Matchett, I enjoyed your recounting of the “pre-mil” evolution.
It should be noted that Hal Lindsey didn’t come up with his ideas on his own. He simply elaborated on that which was previously espoused by M.R. DeHaan (whose grandson, Maart, continues his ministry from Grand Rapids), and before him, H.A. Ironside.
Darbyism, which as you note, sprang from the visions of Margaret MacDonald, and from the Plymouth Brethren who took up its cause.
The cornerstone of the movement was the iminent return of Christ. That had a couple of consequences: the drive for missionary evangelism led by such people as J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, Frederick Fransen, founder of the Scandinavian Alliance Mission (now The Evangelical Alliance Mission, TEAM) and D.L. Moody and others.
The motivation was that Christ would come when all people had a chance to hear about Him.
The other consequence was the return of puritannical lifestyles, such as a ban on dancing, drinking, movie going, etc. The rationale was “you don’t want to be found in a movie theatre when Christ comes”.
In the late 1870’s the Niagara Conferences were instituted to formulate concepts and strategy. These were taken over by C.S. Scofield and his compatriots in the 1900’s. As you note, Moody Bible Institute, Dallas Theological Seminary, Fuller, etc became the predominant institutes for evangelicalism and therefore, pre-mil, pre-destinationism.
The above is an off the top of the head summarization and therefore subject to valid criticism, and not meant to be authoritative in any way.
“Matchett, I enjoyed your recounting of the “pre-mil” evolution.” ~ norge
Thank you!