The Messianic Jewish/Christian Zionist Complex

Over the years, you may have become familiar with Jews for Jesus, the organization that was founded more than forty years ago, and focuses on converting Jews to Christianity. It is less likely, however, that you're acquainted with Messianic Jews, who, although relatively small in numbers, are establishing relationships with Christian Zionists and have the potential to become a more influential political force.In an article posted at christianity.about.com, Jack Zavada defined Messianic Jews as those who "accept Jesus (Yeshua) as the Messiah yet retain a Jewish lifestyle. After conversion, they continue to observe Jewish holidays, rituals, and customs." Here's the kicker, writes Zavada, their "theology tends to vary widely among Messianic Jews." Some critics have maintained that some people calling themselves Messianic Jews were never Jewish in the first place. Other critics see Messianic Jews allying with conservative evangelical Christians to establish a Messianic Jewish/Christian Zionist Complex.

In the U.S., "'There are now tens of thousands of Messianic Jews [with]; some estimate as many as 1.2 million,' according to the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA), [an organization] founded in 1915," Melissa Nordell and Mark Ellis wrote last month at blog.godreports.com. MJAA maintains that "Messianic synagogues [are] springing up in almost every major city across the U.S."

Last year, in a move that stirred controversy within the Jewish community, former President George W. Bush spoke at the Messianic Jewish Bible Institute's (MJBI) annual banquet "to help raise funds for its mission to persuade Jews that Jesus is the messiah," Religion Dispatches' Sarah Posner reported.

This year's banquet, earlier this month in Fort Worth, Texas, featured "Phil and Alan Robertson, the patriarch and eldest son of the Christian reality television show Duck Dynasty."

After his controversial interview with GQ, Phil Robertson has taken on the mantle of mainstream television's number one homophobe. Both Phil and Alan are the executive editors of the forthcoming book, "The Duck Commander Faith and Family Bible."

At cnsnews.com, Michael W. Chapman described MJBI as an organization "dedicated to evangelizing the Jews and convincing them to accept that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah as foretold in the Old Testament and detailed in the New Testament."


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