The Foolishness of Zionism in the Church

Genesis 12:3, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you. And in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

A certain, relatively modern understanding of this verse, as well as that of many others which speak of the Abrahamic promises, fuels what is often referred to as "Zionism". Zionism is a system of thought which irrationally inspires people to support the nation of Israel, regardless of her morals and governmental principles. It holds to the idea that God will curse America if she ever denies aid and support to Israel. At the foundation of this belief is the theological system called "Dispensationalism". I say that Dispensationalism is "relatively modern" because it is not a historical view of the Church. Even big-time proponents of it such as Charles Ryrie readily admit that Dispensationalism's tenets have been held by a very small number of scholars and teachers in the history of the Church; and that some of them even, held to a view much different than what we know as being Dispensationalism. For the sake of contrast, allow me to present to you just a small list of (fairly recent) historical, sound teachers, greatly blessed by God, who completely disagreed with Dispensationalism: John Calvin, Philipp Melanchthon, William Tyndale, John Knox, John Owen, Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, George Whitfield, Matthew Henry, John Bunyan, John Gill, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, John Winthrop, John Cotton, C.H. Spurgeon, A.W. Pink, B.B. Warfield, Charles Hodge, J.P. Boyce, and J.I. Packer. Oh dear Christian, if you're going to espouse a teaching that stands contrary to the conclusions of men such as these- whom God was pleased to richly bless with brilliant minds, and Christ-exalting hearts- please do so only after you have humbly and studiously examined these things. And please let me preface with this: I am not seeking to start a political movement. I just want the truth of God's covenant of grace to be understood and exulted in; and for Christians to think carefully through how we ought to support to the nation of Israel.

Let us consult the Scriptures now...
Romans 9:3, "I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ, for the sake of my brethren". What drives Paul to say this? He loves his kinsmen according to the flesh- ethnic Israel- and sees that they have, on the whole, rejected their Messiah. His heart burns with love for them, and with deep desire to see them converted.

(Romans 9:6) "But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel." Now why would Paul say "it is not as though the word of God has failed"? He says this because it was then, as it is today, falsely taught that "the word of God" declares the ethnic people of Israel to be God's elect people. The Jews thought themselves to be heirs of God's covenant of salvation. The prevailing thought at that time was that when Messiah came, He would, once and for all, redeem the entire nation, and crush the Gentiles under His feet. They believed they would all be redeemed by Messiah; that He was their Savior, in the sense that He would actually reconcile each one of them to a right standing before God. The particular favor promised in the Old Testament, to an elect people, they believed to be there's for the simple fact that they were physical descendants of Abraham. Such is the false notion of Dispensationalists today. For these reasons the Jews thought it was righteous of them to disregard the Gentiles; and to think themselves superior to them. Their arrogance and self-righteousness blinded them to the partially veiled realities of the covenant of grace. The nation of Israel did not grasp the reality of Divine election.

"They are not all Israel who descended from Israel."
Paul makes it clear that Jewish ethnicity does not actually make someone an Israeli in God's eyes. What's that supposed to mean? What does it mean that not all who descend from Israel are truly Israel? It means that God's word extended many promises to Israel, and that this "Israel" was not ethnic Israel. Let us be clear here: The majority of the saints of the Old Testament were Jews. So I'm not saying that God's elect were not primarily Jews in the Old Testament. But what Paul refers to when he says "the word of God has not failed", is the promises of salvation to ALL of God's elect. God's covenant of grace, which he made with Abraham and his descendants, was not made to the nation of Israel: "they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel". For starters, in the Old Testament, not all Jews were saved; many of them never received the "inheritance"- salvific promises- which God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their "seed". And some who did partake of those promises, the covenant of salvation, were Gentiles. So then, though God did bless the ethnic Israel in many ways, in preserving the lineage of Christ, the actual promises were not made to an ethnic people.

(Romans 9:7) "Nor are they all children because they are Abraham's seed, but: 'through Isaac your seed will be named." Children? What does Paul mean by children? "I will curse those who curse you." Dispensationalists take that to mean that God will curse those who do not align themselves, even politically and militarily, with the physical seed of Abraham; despite Paul's stating the truth of the matter so explicitly: "They are not all children (of Abraham) because they are Abraham's seed." You could rephrase verses 6-7 in this way: "Not all of Abraham's physical seed are truly Abraham's seed. It's not his physical descendants who are truly his children." Is anyone else catching this? Paul couldn't be clearer! "through Isaac your seed will be named." This refers to Christ. It is through Isaac, and not Ishmael (who was a physical descendant of Abraham), that the Messiah would come from; therefore, it is through Messiah that all of Abraham's true seed will be named. This point right here, we'll later discover, is what brings all of this together.

