Bob Enyart speaks about the hatred for the Palestinians by those who opposed moving America's embassy to Jerusalem, and about how the Jews ethnicity has survived for 4,000 years, and about why all the big name End Times teachers are dying of old age (including Tim LaHaye, Chuck Smith, Hal Linsey, Chuck Missler, Jack Van Impe, and the young ones among them, Irvin Baxter and John Hagee, in their 70s.) What does their old age say about their interpretation of the headlines?
* Leading End Times Preachers All Dying of Old Age: Did all the big-name end times teachers think that they would die of old age?
- Tim LaHaye (1947 - 2016, Left Behind Series)
- Chuck Smith (1927 - 2013, founder, Calvary Chapel)
- Chuck Missler (1934-2018, end times teacher)
- Hal Lindsey (b. 1929, 88 years old, Late Great Planet Earth)
- Irvin Baxter (b. 1945, 72 years old, Endtime Ministries)
- John Hagee (b. 1940 is 78 years old; recent error: Blood Moons)
- Jack Van Impe (b. 1931 is 87 years old; 60-year-anniversary with Rexella Van Impe a while back; began in ministry in 1948 and as a preacher in 1952).
* Calculating of Dates: Here's an example of the never-ending, and so far, universally incorrect, calculating of end times dates by a Christian author, and then another example by the leader of the Jehovah's Witnesses...
* Remember When: Christians were told that the following dates were significant because they represented end-times markers. Of course the Lord will return one day, and hopefully, soon. But confused teachers using events and dates like these confused others.
- 1850 for the ascent of the Anti-Christ (calculated by London's protestant scholar Robert Fleming, V.D.M in 1701 by adding to 608 A.D. the "1260 days" of Revelation, converting each day to a year
- 1948 the nation of Israel is reconstituted in the Middle East
- 1957 European Common Market (ECM) established with six nations
- 1973 The ECM added three more nations, prophecy teachers added this up to Daniel's "ten toes"
- 1980 In the decade of the 80s, three more nations joined the ECM, still adding up to Daniel's ten toes
- 1993 The European Union (EU) was formed with 12 nations
- 1995 Ten Nation European Alliance (WEU) formed, claimed to be Daniel's 10-toed prophecy
- 2001 Islamic terrorist attack on America, claimed to represent the end times
- 2010 Ten Nation European WEU decides to disband claimed as major fulfillment of prophecy
- 2011 Ten Nation WEU officially disbands and absorbed into the EU
- 2016 The now 28-nation EU begins to unravel with the UK's Brexit and Italy's no-confidence vote
* It's Been a Long Time Since: It's been...
1,518 years since A.D. 500, the year when Irenaeus, et al, predicted that Jesus would return
1,218 years since A.D. 800, the year when Sextus Julius Africanus predicted Armageddon
1,018 years since A.D. 1000, the year when Pope Sylvester II, et al, predicted the beginning of the end
174 years since 1844 when the early 7th Day Adventists believed Christ would have returned
168 years since 1850 when Robert Fleming, writing in 1700 A.D., calculated the anti-Christ's reign
140 years since 1878 when Jehovah's Witnesses said would be the last year for the church on earth
114 years since 1914 when the Jehovah's Witnesses said it would be the end
97 years since 1921 when the JW's said millions now living will never die
82 years since 1936, the year when Herbert W. Armstrong predicted the end (updated to 1943, '72, '75)
70 years since 1948 when Israel became a nation again after World War II
61 years since 1957 when the European Common Market was Daniel's ten-nation alliance
37 years since 1981 when Chuck Smith, et al, taught the seven-year tribulation would begin
33 years since 1985, the year Lester Sumrall wrote about in his book, I Predict 1985
36 years since 1982, the year Pat Robertson predicted would be the end of the world
30 years since 1988 a generate after Israel became a nation with 88 reasons for the Rapture in '88
24 years since 1994, the year that Harold Camping predicted would start the great tribulation
21 years since 1997, the year that Bishop James Ussher predicted would be the end of the world
18 years since 2000, when the Y2K bug was predicted to herald the end times, and when and Lester Sumrall predicted would be the end, and when Jerry Falwell predicted would see God's judgment.
17 years since 2001 when America was attacked on 9/11
11 years since 2007, the year Pat Robertson wrote in 1990 would be the end
4 years since 2014 when the blood moons were supposed to indicate the end times
* Last Days vs. Last Minutes: When the events listed above occurred, popular prophecy teachers claimed they represented end times prophecies. Well, it's been a long time since these events occurred. The "end times" is a lot longer than any of them would have predicted. As we say at Denver Bible Chruch to those misinterpreting last-days prophecies, "From now only, will you only tell us about last-minute prophecies?" Afterall, the most famous end-times teachers are all dying of old age and these last-days interpretations have been hanging around for more than half a century.
Today's resource:
The Bible tells the story of human history and the work of God for His creation. And as all good stories do, Scripture has a plot! Grasping the big picture will help you reconcile many seemingly contradictory and controversial Bible passages. So consider listening to The Plot series based on Bobs manuscript of the same title. Then enjoy these book studies and see how the big picture can help you to better know the living God.
Available on MP3 CD or MP3 download