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Are You a Christian Zionist?
by Gary Stearman (c) Prophecy in the News
Around the world, the mantra is heard with increasing volume. "Down with the Zionist Satan!" "Zionism is illegal … and racist and imperialist!" Within intellectual circles, books, articles and tracts are carrying the same message. And it’s not only the Israeli settlers who are targeted. Those who support modern Israel are equally blamed by the same groups. A growing number of churches believe that Christian support for Israel as a divinely ordained nation is naïve and destructive.
At the close of 2008, the National Council of Churches joined the din, declaring that "Christian Zionism is dangerous!"
It is the intent of this article to bring a fresh reminder of how passionately the Lord views the Holy Land. The history of Zion is the history of the House of David, past, present and future. Zionism is simply the fulfillment of His foreordained plan for the Land and for Israel.
Many Christians have been led to deep and heartfelt commitment to latter-day Israel, and its prophesied destiny. They believe that the Lord has promised His people both a Land and a throne … the Throne of David.
The depth of the Lord’s love for the Land and its people is expressed in one of the most important statements in all Scripture. It flows forth in profoundly beautiful language, penned by the Sons of Korah. Couched in the language of love, the words of Psalm 87 utter a truth that the world simply cannot accept:
"A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.
"His foundation is in the holy mountains.
"The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
"Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
"I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.
"And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.
"The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.
"As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee" (Ps. 87:1-7).
Here, we find that plain and emphatic statement that the "gates of Zion …" the historical Mount Moriah, where Israel’s Temples were built … has a special place in the heart of the Lord. In fact, it is an ode to the "holy mountains," which would include the Mount of Olives and other mountains surrounding Jerusalem.
His foundation – that is Abraham, Melchizedek, Isaac and the patriarchs – established the Jewish faith at that very spot. There, it will stand in the age of the Kingdom. Its gates are the famed gates that surround the Temple Mount. And here, it is associated with that great metaphor of salvation, the Book of Life, in which the names of the redeemed are written.
The name of the mount is Zion, not the Harem al-Sharif , or "Noble Sanctuary" as Arab Muslims call it.
The name Zion appears twice in Psalm 87, once to identify the geographic location with its gates, and again, to enunciate the fact that Zion is associated with the calling of God’s elect. To be born in Zion is to be born through its King, the Lord God of the Old Testament and the Lord Jesus of the New.
Zion is associated with being written in the Book of Life, a concept dear to both Jews and Christians. In this Psalm, Zion is a metaphor for redemption. Once, when Jesus visited this place, He declared Himself as the One whose name would forever be identified with it:
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
"Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
"But he spake of the temple of his body" (Jn. 2:19-21).
Jesus knew that Herod’s Temple would soon be razed, and He also knew that his own body would be devastated. But in three days, his body was resurrected. And in His Millennial reign, He knew that the Temple would also be rebuilt.
The prophet Hosea, referring to millennia as "days," described the same elapsed time between Christ’s first and second comings: "After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight" (Hos. 6:2).
Thus, the ideas associated with the person of Jesus, redemption and the mountain called Zion are forever intertwined. The Temple of His body, and the Temple on the mountaintop represent the same historical principle: redemption.
How Zion Got Its Name
In the days of Abraham, the Mountain was called "Moriah," meaning either "seen of the Lord," or "chosen of the Lord." Its name is most appropriate. This was the place where Abraham met Melchizedek and later, took Isaac to be offered as a sacrifice:
"And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of" (Gen. 22:2).
Upon this mountain, the Lord spoke to Abraham, staying his hand, as he prepared to lower the sacrificial knife upon Isaac. He then provided a ram as an acceptable sacrifice.
A thousand years later, in the days of David and Solomon, this sacred location was still known by its ancient name:
"Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite" (II Chr. 3:1).
Before King David took Moriah in a military conquest, it was actually the property of Ornan. As described by the prophet Samuel, David’s victory resulted in a major change of name for this historic location:
"And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.
"Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion : the same is the city of David.
"And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.
"So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
"And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him" (II Sam. 5:7-10).
In this passage, we find the first Scriptural reference to Mount Moriah as "Zion." The origin of this name is shrouded in mystery. Some have suggested that it originates in a Semitic word root that means, "to fortify" or "defend," as in "a fortress." Others have related it to a word meaning "parched" or "very dry." In the latter case, some have translated it as meaning "a sunny place."
But at some point, it also came to mean "something erected as a pillar," or a "sign."
In fact, all of the above meanings characterize this most significant place. It is certainly dry. Water has always had to be carried up to its heights and stored there in cisterns. Originally, it was used as a threshing floor … a high place where drying winds blow, separating wheat from chaff.
In a transaction that will remain in the public record as long as the Word of God stands, Ornan (called Araunah in the following text) offered to give the mountaintop to David out of respect for the King. David refused, saying that the Lord’s ground would not be indebted to any man:
"And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
"And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel" (II Sam. 24:24,25).
A wider view of the transaction is recorded in First Chronicles:
"And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
"So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
"And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering" (I Chr. 21:24-26).
A casual reading seems to reveal a textual problem here, since two different purchase prices are mentioned in the two accounts. But in fact, there is no conflict, since Samuel records the purchase of the threshingfloor, while Chronicles speaks of the "place," from the Hebrew magom, meaning "home." The higher price mentioned here is payment for the entire mountain, probably including its lower portion, known as the "City of David."
As we have often mentioned, this is one of the oldest and probably the most accurate real estate abstracts in existence. Title deed for Mount Zion remains in the hands of the House of David, as it has for the last three millennia. No subsequent deed supercedes the one recorded here.
Zion, therefore, is on permanent record as the foundation of David’s throne.
Modern Zionism
There is little doubt that Zionism is the world’s most despised idea. One who supports the legitimacy of Zionism will sooner or later run into criticism. In particular, Israel’s right to the 300,000 square miles of land granted to Abraham, and especially, Mount Zion, faces highly emotional opposition.
From A.D. 135 and the defeat of Simeon Bar Kochba, until the twentieth century, the Holy Land lay defeated and desolate. It witnessed occasional skirmishes, as Islam and the Crusaders stirred its dust. But by and large, it was not until 1948 that the Arab world "discovered" its deep roots in the land that it likes to call Palestine. Until very recently, Islam had felt no need to declare Zion one of its holiest sites.
Since Israeli statehood, the movement called Zionism has found itself at the central focus of a deep dispute. And no wonder, since the Bible describes the Holy Land as the center of the earth. Zionist pioneers, dating back to the late nineteenth century, had no idea that they were stirring up such a hornet’s nest.
Zionism as Racism
The fury of the dispute became a global frenzy in 1975, when United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 declared, "Zionism is racism." In official language, the Jewish claim to the Land was branded a nationalistic racist ideology. Their claim of exclusive right to Jewish national territory was quickly labeled as an offense to many anti-Semitic groups, Arabs in particular.
The wording of the resolution was truly amazing. In part, it said:
"3379. Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 1904 (XVIII) of 20 November 1963, proclaiming the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and in particular its affirmation that "any doctrine of racial differentiation or superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous." Recalling also … the unholy alliance between South African racism and Zionism … Taking note of … the World Conference of the International Women’s Year, held at Mexico City from 19 June to 2 July 1975, which promulgated the principle that "international cooperation and peace require the achievement of national liberation and independence, the elimination of colonialism and neo-colonialism, foreign occupation, Zionism apartheid and racial discrimination in all its forms, as well as the recognition of the dignity of peoples and their right to self-determination." Taking note also of … the organization of African Unity at its twelfth ordinary session … "that the racist regime in occupied Palestine and the racist regime in Zimbabwe and South Africa have a common imperialist origin, forming a whole and having the same racist structure and being organically linked in their policy aimed at repression of the dignity and integrity of the human being … Taking note also of the Political Declaration of … Non-Aligned Countries held at Lima from 25 to 30 August 1975, which most severely condemned Zionism as a threat to world peace and security and called upon all countries to oppose this racist and imperialist ideology, Determines that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination."
