Let's talk about Zionism

We need to set a lot of things straight.

Mount Zion in Israel - AI Generated

When you look up the word Zion in the Bible, there are 163 references. The first five are in the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, and make it clear that Zion is God’s name for the city of Jerusalem.

The bulk of the references are in the book of Psalms and in the prophetic books of the Old Testament (and many of the verses in Psalms in which it appears are prophetic passages). As you scroll through and read these verses, a theme emerges very clearly and very quickly: Zion belongs to God. He has set it apart as His holy city and mountain. Salvation will come from Zion. God will restore Zion. God set his throne in Zion and will return and rule the earth from there.

A small sampling from my word search on Zion in the Faith Life Bible app.

God has other names for Israel that he uses when he’s condemning them and prophesying judgment. But the name Zion is almost ever used in a negative light. It’s a name associated primarily with promise and restoration and blessing.

Going by the Bible, it seems that God is the O.G. Zionist.

That will no doubt ruffle a lot of feathers. Zionism has become a dirty word. Being a Zionist has come to be equated with a nefarious desire to establish a humanist (or transhumanist) globalist kingdom, establishing Israel as the seat of the New World Order. And undoubtedly, that’s exactly what will happen when the Beast, more commonly known as the capital-A Antichrist, comes to power, believing he can steal God’s earthly throne for himself.

You could call that a twisted form of Zionism, which implies that the entire thing is run by “The Jews,” ignoring the fact that there are far more gentiles involved in this globalist Great Reset plot, and ignoring the fact that the U.N., a hotbed of globalism pushing the NWO agenda, is constantly condemning Israel, and also ignoring how many progressive NWO advocates want the nation of Israel wiped out of existence. I mean. Make it make sense.

Or you could simply call it what it is -- Luciferian Globalism -- and stop confusing the issue by using an anti-Semitic label that was invented by the bad guys.

In any case, we’ve got to learn to distinguish between that, whatever you want to call it, and Biblical Zionism.

But What About the Protocols of the Elders of Zion?

Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way. The primary source for the attitudes above is a pamphlet titled “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” that first appeared in early 1900s Russia and continues to be circulated among “Truthers” and the conspiracy-minded to this day, in spite of having been debunked six ways to Sunday (of course, no matter how many sources I cite, the true believers will just assume those sources are in on the conspiracy because they’re all controlled by “The Jews”. See how that works?). It purports to record the minutes of a meeting of European Jewish leaders, in which they laid out their plan for world domination.

While no one knows for certain exactly who wrote this document, most serious historians and scholars believe it was written by the Russian secret police in order to stir up anti-Jewish sentiment and justify violent Russian pogroms against the Jews. In other words, it was deliberate propagandic disinformation created to justify Jew hatred, and people are still falling for it and/or using it to excuse their antisemitism to this day.

Please stop falling for and propagating this hoax.

Biblical Zionism

Out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT to define Zionism for me (leaving out the Biblical part), and found its definition to be reasonably correct:

Zionism is a political and nationalistic movement that advocates for the establishment and support of a Jewish homeland in the historic land of Israel. The term is derived from "Zion," which is a hill in Jerusalem. The movement emerged in the late 19th century in response to the rise of nationalist movements in Europe. The primary goal of Zionism is to establish and maintain a Jewish state in the territory historically associated with the ancient Kingdom of Israel.

Zionism, however you cut it, is nothing more than supporting the right of Jews to establish and defend their own nation in their own homeland and to live there unmolested.

Biblical Zionism grounds this support in scripture, recognizing that A) the region ultimately belongs to God and is His to give to whom He sees fit; B) He promised it to Israel as their inheritance; C) He also promised that He would return them to the land after their period of exile and that He would eventually establish his literal earthly kingdom (NOT his spiritual kingdom, AKA the Church) from Zion, aka Jerusalem.

Christian Zionists also recognize not only the partial prophetic fulfillment of Ezekiel 37 and other passages in the restoration of the state of Israel in 1948, but also the necessity of Israel existing as a nation in preparation for the fulfillment of end times prophecies and, ultimately, for Christ’s return.

I also asked ChatGPT to define Biblical Zionism, and again, it pretty much nailed it:

Biblical Zionism refers to a theological and political perspective that draws on certain biblical texts, particularly in the Old Testament, to support the establishment and maintenance of a Jewish homeland in the historical land of Israel, often associated with the term "Zion." This perspective is rooted in the belief that the establishment of a Jewish state in the region is in accordance with biblical prophecies and promises.

Supporters of Biblical Zionism often see the return of Jews to the land of Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecies and a restoration of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. The term "Zion" is often used to symbolize Jerusalem and, more broadly, the land of Israel.

So Should Christians Support Zionism?

There seems to be a reticence, if not outright fear, among a lot of Evangelicals, that showing any support for Israel will get them slapped with the Zionist label, which they see as tantamount to being called pro-genocide, pro-apartheid, pro-occupation, etc. But this is all based in ignorance (both historical and Biblical) that makes them susceptible to believing propaganda that has no basis in history, scripture or reality.

