Re: questions for discussion

I discuss this theory with my students. A key part of the theory is that the
bible states that "the bear" will attack "the lamb."  According to the
Apocolyptists, the lamb is "the lamb of Israel" and the bear is "the bear of
Russia", since Russia has a bear on its flag. Hence, Russia is going to lead
an attack against Israel.  (Possibly in concert with Germany and the
European Union, or possibly as a separate army.)

Then I pointed out that the University of California at Berkeley has a flag
as its symbol. So perhaps the bible was really predicting an invasion of
Israel by the students at Cal Berkeley.   Or maybe the Chicago Bears?

The Bad News Bears?

The Care Bears?

best,
Alan Spector




----- Original Message -----
From: "Boris Stremlin" <bstremli@binghamton.edu>
To: "Bruce McFarling" <ecbm@cc.newcastle.edu.au>
Cc: <wsn@csf.colorado.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 2:00 PM
Subject: Re: questions for discussion


> I think since the late 1980's, some televangelists have been relating the
> number of EU member states to Revelation chapter 13, which speaks of
> a Beast having 10 heads and seven horns emerging from the sea.
> According to Jack van Impe (the guy who analyzes the news from the
> perspective of prophecy; I guess you could call him the world-systemist
> of premillenialist Christians), the role of the EU is to impose peace at
> the ned of a long war between Israel and its enemies (first the Muslim
> lands of the Middle East alone, second the same in alliance with Russia,
> and finally all of the above in alliance with China).  Led by the
> Antichrist, the EU will then transform into a global empire for a period
> of 42 months, prior to its destruction by Christ.  Naturally, people who
> subscribe to these beliefs find the Europeans' talk of peace as serving
> the needs of the devil.  There is an incredibly popular 12-part series of
> novels (as well as a movie based on the first book) called Left Behind
> which lays all this out in great detail.
>
> On Thu, 3 Oct 2002, Bruce McFarling wrote:
>
> > At 07:26 PM 10/2/02 -0400, you wrote:
> > >The only thing I would add to Boris' analysis is that, if I'm not
> > >mistaken, the European Union, like the state of Israel, plays an
> > >important role in  evangelical Christian apocalyptic thought.  If
> > >I recall correctly from the  movie "The Omega Code", when the king
> > >of Europe (the antichrist) brings peace to the Middle East, it is a
> > >clear sign that the apocalypse has begun. Keep in mind that Bush hangs
> > >out with people who think like this...
> >
> > This is exactly right.  It comes from a reading of the Book
> > of Revelations that sees the "Whore of Babylon" as a United
> > Europe, and followers of that reading have been pointing to
> > any deepening of the European Union (and the ECC before that)
> > as a sign that the end of the world is at hand.
> >
> > Of course, entering the apocalyptic prophecy worldview, it
> > wouldn't be saying much for the analogical skills of the
> > author. An Imperial US built on ricketing foundations of a
> > Republic and operating as a commercial nation as it has done
> > since the outset would make a much better fit to the "Whore
> > of Babylon" imagery.  And any Rastafarian can tell you that
> > the US is the core of "Babylon".
> >
> >
> > --
> > Dr. Bruce R. McFarling, PhD
> > Bus. Office 1.72 -- (02) 4348-4078
> > School of Business
> > Faculty of the Central Coast
> > Newcastle University, Ourimbah
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Boris Stremlin
> bstremli@binghamton.edu
>