Theology generated in the United States is still the most influential. According to a study published this week by the Barna Group Institute for Religious Research, the ongoing wars and the threat of a foreign military invasion in Syria have generated the perception that the end of the world is near.
About 41% of Americans believe that the world is already experiencing the events predicted in the Bible about the end times. The rate is higher (77%) among members of most contemporary churches, which are not part of secular denominations. Among the more traditional Protestants it is only 54%.
The Barna Group says that the use of scientific research methods for sampling determines a confidence level of 95%. The margin of error is 3 percentage points plus or minus. The question posed to the respondents was: “Do you personally believe that the world is currently experiencing the end times as described in the Bible?” They were also asked what their religious affiliation was. Regarding this question, Catholics showed a different position, 73% said that they do not believe that we are living in the last times.
Theologian James F. Fitzgerald, who specializes in the study of prophecy, said that the results published by the evangelical magazine Charisma are the “percentages are higher than I could imagine,” says he, who just published the book: “Startling Evidence the Endtimes Have Begun” [Evidencias sorprendentes que los últimos tiempos han comenzado].
“When I started writing, I wasn’t sure if people would find it useful or if they would be interested. However, this research is totally interesting, and I know that there is more openness to the message of my book than I imagined. It took me seven years of research and writing to publish it now.” Fitzgerald, uses as his point of departure the changes in the world after the attacks of September 11, 2001, which led to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
At the same time, the secular newspaper USA Today began publishing a series of articles on September 9 about the political prospects for a US attack on Syria. Among those interviewed are theologians who point to various passages of Scripture. In the days that followed, USA Today featured a one-day study on the sale of religious materials, noting that there had been an increase in recent weeks since tensions rose in Syria and Egypt.
He also reported that among Catholics there is a growing interest in the subject due to the film “The Triumph” –El Triunfo– This is a documentary about the prophecies from a Roman Catholic perspective, also addressing the changes in the Vatican.
The theologian, Tom Lombardo, was interviewed by the newspaper and he stressed that one must be careful. According to him, a growing number of pastors began to preach that the world is already going through the “Great Tribulation”, announced in the book of Revelation.
Lombardo, remember that political crises influence people’s perception. He remembers that in 1844, thousands of evangelicals prepared and announced the end of the world that year. The event was known as the “Day of the Great Disappointment.”
A movement led by Pastor Herbert W. Armstrong did something similar in the late 1930s, when the setting for World War II was drawn. The restoration of the State of Israel in 1948 created a furore among theologians, influencing Harry Truman, US President at the time and known for his faith in the Bible.
Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern, one of the most influential seminaries in the world, is also cautious. He emphasizes that the study of prophecy is important to Christians, but warns: “A very common mistake for Christians to try to establish a calendar…because they may risk ridicule…But I know what the prophecies say about the end times that helps Christians not to fear certain events and that they do not forget that Christ will have the victory in the end».
Translated and adapted by NoticiaCristiana.com from Christian Post
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