(Romans 9:8) "This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as (Abraham's) seed." The "children of the flesh" are ethnic Israel. Paul says they are not the children of God. He contrasts the two and makes it clear that they- the children of the flesh, ethnic Israel- are a distinct group from "the children of the promise", Abraham's seed. It is "the children of the promise" who are Abraham's seed, and thus, children of God. I'll clarify by saying that it is indeed true that God chose the Jewish nation to be the recipients of special grace; grace not given to the Gentiles in the Old Covenant. And that the Gentiles, whom God called to Himself, were made Jewish proselytes. It was to them that God gave the Law, and through them came the promises. No one would deny this. But it must be understood that God has clarified now what was really going on back then. God has exapanded much in the New Covenant; and He has brought to realization what was typified in the Jewish nation, and in their laws, ordinances, and traditions. It is not that God has overturned His economy of grace; He has simply expanded it, clarified it, and brought it to realization. Take for example the clear fact that He instituted the New Covenant with "the house of Israel and the house of Judah" (Jeremiah 31), and that the New Testament book of Hebrews unveils what God intended: not an covenant with ethnic Jews, but a covenant with spiritual Jews.

"The promise to Abraham and to his seed, that he would be heir of the world, did not come through the Law but through the righteousness that is by faith.... it depends of faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his seed- not only to the adherents of the Law (ethnic Jews), but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, 'who is the father of us all', as it is written, 'I shall make you the father of many nations" (Romans 4:13-17). How J.N. Darby, C.I. Scofield, Lewis Sperry Chafer, and Charles Ryrie could all pervert these texts, in the way they do, is absolutely heart-breaking to me. God couldn't be much more clear. So, what could the promise of God be, that Abraham and his seed would be "heirs of the world", other than what we find in Genesis 17:1-8? There God tells Abraham he will make a covenant with him and with his seed. These are "the promises" Paul tells us that God made, not to the physical descendants of Abraham, but to the spiritual descendants of Abraham. God promised land, blessings, and particular, salvific grace. This covenant of grace manifested the election of God; the election that Israel thought was their birth-right. God, of His own free will, chose to set His particular love and grace upon "Abraham and his seed". And so we are told by Paul, that it is the children of promise- the promise of covenant grace and salvation and blessings- and not ethnic Israel, who are heirs of this covenant. "the promise will be guaranteed to all the seed of Israel" (Romans 4:16); "and it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of promise". Paul says: "Abraham's seed" are heirs of this covenant of grace- heirs of the world; and this seed is not ethnic Jews only, but all whom God joins to Christ through faith". Just as it is written, "I will make you a father of many nations" (Romans 4:17). Dispensationalists seem to completely overlook what this means. Abraham's being the father of many nations refers to his spiritual fatherhood: "the children of the promise are Abraham's seed". So it is not Israel as a nation whom God particularly set His electing grace upon, but people of "every tribe, language, people, and nation" (Revelation 5:19).

Haven't you ever wondered why God takes covenant verses from the Old Testament, which the nation of Israel thought referred to all ethnic Jews, and says they were written of all the elect of God- Jew and Gentile alike? Here are a few examples: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession" (1 Peter 2:9). Sound anything like Deuteronomy 10:15, Isaiah 43:20, Exodus 19:6, Isaiah 61:6; 66:21, Deuteronomy 7:6, and Malachi 3:17? That's where Peter got these salvific names from! Peter says: "elect of God, Church, these apply to you!" Here is one more: "I will be their God and they shall be My people" (2 Corinthians 6:16-18). Paul took that precious covenant promise, made to spiritual Israel, from: Exodus 6:7; Jeremiah 31:33; and Ezekiel 11:20 (among other places).

The Jews simply did not understand the concept of universal (world-wide) election. That is precisely why John 3:16 is so radical; and why the New Testament writers often employ terms such as "world", "whole world", and "all". When ethnic Jews heard of salvation, they assumed it was confined to them. So when someone says, no God didn't reconcile one nation, He reconciled the world; they aren't saying that every individual in the world will be reconciled to God; they are saying that God "ransomed people from... every nation" (Revelation 5:19)! The Jews thought Jesus would usher in final salvation for them; a final fulfillment of the Abrahamic promises. But Jesus had other plans He came to accomplish; and He overthrew their racist ideology (an ideology which some Christians are foolishly propagating even today!).

