Last week, Tucker Carlson provided a platform for the infamous Jew-hater, Nick Fuentes. As of this writing, more than five million viewers of their discussion have been exposed to over two hours of unfiltered hatred towards Jews, Israel, and all who stand with the Jewish people.
In the midst of the conversation, Carlson mocked Christians who support Israel’s right to exist. He claimed Christian Zionists are “seized by a brain virus” and that their beliefs are “Christian heresy.” Carlson has also stated that he hates Christian Zionists more than anyone else. What an extraordinary comment to make when there are so many perpetrators of evil in the world – people he should be calling out but doesn’t!
In the face of Carlson’s unbridled hatred and apparent ignorance, it is important to state clearly what Christian Zionism is and to know the history of this significant movement in support of the reestablishment of Israel.
What is Christian Zionism?
Christian Zionism is simply Christian support for Zionism, the movement in support of the right of Jews to self-determination in Israel, their ancient homeland. That’s it. It is the recognition on the part of Christians that the Jewish people have the right to their own nation in their own land. Period.
In the effort to delegitimize Christian Zionism, it has been falsely identified as a relatively new movement birthed in response to certain events, an effort to bring about some version of an end-time scenario, and/or political support for a particular party or leader in Israel.
Nothing could be farther from the truth! Rather, Christian support for the rebirth of Israel is built on a historic and theological foundation as old as Christianity itself.
History of Christian belief and support for the reestablishment of Israel
Christian Zionism is rooted in the recognition of the biblical history of Israel and the prophetic promises concerning the return of the Jewish people to their land. It is also grounded in a correct understanding of the covenant God made with Abraham – a covenant that includes the promise of a particular land.
The history of Christian Zionism actually begins with the theological expectation of a restored nation of Israel that goes back to Jesus and first century Christians. For example, in Mark 11:17 of the Christian Testament, Jesus quoted Isaiah’s prophesy concerning a restored Jerusalem.
The expectation of a future return of the Jewish people to the land and the restoration of the nation of Israel was also fairly common in the early Church. Tertullian, a third century leader, said: “It will be fitting for the Christian to rejoice, and not to grieve, at the restoration of Israel, if it be true, as it is, that the whole of our hope is intimately united with the remaining expectation of Israel.”
Medieval theologians also believed in a future return of the Jewish people to their historic land, as did a number of leaders of the 16th century Protestant Reformation.
Beginning in the 17th century, English Puritan leaders promoted beliefs such as: “the dispersed Jews would be restored into their own country and would rebuild Jerusalem.”
Puritan leaders who went to North America believed that the nation of Israel would be restored, as evidenced through the writings of John Cotton and Increase Mather of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In 1642, Cotton wrote that the Gentiles needed to prove their faithfulness by actively helping Jews return and should be willing “to convey the Jews into their own country with chariots, horses and dromedaries.” Today, he would say to use planes!
Jonathan Edwards, an influential British theologian of the early 18th century, wrote that Israel would again be a distinct nation, and Christians would have free access to Jerusalem because Jews would look on Christians as their brethren.
Edwards’ words have come to pass! Israel is a distinct nation, Christians do have free access to Jerusalem, and Jews are understanding that Christians are brethren.
Twentieth century proponents of Christian Zionism include Lord Arthur Balfour, author of the 1917 Balfour Declaration; Colonel John Patterson, commander of the Jewish Legion during WWI; and General Orde Wingate, the British officer who, in the 1930’s, advocated for the establishment of a Jewish homeland on religious and moral grounds.
Today’s Christian Zionism is simply the modern version of the historic belief that the Jewish people would return to their homeland, just as the Hebrew prophets promised. It is NOT a new movement birthed in response to certain events, an effort to bring about some version of an end-time scenario, or political support for a particular party or leader in Israel as its critics allege.
Prophetic promises concerning the return of the Jewish people to their land
Christian Zionists recognize that prophetic promises concerning the return of the Jewish people to their land appear in every one of the Hebrew prophets except for Jonah. Here are just a few of them:
Isaiah 11:12
God will assemble the outcasts of Israel,
And gather together the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.
Jeremiah 16:15
The Lord will bring them (the Jewish people) back into their land which He gave to their fathers.
Ezekiel 37:14
The Lord says, I will place you in your own land.
Zechariah 10:9
The Lord says, they shall remember Me in far countries
And they shall return.
It is obvious from a clear reading of Scripture that the land God gave to the fathers, the land Ezekiel says is their own land, and the land Zechariah says the Jewish people would return to is the land of Israel!
