Response to Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle on Palin's Support for Settlements
As an independent researcher specializing in the end times narratives of Christian Zionists, I have read hundreds of end times prophecy accounts written over a span of over a century. There are significant variations in these narratives, but a consistent prerequisite to the Millennium, or prophesied 1000-year Christian utopia, is the regathering of all Jews in a "greater Israel." These accounts include the belief that "fishers and hunters" are required to force Jews to fulfill this prophecy, with the fishers being described as Christian Zionists who entice Jews to move to Israel, and the hunters as those who will violently force the remaining Jews to flee their current home nations. Christian Zionists can not be the hunters, of course, but they need this wave of violent anti-Semitism for their prophecies to be fulfilled. The warnings and description of this final holocaust can be found throughout Christian Zionist literature, including books by several major leaders who work with the Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus.(1) The sermon quote which resulted in presidential candidate John McCain's rejection of the endorsement of Christian's United for Israel (CUFI) founder John Hagee, was also about the "fishers and hunters" narrative. After describing Hitler as a "hunter" who served a divine purpose in forcing Jews to move to Israel, Hagee's next statement in the sermon was , "Now they [the Jews] are physically alive but they're not spiritually alive. Now how is G-d going to cause the Jewish people to come to spiritual life..." My research colleague, Bruce Wilson, produced the video segment which made national headlines in May 2008.(2) Hagee's sermon quote was from the third sermon in a 2005 series titled "Jerusalem: Countdown to Crisis," in which Hagee describes coming apocalyptic wars.(3) Hagee sometimes shouts from the pulpit that before his sermon is over, his congregants could be "Raptured," which means snatched up to heaven before the imminent horrors of the Tribulation and the reign of the anti-Christ begins. Hagee has taught that the anti-Christ is gay and partially Jewish,(4) and portrays Jews and Roman Catholics as partnering with this anti-Christ figure after the Rapture has taken place. In his movie Vanished in the Twinkling of an Eye, Hagee features scenes that are eerily reminiscent of Kristallnacht, but it is churches instead of synagogues that are being burned by the partners of the anti-Christ, including in one scene that is labeled Berlin.(5) Sarah Palin has close ties to leaders promoting a slightly different but very literal end time belief, that is sweeping through many nondenominational churches as well as some denominations. Although this charismatic phenomenon claims to have 100 million participants worldwide, and many of its leaders are gaining clout in the Religious Right, the movement as a whole has received little coverage in the mainstream press.(6) It is called the "New Apostolic Reformation" or simply "Apostolic and Prophetic," and teaches that in preparation for the end time, churches must become unified under the authority of the movement's apostles and prophets. They reject the idea of being Raptured and believe that they will remain on earth during the Tribulation to fight the battles of the end times themselves. In this narrative, Jesus is unable to leave heaven until a Christian Israel, formed by Messianics (Jews accepting Jesus) and Christian Zionists, call for him to return to earth. Therefore, in this end times narrative, unconverted Jews become the obstacle to the Christian utopia. The lingo used to describe the coming together of Messianics and Christian Zionists as the warriors who will usher in the millennial utopia is "one new man in Yeshua."(7) This Apostolic and Prophetic movement encompasses many Christian Zionist leaders including several directors of Hagee's CUFI. Their eschatology (end times theology) promotes aggressive activism to move the hands of the prophetic clock, including development of international support networks for Messianic communities in Israel. This is the theology behind events like the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem (DPPJ), an international "pro-Israel" event which advertises the involvement of churches in 170 nations, and is endorsed by the Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus.(8) The leaders of this event are the nexus of Christian Zionist support for Messianics.(9) Apostles in the movement include Messianic Dan Juster who has participated in the founding of Messianic seminaries and training in Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Argentina, Brazil, and the U.S., the Messianic Jewish Bible Institute, and the King's Jewish Voice. The latter is part of a seminary founded by Jack Hayford, co-founder of the DPPJ.(10) Juster has stated that "We who are Jewish are biblical New Covenant Jews, not Rabbinic Jews."(11) Juster heads Tikkun International and is also the apostle in authority over a dozen Messianic congregations in the U.S. including Shoresh David in the Pittsburgh suburb of Monroeville.(12) The combined proselytizing organizations and activism of the New Apostolic movement makes Jews for Jesus appear insignificant. Apostle Mary Glazier, credited with building the spiritual warfare network in Alaska, told a conference audience on June 13, 2008 that Palin had joined her "prayer warriors network" as a twenty-four year old. Video and audio of the event are still marketed.(13) The editor of Charisma, a leading charismatic magazine, confirmed Palin's relationship with Glazier to religion writer Laurie Goldstein who reported it in a October 25, 2008 New York Times article.(14) After the election, in a January 2009 article, Charisma confirmed Palin and Glazier's continued relationship.(15) Charisma is published by Stephen Strang, a director of John Hagee's CUFI who is also an apostle in the International Coalition of Apostles (ICA) along with Glazier and Juster.(16) The apostles and prophets of the movement believe that they are given continuous prophetic revelations from G-d, which are then disseminated through their prayer networks. These networks were used to distribute numerous prophecies about Sarah Palin, including one by Apostle Mary Glazier that implied that Palin would take "an office that she was mantled for" after a period of national mourning.