BIBLE AUTHORITY AGREES WITH PIKE
By Rev. Ted Pike
8 Jan 08
Hank Hanegraaff, the Bible Answer Man, is well known
to listeners of Christian radio in the US and Canada. His recent
book The
Apocalypse Code breaks ranks with Israel-first evangelical
leaders like Tim LaHaye and John Hagee by identifying modern Israel
as a racist state birthed in violence and ethnic cleansing toward
non-Jews, both Christian and Muslim. His book portrays Israel
as spiritually and territorially illegitimate because it violates
God's requirement of obedience in order to occupy a holy land.
Contradicting most evangelicals, Hanegraaff says:
"Unlike early dispensationalists, who believed that the
Jews would be regathered in Palestine because of belief in the
Redeemer, LaHaye holds to the theory that Jews must initially regathered
in unbelief solely on the basis of race. Such unbiblical notions
put Christian Zionists in the untenable position of condoning the
displacement of Palestinian Christians from their homeland in order
to facilitate an occupation based on unbelief and racial affiliation.
The tragic consequence is that Palestinians today form the largest
displaced people group in the world." (Introduction, p.
XXII)
Hanegraaff also boldly disagrees with evangelicals’ common
belief that Christ returns twice: once to "rapture" the
church and seven years later to reign. Scripture does teach a "first
resurrection" (Rev. 20:5) or "rapture" of the saints.
But it is simultaneous with Christ's second coming.
The effect of "rapture theology" has been to largely
destroy Christian resistance to anti-Christ legislation in America
. Much Christian apathy comes from the fantasy that—because
our "generation" existed at the time of Israel 's statehood
in 1948—all Christians will soon vacate earth, caught en masse
into the skies. Why worry about saving our republic? At any time,
all Christians could be farther from this planet than the Andromeda
galaxy!
Hanegraaff: Israel is " Babylon the
Great"
Most significantly, Hanegraaff agrees with me that the "great
harlot" of Revelation is not the Roman Catholic Church (a belief
rooted in early church history, popularized to the present by Martin
Luther). Instead, he argues compellingly that apostate Israel, at
least in the first century A.D., remained the archetypal whore
of the Old Testament.
"In Biblical history only one nation is inextricably linked
to the moniker 'harlot.' And that nation is
Israel! Anyone
who has read the Bible even once has flashbacks to the graphic
images of apostate Israel when they first encounter the great prostitute
of Revelation. From the Pentateuch to the prophets, the image
is repeated endlessly." (p.119)
Confining his depiction of Israel as the great harlot to the first
century A.D., Hanegraaff does not develop the staggering implications
of this truth as I do. In my book Israel:
Our Duty and Dilemma and videos, I assert that the
great harlot was hardly destroyed in the siege of Jerusalem in 70
A.D. Her torch was carried on by Jewish activists who led communism,
20th century liberalism, anti-Christ activism in media, education,
Jewish civil liberties groups, hate law advocacy, finance, and control
of U.S. Mideast foreign policy and war-making. (See, Israel:
On the Way to Empire in the Mideast)
Unfortunately, Hanegraaff mixes accurate insights with praetorism,
the belief that Christ's second coming occurred more than 1900 years
ago. The deception that Christ could come before anti-Christ is anathematized
by St. Paul. He warned, “Let no one in any way deceive you" saying "that
the day of the Lord has come." (2 Thess. 2: 3, 2) (See, Should
'Replacement Theology' Replace Christian Zionism?)
Hanegraaff's praetorism will prevent him from widely influencing
evangelicals. Most Christians correctly teach that the second coming
and most biblical prophecy remains unfulfilled. Yet until severe
persecution comes from organized world Jewery (most likely as hate
laws internationally enforced from Jerusalem), the church probably
won’t find a Biblical middle way out of the deeply propagandized
state of confusion about Israel in which they languish.
Emerging Light
It is heartening, however, that shafts of light periodically break
forth into the darkness of evangelical thinking about Jews. A
large percentage of visitors to www.truthtellers.org are
Christians. I have been compelled to sharply criticize the mishandling
of hate bill opposition by evangelical leaders over the past year,
but evangelicals are aware that I led hate bill opposition and do
not criticize me.
I am also encouraged that America has witnessed a weakening of
those who foment Christian-persecuting hate laws. Overreacting to
anti-Zionist criticism by Mearsheimer, Walt, and Pres. Jimmy Carter,
the Anti-Defamation League last summer recklessly smeared Israel’s
critics as "anti-Semitic." In their rage, ADL decided to
break their 23-year silence concerning me and posted a weak and inaccurate
11-page attack at www.adl.org.
As their tempers have cooled, they must surely regret such rashness. All
major search engines list Ted Pike and NPN as the number one authority
on hate crimes legislation, routing many thousands every month to www.truthtellers.org and
my devastating rebuttal of ADL's attack. (See, Ted
Pike's Response to ADL's Attack)
Is there hope that the major truths that Hanegraaff and the National
Prayer Network put forth will penetrate the evangelical consciousness?
I believe there is. Historically, irresponsible and extreme
movements beget opposition. John Hagee now teaches his followers
to deny the name of Christ in deference to the wishes of apostate
Jews. The blatancy and magnitude of such heresy could cause a minority
of evangelicals to vocally rebuke and separate from his unbiblical
extreme. Even a few dissident evangelicals could initiate spiritual
revival and disproportionate resistance to Zionism’s global
ambitions.
Hanegraaff’s book is just one example of the quiet awakening
of Christians and their leaders that is already occurring. Perhaps
soon many more pastors will follow the example of one reader’s
minister. This godly man recently laid down the law to his congregation
from the pulpit. He urged every member to subscribe to our e-alerts
at www.truthtellers.org!
_________
My 345-page book Israel : Our Duty, Our Dilemma is available for
$24.90 postpaid at www.truthtellers.org or
at P.O. Box 828 , Clackamas , OR 97015 . My thesis that Israel
is Babylon the Great is also presented in abbreviated form in my
videos The Other Israel and Zionism and Christianity:
Unholy Alliance,
available in VHS or DVD for $24.90 postpaid. These videos can
also be viewed free at www.google.com.
Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative
watchdog organization.
Let the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith teach you how they
have saddled 45 states with hate laws capable of persecuting Christians: http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
Learn how ADL took away free speech in Canada and wants to steal
it now in the U.S. Congress. Watch Rev. Ted Pike's Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians at video.google.com. Purchase
this gripping documentary to show at church. Order online at www.truthtellers.org for
$24.90, DVD or VHS, by calling 503-853-3688, or at the address below.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this
topic. Call (503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas,
OR 97015