Later the same day, Israeli Ambassador Chaim Herzog addressed the U.N., citing the thousands of Arabs who were flocking to Israel for jobs, using Israel’s free medical services and serving in the Israeli government. "Is that racism?" he asked. "It is not … it is Zionism!"
He added, "For us, the Jewish people, this resolution based on hatred, falsehood and arrogance is devoid of any moral or legal value. For us, the Jewish people, this is no more than a piece of paper and we shall treat it as such." At that point, he demonstrated his disgust by ripping the Resolution in two.
Secular Awakening
Many criticize Zionism as a latter-day invention. This is simply not true. Its definition and scope are Scriptural. It is the prophetic expression of the House of David. As we have already seen, the concept was born when David came to Mount Moriah and established the City of David and the mountaintop as Zion. As such, it is specifically a spiritual idea.
But with the diaspora, Zionism sank into virtual non-existence, not to arise again until the end of the nineteenth century. Ironically, it did so under the banner of social ideals and "modern" theories of socio-economic thought.
Their return was driven by secular idealism. The ancient biblical ideal of Zionism was co-opted by academic intellectuals. But in fact, Bible prophecy actually foresaw this development.
In late nineteenth-century Europe, humanist thought exploded as a concept, into the hope of emancipation and the promise of socialistic security. European intellectuals idealized the thoughts of Hegel, Marx and Engels.
Author Abraham Shulman wrote, "Moses Hess, a former collaborator of Marx and Engels, found himself betrayed by both his hopes in Emancipation and by the promises of socialism. He came to the conclusion that the situation of the Jews was not unlike that of the proletariat. Along the lines of the Communist Manifesto, he substituted for ‘class’ in ‘class struggle,’ the words ‘oppressed nationality.’ Only in a home of his own would the Jew function as a free man and a liberated human being. Moses Hess, who had formerly, along with Marx, believed that the liberation of the toiling masses would mean the redemption of the whole world, now shifted his view from the liberation of masses to the national liberation of the Jews. The revival of the Jewish state, he concluded, would mark the beginning of a spiritual revival of humanity. It would be the Messianic sign of the liberation of all oppressed individuals and nations.
"His book Rome and Jerusalem , published in 1862, was the first appeal for the revival of the Jewish homeland without recourse to the emotional mystique. For a long time, this book went unnoticed. Its importance became known much later, when another disillusioned Jewish assimilationist came out with a public plea that eventually changed the course of Jewish history. His name was Theodore Herzl" (Abraham Shulman, Coming Home to Zion (New York, Doubleday, 1979) pp. 12,14).
Herzl, a Hungarian Jewish journalist, wrote a small tract, entitled Judanstaat (A Jewish State). Under his direction, the First Zionist Congress was held at Basle, Switzerland in 1897. It was as though a light had suddenly been turned on. Jewish nationalism became an international idea.
A new Messianic fervor appeared, such as had not been seen among the Jews since the days of the first century. It emerged with the hope of a Jewish national government, and a state once again in its own homeland. But its spiritual vitality was buried in global political and economic theory, and it was secular to the core.
A few years earlier, in 1882, a few disillusioned Jewish Russian social revolutionaries, shocked that they were unwelcome in their own country, left Russia and arrived in Joppa. Their journey marked the First Aliyah (immigration) into Israel. It was followed by four other waves of immigrants, who came home to Israel through two World Wars and several more Zionist Congresses.
Of course, the modern State of Israel was born on May 14, 1948. It is deeply ironic that this was the result of a United Nations General Assembly decision in November 1947, to divide the territory of Palestine into three parts. The resolution stated, "Independent Arab and Jewish States and the Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem … shall come into existence in Palestine."
Six months later David Ben-Gurion declared Israeli statehood. Zionism had become Zion. But shortly after that, on the first of October, 1948, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husayni spoke in Gaza, declaring an "all-Palestine government." The Arabs intended this regime to expand across the entirety of Palestine. And thus was the latter-day battle staged, which rages on to this day.
Christian Support
Throughout this time period, God’s providence worked in another amazing way, as the followers of John Nelson Darby began to teach that Israel was about to return to the Land. These men were the Plymouth Brethren, so-called because of their first meetings held in Plymouth, England. They spearheaded a powerful Christian movement that taught Dispensationalism and the Premillennial view of prophecy, as well as the pretribulation rapture of the church.
Theodore Herzl was aided by an Episcopalian minister named William Heschler, who had been enlightened by the teaching of the Brethren. Heschler worked to help the Jews return to their homeland. In fact, he came to be called, "the prophet of the coming Jewish state."
From the very beginning of the state of Israel, Christians were present, either to facilitate the Zionist movement, or to stand by and watch eagerly as prophecy was progressively fulfilled. They were fully aware that it was based in socialism, but believed so strongly in the fulfillment of biblical prophecy that they looked beyond the settlers’ socialist philosophy.
Prophecy Fulfilled
They correctly interpreted Israel’s regathering to take place in a state of unbelief, as witnessed by the remarkable prophecy of Ezekiel. The following verses are a concise and accurate condensation of Israel’s regathering:
"For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
"And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
"And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God" (Ezk. 36:24-28).
In The Scofield Study Bible of 1909, Dr. C. I. Scofield comments upon the foregoing verses in the following way: "Having announced … the restoration of the nation, Jehovah now gives in vision and symbol the method of its accomplishment."
He then comments upon Ezekiel 37, the chapter that follows. It features the prophecy of the "dry bones." To make his comments easier to understand, they are placed before each verse upon which he comments.
He says, "Verse 11 gives the clue. The ‘bones’ are the whole house of Israel who shall then be living."
"Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts" (Ezek. 37:11).
He writes, "The ‘graves’ are the nations where they dwell. The order of procedure is: (1) the bringing of the people out (v. 12); (2) the bringing of them in (v. 12):
"Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel" (Ezek. 37:12).
"(3) their conversion (v. 13):
"And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves," (Ezek. 37:13).
"(4) the filling with the Spirit (v. 14).
"And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD" (Ezek. 37:14).
Scofield’s interpretation of these verses represents a concise description of pro-Zionist Christian beliefs, beginning first and foremost with a belief in the return of the Jews to the Land, and their redemption as a nation.
Implied in this position is a clear distinction between Israel and the Church. That is, the Kingdom Age is to be dominated by the Throne of David and a Jewish Messiah, who returns to build the third Temple. The church, the Body of Christ does not take this role.
This, in turn, bespeaks a belief that the age of the Church will come to an end before the age of the Kingdom.
The mechanism that terminates the Church Age is the rapture, which is more or less immediately followed by Daniel’s Seventieth Week … the seven-year Tribulation.
Thus, when Darby, the Plymouth Brethren and their followers began to teach the first principle that the Jews would return to the Holy Land, the rest of the dispensational system of interpretation quickly fell into place. Dispensationalism, of course, is the belief that history is divided into a succession of historical periods, each of which represents a distinct phase of God’s redemptive work. Presently we are in the Dispensation of the church, which will be followed by the age of the Kingdom.
This fresh insight gave birth to a new term, "Christian Zionist." From the first, those who carried this label found themselves at the center of a great controversy. Namely, is it Scripturally defensible for a Christian to be a Zionist? Implied in this question is that the first mission of the church is to evangelize: "… to the Jew first."
In fact, Christian Zionism seemed to expect Jews to return to the Land without a living faith in God through Christ. Jews of many different faiths … Orthodox, Hasidic, and socialist liberals … were all thought to be part of the general aliyah, the return to the Land in unbelief. Christian Zionists believed that later, they would be brought to faith in the dramatic series of events given in prophecy, Old Testament and New.
