Chris Katulka: Thank you for joining us for The Friends of Israel Today. I'm Chris Katulka, your host and teacher. Now listen, I want to encourage you to go to our website foiradio.org. Again, that's FOI as in Friends of Israel, foiradio.org. And there you can listen to over nine years worth of biblical teaching on Israel and the Jewish people for free. Also, there are insightful interviews with a host of great guests. Again, that's foiradio.org. Now, today we're going to actually continue in a series that we've been doing asking a very important question. Was Jesus a Zionist? Well, maybe you're wondering what a Zionist is. A Zionist is somebody who believes that God has given the land of Israel to the Jewish people and that they have a right to live there. Well, is that the way that Jesus thought? Well, today we're going to explore and dive deeper into not only what Jesus thought but also what the New Testament teaches about Israel and the Jewish people and what Jesus thought about that.

But before we get to that, let's go to the news. Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's foreign minister, and several others were confirmed dead this month, victim to a helicopter crash in Iran's northern west region this month. Raisi helped oversee the mass executions of thousands in 1988 and later he led Iran as president and during that time, he was there to enrich uranium near weapons-grade levels, and he was recently over Iran as they launched a major attack on Israel. Well, here's my take. Raisi's death won't be the end of Iran's disdain for Israel. 

Remember, Iran is controlled by the Ayatollahs, Shia Islamic clergy who are given the title for their knowledge of Islamic law and religion. It's known that the Ayatollahs heavily sway the election of presidents by their influence in politics. These religious leaders will just choose another president in the vein of the Ahmadinejads and the Raisis who hate Israel and the West.

We are continuing our conversation on a very important question, especially for the time that we live in today as hatred of the Jewish people is on the rise around the world and the hatred of Israel is being screamed from the mouths of protesters on college campuses. Not long after October 7th, Reuters reported that anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose by about 400% after the war broke out between Israel and Hamas. That's right, 400% in the United States, and that's after the FBI reported in 2020 that the Jewish people are the target of 60% of religious hate crimes. That goes back four years. What's Jesus's thought though about this from the scriptures? Would He stand on the side of the protesters or would He have tried to be diplomatic standing on both sides in the Israel-Hamas war or is Jesus an ardent Zionist? Well, before we ask if Jesus is a Zionist, let's start with what is a Zionist. So then we can give some more definition to the question.

We talked about this last week in our first segment of this series. A Zionist is someone that believes that the Jewish people have a right to live in the land of Israel. So if you believe the Jewish people have a right to live in their ancestral homeland, which is Israel, that makes you a Zionist. It's the belief that the land of Israel and the Jewish people are connected together and they can't be separated, and if they are separated at some point they will return. Now this understanding of Zionism can be worked out two ways. Last week I mentioned that Zionism could be understood as a political endeavor, which many people do, the political aspirations of the Jewish people to live in their homeland after being kicked out for thousands of years. The early Jewish Zionists of the 19th century had political aspirations to reestablish a Jewish homeland in Israel.

The political desire to see Jewish people back in the land was premised on antisemitism in Europe in the late 1800s when Jewish people were being targeted much like what we're seeing today. Many Jewish people believed they needed a state of their own to defend themselves from those who wish to see them dead. Seriously. But the other side of Zionism is the one that I'm on. Of course, politically I believe Zionism matters, but my basis for understanding Zionism isn't grounded in the politics, it's grounded in the scriptures. I believe the Bible shows that God has a plan for Israel and the Jewish people, that His chosen people matter and the land He promised them is significant to His ultimate plan of redemption. This makes me a Christian Zionist. I've always said that I see myself in the tradition of a man named Reverend William Hechler. Hechler was an Anglican chaplain from England who was living in Vienna and he helped in every way to provide opportunities for Zionism to grow.

