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Where Hal Lindsey Went Wrong
Prophecy Questions blog ^ | June 30, 2019 | Charles S. Meek

Posted on 06/30/2019 7:12:34 PM PDT by grumpa

Hal Lindsey’s book “The Late Great Planet Earth,” written in 1970, sold over 28 million copies. Gullible Christians got sucked into Lindsey’s soon end-of-the world poppycock. As time has passed without his version of Armageddon taking place, we can now objectively analyze where Lindsey went wrong:

• Lindsey (p. 54, 181), like other dispensationalists, placed the beginning of the end with Israel becoming a nation in 1948. He thought all prophecy would be fulfilled within a 40-year generation (Matthew 24:34). But 1988 came and went, proving him to be a false prophet. (This should be adequate proof that 1948 has nothing to do with Bible prophecy.)

• Lindsey (p. 44) prophesied a 7-year, world-wide, tribulation. He got this from Revelation 11 which speaks of the “holy city” being trampled for 42 months—and “two witnesses prophesying” for 1,260 days. He simply adds both of these 3 ½-year periods together to get 7 years (of tribulation). There is no indication in the text that this is a valid interpretation. He was reading something speculative into the text that is not there. Indeed, there is no passage in the Bible that clearly teaches a 7-year tribulation. Further, Jesus limited the time of the trampling of Jerusalem to his own generation (Luke 21:22, 32). (Interestingly, the final assault on Jerusalem by the Roman army under Titus lasted 42 months from AD 67 to AD 70.)

• Lindsey (p. 87, etc.) saw the existence of nuclear weapons as an important sign of the end times. However, Jesus taught that the so-called end times would be when God’s people would “fall by the edge of the sword” (Luke 21:24). Jesus’ prophecies were about ancient warfare, not modern nuclear weapons. The context of this prophecy by Jesus was about the coming destruction of the temple (Luke 21:6). Jesus told his listeners that it would happen when THEY saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20), in THEIR generation (Luke 21:32). This all happened when the Roman armies invaded Jerusalem in AD 67-70.

• Lindsey (p. 56-57) said, “It is certain that the Temple will be rebuilt. Prophecy demands it.” Problem is, not a single verse of the Bible can be mustered to support a future rebuilding of the temple. This idea is merely an invention of dispensationalists to try to justify their theory.

• Lindsey (p. 88, 124) even makes this astounding prediction: “The prophetic Scriptures tell us that the Roman Empire will be revived shortly before the return of Christ to this earth. A new Caesar will head this empire.” It’s hard to believe anyone took this charlatan Lindsey seriously.

• Lindsey (p. 108), in speaking of the Antichrist, “He will have a magnetic personality, be personally attractive, and a powerful speaker. He will be able to mesmerize an audience with his oratory.” But the Antichrist is never mentioned in Revelation, let alone any such description of him. The Antichrist is only mentioned in John’s epistles, which say that the Antichrist was already in the world when John was writing (1 John 4:3). Indeed, John taught that it was already the “last hour” as he wrote (1 John 2:18). If you believe John was an inspired writer, this precludes any future fulfillment.

• Lindsey (p. 125, 126) said that modern drug addiction and witchcraft is evidence of the “sorceries” of Revelation 9:21. He quoted a TV station that “Nearly every respectable high school these days has its own witch.” (Besides the obvious problem of nonsense, Revelation itself teaches that it is about things that MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE (Revelation 1:1; 22:6). Indeed, there are over 30 passages in Revelation that reiterate that its fulfillment was “near,” “soon,” or “about to happen.”

• Lindsey said that we should take the Bible literally (p. 176). Obviously, he doesn’t take the over 100 imminence statements literally—that biblical prophecy would be fulfilled SOON, AT HAND, BEFORE SOME IN THE FIRST CENTURY HAD DIED, IN THEIR GENERATION, etc. (Matthew 10:23; 16:27-28; 24:34; Luke 21:22; Acts 2:14-20; Hebrews 1:2; 10:37; 1 Peter 4:7, 17; etc., etc.)

• Lindsey (p. 133) said that the Harlot Babylon is some future one-world religious system “clothed in purple and scarlet.” But, Revelation itself teaches that Babylon is “the great city” (Revelation 18:10) upon whom wrath was to come. The Great City Babylon is clearly identified as Jerusalem (Revelation 11:8)! Further, purple and scarlet are the colors of the ritual dress of the high priest (Exodus 28:5-6; 39:1-2). So, the evidence supports the view that Revelation is about God’s judgment on Old Covenant Israel.

