On 13 October the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passed a shocking anti-Semitic resolution.
UN-sponsored anti-Israel decrees are nothing new, however, this document stands out for its blatant disregard of the truth and effectively denies the 3,000-year-old Jewish connection to Jerusalem.
The resolution changed the names of some of Jerusalem’s most holy sites, removing both the Hebrew and English names for the Temple Mount and Western Wall, and referring to them only by their Islamic names. This action rightly sparked outrage from Israel and Jewish people all around the world, but it should equally outrage Christians.
Let’s be clear – the vote by UNESCO is an attack on the legitimisation of Israel. It is a callous attempt to undermine the Jewish state’s very existence in their own land.
We know from history that what starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews, and this is a clear example where an action against the Jews has gone beyond just offending the Jewish people.
As Christians we cannot read our Bibles and at the same time ignore that the land of Israel and its historical, present and future place as the homeland of the Jewish people is also integral to our Christian faith. We can be assured that no vote at the United Nations can ever take away the right that the Jewish people have to the land of Israel and its holy sites. God has ordained it, which should be enough for any Christian to care about protecting the Judeo-Christian heritage that we hold so dear.
Christians should know that Judaism does not need Christianity to explain its existence. However, if you take away the Jewish foundation of Biblical Christianity, there would be no Christianity.
By ignoring the Jewish connection, they are also ignoring the Christian connection. And as a result, Christians around the world should be joining Israel’s side in opposing this resolution.
Psalm 125:1-2 says, “Those who trust in the LORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.”
Joel 3:16 says, “The LORD roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and the earth tremble But the LORD is a refuge for His people And a stronghold to the sons of Israel.”
Psalm 133:3 describes “the mountains of Zion” as the place where “the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”
The “mountains of Zion” are the stage God is using to perform the most important acts in history.
The “mountains of Zion” are where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac, but instead God provided a sacrificial lamb in Isaac’s place.
The “mountains of Zion” are where King David established Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel more than 3,000 years ago.
The “mountains of Zion” are where Solomon built the first Temple and fulfilled the promise God gave to his father, saying, “And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”
And as Christians we also believe that the “mountains of Zion” are where Jesus Christ became the sacrificial lamb for the salvation of all mankind. Very soon He will also return and rule and reign from this very place.
Is it any wonder that today Jerusalem stands on the “mountains of Zion” as the most contested place on earth?
Despite God’s faithfulness over the centuries, men continue to work against the will of God.
Make no mistake about it – this UN Resolution is an attack on the faith of all Jews and Christians.
The nations that backed the resolution, for the most part, were Muslim-majority countries. Unfortunately, and to their shame, most of the countries that abstained from the vote were so-called Christian-majority countries. Their voices were silent.
As Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian Pastor who died opposing the Nazis said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
Christians United for Israel will not remain silent on this issue. We started a petition last week calling on UNESCO to recognise the Judeo-Christian roots of Jerusalem’s holy sites. So far, over 3,000 Christians have signed this petition; one person for every year of Jewish history in Jerusalem. You can sign the petition here.
Please tell your friends and family to also sign the petition.
An attack on the Jewish roots of our faith should motivate every Christian to speak out against this hatred.
It is time Christians raised their voices on Biblical matters. The Church needs to reconnect with its Jewish roots, because it is only through those roots that we have our faith. And in understanding them, we can fully understand the plans and purposes God has for us.
Christians United for Israel
