Hal Lindsey dies last week at 95
Monday, December 2, 2024
EARLY LIFE
Harold Lee Lindsey, known as Hal Lindsey, was born in Houston, Texas, on November 23, 1929. His father was Percy Lacy Lindsey, and his mother was Daisy Lee Freeman. After enrolling at the University of Houston, he dropped out to serve in the Korean War as part of the United States Coast Guard. Hal graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1962 with a Master of Theology degree. He majored in the New Testament and early Greek literature.
CONVERSION TO CHRIST
That was during his younger years, before his conversion to Christianity. He even described this period of his life as one filled with "brawling and hard drinking" during his days as a tugboat captain. Although he attended church regularly in his youth, it was not a central part of his life. A pivotal moment occurred while working on the Mississippi River. He had a near-death experience that shook him up and made him start questioning his life's direction. Then, in 1955, he met Robert Thieme, a prominent Pastor in Houston. A combination of these factors led to his conversion to Christ. From that point on, faith became the cornerstone of his life. He developed a deep interest in biblical prophecy, particularly the end times.
AFTER CONVERSION
Lindsey then worked with Campus Crusade for Christ for about eight years, leading Bible studies and connecting scripture to current events. Perhaps Hal Lindsey's greatest-known work and achievement was "The Late Great Planet Earth." It was his most successful work, connecting current events of that day to biblical prophecy. That would become a cornerstone of his ministry and life throughout the duration. I do not know what the updated figures are. The book sold 35 million copies from 1970 to 1999.
HAL LINDSEY'S NOTABLE BOOKS
"The Late Great Planet Earth"
"Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth"
"There's a New World Coming"
"The Liberation of Planet Earth"
"The Rapture: Truth or Consequences"
"The Rapture"
"The Road to Holocaust"
"Apocalypse Code"
"Planet Earth: The Final Chapter"
"Vanished Into Thin Air: The Hope of Every Believer"
"Why Do We Have Trials?"
"The Everlasting Hatred: The Roots of Jihad"
"Combat Faith"
"Faith for Earth's Final Hour"
NEWS COMMENTARY PROGRAMS
The thing I remember about him the most is his days on television. As I talk about often, I first came to Christ through reading the "Left Behind" series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins. What I should mention more often is the role Hal Lindsey's television programs played in the early development of my Christian faith. The first television program I watched upon becoming a Christian was Hal Lindsey's "International Intelligence Briefing" on TBN. The half-hour television program provided commentary on current events through Bible prophecy.
TBN CONTROVERSY
Unfortunately, the "International Intelligence Briefing" abruptly stopped in 2006 when Hal Lindsey left Trinity Broadcasting Network. TBN has always been pro-Israel, but some people at the network were concerned with what they considered how Lindsey's anti-Muslim views. Hal felt like TBN was censoring him due to this misunderstanding. TBN denied that his removal had anything to do with his views on Israel or Muslims. TBN stated they preempted the "International Intelligence Briefing" for Christmas programming and that they have always been supportive of Israel and the Jewish people. At the time, TBN was attempting to expand its Middle East footprint, and they were concerned that Hal Lindsey's rhetoric might harm their efforts to connect with Muslim audiences.
Thankfully, Hal's departure from TBN was only temporary. He returned to the network in 2007 under the show's new name, "The Hal Lindsey Report." As part of the deal of his return, both sides agreed that TBN would be allowed to block some of Hal's programs from being broadcast in certain regions, particularly the Middle East, since the whole controversy was over Lindsey's comments about Muslims.
For what it is worth, as he explains in the following video, Hal's comments were never anti-Arab, but they were anti-Islam. He has explained, and I agree, that there is a difference between radical Muslims and moderate Muslims. However, what causes the fuss is Hal's belief that radical Muslims are the ones who are following true Islam. He stated on an episode of Hannity & Colmes in 2006, "Most Christians don't read the Bible very much. I believe most Muslims don't read the Koran very much." His contention, which I agree with, is that the more Muslims read what their religion teaches, the more radical they become.
It is similar to my complaint about most professing Christians, which is that while 67% of Americans claim to be Christians, only 6% of American adults have a biblical worldview. That means that even among those who claim to follow Christ, only a tiny minority hold beliefs and values that align with biblical teachings. We can say the same about the moderate Muslims who claim to follow Islam. So, I do not see Hal's belief about Islam to be a problem.
DEATH
Hal Lindsey died on November 25, 2024, two days after his 95th birthday. I could not find any details on his death, but I know that while his ministry has been showing his old teachings for the last several years, he has not done live teaching or commentary in front of a camera for several years. Since he has been out of the public eye, it has been even more challenging to find information about him, including his death.
However, the important thing is not how he died but the impact of his life on millions of people. Hal Lindsey showed many people the way to Christ and enriched the lives of people who watched, listened to, and read what he had to say for decades. He is now enjoying his heavenly reward for a lifetime of service.