Jack Van Impe and His "Damascus Road" Experience

By Jan Markell, Olive Tree Ministries, Inc.

www.olivetreeviews.org

I very sparingly and cautiously name names and single out ministries that to me really deserve it. Most Christian leaders either remain silent on these issues or join in with praise today for teachings and movements that are questionable because "truth has fallen in the streets" (Is. 59). As a result, Christendom is ravaged today because we are in the generation of 2 Timothy 4:1-5: "The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from truth and be turned to fables." It also says that in the latter days, some will "give heed to seducing spirits....." (I Timothy 4:1).

I do not know what has overtaken Dr. Jack Van Impe other than strong delusion. Here is a man who has much of the Bible memorized. While Jack's flamboyant style has been criticized over the years, I and many others have given him credit for presenting the truths of Bible prophecy when few others will touch the topic. When the Bush administration sought a chart of end-time events a few years ago, they sought out Dr. Van Impe and the information was passed on to Condoleeza Rice. This is fact, not rumor. Week after week for years, Jack has presented Premillennial Dispensational truth: A literal coming Millennium, literal antichrist, literal Tribulation, literal Battle of Armageddon, and at the center of all of this, national Israel and her important central role in the Bible--past, present, and future. He regularly denounces the newest fad in the church, "Replacement Theology"--the Church is the new Israel.

But starting on his April 16 show, Van Impe has praised Pope John Paul II, the Vatican, Catholic theology, Pope Benedict 16th, the Catholic Catechism, and Rome non-stop. It has been thus far a three-week infomercial. Jack and Rexella insist that as long as we agree on the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, and substitutionary atonement, we can set aside all other disagreements and accept Catholicism. We can set aside the adoration of Catholics for Mary, papal infallibility, baptismal regeneration, exaltation of the Eucharist, the doctrine of good works, indulgences, purgatory (which makes a mockery of Christ's death on the cross), the power of the priesthood, and more. And then there is the Vatican's strong belief in Replacement Theology and their eschatalogical belief that the Catholic Church will prepare the way for Christ's return.

Van Impe stated on his April 16 show that he is no longer a "right-wing fundamentalist" but didn't say what he now was. He stated he has had a "Damascus Road experience" with Catholicism and has stopped short of announcing his conversion but one has to wonder if he has done that. Jack insists that Catholics are "fundamentalists" even though Jack now denounces fundamentalism and says that "fundamentalism deteriorated many years ago." He is speaking out of two sides of his mouth.

He is now reading on air from the Catholic Catechism, and the theme of three programs has now been unity, unity, unity (ecumenism), and that Protestants must have unity with Rome as he lauds "Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT)." The next step with ECT is going to be Protestants embracing Mormonism for what we agree on, disregarding our major differences. We can see this already forming.

Van Impe is also lauding the prophecy of St. Malacy as fact, that only one more pope remains and then the end shall come. This St. Malacy story is in the same category as Nostradamus and no one should look upon it seriously. No man knows the future with this kind of specifics. This gives prophecy-lovers a bad name, pegged as sensational, date-setters, etc.

Jack and Rexella have pushed their video on Pope John Paul II for three weeks as, "the most important product we carry."

Though Van Impe has taught on Revelation for fifty years, he apparently cannot see that the events in Rome in the last two months are a foreshadowing of Revelation 13 and 17 with emphases on the one-world religion.

Van Impe also says he believes there is validity in the apparitions of Mary, when in fact, these "angels of light" have Mary declaring herself co-redeemer. Olive Tree Ministries carries a book and video/DVD on these apparitions that tell it like it is. See "Our Products" at www.olivetreeviews.org. You can order on the Web site or by mail. Overseas friends, please include $10 for foreign shipping.

If the "elect can be deceived" (Matthew 24), I believe this has happened to Jack and Rexella Van Impe.

I encourage you to listen to my radio show with Mike Gendron on "Radio Archives" at the Web site. It's the April 23 radio show, both hours.

To listen to Van Impe yourself, go to his Web site, www.thegospel.org. Also visit my Web site and the category of "Spiritual Deception" to better understand the all-around deception among people of faith today.

Yes, I know many good Catholic people who are born again, and no, I do not have an answer for why they don't leave the Catholic Church. I am not interested in Catholic-bashing. As in my family background which is Judaism, faith can also be a culture from birth to the grave. Departing from it can be difficult at best and traumatic at worst, often losing loved ones who do not understand the decision to leave a life-long faith and lifestyle. Some stay in Catholicism to make a difference in their church. How effective this is I do not know.

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