Humanism vs. Christianity
~
The Polarization of America
by Patrick Vosse
… you also, like living stones, are
being built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood, offering
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to
God through Jesus Christ. 1 Pet 2:5
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On rare occasions, major storm cells
merge to form an enormous storm – the perfect storm.
The perfect storm is not just big, it is a natural disaster. Unlike most
storms that are composed of just one storm cell, the perfect storm is
composed of many storms cells. The result is destruction and death in
the wake of its path. The perfect storm serves as the perfect metaphor
for the events that define the conflict between Humanism
and Christianity, and the polarization in America.
Never before, in the history of mankind
have conditions combined to oppose Christianity as they exist today,
except perhaps, the time of the Early Church during the
first three centuries AD. As in the case of converging weather systems,
all the elements that oppose Christianity are developing strength and,
as in the case of the perfect storm, merging in a
coordinated effort. The elements that signal an all out attack on
Christianity are Progressive politics, Humanist education
in the public schools,
judicial activism, the rise of heretical
religions in the public sector, and the emerging conditions predicted
throughout the Bible that foretell the end times and the
final conflict. These conditions predict the coming of the "perfect
anti-Christian storm" (Figure 15) and this will define
conditions in America, and the world, for the foreseeable future.
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Figure 15.
The "perfect storm" of anti-Christianity |
STORM CELL 1. Progressive Politics
I lived in Nebraska for several years
and was always amazed at how fast a summer storm could form. Within an
hour, dark clouds on the horizon would suddenly become thunder and
lightning all around you. Progressivism and Nebraska
weather have a lot in common. Consider this; in one hundred years,
American has been transformed to the extent that most of the positions
espoused by Humanists are imbedded in our society. However, it is not
just America; in fact, America lags much of the world in this respect.
Almost all of Europe is Fabian Socialist. At least one-third of the
world is strictly socialist or Communist. This means that Humanism
is imbedded in almost one hundred percent of the nations
that wield global power. This is reflected in the policies of the United
Nations. Both Marxism and Progressivism emerged from the
Humanist philosophers of the 18th and 19th
centuries and both of these philosophies have the common goal of
establishing a world government, an atheistic world government.
Eventually, the number of nations committed to the Humanist Manifesto
will reach a critical mass and a central world
government will suddenly, like a Nebraska summer storm, govern the
world.
Perhaps the only thing in the way is
that such a world government cannot be formed as long as there is even
one super power. As long as the United States remains strong enough and
is committed to Christian values, the winds of Humanism
will not prevail. However, there has never been a time in
human history when the political climate has been so favorable to a
world government. If the Christian community cannot hold
back the winds of Humanism in America, it is inevitable that Progressive
politics will transform our nation into the "Humanist’s dream" and the
"Christian’s nightmare."
Recall the quote by George Soros
cited above in which he said that the only thing
standing in the way of a world government was the United States. There
are two factors that make America an impediment to the Humanistic dream
of a world government. America is committed to being a sovereign
superpower and Christian values. This is why Progressive are committed
to the marginalizing of Christianity, and preferably its destruction.
STORM CELL 2. Humanism in the Public Schools
Several years ago, I taught at a
university in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. When I arrived, the new faculty
quarters were not yet finished so I stayed in a nearby construction camp
for a few weeks. During the first week, I was sitting in the dinning
room eating dinner when someone shouted, "habub!" Suddenly
everyone stood up leaving their meals and ran out of the building. No
one told me about the Arabian sandstorm. I found out the hard way. By
the time I finished my meal and left the building, the camp was in the
midst of a sandstorm pushed by a strong wing. At first, I was merely
curious. It looked like a cloud covering the ground to about two feet.
However, as I began to walk back to my room, the curiosity turned to
pain. The "cloud" was sand moving at about 50 miles per hour. As I ran
back to my room, the course sand cut my legs. I learned the hard way why
you never see an Arab in shorts. The next day the environment had
changed beyond recognition. Sand covered everything. Small dunes rippled
over the roads and even my desktop, inside an enclosed building, had a
layer of sand. One of my students said that the sandstorms were the
reason the desert was the cleanest place on earth;
everything was regularly buried and we always saw a new layer of sand.
Unfortunately, as in the case of the
Arabian sandstorm, our education system is being buried
by Humanist indoctrination and policies that result in
the "Dumbing of America". Six decades ago, the United States was at the
top of industrial nations in educational achievement. Now we are near
the bottom; passed by several developing nations. Yielding to the
demands of the teacher unions and throwing billions of dollars at the
problem has just made the system worse. In addition to the poor
education our children are receiving, they are being indoctrinated in
the Humanist philosophy at an increasing rate. This is not a
coincidence.
This is the first time in the history of
the United States that our children are receiving a worse education
than their parents. The poor quality is not just in the
fact that the students are not doing well in math, science, and other
subjects; they are not learning the truth. Textbooks rewrite history to
fit the Progressive propaganda. Evolution is taught as fact and students
are reprimanded for asking how the gaps in the hypothesis
are explained. Sex education classes promote oral sex
rather than copulation in order to avoid pregnancy. Homosexuality is
taught as "alternative" rather than deviant. Capitalism
is taught as the source of all the nation’s economic and social
problems while Socialism is presented in a favorable light. A
kindergarten student is punished for drawing a picture of Jesus
in class during the Christmas season.
Our children are being prepared to
live in the world transformed by the Humanists and governed by the
precepts of the Humanist Manifesto. The Progressive wind is blowing the sands of Humanism
over our education system. The truth is
being buried. Our children are being indoctrinated. Our children are
being prepared to live the Humanist lifestyle and to
ignore the values of their parents. The Humanists are preparing the next
generation.
