May 21
Jerry Falwell and that Melting Iceberg
The sudden death of Rev. Jerry Falwell has brought to mind a growing problem in the end-time Christian community.
We are losing leaders, and there are none of equal stature to take their place. I envision a small iceberg of conservativism that is steadily melting away as it drifts along in this vast sea of atheistic liberalism.
Jerry Falwell had some faults, but they were far outweighed by the good he did for the cause of Christ. He labored to slow our nation’s moral slide, he helped elect political leaders who would respect biblical values, and he built a university to help pass along our Christian heritage to the next generation.
In recent years, Liberty University has become a haven for many key evangelical teachings. It is the center for pre-tribulationism. Some of the top names in prophecy are members of the Liberty staff. Tommy Ice, who is probably the best academic writer on the subject of prophecy, teaches at Liberty. Ed Hindson is a leading prophecy speaker, and he is the vice president of the university. Tim LaHaye gave Falwell $5 million to add a school of prophecy to the university. Another noteworthy person who is tied to Liberty is Ergun Caner, a professor of Christian theology who is highly respected for his fearless rebuttal of Islam and other false religions.
The reason Liberty has such a strong connection to prophecy is that so many other so-called Christian institutions have already turned their backs on the Bible. With so many of our spiritual eggs in one basket, we could be facing major disaster if the death of Falwell causes Liberty to stumble.
Dallas Theological Seminary is probably the most shocking example of how the enemy is invading our Bible-teaching institutions. Not too long ago, DTS was the Mecca of education concerning end-time prophecy. I don't know how long the process took, but one day it was revealed that the faculty of DTS no longer believed that prophecy was being fulfilled today. The school has become overrun by progressive dispensationalism, a doctrine that says there will be no future kingdom on earth, and it considers modern Israel to be the work of man and not of God. It also has no need for a pre-trib rapture. Recently, there was a big controversy at DTS when it was revealed that a professor at DTS no longer believed the Bible was divinely inspired.
I don't mean to just single out DTS. This same type of nonsense has infected Moody Bible Institute, Talbot Seminary, Biola College, Dallas Baptist University, and a number of other Bible colleges.
I don't see any indication that Liberty University is going to follow Dallas Theological Seminary into prophetic doctrinal darkness. It has a more conservative board of directors, so I doubt that will happen. The greatest danger is that the new leadership will decide to step back from the national spotlight. Every time Falwell commented on controversial issues, the liberal media constantly set out to chop his head off.
Most people would say they didn't need that kind of grief. What made Falwell special is that he stood for righteousness despite what people thought of him. Many of his attackers were fellow Christians. When I read that former President Jimmy Carter once said about Falwell, "In a very Christian way, as far as I'm concerned, he can go to hell," I thought it was an urban legend, but apparently it's true.
We've already seen a good example of a withdrawal from participating in a dialogue with the media at Bob Jones University. For many years, BJU was very active in the culture war. After repeatedly being the punch bag for liberals, the current administration has decided it doesn't want to fight anyone. University President Stephen Jones recently told Newsweek he no longer wishes to play a political role. He also said, "The gospel is for individuals. The main message we have is to individuals. We’re not here to save the culture." In a 2005 Washington Post interview, Jones admitted he was embarrassed by "some of the more vitriolic comments" made by his predecessors.
The devil knows fully well that once he corrupts the younger generation, he can just wait for the troublemakers to die off. A random sampling of Christian evangelical leaders shows that Satan doesn't have too much time to wait. Here are a few names and ages of leading evangelicals in America: James Dobson, Focus on the Family President, 71; John Hagee, pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, 67; Dave Hunt, a leading Christian apologist, 81; Tim LaHaye, producer of the "Left Behind" series, also 81; J. I. Packer, a leading evangelical theologian, 79; and Hal Lindsey, the author of The Late Great Planet Earth, 76.
Without good watchmen, there is nothing to prevent our world from sinking deeper into the quicksand of apostasy. We have plenty of young and vibrant watchmen who tell us how to be happy, rich, and carefree. I'll let the Word of God comment on their usefulness:
"His watchmen [are] blind: they are all ignorant, they [are] all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber" (Isa. 56:10).
--- Todd
End-of-Days Scenarios Part 12
Gog, the prophesied leader of the Israel-hating coalition north of Jerusalem, has hooks in his jaws--put there by none other than the Lord God of all creation. Our scenario has that hook as lubricated generously with the black, liquid gold of the Middle East.
