š®š± Israel-Hamas war: Questions about the end of the world š
Plus, the World Series and faith
By Bobby Ross Jr.
Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers!
No big deal. OK, itās sort of a big deal: Iām headed to Arlington, Texas, today for Game 1 of the World Series. Letās go, Rangers!
Speaking of the Fall Classic, Marvin Olasky writes here at ReligionUnplugged.com that the World Series āreflects life and what little we can control.ā I sure hope my favorite team can control its bullpen and win its first title ever.
But you signed up for religion news, not my baseball analysis, so here goes: The new speaker of the U.S. House is a Southern Baptist who has served as a trustee of the SBCās Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Baptist Pressā Brandon Porter notes.
Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, suggested his election as speaker was ordained by God, according to Religion News Serviceās Jack Jenkins.
This is our weekly roundup of the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith. We start again with the Israel-Hamas War, this time focusing on questions about the end of the world
What to Know: The big story
End times debate: The Israel-Hamas war has sent Christians in search of prophetic meaning, as the Washington Timesā Mark A. Kellner explains:
Evangelical leaders are looking to the Bibleās end-of-days prophecies as congregants seek to understand the Israel-Hamas war.
While the Book of Revelation and the Gospel of Matthew offer details of what is to happen before Christās return, apocalyptic Scriptures have often been cited when global tensions flare up, such as Israelās war of independence in 1948, the 1967 Six-Day War and the October War of 1973.
Believers alsoĀ sounded alarms after the eruption of World War II, the Cold War and the 9/11 attacks.
āI think even secularists would tell you never have we faced so many severe threats in the world that weāre facing right now,ā said the Rev. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas.
āBible scholars and secularists both have wondered why the final world conflict would take place in a country no bigger than the size of New Jersey,ā Mr. Jeffress said in a telephone interview. āBut I think weāve seen in recent days, how what starts as a regional conflict could quickly escalate and world powers conflict, fighting against one another.ā
Prophecy fulfilled āĀ or not: Josh Shepherd, in a piece for The Roys Report republished here at ReligionUnplugged.com, cites opposing viewpoints on the subject:
On Oct. 8, the day after Hamas massacred more than 1,400 people in southern Israel, prominent California megachurch pastor Greg Laurie devoted about 10 minutes of his nearly hour-long sermon to the topic.Ā
āYouāre seeing Bible prophecy fulfilled in your lifetime, in real time before your very eyes,ā Laurie said. āThe Bible predicted hundreds of years ago that this large force from the north of Israel would attack her after she was regathered.ā
Yet author and theologian Joel McDurmon counters this application of the Bible to current events. āWhat is happening in Israel is tragic, terrible, and unnecessary for multiple reasons,ā he posted on X. āAnd it has nothing to do with Bible prophecy or Bible promises.ā
A main factor influencing evangelicalsā views on the current conflict is their opinion of Israel. Is it merely a modern state without spiritual significance? Or, is Israel the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy that factors into end times events?
American evangelicals and Israel: In a story we first highlighted last week, the New York Timesā Ruth Graham and Anna Betts note that some evangelicals āsee Israelās existence connected to biblical prophecy about the last days of the world before a divine theocratic kingdom can be established on earth.ā
Read more analysis via Stephen Mihm at Bloomberg.
Power up: The weekās best reads
1. āThe left has really let us downā: Why do many American Jews feel abandoned? The Los Angeles Timesā Jaweed Kaleem delves into the reasons.
Meanwhile, Religion News Serviceās Yonat Shimron and Jack Jenkins write that āHamasā Oct. 7 attack on Israel broke the hearts of American Jews everywhere. Now itās also tearing them apart.ā
2. Republicans and Israel: Support for Israel has become a top issue for Iowa evangelicals key to the first Republican caucuses.
The Associated Pressā Thomas Beaumont reports from Newton, Iowa.
3. Two sides of a Catholic divide: āAs the pope and church leaders meet in Rome to discuss the Roman Catholic Churchās future, they face a chasm between conservatives and progressives in the pews.ā
During the global synod, the New York Timesā Ruth Graham spent time at ātwo very different parishes in Chicago.ā
More top reads
Chaos has erupted over a Southern Baptist Convention legal filing in a Louisville, Kentucky, abuse lawsuit, Religion News Serviceās Bob Smietana reports. ā¦ Even though former Vice President Mike Pence canāt draw a crowd of 15 to a Pizza Ranch, he felt called by God to run for president, Polticoās Adam Wren writes. ā¦ The Deseret Newsā Kelsey Dallas checks in on Colorado baker Jack Phillips five years after his U.S. Supreme Court win. ā¦ A Texas prisoner leads worship on Death Row, according to Christianity Todayās Emily Belz. ā¦ Violence forced them to flee. Now faith sustains these migrants on their journey to the U.S. The Associated Pressā MarĆa Teresa HernĆ”ndez reports from Tijuana, Mexico.
Inside the Godbeat
I missed this in real time, but apparently, there was a dust-up between Christianity Today and The Daily Wire over political donations by staff members.
MinistryWatch.comās Warren Smith writes that the episode āprovides a teachable moment.ā
Charging station: ICYMI
Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from ReligionUnplugged.com.
Collective trauma from the Hamas terror attack will forever scar the Jewish people, Gil Zohar writes.
Read that essay and all of Zoharās coverage from the Middle East.
The final plug
Did I mention the World Series yet? š
I wrote a column for The Christian Chronicle about my experience watching my Rangers play in the postseason while on a reporting trip to Cuba.
Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.
Bobby Ross Jr. is a columnist for ReligionUnplugged.com and editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 16 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.