STORM CELL 3. Judicial Activism
I worked in Pakistan for the U.S.
Agency for International Development as a consultant to determine
infrastructure need in the southeast par of the country. I was stationed
in the town of Turbot, a dusty and primitive collection of mud brick
buildings in the Baluchistan desert. During my first week there, a few
of the government officials and citizens came to my office with a formal
request. They wanted a bridge over the Dast River. The Dast river
separated Turbot from the gravel tract they called a road that connected
the town to civilization. A visit to the Dast River would treat you to a
mouthful of dust. The "river" was merely a lower elevation crossed by
vehicles. You could dig down about two feet and find water, but at the
surface, all you would find is blowing dust. The group claimed that when
it rained, the town was cut of from all communication for up to a week.
As I investigated the weather in the area, I discovered that Turbot
received an average of three inches of rain each year, usually in two
storms of an inch and a half each; hardly a significant storm.
I filed their request and proceeded to
investigate other, more worthy, projects like roads and schools.
However, one day I was summoned to the river to inspect the flood. It
had not rain the entire time I was in Turbot, how could their be a
flood? When I arrived, I found the Dast River a raging torrent. I
quickly returned to my office to pick up the survey equipment and
returned to measure the flood elevation. However, the water was rising
so fast I could not get a measurement and had to wait until it crested.
I did not have to wait long; the river went from a dust bowl to a
crested water elevation of 22 feet in just six hours. It was four days
before the river could be crossed. I was a believer. The phenomenon is
not unusual in desert environments. The Baluchistan desert in this area
is barren hard-backed clay. When it rains, virtually all the water runs
off and collects in the usually dry depressions, creeks, and eventually
rivers. I learned that the watershed was several hundred square miles
and rain anywhere in the water shed, even 50 miles away, would collect
and eventually find its way to Turbot via the Dast River. These stealth
storms routinely happened but the citizens of Turbot had no idea the
flood was coming until it was upon them. Judicial activism has flooded
America in the same way as the Baluchistan storms.
For decades, the Progressive
politicians gradually established the foundation for the flood. They
were not obvious because in the initial stages of the implementation,
the public would have opposed the effort. Franklin Roosevelt tried the
direct approach and failed big time. The preparation had to be indirect.
The "rain" fell in the form of a few Progressive politicians at first,
then a few more. Everyone was focused on the politics and missed the
judicial flood. Gradually, over a few decades, the number of judicial
activists grew in numbers. Since federal judicial appointments are for
life, activist judges accumulate over time, just as the rain
in the Baluchistan watershed accumulated.
Suddenly, like the floods at Turbot,
America is faced with judicial decisions that conflict
with legislative intent and the will of the people. A significant part
of the judiciary, directly or indirectly, is nudging the law towards a
Humanistic lifestyle. While we were arguing about the
liberal politicians and laws that favored the Progressive agenda, the
judges were gradually, and stealthily, implementing the agenda. Never
before in the history of the United States has there been so much of our
personal life regulated by judicial activism; an activism
that has usurped the role of the legislatures – both federal and state.
This judicial activism removes the
power of the people and there is little that can be done to correct it
in the short term. Abortion, evolution, prohibition of
prayer or religious symbols in schools and public venues, and
pornography are examples of the rain of the Humanist
lifestyle flooding into our society through judicial
activism. As long as the Progressive politicians continue to "reign,"
the flood will increase. Eventually the dike will break.
STORM CELL 4. The Rise of Heretical Religious Systems
While I was working in Indonesia, I
experienced a few impressive monsoon storms. Tropical storms can dump
several inches of rain in just a few minutes. This results in flooding
and landslides with loss of life. Almost all those who die,
however, are not drowned in floods or buried in landslides. Within a few
days, people become sick with cholera, typhoid and similar water-borne
diseases. Water supplies become contaminated from the flooding and by
the time aide agencies arrive with clean drinking water, it is too late;
the people have already drunk water from contaminated sources and are
infected.
The American society, similar to the
Indonesian floods, is being contaminated by heretical religious beliefs
and philosophies. I know, that statement is not politically correct,
however, the fact that it is not politically
correct gives some indication of how far the contamination has
progressed. As in the case of the Indonesian monsoon, the public has
been focusing on the "rain" of the Progressive efforts to "separate
church and state" and the prohibition of Christian
expression but while the contamination of heresies went unnoticed.
Gradually, however, the contamination has infected our society and even
our churches.
I have observed the growth of
anti-Christian heresies and religions in
the United States for several decades; however, I did not make the
connection to Humanism until recently. After all,
Humanism expressly denounces all religion and anything
spiritual. So why would Progressives promote anything religious? The
short answer is – to oppose Christianity. Just as environmental
scientists are used to promote the atheistic premise of
Humanism, the heretical religions and philosophies are tools for
opposing Christianity. The ultimate target if Christianity and the
Humanists will suffer a brief period with some very strange bedfellows
to achieve that goal.
It is unfortunate, but the
Progressives have co-opted the media has been co-opted. The
Humanist bias is expressed in the entertainment programs
and the Progressive agenda is favored in the news programs. In the area
of religion, however, the bias is most evident.
Gnosticism is a significant danger to Christianity because of its
tendency to contaminate orthodox faith. As discussed in
Chapter 4, the apostles continuously warned the early Church
about the Gnostic heresies. When reading the Bible,
one might consider these warning for a time 2000 years ago and
not pertinent today. That would be a mistake; Gnosticism, as discussed
in Chapter 12, is alive and well.
