Christian Zionists in Iran?

Ayatollahs inadvertently reject Replacement Theology by connecting faith in Jesus to support of Jewish state

By Israel Today Staff | | Topics: CHRISTIANS, Iran
Christian Zionists in Iran?
Photo: EPA/AGELIKA WARMUTH

Muslims who convert to Christianity in the Islamic Republic of Iran face discrimination, persecution and even torture. No surprise there.

But we’ve learned that they are also accused of “Zionism.”

Apparently, the Islamic authorities in Tehran closely link faith in Jesus as the Messiah with the Jewish hope of national restoration.

And while they might be doing this to conveniently avoid being accused of religious suppression by painting converts as “foreign agents,” this practice ironically makes the ayatollahs far more supportive of a proper literal reading of the Bible in regards to Israel than much of Christianity.

In other words, the Islamists are unwittingly opposing the notion of “Replacement Theology” by branding Christians as automatic supporters of the prophesied Jewish national movement by simple virtue of their faith in Jesus.

 

Cracking down on Christian “Zionists”

In early July, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards launched a campaign cracking down on Muslim converts to Christianity. At least 17 Christians were arrested during raids in Tehran and other cities across the country, reported Article 18, a London-based non-profit organization advocating for the safety of Christians in Iran.

The charges against those who were arrested, according to the report, included “membership in the church of Zionist Christianity,” which Iran views as a threat to national security.

Among those detained was house church leader Joseph Shahbazian, who at the time of the raid was hosting a number of Muslim converts to Christianity. His bail was set at an astronomical $100,000.

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