Understanding Christian Zionism

"They shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them."

The Dome of the Rock at sunset

Christian Zionism, and religious Zionism in general, are based upon a straightforward interpretation of several biblical passages. We begin by examining three of them:

The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.

Deuteronomy 30:5

Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. I will also raise up shepherds over them, and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor shall they be lacking.

Jeremiah 23:3-4

While not directly about the Jews’ return to Israel, the following verse from the prophet Zechariah is also connected to end-time prophecy and interpreted by some as a reference to the Second Coming of Christ.

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

Zechariah 12:10

These passages provide the foundation for Christian Zionist belief in a divine plan that accommodates the return of the Jewish people to Israel. Understandably, they regard the establishment of Israel by the United Nations in 1947 as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. They also connect this event to the end times and the Second Coming of Christ.

Zionism, both the Christian and Jewish versions, is the belief that the Jewish people should have a Jewish state — but not necessarily a democratic one. Were Israel to become a liberal democracy, ostensibly like the U.S. and most European nations, it would eventually forego its status as Jewish state owing to the disparate realities of population growth and the mutual hatred between Jews and Arabs.¹

The Balfour Declaration, issued by the British government in 1917, eventually led to the establishment of Israel by the UN in 1947. Although the declaration did not mention ‘democracy,’ it did assert the following:

His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

In 1947 the UN General Assembly adopted UN Resolution 181. It endorsed the partition of Palestine into two states: one Jewish and one Arab. While the resolution also did not explicitly refer to Israel as a democracy, it did, however, recognize the legitimacy of both a Jewish state and an Arab state.

But the Arab states resoundingly rejected Resolution 181 and the proposed two-state solution, so the point is now moot. On May 14, 1948, Egypt, Transjordan (now Jordan), Iraq and Syria invaded Israel, attacking Israeli forces and several Jewish settlements. The conflict that ensued during this period is referred to as the 1948 Arab-Israeli War or War of Independence. The Arab states were defeated by Israel.²

Israel victoriously declared its independence on May 14, 1948. This historic event marked the establishment of the State of Israel and the end of the British Mandate in Palestine.

The Zionist dream of a Jewish state paved the way for Christian Zionism also to become a reality in 1948. Since then, it has become an unwitting flatcar for assorted beliefs, many of which are unsupported by the Bible. These beliefs appeal to a book first published in 1909 called The Scofield Reference Bible. When defining Christian Zionism, it is instructive, even essential, to examine Scofield’s book, the source of many incongruous beliefs.

The Scofield Reference Bible

The Scofield Reference Bible, written by Cyrus I. Scofield, has had a significant influence on the spread and development of dispensationalist theology (explained more fully in the next section), particularly in the United States.

Scofield's notes provide a detailed framework for understanding biblical prophecy, particularly those of the end times. His notes include a strong emphasis on the role of Israel. Moreover, they underscore the importance of the restoration of Israel and a Jewish homeland as fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

The Scofield Bible became immensely popular in American evangelical circles and seminaries, influencing generations of pastors, theologians, and laypeople alike. This widespread dissemination helped cement Dispensationalist Eschatology, including its views on Israel, within mainstream evangelical thought. The Scofield bible, in effect, provided the impetus for a Christian Zionist evangelical religion.

There was no State of Israel at the time Scofield penned his original notes and it is doubtful that Cyrus Scofield would have even understood the enormity of the evil purpose for which his book was written…Not all Orthodox Christians were asleep during that time.

Philip Morrow, a well known patent attorney and researcher for William Jennings Bryan, was one who saw both the heretical and the war-making dangers of the new [evangelical] religion. Morrow wrote:

I was made aware of the extent, far greater than I imagined, to which the modern system of dispensationalism has found acceptance among orthodox Christians, and also the extent, correspondingly great, to which the recently published Scofield Bible, which is the main vehicle of the new system of doctrine referred to, has usurped the place of authority that belonged to God's Bible alone.

Christian Zionism: The Tragedy & The Turning, Part 1 (film)³

Scofield's approach to biblical interpretation emphasizes literalism, particularly regarding prophetic texts. Rational Spirituality has long espoused a belief that the Bible should not necessarily be interpreted literally. Scofield’s perspective supported the idea that biblical prophecies about Israel were to be fulfilled in a literal and future sense.

Dispensationalist Theology

Dispensationalism is characterized by a literal interpretation of biblical prophecies and a strong emphasis on eschatology — the study of the end times. Proponents of this theology typically believe that history is divided into distinct dispensations where God tests human beings in different ways.

Each dispensation is believed to conclude with a pivotal event or judgment. Central to Dispensationalism is the end times’ belief in the Rapture. The Rapture imagines Christians being whisked up into a heavenly safe haven. This is immediately followed by a period of great turmoil called the Tribulation subsequently climaxed by the Second Coming of Christ.

