This is why bad theology MATTERS :(
[Note: I do not enjoy calling out individual Christians by name, and I try to be as charitable as possible when handling theological divisions among the Body of Christ. But sometimes, when real people’s lives are on the line and injustices are being committed in Jesus’ name, if we do not openly challenge and oppose such ideas, we are as guilty as those endorsing and approving them. This is such a case. Palestinian brothers and sisters in Christ are being–and have been–removed from land they’ve lived on for centuries, and Scripture is being used to justify this practice. Shame on those who wield the Sword of the Spirit in an unworthy manner. Remember, those who are called to teach God’s word will be held to a higher standard…including anything I say below!]
I won’t question the sincerity or genuine love for Jesus that Christians such as Kay Arthur or the late Jerry Falwell have…but the idea that God had a world leader assassinated in order to PREVENT a peace agreement and keep one ethnic group in control of a piece of land at the expense of another ethnic group is absolutely, 100%, without question ANTI-GOSPEL.
When will my fellow Evangelicals wake up and read Scripture AS A WHOLE and see that JESUS is the “seed of Abraham” and ONLY IN HIM will God’s kingdom be ultimately manifest…with no respect to geographical setting or ethnicity (just as was the case even under the Mosaic Covenant in Israel’s history!)?
Here is a video in which some AMAZINGLY unbiblical stances are taken by Christian leaders who have a wide influence (the most disturbing part is around the 2 minute mark):
Please, Kay Arthur, and all other Christian Zionists (including future Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee), please repent of this foolish and dangerous approach to world politics that owes its origins to Darby, Scofield and Lindsay rather than Moses, Jesus or Paul.
Blessings and truth to us all,
JM
For more on how to approach this whole issue from a Biblical perspective (as well as how NOT to approach it), I invite you to listen to the 10-part audio course I offer for FREE through iTunes, called “Apocalypse Now??” by clicking on the podcast link at the very top of my site (or you can buy a CD set of the whole course if you prefer).
Apocalypse Now?? - What the Bible says about the End Times
Categories: Biblical Theology, Blog, Book of Revelation, Eschatology, Hebrew Bible, Ministry, New Testament, Political/Social issues, Theological issues
On your Apocolypse Now podcast…
Your overview of the OT data was incredibly enlightening. Its so good to always have the general idea of the overall narrative in whatever area of theology is being studied. So many of us just dont have this grand narrative viewpoint, and we need it. Great work in general. Ill be getting Bible for the Rest of Us at some point (that point being when the wife goes back to work someday). Ive often lamented that so much knowledge, information, and understanding is only available at the seminary level when its most useful to the “Rest of Us”(as a corporate body of course). We are so biblically illiterate, and its because past leaders have failed to teach the “lay person” the vital principles and disciplines of scripture. At the same time, we have all failed to demand it. Its seems we are only concerned with taking care of our ticket to heaven.
Disciple on!
by Gordon Spivey on Feb 9, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Great reminder!!!! Theology… yes, even eschatology truly does matter!
by Kurt on Feb 21, 2011 at 8:11 pm
Palestinian brothers have lived on the land for centuries? So have Israelis, but I guess they don’t matter. In addition, It is not the Israelis who have an expressed purpose of pushing the “Palestinians” into the sea. You don’t have to be a rapturist to know that something is rotten in the state of Palestine. The Arabs wrote a check in 1948 and 1967, and they couldn’t cash it. That’s the way it works in the world. The “Palestinians” backed the wrong horse.
by Delwyn X. Campbell on Nov 26, 2012 at 12:44 am
I appreciate you commenting, Delwyn. But your facts are simply wrong. The majority of Israeli Jews immigrated from Europe in the last century. This doesn’t mean they “don’t matter”…but it does mean that they live on land that was originally inhabited by others who were displaced by violence.
Likewise, there is no “state” of Palestine. There are isolated territories that are militarily occupied by Israel.
Also, the “Arabs” actions in ’48 and ’67 do not negate international law or basic human rights. Israel bears MUCH guilt in the conflict–which even many Israeli Jews readily acknowledge (and seek to set the record straight about due to a desire for truth and justice!). For documentation of these things, please see the latest blog post here in the Dojo – https://jmsmith.org/blog/response-to-drbrown and pay attention to the links it contains.
The historical narrative that many people who are totally pro-Israel/anti-Palestinian have been taught–regardless of their eschatology–is largely false propaganda (see the links in the post I just mentioned for verification of this claim).
by jm on Nov 26, 2012 at 12:54 am
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