When the Episcopalian minister William Heschler became a disciple of the Plymouth Brethren, he quickly became a Christian Zionist. The Brethren were at the center of Christian support for Israel’s return to the Land. And in the providence of the Lord, Heschler met Theodore Herzl, and together, they founded the World Zionist Organization.
World War One witnessed the now-famous incident in which a Jewish chemist, Chaim Weismann, contributed to British victory by inventing a method of quickly fabricating smokeless gunpowder for their arsenals. By way of thanks, on November 3, 1917, Lord Balfour — another follower of the Plymouth Brethren — promised the Jews a national homeland.
Zionism is simply the belief that God’s covenant with Abraham exists in perpetuity. Once a Scriptural vision, it has become a thriving reality, and the world’s foremost bone of contention.
Christian Zionism, a Threat?
Christian Zionism is more than an ideology and belief system. It is linked to geography , and to the ancient real estate abstract that records David’s purchase from Ornan. Zion is loved by some and hated by others as heresy. But in its essence, it is characterized by a love for God’s chosen people, the Jews, and their Scriptural destiny.
Christians remember the words of Paul, who grieved over the failure of his people to come to faith in their true Messiah, Jesus. His emotional questions move us to this day: "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." (Rom. 11:1).
A bit further on, he asks, "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
"Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
"If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
"For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? " (Rom. 11:11-15).
In no way does Paul believe that the Jews have been forever cast aside. Here, he writes of them as a national body that has been cast away, but will one day be received again. It is absolutely clear that he is speaking of their resurrection as a nation, not as individuals.
The dispensational understanding of Scripture places great importance upon the latter-day rise of national Israel. Dispensationalists believe that its twelve tribes will return to their ancient Land, there to experience spiritual renewal, beginning with the sealing of 144,000 Israelites. The church has nothing at all to do with this watershed event. By the time this prophesied event comes to pass, the church will have been removed from the earth.
The Big Question
But here, we run into the classic eschatological problem. In what manner are the Jews to be brought to faith in the end times? Is it to come only through their evangelism by the church? This was the position of the church of the Middle Ages, and even the Reformation, which held with Augustine’s fifth-century teaching that there would be no millennium. He spiritualized the apocalypse out of existence, and visualized the church as being in a struggle with the world, which would end with Christ’s coming.
Israel in the Millennial Kingdom Age was completely omitted from his interpretation of Scripture. To this day, mainline denominations continue in his ideology, taking the position that Jews may achieve redemption only by becoming members of the institutional church … that Jews may receive salvation only by entering into its ranks.
The mainline institutional church finds Christian Zionism, which sees Israel’s regathering as God’s will for the House of David, repugnant, even frightening.
A good example of their opinion is found in a brochure recently issued by the National Council of Churches [NCC]. Published in December 2008, it is entitled, Why We Should be Concerned About Christian Zionism. It provides a remarkable statement of the basic issues.
Doubtless, the timing of its dissemination is based upon the tightening conflict between Israel and the Arab world. With Iraq, Iran and nuclear conflict in view, the NCC view places the burden of the blame with Israel, which has claimed land that it regards as the Palestinian homeland. In fact, they use their theological argument to question the legitimacy of modern Israel’s very existence.
One of its main points lays the blame for the conflict upon the Dispensational movement. Here is one of its key criticisms about Christian Zionism:
"It is not based on traditional teaching or doctrines of the Church – Christian Zionism and its theological presuppositions are nineteenth-century innovations in Christian doctrine. The most prominent spokesperson for these beliefs was John Nelson Darby (1800-1882). Although the advocates of Christian Zionism and its underlying theology sometimes claim to base their beliefs on ancient understandings, generally scholars recognize these to be recent innovations."
Here, we have an amazing theological argument, somehow based upon the premise that current insights into the prophetic interpretation of Scripture are by nature of their recent discovery, invalid. Under this thinking, doctrine, to be sound, must meet some sort of time test, having been recognized by some convocation of elders before a certain unspecified cutoff date.
John Nelson Darby and his followers apparently do not meet this test, even though he graduated from Trinity College as a "Master Scholar," and later became a priest in the Anglican church. Darby’s biography documents the fact that if he had not been injured in an equestrian accident that left him bedridden for months, he would have continued on that path. Given his intelligence and drive, he would probably have risen to high office in the Church of England.
But his lengthy convalescence gave him time to read the Bible as he hadn’t read it before. Scripture led him to two conclusions: First, it caused him to see the nineteenth century institutional church as "a ruin." Second, his eyes were opened to the prophetic certainty that Israel would return to her own Land. He saw a "new dispensation" coming.
Dispensationalism soon became a living faith. Christian Zionism was born.
In answer to the question, "What is Christian Zionism?" the NCC says, "Christian Zionism may be defined either broadly or narrowly. Broadly speaking it designates any Christian support for the national revival movement of the Jewish people realized through the establishment of the modern State of Israel (historically known as Zionism). More narrowly defined, Christian Zionism is an ideology grounded in beliefs which consider the State of Israel to be divinely ordained and scripturally determined with a central role in ushering in the end of history, where unconverted Jews and unbelievers (including Christians who are considered to be of questionable status) are judged by God’s wrath. It is the narrower form that causes immediate concern."
Here, it becomes perfectly clear that the NCC’s real objection is to the Premillennial and Pretribulational view of history, which would include the rise of a Gentile world power structure, an antichrist and a literal seven-year Tribulation. They profoundly disagree with Darby’s dispensational view.
In fact, the churches which fall under the NCC’s purview conform in varying degrees to the theology of the reformers, who adopted the Amillennial doctrine of Augustine, or some form of Postmillennial doctrine. The former believes that there will be no Millennial reign of Christ, and the latter holds that the Millennium began during Christ’s earthly ministry. The church is thus regarded as redeemed Israel.
Holy Ground
Today, there is a serious question for Christians that must be asked and answered. It has to do with the legitimacy of Israeli statehood. In 1947, under U.N. auspices, the world decided in the affirmative. In 1948, Israel became a nation. Immediately, a series of Middle East wars began. They have developed into a continuing, nerve-wracking chain of tremors, which will soon culminate in a catastrophic shaking — the Tribulation. In its upheavals, Israel will be spiritually reborn. Jesus will come again to reign as their King.
The modern institutional church denies this truth. To them, Zion is spiritual, not geographic. It is an artifact of the church.
But think of this: In all of Scripture, Zion is mentioned 160 times. In the Psalms, it occurs 38 times. In Isaiah, it is found 46 times. In Jeremiah … 17 times.
In the King James New Testament, it appears as "Sion," and is found 7 times, and at each of these appearances it refers either to the twelve tribes of Israel, or to the geographic Mount Zion in modern Jerusalem, bought and paid for by the House of David.
At Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Matthew records the event as a fulfillment of prophecy, uttered by both Isaiah and Zechariah: "Tell ye the daughter of Sion, [Zion] Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass" (Matt. 21:5).
Zion, a Composite
Israel is the "daughter of Zion," not the church. A composite picture of Zion reveals one thing: It is a place, a city and an idea. Some dismiss Zionism as a fabricated political movement, and say that the church cannot condone it, much less encourage it. The NCC calls it, "… a movement with negative consequences for Middle East Peace." They say, "It fosters fear and hatred of Muslims and non-Western Christians."
But a moment’s reflection shows that it is an idea that lies at the center of God’s heart:
"Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion , on the sides of the north, the city of the great King" (Psa. 48:2).
"Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments" (Psa. 48:11).
"Walk about Zion , and go round about her: tell the towers thereof." (Psa. 48:12).
"Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion : build thou the walls of Jerusalem" (Psa. 51:18).
"For God will save Zion , and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession" (Psa. 69:35).
"Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion , wherein thou hast dwelt" (Psa. 74:2).
"When the LORD shall build up Zion , he shall appear in his glory" (Psa. 102:16).
"Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children" (Is. 66:8).
Look for yourself at the dozens of other, similar references in Scripture. See for yourself that Zion is an expression of God’s love and His will. If you follow this simple exercise, you will find that you, too, are a Christian Zionist.
Zionism is revolting only to those who oppose the return of the Jews to their biblical homeland, and their Temple.
Never forget this convincing thought:
"The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob" (Psa. 87:2).
A Brief History of the Rapture
Original Article from Midnight Call
One of the most often cited objections to pretribulationism is that it is a new teaching in church history, having only come on the scene in the 1830s. It is often argued that if the pre-trib Rapture were biblical, then it would have been taught earlier, and throughout church history. In the last decade, individuals have found a number of pre-1830 references to a pre-trib Rapture. Here is a summary of that evidence.
THE EARLY CHURCH
Since imminency is considered to be a crucial feature of pretribulationism by scholars such as John Walvoord,1 it is significant that the Apostolic Fathers, though posttribulational, at the same time just as clearly taught the pretribulational feature of imminence. Since it was common in the early Church to hold contradictory positions without even an awareness of inconsistency, it would not be surprising to learn that their era supports both views. Larry Crutchfield notes, “This belief in the imminent return of Christ within the context of ongoing persecution has prompted us to broadly label the views of the earliest fathers, ‘imminent intratribulationism.’” 2
Expressions of imminency abound in the Apostolic Fathers. Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, The Didache, The Epistle of Barnabas, and The Shepherd of Hermas all speak of imminency.3 Furthermore, The Shepherd of Hermas speaks of the pretribulational concept of escaping the Tribulation.
You have escaped from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly. 4
Evidence of pretribulationism surfaces during the early medieval period in a sermon some attribute to Ephraem the Syrian, but is more likely the product of one scholar called Pseudo-Ephraem, entitled Sermon on The Last Times, The Antichrist, and The End of the World.5 The sermon was written some time between the fourth and sixth century. The Rapture statement reads as follows:
Why therefore do we not reject every care of earthly actions and prepare ourselves for the meeting of the Lord Christ, so that he may draw us from the confusion, which overwhelms all the world? …For all the saints and elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins.
This statement makes evident a clear belief that all Christians will escape the Tribulation through a gathering to the Lord, and it is stated early in the sermon. How else can this be understood other than as pretribulational? The later Second Coming of Christ to the earth with the saints is mentioned at the end of the sermon.
THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH
By the fifth century A.D., the amillennialism of Origen and Augustine had won the day in the established Church–East and West. It is probable that some form of premillennialism persisted throughout the Middle Ages, but it existed primarily underground.
It is believed that sects like the Albigenses, Lombards, and the Waldenses were attracted to premillennialism, but little is known of the details of their beliefs since the Catholics destroyed their works when they were found. But there was at least one who held to some form of pretribulationism, namely one named Brother Dolcino in 1304.
Francis Gumerlock is the individual who advocates the Brother Dolcino Rapture find and said in his book: “The Dolcinites held to a pre-tribulation Rapture theory similar to that in modern dispensationalism.” 6 The reason Gumerlock believes that Brother Dolcino and the Apostolic Brethren taught pretribulationism is found in the following statement:
Again, [Dolcino believed and preached and taught] that within those three years Dolcino himself and his followers will preach the coming of the Antichrist. And that the Antichrist was coming into this world within the bounds of the said three and a half years; and after he had come, then he [Dolcino] and his followers would be transferred into Paradise, in which are Enoch and Elijah. And in this way they will be preserved unharmed from the persecution of Antichrist. And that then Enoch and Elijah themselves would descend on the earth for the purpose of preaching [against] Antichrist. Then they would be killed by him or by his servants,and thus Antichrist would reign for a long time. But when the Antichrist is dead, Dolcino himself, who then would be the holy pope, and his preserved followers, will descend on the earth, and will preach the right faith of Christ to all, and will convert those who will be living then to the true faith of Jesus Christ. 7
THE REFORMATION CHURCH
After more than 1,000 years of suppression, premillennialism began to be revived as a result of at least four factors. By the late 1500’s and the early 1600’s, premillennialism began to return as a factor within mainstream Protestantism. With the flowering of biblical interpretation during the late Reformation Period, premillennial interpreters began to abound throughout Protestantism, and so did the development of sub-issues like the Rapture.
Some began to speak of the Rapture. Paul Benware notes:
Peter Jurieu in his book Approaching Deliverance of the Church (1687) taught that Christ would come in the air to rapture the saints and return to heaven before the battle of Armageddon. He spoke of a secret Rapture prior to His coming in glory and judgment at Armageddon. Philip Doddridge’s commentary on the New Testament (1738) and John Gill’s commentary on the New Testament (1748) both use the term rapture and speak of it as imminent. It is clear that these men believed that this coming will precede Christ’s descent to the earth and the time of judgment. The purpose was to preserve believers from the time of judgment. James Macknight (1763) and Thomas Scott (1792) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over. 8
Frank Marotta, a brethren researcher, believes that Thomas Collier in 1674 makes reference to a pretribulational Rapture, but rejects the view,9 thus showing his awareness that such a view was being taught in the late 17th century. There is the interesting case of John Asgill, who wrote a book in 1700 about the possibility of translation (i.e. Rapture) without seeing death.10
Perhaps the clearest reference to a pretrib Rapture, if not the most developed system, before Darby comes from Baptist Morgan Edwards (founder of the Ivy League school, Brown University) who saw a distinct Rapture threeand a-half years before the start of the Millennium.11 The discovery of Edwards, who wrote about his pretrib beliefs in 1744 and later published them in 1788, is hard to dismiss.12 He taught the following:
II. The distance between the first and second resurrection will be somewhat more than a thousand years. I say, somewhat more—, because the dead saints will be raised, and the living changed at Christ’s “appearing in the air” (I Thes. iv. 17); and this will be about three years and a half before the millennium, as we shall see hereafter: but will he and they abide in the air all that time? No: they will ascend to paradise, or to some one of those many “mansions in the father’s house” (John xiv. 2), and disappear during the foresaid period of time. The design of this retreat and disappearing will be to judge the risen and changed saints; for “now the time is come that judgment must begin,” and that will be “at the house of God” (I Pet. iv. 17)…(p. 7; The spelling of all Edwards quotes have been modernized.)
CONCLUSION
I have heard from another scholar who is reading through many Latin manuscripts of previously unpublished documents that he has found a number of previously unknown pre-trib Rapture statements from pre-19th century Christendom. He is planning to publish his material in a few years. What these pre-Darby Rapture statements prove, if nothing else, is that indeed others did see the Rapture taught in Scripture similar to the way that pretribulationists in our own day teach. Thus, the argument that no one ever taught pretribulationism until J. N. Darby in 1830 is just not historically true and it is becoming increasingly clear with each passing year. Maranatha!
ENDNOTES
1 John F.Walvoord, The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), pp. 24-25.
2 Larry V. Crutchfield,“The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation in the Apostolic Fathers” in Thomas Ice & Timothy Demy, editors, When The Trumpet Sounds (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1995), p. 103.
3 Crutchfield,“The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation in the Apostolic Fathers,”pp. 88-101.
4 The Shepherd of Hermas, 1.4.2.
5 For more information on this matter see Timothy J. Demy and Thomas D. Ice,“The Rapture and an Early Medieval Citation,” Bibliotheca Sacra (Vol. 152,No. 607; July-Sept. 1995), pp. 306-17.
