In the Kingdom of Man, I stated unequivocally that untrained conservative evangelicals (politicians and other lay leaders) are working harder than ever to usher in the end times. I demonstrated how evangelical theology, particularly the development of dispensationalism, has influenced this belief. I demonstrated how these leaders use the Old Testament promises made to Israel by God as proof texts for the idea that America will be blessed by following God. Basically, bad hermeneutics + dispensationalism = our current situation.
Despite all of the evidence laid out in the book, much of what I stated was scoffed at by conservative evangelicals. And still, the United States continues to get involved in religious conflicts that have nothing to do with it.
Not long ago, Ted Cruz was interviewed by Tucker Carlson and stated the following:
“As a Christian growing up in Sunday school, I was taught from the Bible that those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed.” He added, “I want to be on the blessing side of things.”
It seems as if Christian Nationalists are not even hiding their intentions anymore.
Jesus the Crusader
Dispensationalists have long awaited war in the Middle East. From Israel’s formation in 1948 to the various skirmishes since, end times enthusiasts have waited patiently for all-out war. For these folks, war triggers a series of events as supposedly foretold in the book of Revelation and a few of the Prophets, which culminate in the return of Christ.
For these Christians, Jesus is the great warrior who rides in on a white horse to overthrow the devil and all his schemes. Does this sound familiar? That’s because we have seen this story before. This was the exact same perspective the Israelites had about the Messiah. They believed the Messiah would ride in and overthrow their captors and restore the nation to its rightful place – just as God did so many times before. So when Jesus rode in on a donkey proclaiming peace and wisdom, the Jews did not recognize him.
This belief in Jesus as the great warrior and conqueror is not new. History is littered with examples of this from the Crusades to the various inquisitions throughout Europe and even the Reformation. All violence committed in the name of (or perhaps on behalf of) Jesus.
Christian Nationalists have infiltrated all aspects of power within the country, providing them the platform to put in place policies that align with their theological beliefs. Despite having no actual biblical evidence, they believe that they can help facilitate the Second Coming. However, all their ideologies do is create death for those who would be pawns in their nefarious schemes.
The fact that Trump has crossed the proverbial line in the sand with Iran, coupled with the ongoing influence of Christian Nationalists within the administration, leads me to believe that there is much more going on behind the scenes than we know. More than likely, this is always the case to some extent, but I remain unconvinced that Trump has me or this nation’s best interest in mind. That makes a big difference!
Jesus the Pacifist
On the other side of things, you have those who avoid conflict at all costs. This has its problems as well. These types of leaders are generally unprepared for when conflict actually comes their way. They follow the leadership of Jesus, the pacifist, who they believe advocated a belief that avoids violence completely.
Many of these people confuse Jesus advocating for peace with him advocating for pacifism. At least from a biblical perspective, this is just not the case. Jesus, as part of the God-head, certainly advocated for times of war throughout the Old Testament. It seems to me that Jesus’ insistence on peace is his way of demonstrating that disagreement does not always have to lead to violence, which seems to almost always be our first inclination.
It also seems plausible to think that Jesus avoided violence because that would make him into the conquering Messiah that the Jews had longed for. This would go directly against his purpose, which was to reveal and reconcile.
Furthermore, Jesus faced enormous violence throughout the Passion experience. A tremendous violence that was heaped upon him by the Father (albeit, indirectly). It certainly seems that in this case, only that sort of brutal violence was necessary for the peace that comes with being reconciled unto God, demonstrating a myriad of things that we don’t have the time to jump into.
You don’t have to be a pacifist to advocate for peace. I think there are times when war is necessary, but those times are few and far between. I can’t help but think if the same would be true if women had been the leaders throughout history, making those decisions instead of men. But I digress.
The bottom line is that peace is always better than violence, and power can exist with wisdom and a strong handshake. Power is not a state of being but one of perception. In the end, the smarter nation always wins.
Closing Thoughts
For whatever reason, humans are prone to aggression when it comes to disagreement. We are a species that associates power with violence instead of wisdom and influence. In one sense, it seems almost childish to think that we can simply bully other nations into submission. It lacks a sense of maturity and sophistication. Instead of being a nation that helps the underdog being picked on by the bully, we have become the bullies by getting involved in skirmishes that are not our own.
It seems to me that assisting Ukraine against its bully would be a much better use of our resources. But until we can link Ukraine to the Bible, it is unforeseeable.
Perhaps an even greater use of our resources would be to use our intelligence to help facilitate compromise and peace, and only use violence when necessary. However, you can only lead with your strengths, which I suspect intelligence is not this administration’s best attribute.
Are Christian Nationalists behind Trump’s recent moves with Iran? Yes, but probably indirectly. As they continue to place their ideology in his head over time we will continue to see Trump involved in these conflicts.
You can view my UNenlightenment YouTube Channel HERE
You can view my UNenlightenment Podcast HERE
You can follow me on FaceBook HERE
Transform your life today by getting my book UNenlightenment HERE
Purchase my newest book The Kingdom of Man HERE
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In