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Many of today's Evangelicals have joined world opinion against Israel. (Flickr )
Why Christian Zionism Is Vanishing in the American Church
Evangelical Christians in the United States have loved and supported the State of Israel because they believe the Bible, take its prophecies literally, and see the modern State of Israel as a first flowering of God's prophetic promises to the Jewish people.
They have shown their love for Israel by placing political pressure on U.S. foreign policy and by standing up for Israel in the court of world opinion. Evangelical Christians have marched under the slogan, "We stand with Israel." It's a well-known phenomenon called Christian Zionism.
The Christian Zionist movement is the matrix from which much of modern Messianic Judaism emerged, including First Fruits of Zion.
All that is changing.
As the Millennial generation takes positions of leadership in the evangelical churches of America, we may see Christian Zionism and support for Israel vanish. It is a process that is already underway.
Today's 20-year-olds and 30-year-olds think of themselves as well-informed about Israel's role in the Middle East and its struggle with the Palestinian people. They are likely to feel strong empathy with the oppressed Palestinian people, and they unanimously join the rest of the world in condemning the State of Israel.
In reality, today's Millennials are only marginally informed on the issues. They know only the side of the story fed to them by a biased media and anti-Israel activists. Most of them know nothing of the real history of the conflict, the Nazi influence over Palestinian Arabs that sparked the conflict, the repeated attempts of the Arab world to annihilate Israel and the Jewish people, or the more recent history of Israel's attempts to establish peace with an unwilling Palestinian leadership.
Today's 20- and 30-year-olds have no memory of how Yasser Arafat threw Israel's concessions from Oslo back in the face of the international community while secretly funding and supporting an ongoing campaign of terror and evil. Today's generation of youth places the blame for Middle East unrest squarely on Israel. They are seemingly unaware of or unconcerned about how the Palestinian people and the larger Arab world maintain a constant propaganda campaign of agitation to terrorism, murderous incitement and hateful anti-Jewish rhetoric, which will insure peace in the Middle East only through the annihilation of the Jewish people (God forbid).
As a result, today's young evangelical Christians are far more likely to march under the slogan, "End the Occupation," than the slogan, "We stand with Israel." They are following in the footsteps of mainstream denominations such as the Presbyterian Church in the USA, which sponsors boycotts on Israeli products and has published statements condemning the State of Israel for their occupation of Palestine.
The drift away from Christian Zionism finds inspiration from voices like Wheaton College Professor Gary Burge, author of Whose Land? Whose Promise? What Christians Are Not Being Told about Israel and the Palestinians. Burge's teachings attempt to undermine the basis for evangelical political support of Israel. He challenges the theology of an ongoing covenantal status of the Jewish people.
According to his perspective, Israel forfeited that status, and with that forfeiture, they forfeit claim to the land of Israel. In the view of anti-Zionists, Israel is unworthy of Christian support because it is home to Jews who have rejected Jesus as their Messiah. Anti-Zionist evangelicals contend that support for Israel thwarts efforts to share the Christian faith with Muslims in the Middle East. (In other words, Christianity would be more attractive to Islam if we could present it to them as anti-Jewish and anti-Israel.)
Evangelicals who sympathize with the Palestinian cause emphasize the Christian obligation to show concern for human rights violations, but they fail to call upon Christians to stand up against the human rights violations that characterize the policies of governing bodies within Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel's enemies in the Arab world. Instead, from the point of view of the anti-Christian Zionists, it would appear that Israel is the world's chief offender in crimes against humanity.
An article in The Times of Israel titled "Evangelical Anti-Zionism Gaining Traction" calls attention to the concerted effort of anti-Israel activists to turn American evangelicals against Israel. The anti-Israel message finds warm welcome with today's Millennial Christians who have already bought into the notion that blanket condemnation of the State of Israel is a moral obligation incumbent upon every thinking, ethical human being.
The new evangelical struggle with Israel is not a new struggle. It is the same old struggle. For most of two thousand years, the Christian church has been on the wrong side of the fight against anti-Semitism and the wrong side of God's relationship with the Jewish people. Perhaps Christian Zionism was just a brief anomaly sustained by a generation old enough to remember World War II, to have witnessed the miracle of the birth of the State of Israel, and to have seen the revealed miracles of God's intervention that sustained the young state.
Daniel Thomas Lancaster is a writer, teacher, and the Director of Education for the Messianic ministry First Fruits of Zion (), an international organization with offices in Israel, Canada, and the USA, bringing Messianic Jewish teaching to Christians and Jews. He is the author of several books about the Jewish roots of Christianity, the Jewishness of the New Testament, and he is the author of the Torah Club Bible study program. He also serves as the teaching pastor at Beth Immanuel, a Messianic Jewish synagogue in Hudson, Wisconsin.
