A Modern Debate with Ancient Roots
A recent debate between the Apostate Prophet ( Ridvan Aydemir) and Andrew Wilson tackled the controversial question: Should Christians support Israel? One of the central points Andrew raised was the idea that supporting the modern state of Israel necessarily aligns Christians with the effort to rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem—an act he argued will ultimately pave the way for the rise of the Antichrist.
While this position might sound like a fringe eschatological concern, it is in fact widely held among certain Evangelical and prophecy-focused Christian groups. The logic is simple but sweeping: support Israel → temple is rebuilt → Antichrist arises → Jesus returns. Yet beneath this theological roadmap lies a troubling pattern: an interpretation of prophecy shaped more by fear, secrecy, and elitism than by biblical clarity. In other words, a distinctly Gnostic spirit is at work.
The Temple Obsession: Prophecy or Paranoia?
Andrew Wilson’s argument hinges on the notion that geopolitical support for Israel leads inexorably to prophetic fulfillment. Specifically, the rebuilding of the Third Temple is believed to be a necessary precursor to the appearance of the Antichrist, who will defile the temple and deceive the world. Christians who support Israel, then, are allegedly complicit in accelerating this apocalyptic scenario.
But this view depends heavily on selective readings of Scripture, questionable secondary sources, and a suspiciously conspiratorial tone. Much of the so-called evidence for this interpretation stems from speculative prophecy charts, fringe preachers, and a patchwork of loosely connected Bible verses. It assumes a level of hidden knowledge accessible only to the spiritually “in the know,” leaving ordinary believers either confused or condemned.
This isn’t just bad theology—it’s a form of modern Neo-Gnosticism.
Gnostic Tendencies in Christian Eschatology
Classical Gnosticism taught that the material world is a prison, ruled by a false god (the Demiurge), and that salvation comes through secret knowledge (gnosis) available only to a spiritual elite. Shockingly, many modern Christian interpretations of end-times prophecy replicate this pattern:
The world is seen as irredeemably evil.
Earthly governments and even religious institutions are tools of deception.
The Antichrist is the ultimate deceiver, impersonating God.
Only a faithful remnant, with hidden insight, will escape the delusion.
C.S. Lewis, in The Abolition of Man, warned that abandoning objective truth for man-made constructs leads to a dehumanized world. He wrote, “The Tao is not one among a series of possible systems of value. It is the sole source of all value judgments.” In other words, truth is not hidden—it is revealed and universal.
Likewise, G.K. Chesterton, in Orthodoxy, described heresies like Gnosticism as “truths gone mad.” These are good ideas taken too far and twisted out of proportion. For him, Christianity is balanced and grounded in reality; Gnosticism is spiritually proud and abstract.
In The Screwtape Letters, Lewis depicts a demon advising his nephew to keep Christians distracted with vague spiritual generalities instead of humble obedience. This reflects the Gnostic tendency to focus on cosmic schemes rather than simple faithfulness to Christ.
Phillip J. Lee, in his scholarly work Against the Protestant Gnostics, showed how certain Protestant traditions have absorbed Gnostic traits—rejecting the material world, dividing believers into “spiritual” and “carnal,” and idolizing hidden knowledge. He calls on Christians to reclaim a holistic faith rooted in the incarnation and public revelation.
The Dangerous Echoes: Nazism and Islam
Gnostic patterns are not limited to fringe Christianity. They also appear, disturbingly, in some of history’s most dangerous ideologies.
Nazism was steeped in esoteric belief. The myth of the Aryan race, the occult practices of the Thule Society, and the cult of Hitler as a messianic figure all echo Gnostic themes. As historian Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke documents in The Occult Roots of Nazism, Nazi leaders saw themselves as the spiritual elect with secret insight to restore a corrupted world.
Islam, particularly in its more esoteric and radical forms, also contains Gnostic-like elements. The belief in hidden Imams (in Shi’a Islam), the apocalyptic figure of the Mahdi, and the suspicion of the visible world as corrupt or impure align closely with Gnostic dualism and elitism. Scholar David Cook, in Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature, notes how end-times narratives in Islamic theology often center on deception, hidden knowledge, and cosmic war.
In all these systems, Gnosticism poisons the well: it distorts truth, divides people, and justifies horrific acts under the banner of secret spiritual purity.
Conclusion: The Gospel Is Not a Conspiracy
Returning to the debate, we must ask: should Christians read the prophecy through the lens of Christ’s love, or through the lens of fear and elitism? The obsession with the Third Temple and the Antichrist risks drawing Christians into a worldview that mirrors the very heresies the early Church rejected.
The gospel is not hidden. It is not reserved for a few. It supposed to be good news for all, proclaimed in the light. Christians should try to resist the temptation to turn their faith into a secret code or a cosmic chessboard. Christians are not called to paranoia, but to peace; not to speculation, but to stewardship.
Gnosticism, in all its forms leads away from truth. It promises light but delivers darkness. Let us choose, instead, the actual scriptures over the hidden poison of Gnostic fantasy.