Television channels, such as Discovery,
History, and National Geographic, are examples of media bias
toward anti-Christian heresies. As the
Christmas or Easter holidays approach, one can count on these channels to follow
the Progressive agenda regarding religion. The only
programs relating to Christianity are the "historical Jesus"
or the "Gnostic Jesus". One can also count on several programs about
Muslims, Mecca, and the Hajj (we discuss Islam
below). The Historical Jesus emphasizes what archaeologist can determine
about Jesus the man and as a historical figure and hints to a very
different person than that described in the New Testament. The
conclusion, since the Bible is treated as myth, is that
there is little scientific evidence to support his existence and sketchy
historical records would indicate he was merely the leader of a
fanatical Jewish cult. The Gnostic Jesus is based on the Gnostic
gospels, discussed in Chapter 12, that use Jesus
and Christianity to promote Gnostic philosophies that had developed over
the previous centuries. In both cases, the fundamental beliefs of
Christianity are ignored and even challenged. It is bad enough to ignore
the truth of Christianity, but to present the heresies as the probable
reality goes beyond bias; it is indoctrination. The difficulty is that
this type of programming is increasing and spreading throughout the
liberal media.
Perhaps the best example of Progressive
intentions to marginalize Christianity is the efforts of the judicial
activists and teachers unions. This example not
only exposes their intentions, but their hypocrisy as well. The issue is
religion in public schools
and the Progressive mantra, "separation of church and
state." As we discussed in the previous chapter, judicial activists,
supported by the ACLU, and Progressive teachers, supported by their
unions, have succeeded in preventing any hint of Christianity in public
schools. Prayer, the mention of Jesus, wearing
a crucifix or a T-shirt with a Christian message can get
a student reprimanded or even suspended. School Christmas programs
cannot include reference to Jesus or religious hymns such as
Silent Night. Christianity is taboo because there must be a separation
of church and state; and Progressives in the school system and the ACLU
are vigilant in upholding this important constitutional protection.
However, when it comes to Islam, it is a different story.
Before exposing the religious double
standard in the schools, it will be helpful to briefly discuss the
conflict between Islam and Christianity and why Islam can be
offensive to Christians and visa versa. Below is a list of some
of the tenants of Islam and how they conflict with Christianity. The
numbers in parenthesis refer to citations in the Koran;[1]
(book: surya). Supporting information was taken from History of Islam.[2]
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Jesus is not the begotten Son of God but merely another prophet
(3:34; 4:171; 5:46; 5:72; 5:75; 18:4,5; 19:35; 43:81,82) The
fundamental teaching of Christianity is that Jesus is the begotten
Son of God; he is fully God and fully man.
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There is no Trinity. God is a singular unity. There is
no Holy Spirit or divine Son (4:171;
5:73). This, too, is a fundamental tenet of Christianity: one God
with three person, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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Christians and Jews are to be killed if they do not convert (an option is to tax
them) (4:89; 8:12-16; 8:67; 47:4; 59:2-7) Much of the "modern
history" presents Islam as a benevolent religion
in which Jews and Christians were allowed to live in
peace. The real history is much different; if they did not convert
to Islam, their lives were indeed spared but they had to pay a large
tax to continue living. Muslim rulers became rich from
this clever loophole.
There are many more example of how Islam and Christianity are
fundamentally at odds, but these will suffice for this discussion.
Numerous books have been written about Islam and it is worthwhile
reading a few to become acquainted with this significant force in the
world. However, if one reads the Koran, it becomes clear that the
religion is mostly a statement against Judaism
and Christianity. If actions speak louder than words, the
Muslim anti-Christian, anti-Israel attacks,
both historical and modern, are sufficient evidence of their agenda.
With this background, one would think that the Humanist movement
would be vehemently opposed to Islam; perhaps even more than
their opposition to Christianity. The Humanist Manifesto rejects religion in all forms, especially
dogmatic religion. However, Progressives make an exception in the case
of Islam. Consider the following examples.
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The Texas State Board of Education passed a bill regarding "balanced treatment of
religious groups in textbook" after it became obvious that several
textbooks were strongly biased for Islam and against
Christianity. The bias included: 1) twice as much coverage of Islam as
Christian history, 2) an emphasis on the Christian
killing of Muslims during the crusades but omission of the
Muslim killing of Christians throughout history, 3)
omission of the 90,000 massacred in Baghdad (1401) and 100,000 killed in
Delhi (1398), 4) large blocks of text that state Christianity brought
social, economic, and political decline while Islam brought a "better
life to millions", 5) the spread of Islam by war, genocide,
and killing large groups of people is referred to as
"migration" and "empire building". The list goes on.
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By contrast, the California State Board of Education has required middle
school student to attend an intensive three-week course on Islam.
Given that those same students, and their teachers, cannot
wear crosses, pray in school, or mention Jesus, the boldness
of the Progressive bias and hypocrisy is remarkable. But then, it’s
California! The three-week class included: 1) student were required to
pray in the name of Allah, 2) wear middle-eastern clothing, 3) choose a
Muslim name, 4) a banner was displayed at one school that
proclaimed, "there is one God, Allah, and Mohammad is his
prophet," 5) students chanted from the Koran and prayed in the Muslim
style. I never thought I would say this, but, "ACLU, where are you?"
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William J. Bennetta[3] exposes the Islamic propaganda in two high school textbooks, World
Cultures: A global Mosaic, and Across the Centuries, books
that have been adopted for use in the California public schools. The books contain a considerable amount of Islamic
myth presented as historical fact. Bennetta exposes the fact that the
textbooks were written under the guidance of the Council on Islamic
Education. The textbooks also contain errors that present Islam
in the best possible light while ignoring significant
atrocities committed over the centuries.