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(Washington, D.C.) -- Americans are increasingly on edge when it comes to personal and national security. They see the Mideast on fire. They see growing terror on our streets. No wonder they are looking for a President who truly understands the nature and magnitude of the threats we are facing and has the courage, knowledge and experience to keep Americans and our allies safe.
That's why I found last week's conference organized by the Republican Jewish Coalition as so important. All of the remaining 14 GOP presidential candidates addressed the group at the Ronald Reagan building here in Washington, D.C. Regardless of their current standing in the polls, each candidate was given 30 minutes (a 20 minute speech and about 10 minutes of Q&A) to explain their views on U.S. foreign policy and national security issues, the threats emanating from the Middle East, and U.S.-Israeli relations.
While I had a previous commitment and was not able to attend, I watched online and found it especially helpful to observe -- back-to-back -- the presentations made by "The Final Four," the four candidates Evangelical Christians, especially in Iowa, are most closely and carefully watching to see if God is raising up one of them to be the next President of the United States. Why? Because it gave me a chance to compare their principles, their policies and their experience, as well as their personal style and tone on some of the most important issues in the race.
Who are "The Final Four," in my view? Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, the two brilliant, up-and-coming, and very compelling young Cuban conservatives; and Governor Huckabee of Arkansas and former Senator Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania, the two deeply principled, tried and tested, and very experienced previous Iowa Caucus winners.
Each made a compelling presentation, and yet each was so markedly different in tone and approach.
What stood out to me was the fact that both Rubio and Santorum spoke about the threat of "Apocalyptic Islam," not just Radical Islam. Both used that specific term. Both were quite fluent in explaining what they meant by the term, the threat of these genocidal forms of eschatology, and why it's important for the next President to understand this treat and be prepared to neutralize it. This was significant.
Neither Cruz nor Huckabee discussed Apocalyptic Islam with the RJC, though both made excellent presentations. Cruz hit the issue of Radical Islam quite hard. Huckabee spent much more time than the others talking about his love for Israel and why he has been traveling there and leading tours of Israel for 42 years. Hopefully both Cruz and Huckabee will discuss the issue of Apocalyptic Islam in detail in the future, though this was an ideal venue to have done so.
I encourage you to watch each of the four presentations, share them on social media, and discuss them with family and friends.
In several recent columns, I have noted that as America continues hurtling down a dangerous path toward implosion, as darkness falls in the Middle East and North Africa, as the forces of evil advance and the forces of freedom retreat, anyone who cares about the American people and the people of the epicenter needs to pay very close attention to the American presidential race. Specifically, I made the case that:
We need a Commander-in-Chief who truly understands the magnitude of the threats posed by Radical and Apocalyptic Islam.
We need a President who has serious ideas about how to neutralize such threats, and has solid national experience that can assure us that he or she is really ready to confront this evil.
We need a President who sees Israel as a faithful ally — not an adversary — in this showdown with the jihadists.
We need a President who rejects the insane Iran nuclear deal, and the notion of allowing Russia and Iran to run wild in Syria.
Commander-in-Chief is not an entry level position.
There is no time for on-the-job training in the White House for a new President who has little or no experience thinking about foreign policy and national security issues.
The next President must come in ready for war — because that’s what we’re in, and the stakes are simply too high to go with an untested outsider or newcomer.
Clearly, Cruz and Rubio have the most momentum, money, and higher poll numbers at the moment. Some analysts believe the GOP nomination contest could come down to a battle between Cruz and Rubio to be the conservative standard bearer in a fight against Donald Trump. That very well may be -- and that would be a very spirited and fascinating contest. Indeed, it already is.
That said, Evangelicals should not rule out a possible late surge by either Huckabee or Santorum. Why? Because Iowans have a history of breaking late.
The latest poll indicates only 19% of Iowa likely GOP caucus voters have made up their mind; 81% are still shopping around. They get to meet the candidates and ask them questions face to face. They are weighing each contenders pros and cons. They are taking their job of winnowing the field very seriously, as they always have. Remember: Huckabee won Iowa in 2008, while Santorum won Iowa in 2012. Indeed, in the 2012 cycle, Santorum was at the bottom of the polls in Iowa until three days before the caucuses and then was able to persuade Iowans to break for him at the last moment. This gave him a come-from-behind victory in Iowa, which he dramatically parlayed into primary victories 10 additional states, finishing second in the nomination battle to Romney. Could this happen again with either Huckabee or Santorum? It could. Iowa Evangelicals really like and trust these two. And it's important to note that Evangelical Christians make up about 57% of the Iowa GOP caucus voters.
