Opinion Editorials, March 2014

A number of evangelical groups are rejecting the Israeli narrative of events in strife-torn Palestine (See Soros Funds Palestinian-Friendly Evangelicals). Some of these groups escort evangelicals to the West Bank to hear the wrenching stories of Palestinian Christians.

Unfortunately, many of these groups and their followers believe the exact opposite of pro-Zionist Scofield Dispensationalism (which asserts that God has a covenant destiny for redemption of Jews at Christ's Second Coming). The opposite is replacement theology. (See A Simple Explanation of Scofield Dispensationalism) This interpretation says God is done with any covenant promises to the Jewish race. All Old Testament promises are now metaphors; the church inherits Abraham's blessings. Replacement theologians say virtually all Biblical prophecies were fulfilled in the events of 70 A.D. with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. The New Testament provides no remaining "prophetic signposts" for today.

Yet Jesus said to His disciples and to the church in every age: "I will not leave you comfortless." He mediates for His saints to God the Father and has sent them the "Comforter," the Holy Spirit. He who is "the Spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10) has inspired a wealth of prophetic Scripture which gives clear and detailed guidance about the events of the end times. I believe it is clear from a straightforward reading that these events are yet to come.

Here is a simple chronology:

1. Ezekiel 38 and 39 predict a Jewish population will return to Palestine in a state of great sin, so great that God will hide His face from them. (Ezek. 39:17; 38:23) This Jewish state will become very powerful. It will be able to "dwell without bars or gates" because no one on earth will be able to come against her. (Ezek. 38:11) Israel and Jewish supremacist power today constitutes Babylon the Great, described in Rev. 17 and 18. (See 'Babylon the Great' is Israel)
2. These chapters say the world will be completely deceived. Deception will be so pervasive it will "mislead, if possible" even true Christians. (Matt. 24:24) This certainly describes the evangelical pro-Zionist church! Evangelical Christians over the past 120 years, by their unconditional support, have built Babylon the Great into a force through which communism, liberalism, financial, political, educational, and media control have corrupted and subverted the nations as never before.
3. Babylon the Great will ruthlessly persecute Christians. Through Jewish-inspired communism, tens of millions of Christians have perished. The Jewish Anti-Defamation League boasts: "Our legal experts pioneered hate crime laws and work to implement them nationwide." ("Problems to Solutions: Building a Better World, ADL Annual Report," adl.org) Already in many countries ruled by ADL hate crimes laws it is criminal to publicly assert that Jews masterminded Christ's crucifixion or that homosexuality is a sin. The "anti-discrimination" state hate laws that now criminalize Christian business owners who refuse to lend their creativity to homosexual weddings are entirely the work of ADL behind the scenes. Fifteen misguided Amish Christians are now spending up to 15 years in federal prison because of passage of ADL's federal hate crimes law. (See Twisted "Justice" in Amish Hate Crimes Conviction) All this reveals the desire of apostate Jewish supremacists to finish in the last days Jewish persecution of Christians which began in the Book of Acts but had to be cut short.
4. Babylon the Great finds a new lord in the Anti-Christ. Jesus said to the Jews, "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name [in humanistic, satanic power], you will receive him." (John 5.43) Together, Israel and Anti-Christ rule the world.
5. But Anti-Christ turns on the Jewish state. Scripture describes him burning her with fire and invading her with armies. (Rev. 17:16) He invades the temple in Jerusalem, purposefully defiling all things sacred to the Jews (the "abomination of desolation") (Dan. 11:31, 12:11; Matt. 24:15). He sits in the temple and proclaims himself God incarnate. (II Thess. 2:4) He creates an image of himself and commands everyone worldwide to worship it. Any who do not receive his mark (666) on forehead or hand will die. (Rev. 13:16-17)
   
   None of these events has been fulfilled, certainly not through the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The Roman general Titus desired to spare the temple. It was not desecrated but accidentally consumed by fire from Roman torches that ignited the massive curtains. No image of Anti-Christ was created, nor did Titus or anyone proclaim himself God in the temple or command from the temple that all receive his mark on pain of death.
   
