In this post I am going to take a look at J. D. Hall’s interview with Tucker Carlson. I am going to have some critiques of Hall where he gets matters wrong … some times egregiously wrong. However, I am convinced that taken as a whole Hall did a good job of advancing the cause of Christ in this interview. Hall took on the nonsense that is “Judeo-Christianity,” and clearly marked out the lines between Christian Zionism (so called) and Christianity. Christian Zionism is heresy that will send someone to hell for believing in it.
So, despite the criticisms that I am going to mention none of the criticisms are intended to take away from the fact that overall this interview was positive to the end of disambiguating Christianity from Christian Zionism. However, the criticisms are intended to advance the cause of Christianity even further.
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Hall said,
“And so a covenant theologian is going to tell someone that quotes Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those that bless thee and curse those that curse thee,” a Christian covenant theologian is going to quote to you Galatians 3, which is a book of the New Testament in which the Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Galatia, and he tells them that if you have faith in Jesus, you are God’s children. He says, “You are the children of Abraham.” It says it twice.
And so in fact, in Galatians 3:7, the Apostle Paul very clearly explains that that promise is not for the Jews. It never was for the Jews. The picture was— or rather the mission of God was much bigger than that.”
J. D. Hall
This was, in my estimation, the most important statement in the interview and it was said very early on in the interview. This is the truth that needs to be hammered over and over again and it needs to be hammered because stupid people like Mike Huckabee (US Ambassador to Israel) and Sen. Ted Cruz keep on saying that Christian are required to bless Israel when it is the case that Christians are required to bless Christ. It is impossible to bless Christ and bless Israel at the same time. Israel is the enemy of Christ and Christ is the enemy of Israel. Jews are NOT God’s chosen people. The Jewish religion is the antithesis of the Christian faith. The future of Jews apart from Christ, like all those apart from Christ, is eternal destruction, though Jews may have even a greater judgment against them then other Christ haters since they excel at hating Jesus Christ above all others. The Jews are Senior partners in the whole Christ hating enterprise.
It is this statement and the repetition of this theme that finds me saying that the interview advanced the ball for the Christian faith. You can be sure that there will now be a redoubled effort to insist that Jews and Christian serve the same God.
J. D. Hall said,
“And so in the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is the means by which God’s people are saved. In the Old Covenant, the covenant people of God were Israel. And God, being very gracious, gave Israel rites and rituals for them to see as an explanation, a word picture of who their Messiah would be, so that when their Messiah came, they would say, obviously, that’s what this is about. Passover is a good example.”
Interview Tucker Carlson
So … if I am understanding this aright J. D. is saying here that in the Old Covenant Jesus Christ was NOT the means by which God’s people were saved? See especially that first sentence. Jesus Christ has always been the means, whether Old or New Testament, by which God’s people have been saved. J. D. is a Baptist and Baptists, though claiming to have a covenant theology, don’t really do covenant theology. Once thing that covenant theology does is it sees continuity between the Old and New covenant which explains why Reformed folks baptized and commune their children. Baptists (even so called Reformed Baptists) refuse to see this kind of continuity between the Old and New covenant and so when we hear a Baptist say,
“And so in the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is the means by which God’s people are saved.”
what we hear is that in the Old Covenant Jesus Christ was not the means by which God’s people are saved. There has, since the fall, only been one means by which God’s people are saved and that is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
On this one I ding something Tucker Carlson said in the interview,
“Jesus also goes out of his way in the Gospels to praise the faith of pagans. I mean, a Roman officer was the first person to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God at his death.”
Interviewing J. D. Hall
Ummm … er … Not quite accurate Tucker.
Peter confessed Christ as the son of God before the Roman at the Crucifixion.
J. D. Hall said,
“I don’t think that Scofield’s motive is sinister either. I don’t mean to throw him under the bus like he’s a bad guy or a villain. I do think it was weird that he didn’t think to himself, okay, so I’m a relative nobody. Why am I — why are strangers paying to sail me across the ocean to meet with people I don’t know at Oxford?”