People have asked me if I have settled on one candidate yet. I have not. I've met them all. I see plusses and minuses in each.I'm not looking for a perfect, flawless leader. And I'm continuing to pray for wisdom, discernment and clarity. Hope you are, too.
NOTE: These are my own personal views. I offer them in my individual capacity as an American citizen. They do not reflect or represent the position of The Joshua Fund, a non-profit organization, or any other group or organization.
The Babylon Code: Rise of the End-Time World State
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The world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, in an exclusive interview, said, "The Bible indicates that as the time for Christ's return approaches, evil and social chaos may well intensify. Are we living in those days?"
It's the great question of our time. Are we now living in the last days of planet Earth?
If so, how will the apocalyptic events foreseen by the ancient prophets unfold? Are powerful forces now at work to create a global government, economic system and religion as predicted in the Bible?
Unlocking a great biblical mystery that has puzzled scholars for nearly 2,000 years,The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery unearths answers to these momentous questions. In the book, we explore a prophetic enigma that begins in Genesis at the Tower of Babel and ends in Revelation with the Battle of Armageddon. The prediction involves "Mystery, Babylon"—the Bible's greatest end-time riddle—and reveals how an elite group of wealthy globalists and their interlocking network of transnational corporations, international banks, government agencies, think tanks, foundations and clandestine organizations are working to create a global government, cashless society and universal religion as predicted in Scripture.
The world is at a final turning point. An unparalleled convergence and acceleration in end-time signs is now occurring. These harbingers are geopolitical, economic, scientific, technological, cultural and moral.
To ordinary men and women these forces are overwhelming, as if a giant tsunami is about to drown everything they've ever known or dreamed of. It's at this moment that every one of us is confronted with a choice. Either we can allow ourselves to be overcome by fear, leading to panic, or we can seek to understand the nature of the forces behind these events so we can survive.
In an out-of-control, upside-down world, there are two urgent questions: Is it possible that God embedded a code in the Bible that could be cracked only in the end times? What if by decoding this prophetic cryptogram we could unlock the secret to both our salvation and our survival?
The Great Biblical Mystery
Our five-year journalistic investigation into this biblical cypher uncovered astonishing evidence that not only has the countdown to Armageddon begun, but the elite are involved in an international political and economic takeover—what one former United States official calls a "global financial coup d'état."
As we investigated this prophetic mystery sweeping across time, we unearthed evidence connecting a secretive, international power structure with ties to ancient Babylon—the occult-enmeshed civilization where the "magic of money manipulation" and the first world government originated—to what today's globalists call the "New World Order."
Featuring scores of exclusive interviews with prominent world leaders and highly respected experts in geopolitics, economics, science and theology, The Babylon Code is the first book by a mainstream, award-winning investigative journalist and a prophecy expert to explore the nexus between current events, secretive organizations and end-time biblical predictions.
Our investigation into this apocalyptic puzzle uncovered what could be one of the biggest stories and political scandals in modern history. It also unearthed answers to the questions many have about the troubling events now transpiring in the world. Recent polls and statements by world leaders demonstrate extraordinary public interest in this topic:
A Barna Group survey found 4 in 10 Americans—and 77 percent of evangelical Christians—believe the "world is now living in the biblical end times."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently told the United Nations General Assembly that "Biblical prophecies are being realized." Meanwhile, Pope Francis said the world has entered the "last times" and is at the beginning of a "piecemeal" Third World War.
A McLaughlin & Associates poll found that 80 percent of Americans fear a "Second Holocaust" in Israel—and 68 percent fear a "nuclear holocaust" in the United States—if the world does not take decisive action to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, 28 percent of American voters believe a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda are working to create an authoritarian world government. Nearly 40 percent of Republican voters agree.
A Final Turning Point
These stunning poll results come amid an explosion of interest in the end times. In recent years, a seemingly nonstop series of crises has prompted many to ask whether the conclusion of the human epoch is quickly approaching. These concerns have intensified since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks—an event that shocked the world and some saw as the biggest wake-up call in the nation's history. Since then, disaster after disaster has battered the planet—the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, the global economic meltdown and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Recently, people worldwide have been intrigued by the convergence of a rare set of four blood moons and the biblical Shemitah, along with Sir Isaac Newton's end-time prediction known as "Newton's Riddle" regarding 2015-2016—asking whether these are portents of the beginning of the end.
