There are churches in India and abroad that consider it their mission to identify Jews in their land and to help them go back to Palestine. However, I consider this exercise a waste of precious time and resources; it is a vain exercise that falls outside the pale of Christian mission. Here is why I believe so.

1.“The Promised Land” is not about a piece of land
Abraham understood God’s promise of a “land” the way God wanted him to. Therefore, he looked heavenward to reach a heavenly city. “By faith Abraham … lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob … for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Heb. 11:8-10) We read in the Pentateuch that Moses and Joshua led Israel to an earthly ”promised land.” However, did Israel find real rest in this “promised land?” No. That is why David talks about another rest in Psalm 96. “For if Joshua had given them rest, He (David) would not have spoken of another day after that.” (Hebrews 4:8). The real “promised land” is what Christ offers us. Moreover, the promise for that “promised land” is still valid and we all are waiting for it (Heb. 4:1).

The apostle Paul takes God’s promise to Abraham to another level. He says that God promised the entire earth to Abraham (Rom 4:13). We do not see such a promise anywhere in the Old Testament. A similar promise is given to the Messiah in Psalm 2. This of course is a prophetic reference to the Kingdom of God in Christ. Therefore, God’s promise to give the entire world to Abraham should be fulfilled in Jesus Christ’s kingdom and mission (Cf. Matt 28:18-20).

 2. Jesus and the early church did not support Zionism
The Jews of first century were going through a situation very similar to that in present Palestine. Yet, Jesus did not support the zealots or their political cause. Paul too did not do it. Neither did the other apostles. They preached the gospel to the Jews because that was what they needed the most. In addition, the early church was persecuted for this reason. Similarly, what the Jews today need is not a passport to an earthly Palestine. They need the gospel, which alone will give them the passport to the real “promised land.”

Jesus did not fight the Romans; but he did more to liberate Israelites than what any of their kings did. By taking upon himself the curse of the Law, Jesus opened a new way for Israel (and for all) to enter the real “Promised Land.” The apostles were a bit slow to understand this (One of them asked the risen Jesus, “Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6). Jesus then charged them to wait in Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit and to be His witnesses to all people in all lands—the focus had shifted from a small strip of land to the entire world!

WHY SHOULD THE CHURCH TODAY DO FOR ISRAEL WHAT JESUS OR PAUL DID NOT DO? Are we more zealous for the Jewish cause than Paul was? Paul’s heart-cry was: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.” (Romans 10:1)  I wish the American and other “Zionist” Christians will use their energy and funds to evangelize the Jews instead of providing them a journey to Palestine (and to hell).

3. The Church is the New Israel
The Bible makes it amply clear that the New Testament Church of Jesus Christ is the New Israel (Galatians 6:16). This church has people from the Jewish background and from the Gentile background. Yet, there is no special privilege for any particular nation. God has broken all walls of division and has created a new “body” (Ephesians 2: 14ff). When James wrote to the “twelve tribes” (James 1:1), he was not addressing the Jews. How could he do that when ten tribes of earthly Israel were lost among the nations? He was addressing God’s new Israel, the church. All true Christians are descendants of Abraham (Rom 4:16) because he was made righteous by faith even while he was still uncircumcised (Rom 4:10). “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:29). Gen 12:3 now applies to the church. The earthly Jerusalem is not as important as heavenly Jerusalem—the city of the Church. We, the church, are the new Israel. Notice what Peter says to all Christians. “But you are a CHOSEN RACE, a royal PRIESTHOOD, a HOLY NATION, a PEOPLE for God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim
the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

God does not recognise the unbelieving Jews as the real “Israel.” Neither did he ever do that in the past. See Romans 9: 6b-7: “For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” So, as Paul says, “it is not as though the word of God has failed” (Romans 9:6a). It was not God who rejected Israel; it was Israel (or most of them) that rejected God and his Messiah. Therefore, the question “Will God ever reject the Church the way he rejected Israel?” does not arise.

