Christian Zionism
The purpose of this article is not to advocate political policy—but rather to examine an idea that claims to be built upon Scripture. According to the internet:
Christian Zionism is a religious and political movement that supports the right of the Jewish people to a homeland in Israel based on biblical interpretations. A core belief is that the establishment of Israel in 1948 was a fulfillment of prophecy and is a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
What is in error from the above statement? Israel does not have “a right” to a homeland. No verses in the Bible teach such a doctrine. No prophecies in either the Old or New Testaments foretell of a Return of Israel to the land in 1948, and it certainly is not a prerequisite to Jesus’ Second Coming. What does the Bible say about each one of these points?
The Promises to Abraham
In Genesis 12, God made three promises to Abraham. God told him to leave where he was living and travel to a country that God would show him (v. 1). He promised to make of Abraham a great nation. Not only would he bless Abraham, but Abraham would be a blessing to others, also (v. 2). In fact, God would bless those who blessed Abraham and curse those who cursed him. In Abraham all the families of the earth would be blessed (v. 3). When Abraham got to the land that God showed him, the Lord promised it to him and his descendants (v. 7).
So, God made three promises to Abraham.
The land promise (12:1, 7).
The nation promise (12:2).
The spiritual promise (12:3).
God repeated the nation promise after Abraham showed himself willing to offer up Isaac (Gen. 22:17). And He elaborated on the spiritual promise, saying, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (22:18). That Seed was Christ (Gal. 3:16), through whom everyone in the whole world is blessed.
In another passage, Abraham was promised that his descendants would be as the dust of the earth (Gen. 13:16). God also promised Abraham that, from where he was standing, he would possess the land for as far as he could see in all four directions (13:14). All three of these promises were repeated to Isaac (Gen. 26:2-4) and to Jacob (Gen. 28:13-15).
Christian Zionists often refer to passages like these, but they seldom point out that all three of these promises have been fulfilled. It should be obvious to all who call themselves Christians that the spiritual promise has been fulfilled. Jesus has died on the cross for the sins of all mankind (1 John 2:2). The nation promise has also been fulfilled. In Numbers 1, the texts counts 603,550 men from twenty years old and upward, who left Egypt (1:3, 46). What about the nation promise? The following verses should answer that question once and for all.
So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.
The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.
Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass (Joshua 21:43-45).
Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed (Joshua 23:14).
Solomon pleaded for God to forgive Israel, when they were taken captive and repented of their sins, and bring them back into the land “which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.” (1 Kings 8:34-36). This was fulfilled after the Babylonian captivity in 536 B.C.
A.D. 70
Many prophets in the Old Testament predicted the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and the return decades later. But here is the problem that Zionists have: Although the destruction of Jerusalem was prophesied of, which would occur in A.D. 70, there are no Scriptures that say Israel will return to the land in 1948. Neither is there any promise that the temple would be rebuilt, and it has not. Jesus said of the temple buildings: “See! Your house is left to you desolate” (Matt. 23:38).
It had been God’s house, but He had left the building. Now it belonged to Israel; their house was destroyed in A.D. 70. God’s new house has already been built, which is the church built by Jesus (Matt. 16:18). Paul wrote to Timothy instructions that he might know how he “ought to conduct” himself “in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Those instructions did not pertain to one’s actions inside the physical walls of a building. Christians are living stones in a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5), the temple or church of Christ. Where are the Scriptures that promise the land and/or a literal temple upon it 1,878 years after A.D. 70?
Old Testament Prophecies
Are there prophecies in the Old Testament that speak of a return of Israel to the land or the rebuilding of the temple? Yes, but none of them speak of modern times; they refer to the return to the land in 536 B.C.—not 1948 A.D. Isaiah, for example, wrote between the years of 750 and 700 B.C. He mentions Israel returning to the land, but it would be under the direction of Cyrus, who is mentioned by name twice by Isaiah (Isa. 44:28 and 45:1). In 536 B.C., Cyrus gave the decree for Israel to return to their land and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-2).
Jeremiah and other prophets also foretold the return of Israel to their land, which is described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. None of these, however, allude to anything occurring in 1948. Neither the Old nor the New Testaments prophesy of this time period. The Israelites returned to their land in 536 and began rebuilding the temple the following year, but the project stalled until 520, when it was resumed and then completed in 516 B.C. Herod the Great added to it, that work was completed just prior to the ministry of Jesus.
Right Before Our Eyes
Wars, battles, and various occurrences have been occurring in the “Holy Land” since the re-establishment of Israel by outside interests. What is meant by this statement? The first question to consider is: “How did Israel regain control of the land promised to Abraham (which had already been fulfilled millennia ago)?” According to Google’s AI information:
The modern nation of Israel was established on May 14, 1948, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. This event followed the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and occurred in accordance with the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which was adopted in 1947. The declaration established Israel as a Jewish state and was immediately followed by a war with neighboring Arab states, which resulted in a Jewish victory and a significant displacement of Palestinian Arabs.
Israel as a nation did not fight to win back this territory with a military leader like Joshua or David. No, the United Nations made this decision on November 29, 1947, and there have been conflicts ever since. The Six-Days War in June of 1967 demonstrated that Israel was more than prepared to defend itself. They suffered about 1,000 casualties while their enemies lost 15,000. Israel also destroyed nearly all of Egypt's military aerial assets, which gave Israel air supremacy. Much more has occurred in the decades since.
The point, however, is that every time a skirmish erupts, headlines scream something like: “The pages of the Bible are literally coming true right before our eyes.” There will, of course, be books to buy, explaining the Bible prophecies of these days and perhaps also promising to describe what will happen next. Balderdash!
Double balderdash!! All of the passages from the Old Testament concerning Israel’s restoration to the land have already been fulfilled. None of them describes what is currently happening in the Middle East—or what has happened during the last 75 years.
Premillennialism
According to Google, Christianity “leads some Christians to support the modern state of Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy and a sign of the end times.” Not everyone who supports the United States being an ally of Israel is a “Christian Zionist.” Many support Israel because it lies in a strategic location and because they allow their people to believe what they want—even to become Christians. Find a predominantly Muslim country that will do that. Many Americans, considering our history, cannot help but be on the side of liberty while opposing oppression and fanaticism.
So, one can be pro-Israel without being a Christian Zionist. Christians do not believe in premillennialism as most “Christian” denominations do. The theory is that there are Biblical prophecies of the end times, which is the first problem. Jesus taught that there were signs leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem—but none for the end of the world. [Notice all the signs for the former in Matthew 24:1-35, but for the latter, Jesus says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (v. 36).]
A second problem that premillennialists have is they think that, after these “signs” are fulfilled, Jesus will rule in Jerusalem for a thousand years. How this doctrine continues to be so popular is an amazing thing since it had been pointed out for decades what Jesus said on the subject:
“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36).
Is there something vague or ambiguous in those words? What part of not is unclear and causes someone to say, “Jesus is coming back to establish a physical kingdom”? One would think that 2 Thessalonians taught that Jesus is coming from heaven with His mighty angels to establish a physical kingdom in Jerusalem—instead of “in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:7-8). The next verse describes the punishment (cf. 2 Peter 3:10-13).
1 Thessalonians 4 talks about Jesus returning to the earth. He does not descend to Jerusalem to rule 1,000 years, however; His followers (first, those who have died, and second those yet living) rise up to meet Him in the air. “And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:13-17). Jesus has already received His kingdom, and it is a spiritual one—as promised (Matt. 4:17). Anyone may enter it by repenting and being baptized (Acts 2:38, 41, 47; 22:16).