Source Materials / **Books** # **Excerpt from *The Late Great Planet Earth*: "Two Portraits"** #### **Hal Lindsey** ##### 1970 [↓ PDF](https://leland-jensen-info.netlify.app/lindsey-late-great-planet-earth-1970-excerpt.pdf) *** **Source:** Hal Lindsey, *The Late Great Planet Earth* (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1970), chap. 3, "Two Portraits," 28–29. *See* [[Bibliography]]. **Note:** This excerpt is frequently cited in discussions of biblical prophecy and is provided here as supplementary reference material for researchers, teachers, and students. This limited reproduction is presented for educational and scholarly purposes under fair use (17 U.S.C. § 107). *** >**Two Portraits** > >Two completely different portraits of a coming Messiah were described by the Old Testament prophets. The portraits, painted by the sure hand of God, were placed on the same canvas, framed in one picture. > >For those who lived prior to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the perspective of these two portraits of the Messiah was difficult to understand. > >Imagine a man looking at a range of mountains. He is able to see the peak of one mountain, and beyond it the peak of another. However, from this vantage point, he cannot see the valley which separates these two mountains. > >Men viewed the two portraits of the Messiah in the same manner. They saw two different persons, but missed the connection. They did not perceive that there could be just one Messiah, coming in two different roles, and separated by the valley of time. > >One portrait of the Messiah depicts Him as a humble servant who would suffer for others and be rejected by His own countrymen. This portrait we may call "the **Suffering Messiah**." (Look into the prophecies of Isaiah 53 for the perfect picture of this Messiah.) > >The other portrait shows the Messiah as a conquering king with unlimited power, who comes suddenly to earth at the height of a global war and saves men from self-destruction. He places the Israelites who believe in Him as the spiritual and secular leaders of the world and brings in an age free of prejudice and injustice. It's easy to see why this would be the most popular portrait. > >We may call this second picture "the **Reigning Messiah**." We find this description in such prophecies as Zechariah 14 and Isaiah 9:6, 7. > >These two portraits of the Messiah presented such a paradox that the rabbis at least a century before Jesus of Nazareth was born theorized that there would be two messiahs. They could not see how both portraits could be true of the same person. Their misunderstanding led them to believe that the suffering one would deliver the people from their sins by bearing the penalty of death for them. He would be primarily a "Spiritual Deliverer." The reigning king would conquer Israel's enemies and bring world peace. He would be primarily a "Political Deliverer." > >(Hal Lindsey, *The Late Great Planet Earth* (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1970), chap. 3, "Two Portraits", 28–29. Emphasis added.) ‎ *** **Archive Classification** - **Collection:** Source Materials → Books **Reference Information** - **Permanent Link:** https://leland-jensen.info/source-materials/books/late-great-planet-earth-two-portraits - **Download PDF:** [lindsey-late-great-planet-earth-1970-excerpt.pdf](https://leland-jensen-info.netlify.app/lindsey-late-great-planet-earth-1970-excerpt.pdf) - **Archive Home:** https://leland-jensen.info - **Last Updated:** 31 March 2026 - **Revision Notes:** Moved from Related Materials/Books to Source Materials/Books. **Note:** This excerpt from a published work is provided online for educational and reference purposes and is not part of the archive's collection. *** **See Also** - **Hal Lindsey** in the [[Bibliography]] for downloads and resources online. *** [Site Guide](site%20guide.md)  |   [Sitemap](sitemap.md)  |   [Downloads](downloads.md)  |  [Contact Us](contact%20us.md) **Dr. Leland Jensen**: Teachings and Commentaries Archive © 2026 Baha'i Council of Dane County, all rights reserved.  [Copyright & Usage Policy](copyright.md) ***