... or How Christian Zionism has hijacked the promises made to Abraham.

1. The myth of Jewish chosenness.
Some of the myths perpetrated by the Christian Zionist movement is that the Jews/Israel alone are the rightful inheritors of not only the holy land, but also the blessings God gave to Abraham. These myths all revolve around the concept of Jewish chosenness and so, naturally fit in with the pro-Jewish interpretation of Bible prophecy as held by Christian Zionists.

Such pro-Jewish views are rationalized through misinterpretations of key Bible verses, such as Genesis 12:3 and 15:18. Unfortunately for many, this has created the illusion that the Bible itself endorses Christian Zionist ideas regarding Israel and the Jews. In this thread, we are going to take a closer look at those verses and determine if Christian Zionist claims are in line with whats actually in the Bible.


2. A closer look at the verses.

Example 1
"I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
-Genesis 12:3

This is by far one of the most misinterpreted verses in the Bible, so much so its pretty much the unofficial tag line for the Christian zionist movement. The Christian Zionist interpretation of it is that "all who blesses Israel are blessed and all who curse Israel are cursed."

However, when we read the surrounding verses we see that this special treatment applied to Abraham alone, NOT the Jews/Israel, who weren't even in existence when that was said to Abraham and wouldn't arrive on the scene until much later. That verse is basically saying those who bless Abraham would be blessed and those who curse him would be cursed and that in him shall all the families of the earth be blessed so there is absolutely no reference to there Jews.


Example 2
“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates
-Genesis 15:18

Christian Zionists seem to be interpreting "descendants" to mean exclusively the Jews/Israel, thereby justifying the claim that the land is an exclusively Jewish inheritance.
However, Abrahams "descendants" would naturally include all his descendants through his three wives, Sarah, Hagar and Keturah... and not just the Jews/Israel. None of those descendants were even present when this promise was made to Abraham. Once again the Christian Zionists have hijacked this verse to refer only to a select group of people, the Jews/Israel despite the fact that it refers to Abraham's descendants.

The first lesson to be learnt here is that references to Abraham are not automatically references to Jews/Israel. The second lesson is that references to Abraham's descendants are not confined only to Jews/Israel. Abraham had other descendants as well, and so became a great nation through all his descendants, not just one particular son or grandson. This great nation is not just the Jews/Israel as Christian Zionists believe... and in doing so, they are discounting the promise that God made to Abraham.


3. God, the Jews and the land.
One verse can perfectly sums it up the whole deal between God and the Jews with regard to the land.

the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.
- Leviticus 25:23

Yes. God owns that land, just as he owns the entire universe.
The Jews/Israel were only allowed to reside there as foreigners and strangers. Furthermore, their residence was purely conditional and depended solely on their obedience to God. Jews and Christian Zionists who make over confident assertions regarding Jewish inheritance of the land need to remember that God who let them have the land, could also take it back. There is plenty of scripture to support this.

You rely on your sword, you do detestable things.... Should you then possess the land?’ - Ezekiel 33:26
A modern interpretation of that could be "You live by your hi-tech military and weapons, you are nearly 30% secular atheist, you hold gay pride parades, prostitution is rampant in you, you have rejected the messiah... should you then possess the land?"

Christian Zionists don't seem to realize that modern Israels godlessness has disqualified them from possessing the land. Even to this day they have failed to show obedience to God. Should they then possess the land? In fact, the whole of Leviticus 26 outlines how their possession of the land and their blessings solely depended on their obedience to God. Going by modern Israels godlessness, perhaps they have been regathered on that land for one more round of punishment.

God knows best.

I guess the Christian Zionists forget Matt. 23:35 "That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.". Not to mention that Jesus also called them the synagogue of Satan and that they were of their father the devil.

How about the fact that Islam calls the USA the great Satan which supports Israel the synagogue of Satan. Is it any wonder why they are not happy with the USA with all the innocent blood shed in the Middle East. The Christian Zionists and Washington are happy to murder the innocent all at Israels bidding just because they believe the Jews are God's chosen people. They were so chosen that God used Titus in AD 70 to destroy the temple and the nation. Then the USA signed the paper creating the state of Israel again in 1948 and now the Christian Zionists and the Jews want to build the temple again!

Yep OP they take the verse completely out of context and make it read what they want it to say. Should they posses the land, NO, since they still fail to meet the criteria too do so.

Just IMHO.

The lesson to be learned here is how one, well educated man from Sumeria authored a God, and a belief system that so permeates our world today, it is like a plague that will never allow peace in the world. If ever there was such a thing as an un-holy trinity, it has to be the three religions that came out of one man. No offense intended Skorp. Just my present thoughts on the matter.

I'd we willing to support an Israeli/Jewish state with or without religion/blessings/curses if it meant keeping the Muslim extremists in check.

Originally posted by Deetermined
I'd we willing to support an Israeli/Jewish state with or without religion/blessings/curses if it meant keeping the Muslim extremists in check.

even if the muslim 'extremists' are fighting injustices done by the said israeli state?
You would support anyone against islam even if that means supporting unjust rules/acts?
Or you would support justice no matter in whose favour or against whom it goes?

Originally posted by Deetermined
I'd we willing to support an Israeli/Jewish state with or without religion/blessings/curses if it meant keeping the Muslim extremists in check.

you are in a wrong way my friend. the corrupted leaders of Israel are and were always radical and extremists.
look at middle east. the Radical Zionist Christians and radical jews and radical muslims. they are all allies of each other and Syria is a good example of their alliance and their common goal.

Say: O you who are Jews, if you think that you are the favorites of Allah to the exclusion of other people, then invoke death If you are truthful. Koran 62:6

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ...And if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free..
NT KJV

People continue to trip over the same mistakes when reading the bible.
When the bible speaks of Israel, it is NOT referring to the modern day country the world calls Israel. This country did not exist until 1948. In biblical times and until 1948 this country was called Palestine.

The Israel of the bible is a people. God promised Abraham his desendants would became a 'great nation' and a 'family of nations', and these desendants were the twelve tribes of Israel, desended from Jacobs twelve sons.
(God changed Jacobs name to Israel).

Most of these twelve tribes were scattered or 'lost' throughout the worlds peoples, but eventually reached England from where they did indeed become a family of nations, (British Commonwealth countries) and a great nation (USA)

So you can see that when the bible refers to Israel, it means 'us'. All the anglo saxon/predominantly white/Christian countries all around the world.

God kept his promise to give Israel blessing by making us the richest most powerful nations on the face of the earth.
God will also keep his promise to remove his blessings from us if we reject his laws about how to live and conduct our lives.

Anyone with a pinch of common sense can see that Britian is no longer the world power it once was, and that the USA is quickly waning and loosing its once mighty influence on world affairs.

We are Israel. We have had the blessings. We are setting ourselves for the punishments, which have already started, and most of us havn't got a bloody clue.