The biblical case for Christian Zionism

Basic assumptions of the Greek worldview

Giving thanks for the Jews’ most precious gift to us

Just as the modern state of Israel was born out of the ashes of the Holocaust in perfect fulfilment of Ezekiel’s prophecy of dry bones coming back to life, so too did a new love for the Jewish people emerge from the rubble of Germany.

Shocked and devastated by the destruction of their home city of Darmstadt through the RAF bombing of 11 September 1944, which saw 12,000 killed and many more made homeless, Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary founder Basilea Schlink saw it as judgment for her country’s mass murder of the Jews.

But it stirred her heart to repentance and sorrow, as a result of which the movement was dedicated to confessing the sin of her nation and to making restitution with God’s chosen people, chiefly by loving and serving them in whatever way they could.

Now an international organisation with branches all over the world, they continue to bless the Jewish people as, full of the joy of Jesus, they demonstrate unbounding gratitude for their gift of the scriptures and, most of all, of their Messiah.

Solidarity and Reconciliation

My wife Linda and I have just attended the golden anniversary of the UK branch, based in a Hertfordshire village near London, when they looked back with amazement at the reconciling power of the Cross modelled beautifully by the current residents – Sister Thekla from Germany and Sister Glory from England – representing the nations once at war with each other.

Just as the modern state of Israel was born out of the ashes of the Holocaust, so too did a new love for the Jewish people emerge from the rubble of Germany.

A measure of the impact they have made is apparent in the way they have been embraced by the local Jewish community, who have not only accepted invitations to their many events but have also in turn welcomed the sisters into their synagogues!

One of the sisters’ annual 'Israel Day' events included the testimony of the son of a Nazi now reaching out in love to the Jews as part of his role as a disciple of Jesus. Half the audience on that occasion were from the Jewish community, one of whom later wrote: “We were overwhelmed by the event.”

Sister Thekla explained that, in sharing their shame and sorrow for the guilt of the nations, Jewish groups are greatly moved. “The smallest sign that we recognise what they went through touches them deeply.”

Maranatha

Bearing in mind that the name of their UK home is Jesus’ Return, the weekend theme was, appropriately, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’” (Rev 22:17) – a reference to the Second Coming. And as their house name implies, their focus is very much on Jesus himself and his soon return.

Always welcoming, praying, believing and encouraging, their irrepressible joy is impossible to ignore, proving a magnetic draw to the One they adore.

Against the background of Christianity’s guilt towards the Jewish nation, guest speaker Sister Verita (currently based at their Jerusalem branch and originally from New York) challenged us from Romans 11:11: “That is the call of the Church – making the Jews jealous, causing them to ask what is the source of the faith, hope, love and joy that we have in the Messiah” (see Psalm 126).

Above all, the sisters point to Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). But we have lost our way as a nation, and need to rediscover our true destiny.

Always welcoming, praying, believing and encouraging, the sisters’ irrepressible joy is impossible to ignore, proving a magnetic draw to the One they adore.

Jesus is the Way

This was brought home to us when we temporarily got lost after losing our GPS signal en route to the event. Even the road sign we were looking for was covered in foliage, an increasingly common sight across the country, causing Linda to remark: “In a year’s time, no-one will know where to go.”

A prophetic statement indeed for where we are today – lost in a fog of pointless activity as we struggle through a maze of no-through-roads, disconnected from the true source of life and direction while blindly taking wrong turns.

We desperately need to rediscover how to find our way through life, plugged into the Maker’s instructions rather than unreliable Satnavs. Jesus is the way!

Walking in Ancient Paths

We took a lovely walk in the Cotswolds on our journey back, but again got lost temporarily where the once well-worn path was overgrown. We needed to retrace our steps and get back on track.

As Jeremiah wrote, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls’” (Jer 6:16).

Jesus fulfilled that promise when he said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11:28f).

Amidst all the hatred, God has not forgotten his people.

Against the shameful background of blatant anti-Semitism at Britain’s annual Labour Party Conference, Jews everywhere are being reminded of where their help comes from.

As tens of thousands descend on Jerusalem’s Western Wall complex to receive the priestly Aaronic blessing during the Feast of Tabernacles, they hear afresh those solemn, soothing words of comfort: “The Lord bless you and keep you…” (Num 6:24).

Nazi Threat

But at Liverpool, home of The Beatles, some Labour delegates were not singing All you need is love, but joining in a chorus of hate-filled messages directed at the state of Israel, calling for an arms embargo and provocatively waving Palestinian flags.

One prominent Member of Parliament stayed away altogether, and said she was glad she had done so when it emerged that Jewish MP Luciana Berger had to be accompanied to a conference rally by two police officers. And a colleague even warned that the anti-Semitism crisis could fuel the rise of Nazism in Britain.

