Introduction
These are troublesome times. War has been raging between the modern state of Israel and Hamas, the Islamic group that governs over Gaza, as well as other groups such as Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, since October 7, 2023. The war began when militants from Hamas crossed the border from Gaza and mercilessly and indiscriminately attacked and killed around 1200 (exact count varies) Israeli and foreign civilians in settlements, kibbutzim, and at an open-air concert, and taking over 200 (again, exact count varies) people as hostages.
The brutality of the attacks was documented with body cam and cell phone footage by the perpetrators themselves as hostages and victims were paraded through the streets of Gaza.1 Even more shocking was the support for Hamas and celebrations of the attacks by people in American cities and college campuses across the country, and around the world. In addition, as the war has progressed, the vows to eliminate the terrorist group Hamas by the Israeli government have been exaggerated by many to imply a call for ‘genocide’ for the entire Palestinian population, while the chants of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” by pro-Palestinian protesters is defended as an understandable call for peaceful liberation, rather than the genocidal intent originally behind the slogan.2
chants of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” by pro-Palestinian protesters is defended as an understandable call for peaceful liberation, rather than the genocidal intent originally behind the slogan
I am writing this to give my perspective as a Bible believing Christian who cares about all of humanity in the light of God’s purposes and plan as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. As a student resident of Israel in the Arava desert 1986, and as a volunteer teacher and graduate student in Jerusalem from 1988-90, I seek to bring a close perspective along with biblical insight. People that know I lived in Israel have been asking me my view on the situation and this is it. My original working title for this article was “Why I am a Christian Zionist”, but I changed the title because, while there are several reasons someone may be a ‘Zionist’, in the end only one reason matters: “God is a Zionist”! If God is a Zionist, then it makes sense that all who claim to believe in Him should be too.
What is Zionism?
If you were to read the articles footnoted in the previous section and listen to modern Marxist theories, you might be left with the impression that Zionism is nothing but a political movement that started about a century-and-a-half ago. Some will claim it was an attempt by colonial powers to exercise control over the Middle East by planting a Jewish state in the historical homeland of the Jewish people while displacing thousands of Arab Palestinians. While there are elements of truth regarding the various circumstances in which the modern state of Israel came to be, the reality runs much deeper; as deep as the heart of God, the guarantee of His promises and covenants, and the deepest aspirations of the Jewish people.
Zionism is the name given to the political movement started by Theodore Herzl in 1897 to reestablish the homeland of the persecuted Jewish people in the land of their roots. It was called Zionism after the word ‘Zion’, which is another name for the city of Jerusalem.3 This is where the deep roots of truth are hidden. I believe a true ‘Zionist’ is anyone who believes that God gave what is known variously as the Holy Land, Land of Promise, Land of Israel, or land of Palestine to Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob, and that it belongs to them. This is what makes God a Zionist, because He gave the land to the descendants of Jacob and Israel forever:
“Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever” (Ezek 37:25).
I believe a true ‘Zionist’ is anyone who believes that God gave what is known variously as the Holy Land, Land of Promise, Land of Israel, or land of Palestine to Abraham and his descendants through Isacc and Jacob, and that it belongs to them.
God is a Zionist
Zion was the name of the Jebusite fortress captured by David, which became the capital of his kingdom, aka Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:6-17). It is written in Psalm 87: “His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion More than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!” (Ps 87:1-3)
This text reveals in three short verses why we can boldly say that God is a Zionist:
- God is a Zionist, because “The Lord loves the gates of Zion.” It is where God chose to make His name abide. (Deut 12:10-12; 2 Sam 24:16-25; 1 Chr 21:18-22:1)
- The land is the divine inheritance of the children of Jacob (Israel, the Jewish people) because God loves Zion/Jerusalem “…more than all the dwellings of Jacob”, clearly implying that Zion is part of the dwellings of Jacob. More on this to come, but fundamentally God has given the land through promise to the descendants of Jacob and there is no other legitimate claim that any other people or group can make.
- The intense antagonism over Jerusalem and the historical territory of the Holy Land is spiritually driven. This is related to the fact that “the Lord loves the gates of Zion” and made land promises to the people of Israel. It is the goal of God’s enemies to thwart His plans and purposes wherever possible. Until the age to come, when God’s enemies have been completely vanquished, the land of God’s promise is under intense spiritual and political pressure. Often people are unaware that they are being used as tools in a supernatural war.
