Christian Zionism: The Conversation Continues:

By Cynthia Brewer

A debate between two differing opinions on the religious obligation to support Israel was once again presented at the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation’s 9th international conference, “walking the Path of Peace” with each speaker politely arguing their theological beliefs concerning the state of Israel.

Rev. Gary Burge, Ph.D., a professor of New Testament studies at Wheaton College and Graduate School and author of “Whose Land? Whose Promise?” once again addressed the Evangelical Christians’ position of loving Israel but calling them to be faithful to God’s covenant?

Dr. Kevin D. Zuber, Professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Ill. was to speak on behalf of the Christian Zionist’s views.

Dr. Gary Burge, an Evangelical Christian, first explained the theology of Christian Zionism and how that differs from Evangelical Christian beliefs.

Because one of the most popular Christian Zionists, the Rev. John Haggee of San Antonio, claims he has a platform of 50 million Evangelical Christians that support five million Jews in Israel, Dr. Gary Burge had to clarify that Haggee’s claim is an overstatement.  All Evangelical Christians are not Christian Zionists, Dr. Burge said.

He stated how Rev. Haggee held “A Night to Honor Israel” with over 4,500 Christians in Washington, D.C. July 17, 2007.  Although the audience was religious, the aim of the committee was political. This audience was made up of Christian Zionists who believe in the theology of Dispensationalism; a belief that Christ will physically return to earth after a rapture. Haggee claims that when they unite, “It’s a match made in heaven.”

Haggee calls for a preemptive strike on Iran, for he believes that a large war in the Middle East is the war to end all wars – to lead to the rapture – the return of Christ.
The answer to world problems, Haggee claims, is found in his playbook, the Bible.

Dr. Burge says Haggee’s eschatology is dangerous for he calls for preemptive wars when “He’s a man with no training in history, politics, or diplomatics.”

Fortunately some Israeli Rabbis disagree with him and warn their followers that they shouldn’t align with organizations that advocate attacking Iran, he said.

Dr. Burge stated that a Christian Zionist believes that:
1)    God’s promises to Israel are permanent and unconditional – that the old covenant continues today and the second covenant – the work of Christ – doesn’t replace it.

2)    Israel’s return to the Land is a theological event.

3)    History is coming to an end and the key prophetic puzzle piece is Israel’s return; therefore it is imperative that Christians support Israel. Haggee often quotes Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.”

4)     A war in the Middle East is going to bring an end to humanity.

5)    The end of the world will bring the second coming of Jesus. Any decision that goes against the Christian Zionist’s end times theology and the return of Jesus cannot be allowed.

Therefore, because Haggee’s belief that a war in the Middle East will bring the return of Christ, he is willing to put the Middle East in a nuclear war, said Dr. Burge. “Three million Palestinians living under occupation is OK with Haggee,” he said. 

And due to his rigid belief in Gen. 12:3, Hagge has compared the expulsion of the Jews from Gaza in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina’s displaced; since President Bush supported the withdrawal of Jewish Settlers from Gaza, the displacement of thousands from Hurricane Katrina is in punishment of this support.  This was the U.S.’s curse.

Dr. Burge then stated that his beliefs about the modern state of Israel were from a “reformed” Evangelical Christian’s point of view.

He said “reformed” Evangelical believe that:
1)    Christ fulfills the old covenant; Jesus is the new Israel; the 12 apostles are equal to the 12 tribes; and that the heir to God’s promise is Christ (Gal. 3:16).
2)    In Jesus’ story of the Vine and the branches (John 15), Christ is the only vine, and it does not matter whether its roots are in the Holy Land; Israel is the vineyard in Isaiah 5; and the New Testament changes geography into spiritual geography – God’s promises are not tied to ethnicity or geography.
3)    The reformed Evangelical is like the Zionist in that they are not anti-Semitic.  But we’re agnostic to Israel’s theology?
4)    Just like the Dispensationalists, we are committed to a longing for Christ’s return, but we promote Christ’s promises now. The Christian Zionist holds a pessimistic view, that we’re only saved by Christ’s return.  Their first obligation is to watch for the end times; “my fist call is fidelity to Christ and his kingdom. There are not two kingdoms,” Burge stated.


“My ultimate complaint is that Christian Zionists believe in Jesus, but don’t live like Jesus,” said Burge.  He believes God calls his people to Love the Jews, but in loving the Jews, we are called to love the truth and teach the Jews a word of exhortation.  “We’re called to be a friend by giving exhortation.”

In Dr. Kevin Zuber’s rebuttal, he said he didn’t believe in a lot of the things Dr. Burge said Christian Zionist’s believed in, so he wondered who was to speak for them.

