I have a chapter about Christian Zionism in my 1990 book Palestine Is Coming: The Revival of Ancient Philistia. Christian Zionism refers to Christians giving the State of Israel uncritical, carte blanche support, even advocating with some of its leaders Greater Israel, which usually means Israel aggressively now taking all of the promised land, referring to the land God promised to Abraham’s descendants through Isaac.
That is a very misguided approach. Mike Huckabee, a former church pastor, governor of Arkansas, and current U.S. ambassador to Israel foolishly encourages Israel should take all the promised land now. And Prime Minister Netanyahu has two cabinet Zionists who want to go to war to get all the promised land or at least achieve Greater Israel, however they define that. All of this just add fuel to fire of a growing anti-semitism in much of the world which has also been fueled by Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The State of Israel and Its Promised Land
I show in my book that when the Hebrew people entered the promised land, the land of Canaan, “the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and worshiped the Baals; and they abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, … So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, … Then the LORD raised up judges who delivered them … Yet they did not listen even to their judges; for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned away from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who obeyed the commandments of the LORD” (Judges 2.11, 14, 16-17).
God Withheld the Promised Land Due to Sin
We read further that God said, “‘I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.’ … Now these are the nations that the LORD left to test all those in Israel … the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites,” etc. (Judges 2.21; 3.1-3). This has been God’s position ever since—that he will not give the Hebrew/Jewish people all of the promised land until they repent and seek to keep God’s commandments as set forth in Torah. The promised land stretches all the way from the Wadi el Arish in the northwestern Sinai Peninsula north to the Euphrates River in Syria (e.g., Genesis 15.18).
The Bible requires certain things from Abraham’s descendants before God will give them all of the promised land, especially keeping Torah, which means the Law of God given through Moses. That has never happened. Moreover, that Law says if the Hebrew people continue in prolonged disobedience to God as laid out therein, then God will bring cursing on them instead of blessing. This is laid out in the Law, with frightening language in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. Christian Zionists often ignore this.
Inherited Guilt Can Be Real & Just in God’s Sight
In fact, from the Christian viewpoint, according to the New Testament, Jews are still in the dog house with God because of what their ancestors did in pressuring Roman Governor Pilate to have Jesus crucified. Many object, saying what Israel’s religious leaders did 2,000 year ago to Jesus shouldn’t be held against Jewish descendants. Well, what Adam and Eve did in the Garden affected all of us, so why shouldn’t what Jews did with Jesus affect their descendants? Besides, what I’m saying is biblical, regardless of what other people have done with it in being anti-semitic, which I detest.
Jews Must Repent to Get All of the Promised Land
The apostle Peter preached to Jews concerning Jesus, “You handed [him] over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him” (Acts 3.13; cf. 13.28; Luke 23.20). Peter added, “Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration” (Acts 3.19-21). So, Peter clearly stated that Jews in general must repent about what Jews did to Jesus before Jesus can return with the restored kingdom. Only then will Jews get all of the promised land.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In