The End of the World?

Or, I always thought the anti-Christ would be taller.

This is a post I have long thought about, but hesitated to submit. The subject matter is a bit alarmist. But…I’m going to venture into it.

Are we living in the end times?

For many Bible believing Christians, I am sure this is an important topic on their minds, and perhaps even coming from the pulpits of their churches. There are a lot of controversial ideas in this area of thought. I am not going to try and address all of those ideas because it would take a book, and not a small one at that.

I want to introduce the idea of Dominion Theology in this blog and how this view of theology motivates the Christian Nationalists and much of the evangelical church today and the consequences we are seeing.

One aspect of dominion theology is a focus on the end times and the return of Christ in power on earth. Wishing for the return of Christ is nothing new. People have believed they were living in the end times since Jesus was crucified. So, it’s not like this question of are we living in the end times has never been asked. And there have been a lot of “prophetic” warnings that the “end is here!” A fairly comprehensive review of all the dates that the end was nigh can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events#First_millennium_CE.

From as early as 70 CE, people were claiming that the end of the world was near. And at least one “prophet” guessed that Christ would return in 2021. All to no avail.

To be clear, I am not predicting the end of the world! While we may not be living in the end times, we are certainly living in uncertain and interesting times. Which causes a lot of angst for everyone and certainly there are those who believe that this regime may be the trigger for bringing about the rule of Christ.

Christian Nationalists are inspired by dominion theology. Dominion theology asserts that Christians are called to control political, cultural, and social aspects of society. There are a number of elements that make up dominion theology, but the main element is that there should not be a separation between church and state. Essentially, Christian Nationalists seek a theocracy based on their view of the Bible. Which is a very jaundiced view that leans towards White supremacy.

Christian Nationalists and many if not most evangelicals believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. It was not. Many of the first Europeans who settled here in America left their homes in Europe to escape religious persecution. Which is why when the Constitution was established the First Amendment made a clear declaration of separation between church and state.

Reinforce the wall between church and state.

Right now, we are witnessing a clear attempt to establish a state religion. Those who are working to make it happen may call it “Christian” but it is no more christian than they are patriots.

Another aspect of this theology is that Christians should bring the Kingdom of God on the earth prior to the return of Christ. By gaining control of the presidency (using a very flawed and anti-christian person to do so, ironically), both houses of Congress, and a majority on the Supreme Court, the Christian Nationalists have very nearly accomplished their goal. For those who believe in Dominionism, they must be giddy with excitment.

The war between Israel and Iran is another element that dominionists would see as a trigger for the return of Christ. This may very well lead to the epic battle of Armageddon, or so they hope.

Wars and rumors of wars. Natural disasters. False christs and false prophets. Civil war. Celestial signs and wonders. These are some of the signs Jesus foretold in Mark 13. To those who believe in dominionism, these are the signs they have waited for. And if you ever belonged to a charismatic church like the assassin of Minnesota Rep. Hortman and the attempted assassination of Sen. Hofman, then these would be familiar verses. Dominionists often talk of “hastening the day” of the return of Christ. In other words, they believe that human action can basically force God’s hand by speeding up the return of Christ.

For some, like the Minnesota assassin - who apparently is connected with an Assembly of God church - extreme lengths are not viewed as sin but as a righteous action hastening the return of Jesus. To them, the end justifies the means. This is in line with blowing up abortion clinics, deporting children and legal citizens who do not fit the Christian Nationalist profile, and rigging elections to get the person in power that will do what a moral human being would not do. All’s fair in love and war.

This is difficult to write about because I once belonged to an Assembly of God church. At one time, I was a youth pastor in an AG church. I belonged to the charismatic wing of the church and heard much of the teachings associated with dominion theology taught in my many years in that arena. When I was a pastor, I had members of my church who clung to these views (this was in the 1980s and ‘90s).

This view has evolved over the years and there are still a variety of different views within this movement. Some may be less inclined to go along with everything the regime is doing under the guidance of Project 2025. Unfortunately, it seems more are inclined to follow along.

When I was a pastor, my view was that we are not called to force God’s hand. Rather, I pointed out one verse in Mark 13 that seemed to stand out to me as the essential but forgotten verse. That is verse 32: “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” My view was that we Christians needed to be about the work of serving God by loving people and let the end times worry about themselves. I called it “pan-millenialism,” meaning it will all “pan out in the end.”

Regardless, no matter how you frame it, murder is not an act of love. Retribution is not a fruit of the Spirit.

My view has also evolved into what I consider a more christ-like view than what many churches teach. I believe that when Jesus said to love one another, he meant we are to love people without distinction. I believe we are to love all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and economic status. Love is more than a feeling. Love is action. How we act towards people reflects whether we love them or not. This regime is acting in ways that demonstrate hatred and retribution rather than love for all people. For the Christian Nationalist, this is all allowed under the rubric of forcing God’s hand. To be clear, Christian Nationalists are not following the teachings of Christ.

So, are we living in the end times? From a Christian viewpoint, it is safe to say that we have been living in the “end times” since the ascension of Jesus to heaven. But no one knows when (or if) he will return. And trying to force God’s hand has never worked. That is mocking God and God will not be mocked.

Maybe the better question is to ask, in these uncertain and difficult times, how do we act in a way that fosters love for all people? Some ideas come to mind.

• Escort undocumented persons to their court hearings so ICE cannot detain them when they are following the laws.

• Peacefully protest the many egregious, unrighteous actions of this regime.

• Partner with organizations that support the various groups being disciminated against by this regime - the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, people of color.

• Continue making our voices heard by our members of congress, even when they seem to be ignoring us.

• Stand together with likeminded individuals regardless of what they look like or sound like.

• And make room for current followers of MAGA to come to their senses and step out of the cult.

Thanks for reading.

Love one another.

Greg