11 September and the millennialist discourse: an order of words?

I have not sent these prophets, saith the Lord, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, and yet they prophesied.

Jeremiah (23:21)

THIS PROPHETIC VERSE PROVIDES a proper starting point for the thesis of this article, namely, that a clash of cultures has been going on for centuries between the West and the Arab World; that this clash was started and has been continuously perpetrated by those "prophets of doom" who could easily be the object of the verse from Jeremiah; that the horrible terrorist attacks of 11 September served to intensify the millennial discourse and to provide it with more fuel. The 11 September attacks did not start this discourse; and that one serious result of 11 September has been the license taken by many to demonize Islam and to establish new intolerant rules of debate and of encounter which would have been difficult to accept before. Two events will help illustrate this argument:

Only three days after the 11 September attacks, and in a rare joint appearance on television, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson discussed the significance of the event. They decided that "we made God mad" and that in these horrible deeds "God gave us what we deserve." The two old rivals, who have been competing for the leadership of the religious right in the U.S., agreed that Americans have "just seen the antechamber of terror." Falwell elaborated on the theme: "I blame the CL groups, the feminists, the homosexuals, the abortionists, and the federal courts, because they threw God out of the public square ... I put the finger in their face and say 'You helped this happen!'" Pat and Jerry did blame the "terrorists legally and morally," but in their view it was these groups that brought about God's punishment.

This event is relevant to the theme for a number of reasons. First, the two religious preachers have enjoyed phenomenal popularity among the fundamentalists and the religious right constituencies. Secondly, Robertson and Falwell have traditionally been rivals competing for these constituencies. In fact, Falwell had backed George H. W. Bush's bid for the Republican nomination against Robertson in the 1988 Presidential campaign. Both of them agreed that the terrorists were simply tools in the hands of an angry God, used to punish Americans for the sins of liberals, feminists, and homosexuals. That the terrorists may have their own reasons or motives was of no consequence. Finally, and more importantly, both Robertson and Falwell have ardently and unconditionally supported Israel for over forty years. They have consistently cited God's 'purpose and plan' to explain every event that has taken place since the establishment of the state of Israel. Which brings us to the second event.

In 1974 the Bible Believers' Evangelistic Association published the first of a series of pictures and posters graphically describing 'God's Plan' and purpose. One picture in this publication presents the fundamentalist artist's concept of the events which take place (or have taken place?) during the 'Rapture of the saved.' The figure of Christ in the clouds appears at the top center stretching His arms to 'receive up to Himself' those who believed in Him. The 'dead in Christ' rise from the graves, and the 'living in Christ' are 'caught up' or quickly removed to meet Christ in the clouds. The text explains the events of the Rapture which include the sudden and mysterious disappearance of millions of people, and the resulting "world crisis, confusion and panic." Cars, trains and other vehicles have crashed; an airplane slams into a large building complex; there are fires, looting, rampaging, lawlessness, crimes and mobs running out of control; and "families 'Terrified and in Shock' over missing saved family members, while the unsaved family members are still left on the earth." The 'signs of the times' which lead the fundamentalists to believe that the Rapture and the return of Christ are around the comer--if indeed they have not happened already--are indicated by the following events:

* June, 1967--The Israeli "Six day war." Israel regained Jerusalem and old temple site. This was necessary before building of the Tribulation Temple (Rev. 11:1,2).

* The increase of demon activity, homosexuality and drugs (I Tim.4:1; II Tim. 3:1-13; Rev. 9:21).

* 1973--Energy Crisis setting stage for global hunger and starvation of millions during the Tribulation (Rev. 6:5-8).

* 1991--Gulf War in Iraq and world coalition of (new age terms) the "Global Community" and "New World Order." These further set the stage for the world leader (Antichrist) to control world trade and the worship of the world during the Tribulation (Rev. 13:7,8; 13-17).

Another publication of the Bible Believers' Evangelistic Association which came out at the same time (1974) was a poster entitled "A Tribulation Map." In the 'divine plan' according to the Christian fight groups, 'Rapture' precedes 'Tribulation' and prepares for it. The events which take place during the Tribulation seven-year period--especially those which closely follow the Rapture--are of special significance. They include:

* The Return of Jesus Christ in glory (Rev. 19:11-16).

* Conclusion of the Battle of Armageddon (19:17-19).

* Destruction of Antichrist "world leader" (19:20).

* Destruction of the people who followed him (19:21).

The Providential Plan

What Robertson, Falwell, the Evangelistic Association, and hundreds of preachers and religious leaders in the West have been advocating is a 'divine plan' drawn out by God for the universe and for all of humanity, from creation to Judgment Day; a plan with God's signature and seal, that cannot be disputed or altered. The plan, furthermore, presents a number of themes, the most important of which is the central position given to the Arab region, more particularly to the Holy Land and Israel.

Indeed, it has been the singular misfortune of the Arab World to be situated in an area to which the West has laid claim by virtue of a distorted religious ideology, which has been the focus of the activities and statements of Western religious and political leaders for centuries. These activities and statements have gained momentum during the past century, especially after the creation of the state of Israel. They have increased further in intensity and volume shortly before the end of the second and the beginning of the third millennium. The events of the war against Iraq and of 11 September 2001, have given more fuel to these millennial activities.

