Christian and Jewish Zionists Both Deny Jesus\’ Teaching.
The books that Christian Zionists rely upon reveal how crafty distortions have, for two generations, enabled Celebrity Christian leaders to support political Israel and perpetual war in the Middle East.
When I meet a professing Christ follower my first question is, "What do you make of Jesus’ words in the 5th chapter, Book of Matthew, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Blessed are the meek, the merciful, the pure; Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God?"
If the person I ask is a bright child, he will usually say these are rules Jesus expects. However, when I ask a pastor or adult church leader in those churches that are influenced by Christian Zionism\’s world view, the answer is usually confused, something like this: "We do not live in a perfect world,"… "we have to realize Jesus was giving an object lesson on how bad the world really is," or "He showed us how impossible the pure life is." Those leaders who realize they are supporting world conflict might say "some wars are just, are you a pacifist?" or "these are not really standards Jesus expects of us, because we are all sinners." From the most scholarly I hear "life will be that way someday in the Millennial Kingdom after Jesus returns to earth, after the rapture."
Misleading footnotes dominate several other study bibles, including the John Mac Arthur and modern and popular NIV Study Bibles. Corrupted bibles misdirect pastors, who then misdirect the followers of Jesus. Christian Zionists pastors usually refer to the text as "the inspired or inerrant word of God."
The most damaging of the Christian Zionist bible distorters was Cyrus I Scofield, who in 1908 wrote a book that has since been revised three or more times by its owner, Oxford University Press. The Scofield Reference Bible is used in many seminaries. Deceptive footnotes and "Subheading" have bern added to traditional text that directed readers to believe Jesus words in Matthew 5, are "The Principles and Rules of the Kingdom" (meaning Heaven) which is very different from rules to live by on this earth. In 1967, Oxford University Press put forth drastically changed FOOTNOTES and SUB-HEADINGS carefully interwoven with the Scofield original notes making them nearly indistinguishable to most readers. Even the new language style is conformed to the old, blending, like the old and new boards in my oak floor, deliberately interwoven to make the old and new seem indistinguishable to the casual eye. The devil lurks in the footnotes.
Children come up with the right answer when asked what Jesus\’ words mean because they have not yet been inculcated with the Christian Zionist jargon. In contrast, Christian Zionists as much as say that Jesus\’ words are not to be taken literally, but are a description of life in a perfect place Jesus has prepared for those who believe in him.
Once we understand how and why Christian Zionists distort Jesus\’ words, we can quickly see why they support Israel\’s occupation of the land of the Philistines. US wars in the Middle East and Israel\’s brutal occupation are seen as “God’s will”–necessary steps in the chain toward a perfect world after Jesus comes back. Several celebrity Christian leaders openly lobby for a preemptive strike on Iran and the deportation of all Palestinians from the State of Israel.
The church-centered pro-Zionist group that influence the largest voting bloc in the U.S.A, practice the reverse of what their leaders say they believe. Southern Baptists and most non-denominational mega-churches are led by TV celebrities, profess that the Bible is the literal, inerrant word of God, preserved by His hand. They teach not from the ancient words, but from man added footnotes and commentaries inserted into several popular study bibles, which often avoid or deny Jesus words. This is the dark secret this sect can not face. This author\’s audio-visual presentation on this subject is called "The Tragedy and The Turning."
Charles E. Carlson
www.whtt.org, ccarlson@whtt.org
Previous works of this author: Cause of the Conflict Charles E. Carlson Aug 07, 2002
https://whtt.org/index.php?news=2&id=158
Tragedy and the Turning: A Giant Leap of Faith? Aug 16, 2010
http://vimeo.com/user4792609