Interview w/ Tucker Carlson
There is no way in Hades that Scofield, once described in a Newspaper as a “general shyster,” could not have known that he was being used as a cat’s paw by the Bagels.
For people who are interested in this subject they really should get a copy of Joseph Canfield’s book, “The Incredible Scofield and His Book.” Canfield is worthy of your time because he exposes the grifter C. I. Scofield was.
Also, I should note here that J. D. Hall is just magnificently errant when he says that the Scofield Bible “was the first Bible of its kind in which the marginal notes are going to have theological content.” The problem here is that the Geneva Bible was published in 1560 with extensive notes. So…. J. D. Hall was cringe bad on this “fact.”
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During the interview J. D. Hall rightly noted the evils of the Scofield Reference Bible, as the reason for the rise of Dispensationalism. However there were other factors besides the Scofield Bible. So, just as a matter of history, it should be said that it was not just the Scofield study bible that accounts for the popularity of Dispensationalism, though it certainly is one of the main movers. One also has to consider the multitudinous prophecy conferences that were going on across the country in different places. These prophecy conferences pushed the Dispie line. Also, there as the springing up of ubiquitous Bible Colleges across the country. These were the fundamentalists answer to the Liberal Seminaries. These fundamentalist Bible colleges were almost universally dispensational in their teaching.
So, contrary to what Hall suggested the popularity of Dispie was not solely based upon the popularity of the Scofield Bible. Another part of this equation, besides what is mentioned above, is the church had gone liberal (Modernist) and Dispie Fundamentalism was one of the heaviest counter weights to the takeover of the churches by Liberalism. Finally, Dispensationalism arises in the US not long after the War Against the Constitution in the States. The destruction and depredations caused by that war largely eliminated any optimistic eschatology from the Church in the South and opened to the doors to a more pessimistic eschatology and premillennial Dispensationalism, with its doom and gloom end times scenario fit the mood of post-war America.
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J. D. Hall said during the interview,
The Muslim rulers didn’t tax churches during the Ottoman period. They were very kind to Christians.
In my estimation this was, by far, the most egregious and manifestly errant thing that Hall said during the interview. Its inaccuracy almost spoils the whole interview. Its inaccuracy is so profound that it threatens to discredit the whole interview.
First, one has to understand that the Ottoman Empire stretched for some 600 years plus. During this time the Ottoman Empire sacked Constantinople in 1453. No historian I know of describes that sacking as “kind.” Second, Christians were given “Dhimmi” status which is to say they were considered 2nd tier subjects and forced to pay the Muslim “Jizya” tax. This tax kept Christians comparatively poor to the Muslim subject. It is true that Christians were allowed to practice their faith but only with the stipulation that they not be allowed to proselytize. Christians, also during the Ottoman Empire, were often required to wear distinct clothing that marked them out as Christian.
Second, Hall’s caricature of Muslim’s being very kind to Christians completely disregards the famous blood tax levied against Christian lands and peoples during the stretch of the Ottoman reign. This blood tax (devshirme) was in place between the 1300s-1600s and was employed especially upon the Balkans. This blood tax was levied against Christian peoples by taking the best and brightest Christian sons from their Christiaan families at a tender age by force and carrying them back to the Islamic courts where the boys were emasculated, forced to convert to Islam, and then serve as Janissaries (elite military troops) as well as bureaucrats in the Islamic political system. These Janissaries were then often employed by the Muslims as the first wave of elite troops used to conquer heretofore unconquered Christian lands or to terrorize already conquered Christian lands. Christian parents, in these lands, would often cripple their sons purposefully in order to avoid their sons being gathered up as payment for the Muslim blood tax. Those Christian parents reasoned that if their sons were crippled the Muzzies wouldn’t take their sons.
I about popped a blood vessel when I heard Hall say that the Ottoman empire was very kind to Christians. This statement almost ruined all the good work that Hall did.
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J. D. Hall said,
“I would say that Muslims have a false view of Jesus. It’s not the real view of Jesus, but they’re actually quite fond of him. And so they believe that Jesus was sent by God, that he was of God, that he said true things, that he performed real miracles, and that he’s actually coming again. That doesn’t make them Christians.”
