You were saying — “”However” ... that’s a key word for the Rapture Ready crowd. They are always hedging their bets, insinuating they know more than they really know.”
That’s not what Ed Hindson was indicating. I know from having heard him before, myself. But, also, it was stated in what TaraP said, too. He didn’t “hedge his bets” — but “outright” said that if Obama is the Antichrist and we see him here, then we have been “left behind” (of course, his meaning being — that it’s “not true” and we have not been left behind... LOL...).
Obama was ruled out — and it was not a “hedged bet”.
The one thing that is taught over and over again, by all of these Bible Prophecy teachers is the “doctrine of imminence” in that Jesus Christ will come in the air, for His church (the Rapture) and it will not have any specific prophecies needed to be fulfilled *beforehand* for this to happen. And it will be a “signless event” — in that there are no “signs” which will precede this event that will let people know that it is about to happen. It is said it will be a surprise and no one will be expecting it — hence — one “expects it at any time” (an hour from now, in the next few minutes, tomorrow, next week, next year, in a decade, and so on..., at any time).
These Bible Prophecy teachers don’t say that they know *more* than what the Bible says about it, but they do know that the signs of Jesus Christ’s second coming are building right now. And so, being that this is the case, they also know that the time for the “signless event” to happen (i.e., the Rapture) is even closer than that of the second coming of Jesus Christ to set up the Kingdom on the earth.
And it’s like I’ve said in another post, “When one sees Christmas decorations being put into the stores, then one knows that Thanksgiving is really, really close!”
When one sees the signs of Jesus Christ’s second coming building and things being put into place in the world in which they are lining up for the Kingdom to be established on this earth by Jesus Christ — then one knows that the Rapture is really really close.
But, none of these Bible prophecy teachers ever say when that is going to be, because that goes against the “doctrine of imminence”.
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Your questions about the title of the talk given by Ed Hindson — “Is the Antichrist Alive Today?” indicate a bit of a misunderstanding of what he was trying to accomplish.
First of all, that’s a question that is popularly raised. So, having it for a title, is certainly what is on the minds of some. Now, as to what his answer is going to be, is quite another matter. The idea that he got across clearly (and I’ve heard him directly myself, too, but not at this conference) — is that the Antichrist will not be seen by those taken up in the Rapture. He and others are very clear about that. It is emphasized repeatedly.
Secondly, it is clear that the “world” will be prepared for the coming of the Antichrist. To prepare the world for the coming of the Antichrist — and have it *not happen* would be a waste. God does allow people to be “prepared” for what He has coming down the pike. What Ed Hindson was clearly saying is not that one would be able to identify the Antichrist by any characteristics that the Bible would give about him (for the purposes of us “hunting him down and finding out who it is) — but rather — he was saying that the “mentality” and the “thinking” that arise in the “world” (i.e., the mass of the people that we see today) — indicates that they will “follow” the “type of person” that the Antichrist is. We don’t “identify him” — but we have “characteristics” of him — that allow us to see that the world is being prepared for the “likes of a type of man” similar to the Antichrist and what he will be. That’s what Ed Hindson is getting across to people.
So, it comes down to Ed Hindson saying, we will not see the Antichrist — but — we can see that the people of today are “being prepared” for the same type and similarities of the kind of man the Antichrist is like (Obama being an “example” of some of those characteristics, but he’s not the Antichrist).
What about the alleged prophecy regarding the restoration of national Israel. All the pop prophecy gurus back in the 70s and 80s where absolutely certain about the very specific sign of the “fig tree” found in the Matthew 24, including the Calvary Chapel patriarchy. That why 1988 became the focus of so many sermons and books. Folke give Edgar Whisenant a hard time for writing “88 Reasons”, but the fact is he was only following down the path started by Chuck Smith and Co. He was not the problem. Hal, and Chuck, and Salem Kirban -- they were the problem.
This entire conference would not have existed except for the fact that there is an entity in the middle east called “Israel” that futurists eye longingly as evidence of Jesus’ return “real soon now”.
Every time a futurist denies signs, and then mentions Israel in the next breathe, it pretty obvious what they really believe.
indicates that they will “follow” the “type of person” that the Antichrist is.
I would bet dollars to donuts that Hinson was not using any biblical model to describe the antichrist. Reason is there is very little in the Bible about the subject, certainly not enough to fill the books and lectures of the futurists. Every one of these folks thinks they know what antichrist will be like, by comparing to this person or that person, but the fact is they are clueless. Their descriptions are more psychological than theological.