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Whose Land? Whose Promise?: What Christians Are Not Being Told about Israel and the Palestinians

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Gary Burge has written a book that fills a void that is existent in Evangelical publishing circles.

The book is rightly described as 'bold' because it seeks to challenge many ingrained assumptions Evangelicals hold in regard to the State of Israel. Still, it should be noted that Burge is relatively conservative on the subject when compared to publications of other secular (or non-American Christian) organisations. On a wider spectrum, Burge is far from radical; yet he is a bold voice within the Evangelical arena.

Burge is not an undiscriminating supporter of Palestinian actions, he wishes to place those actions in a context - not an attempt to justify, but an effort to understand. Thus, his conclusions are not based on a parochial interpretation of particular biblical texts; instead, it is an informed theological, missiological, and even pastoral exploration of the realties present in the conflict.

In a roundabout way, the negative reviews of this book can be considered an endorsement - because Burge hopes to challenge assumptions, those who are unwilling to confront their own biases (nor admit that their exegesis of particular biblical texts are merely one interpretation among many, not canon) will retrogress to previously unchallenged premises. Some reviews merely set forth an opinion about the State of Israel rather than an actual rejoinder to the arguments proposed in 'Whose Land, Whose Promise?'. If Burge successfully took an unbiased and non-dehumanising view of both sides of the conflict, his work would inevitably cause discomfort.

This book is well worth reading. This is not to say that one must agree with all of the author's conclusions (Burge is not looking for undifferentiating disciples); 'Whose Land, Whose Promise?' is a welcome partner to the largely one-sided debate existent within Evangelicalism.

For those interested in a Palestinian Christian perspective, the authors Naim Ateek ('Justice and Only Justice') and Mitri Raheb ('I am a Palestinian Christian') are worth a look.

This is a book that you will either love or hate depending on your view of Dispensationalism v. Covenant Theology. Here, Burge--a professor at Wheaton College--shows why Zionism is not biblical, as he utilizes history and the Bible to show his point. The Tim LaHayes of the world will wrench their hands in disgust and say that Burge is missing clear evidnece in the Bible regarding the place for the Jews in the end times. Yet many of these hyper-Dispensationalists need to not take their peripheral view of eschatology so seriously. Yes, end times are important, and yes, I think compasion on the Jews is needed. But as Burge points out, what about human rights for everyone? I just finished reading through Isaiah and Jeremiah, and boy, they sure were tough on "God's people" for their sins. I think it is important to show how a person's heritage should not matter since all people are created equal in God's sight, as Paul mentioned in Galatians that there is neither male nor female and neither Jew nor Greek. To classify an entire people as above the moral law and allow their government to persecute another people in the name of biblical presuppositions is immoral and should be condemned. And Burge explains this side very well.

The book does have some weak points. First, I read it in the summer of 2007, and with so much that has taken place over the course of these last four years, is in bad need of an update. This is especially true with Hussein no longer an issue and Iraq's future much different than when this book was first written. Another criticism is that Burge really does make it look like the Palestinians are completely innocent and have not caused many of their own problems. I was in Israel/Egypt 17 years ago during the Infitada and believe that much of the Palestinian strategy was misguided, which only infuriated the general Israeli public against the Palestinians. And what about all of the bombings of innocent people done in Israel by Palestininans? No mention of this is made by Burge.

As far as the "rocks" he mentions being thrown by Palestinian youth, he makes it sound so innocent. Yet I can attest that the rock throwing can be lethal. Driving through Jerusalem, our tour bus was the target of slingshots, shattering windows as we hit the deck to avoid the shattering glass. Walking through the Old Jersualem streets, we had to dodge slingshotted stones and bb's because, obviously, we were American tourists. Gladly, none of the 40 of us--mostly elderly--were ever hurt during the trip, but I think that attempting to hurt other people (was it for retaliation? how would taking out somebody's eye or going through their arm help the cause?) is not the best strategy. Instead of making the Palestinians into saints, I wish Burge would have been a little less biased in his reporting and reported some of the abuses on the other side.

