Christian Zionists believe that in order to fulfill Biblical prophecy, Israel must conquer most of the Middle East. They are a growing force in American politics with ties to many powerful pro-Israel groups in Washington. Once considered a marginal doctrine among evangelicals, the dispensationalist theology of Christian Zionism includes a belief in the rapture, when the faithful are to be lifted up to Heaven while the rest of humanity—including most of the Jews—will perish.
Hello, my name is Mary and this is my first time making a comment. I am a devout Catholic. Belief in the ‘Rapture is a relatively new idea (the last two hundred years at best). Christianity has never believed in a Rapture. Catholics and most main line Protestents believe in the Second Coming when Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead and that will be the end of the world. If one believes in the Rapture and a thousand year reign then Christ would need to come a second time which is not supported by Scripture. I personally do not concern myself with “end times phrophecy” since Jesus told us that no one knows when that will be except the Father I continue to live my Christian faith the best I can and leave everything in God’s hands and trust in His goodness and mercy and He alone knows who will perish and who will not.
Mary, neither do the Likudnik Zionists seem to concern themselves with the “Rapture.” When their liaison rabbi with the Evangelical Zionists was asked by CNN how he feels about their view that the Jews will all perish by fire at the time of the Rapture because they don’t accept Jesus, he laughed and said: “we’ll worry about that when the time comes.” Their cynical relationship with these plump “pastors” fed US Taxpayer money through Israel is a sacrilege against both Judaism and Christianity!
Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas to the REAL believers!
Your comments bring to mind a couple articles on Google: “Roots of (Warlike) Christian Zionism” and “Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty.” Hot stuff! Tommy