Interview w/ Tucker Carlson
1.) This is just not true. It is not true that Mooselimbs were actually quite fond of Jesus. This is JUST NOT TRUE and it is a MAJOR ERROR to say that the Mooselimbs were actually quite fond of Jesus. One can’t call Jesus a Liar by not bowing to His own statement as being one with the Father and then say “I am fond of Jesus.” It is not a high view of Jesus to say that he was only a prophet sent by God. The Mooselimb denial of the Messiahship of Jesus by calling him a prophet is just as bad as the Bagel insisting that Jesus is boiling in excrement in hell. Jesus claimed to be God and it is the most mean-spirited and hypocritical claim to say that Jesus was only a prophet sent by God. Hall needs to re-evaluate his statement here.
2.) The fact that the Mooselimbs are not actually quite fond of Jesus is also seen in the way they have treated the followers of Jesus throughout the centuries. The Mooselimbs have been wickedness on steroids to Christians and the Christian faith.
3.) Mooselimbs do NOT believe that Jesus was sent by God. If they believed Jesus was sent by God they would repent of their wicked service of the demon god “Allah.”
4.) Mooselimbs believe that Jesus is returning and they tie his return to the Islamic eschatological final day. Mooselimbs believe that upon the return of Jesus, he will pray alongside Mooselimbs and will follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. Jesus will follow Muhammad? How can anyone suggest, given all this, that Mooselimbs are “fond of Jesus.”
5.) I do think that Tucker is trying to push people in aligning with Mooselimbs and J. D. Hall plays right into that by saying this kind of thing. I’d like to tell Tucker it is possible to understand that both Islam and Judaism are mortal enemies of Jesus Christ and of Christian people and that the best interest of Christians would be not only to stay out of those wars but also our best interest would be to see the Bagels and the Mooselimbs exhausting each other in warfare resulting only in the weakening of both.
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J. D. Hall said,
“Yeah, I don’t know how official it is, but when you listen to Christians talk about Islam, they’ll say things like, “Well, we’ve got to maintain good relationships with Israel because Islam and Christianity are natural enemies.” Well, I’m not saying that we’re not. I’m not saying that Islam and Christianity have ever had any kind of partnership, but honestly, it’s rabbinic Judaism and Christianity that historically has been at odds.”
Interview with Tucker Carlson
The last sentence in that clip above is confusing. What needs to be said is that both rabbinic Judaism and Christianity, as well as Islam and Christianity have been at odds over the centuries. Indeed, a case could be made that at times in history the Bagels worked hand in glove with the Mooselimbs to defeat the Christians. Historically, for example, the gates of Toledo were opened to the Mooselimbs by the Bagels and Toledo fell to the Mooselimb Tariq ibn Ziyad. Of course Bagel historians claim this is all myth.
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In closing in my estimation Tucker is not only interested in burying the whole notion of Judeo-Christianity, but he also has an interest in rehabilitating the Mooselimbs. Now, I quite agree with Tucker that loathing the Bagels is a good strategy, but there is no relief to be found by trying to rehabilitate the Muzzies by holding hands with them. It is possible, after all, to hold as enemies both the Bagels and the Mooselimb at the same time. In point of fact, in my estimation, a good policy to pursue would be use the Bagels and Muzzies as counter-weights to whatever American geo-political interests are. I would even suggest providing both sides enough military hardware to keep them both weak by constantly fighting one another. Since Christianity must and will conquer both before the return of Christ any policy that keeps them both weak would be a policy that is uniquely Christian.
But, as America is no longer a Christian nation that is not likely to happen.
In closing, we would say again, that J. D. Hall did a good job exposing the falseness of Judaism vis-a-vis Christianity. He also did a excellent job towards the end of the interview exposing how the nation state of Israel is taking advantage of American domestic and foreign policy. Hall’s observations at the end of the broadcast reinforces my long standing observation that Israel is not a client state of America but rather America is a client state of Israel.
