October 25, 2023 12:37 PM UTC

The Israel/Hamas War: What's in it for Conservative Evangelicals Christians?

• 2 Comments
• by: Dave P

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

“I pick up the Bible in one hand, and I pick up the newspaper in the other. And I read almost the same words in the newspaper as I read in the Bible. It’s being fulfilled every day round about us.” – Billy Graham

According to the New York Times, Pastor Jared Wellman took to the pulpit Sunday morning at Tate Springs Baptist Church, 7,000 miles west of Jerusalem, to proclaim to his congregation, “neutrality isn’t an option.”

In that same article, Daniel Darling, director of Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, proclaimed, “There’s probably no greater friend to the state of Israel than American evangelical Christians.” These evangelical pastors condemned the assault by Hamas while asking them to pray to Israel only.

Books are getting ready for release, like Mark Driscoll’s War On Isreal: Will the Hamas Sprit Trigger the End Times? He is also the senior and founding pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Some of his latest sermons include “Will Hamas Come to America?” and “Survey Proves Mainline Protestant Pastors/” Blind Guides and are non-Christians Going to hell .” Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship says the war in Israel could be a significant step toward events prophesied in the Bible and that supporters of peace should monitor closely the Russia-Iranian coalition, which he described as dangerous, according to Christian Headlines. Jeff Kinley, author of the new book, “God’s Grand Finale,” believes the war in Israel is further evidence we’re potentially “living in the last days,” in an article from the Christian Broadcast Network.

In Colorado and elsewhere, many of these conservative Nationalist Christians are openly hoping that the End Times are here. According to Barry Fagin in the Colorado Springs Gazette, In a recently published complaint filed with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, active-duty soldiers reported their commander saying precisely this at a mandatory briefing: “The war between Israel and Hamas has all been foretold by the Book of Revelation … and no one can do anything about that.”

On October 15th, Matt Manning, Senior Pastor of Crossroads Church in Thorton, CO, preached an entire sermon on the war. While preaching, Manning said he talked to the former Senior Pastor of the church and asked him if he believed they were living in the End-Times, and according to Manning, he said, “I sure hope so” (minute 31:16). Dr. Todd Hudnall of Radiant Church in Colorado Springs also preach on this subject. He talked about the “Spirit of the Antichrist” being responsible for this. This reference comes from the Eschatological view of the book of Revelations and the writings of Paul. Hudnall talked about Russia and Iran’s complicity in these attacks with Hamas and how the Bible predicted this (1:11:16). He expressed his gratitude to Former President Donald Trump for deciding to move the capital to Jerusalem (1:13:30). I don’t believe an American President can make that decision, but anyhow. In their view, he and others need these events to line up for the Second Coming of Christ, where The Rapture will happen, Christians will be taken to Heaven, and the Jewish People will convert (1:16:06).

He references Ben Shapiro and admonishes President Joe Biden and former President Obama as supporters of Iran (1:18:45) for giving them Billions of dollars. This isn’t true. This was a part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOC) agreement, where the US agreed to return frozen foreign assets that belonged to Iran. He doesn’t let facts get in the way of his message.

Nor does he mention the Palestinian Christians suffering in Gaza, which, in all fairness, Manning does in his sermon. He talks about standing strong with Israel even when the casualty counts start coming in from Gaza. (i.e., women and children) (1:21:21).

I wonder if these subscribers of these particular Eschatological views are more interested in what is in it for them and not what is in the area’s best interest. As Hundall prays at the end of his sermon, “Jesus is coming back, and I say, come quickly, Lord Jesus” (1:25:02).