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Summary: Is the Earth Rushing Toward Catastrophe?
Review: The Late Great Planet Earth is prophecy expert Hal Lindsey's superb 1970 classic in the Christian nonfiction genre. Now, 33 years later, it is back in print, simply because the importance of The Late Great Planet Earth cannot be overemphasized. In this book Hal Lindsey provides a very concise and well-done study on Bible prophecy and how current events are beginning to fit into God's plan for the ages. It provides an excellent overview of certain predictions in the Bible involving our generation which herald the climax of Earth's history. It accurately chronicles world developments that seem to prophecy experts to fit into place in the prophetic picture that the Bible describes including the worldwide revival of interest in Satanism and witchcraft, the rebirth of the nation of Israel and restoration of the Jews, the threat of war with Egypt, and an increase in natural catastrophes. It also provides a concise study on aspects of prophecy yet to take place, including the Rapture of the Church, the future world dictator from the revived Roman Empire during the Tribulation period, the final war of mankind, and the second coming of Christ to Earth to set up his millenial reign. The overall point this book makes is that the signs of the times are preparing the world for global catastrophe that the Bible foretells. The Late Great Planet Earth provides everything a Christian needs to know to drive him or her to want to spread the message of Christ's salvation to a needy world. If you desire to learn all you can about Bible prophecy but don't know where to start, this book is an excellent place to start.
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Summary: This Book is Magnificent!
Review: This book is magnificent! I read it back in the 80's and it had a very profound effect on my life. I have had an intense interest in Biblical Prophesy since I read this book. I have had a hunger for anything that Hal Lindsey writes. If you are interested in the TRUTH about what the Bible says about the "latter days", this or any book that Hal writes is a must! Hal Lindsey has definately been called by Our Lord and Savior to help us understand what was written thousands of years ago. For the Christian, these books are the comfort we seek while the world seems to spiral out of control.
www.hallindseyoracle.com
www.omegaletter.com
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Summary: A landmark book...
Review: Hal Lindsey's "The Late Great Planet Earth" is truly a landmark work, having sold tens of millions of copies since its original publication over thirty years ago. Lindsey articulates a clear and concise roadmap for where the world is heading, using Old and New Testament Bible prophecies as the strength of his argument. The central belief put forth by Lindsey is that Jesus Christ is returning to earth soon, probably in this generation, and the Bible clearly states that certain events will foreshadow the Second Coming. First among these is the rebirth of Israel as a nation-state, an event predicted long ago by the Old Testament prophets. Jesus himself pointed this out as the seminal sign that his return was very near when he said, "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know without being told that summer is near. Just so, when you see the events I've described beginning to happen, you can know his return is very near, right at the door." (Matthew 24:32-33). Throughout the Bible, the nation of Israel is often referred to symbolically as a fig tree. Lindsey's argument is straightforward. The prophets of the Bible predicted the rebirth of Israel in a single day. It happened (14 May 1948). The same prophets predicted Israel would again possess Jerusalem. That also happened (June 1967). So it makes sense to explore the other assertions made by those same prophets, such as the establishment of a Third Jewish Temple and the ascendance of a powerful individual who will shortly thereafter "rule over every tribe and people and language and nation" on the earth (Revelation 13:7). Lindsey explores the personality of this man, traditionally identified as the Antichrist, and also delves into prophecies of predicted political alliances and major end-times events. Overall, this is a great book - although some of the more speculative parts are quite dated. My version is from 1993, and I don't know if the book has been revised, but the speculative parts and statistics from the early 1970's are few and far in between. Most of the book focuses on scriptural prophecy, only commenting to inject clear references to the Biblical meaning of words and phrases. "The Late Great Planet Earth" is one of the best starting points for those who wish to learn more about what the Bible has to say about humanity's future, and I highly recommend it to students of Bible prophecy. Britt Gillette
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Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't Wash