A number of prophecy scholars in recent years have uncovered biblical mysteries and riddles they say point toward the possible fulfillment of end-time prophecies in the years ahead.
Nations are drowning in unparalleled levels of debt. Fears of a cataclysmic economic collapse and hyperinflation are rising. Tensions between Russia and America are growing, ISIS is warning the West of "Armageddon," and North Korea has threatened a nuclear strike on the U.S. Some experts believe Iran may already have nuclear weapons—further raising the specter of the unthinkable. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum says the world is experiencing record-breaking natural disasters and extreme weather, not to mention worsening global drought and famine.
Scientists are sounding the alarm about the dangers of mega-earthquakes and tsunamis, the Yellowstone supervolcano, solar storms and massive tornadoes, the likes of which the world has never seen.
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urged the world to prepare for more intense drought, famine, floods, freak weather and heat waves—emphasizing that the "world's food supply is at considerable risk."
A Brookings Institution report put it bluntly: The world is in an "unprecedented state of crisis."
Is this the end of civilization?
Noam Chomsky, a political theorist and a professor of linguistics emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who is considered "one of the world's most controversial thinkers," pondered that question in a recent article, "The End of History? The Short, Strange Era of Human Civilization Would Appear to Be Drawing to a Close."
"It is not pleasant to contemplate the thoughts that must be passing through the mind of the Owl of Minerva as the dusk falls and she undertakes the task of interpreting the era of human civilization, which may now be approaching its inglorious end," Chomsky wrote.
Chomsky's concerns are echoed in a recent study by professors and researchers at the University of Maryland and the University of Minnesota who found that civilization could be headed for an "irreversible collapse" because of unsustainable resource exploitation and increasingly unequal wealth distribution between the rich and the poor.
A recent Oxfam report titled "Working for the Few" found wealthy elites have "coopted political power to rig the rules of the economic game, undermining democracy"—creating a world where the 85 richest people own nearly half the world's wealth. The report found that 1 percent of the world's population control 46 percent, or $110 trillion, of its wealth. Noting growing public awareness of this "power-grab," the report found that increasing inequality is helping the rich undermine democratic processes and drive government policies that promote their interests at the expense of everyone else.
Meanwhile, a growing number of scientists and philosophers at Oxford, Cambridge, MIT and the University of California, Berkeley, believe the world needs to start thinking seriously about the threat of human extinction. Curiously, a report by the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford warned that one of the risks that threaten human civilization is a "world dictatorship" or a "global totalitarian state."
The Convergence
While secular experts warn of societal collapse and the end of civilization brought about by over exploitation of natural resources and income inequality, faith leaders say the roots of the world's problems are spiritual in nature and coincide with an unparalleled acceleration and convergence in signs of the last days.
Graham—the famed evangelist who has preached to more people (2.2 billion) than any Protestant in history—says he believes the world is approaching the "end of the age."
"There's a great deal to say in the Bible about the signs we're to watch for, and when these signs all converge at one place, we can be sure that we're close to the end of the age," Graham says. "And those signs in my judgment are converging now for the first time since Jesus made those predictions."
Graham's remarks follow a letter he released in the summer of 2012 comparing America to ancient Nineveh—the lone superpower of its time. When the prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God's warning, the people repented and escaped judgment. He believes the same thing can happen in America.
Greg Laurie, pastor at the 15,000-member Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, and president of Harvest Crusades, says Graham is a "prophetic voice, and to me it's like Isaiah or Jeremiah standing up and telling our nation what we need to do. We would be wise to heed his warning and his admonitions and turn back to God because I believe God's prophet is speaking to us."
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, author of the New York Times best-selling books The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah, says Graham's message has grown "more and more prophetic" in recent years.
"Before God brings a nation into judgment, He sends warning," says Cahn, whose book The Harbinger is based on a real-life prophetic mystery he discovered in the Bible that unveiled the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the "War on Terror" and the 2008 global economic meltdown. "Before He brought judgment and destruction on ancient Israel, He warned them. The Harbinger is the revealing of how the same nine harbingers of judgment which appeared in the last days of ancient Israel are now reappearing on American soil."
Joel C. Rosenberg—a former adviser to Netanyahu and the New York Times best-selling author of Implosion: Can America Recover from Its Economic and Spiritual Challenges in Time?—says he was taken aback by the Israeli prime minister's remarks before the United Nations. "There are very few world leaders who believe Bible prophecies are coming true in our lifetime, much less are willing to say that publicly," Rosenberg says. "I'm trying to draw a little bit more attention to (Netanyahu's comment), its significance and a question raised by it: If the prophecies related to the rebirth of the State of Israel have come true in our lifetime, when will other major Bible prophecies come true as well?"