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy told the rally: “Nazism doesn’t turn up fully formed, wearing shiny black boots and black shirts and goose-stepping. It builds bit by bit, it gains little by little, it paints itself as the victim – it paints its victims as the enemies, as traitors, the ‘other’, with dual loyalty.”¹

God with us

But the seven-day Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (also known as Sukkot) reminds us that God, not politicians, will have the final say on Israel’s future. It recalls how he miraculously provided for them and protected them in the desert over 40 years when they lived in temporary shelters, ate manna from heaven and water from the rock.

He still promises to provide all their needs, especially in the face of fiery opposition. Psalm 27, traditionally recited during the feast and written by King David, notes:

When the wicked advance against me to devour [or slander] me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall…for in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock…Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. (Ps 27:2, 5, 12)

The feast celebrates the time God came down to ‘tabernacle’, or live, amongst his people. And this is also what Jesus did some 1,500 years later when, as the Apostle John put it, “the word became flesh and dwelt [literally, tabernacled] with us” (John 1:14). Jesus was also described as ‘Emmanuel’, meaning ‘God with us’ (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23).

The seven-day Jewish Feast of Tabernacles reminds us that God, not politicians, will have the final say on Israel’s future.

Jewish people believe that when Messiah comes, it will be during this feast. And there is good reason to believe that Jesus was actually born at this time of year, not at Christmas as is generally supposed. For one thing, the shepherds were in the fields watching their flocks by night – the lambs were still kept outdoors during the feast, but would have been kept indoors in winter.

For another, Sukkot is a festival of joy – rabbis apparently teach that it is a sin to be miserable this week – and the angel announcing Messiah’s birth said: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy…” (Luke 2:10).

Streams of Living Water

The site of the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem’s Old City, where water was drawn for the Feast of Tabernacles. Photo: Charles Gardner

The feast also played a crucial role in Jesus’ ministry, for it was on the last day of Tabernacles that he stood up to declare: “If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his inmost being shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37f).

The background to this is that, traditionally, on each day of the feast, the High Priest took a golden pitcher and filled it with water drawn from the Pool of Siloam, and it was poured out on the altar as a thank-offering for rain.

Jesus now promised a spiritual ‘rain’ that would never stop flowing for those who trusted him. And in the light of dark threats here in Britain, and elsewhere, consolation can surely be taken from the feast’s association with the “last days” when Jesus returns, once again to tabernacle with his people, after which all nations will be required to make an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem in order to celebrate Tabernacles – and those who refuse to do so will be denied rain (Zech 14:16-19)!

The Blast of the Shofar

One school of thought teaches that when Jesus returns as King of Kings, he will be hailed by the blast of the shofar (ram’s horn) on the Feast of Trumpets (marked earlier this month at the start of the autumn feasts). Then, all Israel would recognise him as Messiah and enter into national mourning over the One they have pierced (Zech 12:10; see also 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16).

What a glorious prospect!

References

1 Daily Mail, 24 September 2018.

I am also indebted for some insights to author and Hebraic teacher Fred Wright and to David Soakell of Christian Friends of Israel.

Reclaiming the noble description of God’s holy city.

As Jews across Europe come under increasing fire, and the scandal of anti-Semitism continues to wreak havoc in Britain’s Labour Party, there is an ever-present danger of misunderstanding as to what it’s all about.

Why have Jews, and Israel in particular, become the focus of so much vilification? And what on earth is ‘Zionism’, a catch-all word generally being used in a disparaging way by opponents of the Jewish state?

Among the many unsavoury allegations of anti-Jewish sentiment surrounding Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn, he was recently cited as having said in a 2013 speech that Zionists in the UK had “no sense of English irony”, which critics said implied they weren’t fully British.¹

Quite apart from the patent untruth of Corbyn’s nasty slur – for British Jews have surely been the most loyal of minorities, contributing hugely to our success in so many fields, not least the economy – let’s take a moment to unpack what exactly is meant by ‘Zionism’.

It’s a form of insult for some – we get that – meant as a kind of synonym to describe a ‘racist’ people accused of stealing Palestinian land. But the reality is very different, and we need to rescue the term from the skewed meaning it is often given in common use.

A Most Noble, Holy Concept

In truth, Zionism is among the most noble, holy concepts found in the English language (or any language) and those who take up its cause should be justly proud of doing so. For it is essentially a biblical reference to the place where we go up to meet with God to worship him.

Specifically, it refers to Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place on earth, also known as the “city of the Great King” (Ps 48:1f). It is a very special domain which God himself has chosen as a “resting place” (Ps 132:13f). So to use it as a form of insult virtually amounts to blasphemy because it involves denigrating something sacred to the Creator.

In the time of Jesus, Jews were expected to make a special pilgrimage to attend three major feasts a year – all in Jerusalem – when they would sing about going “up to Zion”. The Book of Psalms is strewn liberally with joyful expressions of the holy wonder of these regular journeys. The city is built on mountains, including Mt Zion, at an elevation of nearly 3,000ft, which thus requires a stiff climb of some 4,000ft within the space of just 30 miles from the Dead Sea – which, at 1,200ft below (normal) sea level, is the lowest point on earth.

