- The power of America's so-called "Evangelical community"
certainly cannot be underestimated. Its influence seems to be huge,
to say the least, especially upon this present U.S. Administration.
There is no doubt that America's "Evangelical Christians" (i.e.,
"Christian Zionists") not only support Israel in its totality,
but also even seem to welcome an all-out War in the Middle East to "hasten"
(or "accelerate") the climate for the realization of "end-time"
events long prophecied.
-
- The main reason for this is quite simple. To them,
it all started on May 14, 1948 when the State of Israel became a reality
in more than 2000 years. It was a miraculous event to the vast majority
of American's Fundamentalist Christians then (particularly to those who
adhered to the so-called "dispensationalist" interpretation of
the Bible) who rejoiced at that unprecedented event, believing that it
was the fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy, the beginning of the "end-time"
period.
-
- Fundamentalist Christians (such as Baptists, especially
the Southern Baptists, Pentecostalists, such as the Assemeblies of God,
Foursquare Churches, Full Gospel Churches, and all other denominations
of the so-called "born-again", "Evangelical" beliefs),
believed that the generation that would wtiness the re-establishment of
Israel would also be the generation that would witness the Second Coming
of Jesus and the consequent establishment of His Millenial Reign on earth
from Israel.
-
- Thus they are all part of the growing and influential
"Christian Zionists", which definitely played a major role in
the growth of America's so-called Neo-Conservative ("Neo-Cons")
movement of recent years.
-
- Going back to the significance of the establishment
of Israel in 1948, quite a number of Fundamentalist Christians came to
believe that a Biblical generation was 40 years.
-
- However, when 1988 (i.e., 40 years after 1948) came
and went by without a whimper, another theory started to pop up. They found
a new significant year in 1967, the year in which Israel (through the Six-days
War) occupied the city of Jerusalem for the first time in more than 2000
years. Their belief then was that it was the fulfillment of the prophecy
that said that "Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles until
the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled".
-
- Thus, many of the evangelical Christians today came
to believe that 1967 marked the beginning of the end of the Gentile rule.
A great number of "Evangelicals" today now seem to believe that
it is the generation of 1967 that will see the Second Coming of Jeus Christ.
-
- Once again, if they consider a Biblical generation to
be 40 years, then the year 2007 to them will be significant for obvious
reasons.
- (Some of them even say that our present calendar system
is off by about 5 years, that the birth of Jesus Christ most likely took
place around 5 B.C., which means that instead of 2006, we are now in 2011,
and that next year, 2007, will actually be 2012).
-
- In the midst of these speculations by the "Evangelicals"
comes the event that is occurring at this very minute.
-
- In this present, escalating Middle East crisis,
it is apparent that the vast majority of America's "Evangelicals"
not only support Israel's present actions but even seem to support an all-out
War in the Middle East, in order to "hasten" (or "accelerate")
the climate for the Second Coming of Jesus.
-
- As I mentioned a while ago, America's Neo-Conservative
movement (the "Neo-Cons") is based upon the Evangelicals' "undying"
support of Israel through their belief that Israel is the fulfillment of
Biblical prophecies and that the U.S. must continue to support Israel,
no matter what.
-
- Thus the "Evangelicals" and Neo-Cons seem
to be pushing for an all-out attack on such as Iran and Syria.
Meanwhile, the Israelis seem to be comforted and encouraged by the constant
support given to them by America's "Evangelicals".
This is indeed a strange alliance. (Some say, however, that the Israelils
are simply taking advantage of the "blind support" given to them
by America's "Evangelical Christian community").
-
- In order to understand the mind-set of these Fundamentalist,
"Evangelical" Christians, I think it is quite important to summarize
their beliefs, especially their beliefs regarding the "end-times"
prophetic scenarios they envision and expect to happen.
- Here are some of the strange "end-times" beliefs
of Fundamentalist, "Evangelical" Christians:
-
- STRANGE "END-TIMES" BELIEFS OF FUNDAMENTALIST,
"EVANGELICAL" CHRISTIANS
-
- As I mentioned a while ago, one of the main characteristics
of America's "Neo-Cons", with the backing of Fundamentalist Christians
and "Evangelicals", is their total support of Israel through
their belief that contemporary Israel is the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies
and the the U.S. must continue to support the State of Israel, no matter
what.
