The Gospel is the probably the most important subject amidst many. Christian Zionism is one of the most contentious subjects around today, dividing Christians of the sound, earnest, awake ilk, more than most that I can think of. When a respected Christian friend, who loves the Lord, shared a link to a video with the titled “Hank Hanegraaff: A Gospel Response to Christian Zionism” my curiosity was naturally aroused and I knew I had to dig deeper.

Before I talk about the video and its implications, I would like to reflect on the above picture. On the subject of Christian Zionism, I feel like the person walking in the middle of the road. My own Christian background and leanings have meant that I have got to rub and do rub shoulders with Christians who I have real fellowship with that might be labelled as Christian Zionists. Also, I know many Christians who I like and respect that disagree with the philosophy of Christian Zionism and provide laudable reasons for doing so. Like the person in the picture, I take a “middle of the road” position on this matter. That may work well when the road is deserted, as in this picture but, in my case, I must recognise that on a busy road I could be knocked over by traffic from both directions – and have been!  

I recently posted an extract from my book “Priests of the Bible” (due out next month), titled: “Some thoughts on Israel – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”. Rather than discuss the complexities of “a gospel response to Christian Zionism” I suggest readers read this for I tackle perhaps this most challenging topic in the two year journey researching and writing my book and when at the end I still hold my hands up and say I don’t have all the answers. I also recommend coming up with working definitions. As for “Gospel” check out my Gospel blog (see here). As for Christian Zionism, a lot have had a go, including two sources I often gravitate toward: Wikipedia (see here) and Got Questions (see here). But for this article, I will go with my first “Google hit”: “Christian Zionism is a Christian ideology that sees the return of the Jews to Israel as a fulfilment of scriptural prophecy. Supporters of Christian Zionism believe that the existence of the Jewish State can and should be supported on theological grounds”.

Concerning the first sentence, I agree as that is my understanding of scriptural prophecy too. Concerning the second sentence, I half disagree for the Jewish state is an unrighteous one just as are their supporters (e.g. the USA) and their detractors (e.g. those supporting the “Palestinian uprising”). Many of the points raised in the video that I am about to critique, such as regarding the Abrahamic Covenant, the relationship between Christian Zionism and Jewish Zionism, where the truth lies between dispensational, covenant and replacement theologies and preterism and futurism, I consider in my Israel chapter, written in the light of developments following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7^th 2023 and, as I write, the aftermath, along with how it all will or should end, continue to divide opinions and give rise to many concerns raised on all sides.

Before checking out the video, I had not heard of Hank Hanegraaff. According to Wikipedia: “Hendrik “Hank” Hanegraaff (born 1950), also known as the “Bible Answer Man”, is an American Christian author and radio talk-show host. Formerly an evangelical Protestant, he joined the Eastern Orthodox Church in 2017. He is an outspoken figure within the Christian countercult movement, where he has established a reputation for his critiques of non-Christian religions, new religious movements, and cults, as well as heresy in Christianity. He is also an apologist on doctrinal and cultural issues”. I did note that the talk was given at Bethlehem Bible College on March 7-10, 2016, who I would not expect to be sympathetic toward the case for Christian Zionism.

In fairness to Hank, given he only had a half hour to make his case, he did a credible job, making several points I agreed with. I am not going to go through in detail the points I disagree with other than invite readers to check out the video and my “Israel chapter” for themselves. Regarding his two main arguments that the Abraham covenant had been fulfilled in the first coming of Jesus and that there is but one covenant community, comprising Jewish and Gentile believers, I disagree with the first notion and only half agree with the second. I disagree with him that the land promises concerning Israel, given to Abraham, were fulfilled when Joshua conquered the land, which by the time of Solomon was secured.

As I indicated in my “Israel chapter”, I see a glorious future for both Israel and the Church but before that tribulation and the Great Tribulation as spoken of in Revelation 6-19 (see here) and some of the latter parts of Daniel, and that believing Israel and the Gentile Church will be one, ending with the New Heaven and Earth in Revelation 21-22 (something Hank Hanegraaff makes a big deal concerning). As for other relevant scriptures, they are man as I have detailed, including as pertaining to a future Israel: “For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord” Jeremiah 31:7-14.

It is difficult to know how to wrap up this blog so rather come up with something profound I thought to reproduce the concluding paragraph of my  “Israel chapter”: “Let us conclude with two further thoughts: Firstly, the people caught up in the current conflict, and since our attention has been drawn to Iran where there is a spiritual revival of the right sort going on, we start there followed by most Jews and Arabs, are good people or at least no worse than anyone else and have no interest in violent conflict. Iran, Israel and much of the Arab world, along with many powerful nations who have an interest, happen to be led by bad people. Secondly, while rejecting the “rose tinted” view of Israel put forward by some of my pro-Israel friends, I stand by my belief that the Covenant with Abraham, which we first read of in Genesis 12:1-3 (verses I quote elsewhere), still stands: “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”. Moreover, we do well if we “pray for the peace of Jerusalem”, for “they shall prosper that love thee” Psalm 122:6. Going back to numerous end time prophecies concerning Israel, the final outcome is a wonderful one. As has often been said: we live in interesting days, and we have only touched the surface. Perplexing things are happening around us at an alarming rate. Much is happening on earth that we don’t see and can barely fathom, but there are even more unseen goings on in the spiritual realm we definitely can’t see. But we can be confident; not only is God in control and He wins but He has already won”. I also want to offer an olive branch to “friends” on both sides of the road and encourage all of us to be beholden to truth like the Bereans: “These [the Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” Acts 17:11.