The dictator who rules Russia has watched, with Luciferian-inspired obsession, the whole international rearrangements following the disappearance of millions. He receives an “evil thought,” and thinks to take “great spoil” –the vast oil supplies of the regions surrounding Israel.
It is the Tribulation era--Daniel’s 70th week—the last seven years of human history that will culminate in Christ’s second advent. Man has always claimed, in his humanistic pride, that he can make this world into paradise. This has been true since before the time of Nimrod and Babel (Genesis chapter 11). The leader of the newly formed super agglomeration of western powers has brokered the peace that the “prince” promises will make things heaven on earth for the world. Israel has bitten into the apple from the great leader’s garden of promises. God Almighty takes His hand off Planet Earth to the extent He will now allow mankind to see if they can achieve their utopia. The Holy Spirit has withdrawn from acting as restrainer upon the consciences of human beings.
Gog knows the leadership of the western nations are consolidating their power. Once that is done, the forces of the reviving Roman Empire will be formidable–perhaps even impossible to defeat. They have the most awesome thermonuclear arsenal ever stockpiled. But, Russia, China, and even some of Gog’s other allies have such weapons, too. Enough to destroy the world, as a matter of fact. The western behemoth that is gathering strength is quite unlikely–in Gog’s self-inflated estimation—to use military power to try to stop his invasion at this point. Their weak note of diplomatic protest proves it in the Russian's mind.
Gog is inspired by one other profound realization. The West’s true power has always been in its great technological capabilities –its fantastic, wealth-producing machinery that is far advanced of anything the humanity-oppressive regimes of the East have been able to match. The only true things achieved by the eastern world has been, for the most part, mere replication of things produced by the freedom-loving people of the West.
The Russian, in consort with his cohorts of the coalition he has gathered, knows that to take away the western powers’ ability to run their machinery –thus their technological production—is to cripple them. He will claim all of the oil of the Middle East. The West –having long fallen prey to those who preached the ecological mumbo-jumbo, the political correctness that they were raping “Mother Earth” by drilling and refining petroleum—will be without resources to fuel their drive to dominate the world.
The leader who brokered the peace remains peaceful. He has sent his diplomatic protest. But, he believes in Bible prophecy. His knowledge comes from the father of lies, who convinces him that all of prophecy is true, except the part that says he–the prince that shall come—will ultimately lose to the returning King of all kings (Rev. 19:20).
The western leader watches the Gog-Magog forces gather. He is troubled, but bides his time.
While the beast of Revelation 13 watches, the beast of the East–Gog—doesn’t keep his nemesis waiting long. The assault is quick, all-out, and, seen from satellite reconnaissance, looks like a massive storm moving southward toward Jerusalem. Israel sits, vulnerable, without defense. The leader squints from Brussels at the many monitors while awaiting to see if the things his special minion-mentors are telling him will play out on schedule.
He is not disappointed. Here is how Ezekiel, under God’s direction, reported this battle thousands of years ago:
Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD (Ezek. 39:1-5).
Many, particularly the Jews within Israel, will believe that God has won the victory. And, indeed, there is no evidence to the contrary. God did it all. Even the great peacemaker from his proud perch has to say to himself –inwardly—that the Deity has done this marvelous thing. But, so far as he is concerned, it only means advantage to his ambition. All resistance has been crushed for him, paving his way to fill the power vacuum. All of the oil riches are his. Now he will truly be able to build his one-world kingdom. To him belongs the great spoil Gog foolishly thought would be his.
He rides into the region a conqueror. He has–in his more and more demonically possessed mind—correctly understood the “dark sentences” given him by his minion-mentors from the father of lies. Jerusalem, the very capitol of Jehovah on earth—is his for the taking. He, himself will be the god of this planet:
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God (2 Thes. 2:3-4).
Antichrist has revealed himself. He demands worship. The greatest holocaust of history will begin. It is the time of Jacob’s Trouble: "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7).
Jesus said of this time: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21).
So, we come to the last of this series. But, of course, the story is far from over. The beautiful part of this scenario –and it is God’s scenario that really matters—is found in these last few words of the great old prophet Jeremiah: “…but he shall be saved out of it.” All of Israel –the believing remnant—will be saved out of this horrible holocaust. (Read Revelation, chapter 12.)
We at Rapture Ready pray that you will accept Jesus Christ as Savior now, before these prophesied end-of-days events overtake you and this judgment-bound world.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9).
--Terry
