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"When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to
make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone."
The Lord's awareness of what was in man saved Him on this occasion from being
identified as another Judas. He knew that it was His right to sit on the Throne of David,
but was also aware that there is "a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Eccle. 3: 1).
It is interesting to compare the Zealots of old with the modern Zionist movement. The
aims and objects of the latter are, it is true, stated in more refined terms, but the basic
desire remains the same. The Zealots of old sought their ends from inside the Land (by
force it is true), whereas the Zionist movement has prosecuted its cause from outside the
Land. The manifesto declared by the London Zionist League in the year 1905 has the
following words:
"The fundamental postulate of Zionism is that it is both inevitable and desirable that
Jews should continue to maintain their separate identity. In races as in individuals there
is an instinct of self preservation. Zionism seeks to justify this instinct which is ever
active in the Jewish people by insisting that, if the Jew must survive, there must be
something to be gained by his surviving. He must have a mission . . . . . The Zionist sees
clearly that it is nothing less than a mockery to speak of the Jews as capable of fulfilling
any mission whatever in their present state. For a Jewish mission one must have a Jewish
people, united by a common Jewish consciousness and common Jewish ideals, not a
collection of atoms maintaining a meaningless pretence at separateness when everything
in their minds and lives which has any value depends wholly on their non-Jewish
surroundings. One wants, in a word, a Jewish nation; and a Jewish nation is only
possible in a land with the claims and historic associations of Palestine. The winning of
Palestine is therefore essential as a means to the great end of enabling the Jews to play a
part worthy of them in the world's history."
Since the above words were penned great things have taken place in the land of Israel.
On May 14, 1948, the state of Israel was proclaimed in part of the former British
Mandate Territory of Palestine. They are now a Middle Eastern power to be reckoned
with. But has not this movement and success been of the flesh? And in this respect, is
not modern Zionism like the zealous nationalism of old, seeking to bring about the
purposes of God apart from His intervention? It would seem so.
But let none fail to see that these are signs of the times. The child of the flesh must
come before the child of the promise; Ishmael precedes Isaac, Esau comes before Jacob.
The Lord during His earthly ministry would not ally Himself with, nor encourage the
cause of the party of the Zealots. There was a fullness of time coming when He Himself
would take over the reigns of government. That time is again drawing near.