The Book Corner
The Liberation of Planet Earth: Hal Lindsey; Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Hal Lindsey’s earlier books, The Late Great Planet Earth, Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth, and There’s a New World Coming have been tremendously successful. Undoubtedly, thousands of non believers have been first introduced to Biblical prophecy by reading them. Their availability in economical paperback form, their attractive appearance and dynamic, pleasing style of presentation have made them highly readable. They can be obtained virtually anywhere that paperbacks are sold—in drug stores, supermarkets, corner book stores, etc., not just from Bible book stores.
These earlier books have been basically true to the Bible and to a conservative, sound unfolding of the prophetic scriptures. This reviewer thanks God for the testimony of Hal Lindsey’s life, and for his earlier written ministry.
In his latest book, The Liberation of Planet Earth, Lindsey has combined again the elements that will very probably make it as popular as its predecessors — at least to non believers and to Christians not solidly grounded in the deeper teachings of the Word. Much of the material is sound. The author’s objective is to deal with the great doctrines of sin and guilt, and of redemption through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary. These doctrines are well handled.
Serious error is found however, in the way in which the humanity of Christ is presented! True, the author clearly affirms that, while on earth, “In the one Person of Jesus Christ there were two natures— undiminished deity and true humanity.” (page 80). Yet; as he develops the doctrine of Christ’s humanity, the statement is made concerning Jesus, “He could have sinned, just as the first Adam had done, but had He done so He would have been brought under Satan’s dominion, just as Adam had been.” (page 58).
Let it be clearly stated that our Lord while on earth was both absolute deity and perfect humanity in one infinite Person! God cannot sin! Such a thought is totally inconsistent with the very concept of God as taught in Scripture. And Christ was God! Therefore Christ could not have sinned.
On page 82 Lindsey states, “Jesus’ whole life was lived in total dependence upon the Father who worked through Him by the Holy Spirit who indwelt Him. That’s the exact way that God intended for all men to live. If Jesus had ever withstood one temptation or performed one miracle using His own divine power, He would not have been behaving as a true man and He would have disqualified Himself from being the Saviour of men. (See John 5:19, 30.)” Yet John 20:30, 31, affirms that the miracles were performed to prove that He was “The Christ, the Son of God!
This book cannot be recommended because of the very serious errors. It is sincerely hoped that in later writings, Lindsey will correct his position in these areas.
Incidentally, the Questions column in our January-February issue carries an excellent discussion of our Lord’s humanity and His impossibility of sinning. Did you read it?
—JCB