Zionism is among the most noble, holy concepts found in the English language

Zion describes the City of Jerusalem (Isa 40:9) and the nation of Israel as a whole (Zech 9:13; Isa 60:14). And it is a place God loves (Ps 87:2f), having first assumed significance when King David brought the Ark of the Covenant into the stronghold of ‘Zion’, also named the ‘City of David’.

Similarly, Zion-ism is a longing expressed by Jews dispersed around the world for a return to their ancient land, encapsulated in the late 19^th Century by Theodor Herzl and his Zionist movement that propelled the initial waves of Jewish immigration to the Holy Land. For Jews everywhere, it is like returning ‘home’, even if (as in most cases) their ancestors have been exiled for nearly 2,000 years. It is a divinely appointed location, and Jews have a divine right to live there.

And so ‘Zion’, as a homeland for the Jewish people, has also come to describe their right to self-determination in the re-established State of Israel. After all, Jews have prayed towards Jerusalem for thousands of years. Even the Western Church, which has somewhat lost sight of its Hebraic roots, has traditionally built its altars facing east – towards Jerusalem!

Gentile Zionism

But there are also Christian Zionists, who support Israel’s right to exist and make every effort to help them in any way they can, including sourcing the documents and finance to enable persecuted Jews to make ‘aliyah’ by becoming Israeli citizens.

Christians United for Israel, noting the Church’s “deafening” silence on the anti-Semitism scandal, points out that an attack on Zionism is also an attack on Christians.²

Remaining silent because of fears of engaging in what is deemed a ‘political’ controversy “could be one of the biggest mistakes by the church so far this century” because it is central to Christian faith and theology and “has consequences that may only be realised when the church becomes the next target of the same ‘flames of hatred’ that have reappeared throughout Europe”.³

An attack on Zionism is also an attack on Christians.

Loving Who God Loves

In answer to the first question posed at the beginning of this article, well that’s a big subject that would best be tackled another day. But, in short, it is just because Jews are God’s chosen people that they are so reviled. It is a fit of jealousy on the part of all who rebel against God’s choice.

But those who love God will love whoever he loves, especially Israel, “the apple of his eye” (see Zech 2:8).

References

1 Metro, 31 August 2018.

2 Reclaiming the definition of “Zionism” – and why it should matter to Christians. Christians United for Israel, 4 September 2018.

3 Ibid. 

A step on the way, not the final destination.

The cry of the captives from Judah recorded in Psalm 137:1, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion”, has echoed down over the 2,500 years since the Babylonian captivity.

Similarly, for every Jewish household around the world at Passover, the heart-cry of “Next year in Jerusalem” expresses the longing and expectation of return to the homeland. It should be no surprise, then, that we at Prophecy Today constantly express our sympathy and support for Israel and affirm the nation’s God-given, historical and legal right to the Land.

Nevertheless, in this article I want to remind readers that the Jewish return to the Land from around the globe is a step along the way, rather than a final destination.

Bringing Balance

We can debate endlessly whether the political movement called Zionism is a work of man or an act of God, and in so doing miss the bigger picture. The bigger picture is of the covenant purposes of God and how he will fulfil these. We have to face up to the reality not only of history, but of what is prophesied for the future.

Though this fallen world is still awaiting redemption, God has nevertheless been working his covenant purposes out throughout history. As part of this, immense events of deep significance have been allowed, each of which open our eyes in some way to the nature and depth of his restorative purposes. For example:

• The Great Flood at the time of Noah
  
• The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
  
• The captivity of Israel by the Assyrians
  
• The captivity of Judah by the Babylonians
  
• The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans
  
• The 2000-year diaspora of the Jews, followed by a multitude of pogroms and persecutions, including
  
• The Holocaust

And, standing alone for its purpose in covenant history –

• The crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah as the atoning sacrifice for sin.

I include this list to argue that we must dig deeper than relatively short-term, political arguments if we are to put the return to Zion (a name for Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel) into true biblical perspective and move towards a balanced understanding of what is happening today.

We can debate endlessly whether the political movement called Zionism is a work of man or an act of God, and in so doing miss the bigger picture.

Fulfilment of Prophecy

At this deeper level of understanding, the Babylonian captivity (the first exile from the Land) and the global diaspora from AD 70 until 1947 (the second exile) are fulfilments of scriptural prophecies and are consequences of the Jews not heeding prophetic warnings.

A pivotal Scripture is Deuteronomy 28, which sets out clearly under the terms of what we now call the ‘Old Covenant’ what will happen to the Jewish people if they obey the Law given through Moses and what will happen if they fail to obey.¹ There are amazing promises of blessing for obedience. Sustained, wilful disobedience has consequences too:

And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other… (Deut 28:63-64)

Many religious Jews know this full well. We do not need to stress to them the responsibility of their calling and heritage, nor the importance of repentance. For example, Rabbi Jacob Berman writes:

Because of the sins of our forefathers, we were driven from our land, the land of Israel. Exile, dispersion and suffering caused many of our people to neglect the study of the holy language [Hebrew], to forget the Torah and to assimilate among the gentiles. But God has promised the eternity of the Jewish people…

Go forth and search for the nations of old; where are they today? They have vanished! Not so the people of Israel who live on forever more. What is the secret of their survival? There is but one answer: The Torah! "And you who cleave unto the Lord your God, you are alive, everyone of you, to this day." (Deuteronomy 4:4) Our sages explained it this way: The children of Israel who clung to God, the Source of Life, have come to possess life everlasting.

