Orthodox Reflections

By Walt Garlington, an Orthodox Christian living in Dixieland.  His writings have appeared on several web sites, and he maintains a site of his own, Confiteri: A Southern Perspective.

The hardened MAGA loyalists, particularly Protestant evangelicals, are convinced that President Trump is making the world a wonderful place, but the Zionist leanings of the Trump administration and its allies betray that conclusion.  Just how strong are those leanings of Trump and his supporters?  Some recent actions will show us.

First, let’s check in with the National Religious Broadcasters.  Many in the MAGA movement claim they are for free speech and against censorship, but the NRB association, which skews heavily Protestant Evangelical, as well as some powerful US Congressfolk, are fully onboard with censorship that comports with their Zionist convictions:

At the 2024 NRB convention, Israel365, in collaboration with The Israel Guys, achieved a significant breakthrough when NRB President and CEO Troy Miller endorsed their resolution opposing the use of the term “West Bank” in favor of the historically accurate “Judea and Samaria.” The resolution, adopted by an organization representing over 1,100 member organizations reaching millions of viewers and listeners, marked a turning point in how Christian media addresses Israel’s biblical heartland.

“I think your words matter today. And the truth matters as well,” Miller said at the time. “It is time for us to step up and be honest about the truth of what’s happened in Israel, in the definition of this land.”

The resolution’s impact quickly spread beyond media circles. In January 2025, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) reintroduced the RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria Act, requiring all official United States documents to use the term “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank.” Tenney also launched the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus, a congressional group dedicated to supporting Israel’s sovereignty over these territories.

Building on this success, Israel365 launched its comprehensive “Accuracy in Reporting Style Guide” in December 2024. Developed in collaboration with Yisrael Medad of Israel’s Media Watch and Gil Hoffman of Honest Reporting, this resource helps journalists navigate the complex terminology surrounding Israel and the Middle East. Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder of Israel365, emphasized the guide’s importance: “We hope that the Style Guide serves as an important resource for Christian journalists who want to be faithful to biblical truth when covering stories from the biblical heartland.”

So much for the NRB.  What about the Conservative Political Action Conference, the popular CPAC?  Not any better:

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) passed a resolution advocating for the US to support Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. CPAC is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and officials nationwide. CPAC is hosted by the American Conservative Union (ACU).

Intense discussions were held at this year’s [2025—W. G.] CPAC conference by the Yesha (Judea and Samaria) Council Chair and Binyamin Regional Council Governor Israel Ganz and senior CPAC figures. Also in attendance were Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli and Yesha Council CEO Omer Rahamim.

The resolution was read in front of the conference last Thursday by KT McFarland, former deputy national security advisor in US President Donald Trump’s first administration.

“We believe all these areas are integral parts of Israel, and the United States of America and her allies should recognize Israeli sovereignty over these lands,” the resolution stated.

 . . . Ganz compared the resolution to the historic Balfour Declaration of 1917, issued by the British Government, announcing its support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Israel.

“Your declaration is akin to the Balfour Declaration,” Ganz said. “You are granting political validity to biblical values and to justice. This is a tremendous blessing for Israel, the US, and the entire free world. The extension of sovereignty will launch a new era based on the historic truth, that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish People and the Jewish state. These days are proof of the depth of the partnership between our countries, both in the processes currently underway, and in the promise for Israel’s hold on Judea and Samaria. The declaration today clarifies the importance of changing the security reality in all the arenas – the north, the south and in Judea and Samaria, to ensure the security of the State of Israel.”

“I would like to thank my colleague Minister Amichai Chikli for his professionalism in promoting the issue of Israeli sovereignty among senior US administration officials and important non-parliamentary figures.”

“For a long time already the CPAC Conference has been not only an American organization, but to a great extent has been the leader of the conservative movement worldwide. The declaration of this major conference, for the extension of Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, is supremely important, with respect to both the incoming US administration’s stance and to the rightist parties in the European Parliament and in Latin America.”

Then there are the figures in the Trump regime itself.  The same article linked just above speaks of Paula White:

In a parallel yet faith-based effort, MK Ohad Tal and Israel365 head Rabbi Tuly Weisz met with Pastor Paula White, head of the White House Faith office, to discuss Israeli sovereignty over the Biblical heartland.

“It was incredible hearing from her about her commitment to the Jewish people, to the State of Israel, to our security, and the future of Israel,” Tal said.

“She really understands,” Rabbi Weisz added. “Right before the war, she came with us to overlook the Gaza Strip and went to the Temple Mount. She understands the importance of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, that it needs to belong to the Jewish people. We talked about building the Third Temple. We had a very spiritual conversation and a very practical conversation.”

“She understands that there cannot be a Palestinian state,” he added. “She’s going to do everything in her power to push for Judea and Samaria right now, to support [MK Tal’s] bill in the Knesset.”

Many Evangelicals, some with high office and others with massive followings, actively subscribe to a Premillennial belief that Christ will come, in the flesh, to rule His Kingdom in Jerusalem complete with a rebuilt Third Temple. His Kingdom will last a 1,000 years. Current events in the Middle East, including rebuilding the Temple, are key to bringing about the Kingdom (or the ‘Rapture’ followed by the Antichrist followed by the Kingdom, depending on your belief system). When these people meet the Antichrist, they are already primed to worship Him as Christ, or primed to not take him seriously as the ‘Rapture’ will not have occurred. Death cults are dangerous. 

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Then there’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth:

Speaking at an event in Jerusalem in 2018 he said there was “no reason why the miracle of re-establishing the temple on the Temple Mount isn’t possible”, using the Israeli name for the raised plateau in occupied East Jerusalem where Al-Aqsa Mosque stands.