Review: Sorry, a previous believer(in dispensationalism) I was.. however I would now have to say it is mostly 'sensationalism-dispensationalism'. Firstly dispensationalism is only as old as Plymouth Brethrenism and has a 'nil' history in historic Protestantism (i.e Augustine,Aquinus,Luther,Calvin etc) Untill I am shown something with more proof I am running with Amillennialism (I would recommend Kim Riddlebargers, Amillenialism) He is clear in showing a better interpretation and in the end the New Testatment must be the last voice with regard to prophecy (not visa_versa)... Seek the truth!...DA in the UK
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Summary: Looks just like the real thing
Review: I have the clearest memories of being right in the middle of what folks now call the Jesus movement in the early 70's. This book was hot stuff! It certainly beat just about anything else on the block, and I remember only my old pastor gently sighing as he watched me read it avidly. I'm still a Christian - no less, I hope, a lot better than that 17 year old. The book is actually exciting, but its also terribly, terribly wrong. And in so many areas, it can make you feel like you are sucking a lemon. The big problem is the good old cold war. The entire book is based around the premise that the USA was going to be nuke out of existence by a very strong Russia. What you may not know is that since the USSR has disolved, some evangelicals, Lyndsey being one are actually hoping that the old rusty military machine will start up again for the sole purpose of attacking Israel (which they interpret those sections of Ezekiel to mean). In fact, they want this much more than that.... The fact is, the little differences between what this book says and what the bible says is unbridgable chasm. This book is now essential reading, but certainly not for it's original purpose. Now the enemy has changed, the book is a valuable glimpse into the ways that loose reading of the prophetic texts can be used with such appalling effect. Of course, we are in the middle of that right now...
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Summary: I Can See Why...
Review: ...this book has sold in the Millions! Hal Lindsey does a great job of sizing up the current modern ideology and mind-set...even though this book was written about thirty or so years ago originally! I was rather disappointed that it was as short as it was, becuase it was a great read and at the end, had me lickin' my chops for more! Lindesy, as mentioned above, does a great job of showing how the selfish attitude of the Western world has come about and - strikingly - has come of age (even though in the day that he wrote this book, he was only making predictions), and how the decadence of the modern world is akin to that of Ancient Rome. His predictions and writings about the Soviet Union, China, and the United States have all come true, going along with the bible which outlines how to recognize a false prophet from a true prophet of God. This said, I do disagree someowhat with his endtimes theology, how he puts the invasion of Isreal by the Russians and Middle Easetern Nations towards the end of the Tribulation and in concet with the Battle of Armageddon. Why would the Israelis need to burn the weapons of destroyed Russian and Islamic Armies if the aftermath of the Battle of Armegeddon ushers in the 1,ooo-year reign of Christ? It has been my understanding from the bible and having studied that Israel will be attacked either prior to the Rapture of the Church, or immediately following that event and in the confusion of what has happened. Aside from the above problems with the theologiy of the endt-times events, I absolutely LOVED this book...and can see how detractors would take their pot-shots at it. This book sold millions and has been a high best-seller ever since because of one reason: Lindsey is telling the Truth!
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Summary: Concerning ol' Hal
Review: Well. I would really really like to give this a bunch more stars. I would really like to say that the book is credible. I would really like to say that all students of prophecy should read it. But I can't. I just can't. Its not that I am against evangelical prophecy studies because I am all for that. I am a premalinialist, I am in agreement with looking and reading the Bible for what it is, for every word to be true and specific (such as the truth that Jesus did die and ressurect for our sins). Still, this book, is not worth using the paper as scrap paper. Post it notes are much better. If I were to list all the faults with this book, then the max 1000 words would be used up. Got it? Just know that while it is an interesting oddity to prophecy teachings in the 20th century, its about as wrong as saying you understand prophecy by watching the Omen series or Christianity by watching Monty Python. Anyway. Instead of giving you all the faults of this book, I would like to direct your attention to other authors who are much more credible. I would suggest to you to read the works of Mark Hitchock, such as 101 Answers...End Times. This is a credible work, heck, all his books are very credible and well thought out. I would also suggest that you read Max Lucado When Christ Comes. Also there are several really good John Hagee books. Still with prophecy you the reader have to make your own conclusions, but I myself feel strongly about these authors I have mentioned and consider them credible. I hope you enjoy reading them!
