It seems that Hollywood understands the Bible better than the popular preacher on TV, John Hagee. In his book, “In Defense of Israel”, he denies the elementary truth of Christianity that Jesus came as the Messiah. The following video will show first his blurb followed by the answer of Hollywood to his charges .
Being an old school Dispensationalist, Hagee interprets the word Messiah as some physical king who would rescue the Jewish nation from the tyranny of Gentiles. Thus he cannot see Jesus in His first advent as any way close to being a Messiah. Hence he reasons that Jesus did not come to be the Messiah and thus the Jews of his day cannot be charged with denial of the Lord. Hagee puts the blame on the church Fathers for these perversions of the truth regarding Jewish people. Hagee also believes that Jews do not have to believe the gospel to be saved, but the Messiah will save them when He appears in His second advent. Hagee reasons as follows “Five major points must now be made that are crucial to understanding that the Jews did not reject Jesus as Messiah.
1. Jesus had to live to be the Messiah
2. If it was God’s will for Jesus to die from the beginning. . .
3. If it was Jesus intention to be obedient unto death.
4. If there is not one verse of Scripture in the New Testament that says Jesus came to be the Messiah..
5. And if Jesus refused by his words or actions to claim to be the Messiah to the Jews, then how can the Jews be blamed for rejecting what was never offered?" [1]
Pastor Kendall Adams has written a good review of this book, where he answers these objections raised by Hagee. It is available at his blog – Always Reforming To Scripture.
Adams also did a radio interview for Kevin Boling which can be heard or downloaded as follows :
Footnotes
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[1] In Defense of Israel, John Hagee, Pg. 135-136
