Question: This morning I saw James Kennedy of Coral Ridge on TV. He spoke of a “Christian takeover ...

Question: This morning I saw James Kennedy of Coral Ridge on TV. He spoke of a “Christian takeover of the United States and the world” as involving a “paradigm shift.” Could you comment on this in your newsletter?

Answer: Pastor Kennedy has long been a leader in the Christian reconstruction movement, which I deal with in detail in Whatever Happened to Heaven?, giving specific quotes by him and others. I suggest you read it. A “Christian takeover of the world” is neither taught nor hinted at anywhere in the Bible. Jesus certainly didn’t teach or engage in such a project nor did Peter, Paul, the other apostles or anyone in the early church. We are to preach the gospel and call disciples out of this world for heavenly citizenship, not try to “Christianize” non-Christians. Revelation 13 (as well as other scriptures) makes it clear that Antichrist, not the church, will take over and rule the world—after the church has been taken by Christ to heaven. He will control all banking and commerce, be worshiped by the whole world and have authority and power to kill all who refuse him this homage. The purpose of the Second Coming (as distinct from the Rapture, which occurs seven years earlier) is to destroy Antichrist (2 Thes:2:8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
See All...) and rescue Israel (Zec 12, 13, 14). At Armageddon, Antichrist will lead the armies of the world to destroy Israel, necessitating Christ’s intervention from heaven. That hardly sounds as though a “Christian takeover” has occurred!