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Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Evangelicals And The Second Beast (False Prophet) of the Revelation

The cruelty of the military-industrial alliance of
world empires would never be tolerated without
some form of civil religion to legitimatize and
rationalize it. See link.

Should we be concerned about the number of evangelicals (including Mennonites) who earnestly and vocally defend the policies and actions of the current head of the US (or any other) empire?

Here are some current examples: 

1. Unqualified support for the Biden/Harris and Trump/Vance administrations' uninterrupted military aid to Israel as it continues to utterly destroy Gaza and murder and maim thousands of men, women and innocent children. 
There has been far too much silence on the part of many Christians  about the clear teachings of Jesus and the prophets against any brutality toward even our enemies. Biblical promises of land and refuge for the descendants of Abraham cannot  be used to justify any and all means of retribution used against the barbaric acts of Hamas on October 7.

2. Justification of heavy-handed deportation tactics against immigrants who are without updated or proper legal status, regardless of the effect on innocent family members. 
Statements in support of border security and for the strict application of immigration law appear to supersede any Biblical concerns for welcoming aliens and refugees, even those who have fled here for their lives. And there has been too little support by way of offering legal and other help for otherwise law abiding immigrants to gain legal status, maintain employment, and keep their families together, a large percentage of whom are fellow Christians.

3. Unquestioning support of whatever means necessary to depose a dictatorial head of state, in spite of the dangerous precedent such unilateral action sets for other nations around the globe. 
In the case of the recent military invasion of Venezuela the primary justification I hear from many evangelicals is that it successfully rid the country of its dictator and that it will be to the economic advantage of the US and ultimately the citizens of that country. What I hear is simply, "Let's see how this works," and "We pray this will result in a good outcome." In other words, might makes right, and the ends justify whatever Machiavellian means necessary, including the killing of as many as 80 people, an unknown number of them civilians, 

Surely evangelicals and other followers of Jesus have a far greater calling than to simply endorse the Beast-like policies or actions of whatever empire or emperor of which they are a part. We can expect that kind of support from those the seer of Revelation identifies as speaking with the voice of the Second Beast, or False Prophet, described in chapter 13 as seconding and supporting whatever the First Beast  decrees. While we are to pay tribute to, and show respect for, our Caesars, we are clearly not to render them our ultimate allegiance or support their every policy.

So to what extent has the evangelical community become a mouthpiece for the False Prophet, described in the Revelation as having "horns like a lamb" but whose words are those of the Dragon?

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