What is Christian Zionism?

by Jesma O'Hara

Much has been written in recent times concerning the return of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland, Eretz Israel, the Land of Israel.  Christians throughout the world who identify with God’s great redemptive plan to bring the Jewish people back to the land have come to be called Christian Zionists. 

It is important that we understand the true meaning of this term and that we see that it is firmly rooted in the word of God. 

Zionism may have its outworking in this world’s political arena, but it is first and foremost a spiritual phenomena.

SO WHAT EXACTLY IS ZIONISM?

According to Yigal Allon, speaking to the United Nations General Assembly on September 30, 1975, 1Zionism is…

•     The modern expression of the ancient Jewish heritage
  
  
•     The national liberation movement of a people exiled from its historic homeland and

   dispersed among the nations of the world.

•    The redemption of an ancient nation from a tragic lot and the redemption of a land   neglected for centuries.
  
  
•    The revival of an ancient language and culture in which the vision of universal peace is the central theme.
  
  
•    The embodiment of a unique pioneering spirit, of the dignity of labour and enduring human values.
  
  
•    Creating a society, however imperfect it may be, which tries to implement the highest ideals of democracy – political, social and cultural – for all the inhabitants of Israel, irrespective of religious belief, race or sex.
  
  
•    ZIONISM IS THE CONSTANT AND UNRELENTING EFFORT TO REALISE THE NATIONAL AND UNIVERSAL VISION OF THE PROPHETS OF ISRAEL.

On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion, first Prime Minister of the re created state of Israel, read out the Declaration of Independence, excerpts of which follow…2

“The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people.  Here their spiritual, religious and national identity was formed.  Here they achieved independence and created a culture of national and universal significance.  Here they wrote and gave the Bible to the world.
Exiled from Palestine, the Jewish people remained faithful to it in all the countries of their dispersion, never ceasing to pray and hope for their return and the restoration of their national freedom.

Impelled by this historic association, Jews strove throughout the centuries to go back to the land of their fathers and regain their Statehood.  In recent decades they returned in their masses.  They reclaimed the wilderness, revived their language, built cities and villages and established a vigorous and evergrowing community, with its own economic and cultural life.  They sought peace yet were prepared to defend themselves.  They brought the blessings of progress to all the inhabitants of the country.

This right was acknowledged by the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917, and is re affirmed by the Mandate of the League of Nations, which gave explicit international recognition to the historic connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and their right to reconstitute their national home.

The Nazi Holocaust, which engulfed millions of Jews in Europe, proved anew the urgency of the re establishment of the Jewish State, which would solve the problem of Jewish homelessness by opening the gates to all Jews and lifting the Jewish people to equality in the family of nations.

The survivors of the European catastrophe, as well as Jews from other lands, proclaiming their right to a life of dignity, freedom and labour, and undeterred by hazards, hardships and obstacles, have tried unceasingly to enter Palestine.

In the Second World War the Jewish people in Palestine made a full contribution in the struggle of freedom loving nations against the Nazi evil.  The sacrifices of their soldiers and the efforts of their workers gained them title to rank with the peoples who founded the United Nations.

On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution for the establishment of an independent Jewish State in Palestine, and called upon inhabitants of the country to take such steps as may be necessary on their part to put the plan into effect.

ZIONISM IS ROOTED IN THE PROMISES OF GOD FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

The word Zion is first mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:7 “Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the City of David.”  The word “Zion” means “a sunny place” or “sunny mountain”, and was first used for the area covering the ridge of Ophel, the original city of Jerusalem.  The use of the word Zion spread until it was extended to take in Mount Moriah (The Temple Mount) and all of Jerusalem as the city grew.

Psalm 84:5 “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You; in whose heart are the highways to Zion.”  3

Psalm 87:1  “The Lord loves the gates of Zion, His foundation on the holy mountains, more than all the dwellings of Jacob.”

Psalm 125:1  “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion that cannot be moved, enduring forever.”