Western religious claims to this part of the world are based on perceived divine dispensation and consequently they are not subject to negotiation. So strong is the belief in the 'divine plan' that history as written and witnessed by men is faulted in favor of 'history written in advance.' This is how one prophecy advocate presented his concept of history as recently as April 2002: History written by men--described in the title as "Elusive and Fickle Descriptors"--is untrustworthy and subject to change with changes of alliances of allegiances. But, says the writer:

   There is, of course, a very interesting exception to
   that principle. While the world can only tell (albeit
   imperfectly) which nations are allied at the moment, the Bible
   reveals which nations will be allied at some point in the future,
   and it's the interim steps that are, perhaps, vague.

   Take, for instance, the battle of Ezekiel 38-39. When
   a great nation from the north (presumably Russia) launches its
   invasion of the Middle East during the Last Days, it will be
   accompanied by Ethiopia, Libya, Iran, Egypt and Turkey.
   Now, we can't say as a certainty how or when those nations
   will join together in a common goal. But we do know that
   they will. And so, whereas man writes his version of history
   after the fact, God wrote history in advance, in the pages of
   the Prophetic Word, so that we might know what lies ahead
   and decide how to prepare for the things which are to come.

The prophecy writer ends a seven-page explanation of this thesis with the conclusion:

   The promises and advantages of studying Bible
   Prophecy are valuable beyond description. Bible Prophecy is
   history written in advance, and therefore, it is God who will
   in the end, write the saga of human history. May we therefore
   challenge you to look for yourself into the golden pages of the
   Bible, and discover the light that our 'more sure word of
   prophecy' (2 Peter 1:19) can shed on your life? I pray that
   you will. I promise: it will be worth it!

This is not an isolated trend of thinking which is held by fringe groups. As shown later, the millions of copies of books and scores of websites advocating this ideology indicate a fairly widespread popularity.

Three main elements make these claims non-negotiable and impossible to reason with. First, they are based on a historical determinism of the kind that is presented by prophecy advocates, as seen in the previous example. This is, after all, history written and predetermined by the Creator and Author of history. Naturally, reading the mind of God becomes the profession and specialty of prophecy advocates. It becomes also an essential part of the millennial discourse.

Secondly, these prophecies are derived from 'sacred texts', another factor which makes them undisputed. This element is also based on absolute faith in the veracity of the sacred texts as they have come down to us and as interpreted by those prophecy advocates. The Creator of history is also the Author of the text, either directly or through the writers of the Bible and the interpretations of these advocates.

The third element is what is perceived as sacred geography transferred into natural and political geography. The 'Kingdom of God' and the 'City on a Hill' become associated with the Holy Land and Jerusalem and subsequently with Palestine.

The 'Chosen People'--the tribes of Israel of old--are then identified with the Jews of today and with the political state of Israel. Thus sacred and political geography become the same, and sacred text predictions are applied with absolute certainty to political history and geography. The pictures and posters of the 'Rapture,' 'Tribulation,' and 'God's Plan for the Ages' show clearly that fusion between sacred text predictions and modern political history. In fact, the last four Ages in 'God's Plan' are mainly concerned with the history and fate of the Jewish people and Israel. What happens to the rest of humanity is incidental.

First 'the Promise,' then the 'giving of the law,' then the 'Dispersion of Israel,' then the 'Regathering of Israel' lead to where "we are now." This will inevitably be followed by the 'Tribulation' that will lead to the 'Kingdom and Restoration of Israel.' Once the identification with politics and geography is made, the logical consequence is the great emphasis placed on the state of Israel and the Jewish people and the absolute support for Israel's goals and policies. To make the association more potent, most televangelists, millennial preachers, and right-wing Christians in general, look for details in modern events and try to find suitable interpretations of predictions to fit these details.

Jerry Falwell's views on Israel are representative of those held by most fundamentalists and extremist Christians. Asked by his biographer on the links between Christianity and a reborn Jewish State, Falwell answered: "Anyone who truly believes in the Bible sees Christianity and the new State of Israel as inseparably connected. The reformation of the State of Israel in 1948 is, for every Bible-believing Christian, a fulfillment of Old Testament and New Testament prophecy." Falwell explained the relationship between Christians, the Covenant, and Israel:

   When God established the boundaries of Israel in
   Genesis 15, He was very explicit. Because we are Bible-believing
   Christians, we know that no word of prophecy can
   ever be broken. As Christians we also believe in the
   Abrehamic Covenant, which in essence states that God deals
   with nations in relation to how nations deal with Israel. It is
   my feeling that every American Christian should be exerting
   all influence available to him in guaranteeing that his
   government is ever in total support of this land of Israel, this
   state that has miraculously evolved before our very eyes.

The two posters provide clear examples of this exercise: The creation of Israel, the 'repossession' of Jerusalem and the Temple site, the energy crisis, the 1973 'attack on Israel' by the alliance with the 'armies of the north,' the seven-year peace treaty; all these and more are painstakingly made to fit prophecy. Indeed, the millennialist 'Plan' pin-points the stage where "we are now." What is left is the 'return of Christ in Glory' and the battle of Armageddon. And these momentous events cannot be far off in the future. One has only to browse through the shelves of bookstores and libraries, and to surf the web to see the enormous number of books, films, video tapes, posters and the like which deal with millennial applications to current events and predictions of coming events. One website, "Armageddon Books," consists of 14 pages and about six hundred titles of related materials. There are also scores of sites of prophecies and predictions which monitor current events in light of prophecy. "The Gog Index," "Nearing Midnight," "The Rapture Index," and "Storm Ministries" are examples.