6 Francis X. Gumerlock, The Day and the Hour: A Chronicle of Christianity’s Perennial Fascination with Predicting the End of the World (Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 2000), p. 80.
7 Gumerlock’s translation of the Latin text in Gumerlock, “A Rapture Citation,”pp. 354-55.
8 Paul N. Benware, Understanding End Times Prophecy: A Comprehensive Approach (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), pp. 197-98.
9 Frank Marotta, Morgan Edwards: An Eighteenth Century Pretribulationist (Morganville, N.J.: Present Truth Publishers, 1995), pp. 10-12.
10 The entire title of Asgill’s work is as follows: An argument proving, that according to the covenant of Eternal Life revealed in the Scriptures,Man may be translated from hence into that Eternal Life, without passing through Death, although the Human Nature of Christ himself could not be thus translated till he had passed through Death.
11 Marotta, Morgan Edwards.
12 Morgan Edwards, Two Academical Exercised on Subjects Bearing the following Titles;Millennium, Last-Novelties (Philadelphia: self-published, 1788).
The Anti-Christ and Mr. Obama - Part 2
Jack Kelly, RaptureReady.com
Last week’s article has quickly become one of the most widely read of any we’ve ever posted. It has also generated several questions and some wild information I had never heard before. Among these are excerpts from secular news sources containing two non-Biblical prophecies that I will offer first. Since they both opened with rhetorical questions, I’ve arranged them in our familiar Q and A format, but post them as written. The remaining questions are all reader submitted.
Two Non-Biblical Prophecies
The first one is very controversial and I offer no opinion as to its validity, except that I’ve received it from several independent news sources. I have been able to confirm that Johanwa Owalo was who this prophecy says he was and that it apparently came from a document copyrighted in 1915. Readers are cautioned to conduct their own research before accepting it as authentic.
“Q. Is Barak Obama the “Son of Kenya” foretold by the great 19th Century Kenyan Prophet, Johanwa Owalo, the founder of Kenya’s Nomiya Luo Church?
A. Among the Kenyan people of the Luo religion Owalo is believed to be a prophet similar to Jesus Christ and Muhammad, and who in 1912 made this horrific prophecy about the United States:
‘So far have they [the United States] strayed into wickedness in those [future] times that their destruction has been sealed by my [father]. Their great cities will burn, their crops and cattle will suffer disease and death, their children will perish from diseases never seen upon this Earth, and I reveal to you the greatest [mystery] of all as I have been allowed to see that their [the United States] destruction will come about through the vengeful hands of one of our very own sons.’ “
The next one comes from a Forbes.com article dated 10-26-08 by Amir Taheri, author of 10 books on Iran, the Middle East and Islam.
“Q. Is Barack Obama the "promised warrior" coming to help the Hidden Imam of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?
A. This question has made the rounds in Iran since last month, when a pro-government Web site published a Hadith (or tradition) from a Shiite text of the 17th century. The tradition comes from Bahar al-Anvar (meaning Oceans of Light) by Mullah Majlisi, a magnum opus in 132 volumes and the basis of modern Shiite Islam.
According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a "tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West." Commanding "the strongest army on earth," the new ruler in the West will carry "a clear sign" from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: "Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us ."
In a curious coincidence Obama’s first and second names–Barack Hussein–mean "the blessing of Hussein" in Arabic and Persian. His family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means "he is with us," the magic formula in Majlisi’s tradition.”
From these secular sources it appears that people from diverse backgrounds believe that a leader matching Mr. Obama’s description could appear in the last days, and that his impact will not be good for America. Time will tell.
Reader Submitted Questions
Now we’ll begin our reader submitted questions. In the interest of time and space, I’ve summarized them all into three basic questions that speak to Mr. Obama’s qualification to be the anti-Christ.
Q. Re: The people of the leader who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (Daniel 9:26) How can Mr. Obama be the fulfillment of Daniel 9:26 if he was born in Hawaii, or Kenya for that matter?
A. When Daniel wrote these words from the Angel Gabriel, the Babylonians were about to be conquered by the Medes and Persians. The Romans wouldn’t arrive on the scene for several hundred years yet so Gabriel needed a way to identify them. He told Daniel the coming leader would be from the people who would destroy the city and sanctuary following the Messiah’s rejection. The Jewish Temple and the City of Jerusalem were destroyed separately. The Roman General Titus Vespasian led the troops who burned the Temple and tore its ruins apart stone by stone in either 68 or 69 AD depending on who’s account you favor. He did this under orders from his father Vespasian who was the Emperor of Rome. Then in 135 AD another Roman Emperor, Hadrian, ordered the complete destruction of Jerusalem as a consequence of the bar Kochba rebellion. These two separate events bear witness that Gabriel was referring to the Romans. Together they meet the standard that a matter must be established by the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses. (Deut. 19:15 )
Brittainia (Great Britain) first came to the notice of the Romans in 55BC and by 43 AD had been assimilated into the Roman Empire, well before the City and Sanctuary were destroyed. Therefore the Roman Empire of the time stretched from Great Britain in the west across southern Europe and Northern Africa to the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf in the East. Romans called the Mediterranean sea “Mare Nostrum” (our sea) because the Roman Empire pretty much surrounded it.
Many students of prophecy agree that almost anyone of Middle Eastern or European descent could meet the qualification of Daniel 9:26 to be the anti-Christ providing he also becomes a world leader. They say this is even true of many Americans because of our prior status as a British Colony and the fact that our country was founded in large part by Europeans whose ancestors dwelt in the Roman Empire of Biblical times.
Mr. Obama is almost certainly of European descent through His mother, and those who claim to have done the research say that on his father’s side he’s much more Arab than African. In fact Mr. Obama Sr.’s birth certificate identifies him as an Arab. They say Mr. Obama Jr.’s genealogy shows him to be 50% Caucasian, 43.75% Arab and 6.25% African. And in an interesting side note, Great Britain is one of the countries Mr. Obama is being asked to prove he’s not a citizen of in at least one of the lawsuits that have been filed. If he was born in Kenya in 1961 he would likely be a British citizen, because Kenya’s independence from Great Britain didn’t take place until 1963. The Supreme Court Justices will review one of these suits on Dec. 5,2008 to determine if they want to hear oral arguments. It is still unclear to everyone why Mr. Obama doesn’t just release his original birth certificate and put an end to all the speculation.
Q. Since the soldiers who destroyed the Temple were actually Assyrian mercenaries, and since Isaiah mentions an Assyrian enemy of Israel (Isaiah 10:5), doesn’t this mean the anti Christ has to be Assyrian? Wouldn’t that exclude Mr. Obama?
A. In my answer above I showed that the Angel Gabriel had to be referring to Rome when he spoke of the people who would destroy the city and the sanctuary. Remember, they were two different events, almost 70 years apart, and both times the soldiers were under Roman command following Roman orders. Also, the Assyrian Empire had been assimilated into Rome by territorial conquest, so there was no official Assyrian presence at the time. And had the passage referred to the Assyrians, Gabriel could have just mentioned them by name, since everyone in Daniel’s day knew of them.
Isaiah 10:1-19 is a judgment against Assyria. The Hebrew word translated Assyrian in verse 5 is Asshur, the name of the second son of Shem. This means it’s a reference to the Assyrian people, the descendants of Asshur, not to an individual. When the Assyrian King Sennacherib conquered Damascus and the Northern Kingdom, his army was bringing God’s judgment against godless people (verse 6). But when they set their sights on Jerusalem (verse 11) they exceeded God’s intention. In one night God sent the angel of death into the Assyrian camp and by morning 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were dead. Isaiah compared it to a fire burning through thorns and briers. (verses 17-18) The remaining Assyrians went home in shame and later Sennacherib’s own sons killed him. (Isaiah 37:36-38 ) Based on these things, I am not convinced that the Scriptures require the anti-Christ to be of Assyrian descent.
