For some, to connect Jesus with the terms Israel, Zionist and Zionism is a contradiction, even an insult. But for others, the two are totally compatible and complementary. Actually, you cannot have one without the other. They are a double act. Israel’s national destiny is linked to Jesus (whether Israel recognises it or not) and Jesus’ destiny is linked to Israel.
Modern-day Zionism relates to the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel and the establishment of modern Israel. Yet, from a Biblical perspective, this process has one end objective – the return of Jesus to Jerusalem, to Zion, where He will be collectively accepted as the King of redeemed Israel and the redeemed of the world. If indeed Jesus is returning to Zion, He must therefore also be a Zionist. Such a return will happen, but we don’t know when and exactly how.
What, though, does Zion really signify? The word is found in Scripture about 159 times and has at least five main derivations: the literal Mount Zion in Jerusalem; the entire city of Jerusalem; the land of Israel; the people of Jerusalem and Israel, namely the Jewish people; and the heavenly Zion, equated with the heavenly Jerusalem.
Israel and Jesus are linked because of covenant
The destinies of Israel and Jesus are inseparable because of (1) the ultimate purpose and desire of Almighty God for relationship with humankind, and (2) because of the principles of covenant. Almighty God’s purpose in creating humankind was for having a close relationship with us. After all, we are created in the image of God. This relationship is basically a beautiful love story, which began with Adam and Hava/Eve.
Any true loving relationship must be based on trust and loyalty, and for this reason, God did not compel Adam and Hava/Eve to love Him, but He gave them one stipulation which was to gauge their trust and loyalty. If they disobeyed, the result would be a separation of that close relationship and the imposition of the penalty of death.
Yet Adam and Hava/Eve disobeyed their Creator God and thereby committed the crime of treason. Not only did they transfer the authority of ruling over earth to another entity, the kingdom of Satan, they also received the judicially imposed sentence of death.
But God desired to restore this broken relationship – and thus began His great plan of redemption. Within the curse placed upon the serpent, the emissary of Satan, there was a promise of a coming individual seed of the woman who would defeat, crush or pound the enemy. The result of this plan of redemption would be that Almighty God would again reign supremely over the destiny of humankind.
The imposition of the death sentence following this act of disobedience of Adam and Hava/Eve was a legal sentence. The overturning of this sentence and subsequent restoration of relationship between Almighty God and humankind would, therefore, require a legal annulment. The mechanism adopted by Almighty God for such a restoration was covenant.
Covenant entailed the coming together of two parties to enter a binding and legal agreement. Conditions were agreed upon, and then the parties pledged to be loyal to each other. An animal would then be killed and separated, and the parties would walk between the pieces declaring their fidelity to the agreement, or covenant. Sometimes the blood of the slain animal was sprinkled over the participants. Then they would share a meal, signifying that although they are two groups, their destinies are now linked as one, echad. The ‘event’ would conclude with the formal swearing of an oath.
Once sealed with the oath, then not even the senior party could break the seal and change the conditions. Thereafter the integrity and character of each party is determined by whether they kept their word, their oath, sworn to seal this legal agreement.
Israel’s national destiny is linked to Jesus (whether Israel recognises it or not) and Jesus’ destiny is linked to Israel.
There are four principal covenants between Almighty God and Israel through which this plan of redemption would be implemented. The foundational covenant was with Abraham, in which there were a number of key promises: of a land; a people or nation; and that all peoples would be blessed through Abraham and his physical descendants through Isaac and Jacob.
God’s promise of an individual seed of the woman, an individual servant (the Messiah), would come through a collective seed or servant (the nation of Israel), and the accomplishments of this individual seed/servant would benefit all the nations of the earth.
The land where this plan of worldwide redemption would take place would be the land of Canaan, which became the land of Israel. (Genesis 15:7.) Israel was in the most geo-politically central location in the world, adjacent to the continents of Europe, Africa and Asia, and in proximity to many of the major ancient trade routes – a place of much pressure. This is understandable, as this activity on land was a mirror of the battle in the heavenlies between the Kingdom of God and those forces attempting to undermine God’s plan of redemption.
God’s plan was furthered with the Sinai-Mosaic Covenant, where Moses was the representative Israelite. The promise of the individual seed was encompassed within a covenant ‘cut’ with David. (1 Samuel 16 and Psalm 89:3-4.) David was Israel’s representative man in his battle against Goliath. David’s victory was their victory, even though the men did nothing at all for that victory. The battle was 100% won by David, and the men received the benefits of that victory – they did not have to work for their salvation or deliverance.
Later, the leaders of all Israel and David cut a covenant at Hebron when David was crowned king of Israel. The men stated of David: ‘Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.’ (2 Samuel 5:1-3.) These words were used by Adam when Hava/Eve was formed out of his body. The nation of Israel and the family of David were thereafter closely linked.
David made Jerusalem, the stronghold of Zion, the spiritual and political capital of Israel. There was no practical sense in choosing Jerusalem, as it had no major water source and was not close to any natural resources or even trade routes. It was an ‘other-worldly’ location, which is precisely why God chose Zion, or Jerusalem. It would be the representative city on earth revealing the spiritual realities and battles in the heavenlies. Significantly, it would be here, at Zion, that God would install His perfect King. (Psalms 2; 48:1-3; 110.)
Jeremiah the prophet foretold of a forthcoming ‘New Covenant’ (31:31-37), which would require a representative Israelite or man of Zion. The key components of the ‘New Covenant’ were: it would be ‘cut’ with the nation of Israel; it would be for the forgiveness of sins and iniquities; it would be for restoration of relationship between Almighty God and Israel, as they would all ‘know’ Him from the least of them to the greatest of them; the nation of Israel will remain in being while the sun, moon and stars are in existence.
The first exile and restoration
Shortly after Jeremiah wrote of the ‘New Covenant’, the nation went into exile to Babylon because of gross infidelity to the ‘Sinai-Mosaic Covenant’. It was while in Babylon that the Psalmist recalled these profound words written in Psalm 137:1: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.”
While in captivity, the people of Israel knew deep down that their God-given destiny was to be fulfilled only in the land of Israel. Then, through the intercession of Daniel, Almighty God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and a remnant returned to the land. There they awaited the coming of the King redeemer, the One they called Messiah.
In Part 2 of this article we’ll explore the coming, ministry and promised return of Jesus.
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