by
Bob Anderson
The
return of Jesus Christ, the "second coming," Armageddon, and the
"end of the world" are topics discussed, argued, and debated among
Christians and non-Christians
alike
at an escalating frequency. What has been termed by some as millennial madness
will likely continue at an even more frenzied pace as we draw nearer
to
the end of this decade, century, and millennium.
Author
Stanley J. Grenz, in his book, The Millennial Maze: Sorting Out Evangelical
Options, observes:
At
the close of the twentieth century the message of the doomsday preachers - once
the brunt of jokes and the laughing stock of "enlightened" citizens
of
the
modern world - has become in the minds of many people a serious possibility and
a genuine concern in a way unparalleled in prior decades. For the first
time
in recent history we sense that our civilization is tottering on the edge of a
precipice peering into the abyss of self- destruction and chaos.
Christians
have been anxiously awaiting the Lord's return for nearly 2,000 years. But they
are not the only ones sensing that something of an extraordinary
nature
could soon happen to the world. Omni magazine featured a tongue-in-cheek
article entitled "The End Is Nigh - Again." In this review, the
authors
quoted
many religious and even non-religious people who believe in and are pointing to
the year 2000 or thereabouts for some earthshaking event. Among
the
sources Omni quoted were the prophecies of the sixteenth-century French philosopher
Nostradamus and a seventeenth-century mystic called the Seeress
of
Prague. The authors also cited New Age prophecies from a modem group called the
New Age Millennialists, as well as twentieth-century psychics Edgar
Cayce,
the "sleeping prophet," who saw 1998 as the beginning of a New Age,
and Jean Dixon who "foresees an evil and charismatic Antichrist leading
...
the
world astray in this decade.
The
Omni authors even quoted writings that dated back thousands of years to the
Aztec and Mayan Indian cultures. Each source stated that a great cataclysmic
event
would happen sometime near the end of this decade or early in the twenty-first
century, and that it would be followed by a millennial period of peace
on
earth.
The
Bible is exceedingly clear in its warning against putting stock in occult
sources (Deut. 18:9-14). It is fascinating to note, however, that even the
world
believes something unique is about to happen - that we are headed for some
staggering event in which the world will go through a great crisis followed
by
a period of 1,000 years of perfect peace.
In
theological terms, the study of Christ's return and the end times is called
eschatology. In studying this subject, one cannot minimize the importance
of
Matthew 24. This section of Scripture paints a vivid picture of conditions on
earth just prior to Christ's return.
In
verse 4, Jesus begins to answer the questions posed to Him by His disciples
concerning His advent, specifically, ". . . When shall these things be?
and
what
shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world?" Notice that
the word "sign" is singular, not plural: "What shall be the sign
of Your coming?"
A
quick review of Matthew 24 reveals that Jesus does not immediately answer the
initial part of the question, "When shall these things be?" He does,
however,
talk
about the sign of His coming and the end of the world or end of the age. He
begins with these words of warning: "Take heed that no man deceive
you,"
then
proceeds to caution that many will come in His name, saying "I am
Christ" and deceiving multitudes.
The
very first sign that Jesus mentions concerning His coming is that people will
arise in (or on the strength and authority of) His name, stealing the
title
that belongs only to Him, and deceiving many. Three times in this chapter
(verses 5, 11, and 24), Jesus warns that the end of the age, just prior
to
His return, will be characterized by the appearance of false Christ’s, false
prophets, and false Messiahs who will not only deceive great multitudes,
but
"... if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt.
24:24).
Jesus
also mentions other "signs" of His coming (verses 6 and 7). He
refers, for example, to wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes
in
diverse places.
In
the past 50 years the world has experienced these "other" signs like
no previous generation. However, it is interesting to note that Jesus is asked
for
the
one sign that will distinguish His second coming - and three times He mentions the
rise of spiritual deceivers! Notice that He mentions wars, famines,
pestilences,
and earthquakes only once. Apparently, there is something extremely significant
about religious deceptions just prior to His return. Why else
would
the Son of God refer to it so often in this short series of verses?
Yes,
Jesus obviously wanted His disciples to be keenly alert to the fact that the
beguilers would come! He was so concerned about this problem that He called
these
false prophets ravenous (savage) wolves disguised as sheep (Matt. 7:15-23).
