Development of Theological
Currents:
“Left Behind”, Survivalists, and
Militants
Theonomy, Dominion, and Reconstruction
Left Behind: Pre-Millennial Dispensationalism with Pre-Tribulation Rapture
In the Left Behind series and movies, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, and in the end-times movies by Van Impe ministries, true Christians disappear one day, and their friends and family members have to deal with the new world leader, the Anti-Christ. Some resist the Anti-Christ, but others are deluded and side with him. The Anti-Christ comes to power after an attack on Israel fails and the Anti-Christ makes a peace deal in the middle east between the Jews and Arabs, thus becoming the supposed bringer of peace. The U.N. makes him their leader, and Christians begin to be persecuted, food availability is manipulated, and the prophecies in Revelation, etc., unfold.
This sort of interpretation includes the state of Israel as a key player. For example, a war is launched against Israel from the East (China, Russia, and the Arabs), but the attacks do not harm Israel, in the case of Left Behind, the bombs burst in air and don't land on Israel, it is a miracle fulfilling prophecy, before the Anti-Christ steps on stage. In this view the Anti-Christ goes on to kill most of the Jews in a holocaust that dwarfs the persecution of Jews under Hitler, after/during which some are converted to Christianity. When the Anti-Christ's seven years are over, Christ comes down and with his forces kills all the followers of the Anti-Christ.
One of the key issues, politically, is that this view looks to prophecies of the Old Testament regarding the Jews and Israel and expects them to be fulfilled, thereby influencing their understanding of events in the Middle East. This view places a lot of emphasis on the existence of a renewed state of Israel, reclaiming the Temple, and then the Jews reinstating sacrifices in the temple. Since many who hold the Dispensational view believe in the Rapture, they do not expect to be here when the wars and tribulations start, or at least not though the whole thing, so there is a question as to whether some politicians may be more interested in being an agent of prophecy fulfillment rather than in the consequences or risks. Similarly, when an Anti-Christ and the Wrath of God is expected to destroy much of the ecosystems of the world in the very near future, any form of environmentalism is easily pushed to the side, and is even sometimes seen as part of the agenda of the Anti-Christ. So much has been written on this view, that I leave it to the reader to look this up more on their own if they are interested.
This type of Dispensational Pre-Millennial thinking, can distort interpretations of world events, influence foreign policy regarding negative attitudes towards the UN, International Criminal Court, environmental treaties like the Kyoto Protocol, and issues involving the Middle East, and especially Iraq (country surrounding the ancient ruins of Babylon), as well as Russia and atheistic China. Some want to “help along” prophecy or be an agent of prophecy according to their interpretations, although traditionally Dispensationalism maintains that we will not be sure when prophecy will be filled, and that God is the one orchestrating the fulfillment of prophecy and does not need our help.
Other interpretations of the Bible, prophecy, and the end times, which are sometimes combined with Dispensationalism, though in some instances they came from a background that is opposed to Dispensationalism, are explicitly political and domination motivated, and involve seizing power in the name of Christ, whether within the Religious Right or outside from the extreme ends of the political spectrum. Among the extreme religious right there are political tactics involving using these Dispensational ideas of world-prophecy notions regarding Israel and the UN to further a type of Christian culture and involvement in politics that is intended to provide a stage for further theocratic (actually theonomic) tyranny. We will get to some of these variations later.
Dispensational Views on the Rapture: Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, and Post-Trib
The Tribulation (persecution by the Anti-Christ and wrath of God) is described in the Bible as a very fearsome time, worse than any other in history. Those who believe in a rapture feel that God wants to spare them His wrath, which believers do not deserve. Unbelievers do deserve such wrath in their view, however. Some of the bolder proponents speak with glee about how we will be in heaven looking down enjoying the justice against unbelievers and the unfolding of God's glory as the plagues hit the earth and the Anti-Christ fulfills God's prophecy and as humans are tortured and destroyed.
It is the pre-trib position, expressed in the movies produced by Van Impe and the LaHaye/Jenkins Left Behind series, that maintains Christians will escape all of the wrath of the Anti-Christ. The mid-trib position is that somewhere during that time of the Anti-Christ Christians will have to endure the horrors but later get Raptured out of it so they may avoid the worst. The post-trib position is that Christians will have to go through the entire ordeal with the Anti-Christ's persecutions; the pre-wrath position is that true Christians will only escape the wrath of God that follows the Tribulation of the Anti-Christ. In some cases the Anti-Christ's rule is said to be 7 years, based on an interpretation of Old Testament prophecy. In other views it is longer. In any case it is supposed to be worse than anything that every happened before. Among those who fear a possible mid-trib or post-trib reality, the bunker mentality can easily set in, justifying a survivalist approach, stockpiling weapons, fearing gun control and the UN all the more, etc. In some cases the need to be the army to fight the Anti-Christ is very prominent, since they do not believe they will be raptured before hand. Depending on whether they think the Anti-Christ's rule will be literal and obvious physically, or symbolic, various extreme positions can arise. If the Anti-Christ is seen as the Ecumenical movement, then fighting now to kill liberal Christians and secular humanists, Jews, Arabs, etc., can be rationalized. Pat Robertson has portrayed a Mid-Trib scenario in his books, but has also invited Post-Millennialists on his 700 club, and himself supports positions that draw from non-Dispensational, Dominion/Kingdom Now theology.
