In modern Israeli politics you’ll find that every party (excepting the Arab factions) describe themselves as “Zionist,” much in the same way all American political parties insist on their inherent patriotism.
But for people of biblical faith like ourselves, that begs a question regarding the nature of Zionism. Is it merely another national ethos, or is it divinely-driven and inextricably linked to the narrative of Scripture?
That is the debate resulting in the widening political divide in Israel.
Is the fulfillment of prophecy behind Israel’s modern rebirth, and must the Jewish state endeavor to adhere to a heavenly agenda laid out by ancient authors like Isaiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah?
Or are those millennia-old words little more than folklore, and Israel should instead aspire to be a light to the nations based on modern (read: humanist) social values and norms?
All parties agree that Zionism was and remains essential to uniting the Jewish people in common purpose of developing a strong national home. But what the two sides of Israeli society call “Zionism” increasingly look like two different things...
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Zionism is definitely a Biblical Movement. Believe it or not ‘Zionist’ is encoded in a number of places in the Tanakh including Psalm 18 where the word is used to describe the celestial being (for want of a better expression)who is prophesied to come to Israel’s aid and rides on a cherub!! I can only conclude that this being is Yeshua…Israel’s King. In further support of this, the expression ‘Ha-Tikvah’ is is encoded towards the end of Psalm 20 – the Jewish national anthem. The last verse is, in the original Hebrew, ‘May the King answer us on the day when we call’!!
The first mention of Zion is when David took Jerusalem, 2 Sam 5:7 so it’s reasonable to associate Zionism with an area that’s conquered for God’s people. A Zionism that’s only associated with national Israel falls short of a biblical Zionism. The Lord wants the kingdoms of the world to become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of His Christ, Rev 11:15.
The apostles and many missionaries have conquered the rebellion of many a man’s heart by taking the gospel of messiah to the ends of the earth. God was able to use them even though the messianic life they taught had been compromised by Roman Hellenism. If Joseph as a missionary was a type of Christ, he certainly had his Egyptian robes on as far as Israel was concerned.
Not every man wants to be redeemed but that didn’t stop Yeshua dying for the sins of the world. He became the Passover Lamb even for those who celebrate the Easter bunny. He is always able to work with genuine repentance and faith. The first Jewish apostles were successful in conquering men’s hearts in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. They left a legacy of good Torah teaching in the New Testament. Paul was a sound Pharisaical rabbi who understood how Christ had fulfilled the scriptures. His teaching compliments Christ’s so well that it’s good enough to conquer all nations that Israel can become a house of prayer for all nations, Isaiah 56:7.
Good Jewish rabbis like Paul diminished but his successors found they couldn’t better his understanding of messiah. We await the resurgence of such teachers, but that will only come when other Jewish rabbis are born-again by the Spirit of God. Some commentators believe the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel in Revelation 7 will be evangelists. A Zionism that made one kingdom of redeemed souls from every nation would be better populating the earth than the globalist agenda of one world of humanists who would be hostile to God. Will Israel rise to the challenge and take the biblical gospel forth?