Christianity Takes a Knock-out Blow?

A recent article in the UK newspaper, The Telegraph, carried the headline “US religious Right concedes defeat[*],’ and a synopsis stating: ‘America's religious Right has conceded that the election of US President Barack Obama has sealed its defeat in the cultural war with permissiveness and secularism.’

For a large constituency of American Christians, this story would be disheartening news, if believed, and hotly disputed by diehards. Did the election of Obama really signal a serious blow to the power of the ‘religious right’ in the US, serious enough to be taken as ‘defeat?’

What ‘Christians’ apparently overlook in this story is how Obama went to some pains to disavow the rumors that he was a closet Muslim, and to affirm his identity as a mainstream, moderate Christian. The issue hit the spotlight when his ‘former pastor’ (as he came to be characterized) attracted a storm of controversy with his stinging rebuke of ‘America’ and its hypocrisy and racism. After a tentative start, Obama had to make a full denunciation of his ‘former pastor,’ but the incident highlighted that he was a church-going Christian of some sort. The fact that the Christian Right seems quite unimpressed with Obama’s declaration of faith seems (to this outsider) to indicate the depth of the ‘liberalism = paganism’ thinking of these well-churched, staunch Republicans for whom only one of ‘their kind’ can be a genuine Christian.

Nonetheless, given the concessionary words of James Dobson and others, it is credible that the religious right did suffer a set-back from Obama’s presidential victory. In that light, I’d like to propose reasons why the Christian right is losing relevance, not just in politics, but in American society at large.

1) With their vehement backing of the Bush Whitehouse, evangelicals and their ilk demonstrated a complete failure in Christian discernment, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. One can understand how good church-goers might be swept up in patriotic fervor and initially support Bush’s neo-crusade against the Islamic hordes of terrorists. But, the story quickly got suspicious when, after declaring that 15 of 19 hi-jackers on 9-11-01 were from Saudi Arabia, the government decided to attack Iraq. If that didn’t temper their enthusiasm for war, the later revelation that Bush and co. lied to convince the world about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction should have. But, sober, objective thinking is not a hallmark of Republicans, especially when jingoistic patriotism and churchianity provide convenient substitutes. Just because a person calls himself ‘born again’ does not make him/her a Christian! Jesus told his disciples that on Judgement Day, some people will claim that they cast out demons in his name... yet he will respond that he never knew them (Matthew 7:21-23). Every American politician has enough grey matter to realize the political value of ending every speech with ‘God bless America;’ but what does that prove?

2) With their dogged focus on relatively ethereal issues that became primary battle grounds-- principally abortion and homosexuality-- the Christian right completely missed the more important priorities of basic justice and human rights; and in so doing they lost much moral authority. What sense does it make to protest abortions in sanitary US clinics... while the American government is killing children in overseas conflicts? Are they implying that American lives are more valuable than foreign lives? That abortion is worse than murder? How much energy does the Christian right expend in railing against the horrors of homosexual relations,... while ignoring the practice of torture in US military prisons? What are these ‘Christians’ telling society about their beliefs-- that the end justifies the means? Jesus told his followers to ‘turn the other cheek’ to the oppressor, but these followers want to strike back with all the weaponry available. You may believe that abortion and homosexual behavior are sins, but many erstwhile moral individuals do not. In the real world, real Christians know where they have to devote their efforts and choose their battles. The religious right is obsessed with righteous indignation and determined to impose its legalistic morality on everyone-- tithing scrupulously on their ‘mint and dill,’ while overlooking the most vile atrocities approved by their favored candidates. In this regard, they share remarkable similarity with the ultra-legalistic, Islamic extremists whom they hate with such vigor!

3) The leadership of the Christian churches in America have betrayed the values of their figurehead, and enervated the Church. We all remember the scandals involving high profile TV evangelists who scammed their flocks for millions of dollars in donations that they used to sustain a decadent lifestyle. However, forgetting those dark scenes, there are other behaviors of church leaders that do nothing positive for Christ’s cause. One of the flagship mega-churches in the world is the Willow Creek church of Bill Hybels and co. who proudly run their organization using the techniques of modern ‘management science.’ So what, you may enquire; isn’t WC one of the most successful churches around? Perhaps, if success is measured purely in management science terms, such as members, committees, ‘ministries,’ programs, etc. But in all that frenetic activity, there is scant evidence of any genuine presence and unction of the Holy Spirit. WC has a great structure... but little soul. Considering that the Christian right has had the ear of the president for eight years, how is it that American society continues to decline in terms of morality, crime, substance abuse, mental health, economics, and so on? What have church spokesmen been doing, and what have they been saying? Leaders like John Hagee have been delivering a message about the exemption of the Jews from Christ’s gospel, and creating something called ‘Judeo-Christianity,’ and with apparently little opposition from other leaders who ought to know better. While high-profile pastors build their empires and book franchises, they can’t seem to spare any time to proclaim a genuine gospel and to denounce fake, non-scriptural propaganda.

4) That brings us to the most essential reason for the defeat of the Christian right, which is their failure to proclaim the authentic gospel of Christ. As the Telegraph story indicates, by putting their energies into worldly politics, the CR have had little energy or inclination to promote the gospel. Yes, various pastors give good sermons on living the Christian life; yet that’s not the overall tone of what is reaching the wider audience of society. If the church can use management science to boost membership, why can’t it use media savvy to broadcast the Christian message of salvation thru Jesus Christ? One of the major problems, as I see it, is that for the most part they don’t even have the true gospel of Jesus! What the mainstream churches have been calling the gospel is a spurious hybrid of Old Testament legalism and New Testament grace-- the two just don’t go together! (Briefly, they tell people that we are saved by believing in Jesus’ sacrificial death for sin... and by obeying the Ten Commandments. In truth, it can’t be both!) This is exactly what Jesus warned about in his rebuke to the Laodicean Church (see Rev. 3); this is the lukewarm condition that baffles so many scholars! Paul clearly condemned this gospel that is no gospel in his letters (esp. Rom, 1 Cor 9, 2 Cor 3, Gal, Col 2, Heb) but our traditions create a veil over our eyes so that even pastors do not see it; and if they do, they are afraid to proclaim it because they understand the reluctance of their leaders to acknowledge the true gospel of grace. So the Telegraph article is correct in suggesting that the Church in America must return to an emphasis on the basics of the gospel if they want to regain some relevance. However, unless they re-discover the authentic gospel of Jesus, they are doomed to slither into continued, probably accelerated, decline.

Conclusion

Without a clear understanding of the gospel of Christ, the churches that claim allegiance to his name will never be able to exercise moral authority or attract critically-thinking adherents. They will continue to be defeated in the courts of public opinion as they are identified with support for ‘fundamentalist notions’ of a bygone era. As Paul wrote (1 Cor 1:18-25) the message of Jesus is foolishness to the ‘modern thinkers,’ the secular humanists of today, and is anathema to the ‘Jews,’ those who are stuck in Old Testament legalism, trusting fastidious obedience to rules over faith in the grace of God. It is a message devoid of real power, and the evidence is everywhere. It is vital that everyone who truly wants to be a follower of Christ must study scripture for themselves, and not blindly follow the interpretations of their denomination or their pastors. By interposing themselves between believers and (knowledge of) God, today’s churches are falling into the same satanic trap that caused Jesus to roundly condemn the Pharisees of his day (e.g. Matt 23). As prophet Hosea lamented, ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...’ His lament is just as appropriate today as it was back in ancient times.

[*] www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5136050/US-religious-Right-concedes-defeat.html

Introduction

Welcome to the 'Truth-seekers' website.

For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie-- deliberate, contrived, and dishonest-- but the myth-- persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. [John F Kennedy]

These essays are aimed to open minds to think beyond the constraints of 'conventional wisdom'; to venture into realms dismissed and denigrated by the exalted 'experts;' to question everything you think you know about this world you live in.