Overall, though, there is good information here that those with a Premil, Pretrib view ought to consider. Every Christian ought to consider these things before pledging allegiance to the nation of Israel, which is not necessarily the friend of human rights or Christianity, for that matter.

The words of Gary Burge, a professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, are as strong as the Israeli bullets, if not stronger. Unlike many Evangelical Americans, Gary is well informed of the situation in Israel/Palestine. He addresses one of the toughest questions in the Middle East i.e. whose Land and whose Promise?

With a sharp mind, and a passionate heart, Gary tackles these questions seeking the mind and heart of God as revealed in the Bible. Gladly, Gary combines a great spirit of humility, an ability to see the big picture, and an outstanding documented description of the details. Thus, the reader will not only be exposed to eschatological conceptual frameworks but will also experience, through powerful stories, an intimate fellowship with the Palestinian Church and an unmasked understanding of the intentions of the Zionist movement and many of its leaders.

In his preface, Gary steps forward as an honest seeker and pursuer of truth. He says, "As an Evangelical I have a theological interest in Israel's history and future. As a Christian I recognize the ancestral connection between Jews today and Abraham, Moses, and David. And yet I am confused and troubled when I try to interpret the meaning of this small country and I learn about one more village story one more set of keys to a lost home, one more house being bulldozed, and more refugees being pushed away from their homeland" (xii).

He seeks to resolve one of the questions that Palestinians struggled with for so long: how would the Modern State of Israel be the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies if they are committing many injustices against the Palestinians? He explains for his audience the background of the problem and then moves into an exciting study through the pages of Bible. In the Old Testament part, he highlights that God owns the land and that he welcomed non-Israelite "aliens" to live alongside Israel and granted them religious, social, and legal privileges. Furthermore, he seeks to understand the relationship of Justice to the land via several OT texts such as the story of King David who purchased the land of the temple-mount from Ornan the Jebusite or the story of King Ahab who stole the land of Naboth (pp. 90-92). After spelling out the teaching of the OT, Gary compares Biblical Israel to Modern Israel and probes the latter according to the principles (Justice and treatment of aliens) revealed in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament part, Gary studies the teachings of Jesus and the early Christians concerning the land. He believes that the land is "Christified" in the NT. He studies different texts in the Gospels and concludes:

" (1) land is rejected as the aim of faith; (2) land is spiritualized as meaning something else;(3) the promise is historicized in Jesus, a man who lives in the land; (4) the promise is sacramentalized" (p. 177).

Then Gary moves to the next logical question: what about fallen Israel? Three points are important to note. First, Gary states that the believing Remnant is the true Israel (p. 178). Second, after studying Acts, Hebrews, and some Pauline epistles, he adds that it would be wrong to argue that Christians can make a territorial claim (p. 184). Third, fallen Israel is still unique, honored, and beloved (p. 188). Gary concludes by subscribing to a double commitment: Christians are the heirs of Abraham yet fallen Israel is still unique honored, and beloved. On this later point, Gary says, "Israel's obstinacy did not end God's affection for his people. The same is true today" (p. 188).

Gary discusses these important theological concepts, but he does not stop there. He furthers his discussion by presenting a clear picture of the Palestinian Church and the intentions of Zionism. He meets Palestinian Christians who come from a wide range of denominations such as Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, etc. He also meets some Zionist leaders and tries to understand their perspective.

