual covenant theology.
That was heresy in my book, but i basically stayed silent on it, believing God would openly reveal in due time what this man believed in his heart–Well, the video promo and this book did just that.
The true Gospel message is one of faith and grace, not place and race–and he now preaches and teaches the latter.
You mentioned in your first post he may be writing/teaching from a Jewish perspective…i agree, he is. What he has done, perhaps unwittingly, is to make an idol out of a place (Israel) and a race of people.
let me know if you get a copy of the book…
AHA! Don’t get me started, lol!! Yes, my mind has went in that direction too.
God bless…
This is a bunch of lies. This man has taken the word of God and made fools of people. The Bible says,”Study to show thy self approved, a good work man need not be ashame, Righteously dividing the word of God. This does not mean turn the scriptures into self glorification or make a mockery of the truth. Know the Lord for yourself and let the Holy Spirit be your guide. For a man who really knows the Lord and had a mind would never fall for something so ignorant because the Holy Spirit will help you and if the you can not find it a least three times in the Bible it is not real.
If the Jews do not execpt Christ (Messiah) there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. He has really twisted things and has brought more confusion then clarity and the Bible say’s “God is not the author of confusion.” John has mixed politics with Christianity and that is the wrong mix. “The kingdom of God is not of this world.” This was the error of constantine, which was the begining of antichrist.
Hagee used a simple marketing technique of “inflammatory” advertising that heightened the attention his new book would receive, thus enhance sales!
He knew that by stating “Christ never claimed to be the so-called “insurrectionist messiah” (insurrectionist: his definition) he would draw this media attention while still contending his perceived orthodox stand on Christ being the Messiah of God.
Unfortunately, Hagee’s more subtle and dangerous error is camouflaged in his “Plan of Salvation” presentation that mixes “grace & works”.(Romans 11:6) What Hagee offers is a “discipleship salvation” also known as “lordship salvation” which is really not “another gospel” that can save anyone. (Galatians 1:6-9).
Review the Hagee prayer for salvation at:
http://www.jhm.org/repent.asp
Contrast with this article:
LORDSHIP FAITH MISSES THE MARK FOR SALVATION
http://www.faithalone.org/journal/1999i/J22-99b.htm
Bruce, i believe you’re right.
I was thinking about this yesterday, how all the controversy is going to make this book, full of error as it is, a best seller.
By the way you have a nice website…
Exactly!
Its pretty simple to see that in the word of God–its the core of the Gospel message!
He’s right, this latest nonsense will “shake Christian theology” and sink many Christians into his heretical quicksand. Why do we even call Jesus the “Christ,” or christos in Greek, or mashiach, “the anointed one,” in Hebrew? A cursory reading of Scriptures will reveal that Jesus himself claimed to be the Old Testament Messiah (Matthew 16:16-17; Luke 24:25-26; John 4:25-26). What about John 20:30-31? And was Peter guilty of abusing the Jewish people when he accused them of killing Jesus (Acts 2:23, 36)?
The Jewish people as a whole did not reject Jesus? I wonder how Hagee interprets Jesus’ prophecy about God’s rejection of Israel and ingrafting of Gentile believers in Matthew 21:43? And what does he think of Jesus’ seven “woes” on Israel and his prophecy, “See, your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37-38)? Aren’t these because of Jewish unbelief? Is God unjust in destroying Israel in 70 A.D. because a handful of Jewish leaders – out of a whole nation – rejected the Son of God?
In response to criticisms regarding these statements, Hagee offers some elaborations, which The Expositor publishes in full. He explains himself more, exposing his heretical views even more (heresies beget heresies):
“To be Messiah you must live. To rule and reign you must live. Jesus came to die and be the Savior of every person on earth… Again, you must live to be Messiah. You cannot be both Messiah and Savior! … Jesus claimed to be Savior several times in the Bible. He never claimed to be Messiah to the Jewish people.”
What if this Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried; descended into hell; rose from the grave on the third day; ascended into heaven; sits at the right hand of God the Father; and reigns now and forever? Is that sufficient to qualify him as Savior and Messiah?
See my whole response at http://www.twoagespilgrims.com/doctrine