Those are lofty goals, and not exclusive to this site. I harbor no grand illusions about changing the world; I’m just driven to try to reach as many enquiring minds as possible. I have to trust that those who are meant to have their myths challenged will see these messages.

Proceed with me on a journey into risky territory, the frontiers of common sense reality. Leave your excess baggage at the gate-- your precious preconceptions of what the world must be; and take only your latent ability to discern truth when you sense it... to force your mind to think outside the neat boxes of pre-packaged 'information' served up by your friendly, commercial news outlets. For it is high time to cast off the numbing illusions of the masters of this world, and to see what is really happening before our eyes.

In the interest of full, honest disclosure, I make the following declaration. Every view of the world is biased-- it must be, for we are human, not divine. The question is always 'What is this writer's bias?' This is not one of those raving websites that boldly promises that their outrageous views are infallible, 100% 'truth.' We all know that is nonsense! What I promise is that I've studied widely, over many years, gone down numerous dead ends, given fair hearing to a lot of far-out ideas... and in the end, I am compelled by intellectual honesty (almost against my inclination) to accept the authentic Christ-based paradigm. I deliberately avoid stating 'Christian' because I believe most of what is proclaimed or understood to be Christian is, in fact, mostly garbage! I hate to be so blunt, but what else can one call the self-contradictory melange of scriptural truth and error, Old Testament mixed with New, oil and water, that is slickly packaged and sold as doctrine? But I get ahead of myself. Listen, even if you are an avowed atheist, at least be willing to explore something new. After all-- you must have found this site for a reason!

From this introduction, I suggest you go to the Index of essays, and click on the title of one that interests you. Ideally, the essays should be read in chronological (date) order, from earliest to latest, but in any case, each is intended to stand on its own.

These are the main themes that my essays deal with:

1. Conspiracy
Many people are starting to become concerned about the stability of their world. They've heard some claims that a ‘conspiracy’ is behind much of the troubling news. Others dismiss such theories as absurd. But, could it be true? Join a skeptic who considers the matter, with no particular axe to grind.

2. End of the World?
You can find any number of websites talking about 'the coming Apocalypse' or predicting the soon End of the World. Could there be something to it? As an amateur student of 'end times' speculation for many years, I've got some unsettling conclusions on the topic. Forewarned is fore-armed!

3. Religion- (reflections of a Christian and former church-goer)
A lot of sincere Christians are finding a strange stirring in their souls calling them to leave the church they now attend. And go... where? These essays are aimed at giving guidance about what it means and what to do... from one who's taken the leap. Also, there are several Bible studies intended to help readers get a new insight into scripture.

Religion has always been a contentious point among humans. Today, we can add the new ‘religion’ of science to the fracas. They all claim ‘truth,’ yet that’s obviously impossible. Can we ever distinguish fact from confabulation? Anyone with a curious mind-- atheist or religious-- is invited to join my enquiry. You may not agree; but before you fire off a comment-- do some serious study, thinking, and praying!

4. Resources
These essays are intended to help the reader to make the paradigm shift... from the comfortable, familiar world of illusion, to the brave, new world of reality. They aim to assist in seeing thru the 'Matrix;' learning to recognize the awful, omnipresent stench of BS emanating from all our trusted media outlets and government officials. Most of the material comes from my own, hard-won, life experiences.

5. Society and Miscellaneous
Those essays that don't fit into one of the previous 4 categories will be filed under one of these general headings. 'Society' includes my comments on the economic situation; 'miscellaneous' includes some of my letters to the editors of various newspapers.

*- Guidelines for Posting Responses -*
Your responses to these essays are invited; however, please adhere to these guidelines... or wait until you are able to do so. ;-)
> Please refrain from profanity and personal attacks-- they get you nowhere but the 'delete bin.'
> Keep comments brief and addressed to the issue(s) raised in the essay.
> Most software now includes a spell-checker; learn to use it, and your comments will merit more respect.

Vatican vs Israel-- Clash of Confusion

[Letter to CBC radio program, The Current, re story on the Vatican's problems with Bishop Williamson who impudently questions the 'holocaust gospel.']

[Greetings etc,] Your enquiry into the recent tempest in a teapot over Vatican dealings with Israel raised several glaring anomalies in the common mis-understanding of religion.

For notable example, I heard one of the Catholic apologists state that Vatican-II was about absolving the Jews of blame for the execution of Jesus Christ. That may be so, but it completely contradicts the words found right in the scriptures of the New Testament, which is the holy writ of the Christian faith. Christians, including scholars, seem to be ignorant of several salient facts:

1) the Jews who crucified Jesus accepted full blame for their decision; Matthew 27:25 records "And all the people said, 'His blood shall be on us and on our children!"

2) the disciples of Jesus, most of whom were born Jews, accused their countrymen of murdering Jesus; John 19:23 states "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and YOU, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." And Acts 2: 36 says "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom YOU crucified, both Lord and Christ."

3) the Jews do not deny killing Jesus because they regard him as just another prophet in a succession of prophets whom their ancestors had murdered, previously; as written in Acts 7:52, "Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him [Jesus]."

So, while the Roman Catholic Church feels obliged to absolve the Jews for responsibility for the killing of Jesus, the Holy Scripture holds them accountable. Of course, it is pointless to continue 'blaming' anyone for Jesus' death, since he himself told his followers that he gives his life freely, for the benefit of all mankind (John 10:18).

Second, and much more egregious, the Catholic spokesman asserted that Vatican-II further recognized that the Jews' original covenant with God was still valid and provides them with a separate and distinct means of salvation. That belief is entirely antithetical to the fundamental message of the Christian gospel! The well-known verse, John 3:16, says: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." It clearly refers to the whole world, making no distinctions among races or religions. Then, Acts 4:12 confirms that: "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

The New Testament book of Hebrews was written specifically as clarification for Jewish believers about the transition from the former, Sinai covenant (called the 'old covenant') to the new, Christ-centered covenant. In chapter 9, verse 15, it is written: "For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritanceÑnow that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." The whole book is a careful, forensic explanation of the spiritual reasoning for the change from the Law of Moses to the Law of Love. Most Christians have no clue that this book even exists in their Bible, thanks to a clergy that would rather avoid it than face it honestly.

If the Catholic Church wants to recognize some alternative to the gospel of Christ, then they might as well simply close their doors and shut their church down! What would be the point of it? If Jesus isn't the only channel to the grace of God, then there's simply no need for a Christian Church, period. When will Catholics-- and all other so-called Christians, for that matter-- face the facts found in their own Bible, and either proclaim the authentic gospel, or just shut their apostate system down altogether?

Christians can still acknowledge other beliefs, and maintain dialog with them; but the primacy and uniqueness of Jesus is the foundation of their faith. If you don't accept Jesus as the one way to eternal life, then you aren't a Christian. Listeners may be upset, but they have to ask, then, what is it that makes the Christian faith different or worth believing in. (If your answer is 'the Ten Commandments,' then you are in truly sad shape, and must go back to square zero and start all over again.)

The current controversy underscores the spiritual vacuity of the Roman Catholic Church, and equally, the duplicity of Judaism. How can Jews continue to invoke the 'holocaust' as their free pass to prosecute the extermination of the Palestinians, whose land they usurped? And how can Western journalists keep on mouthing the lies perpetuated by the Jewish lobby groups, while ignoring the legitimate cries of a people apparently given up as a sacrifice by the West to placate their collective conscience for what the Nazis did during the Second World War?

Of course, you will not read this letter on the air, since we seem to be a society that much prefers our cherished fables to truths that may be unpleasant to face. But as a believer in the essence of the Bible, I could not just listen to foolishness without attempting a response.

