Zionism is both a political and an ideological movement that concerns the return of the Jewish people to the land that God promised to Abraham in Genesis 12 and 15. God made a covenant with Abraham and his physical descendants, to provide them a land of their own, and the land He specified for their inheritance was all the area between Egypt and the Euphrates River. Zionism is the name given to Jewish and non-Jewish support of the return of Israel to this Promised Land.
Because Zionism began as a political movement only, some have said that the religious background of the Jews really has no bearing on Zionism. Some believe that Zionism is simply a reaction to the horrors the Jewish people endured during World Wars I and II. Suffering persecution in other nations, they re-gathered in the most logical place—the land of their ancestors. The United Nations granted Israel sovereignty as a nation in 1948 which placed them within Palestine. At this point, political Zionism ended and ideological Zionism began. Since that time, there has been much global debate about whether or not Israel should exist within Palestine, since many Palestinians are unhappy with the changes that ensued as a result.
Christian Zionism is slightly different, but related to political and ideological Zionism. Christian Zionism is Christian support of Israel, especially regarding their return to the Promised Land as prophesied in Jeremiah 32 and Ezekiel 34. Christian Zionism cares less about the political implications of the situation and focuses on the fulfillment of prophecy, supporting Israel's right to be in the land on that basis.
Copyright 2011-2024 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved.
