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by Kim Frolander
I hear this question frequently asked but rarely without bias and offense driving it. But where does that come from? Let's explore some history! Who Invented the Name "Zion"? This is actually a Hebrew word that has been transliterated into English, so it sounds the same in both languages and Greek and all the others as well. God is the one who named Zion. Why must we always push back against God's plans? Zion is a place, but it is a bit of a mystery that grows in scope from its first mention in scripture. It can be translated as “indication” or “marking” from Hebrew. Jeff Benner, one of my favorite linguists on Hebrew, remarks, “Zion is another name for Jerusalem but is more specifically the mountain within the city (Isaiah 2:3). The Hebrew word for Zion isציון (tsiyown, Strong's #6726), the very same word as above meaning "landmark" with just a slight change in pronunciation. Zion is not just a mountain it is the central landmark for Israel. Three times a year all of Israel was to travel to the landmark where God has placed his name (Exodus 23:17, Deuteronomy 16:16), this landmark is Zion (Isaiah 18:7).” [1] According to Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, “When we delve further into the original Hebrew we are able to see something about this word that just can’t be understood in translation. Did you know that the word “Zion” (Tziyon) comes from the verb לְצַיֵּן “leTzayen” which means “to mark something” or “to emphasize something”? Zion, therefore, describes God’s tremendous emphasis, concentration and impact upon any given place within creation.” [2] Can you see yet how intense emotion might begin to develop in someone’s heart? Whether close to the Father or far from God when God marks something as His it elevates it over other ordinary things. It creates a desire in us for it. How we respond to that desire determines how we feel about that object (or person or Land). All over the Psalms Zion is described as being loved by God. Such as in Psalms 78:68, “He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved,” and again in Psalms 87:2, “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” Zion grows in scope from referencing the "hill in Jerusalem" to all of Jerusalem itself to meaning heaven. And all the choosing involved with this word is connected in some people’s hearts with “not being chosen.” Modern Use of Zion, Zionism, Zionists Zionism has become a movement begun by European Jews who in the late 1800s had a great desire to return to their homeland. Some people don’t believe that this could possibly be a God-given desire because the leaders of the Zionist Movement were all secular, humanist, or atheist and rejected the idea of God. But that didn’t stop God from using them to accomplish His plan—has it ever stopped God?! Whistling God had begun to whistle for His people to come home, as prophesied before they had even left. (Zachariah 10:8 & Isaiah 5:26.) And they began to return, one family or even singles, at a time. So what is the problem with the word Zion and its derivatives? To me, absolutely nothing. The Christians whom I’ve interacted with over this word that had a problem with using it themselves or suggested that I should be more sensitive and not use this word, are Christians who deal with Muslim populations. Their churches are involved in missions to the Muslim world. The people among whom they are ministering hold a huge offense against the Jewish People and U.S. Christians (whom I’ve interacted with) have probably picked up that offense from the people they’ve talked to among those Muslim populations. (The question of the actual historical record versus perceived history and stories passed down as truth is a different FAQ, which eventually I’ll have a hundred years to write down and link up here for you.) But where does that root of offense against the Jewish People originate? This feud goes back a long, long way before there were Muslims, before there were Jews…before there was a Flood. All the way back to heaven when Lucifer, an Arch angel, decided to try to usurp some of God’s glory for himself, and got himself kicked out of heaven for it. Ever since, Satan has been continuing to try to spoil God’s Grand Plan and take what belongs to Him. SPOILER ALERT—Not gonna work! I’ve read the end of the Book! However, Satan has had some success in his goal to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10) by sewing hate and death into the Muslim Culture. [warning!] Least arrogance rise up, Christians should keep in mind that these same destructive things were sewn into Christian Culture as early as the 100s AD and came to its evil fruit during the Crusader Era. We still have a LOT of making up to do for those years. {See Israel II: Beyond the Basics for Christianity’s sordid history against the Jewish People} Most people who don’t like the word ZION cannot even call the State of Israel by name because they believe this land where God re-planted the Jews belongs to them. They have believed untrue propaganda pieces because they trusted wrong sources for delivering the truth to them. Satan has not changed his playbook in the smallest iota since he was sewing hateful lies against the Jews into the Christian Culture during the Middle Ages. But now he uses technological advances (from the printing press to the Internet) to stir up and multiply the jealousy and covetousness that Satan feels toward God. These are the very same roots that the Muslim Culture is dealing with. They feel slighted by God back when the inheritance of Abraham went to Isaac, the son of the promise, instead of Ishmael, his firstborn son. They want what they feel belongs to them, but was given to Isaac and thus the Jewish People. The word Zionism has become connotative of their rage at being passed over and the inheritance, especially the Land, being given to Isaac. However, let’s not shy away from using the word so as not to offend anyone. Doesn’t God have the authority to make His own choices in His own story? (History). Let’s instead talk about God’s plan, His redemptive plan, His love for all people. Let’s honor one another for the different roles we have each been given in His story, in His Kingdom! That is something I think Christians sometimes forget in this Gentile-Age part of the story. Christians tend to focus on or think that God is building a Christian Kingdom, but it is God’s Kingdom. Jesus, a Jewish man and the Son of the Living God is the King. He gets to decide who does which job or plays which role. He gets to decide where His throne will be located, and where His capital city will be located. He has chosen Israel and Jerusalem as the place from which he will rule (and a theocracy will FINALLY work!) Let me introduce a new-ish derivative of ZION that has been coined in the last 40 years or so since God really began moving and growing among the Messianic Jewish population: “Christian Zionists.” This name refers to Gentile Christians who believe that raising up Israel at this time in History has always been a part of God’s Plan. Christian Zionists desire to honor, support (emotional, physical and financial) the Jewish People as they walk in obedience to God’s Plan and for who they are. Bringing forgiveness and reconciliation between Jews and Christians is their high priority. References quoted above: 1. Benner, Jeff. (2006). Biblical Word of the Month: The Way. Ancient Hebrew Research Center Biblical Hebrew E-Magazine (32). para 11. Retrieved from http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/emagazine/032.html 2. Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, Eli. (2013). Israel Institute of Biblical Studies. Retrieved from https://blog.israelbiblicalstudies.com/jewish-studies/what-does-zion-mean-in-hebrew-one-minute-insight-from-dr-eli/I will whistle for them and gather them, For I will redeem them; And they shall increase as they once increased. (C) June 2018 |
Zion is not just a mountain it is the central landmark for Israel. 
Zachariah 10:8 Isaiah 5:26 He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, And will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. Lucifer's Fall described in Isaiah 14:11-21 John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly Revelation 21 describes the New Jerusalem |