Sincerely, JK

Study of Daniel's Prophecies

In my study of the book of Daniel, I want to restrict my analysis to the prophetic chapters, 7 thru 12, since these are the segments that complement the book of Revelation, and that will help us perceive the basic outlines of events to visit the world in the near future... in my personal opinion. Having said that, the more seasoned Bible student will ask why I don't include chapter 2. Yes, good question, since I will acknowledge chapter 2 as arguably the key to all of eschatological prophecy. However, it is fairly easy to understand, and has been adequately analyzed by many other commentators, so I decided to use its ideas without rehashing the text.

Daniel 7

Bible Verse (from NASB version)	My Commentary
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it.	Daniel introduces his dream-vision. Recall that he had had a prescient dream when he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream, in chapter 2.
2 Daniel said, "I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.	His vision opens with the '4 winds of heaven'-- global forces?... stirring up the 'sea'-- masses of people (as seen elsewhere).
3 "And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.	Per vs. 17, 4 kings arise from the populous area, each of a different ethnic group.
4 "The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.	Using ch. 2 as key, this is an apt picture of Nebuchadnezzar. He first soared with the building of Babylon; then lived in the fields when he went mad; later restored to grandeur when his mind was restored to sanity.
5 "And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, 'Arise, devour much meat!'	This represents Medo-Persia. The Persian 'side' was stronger, and absorbed 3 smaller nations during its expansion.
6 "After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.	Alexander the Greek swiftly conquered neighboring nations. On his death, 4 of his generals split the empire among them, each ruling a quadrant.
7 "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth; It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.	Then came mighty Rome, a 'technocratic' power, using its hierarchical methods to dominate all its conquered territories. Noted for the marching discipline of its 'foot soldiers.' Later, the Roman empire disintegrated into a collection of 'ten' smaller states, still sharing a religion inherited from Rome.
8 "While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.	A cogent theory postulates that the 'little horn' is the Papacy, which eradicated 3 of the '10' nations by the 6th century. The horn as a 'man,' the Pope, arrogantly assumed religious, Godly powers to the office.
9 "I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire.	Daniel peers right to the time of Judgment, where he sees a vision of God on his throne.
10 "A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened.	A vision of the heavenly court, with myriads of heavenly 'citizens' (angels? or maybe deceased souls?) in attendance. Records are opened in preparation for the final judgment.
11 "Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire.	The arrogant 'horn' apparently persists to the very end, when the whole collective 'beast' (presumably, the EU, as implied in Rev.) is destroyed somehow.
12 "As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.	Curious! The ancient kingdoms continue to exist for a certain period of time, although without their political power. Note: those kingdoms exist today as Iraq, Iran, and Greece.
13 "I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.	After the judgment, someone human comes from 'heaven' and is brought before the everlasting God. NB: Daniel lived ca. 600 BC, so had no referents for Jesus, except 'Son of Man.'
14 "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.	To this 'man-God' (Jesus) is given all rule over an everlasting kingdom established by God for people of every ethnicity who acknowledge Him. This is the renewed Earth or 'New Jerusalem' that will endure forever.
15 "As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.	The whole scene threw Daniel into great distress.
16 "I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:	He approaches someone in the vision, and asks him what it all means. The stranger tells Daniel the interpretation of the vision in following verses.
17 'These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.	The beasts represent 'kings' (or kingdoms, as we see).
18 'But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.'	Whew! He jumps right to the conclusion, and assures Daniel that God's people will 'receive & possess' the kingdom forever.
19 "Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet,	But Daniel is still intrigued by the 4th beast. It must've made a scary impression on him. Note that Rome made use of iron and bronze, plus stone, to construct great works of engineering... and for its crushing military might.
20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates.	Daniel is also very curious about the horn that resembled a man and defeated 3 other 'horns,' and had that boasting mouth. The popes 'appeared larger' by using their religious power to coerce kings into lending their armies to wage Papal wars. The popes behaved as worldly kings.
21 "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them	He sees that boasting king attacking Godly people and 'overpowering them.' He must have an army to 'wage war.'
22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.	The horn-power apparently overpowers until God comes in judgment and finally settles the matter in favor of the believers, who then possess the kingdom.
23 "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.	The 'tutor' states that the 4th kingdom is different from the others, and dominates the whole earth. Possibly, this nation is more than Rome, and may represent an end-time rendering.
24 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.	He elaborates that 'ten' kings arise from the dreadful kingdom ('Holy Roman Empire'?). From them, another, different king appears, and defeats 3 of the others. NB: Popes conquered the Ostrogoths, Vandals, & Heruli by mid 6th century.
25 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.	The papacy declared itself God's 'vicar' on earth with power to forgive sins; waged long battle against true believers (eg. the Inquisitions). Pope altered the Ten C's, thinking the church was still 'under them.' Believers are oppressed for a symbolic '3 and a half years'.
26 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.	In the end, God's justice will ensure that the false religious power is obliterated for all time.
27 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.'	Interesting! It seems to say that all rule and power will be handed to the true faithful of God. But rule of what? 'All kingdoms under heaven' may imply more than earthly kingdoms... consider that one!
28 "At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself."	Whew, the dream/vision ends. No wonder Daniel is left in a shaky state!
Daniel 8
1 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me previously.	Daniel carefully specifies the relative time of his next vision.
2 I looked in the vision, and while I was looking I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal.	In the vision, Daniel finds himself standing beside the Ulai canal, in a fortified city in a province of Persia.
3 Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, with the longer one coming up last.	He looks up and sees a ram (male goat) with 2 horns, one longer than the other. Per vs. 20, this is another picture of Medo-Persia.
4 I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his power, but he did as he pleased and magnified himself.	The Persian empire expanded west, north, and south, and for a while was unopposed.
5 While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.	Then Alexander 'the Great' (the conspicuous horn) swept to the east out of Greece, in a swift campaign...
6 He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath.	... and defeated the much larger Persian army in 3 decisive battles.
77 I saw him come beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his power.	The Greeks made quick work of conquering the Persian empire.
8 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as he was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.	When Alexander was at a high point of his life, he died abruptly at a young age. In his place, 4 of his generals took over, and split the empire into 4 regions.
9 Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn that grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.	From the Seleucid region (Syria) came Antiochus Epiphanes who grew powerful for a time, and pushed into the land of Judah.
10 It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down.	Some of the Jews cooperated with A-E for a while, although most were resistant to his 'hellenizing' attempts.
11 It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down.	Antiochus is noted for his bitter dislike of the Jews. He made a point of desecrating the temple when he occupied Jerusalem in 168 BC.
12 And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper.	Many take Antiochus to be a 'type' of an end-time Antichrist to come... as may be implied here. The 'host' seems to refer to the body of believers.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, "How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?"	Altho this passage (vs 12-14) has been explained in terms of Antiochus' abominations, it seems to me it could also have a broader, farther-reaching meaning. But if so, it's not clear at this time.
14 He said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored."	The verse may have dual fulfillments. Jesus 'restored' the temple/ 'holy place' in his life; maybe again at 2nd Coming.
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man.	While we think of angels as being visibly distinguishable, they are often taken for 'men' in the Bible.
16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, "Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision."	The voice informs Daniel/us that the 'man' is Gabriel, considered one of the 'archangels.'
17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end."	As Gabriel approaches, Daniel becomes afraid, but is addressed as 'Son of man,' and told that the vision applies to 'the time of the end.'
18 Now while he was talking with me, I sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand upright.	Obviously, Daniel faints with fright, but the angel revives him.
19 He said, "Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.	Gabriel states again that the vision is a look into the future.
20 "The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.	Here the symbols are explained.
21 "The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.	Speaking here of Alexander.
22 "The broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.	As stated above, the territory was divided among 4 generals when Alexander died in his prime. None retained his unified power.
23 "In the latter period of their rule, when the transgressors have run their course, A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue.	Most scholars take this king as Antiochus Epiphanes, 8th successor of Seleucius, one of Alexander's commanders.
2424 "His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree; and prosper and perform his will; he will destroy mighty men and the holy people.	He succeeded in capturing the 'holy land' of Judah, and deliberately profaned the temple with forbidden sacrifices and stealing the sacred vessels. Again, the verse could have future fulfillment.
25 "And through his shrewdness he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; and he will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency.	This description seems to go beyond Antiochus, to the later Romans (eg. Titus). In fact, the last phrase suggests that there will be an ultimate fulfillment of this verse in the final days of earth (compare with Dan 2:45). Thus, Antiochus typifies a final 'Antichrist' figure.
26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future."	'Evenings/mornings' has been interpreted to refer to the daily sacrifices. These were obviated by Jesus' own sacrifice, more than 500 years later.
27 Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days Then I got up again and carried on the king's business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it.	Clearly, Daniel is greatly affected by the vision, and it bothered him for a long time.

