Hal Lindsey’s Prophecies

A Study of The Late Great Planet Earth: Part 2

Part 1       Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6

By David Mathews

27. “The original Greek words translated ‘east’ (Revelation 16:12) are literally anatoles heliou, which means, ‘the rising of the sun.’ This was the ancient designation of the Oriental races and nations. John describes the vast horde of soldiers assembled at the Euphrates River as ‘the kings of the sun rising’ and thus definitely predicts the movement of a vast oriental army into a war in the Middle East.” (p. 81).

A vast Oriental army is not necessary predicted in Revelation 16:12. “East”, relative to Israel, could include any nation to Israel’s East. If “East” has reference to China, several difficulties are immediately apparent. A Chinese army travelling toward Israel would not be welcome in India. India and China are bitter enemies, having already fought three wars in the last fifty. Any attempt by China to transport an army across India will be met with a military response from India. India now has nuclear weapons, and that is an effective deterrent to any Chinese army. It is safe to conclude that China would not attempt a foolish attempt to invade Israel. Israel is of no use to the Chinese.

28. “The Euphrates has presented a forminable problem for corps of engineers of many ancient armies of the past. In this future invasion, however, God Himself will see to it that the River is dried up so that a trap is set for triggering the last great war of mankind.” (p. 82).

The Euphrates is not a formidable barrier. Alexander the Great crossed it several times, as recorded by Quintus Curtus Rufus in his The History of Alexander: “Alexander, however, was a man who paid no attention to any danger, especially superior numbers, and eleven days later he arrived at the Euphrates. He bridged the river, ordering the calvary to cross first and the phalanx after them, while Mazaeus, who had swiftly appeared with his 6,000 calvary to check his crossing, did not dare expose himself to danger.” (4.9.12 of John Yardley’s Penguin Classic translation). The Chinese (or any other army) would not need the river to dry so that they may cross it. Modern technology has made it easy enough. There are bridges crossing the Euphrates.

29. “Another important detail involving this Orietal army is unlocked by the clue involving the Euphrates. The apostle John speaks of the release of four vicious, depraved angelic beings which have been kept bound by God at the Euphrates River (Revelation 9:14-16). Immediately after their release an incredible army emerges from the Euphrates. . .it numbers ‘200 million’ (Revelation 9:16). The four demonic spirit-beings somehow incite this great army to invade the Middle East and apparently they are the ones who make the river dry up so that the army can quickly cross this ancient barrier of east and west.
A terrifying prophecy is made about the destiny of this Asian horde. They will wipe out a third of the earth’s population (Revelation 9:18). The phenomena by which this destruction of life will take place is given: it will be by fire, smoke (or air pollution), and brimstone (or melted earth). The thought may have occurred to you that this is strikingly similar to the phenomena associated with thermonuclear warfare. In fact, many Bible expositors believe that this is an accurate first-century description of a twentieth-century thermonuclear war.” (p. 82).

Prophetic chronology has become complicated in the above quote. Is God going to dry up the Euphrates river so that the Chinese may cross it or so that the four spirits may be released? Will the four spirits incite the Chinese to mobilize a 200-million man army of will that army miraculously appear out of the river bed? Will a thermonuclear war be launched by the army against the world, or will the world launch a nuclear attack against the army? Will the destruction of a third of the world’s population result from actual military activity of the army, or from a nuclear attack on the world by the army, or from a nuclear attack against the army? How close will the army approach Israel, will it actually attack Israel, or will it suffer from a nuclear attack by Israel long before it reaches Israel?

No nuclear attack is described in the Biblical text: “By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed -- by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouth.” Fire, smoke and brimstone may result from conventional weapons.

30. “With the Communist takeover of China, the real sleeping giant of Asia was awakened. Om about 1860 an astute student of Biblical prophecy, Dr. Robinson, predicted: ‘Before another half century shall have rolled away in the providence of God there will be a revolution in the Oriental mind of which no one has even a foreboding.’
Dr. Cummings in 1864 also foresaw the necessity of the Orient entering the Industrial age and alter becoming a great scourge to the Western civilization.
In the twenty odd years since the fall of China to the Communists there has been a steady relentless preparation for all out war with the free world.” (p. 84).

During the last half century, two great powers were planning for all out war with the outside world: The Soviet Union and the United States. American preparation for all out war with the Soviets has given us the capability of taking on any enemy -- including the Chinese. China has fought several wars with its neighbor, India, and it was an opponent of the United States in Korea. China has not yet attempted to dominate the world, nor would it succeed if it were to make the attempt.

31. “The vaunted Sino-Soviet split is over an interpretation of Communist doctrine. The Chinese insist that the world can be captured only by force of arms and violence: The Russians now believe that the free world can be captured by the relatively limited violence of internal subversion . . . while masquerading under the guise of ‘peaceful coexistence.’ It should be marked well, however, that neither have disembarked from their goal of total world domination.” (pp. 83-4)

Needless to say, the Sino-Soviet split was not merely a squabble about the interpretation of Communist doctrine. There are fundamental differences between Chinese culture and Soviet culture. China was not going to submit its will to a Soviet master, no more so than China was going to willingly accept economic domination by the Western nations during the 19th century. Today, the split has taken even greater dimensions: The Soviets no longer exist, Communism in Russia is in decline, and Capitalism has won.

