Commentators, secular and religious,
weigh in incessantly on all aspects of
the issues of greatest concern for these
angst-ridden times. Those issues of most
profound worry are collapsing economy,
loss of personal liberty, and what is
going to happen in the immediate and
long-term future.
One can almost physically feel the
fear in the emails I receive daily.
Worries over what the future holds fill
the articles and, more to the point for
this commentary, dominate the personal
missives that search for answers that
might provide some degree of comfort.
One of the more mildly fearful emails
I received this week says in part, “I
watched the Hal Lindsey Report yesterday
in which he said that he believes before
the Rapture that Christians were going
to be persecuted. After reading your
nearing midnight article today I can see
that Christians becoming more and more
isolated for their support of Israel is
just another sign that he is right. If
Hal is right, with the rapture being as
close as it is then persecution for
Christians has to be very close. What is
your take on this?”
I listened to what Hal Lindsey had to
say in that particular program, and he
did paint a bleak picture for the
immediate future of planet earth. He
correctly pointed to even more terrible
times for the world a bit further
out–during the Tribulation. I had so
many urging me to watch Glenn Beck’s
program that I tuned in to that show on
the several days he painted a
frightening picture of what he says he
believes George Soros and the New World
Order minions have in mind for the world
–particularly for the citizens of the
United States.
Mr. Beck, like Hal Lindsey, gave as
part of his view of things the
prescription he thinks necessary to help
with curing the sickness from which the
United States and the world suffer. It
is interesting that both Lindsey and
Beck--one Christian, the other secular
(in that he is a FOX News pundit)--give
faith turned toward God as a major part
of any such remedy.
Now, I am aware Glenn Beck is a
Mormon, and that this fact makes the
difference between the views of the two
men and their recommendations quite
distinct from one another. But the
intensive urging of both to look more
deeply into the crush of troubles
weighing heavily on the minds of most
everyone is more to the point. Both see
what is happening in these strange times
as emanating from dark, spiritual
forces.
I know that Hal’s analysis is correct
because he realizes that the source
against which humanity--particularly
Christians--struggles is found in God’s
Word. I honestly don’t know exactly what
Glenn Beck sees as the chief opponent
against which humanity must be
protected. He points to George Soros and
his ilk, but never seems to get to the
root of the evil we face.
Lindsey knows–as do you and I who try
to be attuned to God’s Word in these
prophetic times—that, according to the
apostle Paul, “we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Paul wasn’t writing about the George
Soroses of the world. He was forewarning
of the dark powers behind the earthly
megalomaniacs who would be our masters.
Maybe Mr. Beck sees those darker powers,
too, but he can’t bring himself about to
cast God’s light upon that unseen realm.
Perhaps that is because he sees us, the
American people, as the answer to our
own spiritual problems. If we will just
summon the same patriotic grit of the
founding fathers, we can overcome the
human diabolists like Soros. To aspire
to vanquish “spiritual wickedness in
high places” –the dark, satanic forces
of the spiritual world—would not be
possible. When all is said and done,
Beck’s viewpoint is inclusive of only
the humanistic elements of the struggle
mankind faces today. In this, sadly, he
seems in lock-step with the world order
builders that God laughs sarcastically
at as recorded in Psalms 2.
I won’t go further about Glenn Beck
so far as concerns his acumen in
pointing the way to overcoming in the
struggle we face as the apocalyptic
storm nears. His religion’s prophetic
beliefs dictate outcomes drastically
different from those found in the Bible.
Since he hasn’t overtly introduced those
to his viewing/listening audiences–at
least, not yet--I won’t address those
here.
However, the biblical scenarios are
the ones Hal Lindsey does introduce on a
weekly basis to his audience. It is this
view we will look at when thinking on
the prospects you and I face,
considering all of the bleak economic
and societal news on the immediate
horizon.
But, we’ve run out of column space
for this week. We will begin scanning
our darkening prophetic landscape
through God’s radar next week, God
willing.