Daniel 9

This chapter is devoted to a vision of Daniel that is a clear, Messianic prophecy that was fulfilled almost 600 years later by the life and death of Jesus. For that reason-- i.e. it is not an end-times prophecy-- I will not consider it here. For a discussion on Dan 9, refer to my essay, 'Israel-- Restored or Not?'

Daniel 10 and 11

Chapter 10 describes an encounter between Daniel and a 'heavenly being' of great splendor, presumably an archangel (but possibly Christ), who assures him that the visions are intended to give Daniel a glimpse at events to occur in the future. There is no prophetic information to examine in this chapter.

Chapter 11 goes into a lengthy description of the future (from Daniel's day) that basically recapitulates the prophetic pictures presented in the earlier chapters. There is much detail that was not stated before, but it doesn't appear to add a lot of useful understanding to our picture of the end-times. The last few verses appear to have eschatological significance, but again, don't really provide much additional illumination. Since there is a risk of muddying the waters with pure speculation on those verses, I prefer to avoid them, and to concentrate my efforts on the chapters that are more clear and straightforward. The reader is encouraged to read these chapters for him/herself and draw your own conclusions.

Daniel 12

Bible Verse (from NASB version)	My Commentary
1 "Now at that time, Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise, and there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.	'That time' refers to the end time, at a time of great distress and when the books are opened (ch. 7:10). Since Michael is called a prince, some believe that it refers to Jesus Christ, and 'your people' would then refer to true believers in Christ (rather than to Jews).
2 "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.	The resurrection of the dead is referred to in other Biblical texts as occurring at the final, 'white throne judgement.'
3 "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.	Those believers who exercise discernment and lead others to truth/righteousness will be honored in the hereafter.
4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."	Daniel is told to hide the words, seal his book; yet it was well known by Jesus' day. 2nd part has been phrased as 'to and fro' and said to refer to the burst of knowledge and travel that began in 18th century.
5 Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river.	The 2 'others' are presumably other angels, one on either side of the river.
6 And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be until the end of these wonders?"	One of them asks a 'prompting' question, apparently, of the angel seen in ch. 10. He asks, for Daniel, how long it will be until the end of the events seen in vision.
7 I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.	The central angel addresses God, saying it would be for the familiar symbolic period of completion that could be any stretch of years. He adds that they will be completed once the power of the holy people is shattered. 'Looks llke a temporary, final crushing of true believers before they are finally rescued by Christ's return.
8 As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, "My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?"	Understandably, Daniel doesn't 'get it,' and tries again, asking how it will all end.
9 He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.	He is told, in effect, don't worry about it, because the words won't be understandable until the end time... (which explains vs. 4, it would appear).
10 "Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.	The end times will sift people and test their character. Evil-doers will persist in their evil deeds, and not understand Bible truth, while those with discernment will then be able to 'see' the prophecies.
11 "From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.	Enigmatic! Seems to refer again to the sin of Antiochus; yet he's been referring to 'end times' thru-out this chapter. Hence, look for symbolic enactment.
12 "How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!	Unclear! Waiting for what? Some have devised ingenious explanations for the 1290/1335 days; but really, it isn't at all clear what they refer to.
13 "But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age."	Daniel is to just live out his days in the knowledge that he will get his reward at the end of the age.

My Analysis

Note on Daniel 8:14 from the NIV Study Bible: "There were two daily sacrifices for the continual burnt offering (9:21, Ex 29:38-42), representing the atonement required for Israel as a whole. The 2300 evenings and mornings probably refer to the number of sacrifices consecutively offered on 1150 days, the interval between the desecration of the Lord's altar and its reconstruction by Judas Maccabeus on Kislev 25, 165 BC. The pagan altar set up by Antiochus Epiphanes on Kislev 25, 168 BC was apparently installed almost two months after the Lord's altar was removed, accounting for the difference between 1095 days (an exact 3 years) and the 1150 specified in the verse."

The above note seems to be a very reasonable explanation for the 2300-day prophecy. Nevertheless, as I hint above, it most likely has a secondary, 'apocalyptic' significance that has yet to unfold. Altho it appears from events of history that the vision was fulfilled by the time of Jesus' death and resurrection, it's significant that Gabriel informs Daniel that the vision (of ch. 8) "pertains to the appointed time of the end." For that reason, I suggest that there will be another fulfillment of "A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue." Today, we are seeing numerous national leaders who rely on big talk and behind-the-scenes schemes and deceit to get what they want. Since the passage states that "he will destroy mighty men and the holy people," it is apparent that this is someone strutting on the world stage, not just a local actor in the Middle East. Some readers will assume that 'the holy people' must be the Israelis, or all Jews; but I propose that because it pertains to end-times, it refers, actually, to the true believers in Christ. And remember, these are not Jews, nor even nominal Christians, but those who put their faith in the living Christ, and whose lives reflect it.

Verse 25 supplies more details that point us towards an eschatological scenario: "through his shrewdness he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; and he will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many while they are at ease." The next verses don't really provide any further details about this person, so those who feel it is simply Antiochus will stop seeking anti-typical fulfillment. Since I feel there is a final outworking of this prophecy, let me offer an admittedly speculative possibility. From 2001 to 2009, we had G.W. Bush strutting his hour upon the world stage, employing deceit and power in a way and on a scale never before witnessed by the world, and indeed, he used his influence to destroy many (Iraqis and Afghanis, mainly). However, I'm not postulating that the 'insolent king' is Bush. No, my guess is that it will turn out to be the incoming president Obama! Here is why.

Altho he used deceit (lies) in provoking war, and even 'magnified himself,' or tried to, Bush junior never had much 'shrewdness' as you can verify by checking the dictionary definition of the word. And his attempts to sound important (magnified) were, in the second term, met with blatant derision. Obama, on the other hand, is obviously a shrewd man, as seen in his debates with Hilary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, and then in his campaign against McCain for president. He is noted for his intelligence, and for keeping his cool under pressure. As of this writing, it may be arguable if he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence, yet it is clear from his appointments to his cabinet and as advisors, that he has no possibility of making good on his campaign promise of 'change.' Hence, he has already displayed clever use of deceit! While Obama comes across as rather unassuming, one must suspect that he would like to magnify himself, but if so, it will most likely take place 'in his heart,' not openly after the manner of Bush. And, finally, I have a gut feeling that the 'many' who 'are at ease,' are all those who have pinned their hopes on this man-- those who are 'at ease' thinking that America now has a president who is the 'antithesis' of Bush, and who will usher the world into a new era of peace and prosperity. While many will be thus, breathing easily, the new incumbent will rudely surprise them with draconian legislation and subterfuges that will threaten religious and political freedoms of people everywhere. The verse states that the insolent king "will even oppose the Prince of princes," which refers to Christ. This could be taken to mean he attacks the earthly manifestation of Christ, namely His church; or it could mean, literally, he is the one referred to by Paul as "the man of lawlessness" (2 Thess 2:3). As always, time will tell; but we may not have to wait a long time before these verses are finally revealed.

