On “Christian Zionism”
By Dennis Sanders | Related entries in Israel, Religion, The War On Terrorism, WarWith the recent crisis going on in the Middle East, it might be important to talk about some Christians who are involved in the issues facing the region and how their views might be a detriment to finding a peaceful and just solution. This post is about a movement called “Christian Zionism.”
What is Christian Zionism? This defintion comes from Donald Wagner:
Christian Zionists insist that all of historic Palestine — including all the land west of the Jordan which was occupied by Israel after the 1967 war — must be under the control of the Jewish people, for they see that as one of the necessary stages prior to the second coming of Jesus. Among their other basis tenets:• God’s covenant with Israel is eternal, exclusive and will not be abrogated, according to Genesis 12:1-7; 15:4-7; 17:1-8; Leviticus 26:44-45; Deuteronomy 7:7-8.
• The Bible speaks of two distinct and parallel covenants, one between God and Israel, one between God and the church. The latter covenant is superseded by the covenant with Israel. The church is a “mere parenthesis” in God’s plan and as such it will be removed from history during an event called the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-17; 5:1-11). At that point, Israel, the nation, will be restored as the primary instrument of God on earth.
• Genesis 12:3 (”I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you”) should be interpreted literally — which leads to maximum political, economic, moral and spiritual support for the modern state of Israel and for all the Jewish people.
• Apocalyptic texts like the Book of Daniel, Zechariah 9-12, Ezekiel 37-8, I Thessalonians 4-5 and the Book of Revelation refer to literal and future events.
• The establishment of the state of Israel, the rebuilding of the Third Temple, the rise of the Antichrist and the buildup of armies poised to attack Israel are among the signs leading to the final eschatological battle and Jesus’ return for his thousand-year reign. The movement looks for the escalating power of satanic forces aligned with the antichrist that will do battle with Israel and its allies as the end draws near. Judgment will befall nations and individuals according to how they “bless Israel.”
Christian Zionists don’t believe in any attempts at peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors, especially the Palestinians. It also tends to be anti-Arab and anti-Muslim. Here is what Pat Robertson says about a “two-state solution (Israel and a Palestinian state):
If a Palestinian State is created in the heart of Israel with sovereign power to deploy troops, import modern weapons-even weapons of mass destruction-and operate with full secrecy and diplomatic immunity, the ability of the State of Israel to defend itself will be fatally compromised.Ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake-the entire world is being convulsed by a religious struggle. The fight is not about money or territory; it is not about poverty versus wealth; it is not about ancient customs versus modernity. No-the struggle is whether Hubal, the Moon God of Mecca, known as Allah, is supreme, or whether the Judeo-Christian Jehovah God of the Bible is Supreme.
If God’s chosen people turn over to Allah control of their most sacred sites-if they surrender to Muslim vandals the tombs of Rachel, of Joseph, of the Patriarchs, of the ancient prophets-if they believe their claim to the Holy Land comes only from Lord Balfour of England and the ever fickle United Nations rather than the promises of Almighty God-then in that event, Islam will have won the battle. Throughout the Muslim world the message will go forth-”Allah is greater than Jehovah. The promises of Jehovah to the Jews are meaningless.
“We can now, in the name of Allah, move to crush the Jews and drive them out of the land that belongs to Allah.”
In short, those political initiatives that some have asserted will guarantee peace, will in truth guarantee unending struggle and ultimate failure. Those political leaders who only understand the secular dimension of Israel’s existence and who cavalierly dismiss the spiritual dimension will find that they receive the mess of pottage of Esau rather than the inheritance of Jacob.
Some groups like the International Christian Embassy promote a view that Israel belongs only to the Jews and that anyone who divides the land (which would include the West Bank and Gaza) would fall prey to God’s wrath.
In short, these groups do not want to give the Palestinians one piece of land. They have rejected agreements from Camp David, to Oslo to the current “Roadmap.” For them, to divide the land is to commit a grave sin.
