Posted on 06/05/2002 11:51:09 AM PDT by sheltonmac
Any time there is a flurry of activity in the Middle East you can count on evangelical Christians to put on a good show. They run around proclaiming an "End of the World Is Near" gospel in hopes of scaring people into the Kingdom of God.
I refer to such Christians as "they" because I happen to be one of those evangelical Christians who believe that God is no longer dealing with national Israel and that His chosen people are those who comprise the church—essentially, all who believe in Christ. This may seem like a radical concept to those who look upon writers of doomsday fiction as prophetic geniuses, but that's what happens when people are drawn away from that boring, dust-covered, leaherbound Bible on the coffee table by novels with flashy covers and catchy titles.
When it comes to end times "prophecy," premillennialists seem to have a monopoly on the market. Hal Lindsey burst upon the scene in the 1970's with The Late Great Planet Earth. It became an international best-seller. In like fashion, the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins has proven to be one of the most lucrative enterprises in the history of Christendom. Sure, these books are by no means examples of literary greatness, but the authors more than make up for that with pure, unadulterated prophetic sensationalism.
The success of apocalyptic authors like Lindsey, LaHaye and Jenkins stems from their ability to exploit the prevailing eschatological school of thought among evangelical Christians, that being dispensational premillennialism. (Thank you, John Nelson Darby!) When it comes to the end times, most premillennialists believe that all Christians will be "raptured," that is, taken up out of the world by Jesus Christ at his almost second coming. Those left behind will have to face the Great Tribulation, a seven-year period of unparalleled chaos which will also herald the rule of the Anti-Christ. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will return—his actual second coming—to set up his earthly kingdom and reign on the throne of David for a thousand years. After that millennial time of peace, God will do away with evil once and for all at the Great White Throne Judgment. (How there can be a thousand years of peace with evil present I cannot say. I suppose it's one of those things that just works it self out in the premillennialist model.)
With all the hype surrounding the end times, it is certainly understandable that theological misconceptions will filter down into our political ideology. This is not a new phenomenon. In fact, ever since the arrival of dispensational premillennialism on this continent in the 19th century our national political position has shifted to accomodate this line of thinking, thanks to the efforts of evangelical Christians.
Evangelical Christian influence has been around since the founding of this nation, and the beliefs of evangelicals have spilled over into politics. Ordinarily there would be nothing wrong with this, but flawed theology has since given way to a flawed foreign policy, and U.S. interests have become inextricably tied to the interests of modern Israel.
Strong political support for a Jewish nation began in the early 1900s. During World War I, Arthur James Balfour penned the Balfour Declaration which set the stage for British support of a Jewish homeland:
His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.Since dispensational premillennialism had already established itself as a part of the evangelical mainstream, it was only a matter of time before U.S. politicians who had been born and raised in that evangelical tradition began to let their theology affect their political ideology. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signaled his approval of the Balfour Declaration when he said, "The allied nations with the fullest concurrence of our government and people are agreed that in Palestine shall be laid the foundations of a Jewish Commonwealth."
American politicians have continued to voice their strong support for Israel, though little has been mentioned as to why Israel is such an important ally. But that really isn't the issue I want to explore. What seems to be driving the U.S.-Israel relationship, as far as evangelical Christians are concerned, is the popular belief that the nation of Israel still plays an important role in prophecy, and those not wanting to be caught facing the business end of God's wrathful sword come Judgment Day are pushing for more U.S. involvement in the Middle East. About the only reasons we hear are that we have a "moral obligation" to stand behind Israel or that it's simply "the right thing to do."
Dispensational premillennialists typically quote the Book of Psalms when speaking of our "obligation" to support Israel. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love you'" (Ps. 122:6). This passage has been accepted by many Christians as a universal command by which all believers are bound to pray for the physical city of Jerusalem, lest they fall out of favor with God. Of course, that isn't the case.
While it may be good and practical to pray for the peace of modern Jerusalem, we should really be praying for peace all across the world—the peace that can only come about through the Good News of Jesus Christ. So, in a spiritual sense, Psalm 122 does apply to Christians today. We should pray for the peace of the spiritual Jerusalem, the church (Heb. 12:22), for the well-being of our brothers and sisters in Christ and the furtherance of the Gospel.
Many Christians, however, are too wrapped up in their flawed eschatology to realize that their first responsibility is to the church, the body of Christ, and not to a nation of unbelievers. As a result, eyes glance up in anticipation at the eastern sky every time Israel is mentioned in the media, and the practice of interpreting Scripture through newspaper headlines becomes commonplace.
