Religious Influence on Government

Virginia Baptists under the leadership of John Leland influenced James Madison and his writing of the Bill of Rights.  They wouldn’t vote for ratification of the Constitution in Virginia without freedom of religion in a first amendment.  This was a quid pro quo situation for the Baptists and Madison.  After the consequences of the Great Awakening, Virginia had so many Baptists that they needed their support to pass legislation.

Religious folk still influence both domestic and foreign policy in the United States.  In particular, the eschatology of American evangelicals affects politicians and lawmakers.  Overall, Jews are no friend of evangelicals.  A large majority of Jews treat evangelicals like trash.  They hate and disdain them.  Jews most often vote just the opposite as evangelicals and even try to ruin most of what they like.  They direct caustic verbiage toward evangelicals, insulting them in a hateful manner.  Nevertheless, a large number of evangelicals eagerly continue supporting Israel.  Why?

Premillennialism

Many genuine, born-again Christians take the Bible literally.  They approach the prophetic portions of scripture grammatically and historically.  Even though prophecies contain figurative language, they interpret them according to their plain meaning.  They believed like this from the first century until today.  In more recent historical times, Christians established a literal method of interpretation of scripture, called dispensationalism.  Dispensationalism systematized a belief already held by Christians, titled premillennialism.

Premillennialism is a theological perspective within Christian eschatology that asserts that Jesus Christ will physically return to Earth (the Second Coming) before the establishment of a literal thousand-year reign known as the Millennium. This belief corresponds to a literal interpretation of Revelation 20:1–6, which describes a period during which Christ reigns on earth following His return.  The premillennial view emphasizes a literal reading of biblical texts, particularly those concerning end-time events. This approach maintains that prophecies regarding Christ’s second coming and the ensuing kingdom should be understood in their plain meaning unless context suggests otherwise.

A critical aspect of premillennialism is the belief that Old Testament Israel and the New Testament church are distinct entities with separate roles in God’s plan. Promises made to Israel, especially regarding land and kingdom, are viewed as not fulfilled by and in the church.  Like Paul confirmed in Romans 11:26, “Israel shall be saved.”

A Voting Bloc of Premillennialists

Sixty-five percent of evangelical leaders identify as premillennial.  According to various surveys, a substantial number of evangelicals hold premillennial beliefs, particularly in conservative circles. This aligns with the findings from an evangelical leaders survey, suggesting that premillennialism is indeed the dominant perspective within evangelicalism.  Even among non-believers in non-evangelical churches and even non-church goers believe premillennialism.

Many evangelicals don’t identify as Baptist and many truly saved Baptists don’t identify as evangelicals.  Many Charismatics do not consider themselves as evangelicals and evangelicals don’t consider themselves Charismatic.  Without overlap, all evangelicals, Baptists, and Charismatics come to about 35% of the population of the United States.  A higher percentage of Charismatics are premillennial than even evangelicals and Baptists.

65% of 35% is 23%.  That would make twenty-three percent of Americans as premillennial.  Twenty-tree percent of the 340 million Americans is 78 million premillennialists.  That’s a very large and influential voting bloc and their eschatology affects their foreign policy.

Support of Israel and Opposition to Globalism

Premillennialists will support Israel.  They also oppose globalism because they think this world will end with a one world government.  This affects their position on borders and foreign wars.  Part of the support of an American first agenda relates to opposition to the globalist perspective that involves the United States in unending foreign entanglements and wars.

I can see why a 35% voting bloc at least wants the United States to give Israel a free reign to defeat their enemies in the Middle East.  Also, I understand why these same voters do not support the war in the Ukraine.  This isn’t hatred of the Ukraine, but it is a distrust in an administrative state within the United States that wants globalism.  These same characters villainize Russia to undermine the candidate that most champions their causes.

Opposition of the Biblical Views

A particular United States foreign policy dovetails with biblical premillennialism.  The premillennial voters have an agenda which they see as within the will of God.  That makes the left crazy.  It wants to censor and even imprison these people as political enemies.  The left sees them as complete kooks.  The leftists don’t think anyone should depend on the Bible for any political decisions.  I think we would find a fairly large percentage that would prefer the death of premillennialists, whom they see as a scourge of the earth.

The Bible is true.  God expects us to know what it means, called the perspicuity of scripture.  He wants us to believe it and live according to it.  This includes all the prophetic passages.  What He says will occur in the future will in fact occur in the future.