The United Methodist’s Kairos Response Team
A Report on the August 12, 2020 Webinar
Exploring Opposition to “Christian Zionism”
To the Kairos West Michigan community
By John Kleinheksel
It’s important that our Kairos West Michigan community get news of sister organizations waging the same battle for hearts and minds that we are.
Dr. Stephen Sizer, our UK colleague, a specialist in researching and reporting on this heresy, was a presenter; and Dr. Munther Isaac, also an Oxford PhD, oversees the “Christ at the Checkpoints” conference in Bethlehem.
Dr. Sizer emphasized that Christian Zionism (CZ) is a Protestant phenomenon, originating with John Nelson Darby, popularized in the US by the Schofield Bible. John Hagee, a modern-day proponent, claims there are “50 million of us, standing with Israel”, along with President Trump, his VP, Mike Pence and Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. CZ claims the modern State of Israel is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy that God means to restore the nation of Israel in their own (and God’s) land.
Practically, CZ has funded immigration of Jews to Israel, supported illegal settlements, moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, supports the Temple rebuilding; demonizes Islam and views an apocalyptic future of literal warfare which will bring in the Kingdom of God.
In Dr. Sizer’s book, Zion’s Christian Soldiers, he demolishes the Seven Assumptions of CZ (Go to his website here for answers from the Bible to their false assumptions).
Dr. Munther, a rising younger voice among Palestinian Christians, has written a stunning new book: The Other Side of the Wall. He outlines the indignities Palestinians suffer under Israeli occupation and the implications of CZ on the ground in Palestine.
The implications by CZ are:
1) to oppose the Israeli State is to oppose God
2) the Judeo-Christian culture is superior to any other culture
3) As articulated by VP Mike Pence in an address to Jews: “Your fight is our fight. It is a case of good vs. evil, liberty over tyranny.
4) to be “for” Palestinians is to be against Israel (and against God’s will).
5) be a Christian Zionist or defy God (and be subject to “death”)
In the book, he articulates a “New Vision”
- The “Land” all belongs to God. He leases it to people who live there.
- The Land is to be shared equally with all inhabitants, no matter their ethnicity
- There are to be no “second class citizens”
- He repeats the “logic of love” found in the Kairos Palestine document
- He urges action on the “Cry for Hope” found here: cryforhope.org