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What does Armageddon have to do with Christian Zionists? Steven Sizer has written a book titled, “Christian Zionism: Road Map to Armageddon.” I’ve been a Christian Zionist who believes in a literal Armageddon for decades and I’ve never seen the so-called “road map” but somehow it mysteriously leads to Armageddon.

The testimonials for Sizer’s book read like a “Who’s Who of the religious Left.” One says, “After reading Sizer’s book, I believe that Zionism, both political and Christian, is incompatible with Christian faith.” The author goes on to call Christian Zionists cultists.

What is so wrong about Christians standing by Israel? Why can’t she have even one little group of people sold out to her survival, protection, and welfare? The nation is the size of New Jersey and yet the whole world rages against her. Why not throw stones or come against one who is a strong supporter of Iran, or Libya, or North Korea, or China, or Russia? Or one who believes it’s fine to bring in Wahabbi literature into American mosques. How about blasting the real cultists who think the Hale-Bopp comet is a UFO to take the cult members to paradise?

Who stands against Israel? The United Nations, the European Union, the World and National Council of Churches, the Vatican, the Communist world, America’s State Department on many days, and the entire Islamic world. Why don’t the denominations that want to “divest” all stock invested in companies doing business with Israel push for divestment from Russia or China?

But it’s the Christian Zionist who is the cultist, and it’s suggested we are misled, unstable, biblically illiterate, and about to hand out the Kool-Aid to our cult followers.

Here’s what a real cult does: (1) Spreads dangerous theology or teaching that are blatantly harmful; (2) Twists facts and promotes falsehoods; (3) Has leaders who can be physically and emotionally abusive; (4) Swears loyalty to a leader in a blind and naďve way, (5) May abandon family to stick with fellow members.

Strange, since I belong to the “cult of Christian Zionism,” why don’t I know anybody in my cult who does any of these things or believes this way? And I don’t know one Christian Zionist, having been in related ministry for over 25 years, who thinks this way. How have I missed them?

Because they don’t exist.

I, like all Christian Zionists, take the Bible literally. Jerusalem is Jerusalem and Israel is Israel. But to the critics, Cairo is just as important as Jerusalem. All Dispensational truth is discarded as foolishness from the importance of the Temple Mount, to a coming Tribulation, literal Antichrist, and literal thousand year reign of Christ out of Jerusalem. Today we might be called another name: Dispensational kooks. The climate is not friendly today for those who believe or teach truth.

There is even an “Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism” (ISCZ). If we’re so off the wall, why is there an organization founded to study us? They say, “We believe that the ideology of Christian Zionism threatens both American politics and biblically grounded faith, turning the good news of Jesus Christ into a militant, Crusader ideology that justifies violence in the name of God . . . “

The “great falling away” predicted in the Bible has begun and apostasy is on the march. Sadly, some of the leaders of the false doctrines including those alluded to in this article are household names with millions of followers and even more millions of dollars. They even twist the Millennium and the glorious appearing of our “blessed hope” and that is going one step too far for me. It’s one thing to cast aspersions on me and another to rob me of the expectation of the soon return of the King of Kings!

Keep looking up and not around. The distractions today are enormous and the distracters not the most friendly. And in that God is a “Christian Zionist,” we’re in good company.

(Jan Markell is founder/director of Olive Tree Ministries and a Contributing Editor to the Omega Letter. To learn more, get her free newsletter and e-alerts, visit her Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org.)

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