When Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late, Great, Planet Earth, was released in May of 1970, the information startled even more than informed those who read it. People by the millions were suddenly given biblical teaching they, except for very few among them, had never heard.
Bible prophecy was presented as relevant in such a way as to make clear where the world stood in history and where it was headed. The results were a spiritual awakening for many.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard people say that they were saved as a result of reading Hal’s book. I agree with the encapsulating description promoting the book:
The Late Great Planet Earth cannot be overstated. The New York Times called it the “no. 1 non-fiction bestseller of the decade.” For Christians and non-Christians of the 1970s, Hal Lindsey’s blockbuster served as a wake-up call on events soon to come and events already unfolding—all leading up to the greatest event of all: the return of Jesus Christ.
The book was—as they say—cutting edge. It did indeed give some current events as viewed through the template of Bible prophecy.
For example, Lindsey and his coauthor C. C. Carlson wrote about how the region of Russia and surrounding USSR states were likely the nucleus of the Gog-Magog force that would, according to the prophet Ezekiel, attack Israel from the north. They detailed the development of the European Union and how it was likely destined to morph into the final Antichrist kingdom as given by Daniel the prophet.
Again, current events and issues of that time in the 1970s were shaping along the lines of God’s Word with regard to prophecy for the end of the age.
Lindsey pointed out many other facets that gave evidence that Christ would soon call the Church into His Presence. This would be the Rapture.
Some accused him of date-setting in that he implied 1988 might be the year of the Rapture or of some calamitous occurrence in earth’s history—based upon Israel having been reborn as a nation in the year 1948.
I don’t find anywhere that Lindsey actually predicted the Rapture, but only that he offered supposition—again, based upon the Bible giving the number of years as forty for a generation. The Lord saying that “this generation shall not pass until all these things are fulfilled” and Israel’s rebirth into modernity being 1948 was offered as the basis for this thought.
Yet, with the ground-breaking evidence he saw through issues and events of the time, viewed through the prism of Bible prophecy, planet earth continued. It did not become the Late, Great, Planet Earth.
So we come to the year looming before us. The year 2022.
We might wonder how can we possibly truly look at the horizon of humanity and proclaim “Happy New Year!” The issues and events faced by humanity during the 1960s and 1970s were daunting in many ways for America and the world. However, those that confront humanity at this time as we begin 2022 are formidable indeed.
Of course, like most folks around at the time of Lindsey’s book release, the masses of humanity are looking in other directions than at the horizon they, in actuality, are facing. This is the case, even though the issues and events of our time far exceed the virulence of the Cold War, oil crises, and the free-love generation.
Not only are the issues and events of these troubled times more ominous in many respects, but they point almost certainly at the coming Tribulation—Daniel’s seventieth week and the year 2022.
Let’s consider but a few as we peer into what the current occupant of the White House once termed “a dark winter.”
Israel
If Israel was a central indicator of the lateness of the prophetic hour in the time of The Late, Great, Planet, Earth’s release, that nation and people are in an intensifying diplomatic spotlight at this hour. It is swiftly becoming the “burdensome stone” of Zechariah chapter 12.
Fear of Israel striking Iran’s nuclear facilities, for example, engenders great concern from the global puppet masters—the UN, etc.
Russia, Iran, Turkey
These nation-state entities represent the heart of the Gog-Magog attack. They are coalescing above Israel in the precise configuration Ezekiel prophesied.
China
The CPC is preparing the Chinese people for something dramatic. They are increasing China’s hegemony over the other regions of Asia. This is shaping for the moment they and other “kings of the east” will kill a third of the earth’s population.
New World Order
The globalists, who in my view are the human minions in consort with the demonic minions of Ephesians 6:12, are preparing the way for Antichrist’s 666 dictatorship.
COVID has served as a tool of gathering control over the entire planet. Vaccine and mask mandates are making lemmings out of people across the globe. The devil’s blueprint for enslaving the planet at some point in the not-too-distant future is well into the construction stage.
Economic tyranny is driving the richest nation to ever exist on the planet toward collapse, with trillions of dollars printed out of whole cloth—nothing to back those dollars. Complete collapse is inevitable.
Culture and Society
The culture isn’t just coarsening, it is corroding and corrupting at a pace the folks of the 1960s and 1970s, despite the sensual evil of that time, could not have fathomed.
This era’s beastly, cultural minions are doing such things as insisting that children age 5 and younger be given hormonal and other treatments in order to change their genders.
They are having perverts teach grade schoolers and younger sexual activities and deviancy that people of the 1960s and 1970s would have deemed worthy of public hanging for the perpetrators.
Apostasy
Even Catholics are appalled at the pope’s antics in these times.
He condones homosexuality; he says Christ is not the only way to salvation; he makes nice in trying to bring all religions together—a thing Bible prophecy tells us will be central to Antichrist and his system of world control.
Yet with all this and much more wickedness developing, I can say “Happy New Year!”
That’s because the Lord Jesus Christ is still sitting at the right side of God the Heavenly Father. The Father is about to say to the Son, “Go get my children.”
I can assure this, because all of the signals are in place that point to the Tribulation and Christ’s Second Advent.
