Is This for Real?

Perspective on the Crusades

July 23, 2008 on 4:49 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

The Crusades seem to be view by today’s secularist just another bunch of religious fanatics conquering and slaughtering in the name of their god. The Crusades are viewed much like radical Islam is viewed today. To the secular mind, there is no difference. It’s just the radical cause-du-jour. In a way, the secularists are right.

Indeed, the Crusades are a black eye on the name of Christianity. But the fact of the matter is that the people who perpetrated the crusades did so under false pretenses and did so for power and political reasons only. What many people today don’t realize is that while these military campaigns were supposedly conducted in the name of Christ, they were not led by those who were truly Christian.

I do realize I am going out on a limb since I am not the keeper of the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 3, 13, 17, 20), I do stand firm on the fact that “you will know them by their fruits “ (Matthew 7).

Surely it is and would have been appropriate for anyone to go to battle over a just cause such as national defense, protecting the innocent, preventing genocide, or stopping violent oppression. While the leaders of the crusades claimed that such things were their goals, they conducted their campaign in such a way that revealed their true intent, that is, power. They sold thousands of well-meaning conscriptees a bill of goods, they claimed they were fighting for and establishing the Kingdom of God, when they really were just establishing a kingdom for themselves. It all just ended up in a horrible blood-bath, and has precipitated centuries of hate and discontent between Islam and the West.

The scriptures clearly teach us that in this age we are not to be in the business of setting up a physical kingdom, but rather we are to be calling people to His Name (Acts 1 and 15). Our job is a spiritual battle right now which is to compel people (Jude) to receive Christ in their hearts and become part of His Spiritual Kingdom. Then one great day after the time of God’s divine mercy on earth has expired, we will be called to heaven, and God’s wrath will pour out upon the earth. After that seven year period of judgment, the one, true, righteous, and justified military campaign led by Jesus Himself will descend from Heaven, and He make war with Satan and all those who have allied themselves with him. After Satan is conquered and bound the physical Kingdom of God on earth will be established. This is the one, true, proper, right, and just crusade. Anything else beforehand is a horrific misrepresentation of God’s plan, and is not of God at all.

Still, in some ways God has used it for His glory, even though He was misrepresented. Certain cultural changes occurred with the temporary mixing of European and Arab cultures. Some things enriched both cultures, while the undue violence as a whole has precipitated such a rift between Arab and Western culture that the effects can still be seem today. Yet, as the pages of history are written before our eyes, the precursors to fulfilled prophecy can be seem before our very eyes. The rebuilding of the ancient city of Babylon, the revival of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and on and on it goes. The things written in Daniel and Revelation can be seen as coming just around the corner. Maranatha! The Lord is coming.

This is for real.