For starters, Israeli Arabs will be the first to tell you that they are in no way living under apartheid conditions or treated as second-class citizens. They enjoy full rights and even have Muslim representatives in Israel’s parliament. They generally get along well with their Jewish countrymen and are treated well.

It seems to be completely lost on people that Israel is the ONLY truly democratic nation in the entire Middle East. It’s also the only one that holds what the Left considers Western values (never mind that those values originated right there in that region and spread out from there with the advent of Christianity -- the worship of a Jewish savior which was spread to Europe by Jewish apostles and missionaries, btw). And that’s exactly why the anti-West, anti-Christian, regressive Left hates it so much and wants to see it wiped out “from the river to the sea” and given over completely to Islamic rule.

For another thing, there is no such thing as a race of Palestinians. The people of Gaza are Arabs. They did not live in the land before the Jews -- they’ve lived alongside them for centuries, but the Jews were most certainly there long before them, and they never completely left despite all of the numerous attempts to either kill them or drive them out. Prior to the re-establishment of the Israeli state, the people of the region were not referred to as Jews and Palestinians -- they were referred to as Palestinian Jews and Palestinian Arabs. The “occupiers” were the Turkish Ottomans prior to Britain taking over the territory from them.

Here’s a timeline of occupation of the land of Israel, aka “Palestine” (again, this was generated by ChatGPT, but it checks out with my previous research. I didn’t save links, but you know how to use a search engine):

• Ancient Periods:

  • Bronze Age: Ancient Canaanites inhabit the region.

  • Iron Age: Israelites establish the Kingdom of Israel.

• Assyrian and Babylonian Rule:

  • 8th to 6th centuries BCE: Assyrians and later Babylonians conquer the region, leading to the Babylonian Captivity.

• Persian and Hellenistic Periods:

  • 6th to 2nd centuries BCE: Persian rule and then Hellenistic influence after Alexander the Great's conquest.

• Maccabean Revolt and Hasmonean Dynasty:

  • 2nd century BCE: Jewish Maccabees revolt against the Seleucids, establishing the Hasmonean dynasty.

• Roman Rule:

  • 63 BCE: Roman General Pompey conquers Jerusalem, bringing the region under Roman rule.

• Jewish Revolts and Roman Expulsion:

  • 1st and 2nd centuries CE: Jewish revolts against Roman rule, leading to the destruction of the Second Temple and the eventual expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem.

• Byzantine Period:

  • 4th to 7th centuries CE: The region becomes part of the Byzantine Empire.

• Islamic Caliphates:

  • 7th century CE: Arab-Muslim conquest brings the region under Islamic rule.

• Crusader Period:

  • 11th to 13th centuries CE: Crusaders establish short-lived Christian rule.

• Mamluk and Ottoman Rule:

  • 13th to 19th centuries CE: Mamluks and later Ottomans control the region.

• British Mandate:

  • 20th century: After World War I, the League of Nations grants Britain the mandate to govern Palestine.

• Zionist Movement and Jewish Immigration:

  • Late 19th to early 20th centuries: The Zionist movement advocates for a Jewish homeland, leading to increased Jewish immigration.

• 1947 UN Partition Plan:

  • 1947: The United Nations proposes a partition plan to create separate Jewish and Arab states.

• Establishment of the State of Israel:

  • 1948: Israel declares independence, leading to the Arab-Israeli War.

I’ve emphasized the Jewish presence, but I would also point out that many Jews remained in Israel under Babylonian rule, and they were permitted to leave Babylon, return to Israel and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple under Persian rule.

My point is that, not only has the land never been occupied and ruled by any group calling themselves Palestinians, but from the time of the Canaanite conquest, Jews have lived there this entire time.

So where did the name Palestine come from? In the 3rd century AD, after another Jewish revolt against Roman occupation, Emperor Hadrian drove them out of Jerusalem (though many remained in the land) and changed the name to Philistia. Why? Because the Romans took perverse pleasure in renaming their conquered territories after the enemies of those whom they conquered. Knowing enough Jewish history to know that the Philistines were one of Israel’s greatest enemies, he renamed the region after them. Philistia became Palestina, which in modern English became Palestine.

I suppose the question remains: is Israel committing genocide against the people of Gaza?

Imagine this scenario: Your extended family builds a community and lives there for generations. One day, an HOA takes over and starts pushing your family around. More and more of your family keep getting evicted as different HOAs keep taking over, and the few of you that remain watch helplessly as your family’s homes are taken over by squatters.

Eventually, an HOA rules that the squatters have to make room for your family to return, and they turn control of the neighborhood back over to your family. But the squatters don’t want to go. They keep fighting and attacking. You subdue them in a major conflict, but you graciously set aside a block of houses for them and allow them to stay. But all that does is make them more resentful and more determined to kill you and drive you out, which they try to do at every given opportunity.

Is defending your family and your family’s right to be there against a group of people who want you dead and gone genocide?

