1928 Griswood Broadsheet Eschatological Chart of Christian Zionism

Christian Zionism.

This is a curious 1928 Christian Zionism eschatological broadsheet chart of time prepared by G. A. Griswood. It focuses on the role of the Jews and their connection to the land of Israel, calling for a return of Jews to the Holy Land as a precondition of the Apocalypse.

A Closer Look

Although somewhat bewildering at first glance, the sheet consists of a chart of historical time according to the Bible, starting from the Babylonian Captivity of the Judeans in the early 6th century BCE up to the present (1928) and a hoped-for coming Apocalypse. The large text at top dividing the timeline into 'Seven Weeks or 49 Years' and so on is derived from a description of the Babylonian captivity in the Book of Daniel, the translation of which is hotly debated in Biblical exegesis, but which more literally means 'sevens' though in the King James Bible and other vernacular bibles is often translated as 'weeks.' In any event, references and quotes from other prophecies and books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, including Isaiah, Samuel, Ezra, and Jeremiah, are made to lay out the framework of time. At the bottom, the parallel history of the Jews and their connection to the Land of Israel is also traced. This is related to Premillennial Dispensationalism, a key concept of Christian Zionism, which posits that God had a distinct plan for the Jewish people separate from (though highly relevant to) the Christian Church. Current events are also cited as evidence that the Second Coming is nigh, namely the return of Jews to Israel and the restoration or revival of Rome (note the illustration of Mussolini at the bottom), drawing on the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation.

Christian Zionism

The intention of the piece, which becomes clearer on the right, is to promote a Jewish return to the Land of Israel ('Israel restored in their own land') as a key, necessary component to bring about the Second Coming. Between the 1920s and 1940s, the Christian Zionist movement underwent a critical shift from a purely theological hope to an organized political force, with groups like the American Board of Missions to the Jews (ABMJ), with whom Griswood was affiliated, playing a prominent role. The major impetus for this shift was the Balfour Declaration (1917) and increased Jewish migration to Israel, which American evangelicals interpreted as proof that prophecy was unfolding in real-time. The ABMJ was distinct for being a Hebrew Christian / Messianic Judaism organization aimed at sharing the Gospel with Jews, and converting them where possible. (The organization's founder Leopold Cohn was a rabbi who converted to Christianity.) But short of conversion, the organization also aimed to ally with Zionists to 'restore Israel' and issue publications aimed at American Protestants on why they should support a Jewish homeland, leaning heavily on Biblical prophecies about the role of the Jews, Israel, and the Messiah in the Apocalypse.

The rise of Nazism in Germany also led Christian Zionists and groups like the ABMJ to support efforts to resettle European Jewish refugees in Palestine. The Holocaust only provided greater conviction that the Land of Israel needed to be maintained as a Jewish refuge, and Christian Zionists were influential in pushing the Roosevelt and Truman administrations to support an independent Israel. Meanwhile, the ABMJ has since changed its name to the Chosen Peoples Ministry and focuses on proselytizing to Jews in America. The better-known organization, Jews for Jesus, was founded in 1973 as an offshoot of the ABMJ by Moishe Rosen (1932 - 2010).

Publication History and Census

This sheet was prepared in 1928 by G. A. Griswood, an affiliate of the ABMJ and regular contributor to their publication The Chosen People. This broadsheet is rare; we have been unable to locate any other examples in institutional collections or on the private market.

Cartographer

George Alan Griswood (Grisewood; May 17, 1891 - April 23, 1966), often signing as 'Rev. G. A. Griswood' was a Christian fundamentalist author active in the 1910s through the 1940s. Griswood was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but grew up in Lancashire, England. His family emigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1906, and in 1914, he joined the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force to fight in World War I (1914 - 1918). After the war, he emigrated to the United States, settling in San Diego, then Riverside, where he appears in directories as an artist. There, he hosted a local Christian radio program aimed at young Baptists and contributed to Christian Zionist publications such as The Chosen People and Our Hope. In the 1930s and 1940s, Griswood opposed Antisemitism and supported Zionism from a Christian perspective, being closely affiliated with the organization American Board of Missions to the Jews (ABMJ). After the 1930 death of his wife, Lelah Augusta Thompson (1902 - 1930), he relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. By 1942, we find him in Dallas, Texas, where he remained until his death in 1966.   Further Details...

Condition

Fair. Backed on archival tissue for stability. Several small areas of infill. Closed tears extending into the printed area from the top margin 2, 2.5, 4, and 4.5 inches respectively. Some light soiling.