Christian Zionists honored by Israel’s Knesset
Master of ceremonies Zack Waller thanked Knesset member Sharren Haskel for organizing the Salute to Christian Volunteers before showing gratitude to the Christian group HaYovel and the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus for putting the event together.
Christians and Jews embracing one another
The bond between Messianic and Orthodox Jews was further galvanized as numerous Christian organizations were shown gratitude for their devotion and support of the Jewish State. During his tribute to the groups, House Speaker Yuli Edelstein acknowledged the power of God’s Word on people’s lives in Israel.
“There is something very moving – I’m trying, it’s always very difficult, I’m trying to put myself in your shoes,” Edelstein expressed, according to CBN News. “And I’m talking to people right now who know the Bible, who read the Bible, who love the Bible. And this probably makes the whole difference.”
He was excited to see the Word of God living and working through people around him.
“When you all of a sudden – it’s like in all of these kids’ movies – you like move inside the Bible,” Edestein continued. “You’re right there inside the screen, with the vineyards again in Samaria … All of a sudden, you’re not watching the movie; you’re part of the movie. You’re not reading the book. You’re inside the book doing things. And I think it’s a great privilege. It’s a privilege for everyone. You can – all of a sudden touch history – touch the Bible.”
The organization HaYovel has actively drawn believers into the Holy land for years.
“For more than a decade, founder and president Tommy Waller, his wife, Sherri and their 11 children have brought hundreds of Christians to Israel to help with planting, pruning and harvesting tons of grapes from the plush vineyards of Judea and Samaria – Israel’s biblical heartland,” CBN News’ Tzippe Barrow informed. “Participants also have opportunities to tour different parts of the country and experience Israeli life firsthand.”
Waller recognizes the significance of Christians’ presence in Israel.
“You know I was thinking that the most amazing thing that happened in Christian history … was when the Holy Spirit was poured out … when we were in one accord here in Jerusalem,” the Christian leader shared. “We’ve got to get back there. We’ve got to get back to this place where Christians can agree on Jerusalem again. If we want to see the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we’ve got to agree on Jerusalem. Replacement theology has to be replaced. We have to get back to this reality of standing with the promises of God.”
Wallers’ group is responsible for forging the strengthening bond between the Israeli government and Christians.
“For nearly 13 years, the Wallers have worked closely with government officials to facilitate their work,” Barrow noted. “They’ve also developed lasting friendships with Israeli farmers, their families and communities. The government honored these volunteers, numbering in the thousands, with a special program on the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration (on the Hebrew calendar). Everyone seemed to agree that Israel has no better friends than Christian Zionists.”
Prophesies fulfilled?
Commemorating significant anniversaries in Israel is no minor matter, as the prophesies of the Bible are continuing to be fulfilled right until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
“To the Jewish State’s most die-hard Christian supporters, the barrage of milestones is not mere coincidence but rather prophecy being fulfilled,” The Jerusalem Post reported. “Every half century, many Christian Zionists believe, history makes a concerted push toward its endpoint: the return of the Messiah to Jerusalem. According to this pattern, something momentous should happen to Israel before the end of the year.”
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) Vice President David Parsons is expectantly looking forward to God’s Word being fulfilled in Israel.
“Reading Israel’s modern history, there seems to be something unusual in 50-year cycles,” Parsons said, according to the Post. “It means we should expect something incredible to happen this year to further propel Jerusalem and Israel into its prophetic destiny.”
The joining of Christians and Orthodox Jews in Israel is believed to be the foreshadowing of the unfolding of prophesy, as many believe the End Times are not far off.
“Christian Zionists – most of whom are part of the world’s 700 million-strong evangelical community – view themselves as the Jews’ partners in God’s plan,” the Jerusalem daily continued. “Like many Orthodox Jews, they believe that after a world war, the Messiah will take the throne of a Jewish kingdom in Jerusalem and lead the world to peace and prosperity. As Christians, they of course expect the Messiah to be Jesus, whereas Jews are still looking for their redeemer.”
Despite their differences, the shared values between Christians and Jews were also noted.
“Beginning with the opening address by MK Sharren Haskel, the audience listened to rabbis, laymen and Christian leaders talk about what they have in common with one another rather than what separates them,” Barrow pointed out. “Haskel spoke of Jews who walked to this land and the great challenges they faced. She spoke of the patriarch Abraham, who rejected the idol worship where he grew up and chose to follow God. She talked about the value of observing a biblical Shabbat, setting the day aside for rest and family time. She relayed how God protected Israel through wars and how it created a healthy economy with its many start-ups and innovations.”
With the rife anti-Semitism that is sweeping the globe, the Jews in Israel are grateful for Christians’ faithful support.
“Well, it’s just an amazing feeling because throughout history Israel didn’t have – or Jews in general – didn’t have many people who supported, helped them – it’s only a few individuals,” Haskel expressed to CBN News. “And to have a room full of people, heads of organizations, the organization HaYovel has brought so many volunteers to come here to Israel, to support Israel, to love and pray for us, I cannot explain what an incredible feeling that is.”
Zionism alive and well
The resurgence of Zionism was celebrated this summer, which marked the 120th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress held in Basel, which was convened and chaired by the father of political Zionism, Theodor Herzl.
Today’s World Zionist Organization Chairman Avraham Duvdevani also honored the strengthening bond between the Israeli government and Zionists at the time.
“[W]e honor the Knesset for allowing MKs to refresh Herzl’s legacy,” Duvdevani proclaimed, according to July 18 report from The Jerusalem Post. “Herzl stated that Zionism is the infinite ideal. And, therefore, on this day his legacy is expressed in the present and the future. Sixty-nine years have passed since the realization of Herzl’s hope and the establishment of the state.”
He lamented that the people of Israel are forgetting their biblical roots and status as God’s people.
“We are beginning to get used to independence and to become so secular that we are cut off from the past,” Duvdevani lamented. “It is important that we do not lose our vision for the future.”
The Zionist leader then encouraged Israelis to reroute themselves and embrace God’s will and plan for their lives.
“Some say that the era of Zionism ended with the establishment of a state,” Duvdevani concluded. “We must aspire to moral and spiritual perfection in order to continue to realize the Zionist goals set forth by Herzl, goals that still exist today: the ingathering of the exiles, the establishment of a Jewish-moral state that will be a light unto the nations and will preserve the unity of the Jewish people. These are the functions of the World Zionist Organization in its efforts to realize Herzl’s vision. “
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