After discussing the contents of Gary's book and praising many of its aspects. I like to add that I am still hoping for further work in the following areas:

1) Gary's methodology in his book is different than many evangelicals. Gladly, his theology integrates the Bible, history, and culture. He rightly discusses eschatology within ecclesiology. Indeed, the church is the center of God's plan and design. And in order to understand God's heart for the Middle East in the 21st century we must involve the Palestinian Church. Gary does a great job in accomplishing this task. However, further work must be done in ecclesiology in order to clarify the role of Messianic Jews within the Church. It might be helpful to add a couple of positive stories about faithful messianic Jews who serve God with a spirit of divine justice and biblical love. Furthermore, it would be helpful to answer the following questions: Are Messianic Jews "unique, honored, and beloved" differently than any other member of the global church? Why or why not? Last, Gary should work more on justifying his biblical choices. He chooses several narrative passages but overlooked some important pertinent pericopae such as Ezekiel 33 and the book of the covenant in Jeremiah.

2) Gary's description of the relationship between the OT and the NT is troubling. He rightly makes Jesus Christ the center of the NT; however he looks at the OT only through the eyes of the NT. This approach does not appreciate the complexities of the OT and it minimizes the role of the OT as God's word. Gary rightly describes how the NT interprets the OT; however, is this interpretation the only interpretation of the OT? If the answer is yes then what about the OT believers who did not have the NT, how did they understand the Hebrew Scriptures?

3) Most of all, I am troubled with Gary's interpretation of Romans 9-11 and his conclusion that fallen Israel is unique, honored, and beloved. What does this mean? Unfortunately, Gary does not spell this out. However, few comments are appropriate. First, Gary uses the words: Israel, Judaism, Modern Israel, and Jews without sufficiently defining these terms or clarifying their differences. Second, he assumes some kind of continuity between Biblical Israel and Modern Israel without verifying this assumption or clarifying what kind of continuity. Many western evangelicals have not paid enough attention to the diachronic meaning of the word "Israel". Instead, they use it synchronically and thus fall into the trap of anachronism and equivocation. I think that we should pay attention to the following: A) there are differences between the following terms: Judaism, Jews, Israel, and Hebrews. These differences must be spelled out in order to produce a more accurate eschatology. B) There are challenges in defining these pertinent terms. For example, Esther 8: 17 tells us that many nations became Jews. Do these nations hold the same uniqueness of those who are related to Jacob genealogically? Do the promises belong to Judaism or to the seed of Jacob? Furthermore, would the children of mixed marriages be part of the genealogical seed of Jacob and would they be part of the promise? It is interesting that the Jews in Modern Israel today consider the mother as the determining factor for recognizing a person as a Jew. This is interesting because this definition does not square with the list of the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1 where we find four gentile women. C) Assuming an unquestioned continuity in the history of Judaism leads to many problems. The Judaism of the 1st century is not identical with the Judaism of the 21st century. Furthermore the Jews of the 1st century are not necessarily the forefathers of the Jews in the 21st century. It is wiser academically to establish this continuity between the Jews of the 1st and the 21st centuries before building and eschatological framework that assumes this continuity as a foundational fact. It is good to remember that there are many converts to Judaism through out history (For example: Esther 8: 17, Ruth). And there are many Jews who became either Muslims or Christians (for example Acts 2). What about them?

4) Gary did a great Job in pointing out the importance of Justice especially in the OT. However, he, in my opinion, did not define justice in the framework of election and Biblical love. It seems to me that we need not only to uphold Biblical Justice but we also need to defend Biblical election and Christ-like love even towards the enemies. How are these foundational elements related in the Scriptures? Clarifying this relationship is indispensable for formulating a firm biblical foundation. Understandably, Gary spent most of his time on Biblical Justice. However, further work is needed on the relationship between Justice and election and agape-love. Is God's election just and loving? Does God's love for the Palestinians violate God's plan? These are just a sample of many questions that demand and an answer.

