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by Martin Doe

One of the most popular of the Protestant “doomsayers” is Hal Lindsey the author of the best seller, “The Late Great Planet Earth”.  Of the many “prophesies” that can be ascribed to him is his “prophesy” on the end times, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
His first prediction was the year 1988 because he reasoned that since Israel became a nation in 1948 a generation, forty years, would pass before the Lord’s return hence this event would be in 1988.  Well, 1988 came and went and the Lord did not return.  Not to be a man to be disappointed by his errors, Hal quickly re-computed and realized he had miscalculated (surprise) because while Israel did become a nation in 1948 they did not have possession of their ancient capital, Jerusalem, until after the Six Day War in 1967, hence, the “immanent” return of the Lord will be…tah dah…2007; do the math, 1967 + 40 = 2007.

Needless to say, as we begin the year 2008 we are still here, no one has been Raptured, and Hal continues to sell books and make money off of his “prophesies”.  This reflection paper is NOT, I repeat, NOT, meant as an attack on Mr. Lindsey or any other doomsday “prophet” nor is it meant to be an in-depth study on eschatology, the study of the end times, rather I wish to point out a few salient facts that the Catholic Church teaches and provide the reader with ample Catholic resources on the topic, most of which can be purchased at the J.M.J. store.  The truth be told I do not consider myself any where near an authority on this subject, in fact I’m quite the novice, but I am able to, as the readers of this reflection are, read the Catechism of The Catholic Church and to simply apply some common sense to the issue.

LEFT BEHIND OF STAY WHERE YOU ARE

A popular book series that became a picture is the doomsday series “Left Behind”.  Sadly, many Catholics can be counted among the devotees of the picture and the book series even though the two are very anti-Catholic.  Why is this so? Because so many Catholics know little, if anything, about what the Church teaches about the end times and also because the books and the picture make for compelling fiction ye jumbled up theology. In his book, Will Catholics be “Left Behind”, which deals with the “Left Behind” series, Carl E. Olson points out on pages 56 – 57 that the Pope would be raptured but only after he accepted teachings that are compatible to those of Martin Luther and Catholics who did not accept the “new doctrine” taught by this Pope were left behind.  Not wishing to leave a bad taste in the eschatological mouth of their Protestant readers, Jenkins and LaHaye, the authors of the “Left Behind” series, quickly revert to the old practice of making the Pope the dupe of the anti-Christ, if not the actual anti-Christ himself because the new Pope, an evil American Cardinal, becomes head of the Catholic Church and begins a one world religion that wages a form of “Catholic Jihad” against those “true believers” that are meeting in homes and other hidden places.  Why any Catholic worth their salt will have anything to do with this series is beyond me and those who do should be ashamed of themselves!

But where does this idea of left behind come form.  Amazingly enough, from Sacred Scripture.  The passages used by the “left behinders” is taken primarily from Matthew 24:40-41, “…So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.” Of course the previous passage begs the question: taken to where, where are these people that are being taken away, taken to?  The usual answer is taken from 1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” But according to Tim Staples, in his marvelous tape series “The Rapture Files”, the question raised in the passage from St. Matthew is answered by the Lord Jesus himself in the Gospel of St. Luke: “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be tow people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left. THEY SAID TO HIM IN REPLY, “WHERE LORD” HE SAID TO THEM, “WHERE THE BODY IS, THERE ALSO THE VULTURES WILL GATHER.” (vs. 33-37 emphasis added) Now, do vultures gather in heaven? Does this really sound like a taking up into the clouds to be with the Lord?  I don’t think so, as does Tim Staples. It is important to note that some translations substitute vultures with eagles, in which case the “left behinders” will quote to passage “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles wings…” the problem with using this passage to explain away the passage from Luke is that does not fit the question, “where Lord”, where are they going to be taken to?  What does answer the question is Job 39:27-30: “does the eagle fly up at your command to build his nest aloft? On the cliff he dwells and spends the night, on the spur of the cliff or the fortress. From thence he watches for his prey; his eyes behold it afar off. His YOUNG ONES GREEDILY DRINK BLOOD; WHERE THE SLAIN ARE, THERE IS HE” (emphasis added).

“WHO’S YOUR MAMA”

#680 – Christ the Lord already reigns through the Church, but all the things of this world are not yet subjected to him. The triumph of Christ’s kingdom will not come about without one last assault by the powers of evil.

#681 – On Judgment Day at the end of the world, Christ will come in glory to achieve the definitive triumph of good over evil which, like the wheat and the tares, have grown up together in the course of history.

#682 – When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace.

SUGGESTED BOOKS AND TAPES

THE RAPTURE TRAP by Paul Thigpen – Ascension Press

WILL CATHOLICS BE “LEFT BEHIND” A CATHOLIC CRITIQUE OF THE RAPTURE AND TODAY’S PROPHECY PREACHERS by Carl E. Olson – Ignatius Press.

THE RAPTURE FILES (TAPE SERIES) by Tim Staples – St. Joseph Communications

THE END (A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION) by Scott Hahn – St. Joseph Communications   

Martin J. Doe