CNN—In an article titled How QAnon uses Religion to Lure Unsuspecting Christians, Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor, calls out QAnon as a conspiratorial right-wing group. In some respects this is correct.
In the article, he finds a way to implicate John MacArthur (a conservative Protestant preacher in California) under the premise that when MacArthur questioned the CDC party line on the CV-19 pandemic he was adopting a ‘Q’ conspiratorial mindset. Closer to home, the author compares the QAnon group to the Millerite movement, taking an unanticipated stab at the SDA Church in the process.
“Under somewhat similar strains, a group of 1840s Baptists called the Millerites predicted the Second Coming of Jesus. When Jesus didn't arrive, the Millerites were greatly disappointed, but they adjusted their apocalyptic timetables and soldiered on, eventually becoming the Seventh Day Adventist Church.”
Travis View said he sees echoes of the Millerites in QAnon. Numerous QAnon "prophecies" have proven false.
What is QAnon?
QAnon is a loosely organized network and community of believers who embrace a range of unsubstantiated beliefs and conspiracies. These views center around the notion that a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles—mainly consisting of what they see as elitist Democrats, politicians, journalists, entertainment moguls and other institutional figures—have long controlled much of the so-called “deep state” government, which they say seeks to undermine the US President, mostly with aid of media and entertainment outlets.
What is the QAnon conspiracy theory?
QAnon conspiracy theory alleges that there is a battle between good and evil in which the President (Mr. Trump) is allied with the former. QAnon followers are awaiting two major events: the Storm and the Great Awakening. The Storm is the mass arrest of people in high-power positions who will face a long-awaited reckoning. The Great Awakening involves a single event in which everyone will attain the epiphany that QAnon theory was accurate the whole time. This realization will allow society to enter an age of greater awareness and freedom.
Who is “Q”?
Followers believe that “Q” is a high-ranking government insider, presumably with a military or intelligence background, committed to exposing the hidden truth of what they see as an international bureaucracy scheming against Mr. Trump and his supporters. Some followers believe that “Q” often sends coded signals about his or her existence, using the number 17—the letter Q’s placement in the alphabet. Online posts surrounding QAnon conspiracy theories have often described “Q” as a patriot or saint. It is undeniably dark: it accuses some of the most powerful people in the world of some of the most heinous crimes. And it remains mostly mysterious.
So who is Q? Q is, well, anon. Nobody knows who they (he or she) is/are, or why they are posting what they do. They are, among other things, a user on 4chan. They use that forum to post a whole load of cryptic messages, which make reference to the vast conspiracy theory that has become known as QAnon.
Do People Believe this?
In short, yes. Probably not very many of them – but those people who do believe it seem to believe in it very fiercely.
According to a 2019 internal report, the FBI considers the QAnon movement — whose adherents have been implicated in various crimes — to be a potential domestic terrorism threat.
The Department of Homeland Security's acting secretary said in August of this year that QAnon is not a "significant" threat to the US, but he condemned the fringe conspiracy theory when pressed on his stance.
Summary
So why compare this group to the Millerite Movement, and why implicate John MacArthur in the article when neither of them have anything to do with QAnon?
Answer: It’s simple. To embarrass them.
It’s unlikely that MacArthur will be embarrassed or deterred from the stance he has taken regarding the Constitutional freedom of his Grace Community Church to worship in person during the heavy-handed California 2020 shutdowns. If he was worried about what people thought of him, he would have caved a long time ago. In his own words, he “cares more about what God thinks of him.”
In our opinion, the SDA Church cares a little too much what people think of them, sometimes jumping on the wrong side of an issue just to avoid any unwanted scrutiny, or to appear politically correct. One example is the statement that they issued on global warming in December 2019, a politically-correct attempt to be relevant. After a decade of no warming, they began to look foolish.
The NAD is especially bad at this, jumping on almost every social issue in the last five years with a ‘statement’ that looks like it is from a politically left super PAC. Far better for them to be silent, on such things.
Notice the reference to false prophecy in the CNN article as justification for comparing this QAnon group to the Millerites. Yes, we misinterpreted the October event in 1843—1844, but we were brought by God’s grace to tremendous truth, in His perfect time and providence. Those of us who accept that truth as biblical are not embarrassed, rather we are filled with hope that Jesus will surely return, just as He promised.
We will face ridicule as we stand for truth. Indeed Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:9 that persecution will come to all true followers of Him (10:22). This CNN article may well serve as a combat rehearsal to see who has the courage and commitment to stand until the end (Matthew 10:22).
Keep standing, dear ones.. Stand tall for Jesus (Ephesians 6:13).
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“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).
