|
Jack Van Impe - False
Prophet / Preacher
 Jack Van
Impe is President of Jack Van Impe Ministries International. Along
with his wife, Rexella, he is the host of the television program
'Jack Van Impe Presents', author of the newsletter Van
Impe Intelligence Briefing, and publisher of the
prophetic magazine Perhaps Today. He has
been called the “walking Bible” having spent about 35,000 hours
memorizing over 14,000 Bible scriptures including virtually the
entire New Testament. He has a reputation as one of the top Bible
prophecy experts in the world.
There is no doubt he can rattle off chapter and verse with the best
of them. Unfortunately all his knowledge of scripture has produced
precious little discernment in the man that many look to as a master
of Bible prophecy.
Van Impe has in recent years come under criticism for his
increasingly ecumenical doctrine. He has for example praised the
Popes plan for unity among Christians and the establishment of a
world church. He has made the false claim that Catholic’s and
fundamentalist Christians are in agreement in the basics of
doctrine. He continually pleads for Christians to drop their
theological “bias” and embrace Catholics as brothers in the faith.
Anyone who knows anything about the Catholic catechism knows that it
is fundamentally opposed to biblical Christianity.
Since he sees no basic difference between Catholic doctrine and
Christianity, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he now seems to
be moving toward proclaiming equality between Islam and
Christianity.
On his Sept 4 2004 T.V. broadcast, Van Impe told of receiving a
letter from the Islamic Supreme Council of America. According to
their website, the ISCA is an Islamic group dedicated to working
“closely and proactively with non-Muslim individuals and
organizations to present Islam as a religion of moderation,
tolerance, peace and justice.”
After showing a copy of the letter, signed by Abdul-Wahid, Van Impe
says,
”He thanks me because of my love for the Muslim people and that
I’m so fair. And he told my Secretary June Hazen, I too am looking
with expectancy to the return of the Lord Jesus. Because when Christ
returns in the Muslim religion he destroys the anti-christ and
that’s what we teach in II Thessalonians 2:8…..They believe that
Christ is going to set up a kingdom on earth. It’s for a shorter
duration but nevertheless, they do believe it”
What Van Impe doesn’t tell you is that in the Muslim religion the
Anti Christ is Jewish. According to Muslim tradition Jesus is
actually a Muslim and will destroy not only the Anti Christ but all
who refuse to convert to Islam. Maybe that’s why his Islamic friend
is so excited about the return of Jesus. I’m also highly doubtful
that Abdul Wahid referred to Jesus as “the Lord Jesus” but those
were Van Impe’s words.
Van Impe rightly claims that not all Muslims are radical terrorists.
He and his wife Rexella cite numerous newspaper articles about the
more moderate aspects of Islam. They repeat the false claim that
true Islam is peaceful and that only the Wahabi version preaches
violence.
He then attempts to support his stance by quoting from the Koran.
”…..I’m going to read from the Koran chapter 9 verses 3 & 6, If an
idolater repents and takes to prayer and renders the alms levy,
allow them to go their way God is forgiving and merciful. If an
idolater seeks asylum, help with you, give him protection so that he
may hear God’s word and then convey him to safety. I think you ought
to share that you Muslim people with Bin Laden and his crowd because
that’s the other side of the story”
After showing more newspaper articles about moderate Islam, Van Impe
continues,
”Well my friend who sent me this letter, Wahid, said that there
are the two groups (moderate and radical Islam ed.) and there are 73
factions broken off from the two groups but many of them preach love
from the Koran chapter 9 verses 4 to 6 as I already read a few
moments ago, so do Christians if we’ll only practice our
bibles……Thank God for the Muslims who are preaching love.”
He then spends a few minutes castigating Christians for arguing and
“fighting” among ourselves.
It is a common tactic of heretics to misquote the bible and take
verses out of context. Now Van Impe does the same thing with the
Koran. Here’s what the Koran actually says including verse 5, most
of which he conveniently left out
Koran Chapter 9 verses 1-6 (Shakir Translation)
1. This is a declaration of immunity by
Allah and His Messenger towards those of the idolaters with whom you
made an agreement.
2. So go about in the land for four months and know that you cannot
weaken Allah and that Allah will bring disgrace to the unbelievers
3. And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger to the people on
the day of the greater pilgrimage that Allah and His Messenger are
free from liability to the idolaters; therefore if you repent, it
will be better for you, and if you turn back, then know that you
will not weaken Allah; and announce painful punishment to those who
disbelieve.