If Israel would return to God in true repentance, then will He fulfil unto us His promise which He gave us through the prophets, His servants, to gather in the remaining exiles from the four corners of the earth, to restore us to the land of our inheritance, and bring us the Messiah who will rebuild the Temple and restore Divine Worship on the holy mountain, in Jerusalem.²

It was within God’s purposes for the Jewish people to be scattered over the world, and also that they now be restored.

Similarly, many Jewish Zionists who have returned to Israel in our day know that repentance is called for in terms of 2 Chronicles 7:14, a promise given through Solomon directly to Israel: “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

It is within God's purposes that the Jewish people now be restored to the Land - but the story doesn't end there.A deeper view of covenant history and the prophetic scriptures should open our eyes to this: that not only was it within God’s purposes for the Jewish people to be scattered over the world, but it is also within his purposes that they now be restored – first to the Land, and then, in true repentance and faith, to their Lord. These are the days in which we are privileged to live.

Gentile Observers

The world at large is an observer of Israel and their place in God’s purposes. But it is easy to misunderstand how to respond. Too often the Gentile world has taken the initiative to persecute and punish the Jews. However, despite God allowing his covenant people to be driven into exile, subject to the sadness of the temporary loss of their homeland, they remain the apple of his eye. Therefore, to persecute the Jews is to draw God’s wrath.

The ancient nation of Babylon is typical in this respect. A Gentile nation into which the Tribe of Judah was taken captive, Babylon (also a type of the final anti-Christian world empire prophesied in the Book of Revelation) was subject to God’s punishment. Its empire soon collapsed when Israel’s captivity came to an end.

The role of the Gentile nations is to comfort God’s people, to understand the Bible and to beware of anti-Semitism or any act of unkindness towards Israel. God is the judge of Israel and will also bring judgment on all nations as his covenant purposes reach their climax.

The prophetic song of Moses (Deut 32) foretells what will come upon both Israel and the Gentile nations in the end times. Moses prophesied the falling away of Israel (vv15-18) and her consequent suffering (vv19-27), but also her return to God (vv36-43). He also foretold how the Gentile nations would be judged who took the initiative to inflict suffering on her:

The LORD will vindicate his people and relent concerning his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free…Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people. (32:36, 43)

God’s purposes for Israel do not end with Zionism or the return to the ancient Land.

The Song of Moses and the Lamb

God’s purposes for Israel do not end with Zionism or the return to the ancient Land. More suffering is foretold as nations gather in the Middle East to pressurise Israel. These nations will be judged with the judgments like those which befell ancient Egypt, as outlined in the Book of Revelation. In this context, Israel as a whole will finally look upwards, from the earthly Jerusalem, with the Messianic cry, “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord” (Matt 23:37-39).

All the struggles of this world will climax with Yeshua’s return to redeem Israel and those who wait in faith for him from the Gentile nations. But woe to those who take it upon themselves to seek to harm God’s covenant people! Gentiles have a much worthier calling: to bless the Jews and to bring them the good news of Yeshua’s all-sufficient sacrifice on the Cross, atoning for their sin.

In this respect, Zionism is really about living out a hope and understanding of Israel’s significance in God’s purposes that goes beyond the restoration of heritage and homeland to the fulfilment of future promise. Let us pray and act accordingly.

Notes

1 The blessing and cursing of Old Covenant applies to those of the nation of Israel who have not entered into the New Covenant by faith in the sacrificial death of Yeshua (Rom 9-11; Gal 3:10-13).

2 Popular Halachah: A Guide to Jewish Living (1985, edited by Avnere Tomaschoff).

The dreadful consequences of touching the apple of God’s eye

As we once again recall with horror the terrorist atrocity witnessed by the whole world when New York’s Twin Towers were reduced to rubble in 2001, few will be aware of an earlier 9/11 that destroyed an entire city.

It happened on the night of 11 September 1944, when the German city of Darmstadt suffered a devastating air raid by RAF pilots sent out from my home town of Doncaster, headquarters of Bomber Command.

12,000 residents were killed and many more made homeless amid ongoing controversy even in Britain as to whether it was really necessary as the war was almost won by then.

But as fire swept through the smouldering ruins, a devoted young German Christian wept bitterly over her nation’s terrible sin against the Jewish people – she clearly saw the bombing as the judgment of God.

Sister Thekla (sitting) and Sister Glory pictured at Jesus’ Return, their home near London.Basilea Schlink determined to do something about it and subsequently founded the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary, dedicated to confessing the sin of her nation and making restitution with God’s chosen people, chiefly by loving and serving them in whatever way they could.