Runup to the Second Coming
In addition to the rebirth of Israel, the Bible predicts a series of events in the runup to the Second Coming—an explosion in knowledge, the development of "mark of the Beast" technologies and ultimately the creation of a global government, cashless society, and false religious system.
Today, prominent world leaders and military officials are openly talking in the media about the possibility of a nuclear conflagration and a worldwide economic collapse. Even more remarkably, experts in science, economics and geopolitics across the political spectrum agree that the planet is facing a confluence of unparalleled dangers. On one hand, many believe climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. On the other, leaders of many faiths say events in recent decades suggest ancient prophecies are coming true. Throughout the world, people sense something epochal is occurring.
The most optimistic—futurists and transhumanists—believe humanity is on the cusp of a technology-driven quantum leap forward that will usher in a "techno-utopian" New Age era. Others are alarmed by the deepening chaos and immorality in the world. A Barna Group poll found that 81 percent of Americans believe morality is in a free fall.
Many believe the world is on the verge of an economic and societal collapse that will ultimately lead to what the Bible calls the Tribulation—a seven-year period of mayhem that culminates in the Battle of Armageddon. It is commonly believed that this period will begin when the Antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel. During the first half of the Tribulation, the world will experience a time of peace and prosperity. But in the latter half, the Antichrist will consolidate his power and institute a global government, economic system and religion with the help of the False Prophet. During this time, he will declare himself to be God, require universal worship and demand that people take the notorious "mark of the Beast." Without it, people won't be able to earn a living or buy the necessities of life. By the time of the final battle, prophecy experts believe anywhere from one-half to two-thirds or more of the world's population will have perished via war, disease, starvation, cataclysmic natural disasters and the Antichrist's reign of terror.
Many today are unaware that we are now approaching the final battle for our world and that everything we see happening is connected with that conflict.
Global Domination and a Cashless Society
In journalism, investigative reporters are often told to "follow the money" to uncover the real truth behind a story. Likewise, money and the "love of money" is a prominent theme throughout the Bible. In fact, it is such an important topic that it is the main subject of nearly half of Jesus' parables. In the New Testament, one in every seven verses deals with money. And while the Bible has about 500 verses regarding prayer, it includes more than 2,000 verses about money. So it's no surprise that money and rampant materialism play an important role in the rise of "Mystery, Babylon" in the end times. As the world's governments amass unprecedented levels of debt, many are asking how it will all end. Many believe the global recession and the international debt crisis are just the beginning of events that will lead to the global economic system foretold by the prophets.
Today, for the first time since Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel, the potential of a global government and cashless society is within mankind's reach. All the necessary components are in place for creating a socialistic world government—the surveillance state, political bodies such as the United Nations, electronic banking and microchip implants.
While seldom mentioned in the mainstream media, the push for "global governance" has advanced significantly in recent years. At a U.N. summit this month, the nations of the world are scheduled to consider a sweeping set of sustainable development goals costing trillions of dollars, including unspecified "reforms of the mechanisms of global governance." The authors of the U.N. report citing these reforms note that the next 15 years will be some of the "most transformative in human history."
Meanwhile, biometrics, digital currencies and similar technologies are moving the world ever closer to a cashless society. In a cnbc.com article—"Cashless Society: A Huge Threat to Our Freedom"—bank chairman Scott A. Shay warned of the dangers of the "sprint to a cashless economy" that will "permit governments to exercise incredibly powerful control over all human behavior."
Increasingly, these and similar articles are showing up in the mainstream media or in reports by think tanks. Recently, Hudson Institute senior fellow John Fonte—author ofSovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or Be Ruled by Others?—wrote that the world is at the beginning of an epic international conflict between the forces of global governance and the democratic nation-state.
"The concept of 'global governance' is in the air," Fonte wrote. "For many of the world's elites—who gather at places like Geneva, Davos, The Hague, U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, and wherever the G20 meets—global governance is the 'big idea.' Leading thinkers argue that today's global issues are too complex for the 'obsolete' nation-state system ... We are told that 'sovereignty' must be redefined as something that is 'shared' or 'pooled.' "
The Babylonian World Order
The rise of the final Babylonian system aligns with prophecies in Daniel and Revelation regarding an end-time global government, economy and religion. Many prophecy scholars believe some type of international crisis will serve as the catalyst facilitating the rise of the predicted global dictator who will oversee this system. "The Antichrist will initially be a man of peace and he will be a man with global and economic solutions," Laurie says. "He will come as a false messiah. So any talk I hear of a one-world currency and a one-world government is certainly a cause for concern if it means a move toward the end-time scenario spoken of in Revelation."