4. I cannot see God’s hand in today’s Zionism
The Israelites were brought back from Babylon according to God’s will. God had promised them through Jeremiah that he would bring them back after 70 years. They did not use military might but they trusted in God (Ezra 8:21, 22) When they returned, they were willing to share their land with Gentiles and they tried to co-exist with them. Compare that with what has happened in the late 19th century and 20th century. Lapierre’s “O Jerusalem” and Leon Uris’ well-researched novel “Exodus” describe how the Jewish people returned to Palestine. This return was NOT led by the religious Jews who trusted in God’s promises. The religious Jews of 20th century always supported peaceful means. However, the fanatic groups supported violence (There are several Zionist groups with different philosophies). Thousands of Arabs and Palestinians were butchered mercilessly. This includes Palestinian Christians; yet we have no pity for them! Unlike in the times of Ezra/Nehemiah, today’s extremist Jews are horrible terrorists and they cannot tolerate other people in their land.
 
5. God does not support extreme nationalism
We may feel proud to be Indians. The Americans may feel proud to be Americans. Similarly, the Jews too may have feelings of nationalism. However, God does not support nationalism! God always wanted to teach the Jews that he loved all people equally. To the Jews who thought that they were God’s favoured people, God spoke through Amos: “Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?” declares the LORD. “Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?” (9:7) The Jews boast about how God brought them out of Egypt by the might hand of God. What do we do with this new piece of information? Just as God brought Israel out of Egypt, he had brought Philistines out of Caphtor! So, is God a respecter of persons or nations? The RSS, a Hindu fundamentalist group, loves the Jews because they both are of the same kind - violent nationalists who are after building their temples! When will we realise that God does not love one nation more than another? We will quote verses from the OT to say that God loves Israel as God’s special people. However, we forget that God chose Abraham and his descendants in order that He might bless ALL nations through Abraham. As global Christians, we must remain impartial. Only then can we preach the gospel to all nations. If I support Zionism, I will also have to support the nationalism of Tibetans who are scattered away from their homeland. I will also have to support the nationalistic ambitions of the Nagas; the Mizos; the Manipuris; the Kashmiris; the Lankan Tamils; the East Timorese... the list goes on. So many language groups eagerly desire for a state of their own!

Some Christian fundamentalists would want us to believe that the formation of the state of Israel in 1948 was an act of God similar to the Biblical Exodus and the conquest of Palestine. In the light of Amos 9:7, God might say today to these Christians/Jews that He also helped the formation of several states in the twentieth century. If the Jews claim that the state of Israel was specially formed by God’s miraculous work, the Pakistanis too would make similar claims about their state “Pakistan” (meaning=”holy land”)!
 
6. A new Temple in Jerusalem will symbolise Jewish rejection of the Gospel
I fail to understand why Christians are rejoicing at the prospect of a new Jewish temple in Jerusalem. When the New Testament talks of a heavenly Jerusalem and the heavenly temple (Hebrews 9: 23), why are we after a new Jewish temple? The building of a Jewish temple stands against the claims of the gospel. Jesus is the new Temple; his sacrifice is the ultimate sacrifice. If Jews want to build a temple to offer sacrifices, it is because of their unbelief in the work of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the day when a temple is built in Jerusalem should be a sad day for all Christians.

7. Zionism has closed the door for the gospel in Muslim lands
Christian support for Zionism has angered Muslims. This should partly explain why we are not able to make inroads into the Muslim community, especially those in the closed West Asian countries. Still, many Christians blindly support Zionism. How will we ever share the gospel to the suffering Palestinians and other Muslims if we take sides with the Jews? As a people who have received the Great Commission to disciple ALL nations, how can we afford to prefer one nation to the others? The Christians of America and other lands have done a great disservice to the gospel by favouring the Jews over the Palestinians. (Another blunder that Americans and others have done is to use the word “Crusade” for gospel campaigns. Any one who has a little knowledge of history will understand why we should not use that word. Muslims have not forgotten what Roman Catholics did to them in the name of “Crusades.”)
 