Touching the Apple of God’s Eye

More than 70 years later, the order is represented in nations across the globe, including Australia and the United States, and I have just spent a weekend at their UK base near London where a coffee-table book on their history recalls that fateful night in Darmstadt:

For years our mothers had prayed for revival in the girls’ Bible study groups they led; now their prayers were answered – far differently than they had ever expected. That night the girls encountered God in his holiness as Judge and Lord over life and death…

Following that night of terror, there was a move among those young girls to bring sin into the light and receive forgiveness…God’s moment had come. Out of the ashes emerged new life.¹

Have we still not learned that there are shocking consequences for those who touch the apple of God’s eye, which is how the Bible refers to Israel?

Not surprisingly, the British-based sisters are deeply grieved at the rise of anti-Semitism all over Europe so soon after this terrible disaster caused by the Nazis’ sickening murder of six million Jews in the death camps of Poland and Germany.

Have we still not learned that there are shocking consequences for those who touch the apple of God’s eye, which is how the Bible refers to Israel (see Zechariah 2:8)?

When and Where to Flee

According to Alex Brummer in a Daily Mail article,² all the talk among British Jews is now focused on which country to flee to if Jeremy Corbyn gets into No. 10 as he has failed miserably to deal with the rise of anti-Semitism in his party, which has traditionally had the support of the Jewish community (and it now appears there has been a cover-up over party members allegedly involved in anti-Semitic hate crimes3).

According to my sources, many have already fled traditionally Jewish suburbs like Golders Green in north London in order to set up home in safer areas following a series of anti-Semitic incidents.

And although British Jews have become accustomed to bias against Israel in recent decades, “never before has a major political party in Britain regarded the creation by the post-war so-called Great Powers (including Russia) of the state of Israel in 1948…as an act of colonialist occupation”, Brummer writes, referring to Mr Corbyn’s stated beliefs.

“But that this [fleeing the country] is even being discussed, just 70 years on from the horrors of Auschwitz; that British Jews should be feeling so insecure in the country they love, is deeply disturbing,” Brummer adds.

And he pointed out that Israel wasn’t necessarily their first choice of destination, because some see it as a move from the frying pan into the fire. But I disagree with that. I go along with a participant on BBC2’s We Are British Jews programme⁴ who said that “It’s the safest place in the world to be”.

All the talk among British Jews is now focused on which country to flee to if Jeremy Corbyn gets into No. 10.

God’s Purposes

Yes, the Jewish state is surrounded by implacable enemies with an insatiable desire to wipe them off the map and, yes, they are threatened once more with annihilation. But Israel’s security is very tight – and effective.

In any case, should physical safety be their only consideration? Isn’t the safest place of all in the loving arms of God – the God of Israel? And his purpose is that they should return to the Land of their forefathers, the Land promised to Abraham as a permanent possession (Gen 17:8). After all, the Tenach (Old Testament) prophets foretold of a great ingathering of Jews from every corner of the globe.

Picture: Charles GardnerAlmost half of world Jewry are now living in Israel and, according to the Bible, it would appear to be God’s will that they should all return (Ezek 39:28). But don’t misunderstand me. I do not wish to encourage persecution so that they feel forced to flee. Jewish contribution to European societies has been priceless – without the ongoing input of their high achievers we would all suffer. But woe to those whose intimidation does cause them to leave; for they will come under a curse (Gen 12:3).

Nevertheless, it is God’s purpose that his chosen people should be back in the Land before Messiah returns. Yes, there will be a battle over Jerusalem, and the nations will come against it, but the Lord will intervene and defeat the enemies of Israel, once and for all (see Zechariah 12-14).

Messiah’s Return

When Jesus ascended to heaven as his perplexed disciples watched in wonder, angels explained to them that he would one day return in the same way he had left – and this took place on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem (Acts 1:11).

The Prophet Zechariah confirms this – that Christ will indeed place his feet on the Mount of Olives and that the Jewish nation will have their eyes opened as they recognise Jesus as the One they had pierced (Zech 12:10).

Almost half of world Jewry are now living in Israel and, according to the Bible, it would appear to be God’s will that they should all return.

The Messiah for whom Jews have longed will appear on earth, and they will acknowledge that he has been here before – as the suffering servant (Isa 53). Although they will mourn over what they did to him (we all need to confess our sin in order to be cleansed), their hearts will be sprinkled clean – and “all Israel will be saved” (Ezek 36:25; Zech 13:1; Rom 11:26).

Jesus is coming again – and the establishing of the people of Israel in their Land is a major sign.

References

1 A Celebration of God’s Unfailing Love, published by the Evangelical Sisters of Mary.

2 Daily Mail, 30 August 2018. According to a Jewish Chronicle poll, almost 40% of UK Jews would ‘seriously consider’ leaving if Corbyn became PM (Times of Israel, 5 September 2018).