From this analogy we derive the common expression, "a wolf in sheep's
clothing."
We are instructed to observe the "fruit" of these wolves.
The
context of this series of verses obviously pertains to false prophets. It
becomes quite apparent upon examination that the "fruit" of these
wolves is
false
prophecy. In the days immediately prior to Christ's return, many unbelievable
things will no doubt occur. But the most distinct problem endured by
that
generation will be one of religious deception. Ours may well be that
generation.
Fifty
years ago had people been asked, "What will the world be like at the end
of the age?" many would most likely have predicted a lack of religious
beliefs
-
that atheism and agnosticism would be the prevailing sentiments. However,
Matthew 24 indicates quite the opposite.
An
explosion of interest in things religious and spiritual will develop at the end
of the age, but a great deal of the attention will be directed toward
the
counterfeits. Likewise, in 2 Timothy 3:8, the apostle Paul warns that just as
Jannes and Jambres (magicians in the pharaoh's court) had opposed Moses,
men
of corrupt minds would appear and present counterfeits of the true faith.
How
did Jannes and Jambres oppose Moses? Was it by denying the miraculous? No, they
also worked miracles through the power of Satan. Similarly, the end
of
the age will not be a time of atheism and skepticism. Rather, an outpouring of
interest in religion and in the miraculous will occur, but deception
and
delusion will be rampant.
Today,
in many nations of the world, a revival of "religion" is occurring.
Unfortunately, in most of these nations the religion undergoing revival is not
Christianity.
Islam, second only to Christianity in size, is not only the dominant faith in
the Middle East, but it is also the fastest-growing religion
in
the world.
Statistics
from The Church Around The World (Tyndale House) show that over the past
half-century Christianity's membership increased by 47 percent. During
that
same time, however, Buddhism's following increased by 63 percent and Hinduism's
by 117 percent. The number of Islam (Muslim) devotees exploded with
an
astounding 500 percent growth, from 200 million to the present I billion
members .
According
to Muslim expert Dr. Robert A. Morey, "In England, there are more Muslims
than there are evangelical Christians. Abandoned Anglican churches are
being
bought and converted into mosques so rapidly that some Muslims claim that
England will be the first Muslim European country."
Here
in the United States, more than 500 Islamic centers have been built, with plans
for significant expansion underway.' According to USA Today, Islam's
membership
in this country exceeds 4 million.
Carol
Stone, whose demographic analysis is included in a research collection, The
Muslims in America, estimates that 6 million Muslims will reside in the
United
States by the year 2000. Islam will replace Judaism as the nation's
second-largest religion sometime within this decade .6
America
has always guaranteed her people the freedom of religion. Cults, likewise, are
protected under the same rights granted by our constitution to every
citizen.
By
use of the term "cult," I do not mean to imply anything of a derogatory
nature to any group named herein. The word "cult" (from the Latin
word cultis)
simply
refers to a group of individuals. However, theologically speaking, when brought
into the context of Christianity, which has produced most of the
cults
in the world today, a cult is a group of persons gathered around somebody's
interpretation of the Bible.
Such
groups generally claim to be in sympathy or in harmony with orthodox
Christianity, but all members deny essential doctrines of the faith as defined
by
the creeds of the historic church and upheld through the ages. These doctrines
include the deity of Christ, the Trinity, Christ's bodily resurrection,
salvation
by grace through faith alone, Christ's bodily return, the virgin birth of
Christ, and eternal punishment for the unredeemed.
Cults
and aberrant groups began to form here in America in the nineteenth century.
Groups such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons),
Seventh-Day
Adventists, Theosophy, Christian Science, Unity, Jehovah's Witnesses, and
others, all began to take shape during that period.
The
twentieth century has seen a proliferation of cultic and occultic
organizations. In addition to the older, well-established groups, the last 25
to 30
years
in particular have produced Jim Jones, Charles Manson, Rev. Sun Myung Moon,
Elizabeth Clare Prophet, "Moses" David Berg, Roy Masters, Jose Silva,
Werner
Erhard, and David Koresh, just to a name a few founders or leaders of
relatively new aberrational religious movements in America. Additional deviant
groups
of every conceivable variety spring up almost daily.
America
has also been besieged by occultic teachings from the East. Many of these
teachings and/or techniques have come in under the guise of the latest
"scientific"
approaches to relaxation, meditation, health, medicine, and physical fitness.
