Neurologically Atypical

Life, the Universe and Everything from an Autism Spectrum Perspective. - WTF?

Monday, December 11, 2006

Hal Lindsey - Praise the Profits!

When I was an unhappy clapper -> Born-Again Christian, mostly during my teenage years, one of my favourite authors was Hal Lindsey. After attending a number of 'Fruits of the Spirit' workshops, I discovered that my 'Fruit' was biblical prophecy. I read at least three books of Lindsey, then the US Authority on evangelical prophecy. Like many 'prophets' Lindsey predicted the End of the World and the Coming of the Anti-Christ. The problem is that he always got it wrong, and every edition of his best selling book "The Late Great Planet Earth" (and there are many), would have a disclaimer which put the date of the Apocalypse back another ten years. The date ofcourse was based on some crud that the Antichrist (who was an Arab of unknown origin) would usurp the world into a One World Government exactly one 'generation' after the founding of the State of Israel. This was based on an interpretation of some obscure biblical reference that used similarly ambigious words for time to that used in Genesis to describe the 'seven days' of creation myth. Initially Lindsey and his ilk argued that a 'generation' was twenty years, but 1968 rolled over and everyone was still unraptured. Lindsey, like other american televangelists, believed that the Rapture would occur before the time of hardship of Tribulation, and all the good people (mostly Southern Baptist Christians) would be taken up for a heaven-side seat. Lindsey also predicted that the former USSR would be one of main Antichristian allies to fight against the true 'Godzone' - the State of Israel.

My main problem with Zionists (especially those of Christian persuasion) is that in the same way that Jake Heke's people 'Once Were Warriors', the Jews living in Palestine are 'Once Were God's Chosen People'. The Jewish Diaspora happened for a good reason. YHWH said, and I paraphrase slightly "You dumb people had it good, I signed a Covenant with you if you were only to behave yourselves. But you lied and cheated on me, worshipping other gods and doing what you saw fit. As a result of you breaking our Covenant, I'm taking Palestine away from you. You have no right to get it back even if you listen to my son Yeshua". In my opinion the True Promised Land of the Jewish People is where we live now, especially NYC. A big problem is that many Jews of my generation living in Palestine were born there, and all they have known is that Apartheid-like regime. Ironic that Daniel Malan and his cronies supported Hitler, to the extent that he opposed South African support of the Allies in WWII.

After leaving the active church attendance phase of my life (I grew up in Blenheim, where the Christian youth groups formed the backbone of most of my peers social lives) I continued to read and watch what I could about Lindsey. I began to piece together that this prophet often acted as a researcher for Neo-Con Televangelists, and that his views were pro-Republican, homophobic and strongly anti-Moslem. I remember watching the '700 Club', near the time of the Bush-Gore Election. The language Lindsey had used in books like "The Late Great Planet Earth" to describe the Antichrist was the same used to describe the conservative Baptist Albert Gore Jr. Although my differences with Lindsey's 'prophecies' have grown over the last seventeen years (since I left the church), I still find him entertaining to watch and to read, especially when he completely fails to get it right.

The following is the latest from Lindsey's website: http://www.hallindseyoracle.com/articles.asp?ArticleID=13446

How The Mighty Have Fallen

Though there is nothing specifically predicted about the United States in the “Last Days”, there are certainly examples of how God dealt with great powers in the past – and why.

The Bible predicted the destinies of Four Great world Empires. Daniel particularly focused on them. He predicted the fall of mighty Babylon and witnessed it take place.

The city of Babylon was considered one of the great wonders of the ancient world. The Babylonians considered it impregnable – and with good reason.

The Greek historian, Herodotus, wrote that its outer walls were 300 feet high. It had many towers for archers that were even taller. It was wide enough at the top for four-horse chariots to ride around it. It was approximately 54 miles in total length. It had an inner wall that was almost equally strong with a mote between the walls.

The Euphrates River ran through the center of the city. Great bronze gates were suspended into the River to prevent an army from going underneath to enter the city. With such an endless water supply and the food that could be produced within the city, it was considered impregnable to any siege.

Yet, with all of its mighty defenses, Babylon fell in one night. It happened at the height of a great feast at which the King Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, was celebrating Babylon’s invincibility over the Medes and the Persians, who had surrounded the city. He made the big mistake of committing the final insult to Israel’s God. He used the golden goblets taken from Jerusalem’s Temple to toast the gods of Babylon.

Unknown to the King, the Medes and Persians had been working for weeks to divert the flow of the Euphrates River using a series of dams. That very day the amazing engineering feat was completed.

The overconfident Babylonians did not notice after nightfall that the river’s waters were receding. It was at that time that God caused a hand to appear and write on the wall of the great banquet hall these words: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

Terrified, the King sent for the court astrologers to decipher the words. None could do it.

Then the Queen mother was summoned. She told the King about Nebuchadnezzar’s faith in a Jewish prophet and His God. She assured him that Daniel, whom his father made a member the court astrologers, could decipher the message.

Daniel rejected the Kings offer of ruling over a third of the Empire if he could decipher the message, and why it was sent.
Daniel began by rebuking the King for not following the example of his father, who believed in the God of Israel.

He rehearsed how God blessed him and his kingdom because of his faith. He said, “You have not humbled yourself as your father did before the LORD of heaven.” “You have used the sacred implements of His Temple to drink wine and honor your false gods.”

“So here is the message the hand sent from GOD has written.”

“MENE” – “GOD HAS NUMBERED YOUR KINGDOM AND PUT AN END TO IT”

“TEKEL” – “YOU HAVE BEEN MEASURED ON GOD’S SCALES & FOUND WANTING.”

“PERES” (past tense of verb upharsin) – “Divided” “Your Kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”

“That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.” (Daniel 5:30 NAS)

You see, the very moments that Daniel was finishing giving God’s indictment to the king, the Median & Persian armies were storming under the bronze bars into the city via the dried up river.

America, you were founded by your fathers – most of whom believed in Jesus as LORD.

You have been blessed and protected as few countries in history because of this.

Now you have turned against the God who has blessed you.

You have barred God’s Word from all public places of learning.

You have driven any mention of the Son of God from the public square. Even symbols of Him are no longer tolerated.

You have murdered millions of your unborn children on the alter of lust.

You have made what God calls an abomination socially acceptable – homosexuality.

Therefore your enemies are plotting your destruction on every side – and most of your people are not even aware of the danger they are in.

God says, “MENE” The Days of your nation have been numbered

“TEKEL” You have been weighed on God’s scales and found wanting.

“PERES” Your nation is about to be destroyed.

I only have one word of HOPE. Even evil Nineveh was spared when the people repented. May America repent before it is too late.

Great Babylon was once greater than we are – but go look at what is left now. It is a heap of rubble, hardly known by the world today. God raises nations and destroys them as He wills.
<>
Email Author: By: Hal Lindsey