5) Gary uses the theology of the "aliens" in the OT and compares it to Modern Israel and its relationships to Muslim and Christian Arabs. His study of the theology of the "aliens" in the OT is admirable and more work should be done in that field. However, he does not clarify the development of the theology of the alien in the Scriptures and he moves too quickly to application. Although, "alien" theology introduces equality in certain fields, it also introduces inequality in other fields. For example, none of the aliens would be able to become the high priest. Does this mean that none of the Arab Israelis could become an Israeli president? Furthermore, alien theology does not subscribe to acceptance of multiple religions but subscribes to acceptance of believers in the God of Israel from multiple ethnic backgrounds. Ideally, Biblical Israel expected the aliens to believe in the God of Israel; otherwise, they are rejected. Taking this into consideration, alien theology has its limitations as we look at the three monotheistic religions in Modern Israel/Palestine.

Last, I am overjoyed with Gary's book. I still think that it is one of the best evangelical books that describe what is going on in Israel/Palestine. I also think that it is well documented and deserves to be in the library of every serious student of the Arab-Israeli conflict or of end-times theology.

Rev. YoHanna Katanacho

Whose Land? Whose Promise? should be required reading for anyone who wants to know what is really going on in Israel/Palestine. With clear, well-written prose that makes this book a pleasure to read, Gary Burge tackles the thorny problem of Jewish/Palestinian relations from a strong, well-reasoned biblical perspective. Read it with an open mind and an open heart, and you'll have a much deeper understanding of the historic, spiritual, and political background of this tempestuous corner of the world.

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Gary Burge has delivered what many Christians have been waiting for for a long time: a balanced treatment of the very sensitive issue of the Holy Lands and its denizens. Both the modern states of Israel and Palestine as well as theological considerations of land and convenant are critical issues to those who claim to follow Christ, but too often our opinions have been formed by ignorance (i.e., a lack of hard facts), sentiment, biased reporting and manipulation of information by powerful lobby groups, and finally downright poor theology.

Burge gives us enough facts to make our own decisions; he does not play favorites, but draws from both Israeli and Palestinian material and interviews with Jews, Muslims and Christians. He provides an excellent concise history of the Holy Land and Jerusalem, particularly in the 20th century.

He also furnishes a theological thinking that is sympathetic to God's abundant promises in the Bible to Israel and the Jews, but most importantly, unpacks the reality that Israel's promises from God regarding land and legacy are tied into concomitant moral obligations and responsibilities.

This volume is an outstanding look into a subject that is too often clouded by bias, well written, and displaying Biblical sympathy and compassion for all who have suffered in this terrible drama. I must congratulate the author for his fearless reporting of the facts and for his bold but well-defended conclusions, both theological and political.

I heartily recommend Whose Land? Whose Promise? to anyone of any faith who wishes to understand better the complex issues of the Holy Land.

But if you are one of too many whose theology has been formed by such tripe as Left Behind, be forewarned; you will squirm as you read this book. It will be hard and heavy going, but anyone with an open attitude will benefit greatly from the read.

For those who would label this book as anti-Zionist, I would urge you to read it, and then read your Bible. See how theologically legitimate Zionism is for a follower of Christ.

For those who would ignorantly label this book as anti-Semitic, may I remind you that Arabs are also Semitic and children of Abraham. Critique of well documented human rights abuses and clear flouting of United Nations resolutions by the political state of Israel is no more anti-Semitic than criticism US foreign policy is anti-Christian!

Whose Land, Whose Promise? What Christians are Not Being Told about Israel and the Palestinians by Gary Burge is as much about how little we know about the Palestinians and Palestinian Christians in particular as it is about how little we know about the modern state of Israel. This book was the most eye-opening accounts I've heard of the history and current situation of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, especially having grown up in a conservative Christian, pro-Israel church and household. Burge not only takes you on a brief journey of the ancient history of the region and its people, but gives an increasingly in depth look as he gets closer to the current situation.

After surveying the history, he takes us through the biblical material related the question of Israeli nationhood, focusing specifically on what God required of his people in order to maintain this gift. The conclusion is that modern Israel has not followed these requirements much as past versions of Israel failed in the same way and was severely punished for it. The evidence for this conclusion occupies the majority of the space in the book, and it is well documented and convincing. This idea is summed up best with a quote.

