Fake Israel, Fake Jews, Anti-Zionism etc

Over the years I've interacted with Christians who I'd classify as strongly anti-Semitic and/or anti-Zionist. While I don't want to pigeon-hole anyone, I've come to suspect that too often there's a link between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. Most of these extreme examples have come from people who hold to Amil-Postmil-Preterist positions. Hence they also subscribe to Replacement Theology.

Note: I am not saying that RT is the cause of anti-Semitism or that all proponents are anti-Semitic.

But there have also been samplings from Futuristic Premillennialists who don't necessarily hold to RT. These FP examples have tended not to be as virulent as the former, though in some cases they are. However, I have detected an animus against modern Israel within some who identify as dispensational posttribulational and non-disp posttrib, even while not being overtly anti-Semitic. I have no idea why this should be so.

More recently one of these folk raised the Khazar Myth. I've come to the conclusion that no evidence will satisfy certain people. They want to believe what they want to believe. They can explain it all to the Lord one day. In response, watch Chris White's excellent rebuttal of that myth HERE.

Links addressing associated topics:

Blessing & Cursing Israel

Fake Modern Israel

An Unholy Tribulation Temple?

The Non-Pretrib Club Cult

I just got an e-mail from a fellow who thanked me for subscribing to his website. In fact I didn't subscribe and I don't know how he got my email - though I have some ideas. Whatever the case, the guy is a busy man with a mission. Here's his blurb:

Thanks For Subscribing To NoPreTrib!

NoPreTrib is a ministry that I started because pre-tribulationism is one of the most dominant false teachings to be found amongst professing evangelical, Bible believing Christians. Jesus and the Apostles warned the early believers about what to expect in the last days before Christ returns. They warned of spiritual deception regarding His return, apostasy, Antichrist, tribulation and more. Pre-tribulationism conditions believers to think they will not have to face these things and sets them up to fall away.

NoPreTrib consists of a blog, Facebook page, and a Twitter feed. I'm currently co-authoring a book on the subject with Pastor Joe Schimmel of Good Fight Ministries, and helped to contribute to the recently released video: Left Behind or Led Astray.

You Can Help!

If you believe in pre-tribulationism, I'm just glad that you're reading this. It is my prayer that you would approach this subject with an open mind and heart, recognizing that it is important to consider, especially in light of the times in which we live.

If you are in agreement with me that the Church in America is being set up for a last days apostasy; then pray. Pray for those that have been lulled into a false sense of security. Pray that the false teachers would be exposed. Pray for your friends and family members that are caught up in this false unbiblical teaching. Pray that they would have their eyes opened and be prepared for what is coming. Pray for me, for strength and encouragement in the face of opposition.

Speak out. Don't allow yourself to be bullied, or shamed for standing up for the truth. In bringing this issue to light, I have been told numerous times that I should stop writing these articles. I've been told it is unimportant, divisive, peripheral, Satanic, you name it. Yet the same people that tell me to stop, do not cease to promote pre-tribulationism. God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but power and love and a sound mind. We should not be ashamed to speak the truth in love. Ezekiel 33:6

Lastly you can consider helping financially. Most if not all that has been done with the NoPreTrib Ministry has been done with my own limited resources, while I work a regular job supporting a family. If you believe God is calling you to support what I'm doing, please click on the link below. 100% of what you contribute will go to pay for the expenses related to maintaining the website and advertising to enable the ministry to reach a broader audience. Thank you!

Quote: "Speak out. Don't allow yourself to be bullied, or shamed for standing up for the truth."

Ah yes, pretribulationists bullying posttribulationists. We must stamp it out!

Incidentally, Joe Schimmel's DVD is four-and-half-hours. He's another busy man. I've seen the trailer. Darby gets called a cultist and there's some old footage of Walter Martin linking Darby with MacDonald. Riveting stuff. Participants include Jacob Prasch and Joel Richardson. Prasch seems to have forged a reputation for verbally bashing pretribulationism and just about anyone else he disagrees with. It's hard to take them seriously and hard to totally ignore them. Some of these critics seem to be obsessed with eschatological polemics, as a perusal of their websites often shows.

But, seriously, when you start asking for money to finance an attack on the pretrib rapture because you think it's dangerous - you've lost the plot! This is fanaticism.

Remember the gospel? Spend your money on that. The cheque (Aussie version) is in the mail.

Note: Dr. Paul Wilkinson is working on a rebuttal to the Schimmel DVD.