After presenting fairly clear prophetic visions in the earlier chapters (2, 7, 8, 9), Daniel is given in chapter 12 a rather ambiguous explanation for end time events, although he is assured that God's faithful will finally be delivered from the power of evil. What's significant is that the angel tells him that the book is sealed until the end; i.e. it cannot be understood until the time when the last events begin to unfold. Hence, if attempts to perceive Daniel's words demonstrate veracity, then you can conclude that the age is approaching its end. You will know by exercising 'insight' (12:10), as led by the Spirit.

Reference is made (12:11-12) to periods of 'days' (1290 and 1335) that do not relate to any other time periods (or even numbers) mentioned in scripture. Taken as years, these periods still do not seem to correlate with specific milestones; therefore, it remains an open issue. Just as the 'time, times, and half a time' are symbolic, these numbers are symbolic, but of what, we can't be sure. (As Jesus' ministry lasted 3 & a half years, so too, the church age is believed to cover a symbolic 3.5 time periods). This difference of days, 45, is relatively small, (and curiously, represents 3.5% of 1290) and made me recall 7:12, which makes an interesting statement: "As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time." This 'extension' occurs after the terrible, fourth beast is slain. And Rev 18 talks about the destruction of symbolic Babylon, without mentioning the fate of other nations. When I put all these scraps of evidence together, I postulate that the USA and the EU will receive disastrous judgments from heaven, while the original beasts-- the Middle East nations from antiquity-- will survive for a short interval after that. Thus, anyone who survives to the end of the 1335 days, will be blessed with seeing the end, and the return of his Savior.

Much has been made by some (particularly evangelicals), of the reference to the regular sacrifice being abolished (12:11), since it implies that the sacrificial system will be reinstated (so that it can be 'abolished') at some point prior to the tribulation and the Second Coming. However, we have seen that there was already a fulfillment of this prophecy, in a literal sense, back in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (ca. 168 BC). I've said elsewhere that a prophecy can have a secondary, later fulfillment; but in that event, the next fulfillment is, most often, not literal, but figurative-- symbolic in nature. Hence, if there is a cessation of a 'regular sacrifice' yet to come, I would look for an allegorical fulfillment of some kind. The verse says that an 'abomination of desolation is set up,' which implies that something contrary to God's instructions is installed in Jerusalem, the past, official center of God's earthly representatives (His temple, or Church). Today, if the mainstream 'Christian' church continues to denature its concept of Jesus until he is just another holy man, then they could be thought of as denying the ultimate sacrifice (Heb 10:14) and introducing an abhorrent or abominable doctrine into the heart or core of Christian faith. Thus, the prophecy would find symbolic accomplishment.

As alluded in 7:21 and 12:7, (see also Rev 13:7) it appears that the genuine church will be persecuted and sorely oppressed in the last days, until final deliverance comes from Jesus at his second coming. Just prior to the return of Christ, however, Daniel refers to a period of unprecedented distress (12:1) which is corroborated almost verbatim by Matthew in 'Jesus' Apocalypse' (ch. 24; see vs. 21). Thus, it is certain that things will get very ugly, amid general chaos, for those who cling to the true faith in the closing days of this era.

After studying the book of Daniel, we can see why some refer to it as the 'Revelation of the Old Testament' since it portrays in dream-visions a broad-brush outline of geo-political events from Daniel's time up to the end of this age. In that regard, Daniel is a useful complement to John's Revelation, and by pointing in the same direction in their prophecies, the two books corroborate the emerging end-time scenario. My hope is that this study will encourage the reader to investigate scripture for him/her self, and thereby, become grounded in the saving faith of Jesus the Messiah-- who will be returning as Jesus, Lord of the Universe.

Countering the Attacks on Jesus

As we move forward in this 21st century, one trend on the religious front is becoming more pronounced and disturbing. That is the rising tide of attacks on the person of Jesus Christ. The attacks arise from within and outside the so-called Christian church (or churches) from professed 'scholars' and 'scientists', as well as simply from atheists who may have a pulpit by virtue of being writers or celebrities of some kind. Some people will say that it's because we are more advanced today, and we don't just accept the 'fairy tales' of religious tradition; or that we now apply critical thinking to all areas of thought, including religion. So all these attacks are really academic debunking of 'the mythos of Jesus,' they would claim.

In this paper, I want to present arguments that I believe, if investigated, will dispel the essence of the attacks on Jesus, and invigorate the faith of believers who may be having growing doubts in the face of scholarly bluster. I will not butt heads with the scholars by attempting to refute their laborious research point by point. That, I believe, is futile, becoming a debate over whose sources and whose interpretations are the more convincing. As my preferred approach, I will try to stand back and survey the big picture, appealing to the atrophied faculty of common sense and to experience to arrive at the most plausible conclusions.

The assaults on the founder of the Christian creed take several different forms. Primarily, the thrust of the trend is to undermine belief in Jesus by demonstrating that he never existed historically, but was a reprise of prior, more ancient religious myths, for instance, the Horus deity of the Egyptian pantheon. The main tactic is to appeal to earlier mythologies that bear certain resemblances, or 'parallels' to the gospel accounts of Jesus' life, and to conclude that, since these stories were antedating, therefore, the gospels were fabricated from those earlier sources. I have to admit, some of those arguments can almost appear compelling on first exposure (see 'The Pagan Christ,' by Tom Harpur, for notable example.) A recent addition to the 'anti-Christ literature' comes from Joseph Atwill, who proposes that the Romans engaged the services of Josephus to concoct the whole Jesus story for the purpose of providing the Jews with an alternative to the Zealots, who were a constant thorn in their eastern flank ('Caesar's Messiah: The Roman Conspiracy to Invent Jesus'). To a committed Christian, this notion sounds positively absurd; yet it seems to be taken seriously by a segment of readers.

The scholars claim there are numerous parallels between the life of Christ and events recorded in ancient literature about certain figures regarded by those cultures as 'man-gods.' If one picks and chooses, there may be apparent points of correlation. But when you look into those records from antiquity, you find the situation is far from clear-cut. The Egyptian gods, for example, run a gamut of names and portfolios, often changing one or the other at various times. Their stories (or myths) similarly seem to morph from one sub-era to another, and most likely, from one cult to another... something we know little about. Just as all religions today are splintered into many sub-groups, so too the religion of Egypt must have been divided into numerous cults. Which stories are we to believe? Which story did they believe back in those days? If nothing else, we can say that the basic story of Jesus has remained quite consistent for almost 20 centuries, something that can't be claimed by the Egyptian religion.

Other attempts to denature Christianity come from different tactics. One 'TV Archeologist' claimed he found the ossuary (or 'bone-box') of Jesus in a crypt under an apartment block in Jerusalem. The 'proof' revolved around a coincidence of common names found on some other boxes in the same crypt... and the use of statistics to close the argument put forth. Before any independent researchers could examine the situation, the authorities suddenly sealed the area from further intrusion. This wasn't the first time researchers claimed to have evidence that, although he existed, Jesus was just an ordinary man who was executed by the Romans, and whose resurrection was faked by his disciples for expedient, religious reasons. And the use of 'probability theory' to rule out coincidence in the confluence of names marks a milestone in the saying of Samuel Clemens that 'there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.'

