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Initial Developments

Ideas favoring the restoration of the Jews in Palestine or the so-called "Land of Israel" entered the British public discourse in the 19th century, though British reformationists had written about the restoration of the Jews as early as the 16th century, and the idea had strong support among Puritans.^[1] Not all such attitudes were favorable towards the Jews; they were shaped in part by a variety of Protestant beliefs,^[2] or by a streak of philo-Semitism among the classically educated British elite,^[3] or by hopes to extend the Empire. (See The Great Game)

At the urging of Lord Shaftesbury, Britain established a consulate in Jerusalem in 1838, the first diplomatic appointment to Palestine. In 1839, the Church of Scotland sent Andrew Bonar, Robert Murray M'Cheyne, Alexander Black and Alexander Keith on a mission to report on the condition of the Jews in their land. Their report was widely published^[4] and was followed by a "Memorandum to Protestant Monarchs of Europe for the restoration of the Jews to Palestine." In August 1840, The Times reported that the British government was considering Jewish restoration.^[1] The Treaty of Paris (1856) granted Jews and Christians the right to settle in Palestine and opened the doors for Jewish immigration.

An important, though often neglected, figure in British support of the restoration of the Jews was William Hechler (1845-1931), an English clergyman of German descent who was Chaplain of the British Embassy in Vienna and became a close friend of Theodor Herzl. Hechler was instrumental in aiding Herzl through his diplomatic activities, and may, in that sense, be called the founder of modern Christian Zionism. ^[5]

Junk

In Defending Christian Zionism, David Pawson, a prominent Christian Zionist in the United Kingdom, puts forward the case that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land is a fulfilment of scriptural prophecy, and that Christians should support the existence of the Jewish State (although not unconditionally its actions) on theological grounds. He also argues that prophecies spoken about Israel relate specifically to Israel (not to the church, as in "replacement theology"). However, he criticises Dispensationalism, which he says is a largely American movement holding similar views. Pawson was spurred to write this book by the work of Stephen Sizer, an evangelical Christian who rejects Christian Zionism. A debate can be heard between the two on Pawson/Sizer debate.

Old Stuff

This article is about the role of Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom in the 21st century.
For the history of Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom predating the 21st century see Christian Zionism and Dispensationalism

The role of Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom in the 21st century, as opposed to the history of the beginning of the movement in Britain under Christian Zionism and Dispensationalism, is little known outside of the movement itself. It is a subsection of the Christian right in Britain.

In contrast to Britain, the subject in America is well known and extensively commented on in the print and telivised media.^[6]^[7]^[8]

In Defending Christian Zionism (2008), David Pawson, a prominent Christian Zionist in the United Kingdom, puts forward the case that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land is a fulfilment of scriptural prophecy, and that Christians should support the existence of the Jewish State (although not unconditionally its actions) on theological grounds. He also argues that prophecies spoken about Israel relate specifically to Israel (not to the church, as in "replacement theology"). However, he criticises Dispensationalism, which he says is a largely American movement holding similar views. Pawson was spurred to write this book by the work of Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer, an evangelical Christian who rejects Christian Zionism. A debate can be heard between the two on Pawson/Sizer debate.

It is an established fact that Christian Zionism has its roots in Britain and that is has played an extremely significant role in that countries politics in the past.^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]

It is a commonly held belief, whom some see as an established fact, that within the politics of the UK today the Israel Lobby is extremely influential, as is the case in the US, but admittedly in Britain to a smaller yet still substantively significant degree.

In 2008 Ravender Singh Sembhy[2] wrote in the London Progressive Journal that "A commonly held belief is that certain popular trends in American culture almost always find their way to the UK. But one seldom hears of religious trends being exported across the Atlantic. Is this about to change? Will the recent surge in pro-Zionist Evangelical Christianity in America’s mid-west, the ‘Bible Belt’, filter into the UK too? Last year a new forum, initiated by the UK based Exploits Ministry [3], took place in London to revive Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom and was attended by a range of organisations – both Christian and Jewish."^[14]

Etgar Lefkovits wrote in 2007 in the Jerusalem Post that "Attempting to stem the tide of rising Islamic fundamentalism in Europe, a group of British evangelical leaders hosted a conference in London (Jerusalem Summit Europe [4]) on Sunday seeking to rekindle the faded force of Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom."^[15]

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer states that "Contemporary British Christian leaders such as Derek Prince, David Pawson, Lance Lambert, Walter Riggans, along with Americans like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Hal Lindsey, Mike Evans, Charles Dyer and John Walvoord, have a considerable influence in popularising an apocalyptic premillennial eschatology and Zionist vision on the British Evangelical scene in particular."

Documentaries that cover this subject deeply for Britain include Dispatches: In God's Name by Channel 4 and Balfour to Blair by Al Jazeera.

Christian Zionism is not to be confused with British Israelism or Christian Identity.