He made it clear that he is a conservative Evangelical Christian.  “My position is conservative, but not extreme,” he said.   His motto is Eph. 4:15: “ To live the truth in love.”

He said, “Every movement has a fringe,” and he felt that fringe included Haggee.

“I believe in the Bible alone, in a literal interpretation,” he said, that gives every word of the Bible grammatical and historical truth.

With that, Dispensationalism believes these (Old Testament) promises (Gen 15, 17, 22) continue and don’t need to be reinterpreted by the New Testament.  “We can see more in the promises but not less,” he said.

In Gen. 12:1-3: “Go forth …to a land I will show you. … All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you,” and Gen. 13:14 , “… gaze to the north and south, east and west; all the land that you see, I will give to you and your descendants forever,” Dr. Zuber said that by the words, “I will,” a promised land is implied.

“The real world geography makes an obvious promise to be fulfilled on earth, not in heaven,” Dr. Zuber said of Gen. 15: 18-21: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River [the Euphrates], …” The land is the physical demonstration that the spiritual promises are being fulfilled, he said.

However, forever doesn’t always mean forever, Dr. Zuber said.  Sometimes there are two meanings: a long time or forever and ever.

In Lev. 26 (the reward of obedience) the Lord states that the Israelites must remain faithful in order to receive God’s blessings.

Dr. Zuber reads this to mean that there is a conditional element to the unconditional promise: that if a generation is disobedient, that generation will not enjoy God’s promise to “enjoy the land.”  But it doesn’t nullify the unconditional promise.

He continued his argument stating that in Romans 11, which was “post cross, post resurrection,” Paul still says God has not rejected his people.  The church is grafted in to God’s promises – the gentiles are now a part of it (Rom. 11).

“The church enters in to New Covenant promises in full, but it (the church) doesn’t own it, he said. We get in on it.  Yet the promises to Israel remain,” he said.

“Dr. Burge states that the promises were fulfilled in Christ, whereas I say it’s not in the first, but the second coming that Christ fulfills these (Old Testament) promises,” Dr. Zuber stated.

Dispensationalists believe that after the chastisement Jesus will return and reign on earth as the King of kings (Rev. 19:16).  Dr. Zuber said that they and he believe that when Christ returns it will be a physical kingdom.

Dr. Zuber finished by stating how he is different than the Christian Zionist, saying he doesn’t see why we can’t be on the same page.  “I support Israel, but not all they do.  Just as America has the right to exist, so does Israel,” he said.

He said he doesn’t see the present state of Israel as the “super sign” of Christ’s return as the Christian Zionists do. “But does this mean we should demonize Israel?” he asked

“I’m not looking forward to World War III.  If we stick to the document (the Bible), then it can’t be a sign because Jesus could come at anytime,” he said.

“The eminent coming of Christ started with the apostle Paul, not in 1948 or with Dispensationalism,” he continued.

“Nowhere in Dispensational theology does it say Israel is the fulfillment of prophecy,” he said.  “And as long as the Israelis are in unbelief, they are not enjoying the (conditional) promises of God.”

Should we support Israel on ideology? Dr. Zuber asked.  “I’m conservative – but I make a line,” he continued.

“Sane Dispensationalists do not believe they can do anything to expedite the coming of Christ or to hold it off,” he said.  “To get theology from the “Left Behind” series is difficult.  It is fiction; it goes beyond what we can know,” he said.

He continued explaining that though he was a believer of Dispensationalism, he was not a Christian Zionist. 

“Anyone who looks forward to WW III is hard hearted,” he said.  “Statements like the Christian Zionism program that provides for an empire of colonial militarism is false!” he said, again stating that no one has the power to bring the end of the kingdom.

Dispensationalism should be the love of Christ for sinners, Dr. Zuber said.  Of 400 graduates of Moody Institute, many went on to do missionary work.  He pointed out that one graduate went to Lebanon to work in prenatal care.

In closing, Dr. Zuber stated, “It’s just not true that because we look forward to Christ’s coming, that we’re against social justice.  My objective is Christ.”  To which Dr. Burge state, “This is exactly what we want to hear.”

This presentation helped to display the difficulty with Christian Zionism.  It clarified that not only in Evangelical Christianity are there two types: those who lean towards Christian Zionism and those who do not, but that even within Dispensationalism, there are also those who lean toward Christian Zionism and those who do not.

As a Catholic, I’m afraid there are many Catholics who have been taken in by the fictional “Left Behind” series and now misinterpret the Bible, believing that Biblical prophecy of the end times is being fulfilled with the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

In conclusion, this presentation proved that there is much more need for “the conversation” to continue.