What is also interesting as that Christian Zionism tends to ignore the Palestinian and Arab Christians who have resided in the area for nearly two millenia. Corrine Whitlach of the Churches for Peace in the Middle East, notes:
U.S. Christians travel to the Holy Land as pilgrims and are a major segment of the tourism industry. They visit the holy sites but most have virtually no contact with Arab Christians themselves. Arab Christians hold strongly negative views of Christian Zionism, which is considered by some to be an instrument of Western colonialism and American imperialism. The zealous support given Israel’s claim of sovereignty over all of Jerusalem and the building of settlements in “Judea and Samaria� by these Western Christians angers both Christian and Muslim Palestinians. Some evangelical churches have supportive relationships with settlements.Among Palestinians, there are the traditional churches – Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic – and the so-called “reform� churches established in the 19th century – Lutherans and Episcopalians or Anglicans. They work ecumenically through the Middle East Council of Churches. These Christians consider themselves, and are considered by the Muslims, to be an integral part of the Palestinian community, even though they are a minority of less than 2%.
From his Jerusalem office, Bishop Munib Younan, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, has written that “Christian Zionism is the enemy of peace in the Middle East.� The Rev. Naim Ateek, director of Jerusalem’s Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theological Center, has called pre-millenialism a “heresy� and Christian Zionism a “menace.�
Just because they support Israel, doesn’t mean these people are good. In my view, they hold views that are rather bigoted towards Arabs. They also will only make the crisis worse not better. Israelis rightly need security and need to not have to face daily rocket attacks or suicide bombers. However, the Palenstians need a place they can call their own. Both are important and negotiators from around the world have to work to hammer out a lasting and just peace that will honor both sides. The Christian Zionists are an anathema to any peace process.
The Christian Zionists also threaten our campaign against terror. People like bin Laden have used the Palestinian conflict as a recruitment tool to join his genocidal brand of Isalm. We need to find ways to “drain the swamp” and not give bin Laden and ilk a leg up.
Finally, I want to speak as a Christian pastor. The Jesus I worship is one who brought people together. He met people from all walks of life, Jewish, Samaritan and Roman. I don’t see how once can merge an ideology that seems to be very narrow in its viewpoint with a God who loved the whole world and sent his Son to bring us all salvation. As a Christian, I believe God loves both the Jew and the Arab, the rabbi and the iman.
Mainstream Americans should not ally with these people. They are not interested in peace. No matter how you slice it, Christian Zionism is just another form of religious fundamentalism.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 and is filed under Israel, Religion, The War On Terrorism, War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
August 2nd, 2006 at 1:45 am
Good post and you raise a few good points. Additionally subscription to this belief affects other important issues (global warming for example) as Christian Zionists don’t believe humanity is going to be around much longer.
August 2nd, 2006 at 8:55 am
Hmm…It’s a typical critics of christian zionism with some aspects inflated.
.
From a theological point of view their (christian zionists) uderstanding and interpretation of Scriptures is reasonable (see e.g. http://www.icej.org/articles/positon ).
.
As to the policy in the Middle East, they view things realistic.
August 2nd, 2006 at 9:24 am
Christian zionists who want to bring on the end of the world are crazy, but I’m starting to wonder how much of the prophecy is merely an “observation” of things destined to come, rather than a goal that one should struggle to achieve.
Maybe the fact that chaos will ensue if Palestine is divided is simply an inevitable result of Muslim zealotry, as Mr. Robertson so elequently described (;P).
Consider the Muslim apocalyptic Eschatology:
The “Mahdi,” of which the Shia’t version has become featured in the news recently, is not actually the Islamic “messiah.” He is more like a John the Baptist type figure – A political leader who will rally the world’s Muslims and preach at Mecca when the messiah will be revealed. Guess who that Messiah is:
Jesus Christ.
Yes, Muslims (especially Sunnis) believe Jesus died (not on the cross, by the way) and was ressurected into heaven and is currently waiting in Paradise for the Qiamat (the Islamic Apocalypse), where he will be re-incarnated and lead the World’s Muslims into a final military battle against the Infidel, purifying the world for Allah.
A man claiming to be the second coming of christ will unite the world in an armed stuggle against his enemies, most of whom would be considered Christians. Sounds like something Pat robertson would claim is taken right out of the book of revelation.
Hold on to your hats! Woo hoo!
August 2nd, 2006 at 7:26 pm
Dennis, I happen to agree. Leave out the fact that I am a non-believer. That has nothing to do with how I see your analysis, or the comparative truth.
Any escalation in the war between Islam, Judaism and Christianity will not be the creation of the moderate believers.
That war will be between the religious extremists on both sides.
God help the world if the US decides its future direction on religious rather than secular grounds. And how far away is that?
August 2nd, 2006 at 9:58 pm
Thank you. Fundamentalism on both sides is dangerous to us all.
August 3rd, 2006 at 8:51 am
Miro,
Which “aspects” of Christian Zionism were “inflated” by Mr. Sanders?
