Christians Mourn Passing of Hal Lindsey, Author of ‘The Late Great Planet Earth’

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Evangelical Christians have plunged into mourning after Hal Lindsey, who explained the Biblical “signs of times” to millions worldwide, passed away at the age of 95.

Lindsey died on November 25 after spending a lifetime connecting end-time theology with Biblical prophecy.

He became a household name in the United States in the 1970s with the success of “The Late Great Planet Earth,” which he co-wrote with journalist Carole C. Carlson.

The book, which was translated into numerous languages, sold an estimated 35 million copies by the end of the century. Several follow-up titles, including “Satan Is Alive,” “Well on Planet Earth,” and “Planet Earth Two Thousand AD: Will Mankind Survive,” were also bestsellers.

Born Harold Lee Lindsey in 1929 in Houston, Texas, he was initially not always focused on Biblical matters.

After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War, Lindsey had a near-death experience while working as a tugboat captain on the Mississippi River.

He later said, however, that this event led him to seek a deeper spiritual life, culminating in “a born-again experience” in 1955 after meeting with pastor Robert Thieme of Berachah Church in Houston.

DISPENSATIONALISM FRAMEWORK

Thieme, a proponent of dispensationalism—a theological framework that emphasizes distinct periods in God’s relationship with humanity—introduced Lindsey to the idea that Biblical prophecy was unfolding in the present day.

Lindsey’s path into prophecy writing was strongly shaped by dispensationalism, which interprets the Bible through the lens of God’s promises to Israel and the church.

He studied this theology at Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating in 1962 with a degree in Greek New Testament. Afterward, he joined Campus Crusade for Christ organization and began holding Bible studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

He focused on the relevance of biblical prophecy in light of contemporary events.

“We are able to see … predictions made centuries ago being fulfilled before our eyes,” Lindsey told his Bible study group, including skeptical college students and young Christians eager to understand the future.

The studies grew immensely popular, helping Lindsey expand his audience.

While Lindsey had personal battles, ranging from divorces to ‘failed’ predictions, he maintained his Christian faith and encouraged believers to focus on the Bible, which he saw as God’s Word.

SEVERAL CONCEPTS

Concepts like the Rapture, the Antichrist, and the mark of the beast were woven into the fabric of contemporary Christian discourse and even appeared in secular films and discussions.

Lindsey continued to write and speak on prophetic matters, always maintaining that the Bible was the key to understanding the world’s most pressing questions. “What happens next?” he often asked, offering Scripture to answer life’s uncertainties.

“There are other places men search for answers: philosophy, meditation, changing environment, science,” Lindsey and Carlson wrote in the opening of “The Late Great Planet Earth.“

“Let’s give God a chance to present His view,” they wrote.

Hal Lindsey is survived by his three daughters from his second marriage, Robin, Heidi, and Jenny, and his wife, JoLyn.

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