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Herzl Day (i.e., Yom Herztl: יום הרצל) was established by the Israeli Knesset to commemorate the achievements and Zionist vision of Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), considered by many to be the father of the modern State of Israel. Herzl Day is observed on Theodor Herzl's birthday (Iyyar 10th) unless that day happens to fall on a Sabbath, in which case it will be postponed until the following day. |
"If you will it, it is no dream; and if you dont will it, a dream it is and a dream it will stay..." |
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In Israel Herzl Day is commemorated by a state memorial service held on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, the site of Israel's national cemetery. As the father of modern Zionism, Herzl's tomb is located at the top of the hill. His memorial faces the Mount of Olives from a distance. In addition to the burial site of Theodor Herzl, many great leaders of the Modern State of Israel are buried there as well. For this reason Mount Herzl is the venue for many commemorative events and national celebrations. |
The Prophetic Significance of Modern Israel |
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But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. And I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt. And I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. I will let people walk on you, even my people Israel. And they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer bereave them of children (Ezek. 36:8-12). |
Can these Bones Live? |
Note that the word Atzma'i (עַצְמָאִי) means "independent" in Hebrew. The word atzmaut (עַצְמָאוּת) means the state of indepedence, which comes from atzmi - "my bones" (עֶצֶם). Hence the "Day of Independence" is called Yom Ha'atzmaut in Hebrew. The name reminds us of God's promise to revive the "dry bones" (עֲצָמוֹת) of Israel by bringing the Jewish people back from their long exile: הִנָּבֵא עַל־הָעֲצָמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם hin·na·vei · al · ha·a·tza·mot · ha·el·leh · ve·a·mar·ta · a·ley·hem: "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, "So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel (כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל). Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel (אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל). And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live (וְנָתַתִּי רוּחִי בָכֶם וִחְיִיתֶם), and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD" (Ezek. 37:10-17). Hebrew Lesson Ezekiel 37:3a Hebrew reading (click): |
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Herzl's Debt to Christian Zionism... |
Theodor Herzl is generally considered the founder of the Modern Zionist movement, though it may come as a surprise to learn that the movement has Christian roots.... First the idea of "Christian Zionism" goes back at least to the theological reflections and teaching of John Nelson Darby (1800–1882) who advocated "dispensational" theology which affirmed that the state of Israel would one day be revived and the Jewish people regathered to their ancient homeland. Later, Darby influenced a number of other Christian thinkers, including the Reverend William Hechler (1845-1931) who took up the political cause of Zionism many years before Theodor Herzl began his work in this area, and who regarded the return of Jewish people to their homeland as a biblical imperative. (Of course the return of the Jewish people from their worldwide exile was taught by Yeshua himself in the Gospel of Matthew (24-25) where their perpetuity was assumed and their presence established at the time of the parousia, or the "second coming" of the Messiah.) "Hechler took part in the early Zionist Congresses - and even received special words of gratitude from Herzl for his work. Herzl noted that Hechler and his biblical inspiration had a great impact on his efforts, giving him a sense that he was a modern-day Moses leading his people back to the Promised Land" (Dr. Jürgen Bühler, "Christian Zionism").
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The Tragic Error of Replacement Theology |
Certain theologians in the Christian church have claimed that Israel (the Jewish people and the land) has been replaced by the Christian Church in the purposes of God, or that the Church is the historic continuation of Israel to the exclusion of the former. In this view, the Jewish people are no longer the "chosen people" of God, and all the promises and covenants ascribed to Israel now belong to the Church. This faulty teaching is known as "Replacement Theology" (sometimes called "supercessionism," the view that Israel has been "superseded" in God's eyes by the Church). |
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