The Total Lie of a Zionist Conspiracy Proceeding from Scofield’s Reference Bible

Part One    Part Two     Part Three

The Biblical and Long History of Premillennialism

Premillennialism, the belief that Jesus Christ will return physically to Earth before establishing a literal 1,000-year millennial kingdom (as described in Revelation 20), has deep roots in early Christian interpretation and teaching. It is not a modern invention tied to Zionist conspiracies or funding by the Rothschild family, nor is it a heresy that “entered” the church later. Instead, it aligns with what many describe as a grammatical-historical (or literal) approach to biblical texts, particularly prophetic passages, and was the predominant eschatological view among key early church figures.

This long history of literal, grammatical-historical interpretation, especially relating to the meaning of the prophetic passages, is termed,  premillennialism.  Those who take a plain reading of the Bible, stressing the actual meaning of the words in their context and their grammatical syntax, saw and still see a sharp distinction between Israel and the church.  Varied differing factions, holding to allegorization or spiritualization of the Bible, targeted and still attack premillennialists as merely Zionist manipulation.

Recent Slanderers of Premillennialism

Two of the most prominent contemporary slanderers of premillennialism, both ignorant to the extent of mostly biblical illiteracy, are Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson.  Both obviously conform to their biases against Israel and the Jews in their easy acceptance of rank deception about Bible belief and practice.  They make bold unsubstantiated statements as if they are true.

Though persistent, conspiratorial claims against premillennialism are unsubstantiated and often draw on antisemitic stereotypes.  Premillennialism traces to the apostolic era and was widely held in the first few centuries of Christianity, based on a straightforward reading of scriptures, which describe Christ’s reign after His return. This view was not heretical but orthodox according to early leaders, who interpreted prophetic texts literally rather than allegorically, the latter a method dominated later under state-church figures like Augustine.

Early Proponents of Premillennialism

Key early proponents of premillennialism include:

• Papias (c. 60–130 AD): A disciple of the apostle John, he taught a millennial kingdom on earth following the resurrection, emphasizing material blessings like abundant harvests.
• Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD): In his Dialogue with Trypho, he affirmed a 1,000-year reign in a rebuilt Jerusalem, calling it the belief of “right-minded Christians” and linking it directly to biblical prophecy.
• Irenaeus (c. 130–202 AD): A student of Polycarp, who was discipled by John), extensively defended premillennialism in Against Heresies, viewing it as a weapon against Gnosticism’s denial of a physical resurrection and kingdom. He saw the millennium as a time of earthly renewal.
• Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD) described a 1,000-year kingdom descending from heaven, with Jerusalem as its center, after Christ’s return.
• Others: Figures like Polycarp (c. 70–155 AD), Hippolytus (c. 170–235 AD), and Lactantius (c. 250–325 AD) also held similar views.

Premillennialism was still the majority view of professing Christianity for the first 200–300 years, as attested by historical surveys. It began to wane in the 3rd–4th centuries due to the rise of allegorical interpretation, promoted by Origen and later Augustine, who favored amillennialism, seeing the millennium as merely a symbol of the current church age.  The conspiracy was under Constantine and the state church of the Roman Empire, where growing institutional power shifted away from expecting an imminent return of Christ.

Lies

Claims that “Zionists concocted the heresy of” premillennialism or especially dispensationalism, a systematization of premillennialism, funded by the Rothschilds (rich European Jews), often focuses on C. I. Scofield and the publication of his reference Bible. Proponents falsely claim that Jewish financiers like Samuel Untermeyer or the Rothschilds backed Scofield to promote pro-Israel theology, aiding Zionism’s goals (e.g., the Balfour Declaration of 1917, addressed to Lord Walter Rothschild).

Narratives of a Zionist conspiracy cite Scofield’s alleged ties to the Lotus Club (via Untermeyer) and suggest his Bible notes twisted scripture to support Jewish return to Palestine. A key source for this lie is Joseph M. Canfield’s 1988 book The Incredible Scofield and His Book, which portrays Scofield as a fraud and implies Zionist orchestration.  However, these claims lack credible evidence and are widely debunked as conspiracy theories rooted in antisemitic tropes about Jewish financial control (e.g., Rothschild myths dating to the 19th century).

Truth

Investigations show:

• Scofield’s funders were non-Jewish Christians like Alwyn Ball Jr., John T. Pirie, John B. Bowman, and Francis E. Fitch.
• No verifiable links to Rothschilds; claims trace to unreliable sources like Executive Intelligence Review (associated with Lyndon LaRouche’s antisemitic views).
• Canfield’s book, while detailed, is biased against dispensationalism and relies on speculation; reviews note its anti-Scofield slant without primary evidence for funding claims.
• Even if dispensationalism indirectly supported Zionism (e.g., by interpreting prophecies literally), this stems from theological conviction, not conspiracy. Dispensationalists were not uniformly pro-Zionist.

Instead, premillennialism is a biblically rooted, historical interpretation from Christianity’s origins, not a heretical invention. Conspiracy theories conflate it with dispensationalism and exaggerate unproven ties to Zionism, often for ideological reasons.  Scofield did popularize preexisting ideas, but he did not even come close to originating premillennialism or the hermeneutic of dispensationalism, which emphasizes the obvious continuities and discontinuities of the Bible.