Scare Tactics
By George C. Stewart
It is difficult for a dispensationalist to present a happy face about Christ’s return because he majors in fears. There is the fear of the "rapture" leaving someone behind, the fear of the "antichrist," and the fear of the "great tribulation." The Great Hope becomes a Real Downer.
Example One: Rapture
Some Pentecostal churches, believing the rapture is at hand, are scaring little children with the fear of the rapture. They are hyping little children as young as three to become a "radical for God" and convert other children. One teacher asks a group of fifth-and sixth-graders: "What if your mom, dad, sister and brother were left behind and never committed their lives to Christ" (Lexington, KY, Herald-Leader, July 24, 1999)? An eleven-year-old boy later said this fear of the rapture keeps him awake at night.
Regardless of one’s eschatological leanings, a little biblical reflection would reveal that this is not God’s way of evangelism.
Example Two: Wars
Recorded in Matthew 24:5-33 are the words of Jesus which describe the catastrophic events leading up to, and including the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. This is clear because Jesus said all these events would take place in that generation to which He was speaking (v. 34).
But dispensationalists love to read every current event into this section of Scripture as evidence of the Lord’s soon return. "Wars and rumors of wars" (v. 6) is one of their favorites. This type of sensationalism has been popular for a long time, but is it true? Are there really more wars today than in the past?
Look at how one writer assesses current events. He writes:
Another sign of the Savior’s coming is to be found in great revolutionary troubles, political perplexities and vast national agitations. The Savior himself and all the prophets have taught us this. And never have the universal political heavens been so shaken as in our day. When were human politics so confused, contradictory, perplexing and threatening as now? Look at them from one end of the world to the other. Who among the great ones of the earth can tell where he stands? Behold the strange alliances, the deep, sudden and mysterious antipathies, the unforeseen combinations of events, and the unknown tendencies of mighty inscrutable movements, which have been manifesting themselves all over the world in these last days. Who can tell what shall be next? If it is war, who knows where it will end? If it is peace, who is sure that it will not prove as disastrous as war?
This writer continues to say that these events—and more—are sure signs that Christ will return "very soon," "within the next twenty or forty years."
This sounds very much like what we hear and read today. But think again. This was written in 1863 by one Joseph A. Seiss (The Last Times and the Great Consummation).
Another writer says:
At no period in the history of the world have (sic) mankind ever stood on the threshold of more eventful changes and mightier revolutions than at present. Empires that have long stood unshaken are about to be dissolved; thrones that have been firmly consolidated for many years are on the point of being cast down; and institutions that have been regarded as of immovable stability are on the eve of destruction.
Based on his observations this writer also predicts Christ’s return within 14 years—in 1908 (M. Baxter, Future Wonders of Prophecy, 1894).
A more recent prediction of our Lord’s return—using "wars and rumors of wars" as "evidence"—uses the number of deaths in war during the 20th Century as fulfillment of Matthew 24:6-7. Consequently, he confidently prophesies the rapture for 1980-81 (Raldo W. Cook, 1977).
With even more confidence "Ted" gives us not only the year but also the date of the "end." ("Ted" gives only his first name because, he says, "I want no glory for myself—for all glory must be given to the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit." So—don’t blame "Ted" if his predictions are wrong.)
Concerning wars ushering in the end, "Ted" writes:
The Bible gives us a description of the effects of 2 incredible weapons. Their flesh will consume away, and eyes in their holes, and tongues in their mouths before they can fall to the ground. This is a perfect description of a neutron bomb. This horrible weapon was unveiled in 1977. The 100 megaton bombs of Russia are 5000 times more powerful than bombs dropped on Japan during World War 2. The Bible tells us also that mountains will melt, a perfect description of what one of these 100 megaton bombs can do.
Note "Ted’s" "scientific" tendencies.
"Ted" does not tell us where "the Bible tells us" all this information. But he does give us the all-important information that the rapture will be "from January to June 20, 1981" (The Gospel Truth, January, 1981). OOPS—Ted missed that one!
Today the worldwide web is filled with current reports of "wars and rumors of wars." One web site (Prophecy and Current Events) addresses just a few from July 29, 1999 to August 26, 1999. These include:
• The North Koreans continue to threaten a possible missile test
• The Chinese and Taiwan situation intensifies
• The India and Pakistan situation is very volatile
• Syria preparing for war
• Korea threatens World War
• Israel gets 2nd Strike nuclear capability
This brief review includes only a very few examples of how false prophets have used "wars and rumors of wars" to strike fear in the hearts of readers and exalt themselves as a spokesman for God.
Aside from the false theology of these many predictions, one should also ask if their data on wars are accurate.
We should expect some general increase in conflicts over 2000 years to correspond with the increase in the world’s population. We would also expect more deaths from war over the same period of time as a result of more "efficient" weapons. However, did the close of the 20th century show that wars are increasing and fulfilling prophecy? The simple answer is, "NO."
Rather than wars increasing—and lending even a smattering of credence to the future tellers—just the opposite is happening. "No matter how you count it—number of deaths, number of new outbreaks of violence or severity of the violence—the evidence shows a steady downward trend in conflicts since the early 1990s" (Ernest J. Wilson III and Ted Robert Gurr, Lexington, KY, Herald-Leader, August 29, 1999).
Wilson and Gurr also say:
Between 1989 and 1992, eight new ethnic wars, on average, began each year. Today, the average is two a year. The number of civil wars also has decreased. Since 1991, settlements have been achieved in 18 ethnic wars, compared with only seven in the previous 35 years.
We will continue to hear the hucksters pump fear into the unwary through their interpretations of "wars and rumors of wars." Just remember, it’s the same old tune, updated regularly for hundreds of years—without any historical or biblical basis.
