An Unwanted Canadian Export

By Arthur Carver, Swensea, Wales.

 

In many years of Christian service, I have never ceased to marvel at two different forms of spiritual blindness. First, when engaged in aggressive protestant open-air work, exposing the colossal delusion of Romanism. How often have we sought to pre­sent the unanswerable Truths of biblical salvation to Romanists, only to be met with the stock answer, 'our Church interprets the Bible differently, and the Church is the only authority! They remain in their willful blindness when Gospel light is offered. The second marvel, encountered on a multitude of occasions, is that of evangelical Christians, victims of the great Millennial Delusion. Since my eyes were opened to see the folly of the whole idea, after years of believing and preaching it, part of my Christian witness has been directed to seeking to show millennialist preachers and teachers that their teachings are a complete contradiction of the central substance of Divine Revelation, yet how few of them are willing to face the Truth and discuss their views in the light of Scripture! You present them with the great facts of N.T. revela­tion, but they refuse to see it, and cling to their carnal theories.

What is the central substance of bibblical revelation? It is declared again and again in such scriptures as these: "The Law and the Prophets were until John: SINCE THAT TIME, the Kingdom of God is preached!' (Luke 16.16).

ALL THINGS written in the law of Mooses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning Me, must be fulfilled!' (Luke 24.44). "All the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold OF THESE DAYS!' (i.e., Gospel Days). (Acts 33.24). "To Abraham and his seed were the promises made .. that Seed is Christ. (Gal. 3.16)

"In that He saith, a New Covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old, is ready tto vanish away!' (Heb. 8:13)

These are only just typical of manyy N.T. declarations, the sum of which is that all O.T. revelation has found its realization in the Person and Work of the Promised Redeemer. Christ and His Great Salvation, now proclaimed in His glorious Gospel, is the one and only culmination of all that was foreshadowed and promised in the O.T. The great shout of Calvary, "It is finished" is all-embracive. Everything promis­ed has been accomplished; henceforth, God has only one ground of relationship with all men — the Gospel of His Dear Son. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, but sinners needing Christ. There is no Jerusalem or Samaria on earth, only the Heavenly Jerusalem whose gates are opened by Him who hath the Keys of David. There is no Kingdom but the One that He received when He crushed the Last Enemy on the Resur­rection Morning. This, and this alone, is the only True Gospel.

Yet, multitudes of professing evanggelicals are blind to this Truth, written on every page of the N.T. Like the Jews of Christ's days, they interpret the O.T. carnally, and look for a future Messianic Kingdom on this earth. They are looking for that which Christ abolished by His death and reesurrection. They seek to resurrect a corpse which "decayed and vanished away!' That tragic blindness, that deceives themselves, and brings then into alliance with modern Zionism, which totally rejects the N.T. message of Jesus Messiah, reigning in Gloryy over His Kingdom which shall know no end. This identity of evangelical (?) Premillennialism with Zionist hopes should arouse true Gospel believers. A little while ago, I was compelled to protest to Rev. Ian McPherson, editor of the leading dispensational magazine in Britain, of an editorial in which he quoted with evident joy the fact that certain movements that were seeking ardently to win Jews for Jesus Christ, whilst others, the pre-millennialists, were sympathetic to Jewish aims, and spoke encouragingly of the future coming of Messiah to reign over Israel. One Jewish leader had stated; "When Messiah does come, I will go to him and ask Him, Ts this your first or second visit to this earth?' " Macpherson quoted this with evident delight, to his shame. Needless to say, my letter to him received no response.

Now, another project in the dispenssational-Zionist alliance is making great claims on the evangelical public, it is being exported from Canada, and we can well do without it. It is the work of an organization billed as 'World Visitas; led by Jay & Meridel
Rawlings (Toronto), with associates Bruce & Noira Alien, and Morley Halsmith. Their weapon of pro da at present is a film entitled "Gates of Brass!' which they claim, is being shown in '56 cities internationally', and for which they aim to "secure worldwide television release in 1986, to answer the cry of Soviet Jewry!' These are their publish­ed statements.

This film came to the city of Swanseea last November, and was shown in the largest Baptist church in the city. A fairly large congregation was present, and, on entering, everyone was given a 6-page folder. The Name of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of Christ, and Christian witness, were all connspicuous by their total absence. Every page was filled with pleas concerning Soviet Jews who were suffering in Russia, unable to ob­tain exit visas to the land of Israel. One page urged Christians to action by five things they should do. Another page was fiinancial — books, videos, cassettes, etc., whilst another page contained strong recommendations of the film from four leading figures in Jewish life and politics in Israel, and one Professor at Oxford University.

The film itself was exclusive to orthodox Jews in Russia, and the name of the Lord Jesus never mentioned. Neither was the sufferings of Christian believers in Russia mentioned, and, of course, no mention at all was made of the opposition encountered by evangelical Christians in the State of Israel, which is supposed to grant full religious liberty to all.

Finally, there came the collection,, when the congregation was exhorted by the leader to "make your cheques payable to 'Let My People Go!", the name which ap­peared on the brochure with the British address. We were even assured that pens were ready for any who had come unpreparred. One was left to wonder how many thousands of Ls were being taken from churches throughout the land (and other lands), which should have been devoted to Gospel work and the relief of Christian sufferers! After all, is not Zionism backed by the uuntold wealth of Jewish merchants and organizations worldwide? We challenge Jay & Meridel Rawlings (present at this meeting in Swansae, and introducing the film) that they will be accountable to God for this transfer of Christian money to an entirely nnon-Christian work. Will this come under the war­ning of 'robbing God?'

This non-Christian Zionist pro da is one of the evil fruits of the corrupt tree of dispensationalism, arising from the carnal and anti-Christian perversion of Bible prophecy. What fearful harm has been done by that system to the true witness of the Christian church! Yet these people run away from those who present the true biblical challenge. After the above meeting, I addressed Jay Rawlings with a letter showing the complete falsity of his pro da. A copy was sent to the minister of the church, and also to an official of the local Bible College who took part in the opening part of the evening (an attempt to give the show a Christian flavor.) That was nearly three months ago; not one has replied or acknowledged the letter or the book sent them. Alas, this is an inherent characteristic of this false system mas­querading as 'Prophetic Interpretation!

 

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