Under the banners of "New Age," "Human Potential," and
"Holistic
Health,"
many of these practices have become widely accepted in business and public
education, and have even infiltrated Christian churches.
In
short, the twentieth century has produced a cult explosion the likes of which
our forefathers could never have imagined. According to the late Dr. Walter
Martin,
founder of the Christian Research Institute, in 1830 there were less than 1,000
cultists in the entire country. Yet today, estimates by experts
in
counter cult ministries place that figure in the tens of millions.'
Eastern
occultism made its major debut here in America during the 1960s, 1970s, and
1980s, under the leadership of numerous Indian gurus. Most of these
men
not only claimed to be divine, but in many cases were worshipped by their
followers. Among the more prominent gurus were Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who
founded
colleges in Iowa and California where students study his Eastern philosophies;
Thackar Sing, who enticed many young people to follow him back to
India
where they have become his devoted disciples; Maharaj Gi, who, at the tender
age of 14, was worshipped as God by his ardent followers; and the late
Bhagwan
Shree Rajneesh, who built an occult empire in Oregon while separating many
thousands of people from millions of their dollars before finally being
deported
by the U.S. governments.
In
1982, Benjamin Creme, a New Age counterfeit of "John the Baptist,"
helped the Tara Center in Los Angeles run a $500,000 newspaper ad campaign in
more
than
20 major cities of the world. These ads, including a 1987 full-page display in
USA Today, proclaimed Lord Maitreya to be the Christ. According to
Creme,
Maitreya is the one awaited by all major religions. For the deceived
Christians, he's the second coming of Christ; for the Buddhists, he's the fifth
Buddha;
for the Hindus, he's the Lord Krishna; for the Muslims, he's the Imammahdi; for
the Jews, he's the long-awaited Messiah.
Maitreya's
status and location are supposedly known to only a few. When the appointed time
arrives, he is expected to make himself known to all of mankind.
His
task, according to the ads, is "to show us how to live together peacefully
as brothers."
The
initial foray of gurus and messiahs from the East were followed by many
teachings and seminars, including Transcendental Meditation, Erhard Seminars
Training
(EST), the Forum, Life Spring, Dianetics, biofeedback, Silva Mind Control,
International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Eckankar, Nichiren
Shoshu,
and numerous others.
Psychics,
not to be overshadowed, regularly buy prime time on independent TV stations and
"fringe" time on network stations, airing programs like the
"Psychic
Friends
Network" with Dionne Warwick. Jean Dixon, a long-time frequent feature of
occult magazines and grocery store tabloids, now appears regularly in
TV
commercials promoting her astrology telephone service along with Mickey Dane
and numerous others.
A
poll conducted in 1981 by George Gallup Jr., and confirmed by a USA Weekend
poll in 1986, shows that nearly one out of every four Americans - roughly
60
million people - have now accepted the occult doctrine of reincarnation, a
belief that lies in direct opposition to the biblical teaching on resurrection.
I I
If
one were to combine the previously mentioned tens of millions who are involved
in the "mainline" cults with the 60 million involved in occultic
activities,
even
allowing for some possible overlapping, one would arrive at the startling
figure of at least 80 to 85 million people. That's about one out of every
three
Americans who are involved in some form of spiritual deception.
According
to Gallup, "This is the most crucial decade in history. Designer A la
carte religion flourishes as traditional Christianity is undermined by
counterfeits.
Adding
to the dilemma of the deception created by cults, the occult, and false
religions worldwide are two other developing phenomena among the general
populace:
a deficiency in biblical knowledge and the rejection of absolute truth. A
growing number of Americans, possibly as many as one-third, "do not
believe
in the God of the Bible, but have other notions of who (or what) God is or
means."
This
problem seems to worsen annually - an inherent consequence of the declining
percentage of people who read the Bible and/ or attend Christian church
services
and Sunday school each year." This decline in biblical knowledge renders
the gullible, spiritually naive person easy prey for the cults and the
occultists
who twist Scripture to fit their own preconceived ideas and theology.
Consider
the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:16 that we would know the false prophets
"by their fruit." It is interesting that many cultists feel that
their
organizations
are indeed the "true" church because of their "good works."
By twisting Jesus' words, the cultist reasons that he is a genuine Christian
due
to his religious activities and ethical lifestyle.
