Publishing Armageddon

American Vision ^ | 7/24/2006 | Gary DeMar

[topcat54]

"This is because current events, not Scripture, serve as their interpretive grid."

"Now that the former Soviet Union no longer has super power status, a new prophetic theory had to be invented to fit current events."

"Now that Iran is threatening Israel again, prophetic publishers are looking for the next prophetic blockbuster to take advantage of the always gullible Christian market."

[topcat54]

Reformed Eschatology Ping List (REPL)

[nmh]

Sigh ... all John F. Walvoord did in both his mentioned books was show how current events are LEADING up to the rapture and Armageddon. The reference is ALL based on Scripture.

In no way shape or form did he PREDICT a date or personally PROPHSIZE. All he did was cover the SAME issues that are BIGGER issues today. I suppose some people just don't want to read what the Bible states and have events compliment it. No one knows when He is returning but one is allowed to look at events and see a PATTERN where His return looks very soon.

1Thes.5

[2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

2Pet.3

[10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

[Gamecock]

***Walvoord....... Described as “the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy***

Not accurate mind you, he just sells lots of books.

[TomSmedley]

The only winners in the Armageddon game are the authors who tell us it’s near and the publishers who print their books by the truck load. The losers are the integrity of God’s Word and the poor souls who pin their hopes on prophetic speculations passed off as certainties that are always said to be near.

Well, dear old Hal Lindsey gets to recyle his books and his wives as each ages out. He's on wife number four at the moment, and who knows how many times he'd "updated" The Late Great Planet Earth ? New names, fresh covers, life is good if you are on the profit-making end of the doomsaying business!

[nmh]

"Walvoord’s failed predictions have not deterred other prophecy writers from taking up the mantle of prophetic dogmatism by proclaiming that prophecy is being fulfilled today."

He made NO predictions. Events today are fulfilling BIBLICAL prophecy today.

This author is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO spiritually discerned it is beyond sad.

[aft_lizard]

In 1974, Thomas S. McCall and the late Zola Levitt wrote The Coming Russian Invasion in which they stated that “the Armageddon conflict grows out of the Russian invasion of Israel.” Now that the former Soviet Union no longer has super power status, a new prophetic theory had to be invented to fit current events.>>>>

Does the author of this article think because the USSR is no more that Russia is no longer a threat? I am not really into eschatology, but if we take the premise that Gog and Magog will invade Israel, then thats what it says it doesnt say unless the USSR is no more or unless this or that.

[Blogger]

Walvoord is being tarred unfairly. He's much more biblically based than some of the other prophecy folks.

[Blogger]

Russia has always been considered the land of Magog by these prophecy scholars - not the Soviet Union. It was the Scythians who were progenitors of the Russians that was the reason why.

[Blogger]

Lindsey has done some good work. His analysis of Islam is great. Wives aside, his biggest downfall has been a tendency to date-set.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Lotsa gold in the mines of Prophecy.

[nmh]

When I view some of the comments on this thread, it's shocking to know how Biblically challenged some are and they're smug about it!

Amazing!

[Alex Murphy]

Lotsa gold in the mines of Prophecy.

Lotsa mines buried underfoot, in those goldfields of Prophecy....

[Blogger]

Not only smug, but joyful when they see another Christian being tarred -- even though they probably haven't read that Christian's work to begin with. Walvrood is probably one of the better ones out there.

[Blogger]

One should be careful about how one handles prophecy. Jesus said that when we see these signs coming to pass to look up... So, it follows that there are signs that we are to look for. However, when people become dogmatic that such and such is a definately a sign, then they get in trouble. We only know in retrospect. Israel becoming a nation again was definately a sign. Some of the current events may or may not be. We just have to wait and see.

[Alex Murphy]

When I view some of the comments on this thread, it's shocking to know how Biblically challenged some are and they're smug about it!

Speaking of smug, tell me what you know about church history and the eschatological viewpoints known as amillennialism and postmillenialism. Bonus points awarded, if you can do so without referring to the works of Hal Lindsey or Dave Hunt.

[justshutupandtakeit]

yep

[Dr. Eckleburg]

End-time prophesy is like global-warming. You can find a "pattern" anywhere pieced together out of anything.

Christ reigns today.

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." -- 2 Corinthians 4:18

[topcat54]

Sigh ... all John F. Walvoord did in both his mentioned books was show how current events are LEADING up to the rapture and Armageddon. The reference is ALL based on Scripture.

Well then how is it that his book is no longer published and you can buy it used for one penny on Amazon's used book site? Surely if he wasn't giving the impression of making predictions then this text would have had a longer shelf life, esp. the second time around.

Walvoord fell into the same trap as other pop prophecy types like Hal Lindsey and Chuck Smith. He became mesmerized by the events in the Middle East and allowed that to color his scholarship. He ended up denying the old school/Scofield/Chafer/Dallas view of dispensational prophecy which taught there where would be no identifiable events prior to the rapture of the church.

[Alex Murphy]

Walvoord fell into the same trap as other pop prophecy types like Hal Lindsey and Chuck Smith.

Rumor has it that Walvoord was one of Lindsey's professors at Dallas Theological Seminary. He must have fallen in first.