Are Hal Lindsey & Tim LaHaye the Beast & False Prophet? I suppose not, but I’ve got a question for you. If a Christian doesn’t believe in a pretribulational rapture, and it happens, will he get raptured anyway? Just wondering.
I met a man again today, for the first time. I say that because he is not unique. People like this are everywhere I turn. He has some vague sense that he is Christian. He doesn’t go to church. He doesn’t read his Bible regularly. But he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are living in the last days, because everyone else is so gulldern wicked. Here’s my take on people like this:
- They get their theology from sensationalist authors like Lindsey and LaHaye and Chick Tracts, cable mockumentaries like the Bible Code, idle babbling from a Pentecostal grandma, or TBN; never from actually reading their Bibles.
- They do not take up their cross and follow Jesus.
- They are watching for a sign so they know when to get on the bandwagon.
- They want a gold one, that’s silver lined.
Boys and girls, if you wait for a sign, you’re gonna miss Him. Jesus can return at any moment. WITHOUT WARNING.
Yet you keep watching for the BIG SIGN, whether it was Y2K, 9/11, or NKOTB reuniting. In the meantime you live your way, comfortable with the idea you can change just before the last trumpet blows.
I never thought “Left Behind” eschatology was good evangelism. You scare people into going to church in hopes of getting raptured and avoiding the tribulation. But as time goes on and they don’t “fly away,” they begin to feel bamboozled.
Don’t get me wrong. We are closer to the end time than we’ve ever been. Yet Jesus’ return was no less imminent in Paul’s and Peter’s day. Their teaching still stands today.
The day of the Lord will come like a thief.
Live in holiness and godliness.
Be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
(2 Peter 3:10-14)
Go to church.
Strong love, strange peace.
Hi, bumped into your blog and had a few thoughts on this post.
I personally feel the bible makes it clear that there ARE two signs related to the end of the age, and that they are not esoteric or difficult to understand.
In 2 Thesselonians 2 Paul says, “concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled…for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.”
That seems simple to me, the Great Apostasy and the emergence of the anti-christ will come before Jesus returns and gathers us to Him.
In understand your concern about ‘tribulation fever’, trying to read tea leaves, etc – to say there is ‘no warning’ doesn’t seem to take into account this exhortation of Paul.
Brother Kyle,
Thanks for your thoughts. I grant that the Bible does mention signs related to the “Day of the Lord.” In fact, there are more than two. Mark’s gospel tells us in chapter 13 that the gospel must be preached in every nation and that there will be unprecedented tribulation.
My concern is that these signs are not discernable to those who choose to remain on the fringes of discipleship. Even Paul implies this in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4.
To use Mark’s gospel again, in chapter 8, verse 11, the Pharisees demand a sign to prove Jesus is the Christ. His response? “No sign will be given this generation.” Yet all which we have read up to this point have been signs. What gives? Well, the Pharisees were outside the borders of faith, and wouldn’t recognize a sign if it hit them in the face, but the disciples who followed Him before “sign one” were beginning at this point to discern who Jesus really is. I suspect the same principle applies to eschatology.
Additionally, we have to ask which, if any, of the signs future to the apostles are, in fact, past to us. Depending on one’s millennial view, the falling away and the man of sin may have already taken place.
Strong love, strange peace.
Hey, I also ran into your blog and would like to say a few things. Yes, Jesus comes without warning and no one knows when…hey, could be in a few minutes! But the Bible does gives some signs that the end of the age is coming. Like Jesus himself says in Matthew that the sun will darken and night and day will be the same…it’s bleak and kinda inetrestingly mind-bogling, but then again so is pretty much ALL of Revelation. I agree, though, with what your saying. I hate these people that are going to Church or calling themselves christians or living “good lives” JUST BECUASE THEY WANT TO FLY AWAY IN SOME MYSTICAL WAY TOWARD JESUS!!! IT’S GOT TO BE A FULL CAHNGE OF HEART. IT’S GOT TO BE INSIDE, AND OUT. I never bought into the whole “left Behind” gags. I found trying to interpret the end times stupid and bleak and cause people to think like “I ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN!” It’s wrong to play prophecy…it’s wrong to play God. And I’m not judging Tim LaHaye or Hal Lindsey or that co-writer Jenkins, I’m just saying it’s VERY dangerous to do things like that…and when they’re considered such a phemonon, too.
But anyway, keep the faith…keep it real…God loves you and mayHis precious love surround you and convict unbelievers in these LAST DAYS
-Josiah
P.S. I love Larry’s song “Strong Love, Strange Peace” Just heard it today
First of all, the Bible plainly states by Jesus himself that NO man shall come unto God but through HIM. Translation: No one will be with God in Heaven unless they receive His son Jesus Christ. It is by grace we are saved not by works alone. It is because we are saved that we do works of God; tithing, fellowship, witnessing. We don’t do those things so that God will have mercy on us. It’s the sacrifice of Jesus, son of God, by His shed blood, we are saved. That if we believe He is our saviour, we have eternal life. So whether you believe in Pretrib or posttrib or premillinium or not doesn’t save you or not. You go to Hell for the rejection of Christ.