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Despite his unpromising background of Creationist beliefs, Brown has built up a significant oil exploration company, which employs serious business people and qualified geologists. Zion's Biblical literalists believe verbatim in the Bible, however they must accept the science of oil exploration where evolution is fact, and the earth is dated as being several billion years old. The science of oil exploration conflicts directly with Old Testament beliefs, yet according to Brown, suppression of literal interpretations of the Bible must be tolerated to provide the needed scientific basis for oil exploration.
Zion Oil is a loss-making operation, and has never turned a profit<ref>Zion Oil & Gas, [http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080515006403&newsLang=en "Zion Oil & Gas Reports First Quarter Results"], Zion Oil & Gas, May 15, 2008.</ref>and Zion's first well was unsuccessful. However, Zion's first limited rights offering provided enough capital by 2007 for a second well to be drilled, the Ma’anit #2. The company states that the Ma’anit #2 well would at best produce natural gas and condensate, but not oil.<ref name="About"/> That year Zion Oil shareholders met in Israel to discuss drilling preparations for Ma’anit well #2 which completed in August of 2009. At the meeting, Zion Oil founder Brown referred shareholders to 1 Kings 18, in which Elijah sends a servant to look for a rain cloud:
:"Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
Brown's pronouncements at this public meeting implied oil was there for the taking, if one only looked; CEO Rinberg added the standard SEC disclaimer where "forward-looking" statements by Brown should not be taken as assurances that any oil will ever be found in Israel.<ref>Richard Bartholomew, [http://barthsnotes.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/oil-company-stockholders-on-spiritual-quest/ "Oil Company Stockholders on Spiritual Quest"], ''Bartholomew's Notes on Religion'', June 20, 2007.</ref>
Most recently, Zion Oil released information that they were looking at "seven areas of interest" in their latest deep drilling operation with "no small fascination". The reference to the number seven and the biblical sounding pronouncements are too subtle for casual investors to detect, but this rather cryptic public statement by Zion was pounced on by true believers as evidence that an upcoming oil find is emminent. <ref>Zion Oil & Gas, [http://www.zionoil.com/updates/11-september-2009-operations-update-18/ "Operations Update # 18"], ''11 September 2009 – Operations Update # 18''</ref>
When John Brown appeared on [[Fox News]] to discuss Zion Oil in Israel, he did his best to address the Fox reporter's questions about a "scheme" where his response illustrated the consistent messianic "vision" he puts forward in the mainstream media. <ref>Fox Business News, [http://www.foxbusiness.com/search-results/m/26162491/oil-exploration-in-the-holy-land.htm/ "Oil Exploration in the Holy Land"], ''Oil Exploration in the Holy Land'', Sept September 3, 2009.</ref>
The link illustrates Brown's version of religious interpretation of Biblical prophesy which remains consistent across the spectrum, whether directed to WorldNet Daily, geologists, oil experts, Fox News, or even the Israeli government. While Brown must keep WorldNet's messianics on board with Zion, Israeli officials and the scientific community must be kept on-board too. And yet Brown seems to care less whether people agree with him or not, and so far the strategy has worked, in keeping investors invested and Zion's geologists employed.
:"Mapping the tribes’ biblical territory indeed shows that Asher’s area resembles a giant foot dipped into the top, or "crown" area of the land of Joseph’s son, Manasseh."
Brown tells us what the passage means, via the theory of the late James Spillman, of WorldNet Daily:<refname="Kennedy">Associated Baptist PressMatt Kennedy, [http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2745&Itemid=120/ "Using Scriptures as guide man searches for oil in Israel"], ''Using Scriptures as guideAssociated Baptist Press, man searches for oil in Israel'', July 3, 2007.</ref>
:"A major oil discovery in Israel will not only have a profound effect on that nation’s economy but also a potentially explosive political effect on the surrounding Arab nations. More importantly, says Spillman, the discovery of a huge oil reserve in Israel and its geo-political implications could be a precursor to last days events mentioned in Ezekiel 38, leading to the battle of Armageddon."
Spillman's reference to the political effect of oil in Israel on Arab nations is a common theme among the religious right <ref>Associated Baptist Press, [http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?optionname=com_content&task=view&id=2745&Itemid=120/ "Using Scriptures as guide man searches for oil in IsraelKennedy"], ''Using Scriptures as guide, man searches for oil in Israel'', July 3, 2007.</ref> with reference to the Gog-Magog war from Ezekiel 38-39, where Russia and Iran attack Israel together in the Last Days, according to the politicized Born Again interpretation of Biblical prophecy. To complete the picture, Brown claims Spillman as his mentor, and Brown actually believes he is mentioned in the Bible, as the Founder's Testimony <ref>Zion Oil & Gas, [http://www.zionoil.com/the-founders-testimony/ "The Founder’s Testimony"], ''The Vision and the Calling''</ref> on the Zion Oil website proclaims:
:"While visiting Israel with Alger Wolfe in May 1983, John Brown’s prayer to the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was for oil to be found in Israel. This prayer and G-d’s specific instruction to John were based on the Biblical portion describing the Dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem and Solomon’s prayers thereat." I Kings 8:22-66
:"Moreover concerning a stranger [John Brown] that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country [USA of course] for thy name’s sake: for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm; when he shall come and pray towards this house; hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to ALL that the stranger calleth to thee for [Oil for Israel]: that all the people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name." (I Kings 8:41-43) <ref>Zion Oil & Gas, [http://media.zionoil.com/2008/09/the_vision_by_john_brown.pdf "The Vision by John Brown"], ''The Vision by John Brown.'', Undated</ref>
John Brown has funded annual banquets at the [[John Hagee]] radical Christians United For Israel Cornerstone Church <ref>Oil in Israel, [http://www.oilinisrael.net/oil-in-israel-events/zion-oil-gas-sponsors-christians-united-for-israels-cufi-%e2%80%9cnight-to-honor-israel%e2%80%9d "Zion Oil & Gas Sponsors Christians United For Israel’s (CUFI)"], ''Zion Oil & Gas Sponsors Christians United For Israel’s (CUFI)'', July 20, 2008.</ref> where Brown declined to speculate on the volume of oil Zion's prospects would "reveal" based on Brown's own interpretation of Biblical prophesies, in deference to SEC rules about barring forward-looking statements which cannot be substantiated. <ref>Oil in Israel, [http://www.oilinisrael.net/media/interview-between-pastor-john-hagee-john-brown "Interview Between Pastor John Hagee & John Brown"], ''Interview Between Pastor John Hagee & John Brown'', Nov 15, 2008.</ref> Brown has had other problems of perception, including a video on YouTube where Brown and Pastor David Davis appear to belittle their own church ...or synagogue? and joke about Zion Oil's deep drilling program. <ref>YouTube, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNPQ_UFQJ7k "John Brown Founder of Zion Oil Interview"], ''John Brown Founder of Zion Oil Interview With Pastor David Davis'', Feb 27, 2009</ref>
==From Zion Oil's WorldNet Daily Connection to Richard Mellon Scaife==
