From: "Remember" The 4th Commandment
Date: Mar 3, 2008 12:54 PM
Regarding ANY 'antiChrist'
Our Good Lord has given us fair warning in 2 Thessalonians, as it states;
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
While it is true that the series of books Left Behind, has brought people around to wanting to have a closer walk with Jesus Christ, it appears that many are taking the series literally, when in fact the books themselves are based on a ficticious set of ideas. The books have more than doubled both the profits and staff of Tyndale House Publishers. More than 65 million copies have been sold (over 75 million counting the graphic novels and children's versions), and now there's a video game out!
THE PROFITS GAINED MONEY WISE SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING. I want you to have a better understanding of where the ideas in the books and movie originated, and bring you around to biblical (rather than fictitious) truth in regards to the days just before Jesus returns for His people.
The Left Behind series is based on fantasy, yet so many people are being misled into thinking they are the real happenings of the end times. Some of the ideas for the books were taken from Hal Lindsey's "The Late Great Planet Earth". Lindsey had set a date for the coming of Jesus, 1981, but Tim Lahaye & Jerry Jenkins were cunning enough to leave any 'dating' for that time be. In the series, they present the eschatological view (the study of final events in earth's history) which was promoted by the Jesuits, (especially Francisco Ribera), in the Counter-Reformation to combat the Lutheran view that the papacy was an 'antiChrist'. In order to point the finger elsewhere, the Catholic church promoted a 'futurist' view, with an anti-christ to come in the future with a Third Temple in Jerusalem, etc., and a secret rapture. These ideas all spir from a theory known as 'dispensationalism'.
MATTHEW 24:11 And many false prophets will arise and mislead many.
Is Dispensationalism "antiChrist?"
One of the fundamental doctrines of Dispensationalism - a theological system founded by J.N. Darby in the 1830s - is that "Israel" and "the Church" are entirely separate entities. Famed Dispensationalist Charles C. Ryrie confessed:
"The Church/Israel distinction is the best way to determine whether or not someone is a dispensationalist - the most important critereon" (Dispensationalism Today, by Charles C. Ryrie, Moody Press, 1965, pps. 44-45, 132).
This Church/Israel distinction forms the basis of Dispensationalism's prophetic views. It is no secret that Dispensationalism teaches:
1. We are now in the "Church Age."
2. The Church will be taken to heaven in the Rapture, thus ending the "Church Age."
3. After the Rapture, God's focus will be the literal nation of Israel in the Middle East.
4. Because God in the Old Testament promised the land (of Palestine) to Israel, the Modern Israeli nation has a biblical right to all that land today.
The net result of this doctrine is that most Dispensationalists believe that modern Palestinians have no right to any of Israel's land today, even if some of these Palestinians dwelt on some of this land pre-1948 (when Israel became a nation again). Their doctrine is: God favors the Jews, not the Arabs or Palestinians. Politically, this doctrine often leads Dispensationalist 'Christians' to oppose:
1. Any compromise by Israel in giving up land to the Palestinians.
2. Any withdrawal of Israeli settlements from Palestinian occupied territory.
3. A two-state solution to the Israel/Palestinian crisis that hopes both sides can have their own states on the same land side by side.
Obviously, the current Jew/Arab/Palestinian issues are complex. There is no simple solution to Middle East problems. Evils have been committed on both sides. No one should justify Palestinian terrorists killing innocent Jews or unjust actions by Israeli soldiers against innocent Palestinians.
Part of the purpose of this bulletin is not to attempt to solve the Middle East mess, but to reveal this clear teaching of the New Testament: Jesus Christ has broken down the wall between Jews and Gentiles. He loves both sides equally and gave His life for ALL.
Paul wrote:
There is neither Jew nor Greek [Gentile]...for you are ALL ONE in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
Gentiles [are] fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel (Ephesians 4:6).
For He Himself [Jesus Christ] is our peace, who has made both [Jews and Gentiles] ONE, and has broken down the middle wall of separation...to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity (Ephesians 2:14-17).
Jesus Christ Himself said, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16).
These inspired verses teach that Jesus Christ gave His life for the entire world (Israelis and Arabs) and that He broke down the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles. He did it "through the cross." Jesus died "for the sins of THE WHOLE WORLD" (1 John 2:2) and now Jews and Gentiles can be "of the same body," "ONE in Christ Jesus."
In light of these Scriptures, any inherent favoritism toward one group (Jews/Israelis) over against Gentiles (Arabs/Palestinians) should be clearly seen as contrary to the teaching of Jesus Christ and the New Testament. The same God created both groups. Both sides should be treated fairly. Both sides have equal rights. The Father and His Son love both Israeli babies and Palestinians babies. Jesus died for ALL. Both sides have sinned and both sides are lost without the Savior.
Contrary to Jewish prejudice existing in His own day, Jesus ministered tactfully and lovingly to an outcast Samaritan woman, even though "the Jews [had] no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:9). He also told His classic parable of the "Good Samaritan" whom He commended for an act of kindness to a man beaten by robbers, while at the same time portraying a certain priest and Levite as lacking compassion (Luke 10:25-39). These examples show plainly that Jesus did not favor Jews above Gentiles. He loved both groups and longed to bring salvation to ALL.
In this light, the question arises: Is Dispensationalism's bias in favor of Israelis above Palestinians (which is supposedly based on Scripture) in harmony with the life and teaching of Jesus Christ? Obviously, Dispensationalism is not "the little horn" (Daniel 7:8) or the "beast" (Revelation 13:1), but can much of its doctrine still be classified as "antiChrist"? The New Testament says that all true Christians should "abide in the doctrine of Christ" (2 John 9) in order to avoid being misled by "many deceivers" who are "antiChrist" (verse 7).
Jesus Christ, His message, and His Doctrine should be our Center.
Any doctrine or theory not in harmony with Jesus Christ is "antiChrist."
"Let no man deceive you by any means" (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
For bible studies regarding the books of Daniel and Revelation, CLICK HERE
For further study regarding the falsehoods of Dispensationalism, here is a video link that will help you better understand the deceptions contained in The Left Behind series.
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