Example Three: Earthquakes
Another misuse of Matthew 24 is the sensationalizing of earthquakes. After the August, 1999 quake in Turkey, I was certain that the dispensationalists would have a field day. I wasn’t disappointed.
As with the other "signs" proclaimed by these "prophets," we need to have an historical perspective to properly appraise their predictions. Let’s look at just a few.
Joseph Seiss (quoted above) also said in 1863 that earthquakes were a sign of Christ’s soon return.
Raldo Cook wrote in 1977 that earthquakes were another sign that the rapture would be in 1980 or 1981. He said: "There is no question but that earthquakes are on the increase in our modern times. Published reports show that in the 15th century there were 150 earthquakes." Then Cook gives the statistics for earthquakes for the following centuries: 16th, 153; 17th, 378; 18th, 640; and 19th, 2119. He concludes that "in our 20th century all records have been broken. Of the 13 greatest quakes in history 10 have occurred in the 20th century."
Cook then adds that "over 2 million have died in them and on July 28, 1976 about one million were killed in Hopei province of China alone." This late Christian Church preacher gives no documentation of his sources. But he predicted "The worst is yet to come!!!"
The "Prophecy and Current Events" web site (viewed August 28, 1999) discusses a number of earthquake events, which they conclude, are signs of the end. These include the ones which hit Turkey, Japan and the Philippines. Of course, all of these are supposed to be fulfillment of prophecy. The writer says, "Over the last couple of weeks there have been diverse and/or strong quakes around the world as predicted by Jesus in Matthew 24."
We are then informed that the "prophetic significance" of these earthquakes is that "Some day we will experience the mother of all earthquakes." He (or she) then lists a hodgepodge of Scriptures as "proof": Ezekiel 38:18-23; Matthew 24:6-8; Jude 3-8; Haggai 2:7 and Romans 8:20-23. Carefully look at each one of these references and you will see that the writer removes them from their historical setting and twists them to "prove" a point about earthquakes. This is both poor theology as well as dishonesty.
The prophecy "fear-mongers" are very loose with their "facts." From the August 27, 1999 web page, "Calvary Prophecy Survival Page," we are informed that "From 1890 to 1899, there was only one ‘killer’ earthquake—6.0 or greater—recorded anywhere in the world." Then, from 1900 to 1989, there were 175--according to this source. However, we are told, "in the four years of the 1990s there have already been more than 100." Note carefully where the web-writer gets his information: "Statistics taken from Hal Lindsay book, Planet Earth, 2000A.D." There are better sources! Let us consider one major source of earthquake data.
The National Earthquake Information Center publishes comprehensive data on worldwide quakes. Compare Hal Lindsay’s figures on earthquakes of 6.0 and higher magnitude with the Earthquake Center’s.
Years Lindsay Center
1980-1989 86 1,085
1990-1994 100+ 703
1900-1994 275+ 13,066 *
(* An average of 139 per year)
Since Hal Lindsay predicted the "rapture" would take place in 1988, his credibility among the discerning would exclude him as an expert source for earthquake data (as well as eschatology).
When those like Lindsay want to emphasize the number of current earthquakes, they ignore much of the past. To do so, however, is slip-shod scholarship at best—and dishonest and misleading at the worst.
Major earthquakes have been a part of our planet for as long as man has kept such records—and probably ever since Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden. Just consider a few historical quakes.
An earthquake in Persia in 806 killed an estimated 300,000 people. It is estimated that the quake in China in 1556 killed 830,000 people. The death tolls of 503 in the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco and 61 in the 1994 Los Angeles pale in comparison to these earlier ones.
In modern times 242,000 were killed in China in 1976 (not one million as Raldo Cook said—see above); 25,000 in Iran in 1978; 25,000 in Mexico in 1985; 25,000 in Columbia in 1985; 25,000 in Armenia in 1988; and 50,000 in Iran in 1990.
When an estimated 30,000 were killed in an earthquake in Portugal in 1755, many religious leaders claimed this was fulfillment of Scripture and predicted dire warnings of the "end." Some things never change.
When analyzing the history of earthquakes in frequency, magnitude and deaths, one must take a number of factors into consideration. First, the quality of building construction has a direct correlation to the number of deaths experienced. Many in Turkey have learned this the hard way. Second, the measuring and reporting of earthquakes has dramatically improved over the past few decades. According to the National Earthquake Information Center (September 2, 1999), "In 1931, there were about 350 (seismology) stations operating in the world; today there are more than 4,000 stations."
Are the "prophets" correct? Is there a dramatic increase in earthquakes, which would point to the "end?" In one word, "NO."
Although every blip on the seismograph will throw many dispensationalists into a frenzy, "earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years" (NEIC).
The chart below shows the number of worldwide earthquakes of the magnitude of 7.0 and greater from 1906 through 2004, as a sum total by decade. It is obvious that increases in numbers fluctuate, thus an increase in a particular period proves nothing.
To speak in generalities about the increase or decrease of earthquakes is meaningless. At the very least, magnitude parameters must be specified. Then, these must be presented in the context of the historical record of similar quakes.
And finally, such factors as discussed above (measurements, etc.) must be considered.
Unlike those of the dispensational mindset, I do not believe that every natural catastrophe has to be a fulfillment of prophecy. We live in a Fallen world where "the creation was subjected to futility" and thus "the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth" (Romans 8:19-22). Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions are part of this world’s existence.
Even if there is a future increase in earthquakes, it will prove nothing concerning the prophecy of our Lord in Matthew 24. Jesus said in verse 34 that all the preceding events would take place in that generation. Therefore, this is a prophecy of events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD!!
Do not be misled by "future-tellers."