The longing for Zion was a part of Jewish life from the time of David and it took form in an even greater measure during the Babylonian captivity.  [Psalm 137]  Three times a day Jews in Diaspora turned to face Zion (Jerusalem) to pray, and recited the words, “L’Shana haba ha B’Yerushalyim”,  “Next year in Jerusalem,” at their special feast times.  Even the celebration of a wedding was an opportunity to remember Zion. 5

Towards the end of the nineteenth century the name ‘Zionism’ was given to the movement which Theodore Hertzl brought to birth, but in reality, it was the heart cry of the Jewish people down through the ages… a longing to return to the land of their forefathers, the land given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as an everlasting possession.

God’s promise to Abraham…  Genesis 17:7-8 “I will maintain My covenant between Me and you, and your offspring to come, as an everlasting covenant throughout the ages, to be a God to you and to your offspring to come.  I assign the land you sojourn in to you and your offspring to come, all the Land of Canaan, as an everlasting holding.  I will be their God.”

Repeated to Jacob…  Genesis 28:13-14  “And the Lord was standing beside him and He said, I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac: the ground on which you are lying I will assign to you and your offspring.  Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread out to the west and the east, to the north and the south.  All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants.”

Promised to David, and once again tied to the promise of redemption… Psalm 89:4-5 “I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to David My servant; I will establish your offspring forever, I will confirm your throne for all generations.”

The prophets also contain many references to God’s great redemptive Zionist plan.

Isaiah 1:27  “Zion shall be saved in the judgement, her repentant ones in the retribution.”

Isaiah 2:2-3  “In the days to come, the Mount of the Lord’s House shall stand firm above the mountains and tower above the hills; and all the nations shall gaze on it with joy.  And the many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let us go up to the Mount of the Lord, and to the House of the God of Jacob; that He may instruct us in His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.  “For instruction shall come forth from Zion, the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 4:3-6  “And those who remain in Zion and are left in Jerusalem – all who are inscribed for life in Jerusalem shall be called holy.  When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and from Jerusalem’s midst has rinsed out her infamy – in a spirit of judgement and in a spirit of purging – the Lord will create over the whole shrine and meeting place of Mount Zion cloud by day and smoke with a glow of flaming fire by night.  Indeed, over all the glory shall hang a canopy, which shall serve as a pavilion for shade from heat by day and as a shelter for protection against drenching rain.”

See also Isaiah 24:23; 28:16; 31:9  “The Lord whose fire is in Zion.”  34:8 The Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.”

Isaiah 49:12-19; 52:1-3; 7-9; 66:7-13

Zechariah 1:17  “The Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem.”

Zechariah 2:3 “I am jealous for Zion; I shall return to Zion.”

Psalm 102:13-14; 16; 21 6

From this brief journey through the Scriptures it becomes obvious that Zionism is not just a political movement rooted in nationalistic feelings, but an important part of God’s great redemptive plan.

THE SCRIPTURAL BASIS FOR CHRISTIAN ZIONISM

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN ZIONISM?

Christian Zionism is simply acknowledging the Almighty’s Lordship over the people and nations of the earth, and in doing so, choosing to love WHO and WHAT God loves.

The battle over the land of Israel and the City of Jerusalem is a battle over who is Lord of the earth as God has chosen this land for His own [Leviticus 25:23; Deuteronomy 11:12] and called Jerusalem the city where He has chosen to place His Name. [2 Chronicles 6:6] The prophet Zechariah speaks very clearly of God’s heart for the land and people of Zion…

Zechariah 1:14-17 “Then the angel who talked with me said to me, “Proclaim! Thus said the Lord of Hosts: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem – for Zion – and I am very angry with those nations who are at east; for I was only angry a little, but they overdid the punishment.  Assuredly, thus said the Lord: I graciously return to Jerusalem. My house shall be built in her – declares the Lord of Hosts – the measuring line is being applied to Jerusalem.  Proclaim further: Thus said the Lord of Hosts: My towns shall yet overflow with bounty.  For the Lord will again comfort Zion; He will choose Jerusalem again.”

Zechariah 2:12 [CJB] or 2:8 “Whoever touches you touches the pupil of his own eye.”

See also Hosea 2:14-23; 14:4-9

The Lord will judge the nations according to their treatment of His land and His people.