But while many Jewish people saw Zionism, as I mentioned earlier, as a political perspective, a political endeavor, Hechler reminded them that they were on a biblical mission. Hechler loved the Jewish people and he believed according to biblical prophecy, the Jewish people would return to their ancient homeland. One of Hechler's famous quotes that I hold near and dear to my own heart is this, "The duty of every Christian is to love the Jews for they are still beloved for their father's sakes, adding, blessed shall that nation be which loves the Jews, for God promised to Abraham and his children, 'I will bless them that bless thee.'" Hey, amen reverend William Hechler. So I guess my goal today is to show you from the gospel accounts that Jesus is in fact a Zionist. He believed the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob mattered. Now, last week I showed you that Jesus was a Zionist. Here's what I mean by that.

In the gospels, Jesus indicates that He believed the land mattered to God, but now that Jesus died and resurrected and ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father, is He still a Zionist? Look, there are many scholars and theologians that argue Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection and ascension nullify the need for the land. One particular theologian, the brilliant N.T. Wright, who has such a fantastic grasp on the Old Testament and the promises of God, believes that Jesus embodied Israel, He became Israel in His death and resurrection, and now there is no need for Israel, and with that goes the promises and the need of a land in God's redemptive plan. Those Christians who hold to an interpretation of the Bible that espouses replacement theology also believe the land of Israel doesn't matter anymore. Replacement theology believes that the church has replaced Israel and God completely moved on from Israel and the Jewish people and all this happened because of Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection.

But I'm here to show you that Jesus not only was a Zionist but is a Zionist who longs to see His people return to the land God promised them. Now let me show you. Here we go. Acts, the Book of Acts gives us a perfect picture of Jesus's heart for the land and His people. In the very beginning of Acts, Luke tells us the disciples have been listening to Jesus for 40 days, teach specifically about the kingdom. Now the question is what was Jesus saying about the kingdom? The Jewish people of the first century in the days of Jesus, to talk about the kingdom is to talk about God's presence with His people, the Jewish people in the land of Israel. The kingdom was very spiritual, but it was also very physical. Luke also mentions in Acts 1, Jesus and the disciples are now standing atop the Mount of Olives.

So in Acts 1, we know that Jesus had been ministering to the disciples teaching them about the kingdom for 40 days, and now they're standing on top of the Mount of Olives. Now remember, the Jewish people also believe the Messiah would come to the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is a mountain that's east of Jerusalem and the temple. "And His feet," it says, "would touch down on the Mount, which would give way ultimately to the coming of God's kingdom." And this can be seen in the prophet Zechariah in the Old Testament which says this in Zechariah 14, "The Lord will go out and fight against those nations and as He fights on a day of battle and that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley with half of the mountain moving to the north and half moving to the south."

So right there in Zechariah, we see this messianic prophecy that the Messiah, the Jewish Messiah, would touch down on the Mount of Olives. So let's see here. The disciples are with the resurrected Messiah Jesus on top of the Mount of Olives, and Jesus had just been teaching to them for 40 days about the kingdom, and so now is a perfect time to ask the resurrected Messiah Jesus important questions about the kingdom. Acts 1:6, here it comes. The disciples say, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel." Again when they are talking about the restored kingdom, the restoration of the kingdom of Israel, the disciples are thinking about the land and the Jewish people, and Israel's role in world affairs.

There are some famous theologians who believe the disciples asked a stupid question, that they are too focused on an earthly kingdom. But Jesus responds, I love this, "It's not for you to know the times or the dates the Father has set by His own authority." So is Jesus saying yes or no to the land and the restoration of the kingdom? Well, you're going to have to stick around to find out. But before we get to that, I want to share with you a fantastic resource that we have that will educate you, teach you, and enlighten you on what's going on in Israel and why it matters from a biblical perspective. It's called, It is No Dream by our former executive director, Dr. Elwood McQuaid. Dr. Elwood McQuaid is now with the Lord, but he has spent decades researching and teaching about the importance of Israel and the Jewish people from the Bible.

It is No Dream is an account of all of his work to show you the importance of how the modern state of Israel was something that was hoped for by the prophets in the Old Testament and realized today by the amazing work of men and women who would see it through and it's founding in 1948. We want you to get your hands on this amazing resource It is No Dream, and you can do that by going to our website foiradio.org. It's there that you can purchase your copy of It is No Dream by Dr. Elwood McQuaid, again by visiting foiradio.org.