3 Daily Express, 5 September 2018.

4 A two-part series screened last week (on 4 and 5 September).

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Israel’s Anointing’ by Sandra Teplinsky (Chosen Books, 2008).

Sandra Teplinsky’s book ‘Why Still Care About Israel’ was reviewed previously on Prophecy Today and highly recommended. Now we feature her other main book of this kind, ‘Israel’s Anointing’.

The book, subtitled ‘Your Inheritance and End-Time Destiny through Israel’, aims to prepare God’s people for the closing events of this age (and beyond) by providing insights into God’s heart and purpose for Israel and how these apply to us personally as individual believers in Jesus.

Messianic Understanding

In the author’s own words, “the chapters build on each other, taking us from the ancient paths into the prophetic future” (p17).

Two of the chapters focus on single books – Ruth and Song of Songs, respectively. Chapter 3 uses the story of Ruth to illustrate the mystery of Jew and Gentile as ‘one new man’ and the recent unprecedented move of the Spirit, destined to increase in the coming years, that is causing a “global rejoining of Gentile to Jewish believers in Messiah” (p40). Chapter 4 features the Song of Songs to emphasise that Jesus is coming for a Bride.

The next two chapters are particularly impressive as Teplinsky explores two key themes, Sabbath rest and Torah. The chapter on the Sabbath contains many useful insights. Rather than just being a repeat of familiar arguments, we are given a feel for the importance and potential impact of a Sabbath rest.

Teplinsky aims to prepare God’s people for the closing events of this age by providing insights into God’s heart and purpose for Israel and how these apply to us personally.

Her explanation of the role of Torah is one of the highlights of the book. Here is a brilliant exposition set within the context of the covenants. The level of understanding that comes through these pages is perhaps one that only a Messianic Jew can provide.

The Physical and the Spiritual

Chapter 8, ‘From Zion’s Battlegrounds’, is a fascinating description of the military pressures and battles that Israel faces, especially over Jerusalem. Teplinsky’s proposition is that we can only properly understand the physical warfare once we have grasped the nature and intensity of satan’s heavenly rebellion against the God of Israel.

She convincingly explores the link between what Israel has to face on the ground and what the Church faces in terms of spiritual warfare. “The Israeli Defence Forces have been called to fight battles in the natural that both prefigure and reflect battles the Church is called to fight in the supernatural” (p136). As Christians often don’t see these supernatural battles or feel called to engage in them, they remain largely unaware of the real aspects of ‘Zion’s battlegrounds’.

One interesting extra detail is Teplinsky’s link between the role of women in the IDF and that of women in the Church as intercessors. Whatever reaction this might cause amongst her readers, the whole chapter is nevertheless well expressed and thought out.

Encouragement to Stand Firm

In later chapters Teplinsky focuses on aspects of Jesus’ return and its aftermath. She maintains a steady position based upon a straightforward reading of the biblical texts. Jesus will set up a Messianic Millennial Kingdom in line with that of his role as the fulfiller of the Davidic covenant. Righteousness and peace will ensue and the earth will be progressively restored.

Teplinsky’s proposition is that we can only properly understand the physical warfare once we have grasped the nature and intensity of satan’s heavenly rebellion against the God of Israel.

The planet will be in tremendous need of rehabilitation after the havoc wreaked by the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation, and “resurrected saints will play a thrilling role in overseeing the millennial operation” (p166). Without trying to explain every detail of this, we are simply encouraged to stand firm to the end in order to have a part in this eternal destiny.

The book concludes with an extensive bibliography, end notes and index. Overall it succeeds in its aim of providing insights into God’s purposes for Israel and how individual believers can engage with this. It will enable both Gentile and Jewish believers to grow in maturity and come together as ‘one new man’ in Messiah.

'Israel’s Anointing' (215 pages, paperback) is available from Amazon for £7.99.

The row has turned into a crisis.

You could be forgiven for missing it, because it has been all-but-buried by Brexit drama and limited mainstream news coverage. But Labour’s anti-Semitism row has resurfaced this week with vicious intensity – and is threatening to tear the Party apart.

Various explosive exposés in recent years have made the nation painfully aware that Labour has a deep-rooted anti-Semitism problem.

Now, as if things could get any worse, a furore has erupted because the Party has dared to create its own definition of anti-Semitism which waters down the international standard – effectively institutionalising its own anti-Semitic behaviour.¹

Seeing Red

Last week, a Labour sub-committee backed the diluted definition over the full International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition, which is widely accepted as an international standard and embraced by the UK Government, the CPS, the police and many local councils.

Predictably, Labour’s watered down version omits several specific examples of anti-Semitic behaviour to do with Israel, an area of discourse which has been a notorious sticking-point for the Party under Jeremy Corbyn and which today represents the main conduit for Western anti-Semitic attitudes and behaviour.²

The sub-committee’s decision sparked a huge backlash from MPs and provoked an unprecedented letter from 68 British rabbis, published in The Guardian over last weekend, urging Labour leaders to “listen to the Jewish community” and adopt the full IHRA definition.³ Hours later, the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, weighed in with the same message.⁴ On Monday night, a packed meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (with the noted absence of Corbyn) rebelled against the sub-committee, voting overwhelmingly to accept the IHRA definition in full.⁵

Labour’s watered down definition of anti-Semitism omits several specific examples of anti-Semitic behaviour to do with Israel, a notorious sticking-point for the Party under Corbyn.