The kind of ideas, prophecy interpretations and predictions which are fed to millions of readers and viewers can be gleaned from the following examples. On 17 March 2002, the "Gog Index" writer told his readers that:

   The Gog Index continues to remain at an all-time high level as
   tension in the Middle East builds to a breaking point. The War in
   Afghanistan has waned, but terrorist cells are regrouping. There
   have been numerous threats of biological, chemical, and even
   nuclear strikes against Israel and or the U.S. Further concerns
   include Iran's threat of eliminating Israel with one nuclear strike
   and Iraq's threat of striking Israel with unconventional weapons if
   the U.S. attacks Iraq. This year may be far more dangerous than the
   last with fears of an India vs. Pakistan War, continued terror plots
   against the U.S., and the Islamic countdown to the day when they
   use a nuclear weapon against Israel. A regional or possibly world
   war is still a great possibility. As the end-times approach, there
   is a likelihood that the U.S. global power diminishes considerably
   as the U.S. is seldom found in the end-times prophecy unless the
   U.S. is thought of as the new Babylon. In either case, America
   faces an extreme crisis in which all should be prepared spiritually
   and continue to witness in order to save as many as possible. The
   U.S. has faced one severe blow so far, others have been forewarned
   by many in the intelligence branches. Currently, there are
   numerous warnings of a possible nuclear terror strike. A
   severe terrorist strike from biological, chemical or nuclear
   weapons would likely diminish the U.S. economy and
   strength. Further concern emanates from Israel as the PA
   looks towards an open war with Israel. Iran has decided to
   openly support the PA and thus, the Hezbollah are training
   their sights on Israel too. A war in the coming months may
   lead to the fulfillment of prophecy and the true opening of the
   end-times chapter.

These are definitely real concerns and warnings that most people share, and their current nature is confirmed in the "Gog Index" by graphic pictures of the burning and collapsing towers of the Trade Center, by pictures of American troops in the battlefield, and by a modern political map of the Middle East. But the reader is also treated to prophetic Biblical quotations and interpretations that fuse prophecy with facts, and predictions with fears and concerns. It is this practice that the "prophets of doom" have employed with great success to convince unsuspecting believers of their cause.

On 21 April 2002, the "Storm Ministries" website flashed the following opening page of warnings and predictions:

   There is a Storm Coming

   Nastradamus prophesied attacks on New York City!

   Nostradamns prophesied his third anti-Christ would
   rise up in the Middle East!

   Nostradamus prophesied a great Holy War in the last
   days!

   Nostradamus prophesied the last war known to
   mankind. Armageddon!

   Did God reveal these things to Nostradamus?

   Could God reveal these things to a modern day
   prophet?

   Could Mickey Banks be God's End-Time Prophet?

The page is also decorated with a round pocket watch whose hands indicate that the time is one minute to twelve with pictures of Saddam Hussein and Nostradamus mounted in it. The same website posed on the same day a dire question:

ARE YOU READY FOR THE "WAR OF WARS" ARMAGEDDON?

The hundreds of books written in recent decades on end-times and prophecy are also an indication of the popular appeal that this subject has. A glance at the rifles and covers of some of these books will show the application of 'prophecy' to current happenings on the world stage:

1. Israel, Islam and Armageddon, Dave Hunt (2002), VHS Video

2. Unholy War: America, Israel and Radical Islam, Randall Price (2002)

3. The Last War: The Failure of the Peace Process and the Coming Battle for Jerusalem, David Allen Lewis with Jim Fletcher (2001)

4. Israel: The Blessing or the Curse, John McTernan and Bill Koenig (2001)

5. Storm Clouds on the Horizon; Bible Prophecy and the Current Middle East Crisis, ed. Charles Dyer (2001)

6. The Battle For Jerusalem, John Hagee (2001)

7. The Coming Last Days Temple, Randall Price (1999)

8. 25 Messianic Signs in Israel Today, Ken Klein Productions (2001), VSH Video

9. 25 Messianic Signs in Israel Today, Dr. Noah Hutchings with Gilla Treibich (1999)

10. Jerusalem in Prophecy: God's Stage for the Final Drama, J. Randall Price (1998)

11. Saddam 's Mystery Babylon, Arno Froese (1998)

12. Israel, The Land and the People: An Evangelical Affirmation of God's Promises, ed. H. Wayne House (1998)

13. Messiah's Coming Temple: Ezekiel's Prophetic Vision of the Future Temple, John W. Schmitt and J. Carl Laney (1997)

14. The Beast of the East, Dr. Alvin Shifflett (1992)

15. Petra Today, Dr. N. W. Hutchings (1998)

16. Petra in History and Prophecy, Dr. N. W. Hutchings (1991)

17. The Bargaining For Israel: In the Shadow of Armageddon, Mona Johnian (1997)

18. The Last of the Giants: Lifting the Veil on Islam and the End Times, George Otis, Jr. (1991)

19. God Intervenes in the Middle East, Marion F. Kremers (1992)

20. War On Terror. Unfolding Bible Prophecy, Grant R. Jeffrey (2002)

21. Prophecies of the Coming Darkness: A Documentary, Dr. Daniel E. Bohler (2001) VHS Video

22. Attack On America: New York, Jerusalem, and the Role of Terrorism in the Last Days, John Hagee (2001)

23. Prophetic Review of 2001, Hal Lindsey (2002) Compact Disc

24. Where Is America In Prophecy? Hal Lindsey (2001) VHS Video or audio cassette

25. America At Crossroad: Destruction or Revival, Hal Lindsey (2001) compact disc or audio cassette

26. Terror Over America: Understanding the Tragedy, Arno Froese (2001)

27. U.S. In Prophecy, Dr. Noah Hutchings (2000)

28. The Last War: The Failure of the Peace Process and the Coming Battle for Jerusalem, David Allen Lewis with Jim Fletcher (2001)

