Have you heard of Dr. Leonard Horowitz?
Question:
I have recently discovered a man by the name of Dr. Leonard Horowitz. I have seen his lectures and his DVD "In Lies We Trust" and I have been telling a lot of people about it. This guy has done a lot of good for people and preaches the gospel too. I wanted to know if you have heard of this guy and I wanted to get your perspective on him. I know the Bible says to judge people by the fruit of their labor and so far I can't see anything wrong with him. But I have seen some things about him on the Internet that say he is a plagiarist and such but I would like you to view the lecture that he presents at the Prophecy Club. It's called "Star Wars Weapons, and End Times Warfare." He mentions a lot of Scripture from Revelation and Isaiah and it is very interesting stuff. I'd like you to hear what he says and see if you can find him out of step with the Bible.
Thanks a lot.
Answer:
One of the first things I did was locate the Wikipedia article on Leonard Horowitz. It usually a good starting point for information that is fairly neutral about popular figures. He is a dentist by training who has branched off into "general health-related conspiracy theories, opposition to vaccination, and New Age therapies, with elements of numerology and Christian apocalyptic prophesy." Already I'm leery of anything this man may produce because he is using fear as his vehicle to get people to buy his products. Fearful people tend not to think clearly and to act impulsively. People, like Horowitz, who have merchandise to sell are eager to cultivate impulsive buyers of their goods. You can see this in his lectures. They are constantly punctuated with advertisements for his books and products he just "happens" to sell.
I'm not surprised that he quotes heavily from Isaiah and Revelation since these books, and a few others, are difficult to understand because of their heavy use of symbolism. The books become popular to use by false teachers because they can claim a symbol means just about anything, for almost no reason at all. It sounds good, but it almost never matches what the book is about. I listened to two clips and found him pulling a verse here and there that happens to have a phrase that he likes. He went on and on about all sorts of scary-sounding things, making hundreds of accusations, but what I could help but notice is that he didn't prove his point. He is clearly trying to get his audience afraid about vague threats and organizations. As God warned Israel, "Do not say, 'A conspiracy,' concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled" (Isaiah 8:12).
Yes, there is a warfare going on, but it is not one that is conducted in the physical realm. There is a spiritual battle between God and Satan. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (II Corinthians 10:3-5). It is a war of ideas and a battle over the hearts and souls of people. It is fought through the presentations of ideas, not with lasers and nuclear weapons.
Rather than fear, all through the Bible God tells us that He gives us peace, security, and protection from harm.
"He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things, from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness" (Proverbs 2:7-13).
The fear-mongers don't want to acknowledge that God controls the world. They emphasize that Satan is the ruler here, forgetting that Satan cannot do fully as he pleases. Take the example of Job. Satan wanted to pull Job down, but he couldn't. "So Satan answered the LORD and said, 'Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!'" (Job 1:9-11). Satan could not do as he pleased. God remains the ultimate authority. Even when God allowed Satan to test Job, Satan remained limited in what he was allowed to do. "And the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.' So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD" (Job 1:12).
The Christian looks at the world and realizes that God is in control. When there are fears, he turns to his protector and shield. God will handle what I cannot handle alone. "In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 56:11).
