By REV. MALCOLM HEDDING, ICEJ—
Tens of thousands of churches have a committed belief in the importance of standing with Israel and blessing the Jewish people. The verse most often referred to as their biblical mandate is Genesis 12:3 in which God tells Abraham “I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Since the birth of the State of Israel in 1948 the theological error known as Replacement Theology has begun to decline and increasing is a theology of Christian Zionism that understands the importance of God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham and the nation he would birth.
However, just as the term “Zionism” has been turned into a negative word by Israel’s enemies, so “Christian Zionism” is under attack and often misrepresented in the media and in some public discourse. For this reason, the ICEJ’s articles and monographs defining and clarifying the beliefs of Christian supporters of Israel and placing their “love for Israel” within its proper biblical context are proving invaluable.
Christian Zionists
“Zionism, the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, advocated, from its inception, tangible as well as spiritual aims. Jews of all persuasions, left and right, religious and secular, joined to form the Zionist movement and worked together toward these goals. Disagreements led to rifts, but ultimately, the common goal of a Jewish state in its ancient homeland was attained. The term “Zionism” was coined in 1890 by Nathan Birnbaum.” (Jewish Virtual Library).
If Zionism is the belief in the Jewish people’s right to return to their homeland, then a Christian Zionist should simply be defined as a Christian who supports the Jewish people’s right to return to their homeland. Under this broad and simple definition, many Christians would qualify no matter what their reasons are for this support. Just as Jews of all persuasions formed the Zionist movement then Christians of all persuasion can also fall within this broad definition of a Christian Zionist.
For this very reason, a myriad of answers may be given by a Christian when questioned about their support of Israel. Answers can include political, historical, and/or religious reasons.
Theology of Christian Zionism
The actual theology of Christian Zionism, also known as Biblical Zionism, supports the right of the Jewish people to return to their homeland on scriptural grounds. The biblical foundation for Christian Zionism is found in God’s Covenant with Abraham. It was in this covenant that God chose Abraham to birth a nation through which He could redeem the world, and to do this He bequeathed them a land on which to exist as this chosen nation.
Christian Zionism is confirmed throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. The major and minor prophets consistently confirmed this national calling on Israel, promised her future restoration to the land after a period of exile, and spoke of her spiritual renewal and redemption bringing light to the world.
Christian Zionism differs with Replacement Theology which teaches that the special relationship that Israel had with her God in terms of her national destiny and her national homeland has been lost because of her rejection of Jesus as Messiah, and therefore the Church has become the new Israel. The Church has then inherited all the blessings promised to Israel but the judgments and curses still conveniently remain over the Jewish people.
Instead, Christian Zionism teaches from the scriptures that God’s covenant with Abraham is still valid today. There remains a national destiny over the Jewish people and her national homeland is her everlasting possession in fulfillment of God’s plans and purposes for her. The New Testament scriptures not only affirm the Abrahamic covenant, but they confirm the historical mission of Israel and that Israel’s gifts and calling are irrevocable.
Thus, Christian Zionism is not based on prophecy or end-time events. Most Christian Zionists would agree, however, that Israel’s reemergence on the world’s scene, in fulfillment of God’s promises to her, indicate that other biblically-predicted events will follow.
At the same time I understand the confusion about the replacement theology and don’t know why it exists. I understand form being one who used to be catholic hearing the church pontificate the idea that because the Jews denied Christ, that left the church, Catholic Church , in the position of thinking it is the only way. However, if one reads the Bible carefully , they will discover the word ” forever ” placed after a given covenant to the Jews from God. Therefore, this replacement theology should be a moot discussion.
There is still some “replacement theology” lurking in the shadows, but God is moving into the lives of “true” Christians and showing them His everlasting promise to Israel and bringing them to a greater understanding in the role they should play in blessing Israel and reminding them that there is where they will find their roots. Thanks be to God for His grace and mercy.
Thank you for those of you who,stand with Israel!!All of you will be Blessed!!Because in America there are enough people who believe,that America!!Should not stand with Israel like Obama,Kerry,Hagel,Brennen and others.Even people who are in other religious communities do not understand,if they do not.Stand with Israel they will be Cursed!!!Those who attended the Democratic National Convention,last year!!Applauded when they took G-d and Jerusalem out,of there platform!!Do not realize that when they voted for Muslim Obama again,that’s why!!!America is in the shape it is now because of him and his,cronies who.Do not believe in G-d or Israel they believe in same sex marriage,abortion at any time,if your.A Christian or Jew the mention of G-d is wrong but,to hear the.Name of Allah who believes in the death of all infidels,is all right!!!
So America it’s time you wake up and get,on and.Return to G-d’s ways or your be with the people who will be CURSED!!!It’s your CHOICE G-d give it to us LIFE or DEATH!!!!Again for those of you who Stand with Israel my HEART FELT Thanks,you all!!Are in my prayers!!!!