And good one…way to to use the ICEJ info to point out how “reasonable” Christian Zionist ideology is. Did you read the article referenced: http://www.icej.org/article.php?id=2797 ? Yeah… ICEJ are “reasonable” to the extent that I have never heard anyone but extremist Israeli settlers express something similar.
Try reading what the people who live in these areas believe.
Cheers.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:36 pm
Pat Robertson said:
“Ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake-the entire world is being convulsed by a religious struggle. The fight is not about money or territory; it is not about poverty versus wealth; it is not about ancient customs versus modernity. No-the struggle is whether Hubal, the Moon God of Mecca, known as Allah, is supreme, or whether the Judeo-Christian Jehovah God of the Bible is Supreme.”
I’ll agree that the world is convulsed in a religious struggle, but I disagree that it’s not about money, territory, poverty, wealth, ancient customs and modernity. I think it suspicious when people claim that their god has some type of interest in real estate. Religious leaders (and god knows who else) are using their followers to wage battles for money, power, and probably world domination – who knows, it wouldn’t surprise me. I really wish (which I could do in one hand and crap in the other and see which fills up first) I could see what the global situation would be if religion was out of it.
And, NO, the US should absolutely not be choosing up sides on this one. We need to take a secular role and maybe act as ref for a change.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Maybe Pat Robertsonisn’t seeing the forest for the trees. “Ancient customs versus modernity” could be interpreted as Hubal vs Jehovah; because “modernity” which I assume means liberty, pluralism, tolerance and all that jazz, encompasses the God that Dennis worships; Whereas “ancient customs” are the fascist decrees of sharia law and Islamic conquest, represented by the pagan moon god who fulfils the human desire for conquest and depravity. The good muslims, or hindus or zoroastrians for that matter would be on the side of the true God vs the false pagan god. All this religious eschatology makes it Fun!, like Indiana Jones or something. C’mon Meredith =P
Just look at the 20th century. Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Pol-Pot, Castro, Kim-Il Song, Mussolini, Franco, Pinochette ect… It wasn’t much better.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:31 pm
Great post, Dennis, thank you. Bless you.
August 4th, 2006 at 3:20 am
Hi, Tipton,
I have read articles from both sides. Evangelical exegesis od Bible is very close to ICEJ position.
So that’s why I’m christian zionist too.
Miro
August 8th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
The christian Zionists have a huge problem. The promise they claim was a genetic one and yet they substitute ‘Jews’ for Israelites. In the book of Esther, it tells us many people at that time became Jews, people of other nationalities, throughout 127 provinces in the Middle East region all the way to Ethiopia.
So, if the promise was given to ‘Jews’, it would include all converts to Judaism. If it was given to the genetic descendents of Jacob (12 tribes of Israel/IsraelITES…not IsraelIS), then the genetic background of each Jew in Israel would need to be verified.
Just some points from the original post:
**The promise in Genesis 12 was given to Abraham (not ‘the Jews’, many of whom have converted through the years..as in Esther)
**Galatians 3:16 and folowing tells us that the covenant and promises were given to Abraham and to his ’seed’ (singular), and that that seed is Jesus Christ..not the Israelites nor ‘the Jews’.
**Hebrews tells us that the Old Covenant was obsoleted by the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6-13)
**Paul tells us about the two covenants in Galatians 4:22-26 and identifies the Jews (practicers of Judaism) as the figurative children of Hagar, and Christians as the figurative children of Sarah.
**The words ‘replacement theology, ‘rapture’ and Trinity are not in the Bible. In fact, the rapture doctrine was started fairly recently by John Darby and then promoted and expounded by Dr. Scofield of ‘Scofield Bible’ fame. No one can bring up a Scripture using any of these terms in the Bible.
**Literalism leads to big problems: Jesus is called the Lamb of God (and is not a baby sheep), and Revelation, among other pictorial language, talks about a dragon in front of a woman about to give birth, ready to devour her child when it is born. No christian Zionist would say this was a literal dragon nor a literal woman.
**’Praying for the peace of Jerusalem’ (Psalms 122:6) was for a specific time, asked for by David during his reign, and rebuked in the times of prophets like Jeremiah when the priests in his times were preaching peace. God chose to allow the destruction of Jerusalem and the removal of both the people of Israel and Judah to foreign nations.
