Christian Zionists
The Kingdom of God will not be visible - it is within you.
Key words
- Zionism: a nationalist movement that supports the establishment and development of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Zionism emerged in the late 19th century in Europe.
- Eschatology: a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or the ultimate destiny of humanity, often involving concepts of judgment and the end times.
Many religious traditions have their own eschatology that outlines beliefs about the end of the world.
- Revelation: a surprising and previously unknown fact that has been disclosed to others; in religious contexts, it often refers to divine disclosure or insight.
Shocking revelations about their private life appeared in the papers.
- Covenant : a formal agreement or promise between two or more people
Any loss of rent may be claimed as damages for breach of covenant (= failure to do as promised).
- Remnant: a small remaining quantity of something; in religious contexts, it often refers to a group of people who remain faithful to their beliefs during times of apostasy or decline.
He used the remnants of the previous night's meal to make fried rice.
Read the article to find the answers
- Who was the first world leader to attempt to establish a Jewish State in Palestine?
- Who was William Hechler?
- What did the Albury Circle believe?
- What is the dominant Christian eschatology in the United States?
The State of Israel
Napoleon Bonaparte was the first world leader to attempt to establish a Jewish State in Palestine, thousands of years after the destruction of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. His aim was to weaken the Ottoman Empire, block a vital route between Britain and its colony in India and crown himself 'Emperor of the East', but the Ottoman Empire, with British support, defeated the French.
The Ottoman Empire then turned against Britain in the First World War and lost. The League of Nations gave Britain, which had adopted Napoleon's plan to create a "national home for the Jewish people", responsibility for administering Palestine after which the United Nations moved to create the State of Israel in 1947.
Zionism
Support for a "national home for the Jewish people" was popularised by the Zionist movement, which began in Europe in the 19th century. William Hechler was an English clergyman who developed his own eschatology and timetable for the return of Jesus Christ, which included the creation of a Jewish State in Palestine. He promoted and legitimised Theodor Herzl, the founder of political Zionism, and introduced him to Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.
Zionist Christians with connections to people in positions of power, such as Hechler, worked to turn Palestine into a Jewish State through the mass migration of Russians and Eastern Europeans. The mass migration was initiated by the London Jewish Society in 1809 and increased significantly after the Russian Revolution and the Second World War.
Zionist Eschatology
In the 19th and 20th centuries, many people appeared in Europe and North America claiming to have received revelations from God about the Second Coming of Jesus. The Moonies, the Mormon Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses and other groups continue to have a significant impact on society, influencing millions of people worldwide.
Of these new eschatologies, dispensationalism has had the greatest impact on the world. Dispensationalists believe that the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 was a fulfilment of biblical prophecy and a necessary step in a series of events leading to Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ.
In 1826 a group called the Albury Circle identified Napoleon as the Antichrist and concluded that Jesus would soon return. The Albury Circle's new eschatology influenced prominent politicians throughout Europe and, with the help of the newly published Scofield Bible, became the dominant Christian eschatology in the United States.
Despite the failure of its predictions, dispensationalism continues to shape the beliefs and expectations of many Christians, particularly in the United States, with each new war being interpreted as the fulfilment of prophecy and a sign of the imminent return of Jesus. Its influence can be seen in various aspects of American foreign policy, especially in relation to the Middle East and the State of Israel.
Biblical Eschatology
According to the Bible, God made a covenant with Abraham that was reaffirmed with his grandson Jacob, promising him the land of Canaan and that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through his descendants.
But this covenant had conditions. If the Israelites broke them, they would be punished and exiled from the land. The Israelites broke the covenant, were punished and lost their land. However, God was forgiving and allowed the Jews to return after their exile in Babylon. Some of the prophecies about returning to the land were fulfilled with this return.
God also promised much more than a return to the land of Canaan. The prophet Amos speaks of God's promise to restore Israel and plant them in their land forever. Amos had a vision of God standing at the altar and promising to destroy the temple and the nation.
All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword ... I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, but I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob.
A faithful remnant of the Israelites would be joined by all the other nations of the world, and together they would be planted in a new land that would be theirs forever.
This prophecy is repeated throughout the Bible. For example, Zechariah says that:
Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people.
The Apostle Paul wrote that this was happening in his lifetime when he compared the Gentiles who believed in Jesus to wild branches grafted into a tree with a holy root fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament. This new land was emerging in the 1st century. It was the new heaven, the new earth and the New Jerusalem, whose temple is not made of stone but is built of believers with Jesus as its chief cornerstone.
Jesus said:
The Kingdom of God will not be visible - it is within you.
Discussion questions
- Do you have any questions about any of the vocabulary or grammar in this article?
- Do you know any dispensationalists?
- Do you know about eschatologies in other religions?
- What do you know about the Israelites breaking their covenant with God?
- What do you know about the New Jerusalem?
Book a Lesson
Improve your English language communication skills by practicing with a qualified and experienced native speaker.