WHERE'S CHRIST IN CHRISTIAN ZIONISM?
By Harmony Grant
7 Jan 08
Three
in four adult Americans believes Jesus Christ was born of a virgin.
Since so many Americans respect the Bible, I wonder why they aren't
more jaws dropping over Christians United for Israel (CUFI)--a "Christian" Zionist
group that totally lacks Christian priorities.
The following testimonial
is from a Jewish student who attended a CUFI rally:
“The room essentially turned into a Mega-Church, with thousands
of Christians shouting and praising God, praying for the protection,
safety and prosperity of Israel and the Jewish people, and for the
destruction of the enemies of America and Israel , while waving American
and Israeli flags and listening to the sound of shofars being blasted.
And yet the name “Jesus” was not mentioned once
the entire night (emphasis mine)…By the end of the night I had met
so many people who just were hugging me because
I was Jewish, giving me their names and asking me to pray for them (emphasis mine),
telling me I was blessed by God.”
CUFI's head, John
Hagee, speaks for a "50-million strong movement". He
says his TV and radio ministry reaches 99 million homes.
Hagee's followers believe he preaches a Biblical message toward the
Jews. They believe that by sending millions to Israel , they are obeying
God's command to "bless" the Jews. It's likely that most
of these churchmen and women sincerely believe they're doing the right
thing. But they have been so blinded by the platitudes and false premises
of Christian Zionism that they can't even recognize Hagee's grave apostasy.
This supposed "Christian leader" believes Jews can be saved
without accepting Christ. "I believe that every Jewish person
who lives in the light of the Torah, which is the word of God, has
a relationship with God and will come to redemption" ["San
Antonio fundamentalist battles anti-Semitism," Houston Chronicle,
April 30, 1988, sec. 6, pg. 1.].
In his recent book, In Defense of Israel, Hagee went even farther. In
an ad for the book, he says shockingly, "Jesus did not come
to earth to be the Messiah."
There was outcry over this heresy. Michael Brown, a
Jewish Christian and theologian, says Hagee's book explicitly
states the following heresies, "The Jewish people, as a whole,
did not reject Jesus as Messiah. Jesus did not come to earth to be
the Messiah. Jesus refused by word and deed to be the Messiah. The
Jews cannot be blamed for not accepting what was never offered." Brown
says "some believers – and even leaders! – are buying
into this error hook, line, and sinker, and some have begun to teach
and preach it as well."
The Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations responded to Hagee's
book with "serious concerns," saying his teachings contradict
biblical doctrine, undermine the testimony of Jewish followers of Jesus,
and weaken the cause of Christian supporters of the Jewish people.
There was enough controversy over the book that Hagee is releasing
a revised edition. He wrote a
letter to address the "confusion," saying that while
Jesus is the true Messiah, Christians can accept Him as the "suffering
Messiah" whereas Jews will not recognize Him until He comes as
the "reigning Messiah." We shouldn't judge them for their
mistake.
Hagee says he hopes "we can return our focus to what I had anticipated
to highlight all along, the fact that we Christians must shift from
condemning the Jews for what they missed to thanking them for what
they gave."
This emphasis is shared by Hagee's many followers, who increasingly
idolize and romanticize Jews and Judaism, exalting Jewish law and Jewish
blood perhaps even more than Israeli settlers do!
Blind to Injustice
If Christians can recognize that Hagee is wrong to say Christ is
not the Messiah and that Jews do not need His saving redemption, they
should also be suspicious of Christian Zionism's other premises. They
should take a closer look at the real situation in Israel .
In mid-December, the Red Cross broke its normally neutral silence
to speak
out on life in Gaza. The Red Cross said no amount of humanitarian
aid can solve the crisis, and pled for political action. "In Gaza
the whole Strip is being strangled, economically speaking, life there
has become a nightmare," said the director of Mideast operations.
But the United States will do nothing to force Israel to dismantle
settlements or stop oppressing Palestinians--not while the Israel lobby
can exert so much political pressure on Capitol Hill.
The time is long past since Christians should have started analyzing
their role in this lobby. American evangelicals should question their
reading of the Bible, and their definition of how to "bless" Jews.
Listening to John Hagee, you'd think there was just one easy interpretation
of the Bible. That's hardly true.
In December, Christian
Leaders from the National Council of Churches in Australia visited
Israel . Their organization includes 17 diverse member churches.
The leaders reported that they "were distressed to hear Palestinians,
both Christian and Muslim, relate the suffering and fear experienced
daily by large numbers of their people." The church leaders "saw
and heard evidence of systematic harassment, physical and psychological
oppression, widespread unemployment, poverty, and economic deprivation,
resulting directly or indirectly from Israeli military occupation
of the West Bank ."
Christians, more than any other people, are obligated to disregard
power and convention and seek the truth. Without truth, there can be
no justice or mercy. It's high time Christians return to the Biblical
truth that no group can be called "God's chosen people" unless
they practice the obedience of the father of faith, Abraham.
The term "Christian Zionism" is a lie. It is Zionist. There's
nothing Christian about it.
Harmony Grant writes and edits for National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative
watchdog group.
Listen to Ted Pike discuss hate bill defeat Dec. 6 with Janet Folger
and CWA's Matt Barber: Listen
Here!
"No More Wars for Israel" video featuring Ted Pike and
Iranian President Ahmadinejad, Watch
It Here!
Let the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith teach you how they
have saddled 45 states with hate laws capable of persecuting Christians: http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
Learn how ADL took away free speech in Canada and wants to steal
it now in the U.S. Congress. Watch Rev. Ted Pike's Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians at video.google.com. Purchase
this gripping documentary to show at church. Order online at www.truthtellers.org for
$24.90, DVD or VHS, by calling 503-853-3688, or at the address below.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this
topic. Call (503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas,
OR 97015
