Christian Right’s Link to
Mideastern Politics
March 26, 2004
In her book Forcing
God’s Hand, Grace Halsell very clearly documents why millions of evangelical
Christians worldwide pray for a quick rapture and destruction of planet earth.
Halsell—who traveled the
world writing for American, Japanese, Arab, and Peruvian news organizations;
served three years as a staff writer for Lyndon Johnson; was named in the Who’s
Who in America; and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of
Pennsylvania—explains how the dispensational Armageddon theology has affected
U.S. policy since President Harry Truman’s political involvement in recognizing
Palestine as a Jewish state in 1948. Many American Christians declared that this
event was fulfillment of biblical prophecy. At the time, Halsell and her father
were taught and believed that to be true; so did my father and I.
In recognizing a Jewish
state, Truman pleased the vocal evangelical Christians and gained their vote.
However, Truman and his political supporters “negated the voices of tens of
millions of Arabs and Muslims around the world who opposed driving Palestinians
from their homeland.”
Today, God’s Holy Spirit
is speaking to many Christians about the reform of biblical end-time teaching
that could well alleviate unhealthy fear and needless suffering that is being
fueled by the popular dispensational Armageddon theology. Secondarily, a change
in end-time teaching could help congressional leaders be better stewards of the
taxpayers’ dollars. In matters of truth, Christians and Jews alike could be set
back on the right course.
Halsell documents how
the highly vocal televangelists (Pentecostal, Charismatic, and non-Charismatic)
are in a “strange alliance” with dispensational congressional leaders in
Armageddon theology. Here’s a list of a few of the highly visible Christian
leaders: Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Paul Crouch (Trinity
Broadcasting Network), Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins (authors of the
Left Behind books), and major Assemblies of God and Baptist constituents
worldwide. Falwell says, “There are 70 million of us, and if there’s one thing
that brings us together quickly it’s whenever we begin to detect our government
becoming a little anti-Israel” (60 Minutes, Oct. 6, 2002).
Halsell documents many
of the “strange marriages” between politicians, the Christian right, and Israel.
They don’t like each other, but they use one another. Religion and politics
makes strange bedfellows. Now you may wonder what my point is. Here it comes as
a prophetic voice of a compassionate social conservative.
Recently, quite
unexpectedly, God’s Holy Spirit spoke these words into my spirit, “Whoever
controls the language controls the culture.” The pen is mightier than the
sword; words are more powerful than bombs. The words that are in opposition to
the truth of God’s Word will find themselves opposing God Himself. This is true
whether spoken in innocence or with a rebellious spirit.
God’s Holy Spirit is
grieved when corrupt or inaccurate communication comes out of our hearts. God’s
Word says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps.46:10). We hear His
voice in silence, not in noise. Truth must be spoken in love. “God resists
the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
God requires all of His
covenant people to be good stewards of their talents, time, money, and human
resources. Dispensational Armageddon theology is squandering all of the above.
Nearly 2000 years ago,
God sent His Son to defeat the source of all evil—the created being
Lucifer/Satan (Ezek. 28:15)—on a cross. Jesus became like us (sinners) so that
we could become like Him (righteous) (2 Cor. 5:21; 2 Pet. 1:3-4). As we study
the Holy Scriptures, we find Armageddon is history.
I highly recommend Grace Halsell’s challenge to all
of us who care and desire to know the truth. Grace Halsell’s book
Forcing God’s Hand can be obtained from our bookstore (Forcing
God's Hand).
A. Wilson Phillips, Senior
Pastor