It
is indeed true that many cultists can and do live moral and ethical lives. In
fact, many of them lead lives that exceed the ethics and morality of some
Christians.
Thus, the world looks at the virtuous life and reasons, "Well, that's good
fruit; therefore, the tree must be good." The problem, of course,
is
that it is entirely possible to lead, at least on the surface, an ethical and a
moral life, and at the same time be hostile toward God and antagonistic
to
His Word.
Atheists,
agnostics, and skeptics, as well as members of multiple forms of world
religions, are often capable of living lives that appear to comply with
Christian
ethics and morality. However, all of them share one common theological
attribute: Every non-Christian religion and religious system will not
only
deny that Jesus Christ is the exclusive way to God but will reject His
incarnate deity as well.
The
lives that these people live may be acceptable, but their teachings and their
doctrines are corrupt. Therefore, the tree must be judged not only by
the
fruit of the life that is lived, but more importantly by the fruit of the
doctrine that is taught."
The
writers of the New Testament stress the need to guard against coming religious
treachery. Paul alerts us in 2 Corinthians 11:4 that there would be those
coming
who "preacheth another Jesus, another spirit ... another gospel. . .
." Paul again cautions the church about a different gospel in Galatians
1:6-
9.
John, Peter, and Jude warn us to beware of false prophets and teachers.
With
all this New Testament caution of coming spiritual treachery, it is incumbent
upon us to learn to recognize cults. Is there an acid test to determine
a
full-fledged cult?
Consider
the words of Jesus in John 8:24, "1 said therefore unto you, that ye shall
die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, ye shall die
in
your sins." Jesus states categorically that a person must believe that He
is the I AM.
What
exactly does He mean by this statement? Jesus is quoting Exodus 3:14, where
Jehovah (Yahweh) God, speaking to Moses through a burning bush, identifies
himself
as "I AM that I AM." In John 8, Jesus applies this title to himself
and says one must believe that He is the I AM or he will perish.
Other
references that verify that Jesus is the I AM of the Old Testament are found in
John 8:58, 10:30-33, 13:19, and 18:5-6. Scripture confirms that Jesus
is
God incarnate, the second person of the Trinity. For anyone to deny this fact
not only categorizes that person as a false prophet but condemns him to
spiritual
death as well, no matter how ethical and moral a life he may live.
Due
in part to biblical illiteracy in our society and compounded by a breakdown in
morality, groups such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
(Mormons),
the Jehovah's Witnesses, and others who espouse virtue and family values are
experiencing phenomenal growth.
The
Witnesses, for example, while denying every basic doctrine of orthodox
Christianity, have grown by more than 400 percent in the United States since
1960.
In 1940 there were only slightly more than 58,000 active, baptized Witnesses in
the U.S.; by 1950 there were more than 108,000; by 1960 the figure
reached
205,900; there were 416,789 by 1970; 565,309 by 1980; 850,120 by 1990; and
their numbers now approach I million. 16
The
Mormons are perhaps the most widely condoned cult (even among Christians), yet
their highly unorthodox doctrine includes the teaching that God the Father
was
once a man who worked His way to godhood, and that we, too, can become gods.
Mormons,
like the Witnesses, have experienced phenomenal growth in the last few decades.
From around 200,000 members in 1890, the Latter Day Saints today
claim
a worldwide membership of more than 8 million. 17 It is estimated that the
Mormon faith is growing at a rate of 1,500 members per day.
In
addition to being one of the largest cults, it is also one of the wealthiest,
with an estimated income of $4.7 billion per year. The Mormon church reportedly
controls
at least 100 companies or businesses (including a $300 million-a-year media
conglomerate), and has an investment portfolio exceeding $1 billion.
The
New Age movement has made tremendous gains in the West over the past decade. A
national opinion poll conducted by the University of Chicago shows that
67
percent of Americans "now profess a belief in the supernatural," and
42 percent "believe that they have been in contact with someone who
died." 19 Two
million
Americans have reported having "out of body" or near-death
experiences; another 20 million are "tuning in" to psychics and
trans-channelers; and
at
least two-thirds of these adults have experienced ESP.