-
- A large number of America's Fundamentalist Christians
and "Evangelicals", therefore,
- seem to believe that we are living in the "end-time"
period of God prophetic calendar. I think that it is important to
point out some of the "end-time" scenarios as envisioned by these
groups.
-
- Here is the typical order of prophetic events to come,
as outlined by many Fundamentalist Christians and "Evangelicals"
who hold on to the so-called Pre-Millenial, Dispensationalist, Pre-Tribulation
viewpoints:
-
- 1) THE EZEKIEL 38 SCENARIO
-
- They seem to believe that this could easily begin with
the escalation of the Middle East conflict, involving Israel.
- The Ezekiel 38 scenario includes the attempted invasion
into Israel by all Islamic forces (led and orchestrated by the northern-most
power, i.e., Russia) and will conclude with a miraculous Israeli victory.
- They believe that it is suggested in the Bible that
it will take 7 years to bury the dead from this unprecedented conflagration.
(The U.S. could be involved, directly or indirectly in this conflagration,
they explain).
-
- 2) THE APPEARANCE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST
-
- According to their belief, the Ezekiel 38 scenario will
conclude with the appearance of the Anti-Christ who will create a Peace
Treaty between Israel and the Palestinians (and all Islmic confederation).
- (They say that, for example, Iran's Ahmadinejad believes
that he could be the one that could be welcoming the coming, long-awaited
Islamic prophet, "Imam" - i.e., the "Anti-Christ",
to the Fundamentalist Christians)
-
- 3) THE RAPTURE
-
- They say that the Ezekiel 38 scenario could also conclude
with the simultaneous disappearance of millions of people from this earth,
which will result in total chaos, confusion and fear among the global
populace. This, they say, is the "Rapture". It will
be a mysterious, mass "evacuation" of the believers to meet the
Lord in "mid-air". (The physical bodies will be mysteriously
and instantaneously converted to celestial bodies). In other words,
"born-again" believers will be translated from one side to the
other side, i.e., from the earthly plane to the heavenly dimension and
will meet Jesus in "mid-air".
-
- The "Rapture" (from "raptare", to
"snatch" away, as in the eagle "snatching" away her
baby when danger comes and taking it away to a safer location, etc.), is
a supernatural event clearly suggested in the Bible that has not happened
yet in the history of mankind, but will be certain to happen, according
to most of these pre-tribulationist/dispensationalist believers.
- It will be an inexplicable, instantaneous disintegration
of all atomic particles of each of our cells of our tissues, i.e., the
instant conversion of our physical body into a spiritual, celestial "body"
which will be swooshed up into "mid-air". In other words,
they believe that "in the twinkling of an eye", our physical
bodies will go through a mysterious sudden transmogrification (a favorite
word used by John Keel) and will be lifted up to meet the Lord in "mid-air".
Our entire physical bodies (the tissues, the cells will go through a sudden,
inexplicable atomic fission-type transformation, they say.
-
- They believe that the "Rapture" is a conduit
prepared by God for us to escape the coming global wrath know as the Tribulation
(comparable to the days of Noah, when God safely placed a few faithful
believers in the ark first and then caused the rain to downpour thereafter).
- Pre-tribulationist/dispensationalists believe that this
unprecedented event will take place simultaneously with the appearance
(the revealing) of the Anti-Christ. The Anti-Christ will not be able
to come to power until the "body of believers" (together with
the presence of the Holy Spirit) is removed from this earth. Only
then, at that moment, can the Anti-Christ come into power.
- The "Rapture" will literally be a celestial
wedding, the union of the bride (the "church" or the "body
of believers") and the Groom (Jesus Christ). This "wedding"
celebration in the air will last for 7 days, which could be equivalent
to 7 earthly years.
