Does anyone like Jack Van Impe?

Question

I find him interesting

Answer 1

My mother, a retired church librarian, calls Jack and Rexella, "Jack and Godzilla." She avows that he has fabricated more bogus and unjustified interpretations and reinterpretations for the half dozen verses in Daniel than Detroit has fabricated hubcaps. I think she understates.

I realize he spits them rapid fire, but record his show and run it back and write down all the references he rips off and then look them up to see if what he quotes is what they actually say and if there is any possible exegesis that supports his interpretation. It's a fun exercise. For just as old Marlin Perkins could make anything on Wild Kingdom into a segue about Mutual of Omaha, Van Impe can make a verse about something completely unrelated into a prophecy of impending doom, which is a bit hard to take seriously when he and Godzilla always show up dressed for a dinner party.

After a couple of shows you realize Van Impe assumes that the kind of mental midgets that cling to the apocalyptic world view are also too intellectually lazy to write down his citations and look them up and see if they have the least connection to what he's babbling about. I frequently found myself unable to locate a translation or a commentary, out of the several thousand volume pastor's library I once had, which matched his quotation and explanation of the verse.

Nevertheless, it's worth seeing the show just to watch the constant dumbfounded and amazed look on Rexella's face as Jack interprets every sparrow fart in Israel as a sign of the coming of Christ in glory ("Oooooh, Jaaaack!!!! Isn't it wonderful?")

Answer 2

I find him interesting too, but from a psychology angle rather than a religious angle. (As a non-Christian, I do not consider him representative of Christians in general.)

He seems to be a likeable enough guy generally, and at least he likes comic strips and jokes; it's important to go through life with a sense of humor. He tends to stress religious tolerance more than some folks I've met in real life.

However, I also think his wife is an airhead and that he is probably out for money, not religious teachings. He also equates Islam with terrorism a little too easily for my tastes, as well as buying into a lot of the End Times stuff, which I personally find a little odd.

All in all, I find the Van Impes' program a curious anomaly, as it isn't as gung-ho 'Send us money and we'll give you a prayer cloth' as some of the others and find the two of them interesting characters when I am bored enough to watch the program.

Answer 3

I really like and respect JVI and his wife Rexella. I just ordered his DVD about animals in heaven, so I am looking forward to receiving that! Jack really knows his scriptures and I think he is one of the few televangelists that are on the up-and-up...believe me, I am skeptical of many of them!

Answer 4

Yes, very informative.
But I do wonder if he has been filled with the Holy Spirit.
But, I am not concerned with his salvation.
I have heard his faith statement over and over again. He will be in Heaven.

Answer 5

Is he still around? I remember him from the 70s!

Answer 6

He is really a man of God he is not on tv trying to con anybody of anything he is just trying to inform people of Jesus's soon return.

Answer 7

Who?

Answer 8

Yes, I used to listen to him every week, but now it conflicts with church services.

Answer 9

I don't listen to screwball Evangelists.

Answer 10

Leech and con artist - like all televangelists.