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Oren Dorell reported[4] that public schools
and universities are granting Muslim requests for prayer time,
ritual footbaths, and prayer rooms. The ACLU commented that religious
symbols such as crucifixes are definitely illegal, however, physical
facilities for the exclusive use of Muslim religious rituals is
"unclear".
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The Wellesley Massachusetts Middle
School students, in May
2010, were taken on an "educational field trip" to the Islamic Society
of Boston Cultural Center--a controversial Saudi-funded mega-mosque
run by the Muslim American Society of Boston. At
the Mosque, the students were divided by gender, as is the Muslim
custom, and given indoctrination on Islam. After the
indoctrination, the boys joined the adult Muslim men in the mid-day
prayers.
Where are the activist judges and the
ACLU when you need them? Where are those Progressive politicians who
champion separation of church and state? No need to wait for them to
act; this is part of their agenda. In less than a generation, America
has gone from a nation where Christians could express their faith
in public to a nation that restricts Christian’s public expression of faith. At the same time, the laws that
Progressives passed to restrict Christianity are ignored as Islam
is actively imposed upon students. In my youth, even
those who did not have a faith respected Christians for their faith.
Today, many talk show hosts (and their guests) and not a few politicians
ridicule Christians openly, particularly the Evangelicals.
At the same time, Islam is
being pressed on the public, either directly as in the case of the
public schools, or
indirectly through "politically correct"
rhetoric. The result is that Christianity is being marginalized and this
marginalization is progressing rapidly. Of course, the Gnostics
and Muslims are being used as tools for the
Humanist agenda, as are environmental
and climate scientists; but when the Humanists reach their critical
mass in society and no longer need them, the proverbial shoe will be on
the other foot. In the meantime, the American society is infected with
the heretical philosophies. Recall Figure 11 that presented the various
concepts of salvation among the world religions.
Humanists have no problem with any of these religions except
Christianity. That is because only Christianity constitutes a threat the
implementation of the Humanist Manifesto.
STORM CELL 5. The Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecies
I spent my childhood in a semi-rural area
of Utah about 50 miles south of Salt Lake City. Every summer we would
be treated to magnificent lightning storms. Dark clouds would form on
the horizon and the roar of thunder would signal that it was time to
take cover. The lightning was not some far off spectacle that
illuminated the dark clouds. It struck. A tree in our front yard was
split in two as a testimony to the danger of the lightning. One
afternoon when I was about 10, I was riding by bike when I saw the
clouds off to the West. The sky above me was still blue, but I knew
enough to get home as fast as I could. When I was about 100 feet from
the house, I was suddenly engulfed in light and then a deafening roar.
My hair stood straight up and for a few seconds I was blinded by the
bright light. From the safety of my front porch, I could see that the
clouds had not yet arrived. The lightning had come "out of the blue" as
they say." According the Bible, that is how the events that signal the
last days will come, suddenly and without warning.
Although the last-day events will
suddenly break upon mankind, the Bible tells us what those events are
and, if we are wise, we can know they are near. Just as the summer
clouds in Utah hint to the danger of lightning, there are events that
tell us the preparation of the last days are under way.
The biblical prophecies concerned with the last days are often
difficult to understand. The Bible is full of metaphor, allegory, and
symbolism and end-time prophecies are no exception. In fact they are the
most difficult to interpret. As a result, there is no consensus on all
the details of the events of the last days as described in the Bible.
However, there are several scriptures that are clear and generally not
in dispute. These scriptures are particularly pertinent to the conflict
between Humanism and Christianity, because the Bible
predicts that, prior to the final chapter in this wonderful journey,
Humanism will prepare the infrastructure for the final events.
Ask the average person what they know
about the last days and they will likely say that the
Apocalypse will come and that it will be a time of
natural disasters, Armageddon. Actually, "Apocalypse"
is Greek for revelation and is the title of the last
book of the Bible. "Armageddon" refers to the final battle between the
forces of evil and good on the plain of Megiddo, northwest of Jerusalem.
The reason for this association is that the Book of
Revelation is entirely devoted to the events of the
last days. However, the entire Bible is full of prophecies about the
last days. Both the Old and New Testaments have hundreds of references
to "The End." There is so much information about the last days that an
entire branch of theology, eschatology, is devoted to these prophecies.
Biblical prophecies concerning the last
days fall into two categories, those that refer to
humanity and the world in general, and those that refer to Israel and
the Jews specifically. Those that refer to Israel far outnumber the more
general references. This is because, in spite of superpowers,
technology, global economies, and Progressive politics, the focus of the
events in the last days will be Israel. We are beginning to see this
happen.
We will discuss a few of these prophecies
in the light of the Humanism-Christianity conflict. It
may surprise a few to lean that these end-time prophecies predict that,
in the short-term, Humanism succeeds. These are the prophecies we will
look at here. However, ultimately the Holy Spirit wins
decisively.
Humanist Lifestyle
The Bible defines the deeds of the flesh
as: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, witchcraft, hatred,
discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissentions,
factions and envy, drunkenness, and orgies (Gal 5:19-21). Throughout
history, these activities and characteristics have been an integral part
of humanity. Humanism professes a philosophy that should
raise the moral level of human actions, but the record of the
Progressives reveals just the opposite. In fact, Progressivism
has taken our moral standard to a lower level. In
Chapter 11 we discussed how the Humanist Manifesto was a
recipe for a return to the moral degradation of ancient Rome.
In the previous chapter, we discussed how this moral degradation is
supported politically and judicially to an extent never seen before. All
indications are that America is reaching the tipping point where
sufficient groundwork has been laid for a sudden surge of Progressivism
to complete the Humanist agenda.
