What is Christian Zionism Defined
In anticipation of our series (The Replacements) on the dangers of Replacement Theology this propaganda machine of Evangelical Liberals (The New Liberals) who are both ignorant of the history, policies, and the scriptures concerning Israel’s role in the Middle East. First off let me say that Israel does not get a pass on everything because they are simply “Israel”. The Bible makes it clear that the spirit of Anti-Semitism will be so pervasive in the end that Israel will be all alone. Revelation Ch. 12 has as only God could do a synopsis of Anti-Semitism over the millennia.
Why is Israel Important to the Church?
In Ezekiel Ch.36 The Lord God gives the reason for His reason for why He will finish the work He began through the tiny nation of Israel. Oh, it’s not because they are so wonderful as many may think. Simply God’s Holy Name is on the deal. When God swore by Himself to Abraham in Genesis 15 many things and Abraham believed God. This is the problem with the Liberals today both “New and Old”, they don’t believe what God has said, but swallow the dregs of Satan’s Anti Semitic lies that God is done with Israel. NO! Not by a long shot. The future judgment of the nations will be exactly for how the peoples and nations treated Israel at the Sheep and Goat judgment. No, Gods name is on the deal and it is all about God completing what He said He would. Plain and simple and I believe He will just like He said. More to come very soon.
But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not [this] for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. Ezekiel 36:21-25
Above and below is a three-part YouTube video that has James Hutchens gives a succinct definition of the label “Christian Zionism”
What we will be addressing is the propaganda film and the notes that accompany this film being shown is such conservative bastions as Harvard Seminary and Princeton… Brief article below that outlines the film and Hutchens definition should help clear up some bias from the Left.
Pro-Israel Christians targeted by a new Anti-Israel movie
Liberal Christians Redefine Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism defined
By Hillel Fendel, Israelnationalnews.com
A new evangelical film, “With God on Our Side,” is coming out this month in an attempt to persuade pro-Israel Christians to champion the Palestinian cause.
With God on Our Side (Christian Palestinianism)
Whenever we, as biblical Christians, think that things couldn’t possibly become more preposterous in Christendom, we need to call to mind the Scriptures that tell us that the time will come when Christians will not endure sound doctrine, and many will corrupt the Word of God (2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Corinthian 2:17; 2 Peter 3:16). The Apostle Paul further declares to Timothy that those who bring such doctrines shall turn people away from the truth to fables, that is, myths, of their own invention (2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14). Today, such teachings and practices are increasing at a staggering rate—practices that range from the patently absurd to the insidious, even menacingly dangerous, both spiritually and physically.
The term was coined by Paul Wilkinson in his book, For Zion’s Sake (see TBC resources), which presents the biblical reasons why Christians need to support the restoration of the modern state of Israel, an endeavor known as “Christian Zionism.” The enemy of that effort is Christian Palestinianism, which includes far more than a concern over the plight of the so-called Palestinian people They have organized themselves as cancer in the body of Christ pontificating, “We categorically reject Christian Zionist doctrines as a false teaching that corrupts the biblical message of love, justice, and reconciliation….With urgency, we warn that Christian Zionism and its alliances are justifying colonization, apartheid, and empire-building.” (“The Jewish Declaration on Christian Zionism,” 2006)
Revising Theology
Porter Speakman, the movie’s producer, has explained that it “takes a look at the theology of Christian Zionism, which teaches that… the Jews are G-d’s chosen people [and] have a divine right to the land of Israel… This film demonstrates that there is a biblical alternative for Christians who want to love and support the people of Israel, a theology that doesn’t favor one people group over another but instead promotes peace and reconciliation for both Jews and Palestinians.”
Speakman said that the film’s title was inspired by the incident in the Book of Joshua (5:13-14) in which Joshua asks an angel who appears at the battlefront, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” and the angel answers, “Neither. I am the commander of G-d’s army.” Speakman said, “We believe this verse is still true today, that G-d does not take sides with certain people groups, nations or agendas.”[INN: A close reading of the biblical text shows that the angel did not say “neither.” His answer was “no”, as he was not there to fight as humans do. Two verses later, the angel clearly sides with the Israelites when he tells Joshua, “I have given Jericho and its king into your hand.”]
