I became a Christian after reading Hal Lindsey’s book, “The 1980’s, countdown to Armageddon”. I also became a strong pre-tribulationist and joined my local Assembly of God Church, where I attended for 18 years. In that time I played in the orchestra for 17 years and drove the “church bus” to pick up kids pretty much every weekend for 10 years.
Eventually, however, as I read more and more prophesy, I started questioning what I believed from the beginning. At the beginning I believed with no scriptural background, but simply because someone that seemed to know what he was talking about said.
One of my friends in my church taught a class of about 60 on end times prophesy and was very good and knowledgeable. When he heard my questions, he gave me a copy of a white paper he had written as a support for Pre-tribulation rapture. I was quite excited to be convinced, once and for all, that “pre-trib” was it.
However, the more I read his paper (about 50 pages) the more I felt he was twisting scripture to help it support his position. This all happened in the mid-1980’s. I have been a strong “mid-tribulationist” ever since. The best support I’ve found on the internet that rounds up my position is something I found on a thread on freerepublic a year or two ago. It is here:
http://watchmanbiblestudy.com/BibleStudies/Definitions/Def_Pretrib.htm
Like me, this guy was a pre-tribulationist.
On a side note, I caught Hal Lindsey in a clear and intentional lie in his book “A prophetic walk through the Holy Land” in the caption of one of his photos. I no longer trust or follow the man, but he is the one that “reaped” what others and he had sowed in my acceptance of the Lord.
I became a Christian after reading Hal Lindsey’s book, “The 1980’s, countdown to Armageddon”. I also became a strong pre-tribulationist and joined my local Assembly of God Church, where I attended for 18 years. In that time I played in the orchestra for 17 years and drove the “church bus” to pick up kids pretty much every weekend for 10 years.
Eventually, however, as I read more and more prophesy, I started questioning what I believed from the beginning. At the beginning I believed with no scriptural background, but simply because someone that seemed to know what he was talking about said.
Hal Lindsey did go a long way in popularizing the idea of the Pretribulational Rapture with the general public and that did contribute to a lot of people becoming Christians as a result of it, and their further study in the Bible and hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, unto salvation.
I recall Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries saying that, too (check out the MP3 archive of radio programs). And I've heard quite a few others say that.
But also keep in mind that apart from Hal Lindsey, this is something that is supported by countless other scholars and seminary professors, teachers and everyday Bible-teaching pastors in the pulpit. This does have widespread support.
Of course, there are the detractors, who don't even believe in the rapture in the first place. We see them on the "open threads" where they hammer incessantly against it. If one wants a discussion with the naysayers, all they have to do is open up a thread about the rapture, and they will show up and whack you around... LOL...
But, I do understand that you're not one of those and that you're coming at it from another position within the "rapture ranks" and that's what we can discuss here.
I just wanted you to know that this idea of the Pretribulational Rapture doesn't rise, stand or fall on Hal Lindsey. It stands on the Bible and countless other pastors, preachers, teachers and/or scholars who have studied the Bible and the history of the church, over the decades -- even going back into its history back in the beginning centuries. It's there, too.
However, feel free to discuss the ideas presented and we'll see how the discussion goes.
Thanks for contributing.
Thanks for posting the link. I'll check it out.
FWIW, I attend a large non-denominational church (very Baptistic) and we have a large pastoral staff. It breaks about 50/50 among them pre-trib, mid-trib. I'm still not certain, but lean towards pre-trib.