Joel 4:2-3 7  “For lo! In those days and in that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.  There I will contend with them over My very own people Israel, which they scattered among the nations.  For they divided My land among themselves and cast lots over My people.
See also Matthew 25:31-45 (the Lord’s brothers are the Jewish people)

So Christian Zionism is simply acknowledging the Lordship of the Almighty God over the earth and choosing to agree with His Word and to get involved with what He is doing in these days.

WHAT CHRISTIAN ZIONISM ISN’T

1. Christian Zionism is not racism and bigotry against the Arabs.  God has a plan for them too.  See Isaiah 19:19-24 We must remember that God loves all people and, while He has a special role for the Jewish people, He also desires that all people should come to know Him.
   
   
2. Christian Zionism must not confuse righteous anger against Islam with racist feelings against those who follow it.  God’s plan for Abraham’s other descendants is tied up with His plan for the Jewish people.  [Ezekiel 36:33-36]
   
   
3. Christian Zionism is not extremism.  God is building His kingdom throughout the whole earth and support for Israel and the Jewish people must be tempered with balance.

• Christian Zionism is not believing that Israel is always right.  Israel is a nation like any other, made up of good and bad, wise and unwise people.  We do them a diss service if we do not acknowledge that they make mistakes.
  
  
• Christian Zionism is not a cult and we must be careful not to act in such a way that we lead others to think that it is.
  
  
• Christian Zionism requires wisdom in finding the balance between faith and politics.  We should be praying that God’s will be done for Israel and be careful not to impose our own desires and opinions on the situation.
  
  
• Christian Zionism is not just making a great deal of praying for Israel and the Jewish people in the land, but not being willing to get involved with them where God has placed us now.  It is easy to love the Jews over in Israel but to have no concern or involvement with the Jewish community in our own cities.
  
  
• Christian Zionism is not feeling that our support for Israel gives us the right to impose our views on the people and government.  We have not had to give our sons and daughters to fight for peace, or lived with the threat of war and terrorism over our heads daily and it is not our role to tell them what they should do, but to pray that God’s will be done and to give material support. [Romans 11:16-18; 15:27]  When Christians very forcefully tell the Jewish people what they should do concerning the land of Israel and the problems there, it is often seen as anti Semitism in a different form.  Many Jews think that Christians are only interested in them as a fulfilment of their own prophetic beliefs and do not care for them as individuals apart from this.  Unless we live in the Land and pay the price they pay with our families, we have only the right to pray and support, not to give opinions.  Constructive discussion on these issues can also only take place in an atmosphere of trust and relationship, built over time.  Jewish people who have fought and lost loved ones and lived with the emotional trauma which comes as a result of war and seeing people killed have often been deeply hurt by well meaning Christians who glibly tell them what they should and shouldn’t do.  It is good for us to remember that the Almighty God is sovereign and He will fulfil ALL His promises to the Jewish people in His time and in His way.  He is working out His purposes in the world in ways that we may not always understand and His primary goal is the building of His kingdom throughout the whole earth.

WHAT CHRISTIAN ZIONISM IS!

Christian Zionism is not just a “warm, fuzzy feeling”.  It requires action. 

Zechariah 8:23 says:  In those days, ten men from nations of every tongue will take hold – they will take hold of every Jew by a corner of his cloak (his prayer shawl – my note) and say, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”  8

In Matthew 25 when Yeshua speaks about the judgement of the nations, his criteria for whether a nation is a sheep or a goat nation is…  “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you made me your guest, I needed clothes and you provided them, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.  [vs. 35-36]

“Yes I tell you that whenever you did these things for one of the least important of these brothers of mine (the Jewish people – my note) you did them for me.” [vs 40] 9

Let us look now at Isaiah 62.  This chapter gives us a clear picture of the role that Christian Zionists can play.

“For the sake of Zion I will not be silent, for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still, till her victory emerge resplendent and her triumph like a flaming torch.  Nations shall see your victory, and every king your majesty; and you shall be called by a new name which the Lord Himself shall bestow.  You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the palm of your God.” [Isaiah 62:1-2]  10

# These verses speak of identification and support, both through prayer and standing with the people, speaking out on their behalf when that is necessary.