The film’s trailer claims, “Palestinian Christians lived here for centuries in this land. Suddenly they meet Christian groups of people who say you are obstacles to the second coming of Jesus. You need to move out to make room for the Jewish diaspora to come here.”
Christian Arabs living in Israel have equal rights and complete freedom of religion. Those living in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas lack basic rights and many have left for this reason.
Writing for Front Page magazine, Mark Tooley, President of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, notes that “anti-Israel activists rightly see American evangelicals as key to U.S. support for Israel. That is why they are targeting evangelicals with messages of pro-Palestinian solidarity as supposedly central to Christian compassion.”
Most of the millions of Evangelical Christians in the United States are staunch supporters of Israel politically.
Tooley explains that the film is an attempt to undermine Christian beliefs about modern-day Israel: “Here, of course, is the simplistic stereotype about pro-Israel evangelicals the film hopes to perpetuate. American evangelicals self-serving only support Israel because a Jewish presence there is central to their bloody thirsty, apocalyptic dreams about the Second Coming. The film soothingly implores evangelicals to consider a nicer path.”
The Message
Tooley writes that the film’s main message to evangelicals, is that the “Old Religious Right crassly imposed a pro-Israel U.S. foreign policy based on its end-times theology, creating untold suffering among largely innocent Palestinians,” whereas “more thoughtful, more compassionate evangelicals” must instead stand with the Palestinians as “the victim group most needing Christian compassion.” Tooley calls this a “new mythology that the Evangelical Left hopes to perpetuate about the Middle East.”
The film interviews Ben White, an anti-Israel British journalist; Stephen Sizer, a Church of England priest and anti-Israel author who infamously has taken his message to Iran; Gary Burge, a professor at evangelical Wheaton College outside Chicago who is a critic of pro-Israel evangelicals; and Salim Munayer, a professor at Bethlehem Bible College, which markets Palestinian Liberation Theology.
Munayer says that American evangelicals must be more concerned about their self-image. “You need to understand how American Christians have been perceived by Middle Easterners,” Tooley quotes him as saying. “We stand for wars, we want to be richer, we don’t care for the poor, we want only our interests, we stand for moral values that stand for our desires. We stand for power and not stand for peace.”
Tooley sums up:
“[The movie] ‘With God on Our Side’ wants increased U.S. pressure on Israel to accommodate Palestinian demands, facilitated by reduced U.S. evangelical support for Israel. And the ultimate goal is what? A Palestinian state based on the unstable 1967 borders and ruled by Islamists like Hamas or kleptocratic secularists like Fatah? Or is it to dismantle Israel altogether in favor of a single nation, where an unrestricted ‘right of return’ for Palestinians leads to a collapse of Jewish democracy? How are the dwindling numbers of Palestinian Christians faring under Palestinian rule now, and how would they fare under a victorious new, Islamic-dominated Palestinian state?
“Mostly, the Evangelical Left would prefer not to answer these questions, instead preferring guilt trips about supposed evangelical and American imperialist sins, and fantasies about a newly liberated and Christian friendly ‘Palestine.’ Fortunately, most evangelicals will remain un-persuaded, despite the saccharine appeal of a film like..[this one].’”
Check back soon to see our Replacement Theology Series. If you or your Church teach that God is done with Israel, you are in the unenviable position of making God a liar. You need to be clear on this issue. The Palestinian Refugee is the political tool of the Arab states to annihilate Israel. Truth is they have been offered much and Arafat set the benchmark with the PLO by refusing many offers by Israel including to divide the land. Do your homework on this one. There are no innocent parties on this issue. Much more to come on this issue.
Click the image here for more information on the rotten fruit of Christian Palestinianism at Christ at the Checkpoint.