29. Through the Prophet's Eye, Marshall Best (2000)

30. Nostradamas: Attack on New York and Other Amazing Prophecies, Ray Comfort (2001) VHS Video

31. Why Do We Have Trials? Hal Lindsey (2001), also available in audio cassette

32. God's Final Warning To America, John McTernan (1996, 1998)

33. Countdown to Armageddon, Paul McGuire (1999)

A classic example of this kind of prolific writers on end-times predictions is Hal Lindsay. Lindsay's first book, The Late Great Planet Earth (1970), which was on the non-fiction best-seller list, applied sacred text prophecies to events such as the Cold War and the Communist threat, but emphasized the establishment of the state of Israel and the "repossession of Jerusalem end the Temple site" as sure signs of end-times events. Lindsay went on to write over twelve more books on the subject and to preach and write hundreds of sermons and essays which attracted popular as well as official attention. Of his other books one should mention the following which are relevant to the subject at hand.

The Terminal Generation (1976)

The 1980's : Countdown to Armageddon (1980)

The Final Battle (1995)

The Apocalypse Code (1997)

Planet Earth: The Final Chapter (1998)

The sensational manner which connects prophecy with current events is seen in the publisher's description of some of the following:

Israel, Islam and Armageddon

Jerusalem is mentioned an astonishing 80 times in the Bible, and prophesied to play a key role in world destiny. This video shows how the current peace process is fraught with peril, why it is impossible for Jerusalem to know true peace in our age, how the Antichrist will lead the world's armies to destroy Israel, the truth about the Vatican's intentions, and the Palestinian myth. It powerfully corrects much of "the misinformation and propaganda" aggressively advanced by the world media and others. Includes footage of the terrorist attach on the World Trade Center. 60 minutes. VHS Video.

Israel the Blessing or the Curse.

Today, the Muslim nations who have persuaded the world powers to help in the "land for peace" plan are closing in on Israel. They have brought her to the edge of war and have put her in great danger. However, the Bible says that God will be Israel's protector. The Scriptures indicate that the world will side with the Arab nations and that God will stand with Israel. The Bible (Zechariah 12:9) also says clearly that those who come against Israel will be destroyed. 199 pages paper.

The Coming Last Days Temple.

Right now in Israel, plans are well underway to construct a new Temple. From drawing up the blueprints to detailing the furnishings to preparing for the new priesthood, much is being done for what could be the most significant building effort of our time. Price surveys the latest developments and offers a fascinating perspective on how they fit the Bible prophecies about the Temple. 732 pages, paper, subject index, scripture index.

Prophetic Review of 2001.

Hal Lindsey takes a look back at the prophetic events of 2001 in ten messages titled:

1. 2001: Prophecy Takes a Quantum Leap

2. The Euro Dollar: The United States of Europe

3. The September 11th Terrorist Attack

4. Four Biblical Stages of a Nation's Destruction

5. Why God Protected America in the Past

6. Two Things That Could Happen to America Now

7. Islamic Fundamentalism

8. The Russia-Iran Threat

9. Israel: The Focal Point of the Whole World

10. How To Be Certain in Uncertain Times

Where is America in Prophecy?

Where is America in Prophecy--"One of the most often-asked questions is 'Where is America in Bible Prophecy?'" America is without question the most powerful nation on earth--it is inconceivable that such a formidable nation plays no role in the last days. Yet she is nowhere to be found in the Scriptural record. Where is she? Will she play a role? Join Hal Lindsey as he takes on this toughest of questions about the Bible, the last days and the United States of America. Find out what role America plays in the final countdown. 55 minutes, VHS Video.

Nostradamus: Attach on New York ... and Other Amazing Prophecies.

Did Nostradamus predict the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001? Did he prophesy of the assassination of President Kennedy? Was he able to predict that man would land on the moon, and that someone named Hitler would lead Germany? Did he mention America by name? Is there anything in his writings about the outcome of the Third World War? Some say Nostradamus was a man who heard from God. Others say his knowledge was obtained through the occult. This fascinating video will reveal to you that there was another means by which he acquired such incredible insight. 36 minutes, VHS Video.

Two questions need to be asked at this point. First, is this millennial discourse something new in Western Culture? Second, what influence, if any, does it have on policy and action, especially towards the Arab World?

In his famous essay, "Notes on the Definition of Culture," (1952), T. S. Eliot contends that "The Western World has its unity in this heritage, in Christianity and in the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome and Israel, from which, owing to two thousand years of Christianity, we trace our descent." (1) The Israeli component in Western culture, which Eliot speaks about here, is the Old Testament and Hebraic influence on Western Christianity. Another noted critic, Northrop Frye, expands on this theme. Frye states that the "Bible's mythology and thinking, with its myth and metaphor, is the framework and context of all Western thought." "The Bible," Frye says, "in its conceptual and internal aspect, its language, myths, metaphors, and typology, sits inscrutably in the middle of our culture." (2)

The theory advanced by Frye and Eliot is that Western, thus American, heritage of the language of the Holy Book of Christianity has created an "order of words"--a common discourse--which "constantly grows and expands through new works of literature even as it continues to use its essential archetypes." (3) The persistent occurrence of this "order of words" is eventually bound to affect people's actions and behavior. The "order of words" turns into an "order of action." An obvious example of this convergence of Western habits of language into habits of thinking and of action is the millennial discourse.