Peter warns that in the last days
many will become scoffers and follow their evil desires (2
Pet 3:3). Paul's letter to timothy is explicit:
But mark this: There will be terrible
times in the last days. People will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to
their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God—having the form of godliness but denying the power. 2 Tim 3:1-5
Does this remind you of anyone? I mean
except Progressive politicians. However, the fact that this
describes the political climate of our nation tells us much about the
direction of our nation. People with these characteristics make the laws
and implement them. They appoint judicial activists. They are guiding
our nation to the Humanist lifestyle
predicted by Peter and Paul.
Wars and Rumors of Wars
As long as there have been humans on the
earth, there has been war. In the last century, the number and
consequence of the wars has increased considerably. Never in the history
of humanity have there been wars of global magnitude or such a cost of
life. However, the last days prophecies are
more concerned with the wars in the Middle East. As
mentioned above, the focus of biblical prophecies is largely on Israel. Jesus tells us that
conflict between nations is a sign of the last days.
You will hear of wars and rumors of
wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen,
but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and
kingdom against kingdom. Matt 24:6, 7
In the Book of Revelation,
John describes the four seals that indicate the events that are
preparatory to the devastation of the last days.
When the Lamb opened the second seal,
I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" Then another horse came
out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given the power to take peace from
the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large
sward. Rev 6:3, 4
Consider the fact that Israel is the
focus of biblical prophecies. Now consider the
events in the Middle East. While it is true the last
century was riddled with war and genocide, over the past
50 years there has been a gradual focusing of war or threat of war in
the Middle East. Today Israel is surrounded by Islamic nations who
disagree on about everything but are in strong agreement on one thing:
the destruction of Israel and the Jews. And not a few European and Asian
nations (with Progressive or Marxist governments) are
sympathetic to that goal.
When I was working in Pakistan in the
mid-eighties, I had occasion to attend a party and meet several
government officials. During the get acquainted time prior to dinner, I
joined a group of engineers who were talking about Pakistan’s new
nuclear reactor. Jokingly, I asked, "Now that you will soon have the
capability to build a nuclear bomb, should India be concerned?" The
unanimous response was, "Not India. Israel!" The group then shouted and
laughed.
We are just seeing the initial stages of
this conflict and when the preparations are complete, a Middle East
disaster will strike as suddenly as a Utah lightning
bolt. It will seem to many to come "out of the blue" but the black
clouds are already forming and some of those clouds hang over
Washington, D.C.
Famine Pestilence and Earthquakes
As in the case of war, famine, pestilence
(disease), and earthquakes are nothing new to humans. However, the Bible
predicts that these disasters will increase in intensity and scope to
include the entire world (Matt 24:7; Rev 6:5, 6). Beginning in 2007, the
world economy began its slide. At the same time,
liberal Progressives saw their opportunity to use the crisis
to strengthen their position. However, in the process of their social
and economic engineering, the world economic conditions are becoming
worse. Assistance to developing countries is decreasing. This, in turn,
results in more frequent episodes of famine and disease. Pollution and
global warming continue unabated, just as Isaiah prophesied:
The earth will be completely laid
waste and totally plundered. The earth dries up and withers, the world
languishes and withers, the exalted on the earth languish. The earth is
defiled by its people and they have disobeyed the laws, violated the
statutes and broken every covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth
its people must bear their guilt. Therefore, earth’s inhabitants are
burned up and very few are left. Isaiah 24: 4-6
This environmental
degradation will result in famine. Where there is famine, epidemics
abound. As the world shrinks, disease can spread more easily. We have
already seen how one person on an airplane infected with the H1N1 virus
can be the source of thousands of subsequent infections. Already we are
experiencing millions of deaths each year due to famine in Africa.
Diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria are becoming resistant to
antibiotics and fatalities from these diseases are increasing. Never
before in the history of man has the potential for worldwide pandemics
been so great.
Contamination of the Church
In Chapter 4, we discussed how the Church
has been plagued with Gnosticism, philosophies, social
agendas, and human ambition. This can be expected in any institution
habited by humans. However, the Bible tells us that, in preparation of
the last days, Satan will launch a major attack on the
Church and try to destroy it from within. Using seven churches in what
is today Turkey as a type, in Revelation John describes
what we can look for in the contamination on the Church today.
Ephesus (Rev 2:1): Although rejecting attempts by some at
false teaching this is a backsliding church that has lost the enthusiasm
it once had and become lethargic. Today we can recognize the modern
"Ephesus" as the "go through the Sunday motions" pew sitters. For them,
religion is routine and rote. The promise from Christ to
this congregation is that they will be removed from
the Christian community. The 2007 Pew survey on religion found
that, even among the most Evangelical Christians, only
58 percent attended church service weekly and the average for mainline
denominations is only 34 percent.
Smyrna (Rev 2:8): A poor church that is publicly ridiculed
and persecuted. In some cases, there is physical suffering, but the
congregation remains true to Christ. Some might
consider the modern day "Smyrna" as the small Evangelical,
probably Pentecostal, congregation that is looked down
on by elites, secular and religious alike. The message from Christ is,
"Hang in there and I will give you the crown of life."