   Replacement theology is entirely predicated on the fiction that the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple fulfilled virtually all the hundreds of specific Old Testament, end times prophecies. Actually, except for Jewry's Biblically unlawful occupation of Palestine, Zionism's deception of most evangelicals, and the bloody anti-Christian record of Jewish communism, very little of last days' prophecy has been fulfilled.
6. Having escaped slaughter by Anti-Christ, a minority of Jews worldwide face ruthless persecution, almost to extinction. This is "the time of Jacob's trouble" or "great tribulation." Jews are subject to the worst persecution and anguish known to any peoples in the world's history, at the hands of godless Gentiles. (Matt. 24:21-22)
7. Meanwhile, as in the days of Noah, the Gentile hordes, trampling underfoot a Palestine without Jews, are "eating, drinking, and giving in marriage," ecstatic at being delivered from world Jewish dictatorship. (Matt. 24:36-41) Expulsion of all Jews from Palestine (Ezek. 39:28) and their affliction under the boots of invading Gentiles fulfill God's timeless law that without obedience to Jesus a nation of Jews can never lawfully occupy God's Holy Land. (See List of Conditional Occupation Verses)
8. After about three and a half years, just when extinction of all Jews seems imminent, Jesus appears in the skies like lightning flashing from one end of the heaven to the other. All saints—both Jewish and Gentile— who have trusted God from the beginning of the world rise to meet Jesus in the skies. (I Thess. 4:16-17) The reaction of the Gentile hordes occupying Palestine is to attempt to destroy Jesus with all that human technology can empower. Yet the beleaguered, previously unbelieving Jewish remnant has a different reaction, made possible by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, drawing them to repentance. At last they realize, as did the persecutive Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, how wrong they and their fathers have been. They turn to Jesus in mourning and sincere repentance.
9. Over a possible period of 45 days Jesus judges the nations, culminating in the battle of Armageddon. (Dan. 12:2) He destroys Anti-Christ and imprisons Satan and his demons in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.
10. Jesus leads repentant Jews and their Khazar proselytes back to Israel. (See The Jews Who Aren't Khazars) There, submitting to a multitude of Old Testament verses requiring obedience for a nation of Jews to dwell in the land, they are allowed to lawfully occupy Palestine. For a thousand years, after at least 2000 years of apostasy and hatred of Jesus, they resume their role as a kingdom of priests in service to their true spiritual Husband from the beginning. (Ezek. 16)

Christian Zionism and Replacement Theology Both Miss the Mark

Today, increasing numbers, particularly of young evangelicals drift from the pro-Zionist, Scofield dispensationalist fold toward sympathy with the Palestinians and replacement theology. Many pro- and anti-Zionists make use of Scriptures they prefer, attempting to refute the other. Such conflict sparks heat but fails to produce enduring light.

The only light that can truly reorient is Biblical truth that must be humbly received. Eschatology is vital because it can help preserve us from Judaic/anti-Christ deception. It is sin to consciously manipulate Scripture, whether into either a pro-Zionist, sugar-coated "bless Israel" eschatology or an anti-Zionist, prophecy-erasing replacement theology. Both extremes are void of worthwhile present and future guidance. All who want to know the truth must sacrifice what we believe will further our conception of a "higher good." We must seek the truth, especially the truth of Scripture, on its own terms. We must say, "Not my will but Thine be done."

It is time for the Bible, enlightened by the Holy Spirit and shared between both camps, to speak for itself.

*I highly recommend my article "Does Christ's New Covenant Replace the Old?" for further in-depth refutation of replacement theology.

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Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative watchdog organization.

To contact Rev. Ted Pike:

Call (503) 631-3808 or email [email protected].

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