The
term "New Age movement" is in itself a misleading euphemism. It is
neither new, nor a movement. Actually, "New Age" is an umbrella term
covering a hodgepodge
of
ideas ranging from reincarnation, evolution, and meditation to cosmic
enlightenment through the aid of extraterrestrials. Its roots can be traced
back
thousands
of years to the occult religions of the Babylonians and to India and Hinduism,
which claims to be the world's oldest religion. The New Age movement
would,
therefore, be more correctly classified as a belief system, philosophy, or
religion than a movement.
How
widespread this "movement" is can only be guessed. Guide to the
American Occult, 1988 edition, lists "over 3,500 Mystical, Metaphysical,
Psychic, ESP,
Spiritualist,
Faith Healing, Astrological, Pagan, Wicca (sic) and other new and
unconventional religions and 'occult' organizations, publishers, book dealers,
newsletters,
and journals in the United States and Canada.""
Many
New Age tenets are simply the practices of shamans and occultists of the past,
packaged in Western terminology and disguised as the latest technology.
The
reason for this approach is simple. Hinduism and Eastern philosophies are not
very palatable in the West due in part to our religious heritage. Both
Christianity
and Judaism, the dominant religions of America, believe in just one God - a
belief known as monotheism. The New Age, by contrast, sees the
entire
universe as divine, a belief called pantheism.
Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi realized that he faced problems peddling his ideas in the U.S. due
to the great religious and cultural differences between East and
West.
He soon discovered, however, that Americans would accept his brand of occultism
more eagerly if he could make it appear as the latest in "scientific"
technology.
To
appeal to America's fascination with technology, Maharishi began to utilize
biofeedback machines, which monitor blood pressure, basic metabolic rates,
brain
wave patterns, etc. Once people were hooked up to the machine, Maharishi would
then teach them his Eastern meditation techniques.
People
discovered that during such sessions they would achieve lower blood pressure,
lower basic metabolic rates, etc., and, thus convinced of the benefits,
would
eagerly embrace Maharishi's total "scientific" system of relaxation.
In these meditation sessions, a person is taught and encouraged to cast out
all
thoughts. The problem with this type of meditation is that it can lead to
altered states of consciousness and to possible demonic influence.
By
contrast, Christians are told in Isaiah 26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in
perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee...." Romans 12:2 states,
"And be not
conformed
to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. . . ."
In 2 Corinthians 10:5 we read, "Casting down imaginations, and every
high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." The Bible simply does
not
teach the practice of emptying the mind.
Scripture
not only warns of deceivers attacking the Church from without, but also of
false prophets who will mislead people from within. For example, in
2
Peter 2: 1, Peter is obviously addressing those in the church. "But there
were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers
among
you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."
We
are told, ". . . in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." (I Tim. 4: 1).
Scripture
teaches
that the time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine but after
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables" (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Some will be carried about with every wind of
doctrine
. . (Eph. 4:14).
About
100 years ago, a heresy called New Thought was rejected and expelled from the
Church. It was the New Age movement of its day. From those who were
banished
from the Church came the founders of the mind science cults - Christian
Science, Unity School of Christianity, Science of Mind, Religious Science,
etc."
This
movement has been kept alive in the Christian church today largely through the
writings of the late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. Peale has managed, over
the
years, to maintain credibility among his millions of readers of Guideposts
magazine despite regular features of the "spiritual stories" of non-
Christians.
The
magazine has even, on occasion, spotlighted cultists.
Such
was the case with former Atlanta Braves baseball star Dale Murphy, a devoted
Mormon, who was featured in Peale's publication. That incident would not
surprise
those who recall that Peale went to the late Mormon president and prophet,
Spencer W. Kimble, for the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost.
Peale
said he had never felt the power of God so strongly as he did on that occasion.
Moreover, when Peale, as a guest of the Phil Donahue program was
asked
if a person had to be "born again" to reach heaven, he replied,
"Oh, no, you've got your way to God, I've got mine. I found eternal peace
in a Shinto
Shrine.
Peale,
a 33rd degree Mason, was featured on the covers of two Masonic publications,
The New Age (May 1986), and the Scottish Rite Journal (March 1991).
Peale
also delivered the eulogy at the funeral of his friend Earnest Holmes, founder
of the cult known as Religious Science.
Peale's
protégé, Robert Schuller, has one of the largest followings of any American
preacher, with a weekly television audience of nearly 20 million people
.21
Yet, according to the late Dr. Walter Martin, Schuller denies several cardinal
teachings of Christianity, including the doctrine of eternal punishment.