Pergamum (Rev 2:12): This congregation
is in an area surrounded by evil. Most of the congregation holds to the
faith, but a few have compromised by incorporating some of
the popular practices of idol worship common in that society. The modern
equivalent of "Pergamum" is the "modern" congregation that incorporates
the popular fads in order to appease the nominal "Christian". In this
congregation one hears the social gospel, Gnostic "ear ticklers," and
anything that is the spiritual fad of the day. One might ever hear that
there are many ways to salvation–take your pick. Jesus
has a message for the modern Pergamum, "Shape up or I will
come after you with the sward of my mouth." The Pew survey
reported that only 79 percent of the members of Evangelical
churches believe in a personal God and 13
percent believe that God is an impersonal force. Only 62 percent of the
members of mainline denominations believe in a personal God and 26
percent believe God is an impersonal force. This would place a
significant number of those claiming to be Christian as philosophical
Gnostics. Gnostic Christianity is increasing and is an even greater
problem than faced the Early Church.
Thyatria (Rev 2:15): This is a congregation
growing in faith and good deeds. Each day it
becomes stronger. However, there are some within the congregation that
teach heresy and sexual immorality and they are tolerated. The modern
day "Thyatria" may be exemplified by those congregations that are mixed
with strong Christian principles that and a liberal component that
tolerates heretical concepts and unrepentant sexual activity, such as
homosexuality. Jesus objects both to the contamination by
the nominal Christian and the tolerance of the contamination by the
orthodox members of the congregation. Jesus’ message: I will bring great
suffering on the heretics until they repent. The Pew survey
reported that homosexuality has been accepted in some local American
Baptist congregations, the Episcopalian, Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian (qualified), and United Church
of Christ. Sixty-one percent of the members of Evangelical churches
consider abortion as immoral in most or all cases while 32 percent of
the members of mainline protestant churches consider abortion immoral in
most or all cases. Forty-five percent of the Catholics consider abortion
immoral. The fact is that 40 percent of the U.S. population in general
considers abortion immoral. It would seem that the population in general
is less tolerant of sin than many "Christian" congregations
are. According to the Pew survey, Christian denominations that do not
condemn abortion are: American Baptist, Episcopalian (rape, incest,
mother’s physical/mental health, fetal abnormalities), Evangelical
Lutheran Church of America, National Association of Evangelists (rape,
incest), Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and United Methodist.
Sardis (Rev 3:1): Sardis had a reputation for being spiritually alive, but Jesus
declares them spiritually dead. Perhaps at one time their faith
was manifested by their deeds, but no longer. They have
become spiritually lethargic, Christians in name only, just going though
the motions. Jesus tells them to repent and "wake up" or he will come
like a thief in the night. This warning echoes the warning gave many
times during his ministry when discussing the last days,
particularly the rapture. The modern Sardis is a congregation that
attends Sunday service (when convenient), puts a few dollars in the
collection plate (when convenient), and has the outward appearance of a
practicing Christian. These are the Christian Humanists whose focus is
on the physical and ignore the spiritual. Jesus’ message to the modern
Sardis congregation is to get back to the basics that enlivened your
spirit when you first believed, otherwise you may have a real surprise
when it come time to enter heaven. As Jesus told his disciples in Matt
7:23, "Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
Philadelphia (Rev 3:7): The congregation
at Philadelphia is weak by material standards, and
surrounded by heretics. However, they hold true to the Gospel and obey
the will of the Father. Jesus tells them to hold fast to
their faith and continue their good deeds and he will spare
them from the final tribulation. There are thousands of modern
Philadelphia congregations in America; usually small churches with
leaking roofs. However, when you step foot inside, you know the Spirit
is in full operating mode. They treat the Bible as the word of God
and every idea is checked against it –no Political or
Philosophical Church thinking allowed. They
not only believe the Bible, they act on it. They pray daily and
expect miracles. The continuously evangelize. They
treat sin as sin but welcome the sinner. They are not ashamed
of Jesus and it shows. Jesus is an integral and living part of their
lives—their God and their friend.
Laodicea (Rev 3:14): The congregation
at Laodicea is neither cold nor hot and Jesus
says he is about to spit them out. This is a wealthy congregation;
wealth in material things, but poor spiritually. Jesus invites the
Laodiceans to repent and buy spiritual wealth from him; he is waiting.
You may know a modern Laodicean; the large and beautiful church with
expensive stained glass window and expensive organ. It is the place to
go for weddings, funerals, and photo ops if you are a politician.
Services are elegant and the sermons include the latest platitudes
plagiarized from the local radio psychologist, but the name "Jesus" is
seldom spoken. The congregation is dressed in the finest cloths;
necessary if one is to be seen in this company. Attendance is spotty,
but the church is full on Christmas and Easter—it’s a family tradition. A modern Laodicean considers doing
good works as the means to heaven; if the good outweighs the bad, you’re
in. On Sunday, the collection plate is full. The congregation is
politically correct and open to alternative
lifestyles and approaches to religion. This is Christian
Humanism, the social gospel, and the "modern
Christianity". It is growing and many who claim to be Christian are
really Laodiceans. This is the Christianity of the Unitarians
and the authors of the Humanist manifesto.
The Pew religion survey provides an interesting statistic
about the growing number of Laodiceans. Today those who identify
themselves as "Christian" but do not believe the Bible is the word of
God (merely written by men without inspiration) is significant: Mainline
Protestant – 28 percent, Catholic – 27 percent, Orthodox – 29 percent,
Other Christian – 44 percent.
It is clear that the Church today is
contaminated just as it was in the early days of Christianity. This is
not surprising because Satan sees the Church as his greatest threat. It
is also clear that not everyone who claims to be a Christian truly is a
disciple of Christ. Nominal Christianity is possibly the majority of
Christians, if the Pew survey is accurate. However, as Jesus
said, "Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the
kingdom of heaven.
