Very interesting analysis.
Often prophecy isn’t clear until people are in the time of the prophecy being fulfilled, and sometimes not until after. Hindsight being 20/20.
World events certainly have changed since the Hal Lindsey days and I don’t recall that islam was even considered a player in the end times scenarios in those days.
I can see how Christianity is becoming marginalized, as you pointed out.
Many Christians I know feel that the line has been drawn in the sand and people are being forced (although they don’t know it) to choose their side.
Just out of curiosity, I have heard some people say that there’s going to be a massive revival, God making one last harvest, before the rapture happens. How do you see that? I can see God making one last effort to spare people from the horrors of the tribulation, but am not sure of what Scriptural support there is for that.
What I initially thought would be a fairly quick occurrence once we hit the new millennium I perceive now that while it is at the doorstep, God is giving people plenty of opportunity and time to open their eyes and their hearts before it all takes place...
Lindsey looked at the 70s and 80s and the ongoing cold war and made his (and others did too) assumptions on end times prophecy. Thats fine as long as folks don't say "this IS how it will happen." If they do, then they go down the road of the Harold Campings of the world. Discredited false teachers.
Last year when there was an online Christian discussion forum getting hot over rapture before, during or after tribulation; and who/what is Gog, MaGog etc. and if that happens before other certain prophetic events, I decided to look at what the 'old guys' thought before the late 19th Century dispensationalists penned their works.
What I found is not many focused on prophetic events other than to point out the tribulation would happen, Christ will gather His bride, and His Kingdom would be established forever. I noted that the well known types like John Gill, Matthew Henry and others 'used' prophecy to further the Gospel of Christ by pointing out judgment would come to those not in Christ Jesus. An important noted event as many of the prophecy ministries out there are no more than current events trackers who point and say 'yep this is it.'
Take a look at the commentaries of Gill and Henry. If I remember correctly, one of them goes into a bit of detail that Gog/Magog=Turkey. Back in their day the 'big bad Turk' was feared as an unknown. Now we see folks going back to pinning the rose on Islam and the imposing geopolitical figure of Turkey. Interesting how these things keep rotating in and out of prophecy circles.
Then take a look at the works of Charles H. Spurgeon. If someone can find a sermon by him going into prophecy I would be interested because I don't think he ever opined on the subject other than Christians would see tribulation like no other time and judgment will come and then Christ will rule on earth. I think that summarizes what Spurgeon opined on and that's it. I think he avoided the prophecy surge in his time and focused on what Christ actually commanded us---Preach the Gospel.
Now does that mean we should not look at these prophecies and teach them as yet to be fulfilled? No of course not, because showing folks the prophecies leads many to the gospel and for those already Christians, it provides us with the command to live pure lives and be watchful and be ready.
So the 'old guys' focused on preaching the Gospel, I think we should too. Can we use prophecy of the coming judgment for those who do not put on Christ to warn them? Sure, I think that is why we are left with so many prophecies already fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled. Should we have Christian Bible studies on prophecy? Of course, because in them is a reminder we are to labor daily for the Gospel of Christ and to remind us to walk in Christ's foot steps and most important to remind us of the Glory that IS to come where we will be with Him forever, Amen!
I doubt there is going to be a mass revival, when mass revivals happen, people get right with God and God heals their land and forgivves them
if that is our state, one of healing, I do not see the anti-christ taking over
I see us as going downhill faster and faster
There is no scriptural support for that. There is however support for a “falling away” prior.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Things will get worse and worse from now on. “Religions” will draw closer and closer to agreement or compromise until there is just one recognized religion.