Christian Zionism - New Life Tabernacle of Chattanooga

Semitism to achieve it. ‘I pray that even if it takes anti-Semitism in America,
God may use it to get his millions back to Israel. So we must have enough
room there. So if we have six million American Jews coming we cannot give
up the West Bank, can we?’ 1204
Convinced that anti-Semitism is indeed on the rise in the FSU, Glen
Hines has set up a worldwide network of boat and yacht owners, who are
willing to assist Jews escape. Called ‘Operation Tarshish’ it is also based on
Isaiah 60:9. When needed, the ‘boaters’ will head for Russian ports to assist
in a ‘mass rescue operation’. Haines believes that when the doors close for
Jewish people to leave the FSU, ‘and persecution begins on a massive scale,
that will be the time when “the ships of Tarshish” will be called upon by God,
to bring his scattered children home.’ 1205 In line with his apocalyptic
eschatology, Hines believes this will happen soon.
2.3 Funding Restorationism in Life and Death
Probably the most influential way Christians participate in Restorationism is
by fundraising. John Hagee, for example, uses TV to solicit funds to facilitate
Jews emigrating to Israel. He recently hosted a ‘Tribute to Israel’ service at
his non-denominational Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, which
was also syndicated as one of his daily nationwide TV programmes. The
service included the church choir performing Hebrew songs and a guest
appearance of the former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. During
the programme a message appeared at the bottom of the screen promising
‘$300 will bring a Jew to Israel’, and gave an 800-number to enable viewers to
pledge money to support the aliyah effort from the FSU. 1206 According to
Micha Limor, head of the European desk of Keren Hayesod’s ‘United Israel
Appeal’, in Germany alone there are 50 different evangelical groups involved
in encouraging, promoting and financing emigration of Jews to Israel. 1207
1204
Jan Willem van der Hoeven, Israel cassette, talk given at Livets Ord (The Word of Life),
Uppsala, Sweden, 2 December 1990, cited in Lester Wikstrom ‘The Return of the Jews and
the Return of Jesus: Christian Zionism in the 1970’s and 1980’s.’ Al-Liqa Journal, May
(1994), p76.
1205
Ibid.
1206
Ibid.
1207
Keren Hayesod was founded in July 1920 at the London Zionist Congress as the
public treasury to build Jewish Palestine. The Congress declared that it was the absolute duty
265