The power behind Israel’s global support
Israel has utilized all of its resources to unite Jewish Zionists. But it is very important for Israel to place a higher priority on Christian Zionists.
Over 700 million people globally are Christian Zionists. As shocking as it is to admit, the vast majority of Zionists in the world are not Jewish.
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Evangelical Christians march in a demonstration of support for Israel in Jerusalem in 2016
(Photo: AFP)
Christian Zionists believe that the return of the Jewish people to Israel and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 was a fulfillment of prophecy. Christian Zionists may differ on their political views, but not on their biblical views. The one scripture that unites them all is Genesis 12:1–3, which ends with the promise to Abraham: “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee.”
For millions of Christians around the world, support for Israel is not merely political — it is deeply rooted in biblical conviction and historical faith.
Netanyahu’s acknowledgment of Christian Zionism
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it this way:
“Christian Zionists made Jewish Zionism possible. It’s hard for me to conceive of the emergence of the Jewish state, the re-emergence of the Jewish state, without the support of Christian Zionists in the United States, also in Britain, but the main thrust was in the United States in the 19th century. So Christian Zionism facilitated the rise and success of Jewish Zionism, and it’s been an enormous partnership since then.”
Netanyahu’s own family history reflects this partnership between Christian and Jewish Zionists.
In his late father’s home growing up, he saw a silver cup that said, “Dedicated to my beloved godson Jonathan.” The cup was from John Henry Patterson, a Christian Zionist who led the first Jewish fighting force in 2,000 years called the Mule Brigade. Yes, Jonathan Netanyahu was named after a Christian Zionist, John Patterson.
The forgotten origins of Christian Zionism
Yet despite its enormous influence on modern Israel, the story of Christian Zionism remains largely unknown.
In 1844, the ten Boom family in Holland began a prayer meeting based upon Psalm 122:6: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee.” The prayer meeting lasted weekly for 100 years. It ended when the family was taken to concentration camps for saving 800 Jews in their clock shop.
Long before political Zionism emerged, many Christians already believed the Jewish people would return to their ancient homeland.
When the name George H. W. Bush or George W. Bush pops up in the news or in conversations, we immediately think of the 41st or 43rd President of the United States, but not an ancestor of the two presidents who was a Bible scholar and Presbyterian pastor who taught Hebrew and Oriental literature at New York University.
Bush wrote The Valley of Vision; or, The Dry Bones of Israel in 1844, based on Ezekiel 37. Bush believed the Hebrew language would be revived, the Jewish people would return to the land of Israel, and the nation itself would one day be reborn. His book sold 1 million copies before the Civil War.
Christian Zionists who helped shape Jewish statehood
By the late 19th century, Christian Zionist advocacy had moved from theology into political action.
In 1878, 12 years before Theodor Herzl initiated the Zionist movement, Laurence Oliphant began petitioning for a Jewish national homeland in Palestine.
His secretary, Naftali Herz Imber, was a Jewish poet who published a collection of poems including “Our Hope.” He dedicated the book to his friend. Yes, “Our Hope” later became the national anthem of the State of Israel.
Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross and the first Nobel Peace Prize winner, was asked by Herzl to accompany him to the First World Zionist Congress. Herzl referred to him as a Christian Zionist, marking the first known use of the term. Dunant also helped found the YMCA and played a key role in the establishment of the Geneva Convention.
Dr. Mike Evans Photo: CourtesyWilliam Eugene Blackstone established the Blackstone Memorial, gathering signatures from some of the most prominent leaders in America for the establishment of a Jewish state in 1891.
Some of the 431 signers included John D. Rockefeller, Speaker of the House Thomas Brackett Reed, Cyrus McCormick, senators, Supreme Court justices and even President Benjamin Harrison.
Blackstone later sent his Bible to Theodor Herzl with all the prophecies concerning the land of Israel marked because he heard Herzl was considering Uganda or Argentina as the homeland for the Jewish state.
The legacy continues today
When I built the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, I realized that man’s ability to confront evil is determined by the inspiration he draws from his heroes and history. I have written 120 books attempting to educate people on history and heroes.
That same partnership between Christian and Jewish Zionists continues today.
The battle Israel is fighting is not being fought alone. Bible-believing Christians are on the front lines, speaking loudly.
- Dr. Mike Evans has written 120 books and is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. He is the founder of the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem, the ten Boom Museum in Holland and Churches United with Israel, the largest Christian Zionist network in America, with more than thirty million followers.