What does the board think about the Christian "right" fundamentalists and its connection with Zionism? I'm very concerned about the political implications of the contemporary Christian/fundamentalist Zionism. I mean, the premillenial dispensational theology that seems to go hand in hand with the political favoritism of the ethnic nation currently located in Israel. First, does premillenial dispensationalism require contemporary Zionism? Second, how does one then justify theological loyalty to the current nation of Israel, say, if one is a Palestinian Christian? If one is a Christian in the U.S.? The other day I was listening to "Moody radio" in Chicago (I just moved from there). Someone came on the radio saying that it was a "work of God" that the Israeli nation now has the materials to rebuild the Solomonic temple. "All" that needs to happen is the "destruction of the dome of the rock." He said it was also a work of God that the sacrificial system would be re-inaugurated in Israel, a consequence of the zionist movement. When I read the book of Hebrews, I can't avoid the notion that this kind of desire to re-institute the sacrificial system in Israel is blasphemy. No other sacrifices are needed besides Christ's. So I don't know what it is that drives this American Zionism that comes from the fundamentalist right. Why are Evangelicals so loyal to Israel? Or, is that one of the things that divides Evangelicals from fundamentalists, so that evangelicals have no definite opinion about the contemporary ethnic nation residing in Israel? Chris
My two cents, derived from a couple years of seminary, and perhaps not as eloquently expressed as a theologian, is that a pre-millenial dispensationalism reading of the "end times" requires a state/nation/people of Israel, with the "nations" rallying against it and seeking its destruction, etc., with Messiah (Jesus) ultimately coming back to save them, physically and spiritually. Such a reading sees the pre-millenial tribulation as the time Yahweh will finally get his "chosen people" to see the light, and as such, is the fulfillment of Yahweh's promises to Abraham as well as culmulation of the entire Bible, from the fall of man onward. No Israel, ergo, no endtimes. Hence, if there is an Israel, kickoff could be anytime. IMHO, many of the end-times theories that discount the importance of Israel are rooted in anti-Semitism or replacement theology, and are aposite to a literal reading of both Testaments.
I think that there is certainly some of the dispensational stuff involved for those who see Israel deeply invovled and tied to Christ's return. Nonetheless, I think many folks have a soft spot for Israel due to the fact that it is is some ways the cradle of our Western civilization. It was the culture into which Jesus was born and from which the OT sprung. This Judeo/Christian culture has transformed the much of the world in terms of the value of education/hospitals/women's rights, etc (see What If Jesus had Never Been Born - D. James Kennedy). Another factor is that Israel (which shares this common heritage) is surrounded by countries whose goal is to destroy it. Israel has certainly made some mistakes along the way with the Palestians and both sides need to come to some accord and recognize the others right to exist. However, Israel is having to fight an increasing tide of anti-semitism that is amazing. Former Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick noted the anti-semitism in the United nations when she was there. Israel alone among nations was denied a rotating seat on the Security Council for most of the nations existence, the UN spends an inordinate amount of time on anti-Israel resolutions, anti-semitism was only addressed relatively recently as an issue by the UN in spite of addressing racism in different forms many times, a couple of different UN congresses went on a wacko anti-semitic tirade (most recently the one held in South Africa that the US did not send top officials to). France has seen an increase in anti-semitsm, leftist university profs here wanted to divest in Israel (no mention of divesting in certain Arab states). Israel seems to be expected to put up with having her children murdered on buses and in night clubs and universities by brainwashed terrorists (some children themselves). Pictures on the news of Saddam handing out checks to smiling families of Palestinian Homocide bombers is not heart warming. At any rate, on.....and on. Israel is sort of an underdog. That does not mean they are completely without fault in the current Palestinian/Israel crisis but no amount of negotiation seems to help. Remember Clinton hacked at Arafat after Barak conceeded so much but Arafat would not accept the accord. Later Arafat admits he should have accepted it. This was rather long but the point is that for many they see Israel as an underdog and value our ties to the Biblical land and a nations so tied to our own faith, hence their support of Israel. North
Very scary. Of course, "Christian 'right' fudamentalists" are a pretty diverse group. And similarly, people support Israel for a great variety of reasons. Many of them aren't even Christian. No, I don't think so. Uh, maybe because very few Palestinian Christians are the kind of fundamentalist that you are talking about? Degreeinfo doesn't seem to reflect it at the present time, but Christianity is a very big tent. In my opinion, it's millenialism. That's been a recurring theme within Christianity since its earliest days. To the sort of people that you are talking about, the restoration of Israel represents another sign that the "last days" have arrived. Soon everything is gonna get swept away and Christ is going to establish some kind of theocratic dictatorship here on earth. Or something. Besides providing the obvious hope to the alienated (things will be entirely different soon) it justifies rigorist sectarianism within Christianity (we must hold ourselves apart and be ready for Christ's coming). Personally, I think that the main driver in this stuff is when religious people dispair that their dreams can ever be realized without divine intervention. Millenialism is usually associated with alienation from what are perceived as unstoppable social changes.
Thanks for the responses. Honestly, Bill, I think TEDS is a lot more interested in covenant theology nowadays. Especially with respect to Willem VanGemeren and Robert Yarborough. Of course, the doctrinal statement is "pre-mil" and Dispy, but Willem is the head of the doctoral department, and he's a lot more covenant theology oriented than Paul Feinberg. VanGemeren was an excellent mentor in many respects. On the Ezekiel passage, I don't think anyone really knows what those sacrifices are about. It would be easy to superimpose our dispensational system and say the sacrificial system will be reinaugurated, but compositionally, I'm not convinced that's what Ezekiel had in mind. I do have a hard time, both with anti-semitism and with uncritical endorsement of the current Israeli government. However, if there is one thing I have learned on this board, it is how little I know, not only about distance learning but theology in general. I think there is something true from all the statements above: Bill Grover: that systematic theologians such as Chafer and Ryrie expect the current nation to have political significance in the eschaton; North: that anti-semitism is so rampant that the US (and many of us) feel incumbent upon them to defend the underdog; and Bill Dayson, that millenial hopes are often borne out of the religious anxiety of trying to find some proximate meaning in the face of an endlessly deferred theological justice. It seems to me that the current nation of Israel truly relies on the US for their power to live life and survive. My question is, why do they need the US if they have God? If they don't have God, why should the US, or anyone for that matter, consider them the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promises? Why do they need that particular land, and need it now, if they have God? This is going to sound very harsh. This is probably the most cutting thing I have written on this forum: It seems to me that the current, ethnic Israeli nation relies on the US just as the ancient nation relied on Egypt. At the end of 2 Kings Rabshakeh asks, "On whom do you rely that you rebel against me?" An Israel that relies on human strength to keep the land, in the Old Testament at least, is an Israel that has forgotten the God of it's fathers. The God of the Tanakh, the O.T., or the Hebrew Bible owns the land and gives it to whom he wishes. There aren't any "third parties" who help God out by helping Israel out in the O.T. These are tough questions. I feel like I need to say, again, that I'm not an anti-Semitist. I just don't see us evangelicals are exercising the cultural exegesis we probably should given the current international circumstances. I may be totally wrong about this equation. I would really like to see more interaction about this, especially among evangelicals. Chris
I have never quite figured out dispensationalism, but the Zionist part (whatever its motivation) is a good thing.
Chris, You might want to check out John Piper's article entitled "Land Divine?" May 11, 2002 issue of WORLD Magazine for a relevant commentary regarding the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Here is the direct link, although I believe that you need to register on their Web site before accessing the archives. Jason --- Jason D. Baker, Ph.D. Baker's Guide to Christian Distance Education http://www.bakersguide.com