Schuller
teaches that hell is the loss of self-esteem, says Martin, and that Jesus
suffered hell on the cross when He lost His self-esteem. Schuller believes
that
the greatest need of mankind today is to regain his self- esteem."
Although
Paul wrote that ". . . Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..
." (1 Tim. 1: 15), and Christ himself said that He came to call sinners
to
repentance (Luke 5:32), Schuller comments, "I don't think anything has
been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has
proven
more destructive to human personality and, hence, counterproductive to the
evangelism enterprise, than the often crude, uncouth, and un-Christian
strategy
of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition."
Schuller,
on the "Praise the Lord" television program, was asked by Trinity
Broadcasting Network president Paul Crouch if he teaches repentance and
redemption.
Schuller
replied, "Of course I do. But I do it so positively no one recognizes
it."
One
current trend or "wind of doctrine" as we approach the year 2000 is
the idea that we can somehow know the time of Christ's return. Of course, the
practice
of
date-setting is certainly not confined to the twentieth century. Since the
first century A.D., there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of prophecies
predicting
"the end."
The
Jehovah's Witnesses have been setting dates for more than 100 years. The
Witnesses first proclaimed Christ's presence in 1874. Subsequent dates
heralding
the
end of the world were set for 1914, 1918, 1925, 194 1, and 1975. Each time the
Watchtower, a periodical publication of the Jehovah's Witnesses, sets
a
date, membership soars. When the prophesied event fails to materialize, the
Witnesses' leadership suddenly develop amnesia, denying that they ever made
such
a claim or passing the blame for the failure on to "over-zealous"
members.
In
1835, Mormon founder Joseph Smith declared "The coming of the Lord is nigh
- even 56 years should wind up the scene."" This prophecy
specifically dates
the
second coming of our Lord no later than 1891. Another of Smith's fantastic
prophecies, given in 1832, reads:
"Verily
this is the word of the Lord, that the city - New Jerusalem [which they define
as Independence, Missouri] - shall be built by the gathering of the
saints,
beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be
reared in this generation.
Another
cult leader, William Miller, a second advent preacher of the nineteenth
century, had a sizable following. Miller eagerly awaited Christ's second
coming
in the year 1843. After that prophecy failed, Miller changed the date to
October 1844. When neither of these dates proved true, Miller denounced
the
movement and left.
James
and Ellen G. White and Hiram Edson, who were among the hundreds of thousands
influenced by Miller, saved the movement by instituting the "Sanctuary
Doctrine,"
also known as the "Investigative Judgment," in which Jesus played a
"new role" in heaven beginning in 1844. In effect, Jesus, according
to them,
moved
from one compartment of heaven to another, where He was to
"investigate" our works. This strange teaching is still accepted
today among this group,
now
known as the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
The
late Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God, was another
date setter with a list of failed prophecies. Space does not permit a
comprehensive
account of them all, but in 1968, Armstrong gave his followers this prophecy:
"The 6,000 years are about up. We may have another 3, 5, or
10
years to go." The great tribulation, which he prophesied would start in
1972, of course, failed to materialize.
Many
people have been prophesying "the end" for years. Most of those
"prophecies," at least during the past few centuries, have come from
aberrant teachers
or
groups considered cults or sects outside of orthodox Christianity. Few, if any,
among orthodox Christians gave much credence to those who espoused "the
end,"
much less set dates for the same.
More
recently, however, the practice of setting dates for Christ's return by
otherwise fundamental, conservative Christian teachers has become almost
fashionable.
Even
more upsetting, perhaps, is the number of Christians who have fallen prey to
these false prognosticators.
We
have already witnessed several failed attempts at date setting during the late
eighties and early nineties by Christian ministers. Probably the most
notable,
because of the sheer numbers of people affected, was the failed prophecy of
Edgar Whisenant, author of a 92- page booklet, 88 Reasons Why the
Rapture
Will Be in 1988.
The
book was an overnight sensation circulating throughout America. As the title
suggests, Whisenant claimed that Christ would return for His church in
1988,
between September I I and 13, during the feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), to
be precise. According to Whisenant's publisher, the World Bible Society,
more
than 4.5 million copies were printed. The Society, apparently undisturbed by
the failed prophecy, asserted that although Christ had not returned,
many
people had come to Christ and the book had inspired revival and renewal in the
hearts of many Christians.