Even the entertainment industry has been employed in the frantic pursuit of 'debunking Jesus.' Dan Brown's fictional work, 'The daVinci Code,' became a best-selling novel a few years ago, so much so that many readers believed or presumed that it must be based on substantive fact. Once it was turned into a popular movie, the enemies of Christ must have had a celebration, since it helped spread the subtle doubt in the minds of both religious skeptics and believers, in a very effective way, since we know how attuned the younger generation is to 'music, movies, and micro-code.' In employing 'plausible fiction,' these novels invoke neuro-linguistic programming to insinuate doubts about the fundamental belief in the divinity of Jesus.

Now a modern guru, Deepak Chopra, has made his contribution to the devaluation of the Christian faith with his latest book, 'Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment.' Using another fictional account of Jesus' unrecorded years, Chopra has found a different way to neuter the Christian message-- he portrays Jesus as an ordinary man who, thru 'the path of enlightenment,' attains the kind of perfection common to the concepts of the East, the attainment of 'God-consciousness.' And, of course, the corollary to all that speculation is that, if Jesus can do it, so can you and I. In interviews, Chopra seems to think he is 'making Jesus accessible,' and thereby doing Christianity a big favor. In reality, he comes along as an outsider, and pulls the fundaments from under the faith, apparently unaware of Paul's assertion that "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form," (Col 2:9). In other words, Jesus was the embodiment of God. Many readers, however, seem to desire this Jesus semblable, who simply shows mankind that you can become as gods thru diligent works of seeking and meditating (or whatever exercises are defined). But that isn't what the scriptures teach; it isn't what Jesus or the evangelists taught; and even the mainstream churches don't subscribe to this doctrine that they would label as 'New Age.' Chopra's book may be good fiction; but it is nothing more.

There are numerous other theories, often presented as 'new fact' on the worldwide web, that claim to prove that Jesus was entirely a figment of someone's imagination, or the product of a conspiracy of some sort, but definitely never existed in the flesh. Some websites are rabidly anti-Christian, and proud of it, apparently thinking they are doing the world a great service to disabuse us of the notion of a God who loves us enough to send his essence in flesh to atone for our sins. Some of these cavaliers seem to be sincere, and my reading is that they are really reacting to the failures of the Christian church by their vitriol against its figurehead. It's entirely understandable that thinking individuals would challenge the legitimacy of the organizations that assume the name of Christ, in view of their atrocities committed in his name. As I've written many times, tho, most churches are mere human edifices cobbled from quite faulty understanding of the faith bequeathed to mankind by Jesus. The anti-Christs would render far better service to the world if they studied the scriptures and, instead, attacked the churches that promote a false religion.

So far, none of the attacks on either the existence or the divinity of Christ has succeeded in gaining any significant credibility among the rank and file of Christian churches. Even the studies of Quisling scholars within the Christian churches have not generated any surge of disbelief among a community that is already either halfhearted or half-baked in its faith. However, among the general-- which is to say, largely atheist or agnostic-- populace, these new ideas on the divinity and personhood of Jesus have apparently had some influence in strengthening disbelief and providing ammunition for renewed assaults on the faith. All of this makes it difficult for a sincere and open-minded believer to maintain his/her position vis-ˆ-vis other believers or the world at large. A large segment of church-goers belong to fundamentalist type churches that have adopted rather extreme positions on doctrines and outlook, so that outsiders see only a distorted, often bellicose version of the Savior of the World. Those churches also tend to be the most vociferous in promoting their rendering of the character of Christ and of the church, which does nothing positive to enhance the image of Christianity in the world. On the other hand, the 'quiet Christians' have been too quiet in countering the negativity of their evangelistic confreres, giving the impression that most of the Christian community is bigoted and belligerent in its views towards the non-Christian world. So, there seems to be a dichotomy between zealous, destructive believers, on one hand, and apathetic, nominal believers on the other. One characteristic both sides of this schism share is that they are all woefully ignorant of the holy scriptures upon which their faith is supposed to rest. Consequently, neither wing is suitable for countering the flood of attempts by non-believers to discredit Jesus and his invisible body of true believers.

While critics point out that, apart from cryptic reference by Josephus, there are no other mentions of Jesus in contemporary writings, I contend that, nevertheless, the key to validating the existence and truth of Jesus lies right in the Bible itself. The lack of references to Jesus in extra-biblical sources is not really surprising at all. We always have to keep firmly in mind that we are looking back 2,000 years after the fact, and our world is considerably removed from that time and place. Altho Christianity went on to become a dominant religion in the world, its origins were humble and problematic indeed. Jesus was born in poor circumstances, had a short life and shorter ministry, was unrecognized by the authorities of his day, and at the time of his death, still had only a few loyal disciples. Why would anyone write about him in any kind of document that we could expect to survive for two millennia? (And incidentally, the scriptures are significantly silent as to the date of Jesus' birth; hence, those who allege that his birthday of December 25 mimics that of more ancient avatars are invoking a false argument). Also, the fact that Josephus mentions Jesus hardly qualifies him to write the gospel of Matthew, let alone any other holy writ, in response to the delusions of Joseph Atwill.

What the speculators and doubters demonstrate in their treatises on the non-existence of Jesus is a profound lack of scriptural understanding. Yes, they may be familiar with the words in the Bible; but they do not grasp the spirit underlying the words. Of course, many unsubtle readers may retort that there's no distinguishing of a 'spirit' behind the words. That is the problem when one reads the Bible-- which purports to be the 'word of God'-- with profane, worldly eyes, merely seeing it as history or literature. Read in that spirit, the pages will yield few illuminating insights to the reader. When read with sincere desire to understand the true, spiritual meaning, one is surprised at the reality that starts to emerge. Yes, I appreciate that this sounds incredible to the minds of many readers. The thing is that you have to actually do it to experience it; to try it before dismissing it. If you think that is a crazy idea, why have some of the most brilliant people over the ages believed in Jesus? Were they all smart but deluded? That's part of the divine mechanism undergirding the Bible-- it hides its truths from the profane, but reveals them to sincere seekers. I don't mean to say that there is something magical about the book, itself; it's just a volume of writings. But there is a reality beyond the mere words that has to be experienced to comprehend what I'm saying about it. Think of it as a window or telescope into the workings of the spiritual dimension.

When you read the New Testament, in particular, you begin to discern that there is something being revealed here that goes beyond everyday, physical life. Starting with the 'synoptic' (meaning a similar viewpoint) gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, one sees a consistent story. Sure, there are a few discrepancies. Would you not expect to find some differences among three individual accounts of Jesus' life? If they were identical, scholars would immediately say they were fakes. Because they have minor differences, other scholars say they are fakes. You can't have it both ways! The real death blow to all theories that deny the existence of Christ is the gospel of John. And the reason is, as some comedians like to say, 'Folks, you just can't make this stuff up!' John's account is so full of fresh spiritual insights and more importantly, completely new (some might say crazy) ideas, that it simply could not have been construed. Impossible! Why? Because we humans don't have the spiritual imagination to invent the concepts that John's gospel presents about Jesus. (E.g. the bread of life; fountains of living waters; I am that I am; etc.) You just don't find concepts like those in any other book of religion. Some of them are hard for even Christians to accept or comprehend. You can discern that the apostles themselves took a long time of reflection and divine coaching before they finally could appropriate the teachings of Jesus, and transmit them coherently.

What other religion teaches that you must lay down your 'old life' and put on a new life, one that is surrendered to God's Holy Spirit? What system professes that we are, every one of us, sinners incapable of saving ourselves, but that we can obtain salvation thru belief in the Son of God? Virtually all human systems teach that we are 'God;' we all possess a spark of godliness in us, and that thru diligent works of mind and/or body we can attain to ultimate God status. They imply that humanity can devise a 'system' whereby the whole race will be elevated to eternal life and bliss. This is a spiritual variation on the secular Theory of Evolution, whereby the 'illuminated' claim that we journey thru many lives or many trials, developing spiritually until we make ourselves worthy of God standing. If this notion held any shred of truth, shouldn't we expect that over thousands of years our race should be getting better, morally? Wouldn't we expect society to be evolving towards some utopian state, given our level of technical knowledge? Quite evidently, humanity is going in reverse; as we make technical progress we are just using technology to hasten the destruction of the planet.

