A Biblical Perspective on Current Events

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels” (Heb. 12:22)

Trouble In Zion

April 19, 2002

Everyone who does not have their head “buried in the sand” seems to have an opinion as to how to bring peace to the Mideast. Politicians, diplomats, spiritual leaders, educators, news correspondents, and the man on the street’s opinions have failed in their solutions to this century old problem. The question becomes, “Is there any hope for the Israel question?” Here is mine.

The March 31, 2002, our local newspaper The Springfield News-Leader ran a full page on “The Israel question.” Their sources were well documented from a historical worldview concerning Israel’s problems and the nations who conquered them since the second millennium B.C. Their conquerors were the Hebrews, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Seljuks, Mamluks, Crusaders, and Ottomans.

The historic highlights of the News-Leader’s informative article on “The Israel question” reported the beginning of the secular Zionist movement in Eastern Europe in 1800 to establish a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine. From 1800-1924, about 2.5 million Jews emigrated to the United States and a smaller number settled in Palestine. From that time, until the current Mideast wars, Israel’s Zionism has been involved directly or indirectly in 22 wars. Let us try to unravel these issues from the religious views held by the Israelis, Muslims, and Christians who are the key players as well as other Arab nations.

The word Zion in the Jewish and Christian scriptures is a biblical term Israel’s prophets and apostles were inspired by the God of the Bible to write. This distinction must be understood in light of the News-Leader’s reporting that modern day Zionism was initiated and is sustained as a “secular movement.”

From there we can understand from Isaiah’s prophetic writings that Zion was referred to as Jerusalem. The term Zion meant a spiritual stronghold or citadel of strength for God’s covenant people (Is. 2:3).

The Christian scriptures written by Jesus Christ’s apostles refer to Zion as the new spiritual Jerusalem. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels” (Heb. 12:22). At the time of this writing (66 A.D.), the law of the covenant under Moses co-existed with the New Covenant “in Christ.” Physical Jerusalem (Zion) was destroyed in 70 A.D. by Rome. The Old Covenant, animal sacrifices, the Temple, liturgy, and records were removed from planet earth forever. The New Covenant people through Christ, who are in spiritual union with God, are His temple today (I Cor. 6:19; II Cor. 6:16-18). The Christians throughout the world are the temple or Zion of the God of the Bible today. After 70 A.D. true followers of Jesus Christ are God’s Israel with whom He keeps covenant (Gal. 6:15-16).

The descendants of Abraham came through Sarah by faith not through Hagar. Hagar, an Egyptian concubine of Abraham, was the mother of Ishmael. His birth came through natural conception apart from faith. God did bless Ishmael and made his descendants a mighty nation (Arabs). However, the covenant God made with Abraham, who would bring Israel’s Messiah, came through Isaac. His son, Jacob (Israel), fathered the 12 tribes of Israel (Gen. 17:17-22).

New Covenant scriptures make it crystal clear that Abraham’s true heirs came through Jesus Christ of Nazareth. “Now to Abraham and His Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘and to seeds,’ as of many, ‘but as of one, and to your Seed,’ who is Christ. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:16, 26-28).

Today, God the Father, Son, and Spirit reign through the Almighty’s covenant people throughout planet earth. The reign is a peaceable reign of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. “The Israel question” and the trouble in Zion are because of a lack of spiritual understanding of the land and who God is keeping covenant with today. “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17).