Welcome back, everyone. I'm asking a serious question, especially for the times that we're living in today. Is Jesus a Zionist, someone who believes that Jewish people have a right to exist in the land promised to them by God? Now last week I asked, was Jesus a Zionist? Was Jesus in the Gospels one who believed the Jewish people and the land are inseparable? And I showed that Jesus had a view in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, that the land of Israel still mattered to God. In fact, you can go to foiradio.org if you didn't get a chance to listen to last week's episode to catch up. But for now, I want to ask a question. What about right now that Jesus has resurrected and ascended into heaven and is sitting at the right hand of the Father, does the earthly kingdom the Jewish people were expecting still matter to Jesus?

Is Jesus a Zionist? Yikes, Zionist, that can be triggering words for some. Jesus and Zionist put together, triggering words. The disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom?" And Jesus responded, "It's not for you to know the times or the dates the Father has set by His own authority." Now, again, like I mentioned, very famous theologians like John Calvin have accused the apostles of asking a stupid question. But was it a stupid question and did Jesus say yes or no? Well, I see something amazing happening here. Jesus isn't saying to the disciples, guys, this is a dumb question by asking if now is the time that I'm going to restore the kingdom to Israel. I mean let's be honest, the entire Old Testament pushed the disciples to ask this question. No, Jesus took the long way to say this. "Not yet. God will restore the kingdom to Israel, but not yet. You have another job," he says.

But then Jesus ascends in Acts 1, so does His ascension to go to sit at the right hand of the Father change anything? Well, let's fast-forward to Acts 3 when Peter is preaching to Jewish people in Jerusalem and the topic of this restored kingdom to Israel pops up again in Peter's message, and Jesus's ascension pops up too. Listen to what Peter says, and bear in mind when we talk about a restored kingdom to Israel, we're talking about the land of Israel and the Jewish people together, the importance of the land of Israel. You can't separate the two.

This is Acts chapter 3 starting in verse 17. It says, "Now, fellow Israelites," Peter says. "I know that you acted in ignorance as did your leaders, but this is how God fulfilled what He had foretold through the prophet saying that His Messiah would suffer. Repent then and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that the times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah who He has appointed for you--even Jesus. Heaven must receive Him until the time comes for God to restore everything as He promised long ago through His holy prophets."

For Moses said, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people. You must listen to everything He tells you. Anyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from their people." Peter here sounds like an Old Testament prophet in the New Testament. Notice, he's speaking to Israel. "Now, fellow Israelites," he says. So we know exactly who the audience is. Exactly. Peter assures the Jewish people that they acted in ignorance to what God had promised that the Messiah would suffer and die. But Peter then says, "Now is your opportunity to turn to God. Now is your opportunity to repent and turn to God." Why? So that your sins may be wiped out. And when their sins as a nation are dealt with, look at what happens according to Peter. I'll read it.

Here in Acts 3, it says that the times of refreshing may come from the Lord. The times of refreshing is a Jewish way of saying the restored kingdom will come. It was the disciples that asked Jesus, "Is now the time the kingdom will come?" in Acts 1, and Jesus said, "Yes, but not yet." Now Peter is telling the Israelites, if you repent, that kingdom that was promised from the Old Testament will finally be realized today. So repent and turn. He even tells the Israelites that if they turn and repent, God may send the Messiah Jesus who is appointed for you. Here's the ascension, "Heaven must receive Him until the time comes for God to restore everything as He had promised long ago through His holy prophets." There it is. Ding, ding, ding. Yes, even today, Peter is telling us that Jesus is still a Zionist.

Jesus's return to earth in the future is connected to Israel's future repentance, something Paul talks about in Romans 11. That's when they will repent and God will restore the kingdom just as the prophets had promised long ago. That's Old Testament prophets, okay? The ones that looked forward to a land, descendants of the Jewish people, and a blessing and the reality of the way things were when King David lived. All of these amazing things that the prophets were looking back to, the Apostle Peter is now looking forward and saying, "If you repent Israel, in turn, God will restore the kingdom to Israel." So yes, even today in the church age, Jesus remains a Zionist.