It is interesting to see the ensuing pandemonium among evangelical Christians brought about by rumors of war in the Middle East. Believers ignore sound biblical instruction and start buying up extra copies of Left Behind to use as witnessing tools for reaching their non-believing friends. Christian columnists all across America crank out editorial pieces on the Jews' divine claim to the Holy Land and the importance of remaining steadfast in our nation's support of Israel. Jack Van Impe goes on television with an air of righteous vindication and says, "See? My latest reinterpretation of my previous reinterpretation of Revelation was correct! The time of Christ's coming in the clouds is fast approaching!"
Who can blame these Christians for becoming so enraptured (no pun intended) with the idea of being whisked away in the blink of an eye while the world is left to fester for seven years in its own evil juices? It is comforting for people to believe that they will escape tribulation when the end comes.
But ask anyone who holds to the premillennialist view what Christ had in mind when he proclaimed, "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place" (Matt. 24:34). Ask them what the apostle Paul meant when he said, "For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham" (Rom. 9:6b-7a). Ask them why God felt it was necessary to establish a New Covenant (Heb. 8) if the Old Covenant is yet to be fulfilled. Chances are the answers you receive will be less than satisfactory.
The truth is that the covenant God had with Israel finds its fulfillment in Christ. "And if you are Christ's," Paul reminds us, "then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29). Advocating an "End of the World Is Near" gospel that appeals to gullible Christians and poll-driven politicians cannot be edifying for the body of Christ. If anything, it detracts from the work the Son of God already accomplished through his death and resurrection.
I certainly do not hold myself up as a theologian or biblical scholar, but it doesn't take one to see that the premillennialist paradigm is rather precarious. When a fundamental part of our foreign policy is based on a shaky biblical exegesis and championed by the very people who should know better, it gives one reason to question the immediate future of our nation.
At least we can rest in the fact that God is ultimately in control. His true chosen people, those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, will not be forsaken, and the glory of the Almighty will shine forth for all the world to see.
That's only part of the problem. A major issue is people take applications from Scripture rather than doing the harder work of properly interpreting the Scripture. That application then is what they defend as if it were doctrine. As often is said, there can be many applications for a verse or a passage, but there is only one correct interpretation.
Being new to this thread, I guess I wasn't in the "everybody" who knew your faith in Christ. Good to know and to see you have an active witness, particularly in a secular university. Thanks for the information.
Loving them into the Kingdom is mostly acting as Jesus did--meeting their needs as best one can as led by Holy Spirit and handing them off as much and as soon as fitting and possible to The Lord--when they become believers--getting them baptized, rooted and grounded in the word and a viable, alive, warm, loving, Spirit-led Fellowship. In the meantime, loving them in all the ways God opens doors for.
I have a little challenge with what you say, such as how one knows he is being led by the Spirit, which kingdom you discuss with people, and being baptized. Where does the Word of God comes in, especially before the person is saved? What gospel do you give when a person asks what must I do to be saved?
Here's an interesting questions - as the seed of Abraham, do you believe the church to be tied into the Abrahamic COvenant? That is, do you believe that nations that bless the church are blessed, and nations that curse the church are cursed? A thumbnail sketch of the world reveals that the most prosperous nations on earth have, or had, a very strong Christian influence. America comes to mind, as does Western Europe.
The first question is answered no. The Abrahamic Covenant promised Israel a land, a seed, or a people to fill the land, and that the people would be a blessing to the rest of the world. Under the program God established at that point, and made a religion under Moses, nations, and people, that blessed Abraham, or Israel, would be blessed and those that cursed Abraham would be cursed(Gen. 12:2,3). Since God set His program with Israel aside, per Romans 9-11, the church of today, the Body of Christ, is not tied to the Abrahamic Covenant other than being a beneficiary of the extension of the blessing portion of the covenant, which is made realtiy in the New Covenant.
The New Covenant is dealing with the spiritual fitness of Israel to qualify them to be a blessing to the world. Members of the Body of Christ are a spiritual people receiving spiritual blessings, Eph. 1:3, not the physical blessings of Israel under the other two aspects of the Abrahamic covenant, a land and a seed/people. Even the New Covenant for Israel will have physical consequences when they are made prominent as a Nation and reap the "wealth of the Gentiles" and the rewards of their position. But as indicated in the prior post, we receive this by grace through faith, not by blessing Israel, or being a part of Israel.
First what church are you referring to as being blessed? Regardless of your answer, the answer to your second question is no. God has a different program in operation, that of grace, and the blessings and curses under the Jewish program don't apply. For Israel in their program, their salvation, blessings and curses are National and they are conditional based on the performance, or obedience of the nation. Under grace, salvation is individual and it is not conditional or performance based. The religion of and God's program with the Jews is conditional. In other words, do this and be blessed, don't do this and be cursed. We are not under this type of a reward and punishment system. Therefore, whether a person or a nation/country blesses or curses us or the church, the Body of Christ, it has no impact on being blessed or on being prosperous. We don't measure our faith and our obedience by our blessings, or lack thereof, as does the program of Israel.