32. “We believe that China is the beginning of the formation of this great power called ‘the kings of the east’ by the apostle John. We live at a time in history when it is no longer incredible to think of the Orient with an army of 200 million soldiers. In fact, a recent television documentary on Red China, called ‘The Voice of a Dragon,’ quoted the boast of the Chinese themselves that they could field a ‘people’s army’ of 200 million militiamen. In their own boast they named the same number as the Biblical prediction. Coincidence?” (p. 86).

Whether the number is coincidence or not, a serious difference exist between a mobilized army of 200 million men and the potential mobilization of 200 million militiamen. Any nation involved in offensive military activity will not send its entire army on that offensive action. China would want to protect its borders so that an anemy may not invade them and destroy their nation. Even for a nation of a billion people, the economic burden of mobilizing a 200 million man army would be sufficient to plunge the economy into oblivion. Problems of communication and tactical control would prevent any effective use of the army. The time needed to mobilize and transport such an army would give any nation in the army’s path adequate time to prepare defensive and offensive military operations meant to defeat the army.

33. “The sobering fact that Red China will have ICBM’s capable of delivering H-bombs by 1980 at the latest, presents another grisly potential for fulfilling prophecy regarding to Oriental power. Within a decade China alone will have the capacity to destroy one-third of the world’s population just as John predicted.” (p. 87).

Chinese ICBMs could destroy one third of the Earth’s population. Who is China going to launch those missiles at? India, Russia, Europe or America? And what will China suffer as a result of that? A nuclear response by the United States, Israel or another enemy. A country which has two hundred million men invading other nations would have more to fear from nuclear missiles, because several well placed nuclear blast would be sufficient to eradicate a significant percentage of that army.

34. “However, the prophetic Scriptures tell us that the Roman Empire will be revived shortly before the return of Christ to this earth. A new Ceasar will head this empire and ‘Veni, vidi, vici’ will leap out of the first-year Latin books and become a reality of the times.” (p. 88).

Contrary to the fears and expectations of Hal Lindsey and other modern day prophets, the Roman Empire was never revived and will never be revived. The government, law and culture of room no longer exist, and no efforts are currently in progress to establish those again. Prophets are continually searching for the Roman Empire, and they have attached special importance to the European Union (the Common Market) which is an economic, political and military union of the indepdendant nations of Europe. A fundamental difference exist between a union of nations in Europe today and an Empire built by conquest of a single nation thousands of years ago.

35. “As world events develop, prophecy becomes more and more exciting. Also, the understanding of God’s prophecies becomes increasingly clear as we look at the Bible and then at the current scene.
We are told in Daniel 12 how prophecy ‘will not be understood until the end times, when travel and education shall be vastly increased.’” (p. 89).

Daniel’s prophecy of knowledge increasing in the end times is a commonly quoted passage among the Modern Day Prophets, who see in it a justification for their ministry. If the success of these prophet’s predictions is any indication, the end times are still very distant. The prophets of today speculate and guess until their prophecies fail, and then they revise and reinterpret the predictions for another, later fulfillment.

36. “This writer doesn’t believe that we have prophets today who are getting direct revelations from God, but we do have prophets today who are getting special insight into the prophetic word.” (p. 89).

When finding failed predictions in The Late Great Planet Earth, keep in mind that these errors are the result of a “special insight” into God’s prophetic word. Evidence indicates that the prophets have claimed a provisional inspiration which protects them from criticism and grants them special authority to speculate and opinionate at will.

37. “In spite of the vain striving of man, of the bold and famous conquerors throughout the ages who have failed in their human attempts, we are beginning to see the Ancient Roman Empire draw together, just as predicted.
If you are racing for your Rand McNally, please spare yourself the exertion. We are not speaking of a revived Roman Empire in the physical, geographical sense, although some of these countries were part of the Ancient Roman Empire, but we are speaking of those countries which are the depository of the people, the culture, and the tradition of Rome.” (p. 94).

Any arbitrary collection of European powers may fall under the vague definition of “Roman Empire” found above. Apparent, the revived “Roman Empire” will lack the title (i.e., “Roman Empire” or “Roman” anything), the government (Rome was first a Republic and then an Empire), the laws, the culture, the tradition or anything else that identified the ancient Roman Empire.

38. “If the formation of the European Common Market were an isolated development in the line of Biblical prophecy it would have no significance for our study. However, combined with the other pieces of the prophetic puzzle which we are attempting to develop for you, it takes on an immense importance.
We believe that the Common Market and the trend toward unification of Europe may well be the beginning of the ten-nation confederacy predicted by Daniel and the book of Revelation.” (p. 94).

Pay particular attention to the first sentence of the above quote: “If the formation of the European Common Market were an isolated development in the line of Biblical prophecy it would have no significance for our study.” Hal Lindsey’s “Revived Roman Empire” resolves itself into a conjecture of his based upon his opinion of the End-Times. Since he believed that the End-Times had come, he had to find a Revived Roman Empire. Lacking any better alternative, he chose the European Common Market.

