Pro-Israel vs. Pro-Palestine
A Midwest bible college recently held a program on "Christian Zionism." Two presenters—whom I'll call Professor Jones, a New Testament scholar, and Professor Smith, a Hebrew Bible scholar—discussed the topic, "The Theology of Israel and its Political Implications."
"I see the Jewish Federation has sent someone here," Professor Jones began, noting my presence in the audience. He then explained that this was a Christian conversation, among those who share Christ, about Christian issues. Despite his admonition, I felt the evening's program concerned me, and I remained in my seat.
Professor Jones expressed the view of many who have come to see the failings of the State of Israel in theological terms. He argued that the Jewish people's use of the land of Israel was conditional on living up to biblical standards of national behavior set forth by the prophets, that contemporary Israel did not do this and was therefore unworthy of Christian support, and that Christians could not subscribe to a Jewish theological claim to the land of Israel because Christianity came to "reject the territorial religion of Judaism."
Comparing modern Israel to Ahab and Jezebel's regime, Professor Jones said that the State of Israel was built on the backs of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. Israel, he said, is a nation-state whose borders were drawn by European colonial rulers who imposed a secular, colonial, socialist entity on the Middle East, of which the Arabs could not approve. He called Israel an apartheid state.
Professor Smith responded, setting forth the tenets of premillennial dispensationalism. The State of Israel, he said, is secured by the prophecies of God and the Hebrew Bible. Even if the whole world stands against ...
This article is currently available to CT subscribers only.
To continue reading:
or
Star Trek Into Darkness
(on articles open to the public, you must at least register for a free account).
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Newsletters
Google
Comments
Displaying 1–3 of 12 comments
See all comments
James Turner
Just because these people control US foreign policy and have lots of money should not blind Christians to the fact that they have done much to make America non-Christian. Furthermore, the Jews of today do not represent the people Israel of the Bible. Some ignorant Christian pastors can be heard describing Sarah, Abraham's wife, as an 'elderly Jewish lady' - the label 'Jew' comes from Judah, and Judah was Sarah's great-grandson. The Jews of today are descended from the Edomites, who according to the historian Josephus, all 'became Jews' around the second century before Christ, and the Khazars, a non-Semitic Turkish people that 90% of modern Jews are descended from, who converted about 740AD. The Jews follow the viciously anti-Christian Talmud, wherein Jesus is condemned to boil in human excrement. Jesus utterly condemned the Jewish leaders of his day, describing them as hypocrits. The Jews in the US want non-racism, but their 'own' country is fundamentally racist.
Dwight
Pt2. The Temple would be rebuilt and ALL the armies of the world would surround Jerusalem. one can certainly see the current governments of Israel welcome the worlds armies on its doorstep. look at the newly agreed upon UNIFIL on the northern border. the plan for international troops in the west bank (Judea and Samaria for those who need a bit of reference to scripture). The point is ALL govts have been allowed to gain power by God (Rom 13). why? because all eventually work for Good! we cannot see all, as evidenced by ALL of our falling short lives. we want the Jews and their neighbors to live in peace, but we know the WHOLE story! the only REAL peace will come when Jesus returns to set up his kingdom. so though we strive for 'real' peace, should we not do what Genesis 12 tells us? Lets bless Israel and receive God's blessing! this does not mean hating the Palestinians, but love them as well. God will do as He sees fit, let us Love one another, not divide the land and await HIS return!
Dwight
So many seem to be debating if the Israel they see today represents an image of Israel most would imagine in the regathering to the UNconditional land promised to Abraham. namely a Godly image that ALL would recognize as ordained by God and no one would ever doubt it! We must remember that God as man walked this earth and many did doubt! many could not believe that a poor wood workers son could really be the Messiah that was to be the King of all. In the same light, many do not see that 2,000 years of exile from The Land and still retaining an identity as Jews (Clearly from scripture God's chosen people - though imperfect just like us!) were brought back to the land in 1948 by nothing less than a miracle from God. This leads one to say 'well, where is this miraculous people?', and I agree that to look at Israel I do not see God. But then i look without the worldly view and go to scripture and see that from all 4 corners of the world they will be regathered. end part 1