Why, if we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem at all times, does Zechariah 14, talking about the Lord’s coming and reigning, tell us that HE Himself will bring all nations to fight against it, that Jerusalem will be captured and half the city will go into exile?
Bottomline regarding any promise to land being given to a religious group: I can become a Jew. I cannot become an Israelite. If I become a Jew, am I entitled to a ‘piece of the rock’? Or do I need, rather, to prove my genetic link to the twelve tribes?
cristian Zionism is uninformed, disjointed and unbiblical.
Next time you talk to a christian Zionist, ask them:
**To show you where God gave ‘the state of Israel’ to ‘the Jews’ in Scripture. You will see Abraham and the Israelites, and you will see that the covenant had terms and that it was broken but no everlasting, unconditional promise of land to ‘the Jews’.
**To explain why the covenant of the land is everlasting when Revelation and II Peter tell us that the existing world will be destroyed.
**Why David was promised someone to sit on his throne forever, unconditionally, but then conditions were given when the promise was repeated by him to his son Solomon. (II Samuel 7:11-16, I Kings 2:3)
**Why followers of a religion who reject Jesus Christ would be ruling with Jesus Christ in the Millenium (another word not in the Bible). Tell them the Anti-Christ is never mentioned except in I John 2:18 and II John vs. 7 and anti-christ is described as “those ‘who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” and “they went out from us but they did not really belong to us. ” If they tell you these are converted Jews, ask for Scripture chapter and verse and make sure it makes sense…not a spin. The Bible makes it clear that only a remnant will believe in Jesus Christ, not the entire.
If they use the scripture “And so all Israel will be saved.” in Romans 11:26, back them up in the chapter to verse 13 where Paul clearly states “I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry IN THE HOPE THAT I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save SOME OF THEM.” They cannot explain (nor can anyone) what the ‘full number of the Gentiles’ coming in means (they can and do guess). But you can be sure of this…there is NO other way to right-standing with God according to the Bible than faith in Jesus Christ. And SO all Israel (and all OTHERS) will be saved.
**Why the state of Israel is not divided by tribes and where in the Bible Israel is ever referred to as a democracy. It never is.
**What happened to two of the 12 Israelite tribes listed in Revelation 7 that come up missing: Dan and Ephraim.
Without using the unbiblical term ‘replacement theology’, ask them to explain why they are right and Paul and Peter are wrong when they clearly tell us that Christians are the people of God, chosen, a holy nation, a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9-10) and that a Jew is one inwardly, not outwardly and that Paul even more clearly states “Understand then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.” and that “those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” and that “He redeemed us in order that the BLESSING GIVEN TO ABRAHAM might come to the GENTILES through CHRIST JESUS”. And that “If you belong to Christ, THEN ARE YOU ABRAHAM’S SEED AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE.” Galatians 3
When you ask them, what you will get are the usual buzzwords and spin: Replacement theology, anti-christ, rapture.
Buzzzzz…..
“II Peter 3:16b: “…..some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, AS THEY DO THE OTHER SCRIPTURES, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.”
The Bible is extremely clear that a right relationship with God comes by faith in Jesus Christ and not through some genetics or law-based religion. Jesus put no stock in genetics. He told those who proudly traced their ancestry to Abraham: “And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘we have Abraham as our father’. I tell you that out of these STONES God can raise up children for Abraham.”
You may choose to follow and believe the theology of John Hagee. I’ll stick to the theology of Jesus, Peter, and Paul.
ONE MORE POINT:
If the democratic modern state of Israel was promised to the Jews in the Bible..it begs the question: Living in a time when the Romans were in control of Jerusalem and the Talmudic Jews of the New Covenant times were looking forward to the Messiah’s coming who would re-establish an earthly kingdom, why wouldn’t Jesus have reassured them that this was going to happen in the future as a ‘Jewish state’ where they (the Jews) would be gathered from all over the world to ‘Israel’?
Why wouldn’t Paul? James the Lord’s brother? John? Peter, surely? No. Only the christian Zionist proponents are feverishly trying to find ways to twist Scripture into such doctrine. Jesus and no writer of the New Covenant did. Not even the apostle John in the Revelation God gave to Jesus Christ about things ‘which must shortly come to pass.’
(I have started a blog which goes deeper into the subject of christian Zionism and I would like to post the link, if that’s permissible.)
August 30th, 2006 at 6:59 am
One more point (Acts): “…Jesus. 3:21 This one58 heaven must59 receive until the time all things are restored,60 which God declared61 from times long ago62 through his holy prophets..” (netbible.org)”
.
