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The Enemies of Prophecy

In my continuing effort to embrace new technologies, I downloaded a new book from a major apologetics organization, onto my smartphone. The book gives evidences that the Bible is true.

Their discussion of Bible prophecy would fit on a postage stamp.

Israel’s role would fit on the corner of a postage stamp.

Where to begin…

We live in an age so hostile to biblical truth that I am still surprised on a weekly basis by the attacks on Scripture and the faith. As we discussed last night on RaptureReady Radio, I guess I never expected to see such opposition from within the Church! One sort of expects atheists and humanists and secularists to mock and scoff. It is disheartening when Christians do it.

At least monthly, I am seeing old friends and associates disassociate themselves from Israel and Bible prophecy teaching. For some it is embarrassing (“anti-intellectual,” as the center-left critics would say). Others say it is “controversial” and “divisive.” Personally, I am convinced many hate Bible prophecy teaching because it is so dominated by the special-ness of Israel and the Jews.

As I thumbed through the “phone book” and became more chagrined that prophecy is treated so shabbily—in a day when it can be such a powerful evangelism tool!—very few ministries or pastors emphasize it at all.

There are plenty of reasons for it. One of the biggest is the presence of what I call Rick Warren, Inc. The famous California spiritual guru had this to say about Bible prophecy in his mega-selling Purpose Driven Life:

“If you want Jesus to come back sooner, focus on fulfilling your mission, not figuring out prophecy.”

“He said in essence, ‘The details of my return are none of your business. What is your business is the mission I have given you. Focus on that!’”

“When that happens, remember the words of Jesus: ‘Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God.’"

See? Warren first shows his contempt for prophecy teaching. Then he makes up quotes from Jesus, who allegedly tells us to disregard Bible prophecy. He finishes with a threat that to building the Kingdom of God.

Many thousands of pastors have abandoned prophecy teaching for this reason alone.

Another reason is the steady drip, drip over the years of books like The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, by Mark Noll. A former professor at Wheaton—where theistic evolution and a chilly attitude toward Bible prophecy teaching are the norm—Noll makes clear his impatience with both creationists and dispensationalists. He and his ideological soulmates at Christianity Today have long lamented what they view as the absence of “careful thinkers” among evangelicals. What they really mean is that they believe Bible-believing Christians have checked their brains at the door as they insist that the supernatural elements of the Bible are actually true.

Noll has now secured a coveted teaching spot at Notre Dame, and, one hopes, the kind of academic credibility he so craves. There are many like him in the Christian world of today. You really should get a copy of that book and internalize just how marginalized Bible prophecy adherents are treated today.

Another factor is the nasty, sustained attacks on Bible prophecy teachers by men like Tony Campolo and Brian McLaren. They have spawned a whole generation of spiritual groupies, who have fanned-out across the country and established social gospel churches. Chief among the bogeymen they shun is the community of Bible prophecy teachers.

And when I say “Bible prophecy teachers,” we know of course that that primarily describes the Dispensationalists. The Tim LaHaye brand of prophecy teaching, while profitable for Tyndale House and the Left Behind franchise, has been met with derision by the careful thinkers in the Church. I remember, more than 10 years ago, telling a major Bible prophecy teacher that Christianity Today had run a mocking cover story—complete with caricatures of people like LaHaye and Jerry Falwell and Benjamin Netanyahu(!). I told him this was the mood out there even in the evangelical world. He dismissed it, saying, “At least they’re paying attention to us!”

No, you don’t get it. The cover story was part of a systematic, sustained attack on the credibility of not only prophecy teachers, but prophecy itself.

A key strategy of the careful thinkers is undermining Bible prophecy itself, by pointing out the fallible nature of men who teach prophecy. Harold Camping is the obvious example.

However, there are many more. When Gary DeMar suggests that “end-times” prophecy has already been fulfilled, a big part of his strategy is to lambast men like Tommy Ice and Tim LaHaye, and point out the failed predictions of the Second Coming (or the Rapture) by a whole host of people like Camping.

Listeners are rarely able to distinguish between what Scripture says and what some undisciplined teachers teach. There is also guilt by association. Tommy Ice is an astute researcher, yet he gets lumped-in with the Campings of the world, by the Nolls of the world.