A correct understanding of the covenant God made with Abraham
Christian Zionism is grounded in a correct understanding of the covenant God made with Abraham– a covenant that includes the promise of a particular land.
In Gen 12:1-3, God commanded Abram to leave his country and his father’s house and go to a specific land He would show him.
In Genesis 13:15, the Lord told Abram that all the land he could see to the north, south, east, and west was given to him and his descendants forever.
God’s promise of descendants and land are integral parts of the covenant made with Abram.
In Genesis 15:1-20, we learn about the ceremony in which the covenant was cut.
Animals were to be cut in half, and the halves were to be laid opposite each other with room for a person to walk between the halves. In this typical ancient near eastern ceremony, the parties entering into covenant with each other – in this case, God and Abram – were supposed to walk through the cut-up animals together.
This act symbolized how they would be cut off if they violated the covenant. To walk between the carcasses was to commit oneself to the fate of the slaughtered animals as a penalty for breaking the covenant. Making a covenant was serious business!
After Abram prepared the animals for the ceremony, the sun went down and a deep sleep fell on Abram. While Abram was asleep, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the cut-up animals. These two images are used to represent the presence of God in multiple instances in the Hebrew Bible. So, it is God Himself who passed between the animals – and He did it alone.
By passing through the pieces alone the Lord demonstrated that He alone was responsible for fulfilling the covenant. Abram was asleep and did not take part in the covenant-making ritual. This means that the keeping of the covenant is only dependent on God. It is not dependent on anything Abram or his descendants do or don’t do.
This is very significant in relation to a serious error in Christian theology that fuels Jew-hatred and opposition to Israel. Parts of Christendom hold a false belief that this covenant is no longer in effect because of something the Jews or Israel have or haven’t done.
The reality is – the Abrahamic covenant is unconditional, because its fulfillment is only dependent on God, who does not fail. Because it is unconditional, the covenant with Abraham is still in effect. It is also still in effect because over and over throughout Scripture, it is referred to as an eternal covenant.
A lack of understanding or outright rejection of this eternal and unconditional covenant fuels a false doctrine known as replacement theology. Replacement theology is the erroneous belief that Christians and the church have replaced Jews and Israel in the purposes of God. In other words, God no longer has any use for Jews or the nation of Israel and therefore, it doesn’t matter what happens to them.
The apostle Paul clearly refutes this false doctrine in chapters 9-11 of his letter to the believers in Rome. In chapter 11, Paul uses the analogy of an olive tree to explain that Israel is the root of the tree and Gentile believers are wild branches that have been grafted into the tree that has natural branches, the Jewish people.
In other words, Gentile believers – or the church – do not replace Jews or Israel. They are grafted into the tree of Israel as partakers of God’s promise, not as a replacement of the Jewish people. In chapter 11, verse 18, Paul warns the Gentile believers in Rome: “Do not boast against the branches… remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
Near the end of chapter 11, Paul states that the gifts and the calling of God on the Jewish people are irrevocable – they cannot be changed. This is another way of saying that God’s covenant with Israel is still in effect – that same eternal and unconditional covenant that includes the promise of descendants and a particular land. It is the same promise we are seeing fulfilled in our lifetimes as Jews return to Israel from the four corners of the world, in fulfillment of what the Hebrew prophets foretold.
Tucker Carlson is the one who promotes heresy!
So NO, Christian Zionists are not “seized by a brain virus” and their beliefs are not “Christian heresy,” as Tucker Carlson alleges. Rather, Christian Zionism is orthodox biblical belief, grounded in a historic and theological foundation as old as Christianity itself. It is Tucker Carlson who promotes heresy as he demonstrates his glaring ignorance of Scripture and Christian history.
In this time in which we live, it is more important than ever for Christian Zionists to:
Equip yourself with the truth and expose the lies!
Know that your stand for truth and justice is based on a solid biblical and historic foundation!
Be stronger and more outspoken than ever in your support of Israel and the Jewish people!
Encourage everyone in your sphere of influence to do likewise!
Tricia Miller is the Director of CAMERA’s Partnership of Christians and Jews She monitors Christian organizations and media activity related to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications, including First Things, The Algemeiner, New English Review, Charisma News, Breaking Israel News, Times of Israel, JNS, and the Jerusalem Post’s Christian Edition. She is the author of two books, “Three Versions of Esther” (2014) and “Jews and Anti-Judaism in Esther and the Church” (2015) about the relationship of Esther to current Christian anti-Judaism and anti-Zionism.