Unlike in the time of Hal’s release of his book, they are all in place. That is a happy prospect indeed for 2022!
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28)
Terry James Prophecy Line 
I was one of those for whom The Late Great Planet Earth was instrumental in my salvation. Friends of the family shared it with my parents and I read it. I was the only one of my family who took it to heart. But my mother was saved years later. I hear of others like me all the time. Thank the Lord for the book and for its author. I am sharing Bible prophecy with my brother who is listening for the very first time in many years. Many unbelievers are sensing the world has changed dramatically in two years. Others continue to scoff.
When I was in college I heard Hal Lindsay speak at a Campus Crusade for Christ conference. He got up and said, “I believe you are the generation that will not experience physical death,” in reference to the rapture. It not only shocked me, but began a spiritual journey of following Bible prophecy that has continued my entire adult life. I now am 72, and it is very likely that the rapture will occur in my generation.
Ever since I was 6 years old, I knew God was the “real deal.” I was in Sunday school – must have been the spring of 1959 – and we were singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” I looked out the window into a deep blue sky with bright cumulus clouds floating in it . . . and at that moment I KNEW that this song was absolutely true.
I picked up a copy of Hal Lindsay’s “Late, Great Planet Earth” on the recommendation of the church’s minister many years later when I asked him what a good book on prophecy would be. (This was probably about eight to ten years or so after its publication.) Reading this fascinating book is what got me “hooked” on the study of Bible Prophecy for the rest of my life. I’ve continued to read the Bible and many other books on prophecy since then, including many of those by Terry James.
Now I make no claim to be a picture-poster candidate for what being a good Christian should be, but in the ups and downs (a LOT of the latter, many admittedly self-induced!) of my time down here, but that childhood experience, my Bible reading, Mr. Lindsay’s introduction to prophecy, Terry’s book, commentaries and friendship, plus that of Dana, who does such an excellent job managing this website, have been the brightest spots in what has many times been a dark journey.
So, despite of the universal disintegration we are now seeing all around us, we, as believers, can count on soon taking up residence in that city where “All Things” will be more “Bright and Beautiful” than we can possibly imagine – forever!
In 1974 at age 14 we moved to a small town in Florida. I could not find my drugs we had in the big city. Saw the cover of the “Late Great Earth Planet Earth”. Look really cool so I read the book. I didn’t get saved then but I had a keen discernment of things. Finally at age 27 I got saved. Heard people mocking Lindsey’s book so I bought another copy and read it. Truer now than it was then.
Thank the Lord that he sparks things through his people at just the right time to the fulfillment of His plans. That was an important book. Its amazing what God is surfacing now through great prophecy teachers, archeology, other extra-biblical sources that bring context and facilitate understanding, including the publishing and analysis of Qumran texts which are enriching prophetic study. So much material its hard to keep up with it all. Lord that we would use it all to Your glory and the salvation of people whom you love.
Hal Lyndsay was a leader in Bible prophecy when the church was first being woken up and equipped by the moving of the Holy Spirit by the Charismatic movement . Prophecy suddenly began to come alive as people began to read their Bibles with fresh eyes and understanding. It was some time after being filled with the Holy Spirit that I was encouraged by the Lord to watch for’ His signs’. I understood that He was talking about Matthew, chapter 24 ‘wars and rumours of wars’ and other scriptures and I began to tick them off. I found that there were more relevant scriptures than had ever occurred to me. Although I had begun to read my Bible avidly, I was not the scholar that some are . We need to avail ourselves of the abilities of others as we can now do because of the internet. People like Hal Lyndsay.
I find that there is a preoccupation with the Rapture, which is understandable since that is our’ blessed hope ‘.but that should not cause us to be blinkered to what else is happening or other scripture which must or may be fulfilled. I dare warn again about the teaching of the imminency of the rapture, ie that nothing else need happen before it occurs. (After all it has now been almost 2000 years since Paul wrote about the doctrine, and a lot of water has passed under the bridge; a lot of prophecy has been fulfilled and may still occur first.
I believe that the greatest blessing we could experience on this earth has yet to come. I have the Lords assurance that it will come , but if I have misunderstood I will be overjoyed at being in His presence sooner and seek His explanation as to how I misunderstood. He ‘is not willing that any should perish. There is hope that many whom we are still praying for will share in the blessed hope.
Terry, where does the Gospel to all people groups play into our timeline? Are there still unreached people groups?
I presume your question stems from Jesus’ words spoken in the Olivet Discourse.
”And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt 24: 14)
First and foremost, we must acknowledge that 1) only God Knows those who have heard the Gospel and those who have not. And 2) His character is absolutely perfect and Righteous. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
We know also that everyone has within themselves enough knowledge of Truth to make godly choices. We know this from the following.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1: 16-20)
I conclude therefore that all people will know enough of the Salvation Message to be saved when all is said and done. Our job is to share that Message as best we can and leave the consequences to our Lord.
Thank you. I was thinking of Matthew 24:14 and heard Paul Washer saying there were still unreached people groups and was curious how that played into it. I’m so ready for the rapture!