LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

Jews On First is an excellent resource for many insights about the Extreme Christian Right. One of those extremes are the so-called "Christian Zionists" who pretend to be friendly with Israel and the Jewish people, but who believe that the Bible says they'll either have to convert to Christianity or die.

Sweet, eh?

One Rabbi, Jonathan Biatch, has seen through the fake-friendly smoke screen, and has written this
sermon for his congregation about why he is not going to support or participate in a "Night to Honor Israel" sponsored by Christians United for Israel:

In a local newspaper I recently saw an ad for an upcoming "Night to Honor Israel," sponsored by a local evangelical church.

A night to honor Israel?

Well, why not?! Israel needs all the help she can get, especially at a time when she faces internal and external threats.

After all:

Who among us would not stand with Israel against the maniacal Iranian president who threatens nuclear annihilation?!

Who among us would not wish to eliminate the terror that daily faces Israel's borders and populace?!

And in a broader realm, who among us would not want to strengthen the ties between Judaism and Christianity, especially at this moment when every one of us need to band together for friendship, and for meeting the many challenges of our nation and the world?!

Many wary of Christian Zionists' support of Israel
Yet many in the American Jewish community are, I think, apprehensive of the support of Israel from this particular segment of the Christian community.

First a disclaimer: I do not believe that these Christians are hoping to convert us. They have pledged that their activities in support of Israel will be non-proselytizing, and I believe that. [No, they leave that for their 'Messainic Christian' churches like "Jews for Jesus". -ed]

In the language of students of religion, they believe in a "dual covenant" theology, one that accepts as valid the many covenants made between God and Israel, and those made with the Christian community.

So from the conversionary standpoint, we could be sanguine about working side-by-side with this group of Christians because they do not threaten our Jewish identity.

But I am troubled about other aspects of their philosophy and approach to relating to Israel, and I would like to share these with you tonight.

Some of what concerns me comes from their worldview of the 'end times.'

Hastening Armageddon
The normative viewpoints of both Christianity and Judaism both look toward the coming of the Messianic Era. Christianity prays for the Second Coming; Judaism hopes for the Messiah to arrive - as our liturgy says - 'speedily, and in our day."

This is all well and good, and through our worship and religious observances we pray that whatever the nature of the Next World, or as we call it in Hebrew, the "Olam Habah," it will be good for all of us.

Those who call themselves Christian Zionists in this era do not simply pray for the return of the Christian Messiah. They have lobbied our government to actualize and hasten Armageddon, that prophesied battle that will presage the coming of the Messiah.

And they do it through their agitating for war with Iran.

One of the most prominent Christian Zionist groups is Christians United for Israel. Its leader's name is Pastor John Hagee, a charismatic preacher who has forecasted that this 'end-times' battle of Armageddon will take place within a modern-day confrontation with Iran.

Last summer, during the Israel - Hezbollah war, Pastor Hagee and his organization - which claims to represent 50 million evangelical Christians in this country - lobbied our government against imposing a diplomatic solution during the early stages of the war. They were hoping that Israel and Hezbollah's battles would eventually bring Syria and Iran actively into the fighting, which would have resulted in the Armageddon they seek.

Pastor Hagee advocates striking Iran both because of its animosity toward Israel, and because Iran is, in Hagee's view, the spawning ground of radical Islam, an enemy to both Israel and the United States.

Now I do not deny that the current president of Iran represents a serious threat to Israel; he would decimate us immediately had he the means to do so.

Unnecessary confrontation
No: My real fear regarding Pastor Hagee's approach is that he and his 50 million followers would push our government toward an unnecessary confrontation through which they alone believe that they would attain personal religious fulfillment.

In my view, such a crusade would result in far greater death and destruction than we could imagine.

You know, we Jews see things with different eyes. The prophet Isaiah, for example, describes the so-called 'end of days' in decidedly different terms. He writes:

"It shall come to pass in the last of days, that the mountain of the Eternal God's house shall be established above all mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall go and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Eternal, to the house of the God of Jacob; and God will teach us God's divine ways, and we will walk in God's paths; for from Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the Eternal from Jerusalem.' And God shall judge among the nations, and shall decide for many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they ever again train for war. "(Isaiah 2:2-4)

What a vision! Lofty, peaceful. A Messianic era heralded and conducted by a desire to draw near to God's learning and instruction, and marked by a dismantling of machines of war.

Isaiah’s description reminded me of the Ed McCurdy song that so many artists have recorded, Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream. (You can read McCurdy's lyrics here; you can hear Pete Seeger sing a verse or buy the track of him singing the song here.)

I do not believe that this dazzling and peaceable vision would be the result if Pastor Hagee had the responsibility of initiating the coming of the Messiah.

My friends, this search for Armageddon alone would be reason enough to resist Hagee's eager advances toward the Jewish community. But there is more.

Yes, there is, and you can read it there. Suffice it to say that this gentleman has done a great job of revealing a lot of what so-called "Zionist Christians" really want: the end of the world. And they'll do anything to get it, it seems.