When Saint Augustine wrote his great book, The City Of God, (426) he referred to a pure spiritual state into which the church community entered. This symbolic interpretation, however, was discarded by the majority of Christian Europe in favor of a literal interpretation. Pope Urban II's call for a campaign to regain the Holy Land was supported with the claim that this was "the will of God." In fact, from the tenth century on, literal interpretations of the prophetic sacred texts invested the elements of historical determinism with goals more relevant to political geography and socioeconomic considerations. As early as 950 A.D., the French Monk Adso, in his book, Letters on the Antichrist, laid the groundwork for subsequent literal interpretations of the Bible, especially the prophetic texts.

When Richard the Lion Hearted joined the Third Crusade, he stopped in Messina, Italy, to consult with Joachim of Fiery who had claimed in 1184 that he received a revelation of "God's Plan" for the universe. Richard was told that he would play a vital role in the plan by defeating Saladin, the Antichrist, and regaining Jerusalem.

At the turn of the 16th century, there came a second and more intense phase in the efforts to carry out God's plan for the universe. Christopher Columbus carried this millennial discourse further by claiming that since his childhood he had been receiving instructions and inspirations from the Holy Ghost to undertake his "Enterprise of the Indies." Columbus wrote about his role in the divine plan in many letters, journal entries, and especially in his only book, The Book of Prophecies. His ultimate goal, he said, was to discover new lands, enlist new nations in the war against the evil empire of Mohammad, and finally to repossess the Holy Land and Jerusalem in preparation for Christ's return. When Columbus returned from his last trip, he offered to finance a fourth crusade and to equip 40,000 soldiers and 1,000 knights for the purpose. The Holy Ghost, he said, repeatedly touched him and told him that he would have a hand in bringing about the Millennial reign of Christ on his throne in Jerusalem.

America's Mission

The concept of the coming Kingdom and the millennial reign of Christ, with a host of other prophetic events, have been one of the basic paradigms in American culture from the beginning. They remain today just as basic, indeed more potent, in American thought and action. Martin Luther King's statement just before his assassination, "I have reached the mountain top; and I think I see the Promised Land," was a symbolic reference to the African-American community's struggle for freedom and equality. Just as symbolic are the repeated yearnings in Negro Spirituals to "walk into Jerusalem," to "climb Jacob's Ladder," to "go home across River Jordan" and to escape the Pharaoh's army that "got drowned."

In a different context, and with application to white America's self-perceived mission to humanity, is Herman Melville's mid-nineteenth century statement that "we Americans are the peculiar chosen people-the Israel of our time; we bear the ark of the liberties of the world. God has predestined, mankind expects, great things from our race. Indeed, the political Messiah has come. But he has come in us." (4)

This American millennial discourse-the 'order of words' and the 'order of action'--began when the Pilgrim Fathers compared their trip to the New World and their new situation to that of the Biblical Tribes of Israel and their flight to the land of Canaan. The early Puritan communities took up this metaphor and applied it to their daily affairs. John Cotton, one of the early immigrants to the New World, prefaced his Essay "God's Promise to His Plantation," with Second Samuel 7:10: "I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their owne, and move no more." (5)

The Revolutionary War and the newly-acquired independence brought about a new phase in this discourse. When Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were asked by the Federal Council to design a national seal for the soon-to-be independent country, they came up with a picture of Moses leading the Jewish people across the Red Sea to the Promised Land. And the first two epics celebrating Independence, The Conquest of Canaan (1771) and The Vision of Columbus (1787) used the stories of the flight from Egyptian bondage to the Land of Promise and the place of America in the Providential plan for the world.

In The Conquest of Canaan, Timothy Dwight used the story of the victory of the Israelites led by Joshua-the American Revolutionary army led by Washington-over the Canaanites-the British. Dwight had written Washington for his approval of the epic. In fact, Washington, as President of the United States, sent an "Address to the Hebrews of Savannah" in which he compared the situation of the Israelites to that of the Pilgrims in America. Washington expressed the hope that just as God had delivered the Tribes of Israel from Egyptian bondage and brought them to the Promised Land, He would secure the new home of the independent nation. (6)

Nineteenth-century religious sermons, revivals and camp meetings were replete with the same paradigm. In 1805, for example, Samuel Worcester preached a sermon in Salem entitled "The Promised Land" in which he urged his congregation to "go, and from the heights of Calgary and of Zion proclaim to the long lost tribes of Israel [and] to the followers of the Pseudoprophet that the foundations there are opened, for the cleansing of all nations, the banner their displayed, for the gathering of all people." (7)

Around the middle of the century, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints--the Mormon Church--built its Temple in Salt Lake City and rewrote in its holy book--The Book of Mormon--stories of the Old Testament to fit the American scene. The story of end-tunes frenzy of the Millerites, the Millenarians, the Shakers, the Seventh-Day Adventists and others is known to students of American religious history. William Miller told thousands of his followers that the Second Coming was to be in 1843.

During the nineteenth century many Americans also took it upon themselves in the context of the "missionary enterprise" to work for the fulfillment of the promise in the Holy Land, in preparation for the coming Kingdom. Many American travelers to the area made sure to follow "the footsteps of the tribes of Israel" on the trip from Egypt to Palestine. In their works, travelers and missionaries bemoaned the fact the Land of Promise had fallen in the hands of the "infidel Turks and Arabs," and that the "Chosen People" were scattered in the world and not in their "rightful land." This represents the modern phase of the transformation of sacred geography to political geography. The symbolic verbal expressions of essentially Biblical archetypes and myths began to be applied to geo-political realities, and paved the way for twentieth-century American public and official policies.

