8.127.4. But isn’t the modern state of Israel a fulfillment of biblical pophecy?
No, the modern State of Israel, established in 1948, is not a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. It is a political, secular state founded by Zionist activists — many of whom were atheists — and has no connection to the divine promises made to the Israelites of the Old Testament. From a Catholic perspective rooted in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, the true Israel of God is now the Catholic Church.
St. Paul, inspired by the Holy Ghost, teaches:
“They are not all Israel who are of Israel... That is, not the children of the flesh are the children of God, but the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.”
And again:
“And if you be Christ’s, then you are the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.”
The New Covenant in Christ fulfilled and superseded the Old Covenant, making the Catholic Church the new and true Israel. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — of a people and a land — were shadows of the greater spiritual reality fulfilled in Christ.
The Church teaches that God is no longer dealing with the Jewish nation corporately. Those who reject Christ are cut off from the promises (cf. Romans 11). The return of Jews to Palestine is a political event — not a divine miracle. The conversion of the Jews, prophesied by St. Paul (Romans 11:25-26), refers not to national restoration, but to their conversion to the Catholic Faith at the end of time.
Church Teaching Before Vatican II
The Fathers of the Church (e.g., St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Justin Martyr) unanimously taught that the Church is the fulfillment of Israel.
Pope St. Pius X, when approached by Zionist leader Theodor Herzl in 1904, stated:
“The Jews have not recognized our Lord, therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people... We cannot prevent the Jews from going to Jerusalem, but we can never sanction it. The soil of Jerusalem, if it were not always sacred, has been sanctified by the life of Jesus Christ.”
This rejection is grounded in truth: the New Testament is clear that the Temple has been destroyed for rejecting the Messiah (cf. Matthew 24:2), and that true worship is no longer bound to a geographic place (cf. John 4:21–24).
Pope Pius XII, while recognizing the practical suffering of displaced persons, never taught that the creation of the modern Israeli state was a fulfillment of divine prophecy. On the contrary, the Church held for centuries that the conversion of the Jews, not a national state, was the promised restoration.
What Changed?
After Vatican II, statements by “popes” and “bishops” began affirming the modern Israeli state in spiritual terms, and treating Judaism as an ongoing salvific covenant. The Holy See formally established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1993, under “Pope” John Paul II. “Papal” visits to Israel became common, and gestures of religious significance — such as praying at the Wailing Wall — added to the confusion.
The result? Many “Catholics” — especially under Protestant influence — now wrongly believe that the current nation of Israel is a biblical event and that Jews, as a people, still possess the promises apart from Christ. This is a heresy of the gravest kind, for it denies the universal necessity of the Church and her sacraments for salvation.
| Category | Traditional Catholic View | Post-Vatican II View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | The Catholic Church is the true Israel | Jews remain “God’s people” even without Christ | Contradicts Galatians 3:29 and Romans 9:6 |
| Land Promises | Fulfilled in Christ and the Church | Seen as ongoing political or prophetic reality | Misinterprets typology and prophecy |
| Restoration | Spiritual: the conversion of the Jews to Christ | National: return to physical Israel and statehood | Church Fathers never foresaw a political rebirth |
| Pope St. Pius X | Rejected Zionism and Jewish national restoration | Modern popes affirm Israeli state diplomatically | Change in attitude, not rooted in doctrine |
| Theology of the Land | “Jerusalem above is free… our mother” (Gal. 4:26) | Jerusalem is viewed as religiously significant to Jews | Undermines Christ’s words in John 4:21–24 |
Summary:
The rise of the modern State of Israel has confused many “Catholics”, especially those influenced by Protestant evangelicalism. But no pope, council, or saint before Vatican II ever taught that Israel’s rebirth in 1948 was the fulfillment of prophecy.
The promises made to Abraham were fulfilled in Christ. The inheritance of the land foreshadowed the eternal inheritance of Heaven. The Church — not a political state — is now the true Israel of God.
Pope St. Pius X's rejection of Zionism shows the clarity of the Church’s traditional stance. He understood that without Christ, the Jews cannot inherit the promises. Establishing a nation apart from Christ is not a blessing, but a continuation of exile.
Unfortunately, modern Vatican diplomacy has clouded the issue. The Vatican’s recognition of Israel as a state was based on political pragmatism, not theology — but many “Catholics” wrongly interpret it as a religious endorsement. This has opened the door to a dangerous dual-covenant theology, which suggests that Jews and Christians walk parallel paths to salvation. This heresy contradicts Christ’s words and the entire New Testament.
There is only one Covenant now — the New Covenant in Christ’s Blood. All men, Jew and Gentile alike, are called to be baptized into that covenant.
The conversion of the Jews — not the expansion of Israeli borders — is what Scripture foresees. When the time is right, by God’s grace, “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26). But that salvation will only come when they acknowledge the Messiah they rejected: Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords.