Dear friends:

My message of June 15, 2007 was about the new movie "Evan Almighty," a modern version of Noah and the ark, which opened in theaters on June 22.  See http://www.evanalmighty.com

Without seeing the movie, I was critical of it, charging that it mocked the biblical story.

Later, I heard of a couple of positive Christian reviews of the movie, so I decided to go and see for myself.  My wife and I saw it this afternoon.

The fact is, it really did not mock the biblical story, so I was wrong.  The biblical account was carefully treated.  I have heard that the producer is a Christian.  Plus, we felt there were some positive spiritual messages in it, and overall it was inspirational.  It reinforced the idea that God is real, God is love, God is omnipotent, God's Word is true.  Also, the main character's family was an exemplary, praying, Bible-believing family.

On the negative side, some Christian critics say it ignores the gospel and Jesus Christ.  That is true, but every spiritual film does not have to include the Roman Road or the Four Spiritual Laws.  You could categorize this film as what missiologists would call "pre-evangelism," helping people become aware of the reality of God before they learn of His specific plan of salvation. 

The movie was very funny in places without being sacrilegious.

What about the flood?  How did they handle that?  Every Bible believer knows God promised never to flood the earth again. 

Well, I will let you find out that for yourself.  You will be surprised, and the answer is not un-biblical. 

I will only tell you this much, and that is God told the modern-day Noah that the flood would be on September 22.  That date jumped out at me.  Why would the script writers pick that particular date?  Was it arbitrary, or on purpose, or prophetic?  When I got back home I was reminded that September 22, 2007 is the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur.  That is the day the 1973 Arab-Israeli War began.

Coincidence? I don't know, but it is curious.  It still seems strange that the movie would come out in 2007, when we truly may be "as in the days of Noah," and that it would point to the Day of Atonement, the day when one Jewish Web site says, "...is probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year," and the day Arab nations once chose to attack and try to destroy Israel. Will they do it again?

Jim