• Lindsey thought that Revelation was written in 95 AD. But there are some two dozen clues within Revelation that it was written prior to AD 70. Revelation refers to events that match the historical record of the Jewish-Roman War of AD 66-70. The book was written DURING the “tribulation” per Revelation 1:9, apparently while the temple was still standing per Revelation 11:1, and during the reign of the sixth emperor of Rome per Revelation 17:10—that is, Nero who died in AD 68. Over 130 scholars have been identified as holding to the pre-AD 70 date of Revelation.

• Lindsey (p. 164) thought the Day of the Lord predicted in the book of Joel is in our future. But the inspired apostle Peter taught that Joel’s prediction was being fulfilled in his own day (Acts 2:14-20).

• Lindsey (p. 179) taught that the “elements” of 2 Peter 3 that would be destroyed refer to the “most basic element of nature”—thus the physical universe. But EVERY TIME in the New Testament that the word “elements” (Greek, stoicheion) is used, it refers to the elements of the old covenant (Galatians 4:3, 9; Colossians 2:8, 20-22; Hebrews 5:12-13). So, what was to be destroyed? — the old covenant, not the physical universe (Hebrews 8:13).

• Lindsey (p. 180, 181) references Daniel 12 as predicting the end of the world. But Daniel 12 itself says that the “TIME OF THE END” would be when the power of the holy people would be shattered and the daily sacrifices for sin taken away. That clearly happened in AD 70 with the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple. Daniel 12 could not be clearer.

• Lindsey (p. 176) taught, as do all premillennialists, that Christ will establish a literal, physical kingdom on earth. But Jesus said that his kingdom is “not of this world” (John 18:36).

I could go on. But this is enough to demonstrate that Hal Lindsey is a deceiver and a false prophet. Lindsey is reported to be worth $42 million, which is, apparently, after his first three wives got their share. (He is married to his fourth wife.) Hal Lindsey has not only bilked millions of people out of their money, he has made a mockery of Christianity.


TOPICS: Theology
KEYWORDS: bible; hal; hallindsey; lategreatplanetearth; lindsey; prophecy
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To: ChildOfThe60s

???


61 posted on 07/01/2019 9:01:39 AM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: SkyDancer

Let me try again.

If you believe in the Rapture then you wouldn’t worry if the pilots are Christian because you believe you’re going with them.

If you don’t believe in the Rapture you won’t worry because you don’t believe it’s going to happen.

So why would anybody worry about the pilots being Christian?


62 posted on 07/01/2019 9:06:28 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s........you weren't really there)
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To: ChildOfThe60s
I remember reading about that before and you have a good point. I personally do not believe in this Rapture doctrine although I admit at one time I did but after more study I find out it's not exactly the way some fundamentalists believe; we will be caught up in the air at the Second coming but only in welcoming Yeshua.

The Rapture thing would be like if your grandparents are coming over for a visit and you meet them in your driveway but then get in their car and go to their house. Doesn't make sense.

That would make it three comings.

63 posted on 07/01/2019 9:13:46 AM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: Zathras
"The few that survived got out first, Flavius Josephus being the most notable who then wrote about the siege."

Josephus watched siege of Jerusalem from the Roman side. He was captured earlier in the area of Galilee after which he switched allegiance to Rome and acted as an advisor first to Vespasian and then to Titus.

64 posted on 07/01/2019 9:53:32 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: SkyDancer

All Jews believe in a Messiah.


65 posted on 07/01/2019 12:25:08 PM PDT by freedomjusticeruleoflaw (Strange that a man with his wealth would have to resort to prostitution.)
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To: freedomjusticeruleoflaw

Yes. A conquering Messiah. That’s what the Jews were looking for back when Rome occupied Israel. Yeshua was the Suffering Messiah which is why Jews rejected Him.


66 posted on 07/01/2019 12:31:21 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: freedomjusticeruleoflaw
All Jews believe in a Messiah.

Amazingly, I've met Jews who are entirely secular Jews and believe in Buddha.

67 posted on 07/01/2019 1:06:33 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: CondorFlight

He and Harold Camping got me to dust off my Bible.


68 posted on 07/01/2019 1:18:37 PM PDT by FES0844
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To: lasereye

Correct. Ezekiel very clearly describes a third temple. I believe Zechariah 6 says the messiah will build the temple himself, but I think one will be built.


69 posted on 07/01/2019 1:19:33 PM PDT by lerker
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

“... I’ve met Jews who are entirely secular Jews and believe in Buddha. “

When you meet them again... for God’s sake, tell them to please stop calling me.