The land and people matter to Him as the land and the people matter to Him in the gospels and how the land and the people matter to God in the Old Testament prophets. The land of Israel and His chosen people, the Jewish people matter to Him, matter to the Lord because He made an eternal promise that cannot be broken. A promise that goes back to the beginning of the Bible. My friends, be encouraged. We serve not only a promise-keeping God but a promise-keeping Messiah as well.

Steve Conover: Israel on the verge of becoming a state, a teenage Holocaust survivor arrives on her shores alone. His name is Zvi Kalisher. Little did he know his search for a new life in the Holy Land would lead him to the Messiah. Zvi, enthusiastic to share his faith, engaged others in spiritual conversations, many of which can be found in our magazine Israel My Glory. While Zvi is now in the presence of his savior, his collective writings from well over 50 years of ministry continue to encourage believers worldwide. Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life of Zvi.

Mike Kellogg: Two of my sons and my daughter are now serving at the Lebanese front in the army. Recently I received a letter stating that the army wants me also, but I said, "Not this time." I want to remind the military officials that I am now 53 years old and actively served in all four of Israel's previous wars performing the most dangerous job. One of the officers said, "But you know how serious the situation is." I replied, "Yes, and I have given you my three children. If you must have me, then you must also take my wife and my youngest son. Then all of our family will be in the army." The officer said, "You may stay home for now, but be ready if we call you." "I am always ready," I said. He asked, "What do you mean?" I told him, "I am ready to preach the good news of God to all who will listen."

"But you never went to yeshiva." A yeshiva is a religious school. "Did Israel's prophets go to a yeshiva?" I asked him. "When the Lord called Moses, did He ask him what type of education he had? No. Simply told Moses to do His will. God himself put the words in Moses' mouth. That is how it is with me." "What do you want to speak about?" the officer asked. I replied, "I want to tell you about our need for salvation." "But we are close to victory in the north," he said. "No, we are not," I responded. "It is not by might, nor by power, but by the spirit of the Lord," Zechariah 4:6. The Lord has fought for us in the past and He is doing so again. Even though my children are in the north, I have peace because my trust is in the Lord. Why should we fear? We can be short of His victory.

Then the officer asked, "Where do you get your confidence?" I told him, "God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid," Isaiah 12:2. If you are afraid, believe in the son of God as I did. We began a long conversation about faith in the Lord and finally, he said, "We never knew that you and the others like you were so bound to the land of ours." I told him, "We believe in the same heavenly father, read the same Bible. And our loyal offices of Israel, we love our country. I have given my three children to fight for this land and I can give even more."

"What is that?" he asked. I replied, "As I told you, you can take me if you must." "If this turns into a big war, you must go," he said. "We do not have as many people as our enemies." I agreed. "Yes, but at times like this, we must trust in the Lord. Do not be afraid, but remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all of Egypt. If this war becomes big, I will be there without even being called." The officer then said, "We have learned a lot today about you and others like you, whom we always thought of as negative." But we know that two negatives always make a positive. I was grateful for the opportunity to meet these military people and to change their minds about true believers.

Chris Katulka: Thanks for joining us today on this episode of The Friends of Israel Today. Now, next week, we will be featuring our most recent issue of Israel My Glory, our award-winning Christian magazine here at The Friends of Israel. We're going to be featuring an article that I actually wrote, and so we're going to turn the tables. Steve Conover, our executive producer, will be asking me the questions. So I really look forward to that. Now, I want to also encourage you, you can still get your copy of It is No Dream by Dr. Elwood McQuaid by going to foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org.

Today's program was produced by Tom Gallione, engineered by Bob Beebe, edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold, and our executive producer is Steve Conover, and I'm your host and teacher Chris Katulka. Our mailing address is FOI Radio, PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Again, that's FOI Radio, PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Our web address is foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org or you can call our listener line. Please do it. (888) 343-6940. Again, that's (888) 343-6940.

The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. We are a worldwide evangelical ministry, proclaiming biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah, while bringing physical and spiritual comfort to the Jewish people.