I’m not saying that the Israeli military is above reproach or that they couldn’t have handled things differently, although I struggle to see how. How do you engage in righteous combat against an enemy who operates out of hospitals and schools and uses children as human shields? What else can they do to minimize civilian casualties beyond the great lengths they already go to? What else will satisfy the anti-Zionists but Israel lying down and letting themselves be eradicated?

There simply isn’t anything rational about anti-Zionism or antisemitism, which should be the first clue that there’s a spirit behind it, and it is most definitely not the Holy Spirit. There’s certainly no Biblical basis to justify any of it -- quite the opposite.

And we also must question how much the casualties out of Gaza have been exaggerated. Hamas is providing the statistics, and they’ve proven themselves liars again and again. They accidentally fired on their own hospital and successfully blamed it on Israel.

The fact is, Hamas’ greatest weapon in this war is propaganda. The “Palestinians” are experts at Soviet-style propaganda. They’ve had a lot of practice:

Historically, the Palestinian “desire for statehood” and “need for liberation” was invented in large part by the Soviet Union. It is no coincidence that the blueprint for the PLO Charter was drafted in Moscow in 1964 and was approved by 422 Palestinian representative hand selected by the KGB. At that time, the USSR was in the business of creating people’s liberation fronts. The KGB founded the PLO as well as the National Liberation Army of Bolivia (1964) with Ernesto “Che” Guevara at its head and the National Liberation Army of Colombia (1965).

Yassir Arafat, who was head of the PLO until 2004, was under the direct tutelage and control of the KGB. Ion Mihai Pacepa, KGB officer and onetime chief of Romanian Intelligence, was assigned to handling Arafat. Pacepa recorded several of his conversations with Arafat when they met in Romania at the palace of brutal dictators Nicolai and Elena Ceausescu. In these conversations, Arafat unequivocally states that his sole aim is to destroy Israel.

They consulted General Giap, a close associate of Ho Chi Minh, who was involved with the North Vietnamese propaganda effort during the Vietnam War. Giap recommended to Arafat that he “stop talking about annihilating Israel and instead turn your [Arafat’s] terror war into a struggle for human rights.” It had worked in Vietnam, he claimed, because transforming the conflict from one of ideologies (Socialism vs. Capitalism) to one of an “indigenous” people’s struggle for liberty had turned the tide of popular support in the West against the war.

Similar advice was provided to Arafat by Muhammed Yazid, minister of information in two Algerian wartime governments. He wrote “wipe out the argument that Israel is a small state whose existence is threatened by the Arab States, or the reduction of the Palestinian problem to a question of refugees; instead present the Palestinian struggle as one for liberation like the others. Wipe out the impression that in the struggle between the Palestinians and Zionists, the Zionist is the underdog. Now it is the Arab who is oppressed and victimized in his existence because he is not only facing the Zionists but also world imperialism.”

Yasser Arafat heeded this advice, and with the help of bi-weekly plane-loads of Soviet supplies brought in through Damascus as well as the Soviet propaganda machine, he began to portray the Palestinian Arabs as a supposedly indigenous population whose human rights were being tarnished by Israel.

Read the rest of the article here. It’s illuminating.

But What About Rothschild?

Another objection many Christians have to Christian Zionism or to in any way supporting Israel is the fact that the Rothschilds were instrumental in getting Britain to turn the territory of Israel over to the Jewish people. Supposedly, this proves that Zionism is a Luciferian Globalist agenda.

This view forgets that God has a well-documented history of using evil people with nefarious intentions to accomplish His purpose (see Exodus, 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, all of the Gospels, etc.). One might as well say that the post-Babylonian return to rebuild Jerusalem and the second temple was illegitimate because it was decreed and endorsed by pagan kings.

But let’s think for a minute about why the people working to build the New World Order would want to gather all the Jewish people back to their own land. The folks whose allegiance is to the Great Dragon that Revelation 12 tells us wants to devour the Jews. What could their motive possibly be?

Might it be that they want to make it easier to genocide all Jews by getting them back to a single location?

And why would they want to do that?

For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ -- Matthew 23:39

Jesus spoke those words a day or two after he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. On that day, which we celebrate as Palm Sunday, as Jesus rode into the city, people went before him quoting these words from Psalm 118, without fully understanding or meaning what they were saying (after all, many of these same people were likely in the crowd calling him to be crucified just a few days later).

Which means Jesus was referring to his second coming, which won’t occur until the Jews collectively cry out for his return, this time with full understanding and sincerity.

I believe that, according to the logic of the Fallen Realm, if they can wipe out all of the Jews, no one will be left to fulfill this prophecy, and the Lord won’t be able to return to judge them and take back dominion over the world.

And they’ve got so many Christians deceived into going right along with their plan.

Thankfully, we know they won’t succeed. God always preserves a remnant, and His prophetic word promises that He WILL preserve Israel, she WILL repent and call upon the name of the Lord, and He WILL deliver them.

And He WILL establish his throne in Zion, forevermore.

Maranatha.

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