One more thing. J. D. Hall exhibited real courage by saying what he said here about the Bagels. Charlie Kirk’s demise has to be on everybody’s mind who dares criticizes the Bagel. Because this is true, no one should ever question Hall’s courage.
This is helpful, aside from the nicknames and shorthand designations for Jews and Muslims. I suspect this practice is to avoid a kind of internet censorship? I deeply appreciate JD Hall’s clarity on rabbinic Judaism as having nothing in common with Od Testament covenant identity. Thanks for your analysis of this interview.
His book against Judeo-Christianity is really quite good.
Yes… the nicknames were necessary back on 2020 when on social media I was banned repeatedly for just using the words “Jews” and “Muslims.” Having picked up the habit I have not yet given it up. Besides …. you got to admit … they are kinda of funny.
I agree that his hitting Galatians Chapter 3 very hard and early is key to the whole discussion and JD did a fair job of speaking to that. But I think that before explaining historic covenant, a good verse to hit is John 5:23…. “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.” Hammer that first so that the the forthcoming explication of Covenant Theology (hereinafter CT) is fueled by destroying any notion that Jews have anything to do with God the Father. Leaving this unaddressed makes the apologist’s task one of comparing dispensationalism and CT a if they were equally valid options to be entertained. Thus no decision can be reached until all is heard about the two systems. Judaism in literally built on the exact opposite confession as that of Peter at Caesarea Philippi. Jews say “Jesus in NOT the Christ, he is NOT the Son of the living God.” That is the cornerstone of their faith and everything Jews do ultimately springs from that commitment of their will. We need to hammer this home first. We must destroy any and every notion that Jews have anything to do with God whatsoever. It is the trinitarian ignorance of the masses that allows Jews to make false claims of them being in ANY covenant with “the God of the Old Testament”. Jesus is Emanuel, God with us. You cannot claim to honor God and disregard His Son. It’s impossible, ontologically and economically impossible.
And then we must, must, must, hammer the Jews for KNOWINGLY killing the Messiah using the Parable of the Wicked Tenants found in Matt 21:33-41 with the key verse stating: “But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.” The Jews KNOWINGLY killed God’s Messiah to gain control over “the vineyard” (compare v.38 and Heb 1:2). This is who the Jews really are, people who lash out against God and seek to ruin all of creation. The are avowed enemies of Christ and God. Their claim of being in relationship with the God of the Old testament is false in every way. Peter says “they denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto them.” Jews are scum. They are sworn enemies of God and liars. They are indeed children of the devil.
Good post Chad. Thank you for leaving in here.
Enjoyed this article. I listened to the interview in question and had the same take on it. Christians must understand that both Judaism and Islam are enemies of Christ and Christendom. We need to wash our hands of alliances with both and pray they’ll destroy each other and then leave the rest of the world alone. Keep up the good work, brother.
Thank you Michael …. it’s good to know that others are coming to the same conclusion.
JD Hall is a grifter. Not too long ago, while a Pastor of a church, he was addicted to Xanax and preached high, was arrested for DUI and was accused of embezzling money from his church, and violent behavior towards his family. He used to be an internet lacking for the John MacArthur clique, while running Pulpit and Pen. He left all this for a while and ” reformed” himself and decided to jump on anti-Zionist train now that it is gaining popularity and he can grift off of it.
David,
These things are pretty well known by now. And I agree there is a good deal of grifting going on right now.
However, it is also true that J. D. has paid his dues and the past is now behind him. I can’t know for sure that his repentance is sincere but I think I need to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Having said that, I think the grift detector should be set on high with someone with a track record.
I know that most people, including myself, would not want the worst parts of my past known. J. D. has the misfortune of people knowing his unsavory past.
Thank you for the response. I can appreciate giving someone the benefit of the doubt. I myself was only too recently an alcoholic and drug addict, so I am sympathetic to a great recovery story and the humility of God’s forgiveness. But I am also no stranger to much lies and deception, and in this case I feel it’s prudent to warn and avoid him.