God's Millennial Reign is Now: Post-Millennialism and A-Millennialism
Those who hold that we don't have to worry about a literal human Anti-Christ in the future, except metaphorically or spiritually, are not without political/theocratic influence. Traditionally, the Catholic Church validated its earthly power to dictate, condemn heretics, etc., based on its interpretation that the rule of the Catholic Church was the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. John Calvin also placed a lot of emphasis on the role of Christian people as a church using their rulership and elders to rule towns and enforce Biblical laws and punish impurity and wrong thinking of the depraved fallen humans; since the Millennial rule with an iron rod by Jesus was the current situation already, at the hands of the Christian community, Calvin was concerned with how a Christian community should operate politically. Calvin's theology was the basis for the Puritans and also is the basis of Presbyterianism. With the most extreme members of the Catholic and Presbyterian churches, there is no need for an Armageddon or fight against an Anti-Christ to justify brutal rule and purging of the community by Christian politicians, in the past, present, or in the possible future. Such rule is seen as legitimate in principle, on the basis of Godly authority, and so any apologies for the Inquisition, witch burnings, and executions of heretics are too little, too late. The more extreme attitudes do not represent the mainstream view within the Catholic or main Presbyterian denominations today in America, but have typified historical examples from the past, and represent the beliefs of extremist and reactionary elements within these churches, some of the conservative or orthodox Presbyterian congregations.
Post-Millennialism: Theonomic Reconstruction/Christian Reconstruction/Dominion Theology
This is one of the most extreme forms of Christian Fundamentalist thought that arose from within the most conservative or orthodox Presbyterianism, with theological roots in Calvin's Covenant Theology and Augustine's Replacement Theology. They want to bring the entire world under the rule of the Word of God. This particular movement desires reinstating various Old Testament punishments for apostasy (leaving the faith), adultery, homosexuality, sorcery/witchcraft, etc. Their aim is to create a society based exclusively upon the Bible, which is called Theonomy (rulership by God or a government formed by God), a concept along the lines of Theocracy (government formed by the church or a representative of God). Among the most frighteningly authoritarian visions of religious rule of government in Christian thought, the stark and bold acceptance of reinstating brutal religious domination of society speaks for itself. Basically, this is the nightmare of freedom loving people whether they want more religious influence on society or not. This Theonomy and Reconstruction is very much against political freedom of thought and is even against Christian diversity. The Puritans of the Witch Hunts and the political/social tactics of the Church of the Middle Ages are among the role models for this movement; they find relevant guidance and inspiration from the slaughter of pagans in the Old Testament and the various attempts to purify Israel and exile or kill those who adopted influence from other religions or cultures. With this view, the Book of Joshua's focus on killing all the Canaanites, their men women and children, even the animals, sparing only the virgins for the men of Israel, and the condemnation on the Israelites for failing to succeed in that total annihilation, is a relevant message for a Christians hoping to make a Godly Nation today, provided the correct timing, opportunity, perceived provocation, and interpretation of God's desire and choice of leadership. This all proceeds from the Post-Millennial belief that Christ will come only after Christians take their rightful place as rulers over the world, and that it the duty and role of Christians, to dominate the world for God, so the world is suitable for Christ to come down and be King. Post-Millennialism's roots in Covenant and Replacement theology makes the role of Jews and Israel irrelevant, as they are seen to have forsaken their covenant and to be under the condemnation of the Law of works, like the rest of non-Christians, and like “false Christians” who do not qualify as “true Christians” according to their understanding of the Bible. The role of the “true Christians” is to dominate all others.
Leading writers in the movement include: Rousas John Rushdoony of the Chalcedon Foundation (considered the founder of Christian Reconstructionism, author of “Institutes of Biblical Law”), Greg L. Bahnsen of the Southern California Center for Christian Studies, David Chilton, Gary DeMar, Gary North of the Institute for Christian Economics, and Larry Pratt (head of the Gun Owners of America and English First, author of “Armed People Victorious” which deals with militias and para-military death squads, and campaign co-chair of the Buchanan presidential campaign in 1996.)
Chalcedon has had influence upon Jerry Fallwell, Pat Robertson, and the Christian Coalition.
As an example of a supporter of one of the variants of Theonomic Reconstruction, see The Vine and Fig Tree website's article on What Is Theonomy, which states that the future of theonomy is Christian Anarcho-Theocracy. He says on his Yahoo group, “Theocracy means 'God rules.' Every society is 'theocratic.' The question is, who is the God of our society? The God of the Hebrew-Christian Bible, or man the would-be god? More particularly, did the Framers of the U.S. Constitution envision a Secular Humanistic Theocracy, or a clergy-free Christian Theocracy, a 'nation under God'? This list examines all sides of these fundamental questions.” It is difficult to tell what exactly this particular combination of ideas would mean in practice, although the reference to a clergy-free “anarcho-theocracy” indicates a lot of Christian vigilante action, in place of relying upon the state.
The Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance website has a good entry on Christian Reconstructionism, Dominion Theology, and Theonomy
The conservative Christian Banner Ministries, which puts up the Cross Word website, very informative articles against Theonomy/Dominion Theology can be found: Articles on Dominionism (Restoration), which explores the influence of Theonomy and Dominion Theology within Charismatic churches.