The
United States is by no means the only country affected by rapture fever. USA
Today ran a full-page ad on October 20, 1991, paid for by the worldwide
Hyoo-go
("rapture") or Jong Mal Ron ("end time theory") movement
based in Korea. The ad read "RAPTURE: OCTOBER 28,1992 - JESUS IS COMING IN
THE AIR." It
went
on to state that "50 million people will die in earthquakes, 50 million in
traffic accidents, 50 million from fires, 50 million from collapsed buildings,
1.4
billion from World War III, and 1.4 billion from a separate Armageddon.
Failed
Prophecy
A
more recent "failed prophecy" occurred on the Trinity Broadcasting
Network. On Paul Crouch's "Praise the Lord" program, a Southern
California Pastor,
John
Hinkle, proclaimed that God had told him that on June 9,1994, "All evil
will be ripped from the earth."
The
prophecy received wide coverage, having been promoted by both Crouch and
Christian Broadcasting Network president Pat Robertson. Crouch even admitted
that
if the prophecy did not come to pass, it would prove that Hinkle was a false
prophet! Of course, June 9 came and went and, as we have seen and experienced,
evil
is still very much with us. As might have been predicted, the proclaimers
quickly "spiritualized" the event, claiming that it was
"accomplished in
the
spirit world or something to that effect.
Anyone
with a pittance of biblical knowledge should have realized the absurdity of
such a prophecy. As long as man inhabits the earth there will be evil.
Jeremiah
17:9 reads, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it." Evil is in the human heart. How could evil be
removed
without man being removed? Does the apostle Paul see evil being ripped from the
earth? No; quite the contrary. "But evil men and seducers shall
wax
worse and worse.. ."(2 Tim. 3:13). How could evil be ripped from the earth
when the Antichrist is yet to come? (2 Thess. 2:4-10). Even during the
thousand-year
reign
of Christ, man's heart will still be capable of evil, as evidenced by the
attack against Christ in Jerusalem (Rev. 20:7-9).
Another
within the Christian church who issued forth a so-called prophecy that has
proved false is Harold Camping. Although orthodox concerning essential
doctrines,
through a system of numerology, speculation, and private interpretations,
Camping introduces some truly bizarre renditions of Scripture. In
his
book 19947, Camping proclaimed that the end of the world would occur between
September 15 and 23. "When September 6,1994 arrives, no one else can
become
saved.
The end has come."
Earlier
in this chapter, I pointed to the fact that Jesus did not immediately answer
the first part of the question His disciples posed in Matthew 24:3
as
to when He would return for His church. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus tells us why:
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven,
but
my Father only."
One
would think that this admonition by the Lord would make people fearful about
precise date setting. If Jesus himself didn't know the day or the hour
of
His return, how can anyone else? Certainly it seems to many Christians that the
time is short, but when will men ever learn to quit setting precise
dates?
Deuteronomy
18:21-22 gives us the definition of a true prophet of God: "And if thou
say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not
spoken?
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor
come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but
the
prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid of him."
In
Old Testament times, a person proclaiming himself to be a prophet of God needed
to fail in only one professed revelation from God to be labeled a false
prophet.
The penalty for such a performance was death by stoning. Today, many of the
supporters of these false teachers simply develop a case of amnesia,
and
anxiously await the next serving of spiritual arsenic.
Believers
in Jesus Christ are called to be the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13). Salt is
known as a preservative. We are to be preservers of the Christian
faith.
We are to affect the world for Christ. But how can we be salt if we don't even
know the basics of that faith?
One
of the most glaring problems within the church of Jesus Christ today is that
too many Christians don't know why they believe what they believe. How
then
can they ever hope to follow Peter's command to ". . . be ready always to
give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is
in
you. . ." (I Pet. 3:15)?
That
is exactly why more than 80 percent of the cults' membership consists of people
who were once members of Christian churches .17 They simply didn't
know
the real gospel message. Hosea 4:6 reveals the result of such a condition.
"My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. . . ."
If
we are ever to make a difference in our world, we must get back to the Bible.
We would be wise indeed to consider the biblical admonition found in 2
Timothy
2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."