Does anyone really believe in the book series, "Left Behind"?

Question

The futurist angle on the book of Revelation in the Bible is turning more and more towards money and absurdity. The historicist angle is becoming more enlightening, having come out of the fog of the futurist angle myself. I am still holding to the amillenialist/spiritual interpretation angle myself, but I just wanted to know if there were any others out there who felt like me...shalom.

I found this site which asks some VERY oustanding questions: 70 Questions for Pre-Tribulational, Pre-Millennial Dispensationalists, even though it asks way over that. Some of them are terrific, and some are a little questionable as to their effectiveness and veracity. Even still, they made me think straighter about the so called rapture and millenium. You can find the site here: http://www.preteristarchive.com/Preterism/hocker-matthew_05-01.html

Answer 1

i am a Christian. i've only read the first five in that series.

it is has a base on the Bible, but Left Behind is just good fiction.

God bless :)

Answer 2

Sadly some do think it is based on true revelation to the authors... it aint.

There will be a Rapture of The Church. The majority of mortals will be left behind. The time following will decend into pure hell on earth for those who have to go through it. And that is about all that can be said for certainty... there are a few events that will occure that are going to fulfill what is told in The Bible that also will occure. Buyt not much is really known of the specifics otherwise of The Tribulation period.

Shalom from idaho

Answer 3

I tried reading the first book to give it an honest chance. Within the first few chapters I found anti-semitism, as well as several comments against Catholics and women. All of this and the horribly written prose made the book impossible to finish.

Honestly, the view that the writers hold about who would actually be saved is so narrow that if the rapture actually happened, I doubt anyone would notice...

except for the sudden lack of intolerant, hateful people who pervert the message of Jesus Christ and pray for the apocalypse instead of making the world around them a better place.

Answer 4

There is NO doubt in my mind or heart the Rapture before The Great
Tribulation is coming and a lot sooner than people think it is.I am
looking for it today!
1Th 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
This world has no idea what is fixing to come upon it.There has been
some awful things happen to man recorded in history but never has there been recorded where the oceans turn to blood .Rev 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
I have never read in history where a time was recorded that man will
beg God to die but can't Rev 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Rev 9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
Thank God that He CAN'T LIE I will Not be here when all this comes to pass.1Th 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
THUS SAITH THE LORD.
In Christ in Love,
TJ57

Answer 5

there is not any factor out of the be conscious "Trinity," both, yet thousands and thousands nevertheless have self assurance that that's actual..all faith is about faith. to respond to the question, definite, i have self assurance that the rapture will happen formerly the tribulation. in case you reference the Bible, God hasn't ever allowed those that really keep on with Him to be harm (Noah, Daniel, Lot, and so on). Why might want to he start up with the tribulation? i recognize that's circumstantial info at suited, inspite of the undeniable fact that it is my opinion. also, curiously that the sequence is somewhat in step with the Bible....the in uncomplicated words ingredient i will say is this: worry isn't something that attracts human beings to something for a significant era of time. i doesn't provide it to a non-Christian and tell them to ascertain it in hopes of replacing them. human beings get over worry, finally. wish that helps!

Answer 6

I don't. The Scriptures say clearly when the Rapture will occur. Though people don't want to see it, because they can't deal with the fact they are going to suffer.
After the Rapture. The Wrath of God period will immediately take place.

Answer 7

I read one or two of the series and didn't care for it. Not very well written and I really don't admire scaremongering. Much better to teach people the realities of the Gospel than to try to convert them through fear. I also don't admire people making money off other people's fears.

Answer 8

“Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ‘Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares?’ He said unto them, ‘An enemy hath done this.’ The servants said unto him, ‘Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’’” (Matthew 13:24 – 29 KJV)

Now that is an interesting story, and it can be a little confusing; fortunately, because the disciples found this story a little confusing they also and asked Jesus to explain if further. Because our God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), Jesus explained what this parable meant.

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, ‘Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.’ He answered and said unto them, ‘He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’” (Matthew 13:36 – 42 KJV)

A closer study of this parable would seem to completely disprove the theory of a secret rapture of the church. Let’s take a look at what Jesus had to say about the time of the end through this parable. There are two groups on the earth represented by the wheat (the good or the church) and the tares (the evil). The workers of the field (probably representing angels) are troubled by the tares that the evil one (the devil) has planted. They ask the farmer (Jesus) if they should gather the weeds now and purify the field (the world). The farmer (Jesus) said that it should not happen that way because some of the wheat may come up with the tares. He then declares, “Let both grow together until the harvest (the end of the world): and in the time of harvest (the end of the world) I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” I find it hard to be a proponent of a secret rapture for the church when Jesus said that both the good and the evil will grow together until the harvest (the end of the world). How can the church be raptured, leaving the evil on the earth, when Jesus said they will be together until the very end?

There is another issue raised by this parable. Many well intentioned Christians use the story in Matthew 24:40 & 41 and Luke 17:34 – 36 as key proof of a secret rapture for the church, but if we examine this story about the end times with the earlier story Jesus told about the end times in Matthew 13, we get a completely different picture from what most Christians interpret this story to mean. Let’s look at what Jesus said in these verses.

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:40 – 42 KJV)

“I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Luke 17:34 – 36 KJV)

Now I do not think that I am wrong in thinking that most Christians interpret these stories to mean that the man taken from the field, the woman that is taken while grinding, and the man taken in his sleep are the ones that belong to the group that is the church and are ruptured. This does not seem to be a plausible explanation however. Jesus gives an order for things to happen back in Matthew 13. “Gather ye together first the tares (the evil), and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat (the good or the church) into my barn.” Jesus clearly says that the evil will be gathered first. If we take this understanding and apply it to Matthew 24 and Luke 17, we get a very different understanding. The ones that are taken are not in the group we want to be in. The ones who are taken are the tares (the evil) that are being gathered to be burned, but the ones that are left are the wheat (the good) that are saved.

There is another metaphor that many well intentioned Christians use to support a secret rapture for the church; I feel that this too is an invalid interpretation of a story.

“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:43 & 44 KJV)

“And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” (Luke 12:39 & 40 KJV)

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV)

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10 KJV)

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15 KJV)

Here again, most Christians would attempt to say that this metaphor of a thief in the night is depicting a secret rapture for the church. I believe that most Christians have misinterpreted this too. First, Jesus explains what this metaphor means. He says that the meaning is not that the second coming is a secret but we do not know when it will occur. If we knew what day the Lord was to come, we would get ready the day before it, but since we do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), we must be ever ready! Just examine what Peter had to say of this metaphor in 2 Peter 3:10; he says that when the Lord comes as a thief,” the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therine shall be burned up.” Now I am not sure how all that could be kept a secret from anyone or how people would be able to live on the earth when it has passed away, burned up, and all the elements in it have melted.

Answer 9

I believe that its authors are making millions preying on the fears of the gullible and superstitious

Answer 10

I read some of those books. It's not bad, but fiction all the same.