Those countries that have a stronger Christian base or foundation, tend to be more prosperous because of the attempt to apply principles from the Bible. They don't all apply to and for us today, but the Bible does define the role of government. People who are Christian tend to be more considerate, less hostile, and more concerned about others. This tends to lead to more stability in government. America is unique in it's location, it's diverse natural resources, the make-up of it's founders and it's relative youth compared to European and even Asian countries. Our properity is due to these and other things, such as our form of government, work ethic, materialism, etc., not by being blessed of God. He only blesses one nation, Israel, and He's not doing that today. He will again bless Israel in the future.
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ . . . "
"Confess with your mouth, believe in your heart . . . "
etc. etc. etc.
The Biblical plan of Salvation in/through Jesus The Christ is not obscure or hard to understand or apply. Holy Spirit woos whom He will. I just try to do my part and not hinder.
Ah, so you believe that He really meant it when He said that He would return soon, right? Or perhaps you believe that He was hoping that the disciples would understand that He really meant sometime in a couple of thousand years.....???
...and this fulness occurred through Christ who took away our sins! (see verse 27)
100,000,000 horses and soldiers in an age of jets and nuclear weapons? hmmmm.......yeah, that makes sense.....
:o)
or perhaps weeping at how many never would...?
Wow, what a great point! :o)
In Rev 11 it's talking about the Two Witnesses. We read:
8And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city which is called "Sodom" and "Egypt," the city where their Lord was crucified.9And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will come to stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them.10All the people who belong to this world will give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.11But after three and a half days, the spirit of life from God entered them, and they stood up! And terror struck all who were staring at them.12Then a loud voice shouted from heaven, "Come up here!" And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.13And in the same hour there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake. And everyone who did not die was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.14The second terror is past, but look, now the third terror is coming quickly.
When, do you say, was there an earthquake that destroyed a tenth of Jerusalem, causing 7000 people to die? When, historically (please provide source) did that earthquake happen? Thanks.
If we disagree with you, we are arrogant and unable to understand the 'mystery' - which you understand because you have humbled yourself...
Now WHO is arrogant???
BTW, Revelation is viewed by preterists to have been written before 70AD - a belief shared by many Biblical scholars (Bahnsen, Farrar, Robinson, Bruce, Bultmann, Lightfoot, etc.)
When, do you say, was there an earthquake that destroyed a tenth of Jerusalem, causing 7000 people to die? When, historically (please provide source) did that earthquake happen? Thanks.
Josephus mentions an earthquake and that by the next morning 8500 lay dead (although not due directly to the earthquake but to the Idumeans) - I'll keep looking on that one...
Shared by very very FEW scholars. The vast vast majority of Biblical scholars place Revelation at about 95 AD. Citing the differing opinion of a tiny minority does not justify dismissing the scholarship of the vast majority.
Josephus mentions an earthquake and that by the next morning 8500 lay dead (although not due directly to the earthquake but to the Idumeans) - I'll keep looking on that one...
You will be looking a very long time because it never happened. A tenth of Jerusalem could not have been destroyed by an earthquake, because 10 tenths of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman Legions before Revelation was even written. This is because Revelation prophesies End-Time events which will happen in Israel, and Jerusalem.
And Praise God! Israel and Jerusalem EXIST again today! The sit, right where God has always wanted them, ready and waiting to fulfil God's prophesies and His Holy Covenants with Israel which were everlasting and unconditional. Look for the new Temple to be rebuilt on the Temple Mount right where the other ones were.
Regarding the gospel message, those are OK verses but sometimes they can be confusing and not complete enough, such as what do I believe on or about the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. I don't think a person can believe He is Messiah alone and be saved, nor that He lived and that He died and was raised. James 2:19 tells us, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble." Salvation must be more that mere believing there is a God, which includes God the Son.
I find 1Cor. 15:1-4 provides the clearest gospel presentation, especially verses 3 & 4: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." Paul says in verses 1 & 2 that this is the gospel they believed and were saved. The important distinction is that Christ died for my sins. That's what a person needs to believe to be saved.
I just try to do my part and not hinder.
That's a problem we all have, but for most of us, the hardest part is even beginning to witness. BTW, I don't believe in throwing a bunch of Bible verses at someone unless it is clear they want to hear them. Unless they are ready, the Word is "foolishness" to them.
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