He also told attendees that Israel should take advantage of Trump being in office to do what they needed to do in the region, because there were “true believers” in Washington who would back them.

The government of Israel is dominated by millenarian Jews (Netanyahu is not one, but needs their unwavering support) who believe that their actions are preparing the way for the coming of their Messiah. Orthodox Christians would call this man what he is – the Antichrist. Not because he opposes Christ, but because he will stand in place of Christ. 

And Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee (his words from 2017):

There are certain words I refuse to use. There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria. There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities. They’re neighborhoods. They’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.

As one might have gathered at this point, Zionism enjoins certain duties upon mankind.  A rabbi named Yosef Diyan was kind enough to point some of them out.  He is speaking here of Pope Francis, but it is clear that the duty he lays upon him is incumbent on all people everywhere:

“But this pope has failed in his most basic duty. As the spiritual leader of Catholics, it was his duty to show them that God had kept His promise and returned the Jews to the land He promised them. His job as a shepherd of the Catholics was to proclaim that prophecy had been fulfilled. He didn’t.”

Duty No 1 for the Gentiles/goyim:  Acknowledge that Palestine belongs only to the Jews.

DNA indicates that Palestinian Christians are 88-97% of Israelite descent. Along with the Samaritans, they are the most closely related population in the world to the ancient Israelites. Over all, it appears that the West Bank is approximately 70% Jewish/Israelite in genetic origin. Yet, somehow the land of Palestine ‘belongs’ to European settlers who reject Christ. 

A second duty flows from the first – build the Third Temple:

“This is a message to all the leaders of nations in the world. When Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, the kings came from around the world to acknowledge the House of Prayer for all Nations. Now that we are about to see the Third Temple, we see rulers talking about a nation that doesn’t exist and never existed. They are trying to prevent the Jews from doing what God commanded us to do: take possession of the land.”

“If we can’t do that, then there will be no house of prayer for all nations and no reason for the nations to exist,” Rabbi Dayan said.

Did you catch that last part?  If the Third Temple isn’t built, there is no reason for any country – none – to exist.  Zionist megalomania is in full flower.

How unfortunate that Zionist Protestants who support this Third Temple fanaticism cannot see that the House of Prayer for All Nations already exists:  It is called the Orthodox Church.  To say otherwise, to support a Third Temple as some kind of substitute universalist entity, is blasphemy against Jesus Christ.

All of these actions by MAGA Zionists will help propel Antichrist into power when he reveals himself:  flattering the Jews, promoting Jewish laws, beliefs, culture, etc., around the world, supporting the building of the Third Temple, subordinating Christianity to Judaism, etc.

The flattery of the Jews is of central importance when discussing the rise of the Antichrist.  Archbishop Averky Taushev of blessed memory writes:

Since they [the unbelieving Jews—W. G.] do not love God, they do not accept Christ Who came with His commands, but when another comes, the false Messiah, with his own delusional teachings, they will accept him without signs and miracles.  From the time of Christ, there have already been more than sixty such false messiahs, and the last of them will be the Antichrist, whom the Jews will accept also as the Messiah.  The reason for the Jews’ lack of faith is that they seek human glory, and they do not respect the one who reveals their sins, even if he is right, while the one who praises them (even if he lies), they accept as their own (The Four Gospels, Nicholas Kotar translator, Holy Trinity Seminary Press, Jordanville, New York, 2015, p. 60).

And yet the Protestant Evangelicals think they are honoring the Lord when they praise and exalt the Jews, and protect them from any criticism. How different is the teaching of the Orthodox Church from this kind of worldly, diabolical thinking.  The wonderful St John of Kronstadt illustrates:

When you are slandered and become upset and sick at heart, it shows that pride is in you, and that it must be wounded and driven out through outward dishonor.  Therefore, do not be irritated by ridicule, and do not hate those who hate you and slander you, but love them as your physicians, whom God has sent you to instruct you and to teach you humility, and pray to God for them.  “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you” (Matt 5:44).  Say to yourself:  it is not me that they slander, but my evil passions; not me that they strike, but that viper which nests in my heart and flares up in pain when anybody speaks ill of it.  I will comfort myself with the thought that, perhaps, these good people will drive it from my heart with their biting words, and my heart will then cease to ache.  Therefore, thank God for outward dishonor; those who endure dishonor here will not be subjected to it in the next world (My Life in Christ:  Part 1, E. E. Goulaeff and Nicholas Kotar translators, Holy Trinity Publications, Jordanville, New York, 2015, pgs. 62-3).

The desire of Zionists to shield the Jews from any criticism will not benefit the latter, but only make them all the more into compliant instruments for the devil and his Antichrist.

Rather than making the Jews spiritually complacent by telling them they are still in good favor with God because of the Old Covenant, as dispensationalist/Zionist Protestants are wont to do, they ought to follow the advice of Michael Hoffman in Judaism’s Strange Gods and many Orthodox Church Fathers:  namely, that they ought to say plainly to the Jewish people that must lay aside their enmity toward Christ and accept Him as their Lord and God if they want to experience true healing/salvation.

There are some benefits that derive from Trump’s MAGA agenda:  better jobs for US citizens, a notable reduction in the moral filth being promoted at the federal level, normalization of relations with Russia, and so on.  However, if the end goals of MAGA are the continued world domination of the ideology of super-materialistic Americanism with its attendant cultural unfriendliness to the Orthodox Church and to any other traditional culture/religion (Yes), Tech Bros transhumanism (Yes), and heretical Zionism (Yes), then what MAGA really means isn’t Make America Great Again, but rather Make Antichrist Great Again.

‘Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light’ (St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 5:14, KJV).