Open Text: Exact Phrase:

My best friend and mentor, Hal Lindsey, has over the course of his long and exceedingly fruitful ministry for Christ, developed a lot of enemies. I know. I’ve read some of their evaluations of Hal and his work, invariably dripping with invective and personal characterization. He’s been dismissed as everything from a ‘pop theologian’ to a ‘dangerous charlatan’ for his teaching on Bible prophecy and especially on the doctrine of a pre-tribulation Rapture.

Invariably, his critics cite his position on Dominion Theology and what is often called the “Kingdom Now” view of theology in his book “Road To Holocaust”.

In “Road To Holocaust” (Bantam Books, July 1989), Hal argues that the bedrock theology of both these movements could ‘lead Christians – and Israel – to disaster,’ says its subtitle.

Briefly speaking, Dominion theology is derived from Genesis 1:26 in which God gives man dominion over all the earth. They argue that this verse commands Christians to bring all societies under the rule of the Word of God. Until this has been accomplished Jesus will not return.

The “Kingdom Now” teaching espouses a merging of Church and State, into a theocracy in which the Church controls the government. Iran is an example of an Islamic theocracy.

Both views dismiss Bible prophecy as allegory or fulfilled history. They believe that the covenant between God and Israel was abrogated and its provisions were transferred to the Church. They view the Book of the Revelation as either allegorical, or referring to the destruction of the Temple in AD 70.

This is known as the ‘preterist’ view. In a nutshell, to the preterist, Biblical end-time events are referring to the end of the Old Covenant, not the end of the Church Age.

Following this line of reasoning, those who believe in a literal fulfillment of Bible prophecy, including the conclusion of the Church Age, the Rapture, Tribulation and 2nd Coming of Christ following the final battle of Armageddon, are futurists.

In “Road to Holocaust”, Hal shows how Dominion and Kingdom Now Theology are new manifestation of an old error in the Church that was responsible for centuries of anti-Semitism.

Preterists have a particular hatred for futurists. Here is a typical example, emailed to Hal and forwarded to me.

“Maybe you should learn to read the Bible CORRECTLY. Read Luke 19:27. (“But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”) This is Jesus’ assessment of the Jews. (Jer 19 shows , even real Judites, they are a broken bottle, not fixable). Israeli's are Edomites/Khazars with no Jacob blood in them. Then read God's assessment of Arabs (Ishmaelites) Gen. 16:12 my version describes him as a "wild ass." True. The land does not belong to either of them. But you futurists don't know the difference.”

How could anyone know the difference, given how difficult the preterist view is to follow when explaining Bible prophecy as fulfilled history. Here are some examples of preterist views regarding ‘end-time’ prophecy.

1. The Great Tribulation "took place in the Fall of Israel. It will not be repeated and thus is not a future event."

2. The Great Apostasy "happened in the first century. We therefore have no Biblical warrant to expect increasing apostasy as history progresses; instead, we should expect the increasing Christianization of the world."

3. The Last Days "is a Biblical expression for the period between Christ's Advent and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70: the "last days" of Israel."

4. The Antichrist "is a term used by John to describe the widespread apostasy of the Christian Church prior to the Fall of Jerusalem. In general, any apostate teacher or system can be called 'antichrist'; but the word does not refer to some 'future Fuhrer.'" (The term, Future Fuhrer') was the term Hal used in the section on antichrist in the Late Great Planet Earth

5. The Rapture is "the 'catching up' of the living saints 'to meet the Lord in the air.' The Bible does not teach any separation between the Second Coming and the Rapture; they are simply different aspects of the Last Day."

6. The Second Coming "coinciding with the Rapture and the Resurrection, will take place at the end of the Millennium, when history is sealed at the Judgment."

7. The Beast "of Revelation was a symbol of both Nero in particular and the Roman Empire in general."

8. The False Prophet "of Revelation was none other than the leadership of apostate Israel, who rejected Christ and worshiped the Beast."

9. The Great Harlot of Revelation was "Jerusalem which had always been . . . falling into apostasy and persecuting the prophets . . . which had ceased to be the City of God."

10. The Millennium "is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, which He established at His First Advent. . . . the period between the First and Second Advents of Christ; the Millennium is going on now, with Christians reigning as kings on earth." "Other postmillennialists interpret the millennium as a future stage of history. Though the kingdom is already inaugurated, there will someday be a greater outpouring of the Spirit than the church has yet experienced."

11. The First Resurrection of Revelation 20:5 is a "Spiritual resurrection: our justification and regeneration in Christ."

12. The Thousand Years of Revelation 20:2-7 is a "large, rounded-off number. . . . the number ten contains the idea of a fullness of quantity; in other words, it stands for manyness. A thousand multiplies and intensifies this (10 X 10 X 10), in order to express great vastness. . . . represent a vast, undefined period of time . . . It may require a million years."

13. The New Creation "has already begun: The Bible describes our salvation in Christ, both now and in eternity, as 'a new heaven and a new earth.'"

14. Israel In contrast to the eventual faithfulness and empowerment by the Holy Spirit of the Church, "ethnic Israel was excommunicated for its apostasy and will never again be God's Kingdom." Thus, "the Bible does not tell of any future plan for Israel as a special nation." The Church is now that new nation (Matt. 21:43) which is why Christ destroyed the Jewish state. "In destroying Israel, Christ transferred the blessings of the kingdom from Israel to a new people, the church."