39. “A fourth factor is that according to the prophetic outlook the United States will cease being the leader of the West and will probably become in some way a part of the new European power.
Sheath your weapons, please. We realize that the United States is not mentioned in the Bible. However, it is certain that the leadership of the West must shift to Rome, in its revived form, and if the U.S. is still around at that time, it will not be the power it now is.” (pp. 95-96).

The United States is missing from prophecy, which has drawn all sorts of ominous speculation from Modern Day Prophets who seek an explanation. Somehow, the United States must diminish in power and hence play no part in the End Time. That explanation is not credible when it is remembered that Hal Lindsey has described detailed predictions about the actions of Libya and Ethiopa, and other insignificant nations of Europe or the Middle East. Even if the United States were to become less powerful, it would still possess enough economic, military and nuclear clout to significantly affect the outcome of events in the Middle East.

Since Hal Lindsey’s writing, the United States has become the only remaining Superpower and its economy has grown significantly. The United States is not threatened by any enemy in its own hemisphere, which means that the only significant direct military threat to Americans is the nuclear missiles of enemy nations. American nuclear and military deterrents are safeguards against that threat. For that reason it is safe to conclude that America will remain a Superpower long into the foreseeable future.

An alternative explanation is possible for the lack of prophecies about the United States: Perhaps those prophecies are not predictions about the modern world or events occurring in the modern world. If those predictions concerned ancient events, then the United States was excluded because it did not (at that time) exist.

40. “’Three phases of the European unification are to be noted. First, the customs union, second, the economic union, third, the political union . . . what we have created on the way to uniting Europe is a mighty economic-political union of which nothing may be sacrificed for any reason. Its value exists not only in what it is, but more in what it promises to become . . . At about 1980 we may fully expect the great fusion of all economic, military, and political communities together into the United States of Europe.'
Hallstein cites 1980. The timetable may be accelerating. Developments in Europe have changed so rapidly that an American news magazine had a feature headed 'Europe's Dreams of Unity Revive.'
One sentence in the story leaped from the page: 'Should all go according to the most optimistic schedules, the Common Market could some day expand into a ten-nation economic entity whose industrial might would far surpass the Soviet Union.'
Imagine that. A 'ten-nation economic entity.'
Is it any wonder that men who have studied prophecy for many years believe the basic beginnings of the unification of Europe have begun?" (pp. 96-97).

The unification of Europe into a Common Market has presented prophecy ministers with an ideal example of the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy in modern times. Because a revived Roman Empire plays a major part in Prophetic scenarios, modern prophets have sought diligently for the incipient Roman Empire. The Common Market was (and is) the most reasonable option for a present-day revived Roman Empire. Those who seek to correlate the Common Market with the ancient Roman Empire will discover that there are a tremendous number of differences in the government, law, culture, land, dominance of world and language. In addition to the numerous differences is the additional barrier of time between the fall of the Roman Empire in the sixth century A.D. and its supposed "revival" in the Twentieth century.

Particular attention was drawn to the number of nations in the Common Market, which at that time was expected to reach ten. The number "ten" has significance because modern prophets seek an absolutely literal interpretation of king Nebuchadnezzar's dream of Daniel, especially to the feet of the image: "its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and clay" (Daniel 2:33). Because premillennial expositors of Biblical prophecy have determined that the feet must have reference to the revived Roman Empire, the see the presence of ten toes as signifying a ten nation confederacy of nations composing the new Empire. Further evidence supporting the concept of a ten-nation confederacy is found in Daniel 7:20, "about the ten horns that were on its head, and about the other horn that came up, before the three fell, namely the horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words." Originally, the scenario was that the Common Market as the revived Roman Empire would come into existence as a ten nation confederacy which would be taken over by the Antichrist, with his attainment of authority somehow connected with the downfall of three kingdoms (or nations) through either military conquest or voluntary submission.

Prophets awaited the entrance of the tenth nation into the Common Market, expectant that the event would signal the presence of Antichrist by the events which must surely follow. When the day came, an unexpected event occurred: The Common Market grew to eleven members because two nations joined at the same time. Quick revision and rethought of the prophecies led to the assumption that the Common Market would grow to thirteen nations before the Antichrist's takeover, with the loss of three nations bringing the number back down to the prophesied number "ten."

In either case, the Common Market has failed to cooperate with modern prophets, and the expected events never materialized. Today, premillennial prophets are struggling to re-interpret the prophecies alluded to by Hal Lindsey into a form which might be compatible with present world conditions or to potential future conditions.

41. "At the time that this Roman Empire will begin to be revived there will also be a revival of mystery Babylon. If this sounds rather spooky, bring your head out from under the skeptical covers and examine with us in a later chapter the Biblical basis and the current applications.
Heading the revived Roman Empire will be a man of such magnetism, such power, and such influence, that he will for a time be the greatest dictator the world has ever known. He will be completely godless, diabolically evil 'future fuehrer.'" (p. 97).

These predictions were dependant upon the accuracy of the revived Roman Empire. The failure of the former prediction has made the latter predictions futile.

 

  as of 12-2007