Christian Nationalism #2

[Gregory Matthews]

Christian Nationalism:  I have posted before, on this important subject.  The following article suggests some additional ways for Adventists to respond to this subject.  This article has been distributed by the Rocky Mountain Conference.

https://www.rmcsda.org/commentary-an-adventist-response-to-christian-nationalism/ 

 

[phkrause]

Great article!!

[Kevin H]

I am scared of those who hold the view Other Adventists embrace Christian nationalism for purely political reasons. This position maintains there is only one godly political party in the United States, and we need to vote for this party regardless of morality or Christian character among its representatives. What is important is that politics will save the country; whether or not anyone practices godliness is a secondary matter." 

This group could find themselves playing into Satan's hand.

The group that feels Finally, there are some Adventists who maintain Christian nationalism is detrimental to American government and society, but they support it anyway. The reasoning goes like this: Adventism has always viewed America’s future as turning from principles of freedom to become a persecuting power immediately before the second coming, so what if we help this happen sooner? If we can bring about the demise of America through Christian nationalism, we can speed up the end times and Jesus will come back faster.

These people appear to be applying the thought process of the dispensationalists to our eschatology instead of the things about Israel and the rapture. There is an outstanding essay in the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary vol. 4 The Role of Israel in Old Testament  Prophecy. I'm grateful that in college we were required a fresh reading and new paper on this essay at the beginning of all, at least most of our Biblical Studies classes.  I wish that our pastors would be encouraged to read this chapter at least once a year, and an occasional sermon on the topic with encouraging our members to read or have read to them the article. It's not perfect, but it gives a fantastic overview. 

God offered the Hebrews two choices in serving him. One was to stay in the land, and in the ancient world this piece of property was quite literally the center of the world. It was the major intersection for the trade routes from Africa, Arabia, Asia and Europe. It is also where the geography, biology and meteorology of these places meet and compete with each other. Thus the ancient idea of a land flowing with milk and honey. 

A little aside note: Paganism often would in worship put on "X-Rated" shows for the gods of life to excite them with hopes of them being fertile and thus producing a good amount of food and herds. Living in a land flowing with milk and honey influenced the Canaanites to not only continue this practice, but to add to it an urgency with the idea that their uniting of life forces can help Baal gain victory over the leviathan. They also developed the superstition that if they raped someone passing through their land that they could steal some of (and if abused until death, all) the victims life force bringing to their gardens, flocks and children what would have happened in their victim's homeland would now occur in Canaan.  This made this all important intersection one of, if not the most dangerous places on earth. 

The Hebrews were taught to trust the God of both milk and honey to meet their needs. This would have first of all made this intersection finally safe. Second, those in the caravan would notice how everyone, both men and women would wear white tassels with one blue thread. This was a sign of being a priest, so here is a whole nation of priests. They would not see all the images and temples and extended rituals; but a simple religion of a God who did not need all these rituals and superstitions. The people in the caravans would carry the stories about these people and their God to the whole world. And the world would come to the Hebrews for the gospel.  

If the Hebrews were not faithful, God would allow curses to fall on them to encourage them to change (and the curses were routine negative aspects of living in a land flowing with milk and honey) but if nothing else worked they were to go into exile. In exile they were to share with their neighbors their unfaithfulness and Yahweh's faithfulness; thus they would go into all the world to share the gospel. 

God is not sitting around waiting for the Sunday law or any such thing. The Hebrews had hanging over them the possibility of exile. If we were living in ancient Israel, the idea of the exile would have brought the same picture to mind as the idea of Sunday Law brings to our mind. Places such as Deuteronomy 4 says that the exile is the last days, and was (could have) ended in a second great exodus home lead by the Messiah. 

Both the books of Daniel, as well as Isaiah 40 to the end of the book both follow the same outline. They start out with the idea that because of the exile the coming of the Messiah was imminent. Daniel 2 only needed 4 kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus, with the break up and attempt to reunite that ends in complete chaos.  Starting in Isaiah 40, Isaiah sounds like William Miller. Since it did not end the way expected, we tend to misread these texts with subconscious excuses for it not being fulfilled. Then you find chapters that point to how the Hebrews are not ready for the Lord to come. Even the original setting of Daniel 8:14 is that there were only about 2300 literal days of the Babylon empire. Then both close with a lackluster return to the land, and to again fulfill the original purpose for Israel. Daniel gives us the 70 weeks of years, and Isaiah tells us things that God wanted to do to bless the Hebrews over the 70 weeks of years. We have applied these chapters to heaven, and don't know what to do with ideas such as no one dying at less than 100 years old. 

God is waiting for people to know about him and his beauty. The Sunday laws can come and go and like the exile become ancient history. (And for those who have questioned if Sunday laws are even possible in our society, just look at this current presidential election.) We need to defend liberty of conscience and share our wonderful God.