Thank you for those of you who,stand with Israel!!All of you will be Blessed!!Because in America there are enough people who believe,that America!!Should not stand with Israel like Obama,Kerry,Hagel,Brennen and others.Even people who are in other religious communities do not understand,if they do not.Stand with Israel they will be Cursed!!!Those who attended the Democratic National Convention,last year!!Applauded when they took G-d and Jerusalem out,of there platform!!Do not realize that when they voted for Muslim Obama again,that’s why!!!America is in the shape it is now because of him and his,cronies who.Do not believe in G-d or Israel they believe in same sex marriage,abortion at any time,if your.A Christian or Jew the mention of G-d is wrong but,to hear the.Name of Allah who believes in the death of all infidels,is all right!!!
So America it’s time you wake up and get,on and.Return to G-d’s ways or your be with the people who will be CURSED!!!It’s your CHOICE G-d give’s it to us LIFE or DEATH!!!!Again for those of you who Stand with Israel my HEART FELT Thanks,you all!!Are in my prayers!!!!
I agree with Marge Carlson, there is some replacement theology lurking in the shadows. For example: Most of our Bibles have maps that say, “Palestine in the time of Christ” but since there was no Palestine in the time of Christ, they should say, “ISRAEL in the time of Christ.”
/ Greetings, TJC. Check out this snippet – found it lurking on the exciting web. /
PRETRIB RAPTURE STEALTH !
Many evangelicals believe that Christ will “rapture” them to heaven years before the second coming and (most importantly) well BEFORE Antichrist and his “tribulation.” But Acts 2:34, 35 reveal that Jesus is at the Father’s right hand in heaven until He leaves to destroy His earthly foes at the second coming. And Acts 3:21 says that Jesus “must” stay in heaven with the Father “until the times of restitution of all things” which includes, says Scofield, “the restoration of the theocracy under David’s Son” which obviously can’t begin before or during Antichrist’s reign. (“The Rapture Question,” by the long time No. 1 pretrib authority John Walvoord, didn’t dare to even list, in its scripture index, the above verses! They were also too hot for John Darby – the so-called “father of dispensationalism” – to list in the scripture index in his “Letters”!)
Paul explains the “times and the seasons” (I Thess. 5:1) of the catching up (I Thess. 4:17) as the “day of the Lord” (5:2) which FOLLOWS the posttrib sun/moon darkening (Matt. 24:29; Acts 2:20) WHEN “sudden destruction” (5:3) of the wicked occurs! The “rest” for “all them that believe” is also tied to such destruction in II Thess. 1:6-10! (If the wicked are destroyed before or during the trib, who’d be left alive to serve the Antichrist?) Paul also ties the change-into-immortality “rapture” (I Cor. 15:52) to the end of trib “death” (15:54). (Will death be ended before or during the trib? Of course not! And vs. 54 is also tied to Isa. 25:8 which Scofield views as Israel’s posttrib resurrection!) It’s amazing that the Olivet Discourse contains the “great commission” for the church but not even a hint of a pretrib rapture for the church!
Many don’t know that before 1830 all Christians had always viewed I Thess. 4’s “catching up” as an integral part of the final second coming to earth. In 1830 this “rapture” was stretched forward and turned into an idolized separate coming of Christ. To further strengthen their novel view, which evangelical scholars overwhelmingly rejected throughout the 1800s, pretrib teachers in the early 1900s began to stretch forward the “day of the Lord” (what Darby and Scofield never dared to do) and hook it up with their already-stretched-forward “rapture.” Many leading evangelical scholars still weren’t convinced of pretrib, so pretrib teachers then began teaching that the “falling away” of II Thess. 2:3 is really a pretrib rapture (the same as saying that the “rapture” in 2:3 must happen before the “rapture” [“gathering”] in 2:1 can happen – the height of desperation!). Google “Walvoord Melts Ice” for more on this.
Other Google articles on the 183-year-old pretrib rapture view include “X-Raying Margaret,” “Margaret Macdonald’s Rapture Chart,” “Pretrib Rapture’s Missing Lines,” “Edward Irving is Unnerving,” “The Unoriginal John Darby,” “Catholics Did NOT Invent the Rapture,” “The Real Manuel Lacunza,” “Thomas Ice (Bloopers),” “Wily Jeffrey,” “The Rapture Index (Mad Theology),” “America’s Pretrib Rapture Traffickers,” “Roots of (Warlike) Christian Zionism,” “Scholars Weigh My Research,” “Pretrib Hypocrisy,” “Appendix F: Thou Shalt Not Steal,” “Pretrib Rapture Secrecy,” “Deceiving and Being Deceived,” “Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty,” “Famous Rapture Watchers,” and “Morgan Edwards’ Rapture View” – most by the author of the bestselling book “The Rapture Plot” (the most accurate and documented book on pretrib rapture history which is obtainable by calling 800.643.4645).