Addendum:

I don't like harping on this because it is divisive. But I will. There's a follow up response to Paul Wilkinson's comments about the Left Behind Led Astray video. It appears on the site of the person who sent me the letter I mentioned above. The 1 hour and 45 minute talk involves Jacob Prasch and Joe Schimmel, with John Haller as mediator. It seems that these two gentlemen are out of sorts because of Wilkinson's comments.

Interestingly, one of the persons who left comments was Joe Ortiz who I've blogged about before.

Sadly, there are a string of individuals who have a reputation for consistently taking potshots at pretribulationism and pretribulationists, and being divisive. For some almost a full time occupation. In contrast, they circle the wagons and cry foul when someone reciprocates.

As mentioned in my response on our Zeteo 3:16 website, I didn't watch the lengthy video. Hence I cannot judge it on that basis. However, the trailer was a catastrophe of propaganda. Could the video have been better after such an abysmal introduction? It seems rather unrealistic of them to not expect some sort of blow back to this kind of material.

The New Christian Zionists?

Back in April I noted that Mark Tooley had convened a conference to discuss how the current tide of anti-Israel sentiment among young evangelicals could be countered. You can read my initial thoughts HERE

Tooley is aware that activism by certain professional agitators has been a problem. But he went on to say:

Compounding this activism is the fading of the old Religious Right, whose leaders, like the late Jerry Falwell, were outspokenly pro-Israel and claimed to speak for millions. A new generation of Evangelical leaders is more reluctant to wade into controversy. Some old Religious Right figures were believers in Dispensationalism, a 19th century movement asserting and stressing various End Times events, including the restoration of Israel, before Christ’s return.

Can Christian Zionism be defended in the 21st century? Theologically? Historically? Can it be defended in ways that are consistent with Jewish and Christian scriptures? Are its legal, moral and political out-workings compatible with the ideals of the biblical covenant?

Neither Providence nor the Bible are neutral between a people striving to survive against many others who hope for their elimination. Effectively explaining why requires both good political and theological judgment.

I suspected then that Tooley was giving the impression that dispensationalism had fumbled the job and that a more biblical approach had to be exercised. Enter the "New Christian Zionists." Following that conference, which included Darrel Bock and Craig Blaising, I made some further observations HERE

Despite incessant allusions to Hagee and the so-called popular "Left Behind" theology of LaHaye and Lindsey supposedly fumbling the cause of biblical Zionism - the issue does not lie there. Tooley, Bock, Blaising and anyone else who cares to wade into the murky waters of anti-Israel activism among some leading evangelicals will confront a wall of resistance against the more biblical approach.

I've been writing and researching columns on this topic for the Omega Letter for a number of years now. The likes of Dexter Van Zile, Jim Fletcher and Brian Shrauger (and others) have been writing about this long before I came along. They'll confirm this has little to do with dispensationalism or the pop-apocalyptic pretribulational rapture, as one opportunistic activist recently suggested. He may want to take a look at what some of the proponents of his rapture view have been doing over the years. Get a clue.

As an aside, I find it ironic that I discovered this individual's rapture view via an email exchange which mentioned Herb Peters. Peters thought he'd located the Antichrist and the timing of Daniel's 70th week (ENPI theory). Time proved him wrong. But among his avid supporters were leading prewrath proponents who were so attached to that theory that they were willing to re-interpret Scripture in an attempt to keep it alive after it failed.  

No, it has nothing to do with pop-apocalypticism. Israel hatred flows deep in the veins of some leading Christians who will use any excuse to run down Israel. This bizarre attitude includes ignoring the suffering of Christians in the Middle East and the suffering of Palestinians under Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. See also HERE

They hate Israel. It's that simple.

Further reading:

Declining United Church of Christ’s Israel divestment may not pack any punch

Looking for Rapture or Tribulation?

I don't normally pay attention to Blog Talk Radio shows. However, this one is well-worth listening to even if it goes for 160 minutes. The real material begins after the three-and-a-half minute mark and you'll have to bear with the early ads.

Friend Kathryn Duerst was recently interviewed by Bible Smack Radio. The extent of her knowledge and the issues regarding dispensationalism, pretribulationism and opposing views is evident by her articulate observations and responses. Kathryn isn't someone who has blithely retained a viewpoint without diligently searching out how other people understand issues.

Well done, Kathryn.

Listen to it HERE