8. An exclusive Jewish nation will close the doors for evangelism in Palestine
Christians who pump millions of dollars into bringing Jews to Palestine fail to realise that they are working against the gospel. Once Jews in America or India or Russia go to Palestine, they get out of the reach of the gospel. You may at least attempt to share the gospel with a Jew in India or USA. However, how many Indians or Americans can reach the Jews with the gospel after they have reached the “Jewish homeland?” God is doing exactly the opposite of what these Christians are doing! God is bringing people out of the countries that are closed to the gospel. He brought millions of Chinese people out of China; He brought Arabs out of Saudi Arabia; the Tibetans out of Tibet; and the Nepalese out of Nepal—so that the church can preach the gospel to these people who were otherwise out-of-reach. What are the Zionist Christians doing? They are sending Jews back to Palestine, where they will remain far away from the reach of the gospel! Some of these people have to convert to Judaism before they are given permits to migrate to Israel. Israel confirmed that the Mizo people are descendents of Manasseh. Some of them, even Christians, converted to Judaism and went to Israel! (See Gal. 5:2-4). I do not undermine the efforts of Christians who share the gospel with immigrant Jews in Israel. I feel however that it is so much easier to reach Jews who are scattered around the world than to reach Jews who have migrated to Israel.
 
9. What the Jews need today is salvation through Jesus Christ
If God should save Israel again, it will NOT be because of their ancestry. ONLY those Jews who believe in JESUS will be remembered by God. I shall explain.

When Paul says that God has not rejected Israel (Romans 11:1) he mentions about a “remnant” of Israel that will be saved by grace (Romans 11:5). Why is there a mention about “a remnant”? This is because God does not count every natural descendant of Abraham as a real Israelite. According to Paul, “For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel” (Rom 9:6) If that is so, the real Israel is a subset of the natural Israel. That real Israel is called the remnant. Only the remnant will be saved. Who is the remnant?

Paul goes on to give an illustration of the native olive tree and the wild olive branches that were grafted in. Some of the native olive’s branches (Jews) were broken off because of their unbelief and in their place, some branches of a wild olive tree (Gentiles) were grafted in. The God who grafted in the branches of a wild olive tree can restore the “broken” branches. However, on what grounds will God graft them back in? Will it be just because they are Abraham’s children? No! They were broken off because of unbelief. And as long as they continue in unbelief, they will remain broken off! Romans 11:23 makes it very clear: “And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.” THE REMNANT COMPRISES OF THOSE JEWS WHO WILL BELIEVE IN JESUS THE MESSIAH.

Thus, the remnant of Israel – those Jews who believe in Jesus the Messiah – will become a part of the church, which is the new Israel (Gal 6:16). In Romans 11:26, when Paul says that “all Israel will be saved,” we must understand that he is referring to the real Israel – the remnant – that will come to believe in Jesus when they hear the gospel. That is why Paul desired to SAVE some of the Jews through the preaching of the gospel (Romans 11:14).  

So, what is the difference between Jews and Gentiles? There is no difference as far as salvation is concerned! Faith in Jesus saves Gentiles, and faith in Jesus saves the Jews. We do not have two gospels—one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles. We have one gospel. Whomever it may be – Jew or Gentile – there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ.

It is my earnest desire that Christians who support the Zionist cause will come out of their ignorance.  I know that there are so many Christians in the USA, and in other nations, who do not agree with what I have written. I hope you too will discover the truth and teach it to others. The easiest way for you to change your mind is to find a Jew as early as possible. Try sharing the gospel with him/her! You will realize in a fresh way what great a privilege God has given us Gentiles (along with Jews who believe in Jesus) to be called the new Israel.

Author's webpage: http://philip.eapen.googlepages.com