Nancy Reagan Had Astrologers..

Does the Bush administration have Jack Van Impe?

Is the Bush administration turning to a televangelist doomsayer for political predictions? Apocalyptic preacher Jack Van Impe is claiming that he was contacted by Condoleezza Rice’s office and the White House Office of Public Liaison for an “outline” of his take on world events.

Van Impe, the author of such books as “Israel’s Final Holocaust” and “The Great Escape: Preparing for the Rapture, the Next Event on God’s Prophetic Clock,” has predicted that the end of the world will strike somewhere between 2003 and 2012.

The issue of the alleged involvement with the Bush administration came up on his Web site when someone asked Van Impe, “Do you think that President Bush, apparently a Christian man, believes and knows he is involved in prophetic events concerning the Middle East and final battle between good and evil?”

“I believe he is a wonderful man,” Van Impe responded, and goes on to say, “I was contacted a few weeks ago by the Office of Public Liaison for the White House and by the National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to make an outline...I will release this information to the public in September, but it’s in his hands. He will know exactly what is going to happen in the Middle East and what part he will have under the leading of the Holy Spirit of God.

“My investigation into it is that there’s no truth to it,” National Security Council spokesman Sean McCormack told The Scoop, “but I’m continuing to look into it.”

Comments

[al]

Where's Carl Olsen when you need him!

[S.F.]

On another blog, I posted that if the Bush administration is getting something from Van Impe, it's probably to better understand what it is some Evangelicals believe about the Middle East. As Rod Dreher has pointed out over and over, a person must understand the religious convinctions of religious people in the Middle East in order to have an appropriate strategy.

It simply is a fact that many Protestant Christians (especially in the United States) are convinced that the current situation will lead to Armageddon. Many of these are convinced that they somehow need to be part of the fighting over there and some of them are willing to get things started, if God seems to be moving too slowly. I hope the Administration does as much research as it can on what religious beliefs are influencing these issues.

[S.F.]

On another blog, I posted that if the Bush administration is getting something from Van Impe, it's probably to better understand what it is some Evangelicals believe about the Middle East. As Rod Dreher has pointed out over and over, a person must understand the religious convinctions of religious people in the Middle East in order to have an appropriate strategy.

It simply is a fact that many Protestant Christians (especially in the United States) are convinced that the current situation will lead to Armageddon. Many of these are convinced that they somehow need to be part of the fighting over there and some of them are willing to get things started, if God seems to be moving too slowly. I hope the Administration does as much research as it can on what religious beliefs are influencing these issues.

[Cap'n Yips]

Oh, puh-leez. GWB is a Methodist, and Methodists don't go in for Dispensationalism.
All I know about Dr. Rice's religious preference is that her father's an ordained Presbyterian minister. Boyoboy, that's another wild and crazy bunch! Now, if they were members of the Church of the Quivering Brethren, I'd worry.

[Mike]

Either Van Impe is making things up to inflate his reputation, or the President, Dr. Rice, and the whole national security team are halfway to unhinged.

Applying Occam's razor, . . .

[Jason]

I like Jack Van Impe. He of course has many errors in his theology, but his ecumenical love of Catholicism is heart warming. Hopefully, this will be the seed for his conversion to the fullness of Christianity, Catholicism.