Q. The Bible seems to say that the anti-Christ will be asexual. Since Mr. Obama is happily married with two daughters why wouldn’t this exclude him?
A. This question refers to Daniel 11:37 which in the KJV reads;
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
According to tradition, the phrase “desire of women” refers to the Messiah, not to the anti-Christ’s sexual orientation. From the time of Eve it was every Jewish woman’s desire to be the mother of the Messiah, so one of the informal names of the Messiah was “the desire of women”. This whole idea stems from the phrase “seed of the woman”, a reference to the promised redeemer from Genesis 3:15 . The idea that the anti-Christ will be asexual can not be supported from Scripture.
What’s The Point Of All this?
My purpose in this study has been to separate Biblical fact from human opinion on the issue of the anti-Christ, specifically in support of my claim that there’s no Biblical reason Mr. Obama couldn’t one day be revealed as the anti-Christ. By the way, much this information could be used to support the opinion that Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, or a number of others could turn out to be the anti-Christ as easily as Barack Obama, but he’s the one I’ve been asked about.
In part one of this study, I said that I don’t think it’s time for the anti-Christ to be introduced yet, and that the Church will not be here when he is. In 2 Thes.2:1-8 Paul gave a summary of End Times events in sequence. A careful reading reveals that Paul identified three specific things that will have to happen before the Day of the Lord (Great Tribulation) can come. There will have to be a falling away, a rebellion against the truth. This is when the believers in name only will be drawn out of the true Church into one of the various apostate movements we see springing up in our midst. The restraining force that’s holding the secret power of lawlessness back will also have to be taken out of the way. That’s the Holy Spirit contained in the Church, a reference to the Rapture. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed and will stand in God’s Temple proclaiming himself to be God. That’s the abomination of Desolation that kicks off the Great Tribulation, and that’s when the world will know for certain just who the anti-Christ is.
For us it’s enough to know that the signs pointing to the End of the Age are appearing all around us. This is not happening so that we can hunker down and prepare for the storm. It’s happening so we can begin making preparations for our departure. Whether it’s several months or several years is also immaterial. The sooner we act the better prepared we’ll be. No one on Earth will be able to tell you in advance when we’ll be leaving. There will be no specific warning. One moment we’ll be here and the next we’ll be there. Jesus said we won’t know the day or hour, but He had Paul tell us that we should not be taken by surprise. Fore warned is fore armed, they say, and we’ve been forewarned. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 11-22-08
The Anti-Christ And Mr. Obama - Part 1
Jack Kelly, RaptureReady.com
Since the election I’ve been asked a number of times to comment on the likelihood that Mr. Obama could be the anti-Christ. Let me begin by saying that having been elected President he’s Mr. Obama now, not just Obama. As for him being the anti-Christ I’ve discouraged that thought because I don’t believe it’s time for the anti-Christ to be revealed yet. But apart from that there’s no Biblical reason I can find that would absolutely disqualify him. And based on the things we know about the anti-Christ there’s a fit in several important places. The anti-Christ will have to burst on the scene quickly and powerfully to accomplish so much in the little time he has, so maybe he’ll need a head start. If that’s the case, maybe Mr. Obama is on his way to becoming the anti-Christ. Let’s find out.
We know that the anti-Christ will be a descendant of the people who made up the Roman Empire in Biblical times (Daniel 9:26 ), and he’ll arrive on the world scene as a peace maker (Daniel 8:25 ). He won’t be part of the world’s powerful elite at the beginning of his career (Daniel 7:8 ) but will rise up among them to eventually surpass them and become the leader of the entire world. (Rev. 13:7-8 )
He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. (Daniel 8:25 )
This means that he’ll base his success on a lie, misrepresenting himself and his intentions, but people will want to believe him so badly that they’ll disregard his inconsistencies until it’s too late to stop him. Initially he’ll seem successful, but just when they’re saying “Peace and safety”, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains to a pregnant woman, and they won’t escape (1 Thes. 5:3 ).
Deja Vu All Over Again?
Some of us remember when Jimmy Carter was elected President of the US. The country was fed up with Washington and even though he had no national leadership experience, we elected him because he was an outsider who promised change. He said he would never lie to us, but after the election it turned out that he had. He had misrepresented his background and didn’t have the ability he needed when it came to governing. He said he was Christian and even orchestrated a land for peace deal between Israel and Egypt, but he proved to be anti-Israel. Soon we had a crisis in finance with interest rates at 20%, an energy crisis with our first gas shortages, and an administration that didn’t know how to work with Congress to fix things. The Iranians captured our embassy and held our citizens hostage. Thankfully he lasted only one term.
Mr. Obama could easily turn out to be just another Jimmy Carter, and if so America will suffer through the next four years and then he’ll be gone. But if he continues to be successful in convincing people all around the world that he’s on the right track even though everything seems to be falling apart, it could be a different story.
If my calculations are correct, American Christians have just voted in our last presidential elections and won’t be here to see if Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not. But someone with a lot more experience in accurately predicting the future has some interesting insight into the next few years. His name is Gerald Celente, CEO of Trends Research Institute, and he’s renowned the world over for his accuracy in predicting future world and economic events. He accurately predicted the 1987 Stock market crash, the Fall of the Soviet Union, the 1997 Asian currency collapse, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, and one year before the fact predicted what he said would become known as the Panic of 2008, saying that giants would tumble to their deaths, which is what we’ve just seen in the fall of several of our oldest and biggest financial firms, and with the big three auto makers teetering on the brink. (You can check his track record for yourself at www.trendsresearch.com )
Celente is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions - all within four years, cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012.
According to his recent Fox News interview, called “Predicting Obama’s Impact” (posted on YouTube on Nov. 10, 2008), by 2012 America will have become an undeveloped nation. There will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and holidays will be more about obtaining food than gifts.
“We’re going to see the end of the retail Christmas….we’re going to see a fundamental shift take place….putting food on the table is going to be more important that putting gifts under the Christmas tree,” said Celente, adding that the situation would be “worse than the great depression”.
“America’s going to go through a transition the likes of which no one is prepared for,” he said, noting that people’s refusal to acknowledge that America was even in a recession highlights how big a problem denial is in being ready for the true scale of the crisis.
All this comes from a man with an international reputation for being right and whose continued success depends on it. If he’s right now like he has been so often in the past, then the next four years will be worse than the Carter Administration ever was, rather than the launching platform for a coming world leader.
(By the way, please take note that this is another independent expert pointing to the year 2012 as one of cataclysmic significance in bringing about the End of the Age.)
There’s a wild card that I hesitate to throw in here because I don’t even want to think about it. But if it’s true it could easily cause the problems that Mr. Celente is predicting. For some time now certain people, Republican and Democrat alike, have been saying that Mr. Obama isn’t legally qualified to be President because he’s not a natural born citizen of the US. I won’t go into the details but the point is that he could make this all go away by producing a legitimate birth certificate, something he’s been unwilling to do. A federal court has given him until Dec. 1, 2008 to do so, and if he does then the Electoral College vote will be certified and he’ll be the next President. But lawsuits in a dozen or so states have been or are being filed to prevent the certification until Mr. Obama proves he’s qualified. If the courts throw out the election who knows what could happen.
What Time Is It?
As many of you know, I’ve said that all of the End Times prophecies including the 2nd Coming could be fulfilled as early as 2018. I base this on the Lord’s promise that the generation being born at the time of the first End Times signs would still be alive when “all these things have happened” (Matt. 24:34 ) Most scholars view the re-birth of Israel in 1948 as the first of the end times signs. With an average lifespan being 70 years, according to Psalm 90:10 , everything will have to come to pass by 2018. If the Rapture only just precedes the 70th Week of Daniel it could come 7 years earlier, in 2011, which is 2 ½ years from now, about half way through Mr. Obama’s first term, assuming the election stands.
