Zionism (Christian)

Is a misguided belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical prophecy.  It overlaps with, but is distinct from, the nineteenth century movement for the Restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land, which had both religiously and politically motivated supporters.  The term Christian Zionism was popularized in the mid-twentieth century.  Prior to that time the common term was Restorationism.  Some Christian Zionists mistakenly believe that the “ingathering” of Jews in Israel is a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Jesus.  This belief is primarily, though not exclusively, associated with Christian Dispensationalism.  The modern misguided idea that Christians should actively support a Jewish return to the Land of Israel, along with the parallel idea that the Jews ought to be encouraged to become Christian, as a means fulfilling a Biblical prophecy has been common in Protestant circles since the Reformation.