I grew up reading Hal Lindsey books. Beginning with The Late, Great Planet Earth (1970), Mr. Lindsey had a string of bestsellers throughout the 1970s. And each of those books promoted a popularist form of dispensationalist Christianity that read the predicted future of the book of Revelation in the unfolding events of the evening news. According to Mr. Lindsey, the clock to Armageddon and the second coming began ticking with the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948. Even now, Satan was marshalling his forces in preparation for the final battle.
So Satan was working behind the scenes in preparation for the final showdown with the forces of good, but where was he working? That’s where things got unnerving, for once you started looking it was easy to see him just about everywhere from Ouija boards to gothic jewellery. But arguably the most insidious line of demonic advance was to be found in music.
And why should this be a surprise? Indeed, we should expect the Prince of the Power of the Air to manipulate music for his malevolent ends. Listen to songs closely, discern their messages, and you could find dark messages designed to lead the people of God into conformity to the powers of evil.
But if you really wanted to find the devil’s handiwork, if you really wanted to find his secret plans for defeating the forces of light, you might try playing that same music backwards.
If you dare…
