Christian Zionist leader, John Hagee, is on record prophesying that Egypt will become the next Iran, meaning, a new head for the many-headed beast that is Islam, and this despite the fact that those who understand the dynamics of Egyptian history and society (not to mention the way the Egyptian revolution came about) say that this is not going to happen. Which underscores why Egypt is a problem for Christian Zionists.
When Hal Lindsey wrote his Christian Zionist potboiler, The Late, Great Planet Earth, in 1969 he spoke with great assurance about the critical nature of the alliance Egypt would make with the Soviet Union in an aggressive move against Israel as a necessary precursor to the Second Coming of Christ. Then Egypt broke relations with the Soviets followed by the later demise of the Soviet Union itself. By the time Lindsey wrote his next book this scenario was no longer tenable, forcing him to pin his apocalyptic hopes on another political demon. (which has now more or less become Islam).
One wonders what Hagee and Lindsey others like them are going to do when Egypt and possibly other of the Middle Eastern states Christian Zionists love to villianize in their apocalyptic scenarios, become secular democracies. Or even worse (from an apocalyptic Christian Zionist perspective) what will they do if a new democratic Egyptian government helps bring about a legitimate peace treaty with Israel, one that leads to the dismantlement of illegal settlements and the creation of a viable Palestinian state on land Christian Zionists insist belongs to the world's Jews. The point is, what if these events lead to a political settlement that makes the Christian Zionist End Times scenario no longer tenable? Will Hagee and company continue to raise the apocalyptic flag even when there is no wind to keep it flying? Or will they simply close up shop, turning their backs on Israel because she didn't keep her side of the apocalyptic bargain? Given that this is the primary basis upon which Christian Zionists like Hagee build their support for the Israeli state (despite Hagee's assertions to the contrary) such a scenario is not beyond possibility.
Stay tuned.
John Hubers
Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism
