When I drive to appointments and meetings and visitations I often have the radio on. And more often than not, I have it on scan. I do this for a few reasons. First, I’m not loyal to any radio station or type of music. I actually like a wide variety of music and so I like to keep my options open. Second, I like to hear what I’m up against theologically on the “Christian” radio stations. You would not believe how much bad theology exists on “Christian” radio stations.
Sometime this week I was scanning while driving and came across a radio program on a Christian station and I stopped to listen to what they were talking about. I quickly learned that it was a program focused on Israel. The host was super excited about efforts to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. The host was talking about the potential locations of the Holy of Holies, and how it might be where the Dome of the Rock is, or it might be 300 feet to the north. He spoke about the return of the red heifers that are used for ritual sacrifice if archeologists can find the nine jars of heifer ashes that supposedly were put below the temple. He was super excited about all of this.
Let me just say for the record – this is crazy talk. And dangerous. And the question is for what purpose?
Now I know the answer to that question. It comes from a belief that certain events need to happen in order for Jesus to come back and set off the Rapture. Here’s the problem with that line of thinking – we are completely arrogant if we believe that God needs us to do something to trigger Jesus’ return as if God restricted by our actions. Why in the world would anyone believe that we have to help certain events along in order to Jesus to come back? That makes literally no sense.
This type of theology is dangerous and destructive for numerous reasons. Getting into some kind of religious conflict with Muslims over a holy site is not a good idea, and is not of God. What happens when things don’t go according to “the plan?” What happens when there is a response with violence for violent actions against people of other faiths?
Will those who push this kind of theology take responsibility for any death or destruction that would be caused by such an action as rebuilding the temple? I doubt it. They are too busy thinking they are right to care for people and creation.
Bad theology has real consequences. The bible gets manipulated and abused enough. We don’t need bad theology adding to that.
“Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in your midst…” = Temple.
“Go to the ends of the earth preaching… Behold! I AM WITH you to the end of the age”… = Where the Temple is…
Thanx for setting us straight.
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Thanks for the Scripture references.
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Dangerous, sterile theology… the Church in reverse gear, and such a smear on Jesus the true Israelite, his new covenant and the new Israel. Sounds like strong language from me, but I lost the best of friends through such obsession with modern Israel and our so-called ‘Hebrew roots.’ It hurts… we can’t even fellowship around Jesus anymore.
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I hear you. I think it is harmful beyond belief to have this obsession with the modern state of Israel. I see nothing good coming from it. Modern Israel is not the same as ancient Israel.
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Dispensationalism has been a major force in supporting the oppression of Palestinians in Palestine. And that is only the beginning of the harmful impacts of dispensationalism.
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Yeah, only the beginning. It has far reaching impacts beyond the Palestinians too.
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Yes it does.
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Please tell… Outline some of the other impacts beyond the Palestinians.
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Well, for one thing, this mode of thinking has infected US politics. There have been candidates for office and elected officials who are persuaded by this line of thinking. Sen. Ted Cruz is one of these folks. The problem with this line of thinking is that there is a belief that people and nations have to help move things along in order to Jesus to return. How does that happen – through a war starting in the middle east – Armageddon. So you have people who have influence and decision making ability over foreign policy that can get the world into a conflict with the express purpose of causing great damage in order to set off events for the Rapture to happen. This is dangerous and deadly and really bad theology. I recommend “The Rapture Exposed” by Dr. Barbara Rossing to read more about this.
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Two other impacts:
1. Since the earth is going to be destroyed soon anyway, there is no need for Earth-care. Global warming doesn’t matter and neither do other environmental concerns.
2. Fear of missing the rapture and facing the horrors of the tribulation is very real for many people.
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Thanks for adding these.
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So often we point to one single passage that tells us Judas was greedy and paint his whole life with that brush. And since the Bible tells us he was greedy, I believe it. And there are a handful of texts that lend weight to that, but it is by far NOT the whole story behind Judas. We need Paul Harvey to tell us THE REST OF THE STORY.
It very likely was not his greed per se that drove him to sell Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver, but his particular brand of patriotism – his view of God-n-country. Jesus was telling his disciples (who just didn’t get it at the time (but maybe Judas did)) that he was going to die AND THAT WAS THE MISSION. But as anyone there knew all too well, a dead (esp crucified messiah) was a failed messiah – by definition!
I think Judas (a man named after a national hero from about 150 years before (and for that matter “Iscariot” MIGHT have something to do with Sicarii-daggermen/assasins) was looking for a revolution/revolt with a bit more TEETH in it. And following a guy named Joshua had promise, but after listening to this JOSHUA outline his strategy by cross a few times, it became expedient to sell him out for 30 pieces of silver. In fact, it might even clear his name from having been associated with this pacifist messiah who wants to die – simply lay down his life!
Judas wants to kill for God! And thus he becomes the most famous traitor for his cause in all of human history!
A note of caution for all of us!
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You are right on target as far as I am concerned. There are too many Christians who salivate to pick up the sword and thirst for blood and violence for God. And they ignore the most simple fact about God – this isn’t what God desires. This is not what it means to follow Jesus.
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I listened on YouTube to a well-known American Zionistic preacher suggesting the US nuke Iran in order to forward their dispensationalist agenda. Never mind that the Iranians are real people loved by God and that the Iranian underground house church movement may be the fastest-growing in the world. Iranian young people especially are seeking an alternative to radicalism and finding Jesus.
A week ago a well-known and respected missions researcher in South Africa who is on the ground in the Middle East told us that Syrian Muslims are ‘flocking to Jesus,’ so also in the Kurdish and Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon.
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Another great example of how this dangerous theology is destructive and needs to go to the ash heap of history never to be repeated.
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