I’m not THAT Buddha. I’m the Christian Buddha.

It’s easy to tell the difference. I’m the one with a shirt. Oh yeah, and I’m alive.


70 posted on 07/01/2019 1:21:33 PM PDT by BuddhaBrown (Path to enlightenment: Four right turns, then go straight until you see the Light!)
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To: grumpa
Dispensationalism was born in 1830 with John Nelson Darby. It died in 1988 when their prophecies failed to materialize in “that generation.” Rest in peace.

    Question: "What is dispensationalism and is it biblical?"

    Answer: A dispensation is a way of ordering things—an administration, a system, or a management. In theology, a dispensation is the divine administration of a period of time; each dispensation is a divinely appointed age. Dispensationalism is a theological system that recognizes these ages ordained by God to order the affairs of the world. Dispensationalism has two primary distinctives: 1) a consistently literal interpretation of Scripture, especially Bible prophecy, and 2) a view of the uniqueness of Israel as separate from the Church in God’s program. Classical dispensationalism identifies seven dispensations in God’s plan for humanity.

    Dispensationalists hold to a literal interpretation of the Bible as the best hermeneutic. The literal interpretation gives each word the meaning it would commonly have in everyday usage. Allowances are made for symbols, figures of speech, and types, of course. It is understood that even symbols and figurative sayings have literal meanings behind them. So, for example, when the Bible speaks of “a thousand years” in Revelation 20, dispensationalists interpret it as a literal period of 1,000 years (the dispensation of the Kingdom), since there is no compelling reason to interpret it otherwise.

    There are at least two reasons why literalism is the best way to view Scripture. First, philosophically, the purpose of language itself requires that we interpret words literally. Language was given by God for the purpose of being able to communicate. Words are vessels of meaning. The second reason is biblical. Every prophecy about Jesus Christ in the Old Testament was fulfilled literally. Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection all occurred exactly as the Old Testament predicted. The prophecies were literal. There is no non-literal fulfillment of messianic prophecies in the New Testament. This argues strongly for the literal method. If a literal interpretation is not used in studying the Scriptures, there is no objective standard by which to understand the Bible. Each person would be able to interpret the Bible as he saw fit. Biblical interpretation would devolve into “what this passage says to me” instead of “the Bible says.” Sadly, this is already the case in much of what is called Bible study today.

    Dispensational theology teaches that there are two distinct peoples of God: Israel and the Church. Dispensationalists believe that salvation has always been by grace through faith alone—in God in the Old Testament and specifically in God the Son in the New Testament. Dispensationalists hold that the Church has not replaced Israel in God’s program and that the Old Testament promises to Israel have not been transferred to the Church. Dispensationalism teaches that the promises God made to Israel in the Old Testament (for land, many descendants, and blessings) will be ultimately fulfilled in the 1000-year period spoken of in Revelation 20. Dispensationalists believe that, just as God is in this age focusing His attention on the Church, He will again in the future focus His attention on Israel (see Romans 9–11 and Daniel 9:24).

    Dispensationalists understand the Bible to be organized into seven dispensations: Innocence (Genesis 1:1—3:7), Conscience (Genesis 3:8—8:22), Human Government (Genesis 9:1—11:32), Promise (Genesis 12:1—Exodus 19:25), Law (Exodus 20:1—Acts 2:4), Grace (Acts 2:4—Revelation 20:3), and the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:4–6). Again, these dispensations are not paths to salvation, but manners in which God relates to man. Each dispensation includes a recognizable pattern of how God worked with people living in the dispensation. That pattern is 1) a responsibility, 2) a failure, 3) a judgment, and 4) grace to move on.

    Dispensationalism, as a system, results in a premillennial interpretation of Christ’s second coming and usually a pretribulational interpretation of the rapture. To summarize, dispensationalism is a theological system that emphasizes the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy, recognizes a distinction between Israel and the Church, and organizes the Bible into different dispensations or administrations. https://www.gotquestions.org/dispensationalism.html

The key point is this—dispensational theology as a whole, and each of its core doctrines, should be evaluated using Scripture. It should be accepted or rejected based on whether or not it is in agreement with the Word of God.

71 posted on 07/01/2019 3:24:58 PM PDT by boatbums (semper reformanda secundum verbum dei)
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To: SkyDancer
I remember reading about that before and you have a good point. I personally do not believe in this Rapture doctrine although I admit at one time I did but after more study I find out it's not exactly the way some fundamentalists believe; we will be caught up in the air at the Second coming but only in welcoming Yeshua.

It's not going to be a welcoming event...Jesus is coming for war...