The seven churches of Revelation
include just two that holds to the true faith
and can be called Disciples of Christ, Smyrna and
Philadelphia. That is only 28 percent of the
Christians. The others need to repent, purge the congregation
of Humanism and Gnosticism,
and pray for a spiritual awakening. The Church is
polarized. The polarization is not whether to baptize
infants or adults or whether the Eucharist is transubstantiation or
remembrance, or whether young earth creation or intelligent design is
the correct theology. The polarization is much deeper than man-made
philosophical differences. The polarization includes the belief in the
Bible as the word of God. Is God a personal God? Is Jesus
the only means of salvation? Is there an
absolute moral standard? Is Jesus truly the son of God? Paul
tells us that this polarization will increase in the last days and identifies the contamination as those:
…having the form of godliness but
denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Tim 3:5
Those Christians who have adapted the
form of Christianity but do not embrace the Spirit of Christianity may
have a problem.
You are the salt of the earth. But if
the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no
longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Matt 5:13
Return of Israel
In the last few years, a popular theme
for movies is Armageddon. However, as usual, Hollywood
takes considerable liberty with the truth. Armageddon is portrayed as
the final conflict between good and evil, or the devastation of the
world as described in Revelation. However, Armageddon
refers to the final conflict between the antichrist and Israel at the
plan of Megiddo northwest of Jerusalem. When John wrote the book of
Revelation, Israel had been overcome by the Roman army. The temple was
destroyed in 70 AD and the Diaspora had begun. For almost 2000 years,
the Jews were scattered across the world. In order for the battle at
Megiddo to take place, the nation of Israel must be restored. Israel was
restored in 1947.
Chapters 36 and 37 of Ezekiel are
prophesies regarding the restoration of Israel. First God
gathers the Jews from their dispersal throughout the world.
For I will take you out of the
nations; I will gather you from al the countries and bring you back into
your own land. Ez 36:24
Then, in Chapter 37 God give Ezekiel the
metaphor of the dry bones. Ezekiel is given a vision of a valley filled
with old bones. Ezekiel was told to say over the bones that God
would bring them back to life and, as he was speaking, the
bones rose up and came to life. As the restored people stood before
Ezekiel, God instructed him to inform them:
Then he said to me, "Son of man, these
bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up
and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore, prophesy and say to
them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to
open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to
the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord,
when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit
in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then
you will know that I the Lord have spoken and I have done it, declares
the Lord’" Ez 37:11-14
A few additional scriptures that predict
the return of Israel are: Jer 23:3; Jer 31:8; Jer 32:37; Ez 11: 17; Ez
20:41; Ez 36:24; Ez 39:27; Mic 2:12; Mic 4:6, 7; Zeph 3:19; and Zec 8:3.
There are many more scriptures that predict the scattering of the Jews
among the nations and "in the day of the Lord," i.e. the last days, God
will restore the nation of Israel but perhaps the most direct
prophecy is from Isaiah:
In that day the Lord will reach out
his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people
from Assyria, from lower Egypt, from upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam,
from Babylonia, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. He will
be a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will
assemble the scattered people of Israel from the four quarters of the
earth. Isa 11:11-12
Opposition to Christianity
In the last part of Chapter 11, we
discussed the scriptures that predict a rising opposition to
Christianity in the last days. There is no question that
Humanism is opposed to religion and
particularly Christianity. As Humanists, through the
implementation of the Progressive movement, gain influence and power,
they become bolder and opposition to Christianity is increasing.
Conservative Christians are fair game for late night comedians.
Progressive politicians portray them as a regressive and harmful
influence on America. The ACLU is on record to oppose everything
Christian. The opposition is not merely a difference of opinion. This
opposition is filled with venomous emotion. Just enter a blog site that
is discussing one of the hot button issues (evolution, abortion,
homosexuals, etc.) and present the Christian position on the subject.
The reaction will be an eye opener.
However, the opposition to Christianity
is not just from the Humanists. The opposition from Islam
goes much farther. I lived in Indonesia for several years and became
aware of things one does not read in the newspapers. In many Muslim
countries, Christians are treated as second-class citizens and
severely persecuted. In Indonesia, where Islam is the least extreme,
Christians are required to close their churches and denied permits to
build new ones. Crowds block the streets to Christians’ houses when
Bible study or prayer meetings are scheduled. All this happens with, not
just the permission of the government, but with active government
participation. There, a Christian will be thrown in jail for witnessing
about Jesus and pastors must be careful not to give an
"alter call" inviting people to receive Jesus—there are undercover
police in the audience to assure the sermons are correct and no
non-Christian is persuaded to become a Christian.
Frequently, Christians are killed by
Muslims and the police turn a blind eye. In one case, a
Muslim killed and beheaded two Christian girls who were on
their way to school. He was interviewed by the local paper and said he
did it as a Ramadan gift to Allah. Everyone knew who did it because he
was proud of the deed and open about it. However, the police, "try as
they might" just could not find the culprit. All of this is occurring in
a country where Muslims are the least extreme.
Today, we see that Christianity is not
politically correct and socially unacceptable.
The Progressives and judicial activist are doing their best to restrict
and marginalize Christianity. However, that will not be enough,
eventually they will have to get serious and the scriptures cited at the
end of Chapter 11 will be headlines in the American press.
Establishment of a World Government Opposed to Israel
For many Christians, particularly
Evangelicals, the concept of a world government or new world order is a
signal for the rise to power of the antichrist and the final chapter in
the current human narrative. Numerous scriptural references support this
eschatology. Some of the more interesting verses are from the books of
Revelation and Daniel.
There I saw a woman sitting on a
scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and ad seven heads
and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was
glittering with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held a golden cup
in her hand, filled with the abominable things and the filth of her
adulteries. This title was written on her forehead:
MYSTERY
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE LORD
I saw that the woman was drunk with
the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. Rev 17:3-6
This calls for a mind with wisdom. The
seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are seven
kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he
does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was,
and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going
to his destruction.
