Selfish Hedonist

Ooh, this is a good one!

'Left Behind' co-author slams contrary new series

“Left Behind” series co-author Tim LaHaye said he has felt betrayed by Tyndale House’s decision to publish a fiction series that offers a different view on Bible prophecy.

The Last Disciple, the first novel co-written by Hank Hanegraaff and Sigmund Brouwer, released in October, and is based on the view that most of the events described in Revelation already have occurred in the first century.

(snip)

“I feel the whole evangelical community has been betrayed by a major publisher that, for 40 years, has been a stalwart of biblical interpretation based on a literal interpretation of the scriptures; and now they’re advancing a book that destroys literalism in favor of an allegorical interpretation of history,” LaHaye said.

“The first I heard about Hanegraaff’s book is when Ron Beers (Tyndale’s senior vice president and publisher) called me and asked me if I’d like to help promote the book by going on a tour and having a series of debates with Hanegraaff. That’s when I realized he doesn’t understand the body blow this is giving to the majority of evangelical Christians who believe in taking prophecy literally.”

Literally!!! Ha ha ha! Because there's LITERALLY a dude named Rayford Steele who will LITERALLY some day be flying a plane on which a bunch of people LITERALLY disappear leaving their clothes and stuff. LITERALLY!

Part of this is hilariously funny, but part of it is a really nice corrective to LaHaye's scare books.

“The idea that Nero was the Beast of Revelation—that’s the most ridiculous eschatological theory I’ve ever heard. Nero was never in Jerusalem to fulfill the clear statement of 2 Thessalonians 2:8 and others that he would desecrate the temple in Jerusalem.”

I'll have to use that phrase much more often. "What? You think Vishnu will destroy all humanity through a plague of titmice? Why, that's the most ridiculous eschatological theory I've ever heard!!!"