Evangelicals want Trump to attack Iran to bring Jesus back; Presbyterians disagree
Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Mike Huckabee wants war. Presbyterians say, “No!”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sent a message to Donald Trump urging him to strike Iran.
He told Trump he was “the most consequential president in a century” and encouraged him to act as “the ONE voice… from heaven.”
Trump then shared the message on social media. This came as tensions rose between Israel and Iran.
Huckabee’s comments reflect a belief held by many Evangelical Christians called dispensationalism—part of which is that war in the Holy Land is prophecy and it should be welcomed because it will trigger the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
But that is not what Presbyterians believe.
Presbyterians believe Christ will return—but not through war
The Presbyterian Church (USA) believes in the Second Coming of Christ.
It’s one of the great promises of the faith.
But we reject the idea that war is required to make it happen.
Jesus himself said, “No one knows the day or hour… not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36 (NRSV)
The Confession of 1967, one of our guiding statements of faith, reminds us that God’s final judgment is a mystery—not a timeline to be pushed forward through violence or politics.
What is Armageddon? Not what you think.
The word Armageddon appears only once in Scripture—in Revelation 16:16.
Many Evangelicals believe it refers to a literal battle in Israel that will spark the return of Christ.
Presbyterians understand Armageddon as symbolic language from the Book of Revelation.
That book was written during a time of fear and oppression, when Christians were being persecuted by the Roman Empire.
It uses poetic, dramatic imagery—not political predictions.
As Presbyterian theologian Shirley Guthrie wrote, “The book of Revelation does not encourage Christians to sit around and wait for the end or to look forward to a bloodbath in the Holy Land. It encourages Christians to live faithfully now, even when the world is in turmoil.”
We don’t hope for bombs. We work for peace.
It is disturbing that some want war to come sooner, believing it will bring about the return of Christ.
But Presbyterian teaching makes this clear! War is never something to be celebrated.
Our Brief Statement of Faith tells us, “In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage… to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.”
We follow the Prince of Peace—not the prophets of doom.
So what should we do instead?
We live in hopeful action, not fearful obsession.
We don’t sit around waiting for the world to end—we serve others, care for the poor, fight injustice, and speak up for the vulnerable.
Scripture reminds us, “We wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.” 2 Peter 3:13 (NRSV)
Don’t light the match
Huckabee’s call for military action is dangerous.
It misuses religion to support war, and it goes against everything Presbyterians stand for.
We believe Christ will come again—but not because we bombed Iran.
That is not how the Kingdom of God works.
As the Declaration of Faith reminds us, “We do not know when or how the final redemption of creation will be achieved. But we know that God will win.”
Until then, we choose love.
We choose justice.
We choose peace.
Sources
The Confession of 1967, Book of Confessions, 9.55-9.57 https://pcusa.org/sites/default/files/confess671_0.pdf
Christian Doctrine, Shirley Guthrie https://www.pcusastore.com/Products/0664264506/christian-doctrine-50th-anniversary-edition.aspx
Brief Statement of Faith, Book of Confessions https://www.pcusastore.com/Content/Site119/FilesSamples/176793680723LGP_00000126662.pdf
Declaration of Faith (PCUSA) https://pcusa.org/resource/declaration-faith