Abrahamic covenant
To really grasp the depth of the historical right and connection of the Jewish people to the land, we will go back to the calling of Abraham in Genesis.
“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” (Gen 12:1-3)
The intense antagonism over Jerusalem and the historical territory of the Holy Land is spiritually driven.
God led Abram, whose name was later changed by God to Abraham (Gen 17:5), to the land rightfully today called “the Land of Israel” (Gen 13:14-17, 15:18-21). It was given to Abraham and his descendants by God via a covenant agreement. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Rom 11:29).
“On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates’” (Gen 15:18).
While the modern State of Israel occupies only a fraction of the land that was promised according to the above description, the present-day Israelis would have been content with what was allotted to them under the United Nations resolution in 1948 if they had been left to it. But they were attacked by all the surrounding nations as soon as they became a sovereign state. As a result the territory expanded slightly because Israel won the conflicts and has held territory for security reasons, such as the Golan Heights.
Even though there are many faults with Israel, the fact that Jewish people who were dispersed across the world have been regathered is a testimony that God keeps His promises and covenants. The Lord said to Moses and the children of Israel after bringing them out of Egypt:
“The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them” (Deut 7:7-10).
Even though there are many faults with Israel, the fact that Jewish people who were dispersed across the world have been regathered is a testimony that God keeps his promises and covenants.
The covenant God made with Abraham was a promise with few conditions other than that Abraham had to take God at His word and head out, which he did. It is recorded that “Abraham believed God, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Gen 15:6). The covenant God made with the nation of Israel coming out of Egypt built on that promise, putting stipulations on Israel as a people with consequences for disobedience. However, ultimately the stipulations and consequences placed upon the nation do not replace the original promise “to your descendants I have given this land”. It was revealed directly to Moses and to the people of Israel by God that after they had settled in the land of promise they would forget God and they would be judged via exile from the land but would later return.
“When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them" (Deut 4:25-31).
Judgment and exile
The predicted judgment and exile have happened multiple times. First to the northern tribes under the Assyrian empire (c750 BC exile; return – not so much). Then to the southern tribe of Judah, Levitical priests, and remnants of other tribes under the Babylonian empire for 70 years (c598-538 BC). There was a return from the Babylonian exile under the Medo/Persian empire; the temple and the city walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt in turbulent times (See Daniel 9:25).
ultimately the stipulations and consequences placed upon the nation do not replace the original promise “to your descendants I have given this land”.
Jesus of Nazareth was born in the second temple period at the precise time predicted by Daniel that ‘Messiah the Prince’ would come; and also warned of the destruction of the second temple (Luke 19:41-44). From AD66–136, the Jews were in a desperate struggle to regain political freedom from the Romans in their historical land, called Judea and Samaria at the time. However, in AD70, the Romans captured Jerusalem and destroyed the famous second temple, the first having been destroyed by the Babylonians around 587 BC.
In AD136, after the war led by would-be ‘messiah’ Simon Bar Kokhba, the Romans completely levelled Jerusalem and renamed the territory ‘Syria Palaestina’ (after Israel’s old enemy the Philistines), and a new city was built on the ruins of Jerusalem called “Aelia Capitolina”, attempting to end the association of the land with the Jews.4 This is why the Land of Israel was called Palestine, and from which the ‘Palestinians’ get their name.
After the final destruction in 136 AD, most of the Jewish population went into exile, becoming known as the diaspora. For hundreds of years, Jews celebrating the Passover in the lands where they were scattered ended the Passover celebration (Seder) with the proclamation ‘Next Year in Jerusalem’, revealing a deep ingrained longing to once again live in the land of their fathers. What I will call the Roman diaspora started to end in the second half of the 19th century, but truly ended (in my opinion) when Israel became a Jewish state in 1948 and proclaimed the right of return to Jews in the diaspora.
Israel is now the second biggest melting pot - next to the USA - in terms of people of Jewish ancestry, with different cultural heritages, who have come from around the world to a new land and a new life. It was only natural that the movement which was to fulfil the deep cry ‘next year in Jerusalem’, would be called Zionism. Even if some of those behind the movement were people of their times - atheists, socialists, Marxists - or Jews and Christians that had hopes centred in biblical promises, the deep ties of the land to the descendants of Jacob cannot be blotted out, nor can the historic promises in scripture be lightly brushed aside.5
Israel is now the second biggest melting pot - next to the USA - in terms of people of Jewish ancestry ...