Mark Hitchcock, a pastor, prophecy scholar, and adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, says globalization is setting the stage for the fulfillment of end-time predictions. "The Bible tells us in Revelation 13 that there is going to be a one-world economy, a one-world religion, and there is going to be a one-world government in the end, and so to me the globalism that we see today points toward that," Hitchcock says. "How much longer will it take for the stage to be set? No one knows."
The move toward a cashless society and the development of mark of the Beast technologies are the necessary components for the total societal control the Bible predicts the Antichrist and the False Prophet will wield. Hitchcock believes a cashless society is coming: "I think we are seeing the beginning of it already. When we look at our world today, we see things moving in that direction, and in some cases, rapidly. To me, the convergence of all these things is staggering."
The Reason for Our Hope
Although our investigation uncovered extensive evidence that powerful forces are working to create a world state and cashless society, it doesn't mean it's a fait accompli. God gave us free will, and we believe there is still hope. We believe that there is a personal, living God of the universe who ultimately controls the destiny of the world and that He embedded a code in the Bible that has largely remained an enigma for nearly two millennia. We also believe that God gave each man and woman the power to decipher this code by reading God's Word.
When we understand this code the truth opens up to us. We discover that there is a force at work not only in the world, but in our personal lives that is far greater than the chaos. Ultimately, that force for good is embodied in Jesus. Even in the middle of the pandemonium, there is a real reason for hope, and that hope is Jesus. At a certain point in human history, at a time known only to God, Jesus will return to this earth at His Second Coming. At that time, He will destroy the counterfeit New World Order and "Mystery, Babylon" will fall.
At the Second Coming, God will usher in a brand-new world, a new heaven, a new earth and the new Jerusalem. Jesus will conquer death, and all those who put their faith in Him will be given new bodies and live forever.
When we trust in that reality, we have an unshakeable hope. In fact, Revelation is the Bible's greatest book of hope. It reveals God's final chapter in the story of humanity's salvation that began in Genesis. In the end, God is victorious. That's the great hope of our faith, and that's why "God's prophet" is sounding the alarm about the Second Coming.
Paul McGuireis a prophecy expert, commentator for Fox News and the History Channel and host of GOD TV's "Apocalypse and the End Times." He's the former host of the nationally syndicated "Paul McGuire Show" radio program and a professor of eschatology at Pastor Jack Hayford's The Kings University. McGuire is the author of more than two dozen books and co-author of The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery (FaithWords). Follow him on Twitter (radiomcguire),Facebook (PaulMcGuire) or online atpaulmcguire.us.
Troy Andersonis the executive editor of Charisma and a Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative journalist, author and speaker. He spent two decades as a reporter, bureau chief and editorial writer at the Los Angeles Daily News and other newspapers. He's also written for Reuters, Newsmax and Human Events. He's co-author of The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery (FaithWords). Follow him on Twitter (TroyMAnderson), Facebook (troyandersonwriter)or online attroyanderson.us.
Prophecy expert Paul McGuire explains the secret to "Mystery, Babylon" and why you should understand it at mcguire.charismamag.com.
Charisma Editor Troy Anderson and prophecy expert Paul McGuire crack the code of "Mystery, Babylon" to reveal a hidden end-time puzzle in their book, The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery (FaithWords). You can find this book wherever Christian books are sold or at amazon.com or christianbook.com.
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Where is Israel on Evangelical Christian Voters' List of Priorities?
Mike Huckabee (l) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Israeli Prime Minister's office)
Seventeen Republican presidential candidates are vying for the support of evangelical Christian voters from the swing states of Ohio and Florida, to the cornfields of Iowa, to the small towns of the Deep South.
Within the varied spectrum of 2016 election issues such as the economy, immigration, and health care, do evangelicals highly prioritize candidates' positions on Israel and the Middle East?
Major evangelical leaders in America are saying, "Yes."
"Studies show us there are approximately 90 million Christians in America who consider their beliefs to be evangelical," Tony Perkins—president of the Family Research Council (FRC), a Christian education and lobbying group—told JNS.org. "Of that number around 9-10 percent have what we call a 'biblical worldview,' in that they believe what the Scriptures say pertaining to Israel. That's a large number of voters who can definitely make a difference in a primary or general election."
Perkins said, "Among core evangelical voters, Israel is easily one of the top 10, maybe even the top five issues when considering who to support in a presidential primary. The Old Testament tells us that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed and it's certainly important to be on the right side of God's Word."
The reference by Perkins is to Genesis 12:3, which states, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (NIV).