The following are examples which illustrate millennial ideas and suggestions expressed by Americans in the Holy Land regarding the "ingathering of the Jews" and the preparation for the Kingdom of God. As early as 1853, the author of A Pilgrimage to Palestine, J. V. C. Smith, wrote:

   As frequently expressed in the course of the
   preceding observations on the future destiny of the Land of
   Promise, I fully believe in the final restoration of the Jews, and
   the reestablishment of the nation. That greatest of all events to
   the reflecting Christian, who sees the hand of God in the
   eventful history of the descendants of Abraham, must be
   brought about by the concurrence and guarantee of all the
   Christian powers of the earth, who will thus be
   instrumentalities in fulfilling the intentions of Divine
   Providence. (8)

Dr. John Barclay's The City of the Great King: Jerusalem As It Was, As It Is, And As It Is To Be, is a model millennial visionary's concept of the future of the city according to prophecy. The ecstatic reaction to the sights of the holy places and the hope of fulfillment of prophetic visions:

   Jerusalem! "Name ever dear!" What hallowed
   memories and entrancing recollections spring at the mere
   mention of that name! There is music and magic in the very
   thought! Jerusalem, the joy of the whole earth! The city of
   the Great King! Zion, the city of solemnities--an eternal
   excellency! The hill which God desireth to dwell in, yea, will
   dwell in it for ever! (9)

Some Americans--and Europeans--regarded it as their religious duty to leave the comfort of their homes and to establish 'colonies' in the Holy Land in order to be there to join the ranks of the saved when Christ returned. The Spaffords, for example, established a colony near Zion Hill and went up to the top every morning with refreshments to offer Christ and his army of saints.

America's official as well as public role in the creation and sustenance of Israel is too well documented to need another account here. A brief outline of the modern development of eschatological scenarios in America will clearly show their direct application to the situation in the Middle East before and after 11 September. Although this is not meant to suggest that this is the only--perhaps not even the strongest--factor in American policies and behavior towards the Arab World, it is, in my view, an important factor which has been mainly ignored or denied by policy-makers in the West. The politics of pressure groups and elections have been factors that have fed into this role; and, I believe, the long continuing history of American millennial thought has had a strong influence on American policies and public perceptions of events in the modern Middle East.

On the political level, many leaders representing all branches of American successive administrations have taken action and voiced opinions which issue forth from a firm conviction in millennial prophecies, although not always explicitly stated. Shortly after the establishment of the Jewish state, former Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, William Douglas, visited the area and expressed his delight and admiration of the way Jews came to Palestine from all over the world to resettle in the Holy Land. Douglas had special praise for the Histadrut which, he said, "rendered individual services to the cause of Zionism, translating into concrete measures the ideals of Zionism.[and] the reclamation and settlement of Israel." (10) Coming from the Chief Justice, this is surprising enough, but it becomes shockingly insensitive when one reads Douglas's account of the miserable and tragic situation of Palestinians in the refugee camps he had just visited in Jordan. More explicitly in line with millennial thinking was President Reagan's answer to a reporter's question on his reaction to the 1982 Israeli devastating invasion of Lebanon. "Maybe this is Armageddon," the President said.

In 1997, Vice President Al Gore and Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House of Representatives, paid separate visits to Israel. Gingrich congratulated the Israeli's on the thirtieth anniversary of their "regaining" control of all of Jerusalem, their "eternal capital." Gore told his hosts that he came to celebrate with them the fulfillment of a three-thousand-year-old miracle." When asked by a reporter of his feelings over the fifty years of suffering and misery of Palestinians in exile, Gore simply advised the Palestinians "not to dwell on the past." Did the Vice-President really not recognize the cold irony in his revisiting a 3000-year-old myth and his inability to acknowledge the continuing present tragedy of the Palestinians?

While this paper was being prepared for publication, Tom LeHay and Dick Armey, both prominent members of Congress, appeared on separate TV shows, and made no secret of their desire to have all Palestinians, four million or so, removed away from Palestine because there is no room for them in the land that belongs to Israel! House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas), talking to Chris Mathews ("Hardball," 1 May 2002), referred to the occupied West Bank and Gaza as Israel, and stated that the Palestinians should leave and establish a state somewhere else "just as Jews came from all over the world and established their state in Palestine." Mathews gave Armey many chances to deny that he was calling for an ethnic cleansing operation, but the House Republican Leader insisted that the Palestinians should be removed.

In his turn, Tom LeHay ("Meet the Press," 5 May 2002) referred to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria, and called for the transfer of Palestinians because this land belongs to Israel. The two leaders in the nation's highest legislative body have no difficulty calling for an operation of ethnic cleansing on a massive scale because the land "belongs to the Jewish people." No public protest was heard, not even from human rights, civil liberties, or any other group.

Could all of these (and many more) political leaders be seeking Jewish votes and Zionist support? I believe the evidence also points to the influence of the millennial vision as an important factor in American politics.

