Category Archives: Zionism

Whose Promised Land? – Other Biblical Themes (Part 1)

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Whose Promised Land? (5th edition), by Colin Chapman.

Synopsis of chapter 6a – Other Biblical Themes: Is There Any Word From The Lord?

6.1 A passion for truth

Jews and Palestinians each have a narrative of what is going on.  How can we form an accurate picture of the conflict, and map a path towards resolution?

Robert I. Rotberg: We should try to determine the beliefs and commitments which inform the two opposing narratives.

Edward Said: This requires intellectual honesty.…

English Puritanism and the Jews

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A precis of chapter 3 of Lewis, D. (2021) A Short History of Christian Zionism.  IVP Academic.

The hopes of the early church for Christ’s imminent return were tempered by Augustine, who held a less optimistic view of what the church could achieve in this present age.

The English Puritans found new hope in the apocalyptic writings of the Bible – especially Daniel and the Revelation.

The Puritans believed that God had a plan not only for individuals, but for nations. …

Psa 122:6 – ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem’

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Psa 122:6a – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

This psalm, and especially this particular expression, is a favourite of Christian Zionists, who urge all Christians simply  to obey the command, and pray for the city, so troubled and divided to this very day.  Indeed, it is sometimes implied that if Christians do not do this, then they are living, in a rather fundamental way, out of God’s will and purpose.  Citing this verse, Kenneth Hagee claims that ‘the scriptural principle of prosperity is tied to blessing Israel and the city of Jerusalem.’ …

Luke 21:24 – Israel to become an independent state?

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‘Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.’

This is the one passage in the NT that seems to speak of the return of Jerusalem to the custody of the Jews.

For some, the ‘times of the Gentiles’ came to an end on 14th May, 1948, when Israel became an independent state, or Jane 1967, with the capture of East Jerusalem.

For Derek White, of Christian Friends of Israel, there is no doubt:

‘The plain meaning of these words of Jesus is that the imposition of Gentile rule and possession of Jerusalem is to have an end, and that it will come again into the possession of the Jewish people as their Capital.

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Not ‘replacement theology’, but ‘inclusion theology’

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Christian Zionist writers are apt (too apt, in my opinion) to brand those who disagree with them as peddlers of ‘replacement theology’, as teaching that the church replaces Israel in God’s purposes.

Now, I will not dispute that some non-Zionists do use the language of ‘replacement’ (or something similar), and are perhaps give the impression that, in their view, God has washed his hands of his historic chosen people.  The gospel has been taken away from the Jews, and given instead to the Gentiles.…

Ryle and the future of the Jews

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In his book ‘Coming Events and Present Duties’ (1867/1879), J.C. Ryle summarises his views on prophecy and presents a handful of sermons preached on various aspects of this subject.

Concerning the future of the Jews, Ryle states:-

‘I believe that the Jews shall ultimately be gathered again as a separate nation, restored to their own land, and converted to the faith of Christ, after going through great tribulation. (Jeremiah 30:10, 11; 31:10; Romans 11:25, 26; Daniel 12:1; Zech.

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Jews for Jesus?

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‘Older Younger Brother: ‘The tragic treatment of the Jews by the Christians’.

This is a 50-page booklet by Canon Andrew White (‘The Vicar of Baghdad’), published in 2014.

It has been placed into my hands by some Christian friends, and I offer here some words of summary and response.

White begins by setting out the context of his life-long ‘love for the Middle East and…hatred of all anti-Judaic polemic.’

He reminds Christians of how much they owe to the Jews:-

Their total history of salvation from the time of Abraham came through the Jewish people. …

Replacement theology

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A few years ago, I had some dialogue some Christian friends about the place of Israel in God’s purposes.  I wrote up my thoughts at the time in some of the posts that you will find linked to this one.

One of those friends has recently placed into my hands a copy of Derek White’s booklet Replacement theology: it’s [sic] origin, history, and theology.

White was one of the founders of Christian Friends of Israel (CFI) in 1985.  …

The Abrahamic covenant and ‘the land’

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David Pawson, in his book Defending Christian Zionism, asserts that there are not one or two, but five covenants in the Bible.  They are: 1. Noahic, 2. Abrahamic, 3. Mosaic, 4. Davidic, and 5. Messianic.  Pawson asserts, quite properly, that the New Testament only ever refers to the Mosaic covenant as ‘old’ and therefore replaced by the ‘new’ (Messianic) covenant (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; 2 Cor 3:6; Heb 8:8, 13; 9:15; 12:24).  As Grudem explains (Systematic Theology, p521), ‘the Mosaic covenant was an administration of detailed written laws given for a time to restrain the sins of the people and to be a custodian to point people to Christ (Gal 3:19, 24).’…

Seven reasons to be pro-Semitic

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I’ve blogged quite a bit recently on the delicate but important subject of Israel.  Much of what I’ve written tends towards the conclusion that the ‘Christian Zionist’ position cannot be supported from Scripture.  That is to say, the Bible does not, in my view, teach that Jewish people have a God-given right to return to the land of their ancestors and re-establish the nation-state of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital.

It’s distressing to note how vitriolic the debate sometimes gets. …