15. The New Jerusalem "the City of God, is the Church, now and forever."

16. The Final Apostasy refers to Satan's last gasp in history (Rev. 20:7-10). "The Dragon will be released for a short time, to deceive the nations in his last-ditch attempt to overthrow the Kingdom." This will be "in the far future, at the close of the Messianic age," shortly before the Second Coming.

17. Armageddon "was for John a symbol of defeat and desolation, a 'Waterloo' signifying the defeat of those who set themselves against God, who obey false prophets instead of the true." "There never was or will be a literal 'Battle of Armageddon,' for there is no such place."
[source - “Has Bible Prophecy Already Been Fulfilled?” by Thomas Ice]

I get a lot of email from people asking me to explain preterism and asking me if it could be true. I also get hammered with emails telling me I am leading people to hell for teaching a pre-tribulation Rapture.

I can think of at least six Biblical reasons why Bible prophecy should not be viewed allegorically or as having its fulfillment in the historical record.

First, Bible prophecy has always been fulfilled literally, not allegorically. It was a literal Jesus born to a literal virgin in the literal town of Bethlehem who literally paid for the sins of humanity with literal Blood – exactly as prophesied. Preterists accept fulfilled prophecy as prophetic but unfulfilled prophecy as allegory.

Second, every major section of prophecy foretells in detail the same events. The prophecies of the Old Testament, those of Jesus and the prophecies of the Apostles describe the same events – global tribulation, a global government headed by a wicked ruler, the 2nd Advent of Christ, the judgment of the rebels, the Millennium Kingdom and the earthly Reign of Christ.

Third, Jesus said these events are yet future. He pinpointed the time to just before His physical return. He told His disciples that when these things begin to come to pass, they were to look up, and lift up their heads, for their redemption would be drawing near. [Luke 21:28]

Fourth, the ancient prophecies for the last days are beginning to be fulfilled in this generation. The machinery for a global government, global religion and global economy are in place or under construction. Earthquakes, famines, wars and pestilences are increasing in both scope and intensity. What the Bible said would take place in the last days is taking place before our eyes. This is a strong argument in favor of the futurist perspective.

Fifth, Israel exists as a nation, as foretold by Bible prophecy for the last days. In AD 70 when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, there had not existed any place on earth called Israel for 700 years. Israel would not exist again for another two millennia. Today, a Jewish state, known as Israel, populated by Jews claiming direct descendance from Abraham through Isaac, exists on the earth. That state was reborn ‘at once’, as Isaiah promised, [Isaiah 66:8] bringing with it the ancient customs, dietary laws, cultural traditions, even reviving their ancient language of Hebrew, a language considered ‘dead’ before Latin was developed. “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.” [Zephaniah 3:9]

Sixth, a literal interpretation of prophecy is a practical necessity. Interpreting it as allegory destroys the absolute sense of the Word of God. If prophecy doesn’t mean what it says, then it is up to the fertile mind of the interpreter to determine exactly what it does mean. Instead of the ‘more sure word of prophecy’ described by the Apostle Peter [2 Peter 1:19] we have an unsure interpretation that varies wildly from one interpreter to the next. Scripture says ‘every word of God is sure’ – God doesn’t need to hedge His bets by blurring His predictions into vague generalities. That’s what Miss Cleo does.

There is another reason why Bible prophecy is not allegorical history, but definite future prophecy. Bible prophecy is the Signature of God, the Seal of Authenticity on His Word.

God says, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” [Isaiah 46:9-11]

Preterists hate the idea of a pre-Tribulation Rapture. First, in their view, it can’t happen. If the Tribulation took place in AD 70, then the Rapture either already happened, or it is a fairy tale. They prefer the ‘fairy tale’ label, calling the Rapture the “Great Escape Plot”.

The preterist view that God abandoned His covenant with Abraham and passed its provisions along to the Church makes God a liar.

Of Israel, God promises, “Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob and David my servant.” [Jeremiah 31:35-36]

Did you get that? When God forgets the laws governing night and day, then He says He will ‘cast away the seed of Jacob’ and not before. Did the sun rise this morning? Then how can the Covenant with Israel be broken?

And just to make sure there is no misunderstanding, He says it again. “If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.”

There are those who argue it wasn’t God Who broke the covenant, but rather it was Israel when the Jews rejected their Messiah. Therefore, God is off the hook. Except God added another condition upon Himself. “Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.” [Jeremiah 31:37] Again, this is a variation on the same theme – God will never break His covenant. And notice, He added the phrase “for all they have done.”

The nation of Israel will exist – must exist, according to Bible prophecy to move forward. The preterist ends Israel’s story in AD 70 – Bible prophecy says Israel must be reborn ‘all at once’ in the last days. And it was. Not as Judah. Not as Zion. But as ‘Israel’. The name God said would be assigned to the Holy Land in the last days.

When asked, “What will be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?,” Jesus answered with the warning, “many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”

Peter wrote, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” [2Peter 3:3-4]

• Read Forum Comments on this Article