I am not trying to be contentious. I’ve been listening to your podcast and sermons everyday at work for months and they have been a huge blessing. The warning was meant out of brotherly love. I’d hate to see you get behind someone that I consider a wolf in sheep’s clothing like JD. Considering how often you are attacked and misrepresented by fellow Christians I can also appreciate your stance. I would rather you be right, then me.
David,
Thanks for your counsel but there is no danger of me falling under Hall’s spell. He and I have crossed swords several times already subject like his grifting, his hatred of theonomy, and his opposition to Christian Nationalism, and his Baptist ways in general.
I am not likely to be playing Abbot to his Costello any time soon.
Fair enough! I guess I’m also concerned about the platforming of men like JD Hall etc by the those of us under the Christian Nationalist umbrella. Men like Joel Webbon and the like seem to have no problem networking and promoting those that are part of the problem, which clearly your response articulates. Most men have little time to sift through the past of these Mid Eva subversives and rely on trusted networks to help sift through the trash. I can only think of my own example in my own life. Most won’t remember ‘ The Elephant Room ‘ of Chandler and Furtick that saw the platforming of TD Jakes. As an immature Christian I was taken away with TD Jakes for awhile as I trusted the other men. In regards to the current CN circle too many people are platforming highly questionable Men for the sake of influence peddling. I react in general to this phenomenon, although I’m sure anyone following you here is in little danger of being taken away by it. I guess I should contextualize the presenter and audience better.
Bless you Brother, from a Reformed Christian living in the theological desert of Vancouver Island, Canada.
Ps. I could use some Counsel and accountability from any brothers that might live near Vancouver BC Canada. If you know of anyone or anyone reading here that could connect me with some brothers it would be highly appreciated. Please reach out at my email.
YOU WRITE: “The Mooselimb denial of the Messiahship of Jesus by calling him a prophet is just as bad as the Bagel insisting that Jesus is boiling in excrement in hell.”
MY REPLY: Not really. There are degrees of sin and punishment, as in these proof texts from the gospels:
Luke 12:47-48
47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Matthew 11:21
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
YOU WRITE: “In my estimation, a good policy to pursue would be to use the Bagels and Muzzies as counter-weights to whatever American geo-political interests are. I would even suggest providing both sides enough military hardware to keep them both weak by constantly fighting one another. Since Christianity must and will conquer both before the return of Christ any policy that keeps them both weak would be a policy that is uniquely Christian.”
MY REPLY: This sounds like you’re channeling Harry Truman. I’d question any Christian profession by the freemason George Washington, but I think he offers sound counsel in his farewell address about foreign entanglements that would include funding both Mooselimbs and Bagels. There’s nothing uniquely Christian about a Pan-American policy that would dictate to the world liberal democratic values pretending to have a divine sanction. Any ‘Christian nation’ is sure to be only nominally such, since Christianity must and will conquer only the Elect in the body politic. Furthermore, I believe cultural expression, even within biblical parameters, allows for varying political systems best suited to different peoples.
The case could be easily be made that the sin of saying Jesus was a prophet but not God is a greater sin then saying that Jesus is boiling in hell in excrement since the former sin is far more subtle and is likely to more easily lead people astray. I will grant you that the punishment against those saying Jesus is boiling in hell in excrement probably will earn a deeper level of hell.
The principle “an honest enemy is better than false friend.” Or, “I would rather have you be cold than lukewarm.”
Or like C.S. Lewis put it:
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse… But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.”
And that is literally what the Muslims do (being the original Unitarian heretics).
“The future of Jews apart from Christ, like all those apart from Christ, is eternal destruction, though Jews may have even a greater judgment against them then other Christ haters since they excel at hating Jesus Christ above all others. The Jews are Senior partners in the whole Christ hating enterprise.”
I am not the type who would like to obsess over Christ-rejecting Jews too much, but I cannot help noticing that in the Book of Revelation, Christ sends messages to seven churches, and only two of them are left without any condemnation. And the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia have this thing in common, that they are both opposed to “the synagogue of Satan.”
Christ would seem to strongly imply that rejecting false Israel will bring great blessings to churches (but also cruel persecution, in the case of Smyrna).