I implore Bible prophecy teachers to think about this: audiences today do not understand why prophecy is relevant. We have spent so much time calibrating the time of the antichrist’s entrance onto the world stage that we can’t see the forest for the trees. There is too much Christian and prophecy jargon being presented today, and college-age students today do not live in the world we grew up, or the world our parents and grandparents knew. They do not understand terms like “eschatology,” “dispensationalism,” or “Daniel’s 70 Weeks.”

There is a major disconnect there.

Meanwhile, the “progressives,” those Emergent guys who loathe the “Bible literalists,” do communicate with the younger generations, and they are doing it with social media.

You don’t know what “social media” refers to? Then find out.

Our ideological opponents in the Church in America are using Twitter, Facebook, and more to reach young audiences with their message.

I am writing a book on this subject, and in my research, I have come across the website of one of these Emergent guys. On his Facebook page, there are hundreds of photos of…him. His blogs are vicious in their denunciations of “the Pharisees” who embrace the old-time religion. He actually calls us “morons” and “terrorists” and he mirrors Rick Warren’s rule: get rid of the dissenters. If someone in their church questions the new methods, well, he or she gets shown the door. Or, they are shunned until they leave of their own volition.

Why am I mentioning these things? A pastor posts hundreds of pictures of himself? He says mean things about Bible-believing Christians? Is that a big deal?

Yes, it is.

Self-love in the American Church is so omnipresent, it requires Bible-believers to develop an apologetic (a defense of the faith) that will rescue some of these young people brainwashed by the Emergents and their outright unbelieving spiritual friends and gurus.

I am encouraged that there are at least some successors to the LaHaye generation. We should be excited by “emerging” (in a good way!) teachers, like Nathan Jones at Lamb & Lion Ministries. Mentored by the peerless David Reagan, Nathan has many years of teaching ahead of him, I pray.

Ron Bigalke, Jr. Jack Hibbs. Don Perkins. Britt Merrick. Mark Hitchcock. Brian Thomas.

These guys proclaim Bible prophecy, and thank God for them. Daymond Duck has a sensational presentation on RaptureReady, explaining why Bible prophecy is important. Thank God for men like Daymond.

My co-host on Tuesdays for RaptureReady Radio, Chris Quintana, is a bold defender of the faith. There are more like him.

Yet, don’t expect the leading apologetics ministries today to join the battle for Bible prophecy teaching. Many of them have abandoned that. Odd, isn’t it? Such a powerful evidence for the truth of the Bible, prophecy is shunted to the side by many of these ministries.

Recently, three people have suggested that I take “prophecy” out of Prophecy Matters. They suggest I could reach more people if I don’t heavily emphasize Bible prophecy.

Get behind me, Satan.

Why did they suggest that? Because they buy into the propaganda that prophecy is too controversial, to narrow a focus.

I don’t know much, but I know this: there has never been a time when prophecy was more relevant, in terms of understanding the world around us and reaching people for Christ. That’s why I reject the advice. In fact, I am running, sprinting in the opposite direction.

Lean-in. Embrace the marvelous ability of Bible prophecy to reveal the majesty and power of the living God.

This is what our young people need to hear. It’s what they long to hear, I am convinced.

Brian McLaren’s theology of despair (because in his world, one cannot know ultimate truth) will fail. Narcissistic pastors will ultimately fail. Emergent cleverness and light shows and hard rock bands will leave their audiences ultimately dissatisfied. Why?

There’s no Bible there. No quenching of spiritual thirst. A distorted view of God and reality are offered.

The Apostle Peter was a great Bible prophecy teacher. He understood it:

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:19-21)

Peter was not ashamed of it. Neither was Job. Neither was Paul. Neither was John. Neither was Jude. Neither was Jesus Christ.

We who are privileged to live in this age must embrace the teaching of Bible prophecy teaching as an evangelistic tool.

To those who denigrate us and mock us and seek to blunt the effectiveness of Bible prophecy teaching, I feel sorry for you. I really do. Your hateful denunciations of Bible teachers are tough to take right now. But I choose to plow on.

Too much is at stake.

jim@prophecymatters.com




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Zechariah 12:3,9:
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

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