One of the characteristics of the New Testament that strikes the seasoned Bible student is how it echoes ideas and themes found, centuries earlier, in the Old Testament. Prophecies, foreshadowing, and 'types' (persons who typify a later repetition of the original; e.g. David as a type of Christ, slaying Goliath, representing Satan) all find their fulfillment and culmination in the story of the life of Jesus. And this is accomplished in a way that we simply cannot conceive of any human writer being capable of inventing. The permutations and combinations, the nuances, are just too subtle and complex for a human (and especially one bent on mischief) to credibly achieve.

Of all the marvels of scripture, tho, the one that seals the case for its divine inspiration is the accuracy of prophecy within its pages. To fully appreciate this aspect, we have to take account of the fact that the Bible is really a collection of many books, written by many authors of various backgrounds, and put together over a broad expanse of time-- some 1,000 years from the days of Moses (said to have written the first five books) to the last of the minor prophets, Malachi. That numerous Messianic prophecies would be fulfilled and recorded in the NT is quite astonishing... (unless you subscribe to the theory that conspirators wrote the NT in such a careful way that they ensured all the minute fulfillments-- which is not credible in my opinion). In any case, the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies in these 'latter days' constitutes even more dramatic and convincing demonstration of the divine power behind the words. This is where the rubber meets the road, and we are witnesses to the proof of the Bible's authority. As I've stated often, the prophecies for the 'end-times' had to be couched in such skillful phraseology that it would not be possible for anti-Christian enemies to modify the words to mean something different-- for the simple reason that no-one could determine with certainty what the words meant-- until they became canonized (recorded in final, authoritative sense). Critics might argue that, in this view, the words can be interpreted to mean anything. But that is not so. As events unfold, and if one reads with knowledge and sincerity, the true picture emerges coherently. We don't get every detail, but the broad outlines of current affairs unfold sufficiently to validate the Bible as more than mere antique literature. (I refer readers to my studies on the books of Revelation and Daniel, for illustrations of the power of prophecy).

So, to recap, my argument against the various theories that purport to disprove the existence or the divinity of Jesus, rests on the integrity of the book that looked forward (in the OT) hundreds of years to his birth and ministry, and that describes his life and teachings (in the NT) and looks forward to his second, final advent. I believe that the next few years will take the world to a crisis wherein it will become clear that evil forces openly oppose Christ and his followers. It will be the Christ versus the Antichrist; there will be no third option. Every person will have to make the choice, and the decision will have eternal consequences for each of us. History will reach its climax, and after that comes the judgement. To those who doubt this idea, I just say keep your eyes and ears open, and do some serious Bible study of your own before you dismiss the whole scenario. And, importantly, watch to see how current geo-political movements echo the words of Bible prophecy. This multi-pronged assault on Jesus in our day is no mere coincidence; it is softening up the world for stranger things to come. You must be prepared, and firm in your faith.

Israel-- fulfillment of Prophecy?

[Warning to readers: This essay is not for the casual reader looking for a little, light-weight entertainment. This one will require some homework-- some Bible reading-- but I promise it will reward you with thought-provoking insights. - JK]

"The establishment of the nation of Israel is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and the very essence of its fulfillment." -- Former US president Jimmy Carter

"The Bible tells us that in the End Times the Jews will have renewed their animal sacrifice." (Common belief of dispensationalists/evangelicals/fundamentalists, etc.)

As the world teeters forward on the rocky track of time, it appears that one small nation manages to consume an inordinate amount of global attention, and exert a disproportionate amount of influence over world affairs. It's indicative that most erudite readers already know what I'm referring to-- the nation of Israel. How has that situation come to be? And what is its significance?

The view that has become entrenched in so-called Christian circles (at least, among a number of 'evangelical' and fundamentalist churches) is that expressed by ex-president Carter, that the Bible predicts the re-establishment of Israel, and as others assert, that a third temple will be built so that animal sacrifices (as described in Leviticus) can resume. There was great furor among those sects after WW-II when a new Jewish homeland was proclaimed in Palestine, and called itself Israel. So, it appears that the first part of 'Biblical prophecy' has been fulfilled, leaving two pieces left (the temple, and animal sacrifices). But the question must be asked: are the fundamentalist claims correct? Are we seeing the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies? My answer (to give you immediate gratification) is 'yes... and no!' Now I will explain this conundrum.

First, we have to go to the scriptures and see if the re-establishment of Israel is, in fact, predicted. By way of background (and to repeat what I've written in numerous other essays) you have to be aware that the people who were the biological descendents of a man called Jacob-- later, renamed Israel-- became a very large 'nation,' divided into twelve tribes, named after Jacob's 12 sons. They split into two separate entities almost 1000 years before Jesus came along, one called Israel (composed of ten tribes), and the other called Judah (two tribes). Around 722 BC, the Assyrians conquered Israel, and carried away the populace, who became dispersed among the nations, and disappeared from history. Centuries went by, until the time when Jesus was born in the land of Judah. He predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the 'desolation' of the temple that Herod had (re)built, and that had become a symbol of the Jewish religion, and rallying point for national cohesion. Jesus' prophecy was fulfilled within the lifespan of many of his contemporaries, in 70 AD, when the Roman general, Titus, took the city, and the temple was destroyed. The Jews who survived the terrible siege and war, were dispersed. This time, they were careful to retain their religio-cultural identity, via their scriptures and customs. But Judah, the nation, disappeared into the abyss of history.

Yet, the prophets of the 'Tenach' (what Christians call the Old Testament) made some predictions that apparently indicate that 'Israel' would one day be restored. (Refer to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, etc.). There are a couple of problems with these prophecies, however. First, most were uttered before the Babylonian captivity of the Jews (ca. 587 BC); thus, the verses actually refer to the restoration of the Jewish nation of Judah, and of its temple, that followed, 70 years later. Second, the promises of God to the children of Israel were phrased in conditional terms; ie. they would gain certain blessings IF they fulfilled the terms specified in their covenant with God, and conversely, would receive great punishments if they failed to live up to the conditions. (See Lev 26, and Deut 28). The fate of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC demonstrated the consequences of disloyalty to God, while the restoration from Babylon might be seen as due to Daniel's fervent confession on behalf of his people's failures (see ch. 9).

So, that is the 'no' part of my response above. If you examine the prophecies that supposedly proclaim the restoration of Israel, you will find that the conditions described by the prophets do not, in fact, prevail. That is, the establishment of 'Israel' in 1948 does not fulfill the prophecies in the Old Testament of a (then) future restoration of Israel. Bear with me-- there is much more to the saga!

And what about the re-institution of animal sacrifices... where do the fundamentalists get this picture? As far as I can determine, there is only one scripture in the Bible's many pages where they draw this inference, and that is from the much-maligned prophecy of Daniel 9, specifically verse 27, which states:

"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."

This is the verse that the 'premillennialists' build their whole theology upon, and that I can, I believe, demonstrate clearly to be completely erroneous. However, before I get into exegesis, the thing for the reader to notice is that the 'he' that is referred to in the verse will put a stop to sacrifice. The 'rapturists' speculate that this is 'Antichrist' who will stop sacrifices, and therefore, they reason, there must be a temple in place for these sacrifices to be conducted before 'Mr. A' terminates them! Marvellous logic, this; and the legacy inherited from John Darby and the Scofield Reference Bible built around Darby's novel but unsustainable ideas.