Roman exile
The prophet Jeremiah predicted the Babylonian exile and return (Jer 24-25), but the following passage, I am convinced, refers to the Roman exile, which was brought about due to judgment against sinful shepherds (teachers/rulers) along with the appearance of the messianic King of Righteousness, who eventually will cause Judah and Israel to dwell safely in the land.
‘Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord. “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness. “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land” (Jer 23:1-8).
Three elements in Jeremiah’s prophecy point to the Roman exile after the arrival of Jesus and the work of His early Jewish followers. First, the judgment comes as a result of bad leadership, but a remnant will be gathered. Jesus was constantly confronting the religious leaders of the time (for example Mark 15:1-11), and He predicted the destruction of the 2nd temple (Matt 24:2), while at the same time gathering a flock and developing new leadership to go into all the world (Matt 28:19, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8).
Second, one of the key teachings of the New Testament is that Jesus brought the gift of salvation and righteousness, He is the Lord our Righteousness (1 Cor 1:18-31; 2 Cor 5:20).
in these last days many Christians have felt called by God to assist in the return of the Jewish people to their land, convinced that God was restoring them once again.
Third, Jesus testified that He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and when asked about restoration of the kingdom to Israel, He did not deny it would take place, but had His disciples first focus on the global mission (Acts 1:6-8). Paul said that “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Rom 11:25-32).
Aliyah
After centuries of rivalry, animosity, and bad mojo between Christians and Jews, in these last days many Christians have felt called by God to assist in the return of the Jewish people to their land, convinced that God was restoring them once again. Indeed, the return of the Jewish people to the land of promise in the past century uniquely and precisely fulfils verses 7 and 8 from Jeremiah 23 quoted above.
The return in scope, distance, and population far exceeds the exodus from Egypt. The fact that it was, and is, supported by key elements of the Christian community gives credence to the apostle Paul’s words, “through the mercy shown you, they may also obtain mercy.” (Rom 11:31)
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E.A. Windischman is a Christian author, singer songwriter, and entrepreneur. He started 'The Kingdom Paradigm' in 2015 (www.thekingdomparadigm.com ). His most recent book, ‘A Prophecy for America’ was published in 2021.
Endnotes
1 These basic facts and a brief modern history are reviewed by Reuters at
https://www.reuters.com/world/middleeast/whats-israel-palestinian-conflict-about-how-did-it-start-2023-10-30/ (Reuters: Compiled by Reuters journalists; editing by Edmund Blair, Stephen Farrell, Mark Heinrich, 2023). Another brief synopsis of the current crisis can be found on this BBC site, https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44124396 (BBC, 2023). The inhumane brutality of the attack is documented here: https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-wara8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e (APNews: By JULIA FRANKEL, 2023)
2 https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/337807/the-real-meaning-of-from-the-river-to-the-sea/ (Tanny, 2021)
3 This History.com article gives a much deeper background to the conflict as well as links to sources for further study. https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/zionism (History.com, Editors, 2018)
4 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bar_Kokhba_revolt&oldid=1192316502 (Contributors, Bar Kokhba Revolt, 2023)
5 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christian_Zionism&oldid=1188672664 (Contributors, Christian Zionism, 2023) PAGE 4
Bibliography
1988, H. C. (2008). The Avalon Project: The Hamas Covenant. Retrieved from Yale.edu: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp
AP News: By Julia Frankel. (2023, October 16). Israeli video compilation shows the savagery and ease of Hamas’ attack. Retrieved from APNews.com: https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-wara8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e
BBC (2023, November 15). Israel Gaza war: History of the conflict explained. Retrieved from www.bbc.com: https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44124396
Contributors, W. (2023, December 28). Bar Kokhba Revolt. Retrieved from www.en.wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bar_Kokhba_revolt&oldid=1192316502
Contributors, W. (2023, December 31). Christian Zionism. Retrieved from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christian_Zionism&oldid=1188672664
Editors, H. (2018, August 21). Zionism. Retrieved from History.com: https://www.history.com/topics/middleeast/zionism
Reuters: Compiled by Reuters journalists; editing by Edmund Blair, Stephen Farrell, Mark Heinrich. (2023, November 6). Middle East. Retrieved from Reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/whats-israelpalestinian-conflict-about-how-did-it-start-2023-10-30/
Tanny, J. (2021, June 16). The Real Meaning of “From the River to the Sea”. Retrieved from JewishJournel.com: https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/337807/the-real-meaning-of-from-the-river-to-the-sea