So here’s how to tell if he’ll become the anti-Christ or not. If it seems like he can do no wrong, if people feel safe and it’s beginning to look like there’ll be peace in our time, then there’s a good chance he’s the one. But if Gerald Celente’s predictions are coming to pass, and the world’s in worse shape than ever, then he’s just another Jimmy Carter, an inexperienced outsider who had no business running for president in the first place, let alone being elected.
Time will tell, but either way we can look for some difficult days ahead for the Church. Because either way we are in the final phase of post Christian America and can expect the world around us to become more and more anti-Christian. And if the economy continues to self-destruct it will be just that much worse.
But whether Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not is really irrelevant to the Church. Our job in the short time we have left is to get ready to move to our new home. That means breaking our ties with the old one. Anything that can’t be put to kingdom use is excess baggage to us now. We should be sending whatever treasure we have up ahead. We should stop worrying about our career, our retirement fund, our lifestyle, and all those other worldly distractions and put all our resources to work for the benefit of our next life. After all it’s the real one. And one way or the other, this one is already gone.
Whether you believe in a pre-trib rapture or not you know my advice is sound. After all I’m not just making this up. Everything I ‘ve been saying is straight from the Lord’s own mouth. He’s the one who said to quit storing up treasure on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. He’s the one who said to store up treasure in Heaven instead. (Matt. 6:19-20 ) And He’s the one who said not to worry about our lives here but seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and he’ll provide all our needs. (Matt. 6:31-34 ) So whether you think we’re leaving here soon or not, it’s time to pay attention to what He’s been telling us. No matter how much time you think we have, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 11-15-08
Behold the Bridegroom Cometh - New Testament Christianity The Bride Awaits Her Groom
| by J. R. Church |
The church has been referred to as "the bride of Christ," and our Savior, in turn, has been called the "Bridegroom." It is a beautiful and magnificent love story found in the pages of the Bible. We who are in the bride of Christ anxiously await our Bridegroom.
Let’s review the marriage customs of the Jews and discuss some prophetic implications. When the young Jewish man chose his bride-to-be, he came to her home to discuss the matter with her father. This first major step in the Jewish marriage was called the "betrothal." It involved the establishment of a marriage covenant.
During the days of the Bible, it was customary for the prospective bridegroom to negotiate with the father of the young woman to determine the price that he must pay to purchase his bride. Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price (called in Hebrew the "mohar" ), the marriage covenant was established. From that day, the couple were regarded as husband and wife. From that moment the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified — set apart exclusively for her bridegroom.
As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction was pronounced.
After the marriage covenant was established, the groom would leave the home of the bride and return to his father’s house. There he would remain separated from his bride for a period of several days, weeks, or months. This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and prepare for married life.
The groom occupied himself with the preparation of a bridal chamber (called in the Hebrew language, "huppah" ) to which he could bring his bride.
At the end of the period of separation, the groom would come to take his bride to live with him. The taking of the bride usually took place at night. The groom, along with his best man and the other groomsmen, would conduct a torch-lit procession to the home of the bride.
Although the bride and her attendants were hoping that the groom would come for her, she did not know the exact time of his coming. As a result, the groom’s arrival would be preceded by a shout. This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming of the groom. By the way, that evening, her parents would manage to be gone, giving some excuse. She did not know that they had gone to the wedding.
After the groom received his bride (together with her bridesmaids or attendants) the enlarged wedding party returned to his father’s house. When the bride arrived, she would find her parents there. Shortly after their arrival, the bride and groom would be escorted to the bridal chamber by the other members of the wedding party.
During this time the bride remained veiled so that no one could see her face. Only the groom and his bride entered the bridal chamber. As soon as the marriage was consummated, the wedding guests would feast and make merry for the next seven days. During that week of wedding festivities, which were sometimes called the "Seven Days of the Huppah ," the bride remained hidden in the bridal chamber.
At the conclusion of the seven days the groom would bring his bride out of the bridal chamber — with her veil removed — so that all could see who his bride was. Let us examine this ancient marriage custom and see how magnificently it provides a prophetic preview of the coming of our Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ.
To begin with, let us establish that Jesus is the Bridegroom. That takes us to Matthew 9:15:
"And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." Aside from the details of the story, let us take note that Jesus referred to Himself as the Bridegroom.
Next let us establish who is the bride. For this we go to Ephesians 5:23-24:
"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. "Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." Again, aside from the context, we can see that the bride of Christ refers to that vast body of believers who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
Consider yet another passage written by Paul the Apostle. Not only did he refer to the church at Ephesus as being part of the bride of Christ, but in II Corinthians 11:2 he referred to the church at Corinth as being members of the bride:
"For I am jealous over you with godly jealously: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." Who is the bride? Obviously, we are the bride.
When the Jewish man came to negotiate for his bride, he paid the "mohar" or price of betrothal. The comparison is made in I Corinthians 6:20:
"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God’s." Here we are reminded of the "Mohar." We are bought with a price. But the price of betrothal was not paid with silver or gold. We were bought with something far more valuable than that. It was Peter who wrote in his first epistle, I Peter 1:18,19, that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ — a Lamb without blemish and without spot.
So we are the bride, and we have been purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ. He has paid the price of betrothal.
When that price was paid (in the days of the Bible) a ceremony took place. The young couple sealed their covenant by drinking from a glass of wine over which a special benediction had been pronounced. In like manner our Bridegroom met with the disciples on the night before His death, took the wine and passed it among them. Matthew 26:27-29:
"And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom." Our Savior established the betrothal covenant and promised that we would drink anew with Him in His Father’s kingdom. About midnight, they left the Upper Room for the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus went to pray and prepare himself to pay the price (the mohar ) for His bride.
Alfred Edersheim in his book entitled Sketches of Jewish Social Life wrote on page 143, "The woman had to give her own free and expressed consent, without which a union was invalid."
In like manner there is no pressure put upon the unbeliever today — merely the invitation of our Savior to become a member of the bride. No pastor can force salvation upon an unwilling sinner, and Jesus Christ, Who loves you, will not force the issue. If you would be saved, it must be by your own free will.
In a footnote at the bottom of page 140, Edersheim gave an illustration. "A certain wise woman said to her daughter before her marriage, ‘My child, stand before thy husband and minister to him. If thou will act as his maiden, he will be thy slave and honor thee as his mistress. But if thou exalt thyself against him, he will be thy master and thou shall become vile in his eyes, like one of the maid servants.’"
No wonder the Lord Jesus Christ took the towel that night in the upper room and took a basin of water with which He washed the disciples’ feet. He made it plain that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven would be those who have made themselves servants of the Lord. (By the way, that’s a beautiful bit of advice for wives today.)
On page 146, Dr. Edersheim wrote, "It is on similar grounds that the rabbis argue that a man must seek after a woman and not a woman after a man. It was observed by ancient Jews that God had not formed woman out of the head lest she become proud, nor out of the eye lest she should lust, nor out of the ear lest she should be curious, nor out of the mouth lest she should be talkative, nor out of the heart lest she should be jealous, nor out of the hand lest she should be covetous, nor out of the foot lest she should be a busybody, but out of the rib which was always covered. Modesty, therefore, was a prime quality in the women of Israel."
In like manner it must be said that Christ seeks after us. It is not the nature of a sinner to want to become a Christian, and, dear friend, you cannot become a Christian just when you want to. You can only become a Christian when the Holy Spirit places conviction within your heart and that wooing of the Holy Spirit takes place. When you feel that desire, that longing down inside to settle the matter of your soul, that is God’s invitation to you. If you reject at that point, it is like turning down a proposal made by the groom to be His bride. Have you ever been to a church service where, when the invitation was given, you had the urge to step out and walk the aisle and there receive Christ as your Savior, but you did not?
