PASTOR DOUG REED
Few words in the modern Christian vocabulary are as misunderstood or as emotionally charged as Zionism. In recent months, the tension has intensified. A joint statement by the Greek Orthodox and Catholic Patriarchs of Jerusalem recently labeled Christian Zionism a "damaging ideology," reinforcing the perception that Zionism is inherently political, extremist, or morally suspect.
But that framing fundamentally misunderstands what many Christians actually mean when they say they are Christian Zionists.
Christian Zionism, at its core, is not a political movement, a voting bloc, or a demand for blind loyalty to a modern nation-state. It is a theological conviction rooted in Scripture, flowing from covenant theology, confidence in God's Word, loyalty to a Jewish Messiah, and the teaching of the New Testament itself.
Before criticizing Christian Zionism, we must first define it accurately.
What Is Zionism Biblically Speaking?
At its simplest level, Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people have the right to live in their ancestral homeland because God made promises and prophecies in Scripture that He intends to fulfill. Christian Zionism affirms those promises not because of modern politics, but because of biblical revelation.
Zionism does not require believing that the modern State of Israel is morally perfect, divinely infallible, or above critique. It does not require supporting every policy of a prime minister or government any more than loving America requires endorsing every decision of Washington. Zionism, biblically understood, is about God's faithfulness to His word.
The foundation of Christian Zionism is not dispensational charts or modern geopolitics but rather the book of Genesis.
God promised Abraham land, descendants, and blessing:
"To your offspring I give this land... for an everlasting possession." (Genesis 12; 15; 17)
This promise is repeated, expanded, and reaffirmed throughout the Torah and the Prophets. Crucially, it is described as everlasting. At no point does Scripture say the promise is revoked, spiritualized away, or transferred to another people.
The New Testament does not cancel this promise. Paul explicitly teaches that the covenants belong to Israel (Romans 9:4) and that God's gifts and calling are irrevocable
(Romans 11:29). The Church is grafted into Israel's covenantal story, not substituted in her place.
To deny Israel's connection to the land is not a neutral theological position. It requires reinterpreting or dismissing hundreds of biblical texts.
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