God declared through prophets restoration of Israel (Jer, Ez., Is.). Second comming of Jesus is connected to the events foretold by jewish prophets.
October 19th, 2006 at 11:55 am
We (Christians) are dangerously close to Self Fulfilling Prophecy. The Bible never tells us to support a future Israel. Sure, there are plenty of people who piece together various verses to attempt to prove a point to the contrary. But, many doctrines have been pieced together in this way.
It’s very important to realize that God will make the future despite us. He doesn’t need our help. It’s sad, funny also, that Christians seem to think that they can somehow usher in, or speed up God by supporting what they think will happen in the future. Instead, we should focus on Christ and what he stood for: Love your enemies; turn the other cheek, give to those who ask, don’t seek revenge, just to name a few. It’s wrong when somebody blows up a home, whether your a member of Hamas, or a Jewish soldier. Remember, ask yourself what Christ thinks about this. Would he be driving that bulldozer or igniting the explosives?
Also, current Israeli government is secular at best. Why do I as a Christian want to throw my support behind somebody who has no concern for God and his ways. My support is for Christ and those who want his ways.
It’s like abortion protesters. How in the world is picketing a clinic going to bring somebody to Christ. All it’s going to do is say: “we think you’re a dirty evil sinner.” Instead, tell them about Jesus. Don’t tell them about how wrong they are. Does anybody really think that a woman who has decided to get an abortion is going to see a protester and think: “ya, there right… abortion is wrong and I’m evil. I should become a Christian.” Connect the dots here please. It’s the compasion of Christ that leads people to salvation.
Lastly, we need to be aware that evil exists. The Prince of Persia… where did he go? The Bible tells us about him. Is he on vacation? Let’s remember that we are involved with things we don’t understand, therefore, don’t be so arrogant that you pick a side and assume that God is smiling down on you. Come on people, just do what Christ said and nothing more. We are entirely accountable for the things we support and the reputation we give Christianity.
January 8th, 2007 at 12:40 am
Miro, can you tell me what the restoration of Israel means? Since it is not in its Biblical boundaries, is not divided by tribes, and doesn’t not follow the laws by any means, nor is it accepting of aliens, nor is it following the priestly divisions, etc., etc., ad infinitum, how can you possibly think Israel of today is in any way part of ‘Jewish prophets’ prophecies??
There are some excellent sites opposing Christian Zionism.
http://christianzionismexposed.blogspot.com/
http://www.christianzionism.org/default.asp
Scott, I agree with almost everything you said. However, I believe it is the duty of every Christian to oppose doctrines and actions that bring reproach to the name of Jesus and his teachings. You have named some great basics; loving enemies, turning the cheek, etc. When we live in a country which claims to be ‘christian’ and see just the opposite taking place with the support and promotion of so-called ‘christian’ leaders, then I believe we have to speak up and challenge the use of Christ’s name for any such purposes and by such people, just like Paul confronted Peter ‘to his face’ when he was swayed into supporting the christian Zionists/Pharisees of his time.
Did you know that the Lubavitch/Chabad Jews have, since 1994 or 1995, put Gentiles under their version of a Gentile Law called the Noahide Law? Check and see if this is not true:
Whereas Congress recognizes the historical tradition of ethical values and principles which are the basis of civilized society and upon which our great Nation was founded;
Whereas these ethical values and principles have been the bedrock of society from the dawn of civilization, when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws;
…
Whereas the Lubavitch movement has fostered and promoted these ethical values and principles throughout the world;
Whereas Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader of the Lubavitch movement, is universally respected and revered and his eighty-ninth birthday falls on March 26, 1991;
Whereas in tribute to this great spiritual leader, `the rebbe’, this, his ninetieth year will be seen as one of `education and giving’, the year in which we turn to education and charity to return the world to the moral and ethical values contained in the Seven Noahide Laws; and
Whereas this will be reflected in an international scroll of honor signed by the President of the United States and other heads of state: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That March 26, 1991, the start of the ninetieth year of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, leader of the worldwide Lubavitch movement, is designated as `Education Day, U.S.A.’. The President is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe such day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
� US Congress, HR 104 Public Law 102-14 (1)
And then see what a Jewish commentator says about why we Gentiles should live under these laws here:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/BenShapiro/2003/12/31/why_christianity_is_good_for_america_–_part_ii
Christian Zionism and Zionism are very dangerous.