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Summary: paranoia, fear and inaccuaracy
Review: I read this book first as a teenager in the late 70's. It was used as a textbook for our teen Sunday school class. We got lots of end times paranoia, the Cold war still going on, fear of nuclear war. Lindsey and writers like him (including the new "Left Behind" series and "Omega" movies) play on these fears. He predicted the end of the world, the 2nd coming of Christ, in the 1980's (which has been removed from the book). This sort of reading of the book of Revelation is only one of several ways to view the events being described in this book of the Bible. The belief in a rapture that will save believers from the suffering is a relatively new idea in Christianity. All cases of people trying to force world events into the scripture have been disproven by time. If you want a guide to understanding the book of Revelation the NIV Study Bible preface and study notes are very helpful to give the historical context, possible meanings of the symbols and numbers and how it relates to the rest of scripture. Check also for the Contemporary English Version (CEV) translation, it is very readable.
Rating: 
Summary: A dazzling persuasive failure
Review: Hal Lindsey's ability to dazzle with "literal" statements from the Bible are only matched by his unmatched failure as a prophet (and perhaps as a husband as he is on his 3rd wife). He picks and chooses what he interprets literally and what he chooses to take in the "spiritual" sense of the Word. For example: in Isaiah 40:3-5 Hal does not take these statements literally (referring to Christ's First Coming) "every mountain and hill shall be made low; the crooked places shall be made straight". Literally Hal would be forced to accept that every mountain would be loped off and and every valley filled in with dirt, just before Christ's initial coming, which obviously did not happen. But when it comes to prior to Christ's Second Coming Hal chooses to be scrupulously literal so he is telling us that "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven" (Matt. 24: 29-30) . Why not take this analogously instead of literally Hal? If "literally" the stars would fall from heaven before Christ's Second Coming, then Christ won't have an earth to come down to as that event would obliterate this planet. This book's strength lies in its ability to terrify a non-believer into becoming a Christian, and probably millions of non-Christians (or luke warm Christians) out of stark fear became believers, some even pastors and missionairies. Perhaps that's what Hal Lindsey's ultimate goal was, and if that's the case he succeeded greatly.
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Summary: Biblical Terrorism
Review: First of all, I would actually have given this book zero stars. Like a few other reviewers I too had read this book when I was about 14 back in the mid-70s. I was (am) a sensitive person who at the time this book was popular was being raised in a home with two alcoholic parents, had attended a Catholic grammar school where a record keeping angry God was taught, and I was full of all the fears and insecurities common to early adolescence. I also saw on HBO at that time a documentary based on the book. The book and the documentary literally traumatized me for many years. In my adult life I have learned that books such as this one uses fear to manipulate people, all in an attempt to "save the lost" and convert them to their specific brand of Christianity. Today the book seems very dated. Indeed, the 1980s came and went and despite what Chicken Little was trying to proclaim; the sky did not fall. In the midst of these difficult times it is very easy to view the troubles of the world in which we live in and try to associate them with Biblical prophecies. But to do this is to put our agenda onto both the world events and the Biblical prophecies. If the parade of human history has taught me one thing it is this; that each generation has its trials and challenges. But I don't think the answers to those trials and challenges are to do what Hal Lindsey has done in the book "The Late Great Planet Earth" and try to discern what is going to happen in the future. I think it is also a way of escaping life and the responsibilities that we all have, and it is also a misrepresentation of the role of Biblical prophets. Prophecy, in the Old Testament, was not meant to be a foreshadowing of events hundreds or perhaps thousands of years into the future. Prophets were (and are) men of God who dealt with the spiritual and social injustices of their day. They were there to be a voice for change; a change toward a life that reflected, for all, the love and compassion of God. So instead of reading books like this that distract from the work that is in front of us all, or worrying about being "left behind," go forth and be Christ-like and demonstrate to a hurting world the love of God. And I'm sure Amazon.com has many books that can help you with that.!
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