John Hagee's Word Games Regarding The "Dual Covenant."

by Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Volume 12, Nov 6, November/December 2007

 

 

John Hagee is a popular TV preacher who is on TBN twice daily. He is pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio TX. Richard Fisher describes him as "rotund, strident, authoritative and could pass for Rush Limbaugh's older... brother." (Richard Fisher, the Other Gospel of John Hague). The Liberty Flame reported in May 1994 that during the time Hagee was serving a [Word-Faith] Trinity Church in 1976 in San Antonio, he divorced his wife, resigned and married a young woman in the congregation, Diana Castro. Custody of Hagee's two children by his ex-wife, Martha, went to her." But Hagee moved on and now currently serves a congregation of 18,000. Understandably Hagee's biography passes over this period in his life.

 

Sarah Posner, in an article titled Pastor Strangelove (American Perspective 06.06.06) states:

 

"Hagee came under fire for excessive compensation derived from his non-profit ministries. According to his organization's tax returns, Hagee has earned more than $ I million annually since 1999 in salary and deferred compensation from his non-profit Global Evangelism Television and Cornerstone Church. His new book Jerusalem Countdown has sold nearly 500,000 copies and occupies a place in the Wal-Mart inspirational best-seller list."

 

George Barna, Christian Pollster and Hagee supporter, recently reported that Hagee is ranked in the top 10 spokesmen for Christianity among other Pentecostals. Hagee is a zealous promoter of the nation of Israel. He bases his support for Israel on a very aggressive form of Dispensational theology. Dispensational end-time teaching is based on a view that there will be a secret rapture of believers prior to the appearance of the Anti-Christ and Armageddon... This end time teaching has had a relatively short shelf life in church history, first appearing in the mid 1800's. It is not my purpose here to argue for or against this one of 3 end-time biblical scenarios. I know many if not most evangelicals assume this to be the end time pattern and this has been supported by the very popular Lefi Behind series.

 

But Hagee is unique in that he has determined that the prophetic pieces are all currently identified clearly as it relates to Iran. "Hagee argues that a strike against Iran will cause Arabs to Unite under Russia's leadership as outlined in chapter 38 and 39 of the book of Ezekiel, leading to an inferno [possibly nuclear]... This strike will provoke Russia - which wants Persian Gulf oil - to lead an army of Arab nations against Israel. Then God will wipe out all but one-sixth of the Russian-led army as the world watches in 'shock and awe." (Posner)

 

BUT NOT TO WORRY! Christians will have already been secretly ruptured out of this world.

 

"To fill the power vacuum left by God's decimation of the Russian army, the Anti-Christ - identified by Hagee as the head of the European Union - will rule 'a one-world government, a one-world currency and a one-world- religion' for three and a half years... The demonic world leader will then be confronted by a false prophet at Armageddon, the mountain of Megiddo in Israel. As they prepare for the final battle, Jesus will return on a white horse and cast both villains... into a lake of fire burning with brimstone, thus marking the beginning of His millennial reign".. But Hagee doesn't stop there. He adds that Ezekiel predicts fire 'upon those who live in security in the coastlands'... [Hagee suggests] Could it be that America, who refuses to defend Israel from the Russian invasion, will experience nuclear warfare on our east and west coasts?" (Posner).

 

WHEW! I am so glad I'll be in heaven having been secretly ruptured. No wonder people devour the Left behind Series. Reportedly, a prisoner wanted the last volume and he prevailed upon the authors to have an advance copy before his execution


Hagee is not content to see his prophetic pronouncements just come to pass. He wants to move the prophetic clock forward himself. Re has recently organized "Christians United for Israel" (CUFI) a political action group. This past July 16, 2007 was the inaugural summit. Certain Evangelicals and Israelis attended this CUFI summit. Such notables as Tom Delay, Joseph Lieberman, Rick Santorum and senator Brownback were in attendance. Hagee announced, "it is time to embrace the words of Joe Lieberman and consider a military strike against Iran. Hagee was rewarded for his words as Lieberman called him an ‘Ish Elohim' (Man of God) like Moses. (See U tube, glorified end times).

 

Hagee's views regarding Iran and Russia are getting apparent traction. Joel Rosenberg, who was raised an Orthodox Jew, also has warnings about Iran and Armageddon. "While flying to New Mexico he happened to sit next to 'Focus on the Family' founder Dr. James Dobson, one of the most politically powerful conservative evangelical leaders in the U.S. Dobson, who had been in DC for meetings with high level administration officials to discuss Iran and Iraq and the latest developments in the Middle East, told Rosenberg that 'he was becoming more concerned about the Iranian nuclear threat and had been studying Ezekiel's prophecies"' (Bill Berkowitz, Armageddon Just Can 't Get Here Soon Enough).

 

Hagee, as a Dispensational teacher, has, however, moved far beyond normal Dispensational teaching into what is called "Christian Zionism." Christian Zionism teaches that God has a separate covenant with Israel and another for the Gentile Church. This bears the name "Dual Covenant." Hagee reported to the Houston Chronicle that he believes that Jews already have a covenant with God and do not need to come to the cross. Hagee told the newspaper:

 

"I believe that every Jewish person who lives in the light of the Torah, which is the word of God, has a relationship with God and will come to redemption" (Houston Chronicle, April 30, 1988).

 

The Houston newspaper then quoted Hagee's own shocking words: "I'm not trying to convert the Jewish people to the Christian faith... In fact, trying to convert Jews is a 'waste of titne. . Jews already have a covenant with God and that has never been replaced by Christianity." (Houston Chronicle, April 30, 1988, sec, 6, pg. 1).

 

But, Hagee knows that most Christians and almost all dispensational believers do not accept this and are in fact shocked by it. In response to a letter by PFO Director M. Kurt Goedelman, Hagee essentially denied this. NOW HERE IS THE POINT REGARDING WORDS BEING USED TO COVER AND DECIEVE. "Hagee claimed in a carefully nuanced letter, dated June 18, that the Houston Chronicle had distorted what he said and went on to further to assert: "I have not or never have been dual covenant in my preaching”. In this he is being less than honest and playing word games... Hagee's true view is a muddled form of the 'Two Covenant' or 'Dual Covenant' theory, even though he would deny the label. It should be noted that Hagee said in his reply only that he has not been dual covenant 'in my preaching'." (PFO, G. Richard Fisher, the Other Gospel Of John Hagee.) This is slicing and dicing words to cover and deceive. Words can or they can conceal and even deceive.

 

Orrel Steinkamp

74425 Co. Rd. 21

RenvilIe MN 56284

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