Post 3: Zionism, the Church, and the Politics of Promise

What Is Zionism—and Why Does It Matter Now?

As war deepens in the Middle East, many Christians find themselves passionately defending the modern State of Israel. For some, support of Israel seems inseparable from faithfulness to the Bible and loyalty to God’s promises. Others feel a deep dissonance, watching as violence displaces Arab families and inflames global tensions—all in the name of prophecy.

To respond faithfully in this moment, we need to understand a word at the center of the tension: Zionism.

What Is Zionism?

At its simplest, Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people have a right to return to and establish a national homeland in the region of ancient Israel—called Zion in Scripture and tradition. But that belief has taken very different forms.

1. Political Zionism

• A secular nationalist movement birthed in the late 19th century in response to centuries of antisemitism in Europe.
• Founded by Theodor Herzl, who argued that Jewish survival depended on national self-determination in their ancient homeland.
• Led to the Balfour Declaration (1917) in which Britain expressed support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
• Culminated in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, alongside mass displacement of Palestinian Arabs (an event Palestinians call the Nakba—“catastrophe”).

2. Religious Zionism

• Sees the return of Jews to the land as part of God’s providential plan—a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
• Some believe the reestablishment of Israel will usher in the Messianic age.
• Others believe a Third Temple must be built and temple sacrifices restored before redemption can come.

These two expressions—one secular and political, the other theological and messianic—often overlap, but they are not the same.

How Christians Interpret Zionism

1. Dispensationalist Christian Zionism

• Views the Jewish return to the land as a key part of God’s end-times plan.
• Sees the state of Israel as a miracle of fulfilled prophecy, and anticipates the rebuilding of the Temple and a future war.
• Often results in uncritical support for Israeli military and settlement policy, even at the expense of Palestinian Christians and Muslims.

This system—Dispensationalism—will be explored in detail in the next post. For now, it’s enough to say that it has shaped American evangelicalism profoundly, often fusing theology with politics in ways that promote conquest over compassion.

2. Mainline and Justice-Oriented Christians

• Affirm Israel’s right to exist peacefully, but reject theological claims that justify violence or displacement.
• Advocate for the dignity, safety, and rights of both Jews and Palestinians.
• Often support a two-state solution as the only viable path to long-term peace.

3. Wesleyan-Holiness and Fulfillment Theologians

• Believe that God’s promises to Israel are fulfilled in Christ, and extend to all who place their faith in Him.
• Affirm the historic and theological significance of the Jewish people, while rejecting nationalist theology.
• Call the Church to be a prophetic witness, not a partisan voice.

The Real-World Ramifications

Zionism is not merely a theory—it has real and lasting implications for human lives.

Some expressions of Religious Zionism, particularly when fused with Christian Dispensationalist theology, promote the expansion of Israeli territory as part of a divine mandate. They draw on Genesis 15:18, where God promises Abraham land “from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates”—a geographic vision that spans parts of modern Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.

While most Israeli citizens and even many Religious Zionists do not advocate for conquest of all that land, some hardline leaders do invoke this biblical claim to justify the continuing growth of Jewish settlements—especially in the West Bank and areas of contested governance.

More critically:

These voices are no longer fringe. Religious Zionist ideologues have gained high-ranking positions in the Israeli government, influencing national policy, military decisions, and settlement expansion. Their rhetoric—sometimes explicitly calling for the expulsion or “cleansing” of Arabs from the land—fuels fear, resentment, and international concern.

Given that influence, it is understandable why many—Arabs, Palestinians, and even Western observers—interpret Israeli military actions in Gaza and beyond as more than defensive operations. For many, they appear to be the strategic outworking of a larger religious and nationalist agenda: to drive out Muslim and Christian Arabs and claim the land for a future, ethnically and religiously exclusive Israel.

Regardless of intentions, the perception alone of such motivations damages Israel’s credibility, undermines peace efforts, and isolates both moderate Jews and Christians working toward reconciliation.

Supporting Israel—Justly and Peacefully

Let me be clear: I support the existence of the modern State of Israel. After centuries of persecution and genocide, the Jewish people deserve a homeland where they can live in safety and dignity. That conviction is grounded in both biblical respect for Israel’s history and a commitment to human rights.

But that support must not come at the expense of Palestinians, Arab Christians, or Muslims. We cannot claim to love one people group while ignoring or enabling the suffering of another.

If we are to be faithful to the Gospel, we must seek peace with justice. That’s why I believe the only sustainable and ethical political solution to the current conflict is a two-state solution—one that ensures the safety and dignity of both Israelis and Palestinians.

A Wesleyan-Holiness Framework

As Wesleyan-Holiness believers, we are called to a higher allegiance. Our task is not to predict political outcomes but to bear prophetic witness.

We are called to:

1. Honor the Jewish Roots of Our Faith

• Israel is part of our spiritual lineage.
• Jesus was a Jew.
• We should actively oppose antisemitism and celebrate the Jewish contributions to our faith.

2. Speak Prophetically, Not Nationalistically

• Just as the prophets of old confronted Israel when it acted unjustly, so too must we confront all nations—including Israel and the U.S.—when they betray the values of justice, mercy, and humility.

3. Refuse to Baptize Militarism

• The Church must not mistake conquest for calling.
• The Kingdom of God comes not through domination, but through the cross.

4. Pursue Peace That Includes Everyone

• Peace for Israel cannot mean oppression for Palestinians.
• Security for Jews must be matched by dignity for Arab Christians and Muslims.
• The love of Christ compels us to seek the good of all people, not just the ones we understand or relate to most.

Final Thoughts

Zionism matters because it shapes how we read the Bible, how we view the world, and how we treat real people created in the image of God.

Let us remember:
The promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus.
The mission of the Church is to proclaim peace.
And the politics of man must never eclipse the justice of God.

Next up in the series:
The Danger of Dispensationalism: When Theology Fuels War Instead of Peace