The ten horns you saw are ten kings
who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive
authority as kings along with the beast. Rev 17:9-12
The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom
that will appear on earth. It will be different from the other kingdoms
and will devour the whole earth, trampling down and crushing it. The ten
horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another
kings will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three
kings. Dan 7:23, 24
As mentioned earlier, the focus of
prophesy is the land and people of Israel. The kingdoms referred to in
the passages above are kingdoms that had a direct influence on Israel
and its people, the Jews. In Rev 17:9-12, John refers to seven kings,
five have fallen, one is and one is yet to come. At the time John wrote
Revelation there had been six kingdoms that had ruled Israel.
Egypt, approximately 1800-1300 BC, including the period of captivity |
Assyria, approximately 900-600 BC |
Babylon, approximately 600-540 BC |
Persia, approximately 540-330 BC |
Greece, approximately 340-146 BC |
Rome, approximately 146 BC – 638 AD, including the Byzantium Empire
|
Of these, the first five (Egypt,
Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and
Greece) had fallen at the time John wrote Revelation,
and Rome was ruling Israel. Therefore, Rome was not the
beast, as some theologians believe, only one of the heads, the sixth
kingdom. That leaves us with the question: What is the beast? It seems
logical to infer that if the heads are specific powers that ruled and
had influence over Israel; the body must represent the world system of
spiritual, political and economic powers. There is considerable biblical
support for this.
For our struggle is not against flesh
and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12
Again, the devil took him to a very
high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their
splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and
worship me." Matt 4:8, 9
That leaves us with the question, what
are the seventh kingdom and the eighth kingdom that emerges from it? The
Roman Empire was divided in the 4th century and the Eastern,
Byzantium, component rule Israel until conquered by the Muslims
in 638. Islam was the seventh "kingdom" to rule
over Israel until Israel was restored as a nation in 1947. However,
Islam still controls much of the area traditionally considered Israel
and the temple mount. Islam fits the description of the seventh kingdom
in some interesting ways. The seventh kingdom "will be different from
the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling and
crushing it."
-
Islam is a kingdom without a head or organized government.
-
Islam is the only kingdom of the seven that is a theocracy.
-
Islam’s express goal is to rule the entire world under Sharia law.
-
Islam conquered the Middle East, North Africa, Spain,
Southeastern Europe, and southern Asia through violent conflict,
war, and intimidation.
-
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and in
just a few years will become the most popular religion in the world.
-
Islamic Jihadists are resuming the terrorism and intimidation that spurred the
religion's initial successful spread.
-
Islam is committed to the destruction of Israel and Christianity.
For many theologians, Islam
is the seventh kingdom and the conflict in the Middle East is an indication that this component of the "Perfect Storm" is
gaining momentum. John’s vision includes an eighth kingdom that arises
from the seventh. Of course, this is speculation, but there is much to
support this eighth kingdom to be Iran. The "beast who once was, but now
is not" has to be either, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon,
Persia, or Greece since, at the time of John’s
vision, Rome was "but now is not." Since Greece does not
qualify because it is not part of the modern Islamic empire, only Egypt,
Assyria, Babylon, and Persia remain as candidates. Considering that the
Persian Empire encompasses the other three and that Iran is today the
most powerful county of the group, it is a likely candidate. Iran’s
expressed goal of eliminating Israel as a nation and a people would also
be consistent with the Last day prophesies.
However, there is more to the
establishment of the world government than the seventh kingdom itself.
Humanists that are expressly opposed to religion are
surprisingly tolerant, even supportive, of Islam. We
discussed earlier the growing bias favoring Islam in some public schools. The United Nations
consistently expressed its bias against Israel and in favor of the
Palestinians. In fact, every country with a growing Progressive
influence is turning away from Israel. At the same time, the Progressive
countries, and the United Nations in particular, are increasingly
pressing for a world government to solve the global economic,
environmental, and human rights problems.
Like the Utah lightning storm that
suddenly strikes when you do not expect it, the clouds of the last days
Biblical prophecies are poised on the horizon. We know
the storm is coming, but the bolt can strike out of the blue, when we
least expect it.
~
The barometer is dropping the wind is
picking up. The storms are converging. Progressive politics have been
with us for a century, but never so open or so powerful. In less than 50
years, the very nature of what is taught in public schools
has changed, and continues
to change rapidly, as our children are indoctrinated in Humanism
and the Progressive agenda–-at the expense of good education.
What the Politicians cannot impose, in the last 40
years judicial activist sneak through the backdoor. In the last five
decades, acceptance of Gnosticism, Islam
and other heresies that challenge the authenticity of
Christianity have become engrained in society, the schools, and
politics. The trend is continuing. And, while many of the prophecies
concerning the last days have been observable throughout
history, there has never been a period when all of the prophesies
are so apparent as today.
These five storm cells are growing in
strength. They are converging. All the storms have one thing in
common—opposition to Christianity and the promotion of Humanism.
Christians are standing in the eye of the storm. Soon the wind will
strike in full force and the Christian community needs to be prepared.
[1] Al-Qur’an,
translated by Ahmed Ali, Princeton University press, 1988.
[2] The Rough Guide History of Islam,
Justin Wintle, 2003.
[3] Houghton Mifflin’s Islamic Connection, article in the Textbook
League’s the Textbook Letter, July-August, 2000.
[4] Some say schools giving Muslims special treatment,
USA Today, July 26, 2007.
Copyright © 2011 by Patrick Vosse
All Rights Reserved
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