-
- 4) THE ANTI-CHRIST SUCCEEDS IN CALMING DOWN THE STUNNED,
CONFUSED AND FEAR-FILLED POPULACE
-
- When the Anti-Christ appears on global emergency TV
news conference, many of these Fundamentalist Christians say that he could
calm down the frightened people of the earth with his ingenious, well-calculated
explanation regarding the sudden disappearance of millions of people from
the earth; this could be when "UFOs" are brought up; the
Anti-Christ could use some type of "extraterrestrial" intervention
explanation.
-
- (I would venture to say that in the United States, the
majority of the so-called Fundamentalist, Evangelical Christians hold on
to the viewpoint that somehow the "UFO" phenomenon is "Satanic"
or "diabolical". These groups seem to believe that "UFOs"
will play a major role in these future biblical prophecies.
-
- Some theorists even believe that if a global government
of some sort is to be set up intentionally (by force) in the future, there
are several ways to accomplish it. Creating wars is one example,
they say. Creating other series of "crises" is another,
such as taking advantages of natural global catastrophes, or even creating
artificial ones. We all heard of the "ORDO AB CHAOS"
theory.
-
- They also point out that Henry Kissinger's at
one time suggested (in a statement he allegedly made in 1992 in Evians,
France) that should the world suddenly face an external threat (i.e., from
"outer space") where REAL or PROMULGATED, it would accelerate
a cry for a global unified government. They say that Ronald Reagan
and Gorbachev also had allegedly made such similar remarks, that is the
world is faced with such an extraterrestrial threat, we will all forget
our differences and be united as one to defend this earth from such threats.
-
- Can the "world government" stage a deceptive,
"alien-contact-landing" scenario?
- If the secret government were to stage such a fake,
"extraterrestrial" type of event, it would definitely be beneficial
to them if there remains an adamant element of society who have always
believed in "UFOs" and "aliens".)
-
- In any case, Fundamentalist "Evangelical"
Christians seem to believe that somehow the Anti-Christ will come up with
a brilliant, convincing explanation for the "Rapture" event and
that somehow, the world will have a sigh of relief by his explanation.
-
- 5) THE BEGINNING OF THE 7-YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD
-
- That will be the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation
Period (i.e., the "New World Order" of the Anti-Christ, the first
half of which will be relatively peaceful, and the second half of which
will be an iron-fisted rule of the Anti-Christ, who will declare himself
to be God at mid-point).
-
- 6) THE BATTLE OF ARMAGGEDON:
-
- Towards the end of the 7th year, nations such as Red
China (and the rest of the "Kings of the East") will challenge
the dictatorship of Anti-Christ's Europe-based New World Order and will
begin to cross the Euphrates and make a move towards the valley of Meggido.
- This battle, the battle of Armaggedon, will be the final
global battle.
- During the climax of this battle, celestial forces led
by Jesus Christ (and accompanied by those who were "raptured")
will descend and will destroy all earthly forces.
-
- 7) A THOUSAND YEAR REIGN OF JESUS CHRIST FROM ISRAEL
-
- Jesus Christ will rule from Israel for a 1000 years.
This is the Millenial Kingdom.
-
- 8) FINAL, MINOR REBELLION
-
- At the end of the 1000 years, there will be a minor
rebellion by the descendants of those who may have survived the Armaggedon
and continued to procreate, thus having physical bodies. That
minor rebellion will be crushed by God.
-
- 9) THE FINAL JUDGMENT
-
- This is the gist of the events to occur in the near
future, according to many of the so-called Fundamentalist, Dispensationalist,
Evangelical, Pre-Millenial and Pre-Tribulational Christians.
- Is this all wild, "science fiction"?
- Maybe. But again, no one knows.
- Does it hurt to believe in this "unbelievable"
scenario?
-
- These "Evangelical" Christians seem to say
that it won't hurt at all to believe that such scenarios could come true.
-
- They say that they have nothing to lose by believing
in it even if it doesn't come true, but everything to gain if it indeed
takes place, if one is a believer.
-
- Norio Hayakawa
-
- www.myspace.com/noriohayakawa
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