In August, former Arkansas governor and GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders in Jerusalem. It was part of a decades-old ritual for Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister who has visited Israel about 40 times since the 1970s—far more than any other current presidential candidate, Democrat or Republican.
"Israel should be top-of-mind when evaluating GOP presidential candidates," Huckabee told JNS.org.
"I have known Prime Minister Netanyahu for 20 years," he said. "I went to Israel not to seek his endorsement, but to endorse him because his voice is so important. Netanyahu leads a people who are realists. They know what it's like to have people threaten to kill them. They take it seriously when a government (Iran) for 36 years promises to wipe them off the face of the Earth."
While Huckabee's Israel trip was the latest to make headlines, the FRC is organizing a Holy Land visit in October for supporters who will be joined by two GOP candidates, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker took his first trip to Israel in May.
Two-Pronged Strategy
Political operatives say that candidates' trips to Israel are focused on securing campaign donations from influential Israeli government and business leaders who can infuse much-needed cash and hopefully help deliver the support of pro-Israel voters back in the U.S.
But ultimately, are these visits to the Jewish state more educational or political in nature?
"Both," said Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, a Christian women's activist group.
Nance, along with political strategist Ralph Reed and author Joel Rosenberg, penned an op-ed in The Christian Post about presidential contenders visiting Israel in the immediate aftermath of the November 2014 U.S. midterm elections. They posed seven questions that they argued candidates must answer to win the White House. The fifth question reads in part, "Does the candidate have a clear and coherent view of the U.S. vital interest in the Middle East, including a demonstrated, consistent, long-standing support for Israel and a solid understanding of why Israel matters to the U.S.?"
According to Nance, there are "a number of reasons those aspiring to win the GOP nomination need to understand and embrace Israel."
"First, visiting Israel is an educational experience in understanding their economy, security challenges, and what's important to their citizens," she told JNS.org. "At the same time, you are telegraphing to evangelical voters why Israel is important and that you sincerely care about its future. Finally, you want to raise money and appeal to pro-Israel voters."
Tremendous Pool of Potential Pro-Israel Advocates
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) asserts that the evangelical Christian community plays a vital role in U.S.-Israel relations, the influential pro-Israel lobby's core priority. As such, AIPAC enlists Christian clergy to garner nationwide support for Israel, stating on its "Your Church and AIPAC" webpage that polls consistently show how support for the Jewish state "is highly related to adherence to evangelical beliefs and frequency of church attendance."
"As Christians, we should be Israel's strongest supporters and friends and we need to translate that into political activism," Rev. Philip C. Morris, Jr. argues in an AIPAC video.
AIPAC also notes the significance of evangelical support to the entire pro-Israel community by stating, "20-25 million Americans define themselves as evangelical Christians, representing a tremendous pool of potential pro-Israel advocates."
Evangelical Perspectives on Israel and the Middle East
According to February 2014 Pew Research Center findings, a plurality of Christians (29 percent) and Jews (31 percent) say the U.S. is not supportive enough of Israel. Nearly half of white evangelical Protestants (46 percent) claim America does not provide enough support for Israel.
Notably, when Pew polled Americans in 2012 about U.S. foreign policy—specifically, what actions America should take if Israel attacks Iran to stop Iran's nuclear program—64 percent of white evangelicals answered, "support Israel," compared to 39 percent of the general public.
In March 2013,LifeWay Research reported that 72 percent of white evangelicals support Israel in its ongoing conflict with the Palestinians, compared to 49 percent of Americans overall. Fifty percent of white evangelicals claim Israel cannot peacefully coexist with an independent Palestinian state, compared to 33 percent of American Jews and 41 percent of the general public.
With the Iran nuclear deal garnering much public attention, most of the GOP contenders are quick to remind prospective voters of the ramifications of a country whose hostile intentions toward the U.S. and Israel are seen all too often.
"Radical Islam poses an imminent threat to national security, both in the United States and Israel," Huckabee told JNS.org. "With Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, combined with 'Death to America' chants, and with a steady stream of global terrorist attacks, GOP voters understand that this toxic ideology must be defeated if we are to survive. While Russia, China, and North Korea have more firepower, they are considerably less likely to attack us than Iran, Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and other hardline Islamists."
Besides Huckabee, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is the presidential candidate who perhaps best personifies evangelical voters' support of Israel. In Cruz's candidacy announcement speech in March at Liberty University, the only remark to inspire a 30-second standing ovation was about Israel. Cruz declared, "Instead of a president who boycotts Prime Minister Netanyahu, imagine a president who stands unapologetically with the nation of Israel."