4. Except those of the idolaters with whom you made an agreement,
then they have not failed you in anything and have not backed up any
one against you, so fulfill their agreement to the end of their
term; surely Allah loves those who are careful (of their duty).
5. So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the
idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege
them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent
and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to
them; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
6. And if one of the idolaters seek protection from you, grant him
protection till he hears the word of Allah, then make him attain his
place of safety; this is because they are a people who do not know.
Well, that’s a little different than what Van Impe would have you
believe isn’t it. You do understand that when the Koran speaks of
idolaters it’s speaking of Christians, Jews, and anyone else who is
not Muslim. Notice too that these so called verses Van Impe cited to
attest to the love promoted by the Koran when read in context,
promote no such thing.
What this chapter says is this. Muslims are allowed to make a treaty
or agreement with their enemies when the enemy has an advantage.
Once Muslims gain the advantage though, the treaty should be broken
and the idolaters (that’s us) should be given a period of 4 months
to repent or die. That’s the “love” that Muslims have for us. We
have a 4 month window of opportunity to repent from our beliefs and
embrace Islam before they kill us.
This is only the latest instance of Van Impe using questionable
judgment in relation to his interpretation of scripture. He has a
long history of setting dates for the start of the tribulation and
was a big proponent of the phony Y2K scare.
Regarding Y2K Van Impe marketed a video called 2000 Time Bomb
in which he claimed;
”The dire warnings in this emergency video are gleaned
exclusively from secular experts in over 300 reports. The facts: No
event in history has connected mankind to one common adversary until
now. The millennial bug jeopardizes our way of life in ways never
imagined.”
”I was going to make this video next year, around February,
March. But the Holy Spirit awakened me a few months ago and warned
me as to what was coming and that I should warn you. And I'll tell
you, this is perhaps the most important video you'll ever receive
concerning your own survival and what to do to prepare for what's
coming.” Jack Van
Impe Show, September 28, 1998
I would suggest that the spirit that awakened Van Impe was not the
Holy Spirit but the spirit of mammon.
Van Impe has many times suggested dates for the beginning of the
tribulation period. A 1993 video was entitled A.D. 2000 - The
End?
An article in the January-February 1993 issue of
Perhaps Today magazine included a detailed chronology
to demonstrate that the Lord will probably return in September of
1999:
"Let's figure that out
again--1948.5 plus 51.4 equals 1999.9--around September of the year
1999. Now, we are not date-setters! Of that day and hour knoweth no
man, no, not he angels of heaven, but my father only (Matthew
24:36). But wait! Don't say, `No one can know the APPROXIMATE time
when Christ will return,' for Jesus also said in verse 33 that we
will know when it is near, even at the doors."
In the Jan-Feb 1997 issue of Perhaps Today
Van Impe claimed that the year 2001 “will see the start of the
Great Tribulation. Political chaos, natural disasters, nuclear war
and the worldwide rise of Islam will usher in mankind's final hour.”
In 1998, Van Impe had this to say about the 16th century
French mystic Nostradamus;
”Now, Nostradamus said that the king of terror would appear
November of 1999. I believe Nostradamus knew his bible and knew what
the six-day theory was, and so he could put it all together.” Jack
Van Impe Presents October 5, 1998
All this can only lead to one conclusion. This guy is a nutcase.
It’s bad enough that he has used his faulty interpretation of
prophecy to enrich himself through books and videos. It’s bad enough
that he has used the airwaves to spread his nutty ideas and
theories. But now he is actively promoting a one world religion.
II Thessalonians 2:3 says that the day of the Lord cannot come until
first there comes a “falling away”. Jack Van Impe has become an
evangelist for this falling away. He is actively promoting apostasy
in the church.
I would like to remind Mr. Van Impe that true love and friendship
would require that he tell his Muslim friends (and Catholics) that
except they repent and believe the gospel they will surely perish.
It is not love to allow someone to continue in a false belief
whether that be Catholicism or Islam. If he really loved these
people he would not hesitate to tell them the truth.
Unfortunately it seems that Van Impe has come to love the praise of
men more that he desires the praise of God.
2Cor 6:14-17
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the
temple of
God with idols? for ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in
them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Steve Lumbley
2004 www.apostasywatch.com
What are your thoughts on this article? |
