PAT ROBERTSON:
Modern Day Prophecy,
The Biblical Timeline &
Politics [American or
otherwise].

Pat Robertson has created (yet another) stir with
tendentious comments on world events this time
with speculation that Ariel Sharon's stroke is divine
retribution for conceding land to the Palestinian
authority. He has been widely condemned in blog
world for this - and I fear that all Christians may be
tarred with the same brush, and more importantly
I am concerned that the Gospel of Jesus has been
brought into disrepute. [I am glad to note that Pat
Robertson has subsequently made an apology for
his "insensitivity"]. For anyone interested
I thought I'd briefly explain why (as a reasonably
Biblically literate, Evangelical, "Born Again"
Christian) I can say Pat Robertson was wrong in
the first place.

The Bible is an unfolding narrative of God's
dealings with Humankind *. At one point in
history the nation state of Israel was set up
ostensibly as a light to the nations. As the
narrative unfolds we discover that even this
Kingdom with its idealistic laws and its prophets
cannot reform the human heart. [This does not
mean that what was once wrong has ceased to be
wrong or that God has changed in some way;
it means that God has helped us grow in our
understanding of the problem of human nature
and moves us on from the moralism of rule
keeping - which is why Jesus is so hard on the
Pharisees. An infinitely more radical solution
is required!]. Ultimately the nation goes into
exile and God points ahead to a new kingdom
under God's chosen king. I believe that Jesus
is that king and his kingdom [or "Millennium"]
is presently a spiritual one - though one day we
look forward to his return and the inauguration
of his Kingdom in all it's fulness. This new kingdom
is not limited geographically nor is it restricted
to the physical descendents of Abraham....as
the original promises always indicated they
would have global, if not cosmic, fulfillment. There
is now a larger vision afoot....a plan to recreate
the whole of Creation and draw in the breadth
of Humanity.

Where Pat Robertson is going wrong is in
anachronistically harking back to a point in
the Bible narrative which merely foreshadowed
the Kingdom which Jesus came to bring about.
This colours how middle eastern politics are
viewed (often in lurid technicolour). It also
permits Pat Robertson to see himself in the
role of Old Testament prophet (such as
authoritatively interpreting world events)
- again a role superceded by Christ himself.

Pat Robertson comes out of a school of thought
called "Pre- Millennialist", which views the
restoration of the state of Israel as critical in
God's plan for the world. He may also believe
that the church is mandated by God to have a
role of political leadership over the other
nations. I am an "Amillennialist"* Christian -
I don't believe the Bible teaches either of
these positions....in fact I think that these
are potentially damaging distractions from
the commission which Jesus did give to us.
Pat Robertson once described Amillennialism as
"the end-time apostasy" no less. So... hey...please
blogworld don't lump all evangelical Christians
together in the same boat. [I realise that such
quibbles over words like these will seem rather
esoteric to the outsider but the point I'm making
is "ideas have legs" - i.e. ideas DO have
consequences].

I suspect that evangelical Christians are often
viewed as ultra-right wing because some of us
misunderstand where we are in the Bible
timeline. The plot has moved on from attempting
to build a theocratic nation state, we are now
living in a new era defined by the Cross of Christ.
As a Christian I see little or no value in using political
campaigns to compel non-christians to behave as if
they are believers. In fact most Biblically literate
Christians would come to share the apostle Paul's
view of the limitations of the law in reforming the
human heart. I believe that our role is to faithfully
teach and model the Gospel to the onlooking world.
By all means let's get involved in politics - but let's
not fool ourselves that this will reform human nature,
only the Cross of Christ can do this.

If we do get involved in politics; as Christians
we must demonstrate a rounded political agenda
- it is right to speak out on bio-medical ethics -
but the Bible also has lots to say about other
issues - War & Peace, Poverty & Materialism,
the Environment, Social Justice etc. We should
not allow ourselves to be corralled into a right
wing fiefdom for the benefit of certain politicians.
Let's not get railroaded into a narrower agenda
than God's, which is where some misguided
souls would take us. [It should also be pointed
out to those on the political Left that they too
are guilty of driving away the support of
Evangelicals by demonising them - maybe,
just maybe, that is one reason why the
Democrats lost the US election in 2004 - they
alienated moderate evangelicals rather than
reach out to them].

But back to my main point: gleeful
triumphalism over the misfortune of others
is totally antithetical to the spirit of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. It is understandable
if we are seen as rather nasty, mean-spirited
and un-Christlike people if the Pat Robertsons
of this world put themselves forward as our
spokesmen. I just want to make it clear that
he does not speak for me.

All comments are welcome!

[1* This should not be confused with the various
theological "dispensations" which some
Pre-Millennialist Christians hold to!]

[2*"Amillennialism" is a bit of a misnomer because
it implies one does not believe in the Kingdom
at all. Perhaps it would be better to refer to it
as a "realised millennialism"- the Kingdom of God
is present here and now for those with the eyes
to see it. For the sake of convenience I will use
the more commonly recognised term].

Post-Script: 21. Jan.06.
I have attempted to represent in diagrammatic
form the Biblical Timeline I have described
unfortunately in some computer formats this
will appear as gibberish! Sorry about that.


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