This theological framework, as one well might imagine, significantly influences the interpretation of events in the Middle East, especially those concerning Israel. Dispensationalists often view the modern state of Israel and events surrounding it as having fulfilled biblical prophecies and signaling the beginning of the end times. Moreover, this belief is not exclusive to Dispensationalism.

Christian Zionists stand firmly behind the Temple Institute’s plan to sacrifice a red heifer and then construct the Third Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. You can read about those plans here. Many of the laws and customs addressing the sacrifice of the red heifer and stipulations come from oral traditions. In the Bible, Numbers 19 prescribes the sacrifice in great deal of detail. The oral-tradition authority on this topic is the Temple Institute in Jerusalem.⁴

The Dispensationalist perspective contrasts with the Catholic (Roman and Orthodox) Church's approach, which generally understands biblical prophecies in a more allegorical or symbolic manner and does not align its teachings with the notion of predetermined dispensations. The Church emphasizes continuity in God’s covenant with humanity throughout history, regarding the Church itself as the fulfillment and continuation of promises made to biblical Israel.

In the context of Christian Zionism, dispensationalist theology has been a driving force, influencing many believers to support the state of Israel based on what they perceive as its prophetic role. However, this viewpoint is not without its critics, both within and outside evangelical circles.

The critics argue that dispensationalism leads to a deterministic view of history and international relations, while potentially overlooking the complex realities of the situation in the Middle East today.

The scope of Christian Zionist beliefs is broad and not limited to the literalist interpretations associated with Dispensationalism. Many adherents of Christian Zionism find common ground with Jewish Zionism, which focuses on the historical, cultural and religious significance of Israel to the Jewish people.

Jewish Zionism

Jewish Zionism began as a movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel. Theodor Herzl, known in Hebrew as Chozeh HaMedinah, 'Visionary of the State,’ began the Zionist movement in 1897. Today, Jewish Zionism promotes the continuing development and protection of the Jewish nation that Herzl envisioned.

Jewish Zionism has both religious and secular adherents encompassing a diverse range of beliefs. Religious Zionists view the establishment of Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecies. They see the return to the land of Israel as part of God’s plan and consider the state’s existence as a step toward redemption.

Secular Zionists, on the other hand, focus on national identity, historical context, and practical considerations. While they may not adhere to religious beliefs, secular Zionists also advocate for a Jewish homeland.

Unlike the adherents of Dispensationalist teachings inspired by Scofield’s footnotes, Christian Zionists do not necessarily subscribe to beliefs about the Rapture, the tribulation period or other detailed end-times scenarios.

Instead, their unwavering support for Israel is rooted in a belief in the enduring covenant between God and the Jewish people, as well as respect for Israel's role in Jewish history and identity.

Zionism is a complicated topic we shall explore in future newsletters as the war against Hamas devolves.

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(Edit 7.13.24) The current war against Hamas, which began Oct. 7, 2023, has devolved into genocide. Additionally, it was recently confirmed that the IMF invoked the ‘Hannibal Protocol’ in response to the Hamas invasion. Many of the deaths of civilians that were previously attributed to Hamas instead resulted from deliberate executions of IMF soldiers and Israeli civilians to prevent their being taken captive by Hamas.

In light of this truth, the Biblical imperative to “Stand with Israel” should now be clarified. It would be spiritually prudent for the faithful to distinguish between the government of the State of Israel and the “Holy Land of Israel,” a metaphor for God’s chosen people. Zionism and the State of Israel have been captured and corrupted by an evil Hegemon commonly known as the Anglo-Zionist Empire.

For all we Christians know, the seeds of political Zionism were nourished by unholy roots. The Balfour Declaration took the form of a letter that was delivered from the British government to Baron Walter Rothschild, a member of one of the world’s richest families. Draw your own conclusions. For my part, I struggle with the complex facets of Zionism.

For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.

Luke 6:43–44

Day-by-day the Middle East inches closer to Ezekiel’s prophesied regional Gog-Magog War. May God save Jerusalem and the Holy Land of Israel.

And they swarmed up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints (God’s people) and the beloved city (Jerusalem); but fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

Revelation 20:9

Shabbat Table by Robert Bardach

1. The growth rate of the Arab population in Israel is 2.2%, while the growth rate of the Jewish population is 1.8%. The gap between Jews and Arabs is narrowing and it is projected that the populations will be nearly equal within the next 15-20 years

2. Two additional wars followed. The Six Day War in 1967 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led primarily by Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Similarly, the Yom Kippur War in 1973 depicted Israel against a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria. Israel prevailed in both wars and maintained its independence.

3. Christian Zionism (YouTube)

4. The Oral Tradition: Shedding Light on the Secrets of the Bible