It seemed that God the Holy Spirit was urging you to step forward, but someone else was giving you a hundred reasons why you should put it off until another day. Finally, you decided to wait.
Dear friend, that is dangerous. There may never be another day. Oh, you may live another 50 years, but the Bridegroom may never again propose to you.
"Well," you may ask, "how will I know that God will receive me if I pray and ask for salvation?" If you are concerned, it is God who gave you that concern. If you are indifferent then you should know the Holy Spirit is not working in your heart. Please, don’t continue to reject His proposal.
On page 148, Dr. Edersheim continued, "From the moment of her betrothal, a woman was treated as if she were actually married. The union could not be dissolved except by regular divorce."
In like manner, once we have received Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, the betrothal covenant is activated. The believer becomes the bride of Christ. We are actually married, and our union cannot be dissolved.
Ah, but wait a minute. Divorce was available among the Jews. Someone may be asking the question, "Cannot a Christian, then, lose his salvation?" For the answer to that, we have only to read the words of Jesus. Matthew 19:3-6:
"The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, "And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." This profound statement made by Jesus Christ sets aside any possible divorce in our new covenant. When the Jews pressed the matter of divorce, Jesus said, "But from the beginning it was not so." Dear friend, once you make that decision of your own free will to join the bride of Christ, the union cannot be dissolved.
In the ancient Jewish custom a betrothal covenant was drawn up stipulating the mutual obligations, the dowry, and all other points on which the parties had agreed. Then the document was signed by two witnesses.
According to rabbinical law, certain formalities were necessary in order to make a betrothal legally valid. These consisted either in giving the bride-to-be (directly or through messengers) a piece of money, or a letter stating that the man intended to espouse the woman as his wife. In like manner, our Savior has given us 27 books of the new covenant wherein He promises to return one day to take us as His bride.
According to ancient Jewish custom, once the price is paid and the betrothal covenant is established the bridegroom goes back home to the father’s house and builds the "huppah" — the bridal chamber. It may take a few weeks, or it could take several months.
The bride, meanwhile, knows only that her bridegroom will return for her. She does not know when. In like manner, our Bridegroom has returned to the Father’s house — where, for more than 1,900 years, He has been building the huppah , the bridal chamber. Read His promise in John 14:1-3:
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
"In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
"I go to prepare a place for you," said Jesus. And He has been doing just that for almost 2,000 years, preparing for that day when he shall return to receive us unto Himself. Meanwhile, the bride prepared for the coming of her bridegroom. According to the ancient custom, the bride gathered her dowry and chose the young ladies who would be her bridesmaids.
These young ladies were given lamps to use in the procession when the bridegroom came. According to Dr. Edersheim’s book, Sketches of Jewish Social Life , page 155, rabbinical authority took note that such lamps were carried on the top of staves and that ten lamps were always the number mentioned in connection with public solemnities.
He wrote, "According to Rabbi Simon, it was an eastern custom that when the bride was led to her future home, they carried before the party about ten such lamps."
That compares quite nicely with the parable of the ten virgins given in Matthew 25. According to the ancient custom, the groom did not tell his bride when he could be expected.
Therefore, she must be prepared at all times. In like manner, our Savior has hidden from His bride the day and the hour of His return. Again, according to the ancient custom, the coming of the bridegroom usually occurred at night. That was the reason for the ten lamps.
In traditional Jewish weddings the celebration began after the marriage ceremony when the evening star appeared in the sky. The time would be somewhere between eight and ten o’clock in the evening, depending upon the season of the year. According to the parable of the ten virgins, however, it was well past ten o’clock when the bridegroom came. In fact, it was at the midnight hour, and five of the virgins had run out of oil.
In like manner, I must say that historians have called the 19th century "The Darkling Plane" and the 20th century, "The Midnight Hour — the darkest period in world history."
World War III looms on the horizon. There has never been a darker hour than today. Surely the Bridegroom is soon to be on His way.
According to the ancient custom, as the bridegroom approached the home of his bride a shout would go forth, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh! Go ye out to meet him." Again, in like manner, we are promised that the "Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." At that time, wrote the apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 4:16-17:
"… the dead in Christ shall rise first:
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…"
It is a beautifully romantic picture. Listen to the Song of Solomon 2:8-13:
"The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
"My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
"My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
"The fig tree putteth forth her green figs [Did you see that?! The budding of the fig tree is mentioned here!] , and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away."
And then the bride exclaimed in verses 16-17:
"My beloved is mine, and I am his… "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away…" Wow! What a promise that in the midst of the midnight hour of world history our Bridegroom will come and take us away with Him until the day breaks and the shadows flee away. |
Revelation 4 and 5: A Door to Heaven
by Gary Stearman
In Greek, it is called Apocalypsis Ioannou , or "Revelation of John." Its title bears the word that comes down to us in the English as "apocalypse," meaning "exposure," "disclosure," or "unveiling." Of course, it also means "revelation," the common title of the Bible’s final book. John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 21:20), received an extraordinary view of the climax of human history.
It prominently features a door between heaven and earth. It opens, allowing John to enter the dimensions of heaven, and to observe a series of decisive events. It is possible that this open door provides us with some important clues about prophetic timing.
Many have attempted to place this book into the context of history past, history present and history future. Or as Jesus put it in his instruction to John, "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter" (Rev. 1:19).
From that day to this, the faithful have pondered its details in the hope of placing its vast prospect into the understandable scope of human perception. John’s use of phrases such as "after these things," "after this," and "I saw," beg an interpretation that follows the time line to which we are accustomed as human beings … past, present and future. Or as the wag once put it, "The present is the future you worried about in the past." Because of the limitations of our present reality, we are forced to view eternity as a long line with a beginning and an end. But as God declared to the prophet Isaiah, His view includes all that there was, is, or ever will be. Furthermore, His stance allows a view from any perspective.
"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Isa. 46:9,10).
Probably the closest we can come to an understanding of what the Lord calls beginning and end, is to envision a hologram. Held in one’s hands, it is a flat picture. But when tilted one way or another, it reveals many perspectives. To God, history is probably something like this, or like a polygon, containing an infinite number of perspectives. To Him, past, present and future are always visible.
The Apostle John was privileged to view history from this platform, then to write about it. Led by the Holy Spirit of God, he condensed the era of the church, the Tribulation and the New Heavens and Earth from its multi-dimensional reality into the language of three dimensions that flow along a line that we call "time."
Following this flow, Revelation can be read with ease as an unfolding account of future history. But anyone who has studied it deeply has had the puzzling experience of seeing two or more events seemingly merge into the same crucial time slot. The trumpet judgments and the vial judgments appear in some cases to describe the very same events. But how can this be, seeing that the trumpet judgments "come first," to be followed by the vial judgments?
The "months," and "days" of Revelation often defy placement on a firm time line. Many of its chapters are parenthetical descriptions of the judgment process. Others, with varying degrees of difficulty, may be assigned to the first half, or the second half of the Tribulation. But on timing, there is disagreement among sincere scholars.
Having stated the general difficulty of viewing the infinite through a finite lens, it must also be said that there are portions of John’s Revelation that present an understandable flow, even though we can’t assign them a precise time slot.
Between Heaven and Earth
The Revelation begins on the Isle of Patmos on the Lord’s Day, when suddenly, the voice of the Lord announced that John was to receive a vision of the church and the world. The second and third chapters record the vision of the seven churches, in type, symbol, history and destination. Taken as a whole, they represent the life cycle of the body of Christ in the context of a world controlled by Satan. ….. full story
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