Jack Van Impe
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| Jack Van Impe | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jack Leo Van Impe February 9, 1931 Troy, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | B.A. Detroit Bible College |
| Occupation | Evangelist, Author, Apocalyptic Bible Prophet, Biblical Scholar, TV show host, Television Personality |
| Known for | Founder of Jack Van Impe Ministres International (JVIM) Host of the Jack Van Impe Presents syndicated TV program |
| Title | Dr. Jack Van Impe |
| Religion | Evangelical Christian |
| Spouse | Rexella Van Impe, 1954 - present |
| Website | |
| http://www.jvim.com | |
Jack Leo Van Impe (born February 9, 1931[1][2]) is a televangelist who is known for his half-hour weekly television series Jack Van Impe Presents, an eschatological commentary on the news of the week through his interpretation of the Bible. The program airs throughout the United States, Canada, and several other countries through both religious broadcasters and the purchase of paid programming time on commercial television stations. Van Impe's website claims that he is known as the "Walking Bible" because of his extensive memorization of Bible verses.[3] Van Impe's wife Rexella (born November 29, 1932, also in Troy, Michigan[4]) shares his TV ministry as co-host.
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[edit] Biography
Jack Van Impe's parents immigrated to the United States from Belgium. Originally from Troy, Michigan, Van Impe was an accordion player as a child, performing duets with his missionary father across Michigan and other states. In 1948, Van Impe graduated from high school and entered Detroit Bible College, earning his diploma in 1952 and beginning his career as a preacher and evangelist as well as an extensive recording career. In an episode of Jack Van Impe Presents, Jack notes that during his years working with the Billy Graham crusades, Van Impe met his future wife, Rexella, who was an organist with the crusades. The couple were married on August 21, 1954, and started their own joint ministry.
Since the 1950s, Van Impe has released dozens of Gospel and spoken word recordings. His first album Presenting the Van Impes features Van Impe on the accordion as well as Rexella's organ playing. Subsequent musical recordings featured the accorgan, a type of electronic accordion.
The rock singer and songwriter Bob Seger features an audio clip of Van Impe criticizing rock and roll music in the introductory portion of his song "Heavy Music Part 2," the B side of his 1967 Detroit-area hit single Heavy Music.
[edit] Jack Van Impe Ministries
Jack Van Impe Presents is videotaped at the Jack Van Impe Ministries World Outreach Center, in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Impe's wife Rexella cohosts the telecast. Trumpet player Chuck Ohman is the announcer.
On a typical show, Rexella begins by reading recent news headlines. Van Impe then applies his memorization of Bible verses to interpret the news stories, generally in an attempt to show that it is another manifestation of biblically-predicted signs of the end of the age. Twice during the broadcast, once in the middle of the broadcast and once at the end, Chuck Ohman describes a DVD that is being sold by the ministry, and how to order. Near the end of the broadcast, Jack looks at the camera and makes a personal prayer to Jesus, and he asks the viewers to make the prayer with him. At the end of the broadcast, Rexella says the goodbyes.
Recurring topics include a New World Order consisting of one world government and one world religion, prophesies of future wars and the second coming of Jesus, modern Chrislam, differences between the biblical Jesus and the Jesus of Islam, the proposed United Nations blasphemy law and radical Islam, the importance of doctrine, and Christian preachers who remove crosses from churches. Jack also cites numerous bible verses.
In 2001, Jack Van Impe Ministries "won" the parodic Ig Nobel Prize in Astrophysics for its assertion that "black holes fulfill all the technical requirements to be the location of Hell."[5]
[edit] Predictions
Jack Van Impe has used biblical passages to make elaborate predictions about the end times. He predicts that, according to Revelation 13, a single world political leader (the beast) and a single world religious leader (the false prophet) will emerge, but the rapture will happen before either leader comes to power. The world would be organized into 10 political subdivisions and the world religion would be Chrislam. Jack predicts that the world political leader will "come in peaceably" and create a seven-year peace deal involving Israel. Then, three and a half years into the peace, Russia (the interpreted meaning of "Rosh") will break the peace by invading Israel according to Ezekiel 38, and the military of Russia will be decimated. Then China (the interpreted meaning of "kings from the east") will invade according to Revelation 16, and the military of China will likewise be decimated.
[edit] Education
Jack Van Impe and his wife have received doctorate degrees from Pacific International University, an unaccredited Christian university.[6]
[edit] Health problems
In an episode of Jack Van Impe Presents aired the week of June 19, 2006, Van Impe disclosed that he had undergone two total knee replacements in early 2006. He gave thanks to God for his recovery and for leading him to the "wonderful surgeon" who did the operation.[citation needed] Subsequent to the problems with his knees, Jack has suffered from cancer, a severe sepsis attack, and blood loss resulting from holes burned through his stomach.
[edit] References
- ^ Jack Van Impe at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Religious Leaders of America, 2nd ed., Gale Group, 1999
- ^ Jack Van Impe website, "About" section
- ^ < Rexella Van Impe birth reference from Answers.com
- ^ http://improbable.com/ig/winners/#ig2001
- ^ http://www.jvim.org/pt/2004/2004SeptOct.pdf
[edit] External links
- Jack Van Impe Ministries World Outreach Ministries website
- Jack Van-Impe Presents at TBN
- Jack Van Impe at Rapture Ready
- Jack Van Impe - Streaming Media Thegospel.org
- Jack Van Impe (And Rexella): Premillennial Dispenationalist Preterist Study Archive, preteristarchive.com
- Heart Disease in Christ's Body Book review from Middle Town Bible Church
- Gallery of Van Impe album covers
- MinistryWatch.com
