Arno C. Gaebelein

Who was Arno C. Gaebelein?

Arno Clemens Gaebelein was a Methodist minister in the United States of America. He was a prominent teacher and conference speaker. He was also the father of educator and philosopher of Christian education Frank E. Gaebelein.

Being a dispensationalist, he was a developer of the movement in its early days. Two of his books, Revelation, and Analysis and Exposition and Current Events in the Light of the Bible explain the dispensationalist view of eschatology.

Gaebelein did not support the Christian Zionists in their alliance with the Zionist Organisation. In a 1905 speech, he stated:

"Zionism is not the divinely promised restoration of Israel... Zionism is not the fulfillment of the large number of predictions found in the Old Testament Scriptures, which relates to Israel's return to the land. Indeed, Zionism has very little use of argument from the Word of God. It is rather a political and philanthropic undertaking. Instead of coming together before God, calling upon His name, trusting Him, that He is able to perform what He has so often promised, they speak about their riches, their influence, their Colonial Bank, and court the favor of the Sultan.