I wonder if you have ever studied Romans 2:28-29?
"He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one who is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart". Hard to argue with that. People say, "Well, God had to be talking to ethnic Jews in the Abrahamic promises, because He commanded ISRAEL to be circumcised as part of the covenant!" Hear this verse and you'll have your answer. The Old Testament was filled with types and shadows. Circumcision was one of them. And it is only New Testament teachings on the matter which reveal that we are not still bound by that same command. In reality, circumcision, just like baptism, was a sign and seal of the righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:11). "Circumcision is a matter of the heart." Therefore, "he is a Jew who is one inwardly"; whose heart has been circumcised by the Holy Spirit (Colossians 2:11).

Back to Romans 9...
Paul, in vs. 23-24, clarifies that God's election took place before the creation of the universe; and that He always intended to unite both Jews and Gentiles to Christ. The Church wasn't plan B, as many Dispensationalists make it out to be. Such a notion is a perversion of the truth of Scripture. The term "church" simply means "called out ones". It signifies people's being called out of the world, and called into covenant with God and with other children of God. Every believer of all time is a part of the Church; it's just that the Church, God's called out ones, was predominantly ethnic Jews in the Old Testament, and is just the opposite now. And oh how we eagerly await the future ingathering of the nation of Israel! God promises that just as He, by and large, cast them away, He will likewise graft them back into this ONE BODY OF CHRIST (Romans 11)! Any and all people, throughout human history, who have been saved by grace, through faith in Christ, are apart of this one body of Christ. There are not two distinct peoples. There is only one body of Christ; each member having their sins atoned for by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:18, "If the inheritance comes by the law (which was the Jewish belief), it no longer comes by way of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise". What inheritance was Abraham promised? The inheritance consists of every Divine promise Abraham was given- concerning salvation, blessings, and land. This inheritance was promised, and as Galatians 3:29 clarifies: "If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise!"

Land of Promise
People make a huge deal about the land of Canaan. Do you really think God's land promises were restricted to Canaan? This contradicts the Apostle who says that God promised Abraham and his seed would be, not heirs of a small strip of land, but "of the world". Don't you see the unveiling God has granted us; the substantial realization brought to us in Christ? And don't Dispensationalists realize that not even Abraham concerned himself with physical land? "By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country" (Hebrews 11:9). But why wouldn't he be as preoccupied with the physical land as Dispensationalists are today? "He was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (11:10). Abraham understood that the "land of promise" was a type of the "heavenly Jerusalem"; that the physical land was only temporal, and therefore unworthy of his affections. It is New Jerusalem that we, like our father Abraham, ought to have our thoughts and affections occupied with. So much of the Old Testament simply foreshadowed greater realities- spiritual realities; realities that found their substance and fulfillment in Christ, His atoning work, and the spread of the Gospel to all nations.


Christ and His seed
To bring it all together, as I promised I would, let's take a look at Galatians 3:16: "The promises were made to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, 'And to seeds,' referring to many, but it refers to one, 'and to your seed', who is Christ." Who, ultimately, is the "seed" of Abraham? Christ alone is! Not Jews, not Gentiles, but Christ. How could it be anyone else? Just consider the promises. God is a just and holy God, and He cannot simply overlook transgressions in order to covenant with sinners. To do such a thing would be evil. He is just, and justice demands our sins be punished. So, when God made this covenant of grace, He made it, not primarily with us, but with Christ; the only One He deserving of the blessings. Jesus Himself is the Heir of the covenant; not because He needs covenant grace, but in order that He might atone for our sins, and extend this covenant grace to all whom He elect! It is a person's union with Christ which grants them this covenant status. It is a person's union with Christ which makes them Abraham's seed, and an heir of the world (Romans 4:13-17); not their ethnicity. A true Jew is one whom God the Father unites with Christ. Spiritual Israel, the children of the promise, are those whom God has elected: "vessels of mercy, whom He has prepared beforehand for glory- even us whom He has called, not from among Jews only but also from the Gentiles!" (Romans 9:23).

Those who wish to further the Zionist agenda, through supposed Biblical obligations, are deceiving many, and there folly needs to be openly refuted and rebuked in love. The nation of Israel is not a superior race; for they are not "the chosen race" at all- even as Peter made so clear (1 Peter 2:9). We are obligated to love the Jews, pray for the Jews, and preach the Gospel to the Jews, but we are in no way obligated to support them governmentally, and/or militarily! God has a chosen people within the Muslim world as well; and to spurn them altogether in favor of ungodly Zionism is nothing short of "showing partiality", which God hates.

May Christ's centrality permeate our understanding, remove the scales that falsehoods have placed upon our eyes, and grant us a more unified perception of God's covenant grace.

Thomas Karrer