(17) Palin thanked her "prayer warriors across the nation" in an interview with James Dobson,(18) and more recently with Christian Broadcast Network. Palin was "anointed" in a ceremony at her home church of Wasilla Assembly of God by Kenyan Thomas Muthee in 2005, prior to her campaign for state office.(19) Muthee is a international New Apostolic leader who is featured in a series of movies that have been viewed in churches around the globe. The movies are a teaching tool used to demonstrate the use of spiritual mapping and spiritual warfare as a way to take Christian "dominion" over government and society. This involves the coming together of churches to pray for the expulsion of literal demons which they believe prevent geographic areas from becoming evangelized. (20) In the ceremony Muthee talked about the seven spheres of society over which the New Apostolics believe they must take Christian dominion. This is organized nationally as the "Reclaiming the Seven Mountains of Culture" campaign which promotes the end of separation of church and state.(21) Palin returned to Wasilla Assembly of God on June 8, 2008 to give the speech at a graduation of Master's Commission students who were finishing a three-year program in prophecy and spiritual warfare. During the service Ed Kalnins, senior pastor of the church and an advocate of New Apostolic beliefs, spoke openly about Alaska as a refuge state in the end times. This ceremony culminated in the presentation of swords to the graduating students and can still be viewed on the church's website.(22) This is a fraction of the information that our research team gathered on Palin's relationship with the New Apostolic Reformation, some of which can be viewed in a special focus box at www.Talk2action.org. We need to be aware that Palin's statement may have been more indicative of her end times beliefs than her politics, and that the mixing of the two is very dangerous for Israel and Jews worldwide. End Notes (1) These include Let My People Go by Tom Hess, Blowing the Trumpet in Zion by Richard Booker, and Israel My Beloved by Kay Arthur. Arthurs's book was a Christian fiction bestseller and portrayed Jewish history through the character of Sarah, an unfaithful wife. In the final pages, before repenting of her error, Sarah describes this final holocaust as "beyond the horrors of Sobibor, Treblinka, Auschwitz - all the death camps combined." (2) Bruce Wilson, cofounder of Talk2action.org, provided the video to MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Wilson was credited in major media such as the NY Times and Washington Post. 3) The author has "Jerusalem: Countdown to Crisis" in audio and DVD format. Hagee apologized to Abraham Foxman of ADL for a sermon which he claimed he delivered in 1999. The first screen on the DVD has a 2005 date marking and the publicized quote comes was taken from a sermon which included references to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, both of which took place in 2005. (4)This quote is from Hagee's 2003 sermon titled "The Final Dictator" in the sermon series "Iraq the Final War." Hagee states that the anti-Christ is gay, and "partially Jewish as was Adolph Hitler, as was Karl Marx." A partial transcript from the sermon series is at http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/6/1/163843/2726 (5) A screen shot of this scene is at http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/5/28/6363/30439 with a collection of quotes by Hagee. (6) Individually some of the New Aposotlics have received publicity. Lou Engle hosts "The Call" stadium events around the country including the San Diego event in support of Prop Eight, and an event in Jerusalem. Engle hosted Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee in "Rediscovering God in America" broadcast on GodTV. Rick Joyner has restored part of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's Heritage USA and has formed a new Religious Right organization. (8) http://www.daytopray.com/Home.aspx (9) From the top leadership of DPPJ down, these are evangelists who have played leading roles in both establishing Messianic networks, and in soliciting financial support from churches in the U.S. and around the world. Nevertheless, leaders like co-founder Jack Hayford have been honored by Israeli dignitaries and Prime Minister Netanyahu has personally endorsed the ministry of co-founder Robert Stearns. (10) http://www.mjbi.org/ME2/Default.asp" See video on history of MJBI in 2003 promotional media at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhRweV61s68 (11) Juster wrote this in his book Jewish Roots and it is repeated in Dan Finto's Your People Shall Be My People, page 146. This book has been sent in packets to churches participating in the largest international Christian Zionist event, the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. (12) http://www.ruach.ws/congregations.html (13) Transcript at http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/10/8/131445/630 (14) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/us/politics/25faith.html?pagewa nted=2&_r=1 (15) http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/features/2009/january/20101- the-faith-of-sarah-palin (16) http://www.apostlesnet.net/prospectus.htm Strang is the director of CUFI Region 6. (17) See http://www.etpv.org/2008/woimat.html" and a sanitized version broadcast by leadership at http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word/6897 (18) http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/10/22/politics/fromtheroad/entr y4538788.shtml (19) http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/9/24/13112/0816 Articlle includes video clip from ceremony. (20) The Transformations series is produced by Sentinel Group. The movies are marketed through numerous outlets including Sentinel's marketing is at http://www.sentinelgroup.org/dvdsets.asp
Response to Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle on Palin's Support for Settlements | 64 comments (64 topical, 0 hidden)
Response to Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle on Palin's Support for Settlements | 64 comments (64 topical, 0 hidden)
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