“Nevermore shall you be called ‘Forsaken’, nor shall your land be called desolate, but you shall be called ‘I delight in her’, and your land ‘Espoused’.  As a youth espouses a maiden, your sons shall espouse you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you”.  [Isaiah 62:4-5]  11  

#  These verses relate directly to those in Isaiah 40:1-2 and to Paul’s words in Romans 15:27 which exhort us to offer comfort and support to our Jewish brothers and sisters, both practically and materially and through our words.

“Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen, who shall never be silent by day or by night.  O you, the Lord’s remembrancers, take no rest and give no rest to Him, until He establish Jerusalem and make her renowned on earth”.[Isaiah 62:6-7]  12 

# What a tremendous challenge... take no rest and give God no rest until His purposes are fulfilled.  Once again, prayer and action are the keys to being watchmen as well as studying the Bible and good books relating to God’s purposes for Israel and the Jewish people, and keeping an eye on the news so that prayer can be informed and relevant, not just born out of our own ideas and opinions.  Praying using Scripture is the most effective and safe way to pray.  Revelation NEVER contradicts God’s word.  As we repeat His promises back to Him we can be sure that we are praying according to His will.  Nehemiah and Daniel’s prayers for their people both quote Scripture and the psalms are really prayers and songs which were used in the Temple liturgy and they also quote other portions from the Bible.

“Pass through, pass through the gates!  Clear the road for the people.  Build up, build up the highway, remove the rocks!  Raise an ensign over the peoples!  See the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Announce to Fair Zion, your Deliverer is coming!  See His recompense before Him.  And they shall be called, ‘The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord’, and you shall be called a City Not Forsaken”. [Isaiah 62:11-12]  13 

It is our job to remove these “rocks” which have hindered our relationship in the past and as we do that, raising up a banner or ensign proclaiming our common belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we are actually participating in “tikkum ha olam”, the Jewish concept of “fixing up the world”, and building a highway for the Coming of the Messiah who will unite our two peoples and make us the One New Man the apostle Paul spoke of in Ephesians 2, worshipping the Lord our God forever.

“Therefore, remember your former state: you Gentiles by birth – called the Uncircumcised by those who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called the Circumcised – at that time had no Messiah.  You were estranged from the national life of Israel.  You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God’s promise.  You were in this world without hope and without God.  But now you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah’s blood.  For he himself is our shalom – he has made us both one and has broken down the mchitzah (dividing wall) which divided us by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances.  He did this in order to create in union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus make shalom, and in order to reconcile to God both in a single body by being executed on a stake as a criminal and thus killing in himself that enmity.  Also, when he came, he announced as Good News shalom to you far off and shalom to those nearby, news that through him we both have access in one spirit to the Father.  So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers.  On the contrary, you are fellow citizens with God’s family.  You have built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Yeshua the Messiah himself”.  [Ephesians 2:11-20] 

Christian Zionism is like a bridge between Christians and Jews, a work of restoration between two peoples who worship the same God, but who have had their relationship destroyed by two thousand years of misunderstanding and hurt.

As this restoration takes place, God is also restoring many of the Biblical truths of our Jewish heritage to the church, making the coming together of the One New Man, to worship the Almighty God and His Messiah, closer to becoming a reality in our day.

Introducing John & Jesma O'Hara John, a businessman & Jesma have five children, and two grandchildren, Isabella and Asher. Both serve on the Eldership of Hesed Fellowship and are board members of International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem, Australian Branch and Jesma has also been the Editor of their magazine for the past 12 years. Hesed Ministries is involved in supporting a number of projects : Field workers in Israel, Orr Shalom Children's Homes, Kesher Friends of WIZO and Mercy International in Thailand. They also support orphanages and schools for AIDS affected children in Malawi and Kenya. Jesma is Chairman of the Board of Nambour Christian College, co-educational inter-denominational college of over 1200 students, from preschool to year 12. They are also the Australian Representatives of Orr Shalom Children�s Homes. Jesma's Qualifications Masters in Early Judaism and Early Christianity. B A major in Religious Studies Studied in Jerusalem at AMI Jerusalem Centre For Biblical Studies and Research and Educator�s From Abroad Study Course at Yad VaShem.