Despite all this, Labour’s governing body, the National Executive Committee, upheld the amended definition on Tuesday, without recourse to a vote and with the full support of Corbyn, who was present. During the meeting, which was marked by bitter exchanges, NEC member Pete Willsman told the room that “Some of the people in the Jewish community are Trump fanatics – I’ll take no lectures from them” and rejected the open letter from the 68 rabbis by declaring their message “simply false”.⁶

Afterwards, a furious Dame Margaret Hodge – veteran Jewish Labour MP – saw red and approached Corbyn behind the Speaker’s Chair during the Commons votes on Brexit, reportedly calling him “an anti-Semitic racist” and adding, “It is not what you say but what you do, and by your actions you have shown you are an anti-Semitic racist.”⁷

Now, remarkably facing disciplinary action by the Party, Hodge has defended her actions in a Guardian article further laying into the Opposition Leader.⁸ A rally was held in Parliament Square on Thursday evening, and a number of Jewish MPs are said to be considering quitting the Party altogether.⁹

Willing Blindness

Having shattered Labour’s reputation as an anti-racist, pro-tolerance Party, Corbyn and his inner circle are stumping both MPs and ordinary citizens by remaining steadfastly committed to fostering this one particular brand of racism within Party ranks, blowing every possible opportunity to make amends with British Jews.

But, as Jewish author and blogger Melanie Phillips obligingly notes, Jeremy Corbyn is not the cause of Labour’s anti-Semitism problem – he is a result of it.¹⁰ For the anti-Semitism that embattles Labour today actually pervades the entire left wing of the political spectrum, being a natural consequence of its wholesale commitment to Palestinianism.

Corbyn and his inner circle have shattered Labour’s reputation as an anti-racist, pro-tolerance Party.

Through a potent cocktail of godless, anti-biblical ‘isms’ - postmodernism, secularism, humanism and liberalism - the left has blinded itself to the fact that Palestinianism is a fundamentally anti-Semitic endeavour that one cannot support meaningfully without eventually getting drawn into the same attitudes.

Yet, ironically, those subscribing to left-wing secular humanism consider themselves to be paragons of virtue, incapable of racism: always standing in solidarity with the oppressed. That is why Corbyn cannot even admit fully to the Party’s anti-Semitism problem: he genuinely cannot see it. Or, even worse, he can see it, and doesn’t care - or explains it away – because he patently agrees with its underlying premises.

Spiritual Battle

Thankfully, this blindness has not descended fully on MPs or ordinary Labour supporters, among whom there is now new opportunity to highlight the roots of this nightmare in a rejection of the God of the Bible. For, contrary to popular opinion, anti-Semitism is not a racism like any other, but is actually a demonic backlash against God, his chosen Land, people and covenant purposes. Not even Melanie Phillips quite grasps its true, spiritual nature - which is why it is ‘the longest hatred’, repeatedly raising its head around the world and throughout history, refusing to die.

How people align themselves in this spiritual battle – whether or not they even know it is there – places them on one side or the other of a promise made by God some 4,000 years ago, recorded in the Book of Genesis, that “Those who bless [Israel] will themselves be blessed, but those who curse [Israel] will be cursed” (Gen 12:3).

It is the outworking of this very promise today that is causing such division and strife in the Labour Party. Truly, Jerusalem is a cup of reeling that makes the nations stagger (Zech 12:2). Systematically siding with Israel’s enemies and behaving in a way which evidences his commitment to her ultimate annihilation, Corbyn has placed Labour under a curse – which will undoubtedly affect the entire nation should he ever ascend to the office of Prime Minister.

Corbyn has placed Labour under a curse – which will undoubtedly affect the entire nation should he ever ascend to the office of Prime Minister.

House on Sand

Mercifully, most people can still recognise that something has gone fundamentally wrong with the Labour Party, even if they don’t understand why. There is now fresh opportunity for multitudes to be challenged to think about the ‘why’: why a Party so devoted to ‘inclusivity’, ‘tolerance’ and ‘anti-racism’ is manifesting the exact opposite behaviour.

We can pray that God will use their wonderings to open their eyes, to see that the ideological house of the liberal left – in which the vast majority of our politicians now shelter - has been built not on rock, but on sand.

How both MPs and ordinary citizens respond to this current storm will fundamentally shape the future for British Jews and indeed for the entire nation – perhaps as much as or even more than Brexit. As for those in Britain who have committed themselves to Israel’s destruction,

Make them like tumbleweed, my God,

like chaff before the wind.

As fire consumes the forest

or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,

so pursue them with your tempest

and terrify them with your storm.