American fundamentalists and religious right groups have been most vocal and active in their support of the state of Israel; and they base their support squarely on their millennial beliefs. To elaborate on this would be stating the obvious. It is important, however, to illustrate the continuity of the religious basis of the ardent support for Israel's political and military behavior. It is also important to point to the dangers inherent in this extremist tendency in Christian fundamentalism. Here again a few examples, especially from recent sources, will show the extent to which fundamentalists and extremists can go to prove the veracity of prophecy-and indeed to bring about its fulfillment. Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Tim LeHay, Hal Lindsey, William H. Armstrong, Oral Roberts and scores of other religious leaders have always identified the events in the Middle East, especially those connected with Israel, as the acting out of God's millennial plan. Billy Graham, known and highly respected by millions for his humanity and compassion, has added his voice to this chorus of pro-Israel statements based on religious beliefs. One of Reverend Graham's contributions to this cause is a film produced shortly after the establishment of the state of Israel called "His Land." Alfred Lilienthal's description of the film sums up its beauty and its effect on the viewer:

   A particularly vivid influence has been the beautiful
   film made by Billy Graham, His Land, which has been viewed
   by fifteen millions across this country and Canada. This
   superbly photographed visual survey of the land of Israel,
   accompanied by narrated biblical prophecies and religious
   songs, celebrates the fact that God has kept His word to the
   Jew, that He has fulfilled prophetic promises given 2,500
   years ago by restoring Israel in the 20th century. As the film's
   advertisements put it: "Israel today is a living testimony to the
   words of the Old Testament prophets, and a portent of the
   triumphant return of Christ." The rebirth of the State of Israel
   by United Nations decree on November 29, 1947, is by far the
   greatest biblical event that has taken place during the twentieth
   century. (11)

The Reverend Billy Graham had no words of compassion or commiseration for the Palestinians displaced from "His Land" in the acting out of God's plan. It is important to note here the immense popularity and influence of these religious leaders; tens of millions of peoples are reported to tune in to their broadcasts and to turn up at their meetings.

The World Wide Web has also provided religious prophecy experts with a perfect medium continuously to update their predictions of the unfolding of the sacred texts prophecies, and thus maintain the sense of urgency in the public consciousness. In a 56-page document packed with predictions, hypotheses, Biblical texts and firm dates based on these texts, the 'Researcher,' Paul Robertson, of "Apocalypse Soon" concludes with the certainty of his absolute faith that "the Temple will be standing no later than May of 2007. An Orthodox Jewish rabbi told me that the Jews, using modern technology, can build the third Temple in three years. Thus, Temple construction would begin no later than May of 2004. Before the Temple is standing, the Gog/Magog war will be complete. Before the Gog/Magog war happens, Damascus will be destroyed and will no longer be a city. Therefore, the destruction of Damascus may be imminent."

More interesting is the sensational website "The Xcellent Files" flashing in color on its opening page the title: "Damascus Will No Longer Be a City" followed by the verse from Isaiah (17:1): "An oracle concerning Damascus: See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of rains." Although the title-page says that the original publication date of this document was October 1997 and that it was up-dated on 30 November 1998, the same text appeared again, rather curiously, in May 2002.

I am in no way suggesting a cause-and-effect association. Yet, the fact is that on 9 March 2002, an official announcement was been issued that the U. S. has a contingency plan to use limited nuclear strikes against a handful of countries, including Syria. In March 2002 also, the "Gog Index" website suggested in its "Gogindex Newsletter," which is "Updated Constantly for the Latest Information and Commentary on ISRAEL and America," that: "Prior to the Gog-Magog War, there likely will be a war in which Damascus is destroyed as described in Isaiah 17: "An oracle concerning Damascus: 'See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted' and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites," declares the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 17:3 N1V)

Thereafter, the story of the probable nuclear strikes gained momentum in a number of prophecy websites; in April, "the Prophetic Newsletter" gave a logical politically-oriented justification of such strikes, but it couched this justification in a comforting series of Biblical quotations, with the constant reminder that "certainly, we know that the words of Bible Prophecy are true, and we know precisely what will be the outcome of the intrigue here on Planet Earth."

The "Gog Index" picks up the story again and predicts that when the war breaks out, "this will create a world coalition against Israel as Israel so strongly defeats the Palestinians and Syria. The World is strongly against Israel as it is now with daily shootings of Israeli's by terrorists. Most nations do not want Israel to strike back. So when Israel does, look out. The coalition will be built up and then Ezekiel 38 comes into play."

This chorus of concordant notes is a practical example of the Millennial discourse--the "order of words"--to which fundamentalist ears are attuned and which they are ready to see fulfilled. For, as the "Prophetic News Letter" explains: "Bible Prophecy is history written in advance, and therefore, it is God who will, in the end, write the saga of human history."

The dangers inherent in this Judeo-Christian literal interpretation of sacred text prophecies and the concept of the millennium can be clearly seen in the unconditional support given by the United States to Israeli policies and actions that violate the principles of human fights, International Law, and the U. N. Charter. It entices persons like Michael Rohan to set fire to the Dome of the Rock to prepare for the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace in the Temple. It encourages persons like Baruch Goidstein to slaughter twenty-nine Muslims while praying in a Hebron mosque, and it allows the most disgusting parades at his funeral and praise of his martyrdom.