Presidential candidates and evangelical voters not only care about Israel, but recognize its significance to their faith. A July poll by LifeWay reveals that 70 percent of evangelicals believe that the God of the Bible has a special relationship with the modern nation of Israel.
"No country is more intertwined with the ancient biblical narrative than Israel," said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay, "and evangelical Americans see a contemporary connection with the nation."
Bethany Blankley contributed to this article. For the original article, visit jns.org.
Why the Pope Should Be Worried About Latin America
Pope Francis
Pope Francis, leader of the world's Roman Catholics, arrives today in Bolivia—the second country on his three-nation tour. He will meet with President Evo Morales, visit bishops and nuns, and wave at countless adoring fans on the streets of La Paz. His visit will be upbeat, but this revered "pope of the poor" has a big concern: Millions of Latin Americans are leaving the Catholic Church to join Pentecostal groups.
Even though this popular pope is from Argentina and speaks Spanish, he is losing his grip on the region.
The Pew Research Center reported last year that 40 percent of the world's Catholics—more than 425 million—live in Latin America. Yet nearly 1 in 5 Latin Americans now describe themselves as Protestants. The Catholic population of Brazil—the largest Catholic nation in the world—has slipped by more than 20 percent in the past 13 years, according to the Washington Times. Today, about 40 million Brazilians are evangelicals, and this number is expected to grow to 109 million by 2020.
Guatemala was 90 percent Catholic in the mid-1950s. Thanks to a Pentecostal revival that hit the country after the 1976 Guatemala City earthquake, and subsequent waves of church growth, 1 in 3 Guatemalans are now evangelical Christians. Similar growth is occurring in Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Paraguay, where Pope Francis will end his tour next week.
I have seen this Pentecostal revival up close during the past two weeks, when I ministered in Guayaquil, Ecuador and five cities in Bolivia. The statistics don't lie. There is a spiritual hunger brewing in Latin America that outshines what I have seen anywhere on the planet.
In Ecuador I preached at Centro Cristiano de Guayaquil, an Assemblies of God congregation that has grown to 9,000 members in 30 years. It has been pastored all those years by an American couple, Jerry and Janice Smith, who built a 3,300-seat auditorium and a K-12 school that now has 4,600 students. The church ministers to more than 1,600 children every Sunday.
When I spoke at the Guayaquil church I witnessed a spiritual hunger that is rare in the United States. People jammed into the sanctuary for an 8 a.m. service, and some returned for the 10 a.m. and noon service just because they wanted to hear more of God's Word. In each meeting people came to the altar to give their lives to Christ for the first time.
I arrived in Boliva on July 1 to work with Ekklesia Church, a movement that began in the early 1970s after a charismatic revival erupted in the capital city of La Paz. Today the church has planted congregations in dozens of cities all over the mountainous country. The pastor, Alberto Salcedo, and his wife, Silvia—who hosts the popular Vaso Frágil program on the Enlace Network—are training an army of Christians through cell groups, intense worship and leadership classes.
When I visited the Ekklesia church in the mining city of Potosí (which has an elevation of 13,420 feet), hundreds of people packed into a conference center near the center of town. More than 50 people came to the altar for salvation, including a man who had alcohol on his breath. When I prayed for him, he told me that it was the first time he had ever visited a church with his wife and young daughter. He prayed to receive Christ and said he wants to end his alcohol addiction.
I saw similar responses in meetings in other Bolivian cities such as Sucre, Cochabamba and Oruro. Many of the people who have joined these churches are former Catholics who now prefer a lively Pentecostal worship style and more contemporary sermons. They have traded rote tradition for relevant teaching on family, sexual purity and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Pentecostals in Latin America are also challenging long-held cultural traditions, including superstitious idolatry, witchcraft and male superiority. In a meeting I did in La Paz earlier this week, a man who has been regularly beating his wife came to the altar in tears to repent of his abuse.
Another thing I noticed on this trip was the striking number of youth and young adults in the meetings. In Ecuador, more than 1,700 came for a Saturday night youth service, and some literally ran to the altar when I challenged them to go deeper with God. In Bolivia, teenagers often came to the front of the church during worship so they could dance freely—and many responded when I challenged them to pursue the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
These young Latin American believers represent a new generation that is passionate for God. They want so much more than tradition. If Pentecostal churches continue to grow at the pace we are seeing today, it's likely we will witness a total spiritual transformation of the region that Pope Francis calls home.
J. Lee Gradyis the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. You can follow him on Twitter @leegrady. Check out his ministry at themordecaiproject.org. He flew home from Bolivia the day Pope Francis arrived there.
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