What should be definitive for any true Christian is what Jesus has to say. Jesus clearly predicted the destruction of the great temple... and said absolutely NOTHING concerning a restoration of either Jerusalem or the temple, despite providing a lengthy description of the 'end of the age' (in Matthew 24). Yet the American evangelicals are quite happy to apply reverse logic to one, single, OT prophecy, and build an elaborate (and damaging) far-reaching eschatology around it! What kind of sense does that make?

What I've done is put the exegetical arguments into an appendix, so that the interested reader with some Biblical background can study it, and realize that the evangelicals are completely befuddled in their end-times speculations. To those who are willing to accept my prima facie evidence that the rebuilt temple theory is nonsense, we can proceed with the original enquiry.

Having answered 'no' to the question does the Bible predict a restoration of the temple in Jerusalem, we now have to deal with the reality that (brace yourself) the Bible does predict the restoration of Israel... but not at all in the manner most people blithely assume. Here's where the homework comes in, and where you'll really need to keep an open, unbiased mind. You see, we are finally going to delve into that 'mysterious' book of Revelation, the one that is so abused by the evangelicals and the cheap purveyors of 'dispen-sensational' end-times scenarios replete with 'Antichrist,' '666,' the 'tribulation,' the rapture, and so on. Almost all of that is rubbish! However, your first assignment is to read the book of Revelation, and then to study chapters 13 and 17, in particular. [You can bookmark this essay, do your homework, and then return to this point.]

I'm now advising that after reading the book of Revelation, that you read my 'Revelation Revisited' (Part 1) on chapters 13 and 17, here in this website. After receiving a great deal of rather bizarre imagery, John (the 'Revelator') is finally told in chapter 17 the meanings of the various symbolic characters that populate his visions. You too, cher lecteur, should understand the supplied meanings after you've read (and re-read) the two chapters analyzed in the cited essay. By way of summarizing that article, the two chapters (Rev 13 & 17) describe a nation ('beast') that received a fatal blow at a point in history prior to the supplied revelation (given ca. 90 AD, according to reputable scholars) and that, at some time close to the end of the age, seems to miraculously revive. The text cautions that the restored nation is really in some 'new' form, and exercises the authority of 'the Dragon' (a satanic spirit). My essay demonstrates how this nation that 'once was, is not, and will come again' is none other than modern 'Israel,' since it perfectly fits all the clues encoded in the biblical text.

Conclusions:

So, you can see-- clearly, if you diligently did your homework-- that Israel is, indeed, prophesied to reappear out of the abyss of history onto the end-times, world scene. But, again clearly, not the way that the evangelicals expect! Far from it; modern Israel is a key player in the final rebellion of fallen humanity against the God of creation. This is the 'yes' portion of my bipolar reply to the original question about Israel's re-establishment.

Just as predicted in the book of Daniel (ch. 2) written some 600 years before Christ, the 'Biblical nations' have reappeared on the world political scene, in time for the momentous events of the 'end of the age.' Thus, we have Egypt, Greece, Persia (Iran), Babylon (Iraq), Assyria (Syria), Rome (the European Union), and 'Israel'... all ready to be crushed by the rock cut without hands (vs. 45). Truly, we are living in interesting times!

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Appendix:

Does the Bible support the notion of animal sacrifices in a rebuilt temple?

The first thing the evangelicals must do to fabricate this bizarre theory is find scriptures that state that the temple exists in the 'latter days.' If they can do this, they assume that the sacrificial system will be re-instituted because their Jewish counterparts are busy trying to obtain 'red heifers' as kosher sacrifices... and plotting to destroy the al-Aqsa mosque presently sitting on the 'temple mount.' The problem is that there is no such text in the Bible. Darby (and many others) misread Daniel's famous verses, 9:24-27, and came to a conclusion they seem to have had in mind before their exegesis. Here's how they blow it.

Daniel ch. 9 Text (from NASB)	Paraphrase & Comments
24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.	70 'sevens' (symbolic years) = 490 yrs are prophesied for the Jews & Jerusalem until the spiritual goals listed are achieved... & the given prophetic vision is fulfilled. (And once fulfilled, the vision is 'sealed,' completed.)
25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.	'So you are to understand that from the decree to restore & rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah, God's Prince, there will be 7 sevens and (another) 62 sevens; it (Jerusalem) will be rebuilt during a period of trouble.'
26 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.	'Then, after the 62 sevens, the Messiah will be killed leaving nothing tangible, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city & the sanctuary [of the temple]. Its end will come swiftly; right up to the end there will be war, and bleak outcomes are predicted.'
27 "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."	'He (Messiah) will make a firm (ultimate) covenant with humanity for 7 years, but in the middle of that time he (Messiah) will put a stop to sacrifices & grain offering. Then (another) one will come who is pagan, and who desecrates (the temple), until a complete destruction that is inevitable, is dispensed on the person who brought this desolation.

Analysis

Now look, it's not a big mystery: the text is clearly talking about two people, two 'princes' here-- Jesus, the Messiah, versus 'the prince who is to come.' The Darby camp argues that the verse is just referring to one person, the Antichrist. All we have to do is check the record of history, because Daniel's vision was to last for 490 years. (The 'sevens' are translated as 'weeks' but are understood by all scholars to stand for periods of years. Thus, 'seventy sevens' equal 490 years). Jerusalem was, indeed, rebuilt over a reported 49 years ('seven weeks', per vs 25) and with much resistance from the surrounding nations, as described in the book of Ezra. It is well known that Jesus appeared right on schedule, at the start of his ministry, 483 years after Daniel's prophetic starting mark. In fact, Jesus began his ministry with the words 'The time is fulfilled' (Mark 1:15). He knew he was fulfilling Daniel's messianic prophecy!

It is widely agreed that the 'issuing of a decree' occurred in 457BC. Now, 49 yrs + [62 X 7 = 434] yrs, giving us 483 years; and - 457 + 483 brings us to the year 27 AD, considered the start of Jesus' ministry. Three and a half years after the completion of the 69 weeks, Jesus was executed, having apparently nothing, not even disciples.

Now, it's in verse 27 that the neo-Darbyites make their fatal error. All Christians should know that Jesus con-firm-ed the 'eternal covenant' which is available to all mankind, and that he was crucified after 3 and a half years of ministry. The book of Acts describes how Stephen was stoned, 3 and a half years after Jesus' death, marking the end of the final (70th) seven year 'week' of verse 27, and the end of the full 490 years. Note that it's Jesus who put a stop to sacrifices, for he provided the perfect sacrifice 'once and for all' (Heb 10:10). A reading of Hebrews (chapters 7-10, especially) demonstrates conclusively that there is no longer any need for any kind of humanly devised sacrifices. It's the other prince, the pagan Roman, who first 'desolated' the temple by barging into the Holy Place, and particularly, the 'Most Holy Place,' where not even Jews, but only their High Priest was allowed to go (and only once per year). Then his troops destroyed the building itself, although as prophesied, he himself later ended up defeated and killed, after becoming Roman emperor. Note that the Roman legions often used a 'wing' symbol on their military 'standards' or flags. And note, too, that Titus was the son of the Emperor Vespasian, thus, a prince. Daniel 9:24 assures us that the vision was going to be fulfilled and sealed within the purview of the three prophetic verses. For anyone to arbitrarily decide to insert a parenthetic interval of some 2,000 years between week 69 and week 70 of the prophecy makes absolutely no sense, especially since all aspects of the verses are fulfilled precisely as recorded!

Conclusions

Not only has a straightforward analysis of the text demolished the notion of renewed sacrifices in a rebuilt temple, but it also does away with the whole fantastic movie plot of a certain 'Antichrist' making an agreement with the Jews, a subsequent rebuilding of the temple, and then his reneging and stopping the renewed sacrifices in the middle of a seven-year period. The seven year period came and went, about 2,000 years ago! Millions of naive church-goers are going to be completely open to confusion and disappointment, and manipulation, when their long-sought scenario never unfolds..