The Joshua Fund’s podcast, ‘Inside The Epicenter,’ passes 14 million views & downloads – why are so many interested in how Evangelicals view the rapidly-changing Middle East?

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL— In January of 2021, The Joshua Fund launched our first-ever podcast, “Inside The Epicenter,” on major podcasting platforms, as well as on YouTube.

I was excited to start having long-form conversations about what was really happening in Israel and the Arab/Muslim world, discussing Bible prophecy, discussing opportunities and challenges facing the Church in the Middle East and North Africa, and discussing a wide range of theological issues.

But I confess that I never imagined the podcast would connect with – and resonate with – so many people around the world.

In the first year alone, we had more than 2.57 million views and downloads.

By the second year, “Inside The Epicenter” was in the Top 3% of all podcasts worldwide.

Today, almost four years in, we’ve had more than 14.4 million views and downloads.

And it’s in the Top 1.5% of all podcasts worldwide.

Why?

Part of this is the horrific explosion of war and violence that was set into motion against Israel by the Hamas invasion and Hezbollah attacks on October 7th and 8th, respectively.

As Lynn and I co-host the podcast, it’s clear to us that the bitter, brutal war that has ensued – and the explosion of antisemitism around the world, and the extreme bias against Israel and the Jewish people in so much of the mainstream media – has caused a massive surge of interest in the region.

People are hungry to know the truth about what’s happening here. But they need sources they can trust.

Christians are especially interested in getting a Biblical perspective on the news and understanding how they can pray and where they can give financially to make a real difference and be a real blessing. But again, they need sources they can trust.

All true – but there’s actually more.

The surge in the podcast’s popularity predates October 7th.

In a moment, I’ll explain.

First, some backstory.

WHY DID THE JOSHUA FUND CREATE ITS OWN PODCAST?

In the Fall of 2020, given the many other things on my plate – from writing books and columns and launching ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS just a few months earlier – I was hesitant to add anything more.

But the executive director of The Joshua Fund at the time, and some of the senior staff, made the case that as widely read as my books and columns are, there are many people who just don’t have the time or interest in reading, but still are hungry to learn about topics that intrigue them.

Podcasting, they said, was becoming increasingly popular among people of all ages, but particularly among young people, who want to absorb information on their own schedule, anytime day or night, even while they’re driving, jogging, walking, working out, commuting on train or plane or bus, going to school, or just working around the house.

A unique and original podcast – especially one from Jerusalem – could really help educate people about who Evangelical Christians are, what we believe, why we love Israel so much, and why we also love Israel’s neighbors.

It could also explain what the threats in the Middle East and North Africa really are, how the Church is faring in the region that we call the “Epicenter,” and how Christians can pray for, encourage, and financially invest in the Church in the region, so that they have more opportunities to be the light of Jesus Christ to those living in darkness, show compassion to those living in poverty, and bring hope and healing to Jews, Muslims and others living in fear and pain.

What’s more, during a time of the global COVID pandemic, a podcast could reach people unable to go to church, or to Christian conferences, or to come visit Israel.

It could also allow me to teach and explain and encourage and answer people’s questions from my home base in Jerusalem, rather than traveling all over the planet as extensively as I had in the past.

EDUCATING THE CHURCH IS ONE OF THE CENTRAL MISSIONS OF THE JOSHUA FUND

Despite my very full schedule, I took their counsel seriously.

After all, educating the Church about God’s love and prophetic plan for Israel and her neighbors is one of the central missions of The Joshua Fund.

And The Joshua Fund is one of the great passions of Lynn’s and my lives.

It’s the non-profit organization that we founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, according to the Abrahamic Covenant as recorded in Genesis 12:1-3.

Over the past 18 years, by God’s grace, The Joshua Fund has been able to invest more than $100 million in strengthening the Church in the Epicenter and blessing the people of Israel, the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and those living in five neighboring Arab countries (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt).

So, after releasing a trailer and a few teaser episodes in December of 2020, we officially launched our first podcast – “Inside The Epicenter with Joel C. Rosenberg” – in January 2021, making it available on all major podcast platforms, as well as on YouTube.

Particularly encouraging to us is that about one-in-four members of our audience are under the age of 35.

The bulk of our audience is in the United States, but we’re also seeing a strong response around the world, particularly in Canada, Israel, France, Japan, Singapore, Malta, Paraguay and the Philippines.

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING FROM THE PODCAST’S POPULARITY?

Why is the podcast resonating with so many people?

We believe there are several answers:

First, Christians in the U.S., Canada, and around the world are hungry for far more in-depth teaching about God’s love and plan for Israel than they are getting from their churches.

They want to hear long-form discussions of challenging and controversial but important topics related to Israel and the Jewish people from a sound biblical perspective, or doing so in a way that respects those in the audience who don’t agree.

Interest has certainly surged since the horrors of October 7th, and understandably so.

But the podcast’s popularity even before Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah launched their multifront war against Israel tells us this interest is real and deep.

Second, millions of Christians around the world who love Israel and the Jewish people are also hungry for more teachings about God’s love and plan for Arabs, Iranians and Muslims more broadly.

They want to better understand why followers of Jesus Christ are commanded to love them, too, whether they are neighbors or outright enemies, and how to love them in real and practical ways.

Third, it’s not just Christians who are listening – we have found that many Jews, Muslims, and people of different faiths, and of no faith, are increasingly curious about how Evangelical Christians view Israel and the Arab/Muslim world.

They hear a lot about Evangelicals in the media. However, often the media coverage is negative. Yet, people of other faiths are curious. They may not know specifically that there are some 60 million Evangelicals in the United States and some 600 million worldwide. But they sense that Evangelicals are a large and influential community. They see that most Evangelicals love Israel very deeply. They want to know why but don’t always know where to turn.

The podcast, thus, becomes a safe place to turn for answers.

What’s more, people who want a basic primer about Biblical history, as well as the geopolitical history of Israel and the Middle East, are finding that the “Inside The Epicenter” podcasting is a useful place to turn.

Here, they can get a deeper dive into the people and issues in the region and get honest, clear and trustworthy information.

THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN ALL ISRAEL NEWS, ALL ARAB NEWS, AND THE PODCAST

The podcast, of course, isn’t the only educational initiative of The Joshua Fund (TJF), though it is one of the most fruitful.

Over the past 18 years, TJF has also organized Epicenter Conferences and Epicenter Briefings.

We have led “Prayer & Vision Tours” for Christians to visit Israel, many for their very first time.

What’s more, from the very day that ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS launched on Sept. 1, 2020, The Joshua Fund (TJF) has been a strategic investor.

In the beginning, TJF provided modest grants to these news, analysis, and educational platforms.

Over time, however, TJF’s Board has chosen to steadily scale up its financial support of the sites, ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS.

Why?

Because the Board has seen the sites as increasingly effective ways to reach, educate, inspire, and mobilize Christians to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and strengthen the Church in the Middle East.

Indeed, there is a great synergy – and a great alliance – between the educational missions of both non-profit organizations.

Here at ALL ISRAEL NEWS, we’re very happy to report on and promote the “Inside The Epicenter” podcast.

Likewise, as Lynn and I co-host the podcast, we’re very happy to quote from, refer to, and discuss articles and videos published by ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS.

What does Year 5 hold for the podcast?

We can only imagine – 2024 has gone nothing like we expected and only God knows what lies ahead.

But Lynn and I are deeply grateful for these extraordinary platforms to explain what’s really happening in Israel and the region, what God is doing with His Church in the region, and how Christians around the world can help.

And now more than ever.