The Rapture thing would be like if your grandparents are coming over for a visit and you meet them in your driveway but then get in their car and go to their house. Doesn't make sense.

And you've got the wrong analogy...It's not the Grandparents coming, it's the Groom, come to escort his Bride to the Wedding...

72 posted on 07/01/2019 4:03:44 PM PDT by Iscool
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To: Iscool

Then there will three comings if the “Rapture” is real; which begs the question: If a devout Christian does not believe in the “Rapture” and the “Rapture” is real or happens, then would they be caught up as the “Rapture” folks believe?


73 posted on 07/01/2019 4:24:03 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: impactplayer; MHGinTN; grumpa
Jesus said that it would happen it their generation, and they believed this. In the book of Revelation he told them these things would happen soon. Why is this so hard to accept????

Except Jesus didn't say EVERYTHING would happen in the generation of the people he was speaking to. He said the generation living at the time of certain events would not pass away until all the things came to pass (see Mark 13:30). So if you are correct and Jesus was talking about the first century A.D., then you will have to explain why ALL the things foretold in Revelation of the end times have not happened yet.

74 posted on 07/01/2019 4:24:17 PM PDT by boatbums (semper reformanda secundum verbum dei)
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To: SkyDancer

“If a devout Christian does not believe in the “Rapture” and the “Rapture” is real or happens, then would they be caught up as the “Rapture” folks believe?” Yes ... see you in the clouds! (1 Thess 4:13 - 18)


75 posted on 07/01/2019 5:03:21 PM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensation perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: SkyDancer

“...does not believe in the “Rapture”...”

I never have and still don’t subscribe to the rapture theory. I generally avoid arguments with folks about it because a person’s position on the matter is not what determines their salvation.

But not only do I not see the rapture in the book, to me it also just does not fit God’s general M.O.

Did God need to blink all His chosen people out of Egypt to protect them from His own wrath directed toward others around them? No, otherwise Passover would today be called BeamMeUpScotty day.

Did God need to transport Daniel from the danger of the lion’s den?

Or how about the 3 amigos in Daniel’s book who were bound and tossed into a super-heated furnace by King Nebucha-knuclehead? I’m not sure how physically bad some rapture believers expect the tribulation to be but I don’t think it will be worse than hanging out in a furnace. Which was hot enough to burn up the kings men who got close enough to throw those three men of God into it. Yet the three faithful were seen walking about unharmed - and chatting it up with Jesus, no less.

In a way it can seem like an indication of weak faith that some folks want outta here before the tribulation. It’s a shame we don’t celebrate this as we should, but quite obviously Christ is our Passover. The blood of the Lamb is already on the door of believer so to speak. If God wants harm to pass us by, it will. He does not need to shuffle us around to avoid it.

The lesson to be witnessed and hopefully learned by non-believers regarding these events is NOT that God can sneak His faithful out the back door before the sheets hit the fan. It is that the harm will pass them over if they have faith and if He so chooses.

To the extent one believes a given trial / tribulation to be or include spiritual warfare, then it seems even more likely we are expected to be here as the targets of it. Why try the already-unbelieving with more deceptions and untruths? What do we carry around all this gospel armor for anyway?


76 posted on 07/01/2019 5:30:15 PM PDT by BuddhaBrown (Path to enlightenment: Four right turns, then go straight until you see the Light!)
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To: BuddhaBrown

I’ve heard people being shunned from their church because they didn’t believe in the Rapture.


77 posted on 07/01/2019 5:37:37 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: MHGinTN
Which happens at the end of the Tribulation.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1Th 4:16).

If the Rapture supposedly happens in secret then what's with the shouting and horn tooting? Only Christians will hear it? Will CNN and MSNBC cover it? Will Jim Acosta be reporting?

78 posted on 07/01/2019 5:43:30 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: grumpa

I remember reading that book in the late 70s but through the lens of the Cold War. He painted the Soviets as the bad guys and I was good with that part.


79 posted on 07/01/2019 5:57:23 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: SkyDancer

“I’ve heard people being shunned from their church because they didn’t believe in the Rapture.”

That sounds more like the less well-known prequel, The Rupture.

Seems like a bad reason to push somebody out of a church. But there are plenty of places to go. Nobody needs any church or denomination to be saved, regardless what some Catholics think. And no obligation to stay and convince others of that church one way or the other regarding the rapture theory.


80 posted on 07/01/2019 5:59:24 PM PDT by BuddhaBrown (Path to enlightenment: Four right turns, then go straight until you see the Light!)
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