“Aliens will join with them and unite with the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 14:1).
“Rejoice, o nations, with his people” (Deuteronomy 32:43).
In 1589, Francis Kett was burned alive by the church. His only crime was his insistence that the Jews would someday return to their land, an idea he claimed to have received from reading the Bible. Although the thought of the return to Zion was so strange to the Medieval church that it was branded as heresy, the movement toward Zion in Christian ranks would soon appear in earnest, and would gain intensity to the point that it could not be overcome.
The Rise Of Christian Zionism
The rise of Christian Zionism, more properly called Restorationism, began with the Pietistic Protestants of Sixteenth Century England. It gained momentum and acceptance with the rise of the Puritans to power in the Seventeenth Century. The whole movement was aided greatly by the publication of the King James Version of the Bible in 1611.
The Puritan influence was felt not only in England, but also in early America. In time, many religious, political and literary figures arose and began to promote the restoration of the Jewish people to their land. Founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams (1604-1683), was greatly burdened by the plight of the Jews and wrote in their defense. Even President Adams in 1825, declared, “I really wish the Jews again in Judea, and independent nation…”
It seemed that a wave of sympathy and interest in Israel swept over early America. Many American cities such as Salem and Bethlehem were named after their biblical counterparts, and children were named for biblical figures. Hebrew became a required course in many American universities and remained so well into the 19th century.
In later years other Americans arose and took up the cause of Israel, such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and William Blackstone. Blackstone so desired to see the Jews returned to their land that he presented a petition to President Benjamin Harrison to that effect in 1891.
In England and on the European continent there began to arise support from many quarters. The Emperor Napoleon did much to awaken Europe to the restoration of the Jews by his campaign in the Middle East. At one point he even offered to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. Lord Byron (1788-1824), that great English writer, focused attention upon Israel by his immortal lines, “the wild dove hath her nest, the fox his cave, mankind their country, Israel but a grave!”
The Movement In More Modern Times
The stream of Zionist supporters in all walks of life flowed unabated into the 19th and 20th centuries. Lord Shaftsbury (1801-1855), one of England’s most influential men had engraved upon his ring, “O pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” The famous Frenchman, Jean-Henri Dunant (1828-1910), who founded the Red Cross, also took up the cause of the Jewish people. There were many others such as George Eliot, the famous British novelist; Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of England; and Lawrence Oliphant. Finally, in the twentieth century, Lord Balfour of England stood for the Zionists and was largely responsible for the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which at last carved out a homeland for the Jewish people.
One of the most amazing Christians to stand in support of Zion in modern times was the Rev. William Hechler (1845-1931). For years Rev. Hechler had been caught up in the restoration movement. He had even prophesied that the Jews would return in 1897-98. When he heard of Theodore Herzl, the father of modern Zionism, and his book, The Jewish State, he hurried to meet him and the two became fast friends. Throughout the remainder of Herzl’s brief life, this Christian minister stood beside him and encouraged him from the Bible to found the State of Israel. Hechler worked tirelessly to bring the cause of Zionism before European heads of state. In 1897, the First Zionist Congress was held, fulfilling the prophecy of Hechler and ushering n the dawn of the Jewish state as we know it today.
There were other Christians who distinguished themselves by standing for Zion in modern times. In Jerusalem at Yad Vashem there is the Avenue of Righteous Gentiles, honoring hundreds of Christians who assisted the Jewish people during the Holocaust. One of the most outstanding of these was a Swedish diplomat by the name of Raoul Wallenberg. This Christian was so dedicated to the cause of Zion that he gave his life for that cause and single-handedly saved thousands of Jews from Hitler’s ovens. Another Christian who is memorialized at Yad Vashem is Corrie Ten Boom of Holland. Her family saved many Jewish people by hiding them in their home.
Christian Zionists In Zion
In Palestine a young British officer by the name of Orde Wingate defied his own country’s position and helped the Jews in military training. In his Special Night Squads he trained many future Israeli military leaders such as Moshe Dayan. Some in Israel today credit this solitary Christian with founding the nucleus of the modern Israeli army.
And finally, another well known Christian Zionist in Israel was Dr. G. Douglas Young, founder of the Institute of Holy Land Studies and Bridges For Peace. Dr. Young once stated, “Christianity owes a tremendous debt to Judaism and Israel, and I have decided that as long as I live I shall endeavor to regard this debt as my profound obligation.” The Israelis loved the attitude and dedication of this Christian minister and still hold him still in fond memory. Young was finally given the coveted “Worthy of Jerusalem” award by the Municipality of Jerusalem.
In recent years, there has been a proliferation of Christian Zionists and Christian Zionist activities. Today thousands of Christians live in Israel because of their strong feelings toward the land and people. In Israel there are Christian kibbutzim (collective farms), a Christian embassy, and hordes of young Christian volunteers on the kibbutzim and elsewhere.
Toward The Future
In the US and in other countries there are large and small Christian Zionist organizations, publications, TV programs and even some Christian Zionist congregations. However, the church as a whole has hardly awakened to the great spiritual significance of a restored Zion. Nonetheless, like a sleeping giant she is being aroused. The fulfillment of that old hymn, “We’re marching to Zion” may yet become a reality in our day.
-Jim Gerrish
Sources:
Lawrence J. Epstein, Zion’s Call, Christian Contributions to the Origins and Development of Israel (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc, 1984).
Michael J. Pragai, Faith and Fulfillment, Christians and the Return to the Promised Land (London: Valentine, Mitchell and Company, Ltd., 1985).
This updated article is presented courtesy of Bridges For Peace
Picture credit: Wikimedia Commons. British Prime Minister, Conservative politician, and statesman (1848-1930).