Cover their faces with shame, LORD,

so that they will seek your name.

May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;

may they perish in disgrace.

Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD-

that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:13-18)

References

1 Phillips, M. Institutionalising antisemitism in the British Labour Party. 20 July 2018.

2 Under Labour’s definition, calling Jews Nazis or Israel an ‘apartheid’ state could be permissible.

3 The 68 are said to represent 30,000 British Jewish households, from ultra-progressives through to haredi Orthodox. This show of unity is exceptional. See also, 68 rabbis from across UK Judaism sign unprecedented letter condemning Labour antisemitism. The Jewish Chronicle, 16 July 2018.

4 Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis writes unprecedented letter, warning Labour not to send 'message of contempt' to Jews. The Jewish Chronicle, 17 July 2018.

5 Labour MPs defy party leadership, vote to back IHRA definition of antisemitism. The Jewish Chronicle, 16 July 2018.

6 Labour rejects full IHRA antisemitism definition - but is accused of 'fudge' for pledging review. The Jewish Chronicle, 17 July 2018.

7 Stewart, H and Elgot, J. Labour MP labels Corbyn an 'antisemite' over party's refusal to drop code. The Guardian, 17 July 2018.

8 Hodge, M. I was right to confront Jeremy Corbyn over Labour’s antisemitism. The Guardian, 18 July 2018. 

9 Proctor, K. Jewish MPs may quit Labour as row grows over anti-Semitism. Evening Standard, 19 July 2018.

10 Phillips, M. Giddy at their boldness – but Corbyn didn’t cause Labour antisemitism. He’s its product. 30 March 2018. 

Frances Rabbitts reviews ‘Jerusalem: The Covenant City’ (DVD, Hatikvah Films, 2002).

This feature-length (115 mins) film from the Hatikvah Trust is now a little dated in its presentation, but remains a good cinematic overview of the “unique, eternal and prophetic destiny” of God’s own city, Jerusalem. Presented by Lance Lambert, the documentary is split into two parts – the first looking at the past (just over an hour) and the second looking at the present and the future (just under an hour).

With such a vast period of history – nearly all of it - to cover, the presentation is necessarily concise. However, Director Hugh Kitson does sterling work in weaving together an array of historical events with Scripture references into one coherent narrative, with no sense of rushing. Newcomers to the topic will receive a wealth of information and insight – and those with more experience will be encouraged with the film’s perspective.

Part I: The Past

Part I starts with the question, so popular with the media, ‘what makes Jerusalem unique?’ Contrary to popular opinion that her significance derives from her importance to three world faiths, we find that it actually owes to God’s declaration of ownership over her.

We are then treated to a fly-through of Jerusalem’s biblical history, beginning with Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah, through David, Solomon, the descent of Israel into idolatry, the first exile and the first return. Lance then spends some time on the prophecies of Daniel about the coming of Messiah and space is made for viewers to reflect on the work of the Cross.

Newcomers to the topic will receive a wealth of information and insight – and those with more experience will be encouraged with the film’s perspective.

The film then moves through Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, the second destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of 70 AD, then considering the ‘times of the Gentiles’, including the Ottoman occupation and the centuries of Jerusalem’s decay as an imperial backwater. It concludes with an outline of the history of the return, from the early settlers through to the making of modern Israel.

Here archive footage becomes available and Scripture is interwoven with old photographs and film footage of both the 1948 and 1967 wars.

Part II: Present and Future

The second part starts with moving shots of modern aliyah - stories of Jews returning from around the world. Attention then moves to the decades of contention that have plagued Jerusalem since her unification in 1967 – the bills and declarations, the peace accords and the intifadas. Examples and footage are included here which may well either be new to many, or have long been forgotten.

Here the main narrative is supplemented with interviews with political leaders on the subject of the Jewish claim to Jerusalem, and mention is made of Arab historic revisionism and Western media bias.

Looking to the future, Lance notes that true peace will only come to Jerusalem when Jesus returns. Lance explains the spiritual battle raging over Zion today, with further reference to the Book of Daniel, and then looks at the prophetic milestones we are to expect ahead of Jesus’ return, mostly through straightforwardly reading Scripture. The film ends on a high note of hope in Messiah’s return.

Lance explains the spiritual battle raging over Zion today and then looks at the prophetic milestones we are to expect ahead of Jesus’ return.

Scripture from Start to Finish

Obviously there is a limit to the amount of detail that is possible to achieve in a film with such a huge historical scope, however, Hatikvah does an excellent job. In fact, it feels as if the whole film is made up of Scripture from start to finish, and there is a wonderful focus on Jesus throughout. Though it leaves c.15 years unaccounted for, having been made in 2002, its prophetic teaching remains remarkably relevant, while its biblical/historical accounts are timeless.

An excellent and encouraging introduction to the topic that would be perfect for small groups and Christians with little knowledge of the subject.

Jerusalem: The Covenant City can be purchased from Hatikvah Films for £12 or on Amazon (also available to stream online from £3.19).