"A prophetic voice needs to be heard today in the Middle East, not an apocalyptic voice that announces the fulfillment of prophecies and the end times. Israel has strayed, and like an ox that has forgotten its master and its home, Israel has forgotten the voice of God (Isa. 1:3). I am convinced that if Isaiah were in Jerusalem today, his words would be unrelenting and his willingness to unearth Israel's sins would put his well-being in jeopardy. Indeed, those who criticize Israel will undoubtedly be surprised by the reactions - reactions not unlike those received by the Old Testament prophets."

I have certainly seen these reactions all of my life and still see them to this day. But you owe it to yourself to hear a story you probably haven't heard, a story most people don't have a desire to hear. The evidence for this conclusion occupies the majority of the space in the book, and it is well documented and convincing. This evidence is a litany of facts and statistics although these are given their proper place. The bulk of the evidence is stories of real people and families with names and even pictures. That is what makes the book such a page-turner. It is eerie how similar Israel's treatment of the Palestinians during the establishment of their state was to the Nazi treatment of their parents generation just a few years earlier. Now the Palestinians are treated very similar to the way blacks in America were treated before the civil rights movement.

The plight of these Palestinian Christians is the other key focus in the book. We tend to lump all Arabs in the same category, often as Muslim, and at the very best passive supporters of terrorism. Many of us think that opposition to Israel is simply against Christian principles. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening. I am grateful to Gary Burge for bringing to light the situation that the Palestinian Christian find themselves in and for highlighting their stories and their need of our support.

If you are after the truth about what has been going on and continues to go on in Israel, please read this book. We conservative Christians tend to set up a straw man argument for the Palestinian cause so that we can easily knock it down. Those who are not setting up the straw man are buying into it without ever hearing a truly quality argument from a qualified voice in the other perspective. Gary Burge, an evangelical Christian who spent a good deal of his life living, working and studying in the middle east offers us just such a quality perspective. This book is near the top on my all time list. Please pick this one up.

It is good to finally read a balanced evangelical account of how people are suffering in Palestine and how we evangelicals have inadvertently played into it.

That Professor Burge is doing something controversial can be seen by the bipolar nature of the preceding reviews. I would like to applaud him for the courage to write this book, which is filled with documented evidence to support the case he is making.

If you believe that the state of Israel can do no wrong, and should not be held to any moral standard, then this book will be offensive. If on the other hand, you do not believe that the political state of Israel is representative of God's people then this book is a must read.

If you know what will happen in the future and are waiting for the new temple to be rebuilt so that Jesus can return. If you want to support the state of Israel to speed this occurrence, then the book will be offensive. If, on the other hand, if you want to learn more about Christian brothers and sisters who are being persecuted in the middle east, and would like to empathize with and support them, then this book is a must read.

If you already know all the answers, don't read this book. If you are still learning, the book will provide much to think about.

This book makes me angry. It is that good. Undoubtedly there are villains to be found on both sides of the Palestinian/Israel issue but those who attack this work are dishonest in that the subtitle is "What Christians Are Not Being Told About Israel and the Palestinians". And that subtitle gives an honest introduction to what this book is about.

The average Christian in America, Evangelical, or otherwise has not thought about Israel in the terms that are presented here. This book uses Holy Scripture in a very responsible manner. Only someone who refuses to examine their presuppositions will not be able to read this book with profit. The silly reviewer who cites one of the book's weaknesses as interpreting the Scriptures from a Christian perspective only reveals his own anti-Christian bias. What he doesn't tell you is that there are a growing number of Jews whose interpretation of the Old Testament, of the Hebrew Bible, Scriptures is the same as Burge's regarding modern Israel.

The average Christian, especially the average Evangelical, needs to read this book! This book completely dismantles the unconditional support of Israel by the Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells of the world. And I say this as a conservative Christian.

Read this book! Read this book! Read this book! Buy an extra copy for a friend.