Posted on 12/01/2024 1:31:56 AM PST by Morgana
Hal Lindsey, the TV host, evangelist, and author of the infamous book The Late Great Planet Earth, passed away on November 25, 2024, at the age of 95.
Born in Houston in 1929, Lindsey became a household name after releasing The Late Great Planet Earth in 1970, which sold more than 36 million copies and became the most read book of the decade by Christians and non-Christians alike, even having a film about it narrated by Orson Welles.
Here, he popularized dispensational premillennialism with a doomsday bent, tying modern events to biblical ancient prophecy and scaring the hell out of the masses while doing so.
This teaching was his bread and butter, along with making apocalyptic predictions that never came to pass despite being based on “clear bible prophecies.” For example, in a message given in 1979, he predicted an all-out nuclear war before 1989, an invasion of Israel by Russia, the world running out of raw materials before 1990, and the meltdown of major nuclear power plants and the destruction of the nation’s damns in 1982. He also told folks that the rapture was at hand and would occur in their lifetimes.
In short: he was a notorious bible prophecy teacher whose prophecies and predictions never came to pass.
He would later write 30 more books, including the sequel The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon which furiously hinted and suggested that Jesus would return in 1988, coming as close as possible to setting the date without ever definitely doing so.
He spent the next 40 years of his life collecting wives (he was on his fourth when he passed away) and making an astonishing amount of false prophecies and predictions that never came to pass. One reader described him this way:
Every 3 years, Hal Lindsey writes a new book denoting how the world will end in 5 years. Each subsequent book explains how he WASN’T wrong in the previous book and the world will really end in 5 years. . . . He has followed this pattern for 3 decades and is now acknowledged as “the foremost authority on Biblical prophecy in the world today.”
Along with his books, he spent years sharing his message on his broadcast shows International Intelligence Briefing Read and The Hal Lindsey Report, which appeared on TBN and Daystar.
Other than being 100% wrong they were interesting books.
CC
He damaged Christianity by his positions.
Surprising, but typical of Hal.
He missed the bible passage, “the earth is firmly and securely made”. No need to worry about globul warming, resources or most anything else. We will be fine until God changes everything.
If he had Matthew 24:36 he needn’t have wasted his time:
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
CC
No one knows the appointed time. Only the Father.
In all of his searching of scripture, how did he miss Deuteronomy 18:21-22?
You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” / When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
There are other passages. The standard is clear; 100% accuracy.
Sorry I posted and then read the comments.
“Other than being 100% wrong they were interesting books.”
I rate Hal right up there with Carlos Castaneda and the Yaqui way of knowledge... many have had their walk ruined by deception and false teachings.
He didn’t damage Christianity, just his own reputation.
Maybe not to Christians, but to those outside Christianity it helped solidify their hard hearts.
Could’ve made bank as a Climate Loon
The late great Hal Lindsey.
Hal had his issues that he will answer to God for. However he never gave a date for Jesus Christ’s return. Rather, he did what all of us are supposed to do: watch for biblical signs of the end, and pray for an escape in God (Luke 21:36). Are we not closer to Christ’s return today than in 1969 when Hal wrote his first book? His book helped me see that the Bible is more accurate than tomorrow’s newspaper, and every word of it shall be fulfilled. I could possibly see attacks on his character, however I don’t understand the vitriolic attacks on what Hal tried to do with his books.
I won’t speak for others, but to me Hal started a helpful ministry that slowly devolved into hucksterism.
CC
Who determines if a prediction is the word of a prophet or a sinner?
Excellent point.
You an add Jack Kerouac and a host of other radicals to the list of those who people worshiped and thereby lost their way.
there have been a couple threads on this death
at this pount this is trolling
this poster has a history
we protestants dont post constant bashing and trolling threads against one section of Christian denominations
i request this thread be pulled
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