<\/p>\n
A popular new book\u2014End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World<\/em> by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor\u2014groups religious extremists with technofascists and ethnonationalists, arguing that they share an apocalyptic outlook in which a select group expects to survive\u2014or even welcomes\u2014the coming catastrophe.<\/p>\n The accusation in the book reflects an expanding attitude in society. An increasing number of people assume that Christians want the world to go up in flames because they believe Christ will then return. Admittedly, there are some \u201cChristian\u201d individuals or fringe groups who think this way\u2014for example, social media has had influencers who actually celebrate disasters as \u201csigns\u201d of the end. Furthermore, there are those who ignore stewardship of the environment because \u201cit will all be destroyed anyway,\u201d as well as those who view every intense political conflict as a likely \u201cArmageddon.\u201d<\/p>\n While it\u2019s true that prophecy has sometimes been distorted to justify political power, violence, neglect of suffering, or indifference toward the world, this is not representative of scriptural Christianity. Those distortions are not the fruit of biblical prophecy. Jesus never told His followers to manufacture a crisis, seize political control, or abandon those who suffer.<\/p>\n Instead, He commanded them to remain faithful, proclaim the gospel, care for others, and watch for His return. No indifference, no extremism.<\/p>\n For centuries, political movements around the world have appropriated religious language to further their own agendas. From ancient times, history affirms a repeating pattern: countries that claim the divine destiny of being a chosen or superior nation; leaders who use apocalyptic language to rally support for their cause; and prophecy that\u2019s meant as a spiritual warning hijacked as a political slogan, reducing it to mere propaganda. Political strategies dressed in religious clothing are an imitation that twists reality in order to gain power\u2014the polar opposite of true Christianity.<\/p>\n To understand what genuine Christians believe, we need to know what Jesus actually taught. For instance, He rejected sensationalism, panic, and fear-mongering and instructed His followers: \u201cSee that you are not troubled\u201d (Matthew 24:6) regarding end-time events. No hysteria, but calm trust in God. They were to preach the gospel (verse 14)\u2014to share the good news of Christ\u2019s offer of salvation with a race that is incapable of saving itself.<\/p>\n The goal isn\u2019t cultural domination or political conquest but sharing God\u2019s love and beneficence. Indeed, Christ made it plain that His followers are to compassionately care for those in need (Matthew 25:35\u201340). He further explained that not everyone who calls Him \u201cLord\u201d will be part of His eternal kingdom, \u201cbut he who does the will of My Father in heaven\u201d (Matthew 7:21). His profound message was practical\u2014stay calm, faithful, and compassionate.<\/p>\n Neither does believing in prophecy excuse destruction. Rather, knowing that Christ will return should produce \u201choly conduct and godliness,\u201d not reckless indifference (2 Peter 3:11\u201314). Indeed, God has promised to \u201cdestroy those who destroy the earth\u201d (Revelation 11:18). Knowing that judgment lies ahead should motivate responsible behavior and concern for others. This means that believers should, more than others, work to reduce suffering in all its forms and responsibly care for the exquisite planet entrusted to us by our Creator.<\/p>\n Mature Christians await Christ\u2019s return; they do not manufacture it. They care for creation while longing for its restoration. They serve faithfully and do not retreat from responsibility.<\/p>\n \u201cUndeniably, coercive alliances between religious and political power have caused unfathomable human suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n Historically and globally, religious rhetoric within politics has caused anxiety in many people. It raises red flags for many genuine believers, since coercive alliances between religious and political powers have caused unfathomable human suffering in the past, are currently doing so in many regions of the world and, according to the book of Revelation, will do so in a major way in the future. In the hands of humans, religion and politics rarely mix peaceably.<\/p>\n Currently, religious persecution is rampant around the globe. Tens of thousands are killed or maimed, lose their personal property, are displaced from their homes, or face intense discrimination. Only vigilant separation of church and state can safeguard religious freedom and minimize the cruelties of persecution.<\/p>\n As a coercive religious-political tool, counterfeit or misused prophecy is<\/em> dangerous. But there\u2019s a vast difference between this misuse of prophecy and what Jesus actually taught His followers. Authentic biblical prophecy produces compassion, courage, restraint, and faithfulness. Even the authors of End Times Fascism<\/em> acknowledge that there are many religious individuals who stand up against hatred, violence, and oppression. The real danger in the end times is not genuine Christian believers but the merging of religious and political powers with intent to force compliance.<\/p>\n So, does belief in Bible prophecy lead to extremism or indifference to suffering? It\u2019s possible, but only in those who misuse or misunderstand the prophecies, or who use them for their own purposes\u2014rather than as sacred warning messages that lead to a deeper relationship with God and increased compassion for their fellow man.<\/p>\n Want to learn what the Bible really teaches about how the world will end? Click here to read our free, encouraging study guide, Ultimate Deliverance.<\/em><\/p>\n Your Next Read<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOne Honest Question<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A popular new book\u2014End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor\u2014groups religious extremists with technofascists and ethnonationalists, arguing that they share an apocalyptic outlook in which a select group expects to survive\u2014or even welcomes\u2014the coming catastrophe. The accusation in the book reflects an expanding attitude in society.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[4140,119,2418,1690],"class_list":["post-32620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bible-trivia","tag-believing","tag-christians","tag-dangerous","tag-times"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Politicizing Prophecy<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Jesus and the End Times<\/strong><\/h4>\n
A Volatile Mix<\/strong><\/h4>\n