Zionism- What it is and What it is Not by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum

Many people have asked me just what is a “Christian Zionist?” To perfectly explain what a Zionist is, as well as a Christian Zionist, I’m posting a wonderful short article by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum of Ariel Ministries. Here it is: The word “Zionism” is very common today thanks to the United Nations condemnation of it during their General Assembly debate on November 10, 1975. Because of this, there is much confusion among Christians as to the nature of Zionism and whether or not Christians should support it or stand against it. We at Ariel Ministries get many letters asking us to explain what Zionism is. There is a lot of propaganda going on concerning Zionism; much of it is guilty of distortion and misinformation. In fact, anti-Zionism has become merely a new term of old fashioned anti-Semitism. Some circles are claiming that Zionism is a worldwide Jewish conspiracy aimed at the undermining of western culture in order to allow for a communist takeover. In these circles, Zionism is equated with communism. Much literature is being published propounding this by anti-Semitic groups and this writer has had the ugly experience of having to see and read much of this hate literature. One of the most famous works that give this view of Zionism is known as the PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF ZION. This was actually a Russian forgery by a group of anti-Semites who were attempting to propagate the theory of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy. It purports to be the record or “protocols” of Jewish elders who came together to develop a program for world domination but has been proved to be a Russian forgery by Czarists who were trying to propagandize the masses against the communists. From this came the popular view that communism was a Jewish conspiracy. When the Arab states on four occasions failed to defeat Israel with the force of arms, they began a propaganda campaign to equate Zionism with racism. Thanks to Arab oil power to bribe and to intimidate the nations, the victims of racism are now accused of being racist themselves. The United Nations has ceased to be an organization seeking justice and peace for the world. It has become a tool for the destruction of existing nations. By condemning Zionism’s right to exist, they have condemned Israel’s right to exist. It is impossible to separate Zionism from Israel. By this one stroke then, the United Nations legalized the destruction of Israel by their enemies. The United Nations is indeed guilty of playing into the hands of Satan who will, during the great tribulation, organize a worldwide invasion of Israel (Zechariah 12:1-3, 14:1-2). Although the verdict was repealed 17 years later, the damage was already done. But if Zionism is neither a worldwide Jewish conspiracy nor a Jewish form of racism, what is it then? The root of Zionism is the word “Zion.” Furthermore, the word “Zion,” although originally referred to the mount upon which stood the Jewish temple, eventually became equivalent to the name, “Jerusalem.” So Zionism is concerned with the land of Zion and with its capital of Jerusalem. ionism describes a feeling. Zionism is an expression of the longing and yearning that the Jewish people have had in the past and still have for their homeland. Zionism existed during the Egyptian bondage. It existed during the Babylonian captivity. It exists in these days of the dispersion which began in 70 A.D. As soon as any Jew expressed a desire to go back to his land, regardless of his reason, he was expressing Zionism. Any Jew who looked toward and identified himself with the promised land, whether he knew it or not, whether he admitted it or not, was a Zionist. Zionism is neither a conspiracy nor racism. It is an expression of a yearning placed into every Jewish heart by God Himself. Unfulfilled Zionism is being outside the land of Israel. Fulfilled Zionism is being and living in the land. But what most Christians want to know is this: Is Zionism Biblical? To this question, every believer who takes the Bible literally and seriously must say yes. A typical Zionist passage of Scripture is found in Psalm 137:1-6. “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yeah, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps. For there they that led us captive required of us songs, And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing Jehovah’s song in a foreign land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her skill. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. If I remember thee not: if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.” The longing to go back to Israel, by the Jewish captives in Babylon, is an expression of Zionism. The word “Zion” is used twice as is its equivalent “Jerusalem.” Zion is to be remembered (verse 1) and so are its songs (verse 3). Jerusalem must not be forgotten (verse 5) but preferred above all joys (verse 6). It is impossible to be more Zionistic than the author of Psalm 137. Another Zionist was Isaiah the prophet for he wrote in 62:1: “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and Her salvation as a lamp that burneth.” Many other passages may be cited but lack of time forbids us doing so. But these should suffice to show that Zionism is a Biblical expression and therefore Christians should be active in two things: First, to stand by the State of Israel; and secondly, to condemn all misrepresentations of Zionism as either a conspiracy or racism.