Organisations

Prominent Christian Zionist organisations in Britain are Christian Friends of Israel, UK, the Church's Ministry Among Jewish People (The Israel Trust of the Anglican Church), the Exploits Ministry, Intercessors For Britain (IFB), "Prayer Friends of Israel" (PFI), Council of Christians and Jews, Derek Prince Ministries, the Beit Yeshua, North East Messianic Fellowship, Bridges of Peace [5], C L Ministries [6], Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary[www.marysisters.freeserve.co.uk.], Hatikvah Film Trust, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, UK [7], Messianic (Christian) Educational Trust, Paul Heyman International Ministries.Revelation TV [8], the Israel Britain Evangelistic Association [9] and Christian Zionists for Israel UK [10].

Geoffrey Smith, direct or Christian Friends of Israel, UK states that "There are at least twenty Christian ministries which might be categorised as Christian Zionist in the UK and they form a loose alliance called Love Never Fails [11] with its own website."^[16]

References

Why Pray for Israel and the Jewish People by Watchmen for Israel - Written by a prayer group for Israel in the UK, this booklet sets out why God is calling His church of born-again believers to stand with Israel and the Jewish people at this time in history, and to understand from the scriptures why this is so.
Our Debt to Israel by Derek Prince - Without the Jews we would have no patriarchs, no prophets, no apostles, no Bible - and no Saviour! In this booklet, Derek Prince shares the unique role played by the Jewish people in God's plans for the salvation of the world.
Christians and the State of Israel by Richard Booker - Is the rebirth of the State of Israel a fulfilment of Bible Prophecy or a political coincidence of world history?
Defending Christian Zionism by David Pawson - A response to Rev Dr. Stephen Sizer and John Stott. Pawson sets out the covenant theology on which Christian Zionism is based in biblical teaching in the UK and how it differs from dispensationalism - a nineteenth century strand originating in Darby which prevails in the USA. In light of current attacks on Christian Zionism by some evangelical Anglican writers, David Pawson’s response teaches that Christians need very clear Biblical understanding before making political pronouncements about conflict in the Middle East.
ISRAEL - His People, His Land, His Story [12]
Dispatches: In God's Name - Channel 4
Balfour to Blair - Al Jazeera
A Nation Called By God: Britain's Leading Role in the Restoratoration of Israel - Documents the broad vision among prominent Evangelical church leaders in the 200 years before the Balfour Declaration, highlighting Britain's calling to be God's chief facilitator in the restoration of the Jewish people to their ancient Promised Land. This publication by Love Never Fails is designed to accompany the DVD The Forsaken Promise. Please telephone if you would like order quantities that are not listed here.
The Destiny of Britain by Hugh Kitson - The story of how the outworking of Britain's Christian heritage intertwined with her geopolitical objectives in the Middle East culminating in the restoration of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland and the rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948. This 2-part DVD documentary from the Hatikvah Film Trust is a prequel to the award-winning The Forsaken Promise. UK PAL format. Main feature running time 107 minutes, special features 211 minutes.
The Forsaken Promise by Hugh Kitson
The Historical Roots of Christian Zionism from Irving to Balfour: Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom (1820-1918) by Stephen Sizer - from the book 'Challenging Christian Zionism: Theology, Politics and the Israel-Palestine Conflict'[13]

Notes

^ ^a ^b British Zionism - Support for Jewish Restoration (mideastweb.org)
^ The Untold Story. The Role of Christian Zionists in the Establishment of Modern-day Israel by Jamie Cowen (Leadership U), July 13, 2002
^ Rethinking Sir Moses Montefiore: Religion, Nationhood, and International Philanthropy in the Nineteenth Century by Abigail Green. (The American Historical Review. Vol. 110 No.3.) June 2005
^ A Narrative of a Mission of Inquiry to the Jews from the Church of Scotland in 1839 (Edinburgh, 1842) ISBN 1-85792-258-1
^ Christian Zionism (zionism-israel.com)
^ Analysis: America's new Christian Zionists, BBC News, May 7 2002
^ Evangelical Christians plead for Israel, BBC News, July 19 2006
^ 'The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy' by Professors John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt.
^ Balfour to Blair, Al Jazeera, 2008
^ 'A Nation Called By God: Britain's Leading Role in the Restoratoration of Israel' by Love Never Fails
^ 'The Destiny of Britain' by Hugh Kitson
^ 'The Historical Roots of Christian Zionism from Irving to Balfour: Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom' (1820-1918) by Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer
^ 'Dispensationalist Eschatology and Its Influence on American and British Religious Movements' by Peter Prosser
^ In Depth: Christian Zionism, London Progressive Journal, Issue 1, 11th to 17th January 2008 [1]
^ UK forum promotes Christian Zionism, Jerusalem Post, January 28 2007
^ Personal email correspondance, 03 October 2008

External links

Articles

UK forum promotes Christian Zionism - Jerusalem Post
Christian Zionism: A British Perspective by The Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer (with footnotes here)
A Response to Stephen Sizer's criticisms of CMJ and ITAC by By Tony Higton, former General Director of CMJ
Christian Zionism UK Defined
In Depth: Christian Zionism in Britain by Ravender Singh Sembhy

Video

Audio

Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer recently debated David Pawson author of Defending Christian Zionism on Premier Radio. This debate can be heard live on Pawson/Sizer debate. He also appeared on Iranian state television to discuss Christian sympathies towards the modern state of Israel.