A more lasting danger is the license taken by political and religious leaders to violate basic American principles of justice, freedom and self-determination. Inherent also in this millennial zeal is what Robert Bellah describes by saying: "Behind the civil religion at every point lie Biblical archetypes: Exodus, Chosen people, Promised Land, New Jerusalem." (12) "Those on our side," says Bellah, "become 'the free world'. It is then part of the role of America as the New Jerusalem and 'the last hope of earth' to defend the free world." (13)

As America's 'enemies' are in turn perceived as 'the empire of evil,' 'the axis of evil,' 'the enemies of freedom and democracy,' America's allies--Israel, for one--become freedom-loving, civilized, democratic and 'men of peace.' Thus, as Bellah puts it, "With respect to America's role in the world, the dangers of distortion are greater and the built-in safeguards of the tradition weaker. The theme of the American Israel was used, almost from the beginning, as a justification for the shameful treatment of the others." (14)

More closely tied to the dangerous application of millennial expectations to the Arab-Israeli conflict is the total oblivion to the suffering of the Palestinian people and the encouragement of violent action against them and their land. Catherine Wessinger, Professor of the History of Religion at Loyola University, warns of the dangers of making Jerusalem the focal point of millennial expectations, adding that "the desire of the Jewish right to destroy the Dome of the Rock and build the Temple in its place is supported by the literal millennial interpretations in the West because this confirms their expectations of Armageddon and the Kingdom." (15) Wessinger warns that the political consequences of destroying the Dome are much more serious than anyone can imagine.

This danger is felt by many other intellectuals and scholars of Biblical studies. The historian Timothy Webber predicts that "this tendency in the West will lead to major catastrophes, because it leads the West to try to fulfill these prophecies one way or another." (16)

The great danger of millennial ideology, according to these objective views, "is the excessive emphasis on the establishment of the state of Israel as a sign of the fulfillment of God's Plan. This is connected to a greater danger which is the attempt to prove that by the use of force." (17)

The logical (if 'logical' is the right word) consequences of this millennial tendency is the belief that, for the fulfillment of prophecy, Damascus has to become a heap of ruins; ethnic cleansing is desirable; the Dome of the Rock should be destroyed; war-the final battle-is inevitable; and that it is America's 'Manifest Destiny' to see to it that these events take place, regardless of the suffering and tragedies they entail. In fact, everything else becomes irrelevant.

Early in the last century, Richard Neighbour, in his The Kingdom of God in America, said that for many generations, Americans believed that it was their sacred mission to spread the light of the Gospel and of freedom and education throughout the world with 'lamps manufactured in America.' Today, we witness another 'sacred mission' undertaken in the context of this millennial discourse.

The 11 September attacks have fed into this righteous self-image and the evil image of the 'others,' in this case Islamic terrorism and the parties which 'harbor,' 'support,' 'incite,' or do not condemn it. It is as though these terms are designed to set up as many enemies as is needed in any given situation. These parties become the evil-doers and the axis of evil; they hate freedom and 'our way of life.' All of this creates a fuzzy set of images in the public perception; they can apply to anybody and to nobody in particular. It also makes it easy, if not totally legitimate, to demonize these 'others' at will; it allows certain circles to condemn such general entities and ideologies as Communism, Islam, Iraq, Iran, and, by implication, all adherents to these entities. Consequently, we hear statements and opinions of condemnation from religions, political and public figures.

Furthermore, this environment of danger and fear and of demonization of others has given license to new sets of rules of encounter and measures that would normally be considered "un-American." The principles of humanity, equal justice, fight to privacy and presumption of innocence go by the wayside in the effort to protect these same principles. What we see is a tolerant attitude-indeed a legitimization-to the presumption of guilt by association or belonging; what we see is an easy acceptance of 'collateral' damage in the process of going after the evil ones. Although these policies were applied to Germans and Japanese in the U. S. during the World Wars, today the suffering inflicted on whole populations because of the behavior of a regime, a head of state or a group of terrorists defies description. By contrast, those who are with us, no matter how oppressive, brutal and unjust, are allies against terrorism and are peace-loving. The dangers inherent in this behavior cannot be measured now; the hope is that prudence and common sense will temper anger and fear before it is too late.

ENDNOTES

(1.) Frank Kermode (ed.), Selected Prose of T.S. Eliot (Orlando, Fla., 1961), p. 304.

(2.) Northrop Frye, The Great Code: The Bible in Literature (New York: Harcourt Brace & Jovanovich, 1982), pp. 312-314.

(3.) Ibid: p. 324.

(4.) Herman Melville, White Jacket (New York: Random, 1967), p. 150. For a detailed treatment of American millennial thought, see Fuad Sha'ban, Islam and Arabs in Early American Thought: The Roots of Orientalism in America (Durham, N.C.: The Acorn Press, 1991).

(5.) John Cotton, "God's Promise To His Plantation," Old South Leaflets, 111 (Boston, n.d.), Title-page.

(6.) George Washington, "Washington's Addresses To the Churches," Old South Leaflets, III (Boston, n.d.), p. 15.

(7.) Samuel Worcester, Two Discourses (Salem, 1805), pp. 5-6.

(8.) J. V. C. Smith, A Pilgrimage To Palestine (Boston: David Clapp, 1853), pp. 118-119.

(9.) John T. Barclay, The City of the Great King (Philadelphia: James Challen, 1858), p. 167.

(10.) William O. Douglas, Strange Lands and Friendly People (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1951), p. 279.

(11.) Alfred Lilienthal, The Zionist Connection: What Price Peace? (New York: Middle East Perspective, 1978), p. 488.

(12.) Robert N. Bellah, "Civil Religion in America," Daedalus, No. 96 (1967), p. 18.

(13.) Ibid: p. 15.

(14.) Ibid: p. 14.

(15.) The Website Frontline, "Apocalyptic Roundtable," Round Three, p.1.

(16.) Timothy P. Weber, "How Evangelicals Became Israel's Best Friends," Christianity Today (5 October 1998), p. 48.

(17.) Ibid.

Fuad Shahan is Chair of the Department of English Literature at the University of Petra, Jordan.