Left Behind

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Left Behind
The Rising, The Regime, The Rapture, Left Behind, Tribulation Force, Nicolae, Soul Harvest, Apollyon, Assassins, The Indwelling, The Mark, Desecration, The Remnant, Armageddon, Glorious Appearing, Kingdom Come
Author Tim LaHaye
Jerry B. Jenkins
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Christian novels
Published1995–2007
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)

Left Behind is a multimedia franchise of apocalyptic fiction written by Tim LaHaye [1] and Jerry B. Jenkins, released by Tyndale House Publishers from 1995 to 2007. [2]

Contents

The bestselling premillennial novels are Christian eschatological narratives inspired by the New Testament's Book of Revelation. The storyline focuses on a seven-year conflict, the post-rapture Great Tribulation, between an underground network of Christian converts and an oppressive new world order led by the Antichrist. The series expounds a Christian dispensationalist view of the End Times, specifically LaHaye's pretribulation and premillennial eschatology.

The series has been adapted into five films. The original series of three films are Left Behind: The Movie (2000), Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002), and Left Behind: World at War (2005). A reboot starring Nicolas Cage, entitled Left Behind , was released in 2014 through Cloud Ten Pictures. [3] A sequel, Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist , directed by and starring Kevin Sorbo, was released in 2023. The series inspired an audio drama as well as the PC game Left Behind: Eternal Forces (2006) and its several sequels.

Books

Main series

Left Behind tells an apocalyptic story about the ending of Earth (set in the contemporary era) over a period of seven years. The true believers in Jesus Christ have been raptured (taken instantly to heaven), leaving non-believers behind on Earth, now a shattered and chaotic world. [4] As people scramble for answers, an obscure Romanian politician named Nicolae Jetty Carpathia rises to become secretary-general of the United Nations, promising to restore peace and stability to all nations. What most of the world does not realize is that Carpathia is actually the Antichrist foretold in the Bible. Coming to grips with the truth and becoming born-again Christians, airline pilot Rayford Steele, his daughter Chloe, their pastor Bruce Barnes, and young journalist Cameron "Buck" Williams begin their quest as the Tribulation Force to help save the lost and prepare for the coming Tribulation, in which God will rain down judgment on the world for seven years.

According to James Bielo, it is based on a dispensationalist interpretation of prophecies in the Biblical books of Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah and Ezekiel. [5]

Published orderChronological orderTitle (with subtitle)Published date
14 Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days1995
25 Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind1996
36 Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist1997
47 Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides1998
58 Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed1999
69 Assassins: Assignment: Jerusalem, Target: Antichrist1999
710 The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession2000
811 The Mark: The Beast Rules the World2000
912 Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne2001
1013 The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon2002
1114 Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages2003
1215 Glorious Appearing: The End of Days2004
131 The Rising: Antichrist is Born: Before They Were Left Behind2005 [6]
142 The Regime: Evil Advances: Before They Were Left Behind #22005 [7]
153 The Rapture: In the Twinkling of an Eye: Countdown to Earth's Last Days #32006
1616 Kingdom Come: The Final Victory2007

Characters

Influences on the authors

LaHaye and Jenkins cite the influence of Russell Doughten, an Iowa-based filmmaker who directed the Thief in the Night series, a series of four low-budget but popular feature-length films in the 1970s and 1980s about the Rapture and Second Coming, starting with 1972's A Thief in the Night . [8] Indeed, the title Left Behind echoes the refrain of Thief's early Christian rock theme song by Larry Norman, "I Wish We'd All Been Ready," in which he sings, "There's no time to change your mind, the Son has come and you've been left behind."

Reception

Multiple books in the series have been on the New York Times Bestseller List. Starting in 2000, Books 7 and 8 reached number one on the list followed by book 10, which debuted at number one. [9]

In 2016, several books in the series were bestsellers and 65 million copies were sold in various languages. [10]

Critical response

One reason often cited for the books' popularity is the quick pacing and action, and that they reflect the public's overall concern and fascination with the Apocalypse as portrayed in the Biblical Book of Revelation. Michelle Goldberg has written that, "On one level, the attraction of the Left Behind books isn't that much different from that of, say, Tom Clancy or Stephen King. The plotting is brisk and the characterizations Manichaean. People disappear and things blow up." [11] The New York Times also compared the series to Clancy's works. [12] However, those views are not universally shared. Other reviewers have called the series "almost laughably tedious" and "fatuous and boring." [13] [14]

Jerry Falwell said about the first book in the series: "In terms of its impact on Christianity, it's probably greater than that of any other book in modern times, outside the Bible." [15]

Laurie Goodstein, writing in 1998 for The New York Times, placed what she called the "Left Behind phenomenon" in the calendrical context of the approaching year 2000. Goodstein noted a 'proliferation' of similarly apocalyptic texts appearing at that time, by authors such as Jim Bakker and John Hagee. Goodstein cited the opinion of University of Wisconsin historian Paul Boyer, who described such authors as "cashing in on the public preoccupation with the year 2000". [16]

While writing that the series fulfills the norms of mass-market fiction, as mentioned above, magazine writer Michelle Goldberg characterized the books as an attack on Judaism and liberal secularism, and suggested that the near-future "end times" in which the books are set seem to reflect the actual worldview of millions of Americans, including many prominent conservative leaders. [17]

Anti-Catholicism

The books are written from a Protestant viewpoint.[ citation needed ] Some believe the books are anti-Catholic, noting that many Catholics were not raptured, concluding that no religion is free of false converts [18] and that the new pope establishes a false religion. [19] While the fictional Pope, John XXIV, was raptured, he is described as having embraced some of the views of the "Father of Protestantism", Martin Luther, and it is implied that he was raptured for this reason. [20] His successor, Pope Peter II, becomes Pontifex Maximus of Enigma Babylon One World Faith, an amalgam of all remaining world faiths and religions. Catholic Answers describes the series as anti-Catholic. [18] [21]

The co-author of the book, Jerry B. Jenkins, as well as LaHaye, stated that their books are not anti-Catholic and that they have many faithful Catholic readers and friends. [22] According to LaHaye, "the books don't suggest any particular theology, but try to introduce people to a more personal relationship with Jesus". [22]

End-times theology

Along with some other rapture fiction novels, the Left Behind series demonstrates a specific interpretation of the Gospel and the Christian life, one with which many have taken issue theologically. The books have not sold particularly well outside of the United States. [23] Dispensationalism remains a minority view among theologians. [24] For instance, amillennial and postmillennial Christians do not believe in the same timeline of the Second Coming as premillennialists, while preterist Christians interpret the Book of Revelation as events that have already been fulfilled in the 1st Century. Brian McLaren of the Emergent Church compares the Left Behind series to The Da Vinci Code , and states, "What the Left Behind novels do, the way they twist scripture toward a certain theological and political end, I think [Dan] Brown is twisting scripture, just to other political ends." [25] John Dart, writing in Christian Century, characterized the works as "beam me up theology." [24]

Violence and war

Some practicing Christians, evangelical and otherwise, along with non-Christians have shown concern that the social perspectives promoted in the Left Behind series unduly sensationalize the death and destruction of masses of people. Harvey Cox, a professor of divinity at Harvard, says part of the appeal of the books lies in the "lip-licking anticipation of all the blood", and Lutheran theologian Barbara Rossing, author of The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation, said the books glorify violence. [26] [27] [28] Additionally, Paul Nuechterlein accused the authors of re-sacralizing violence, adding that "we human beings are the ones who put our faith in superior firepower. But in the Left Behind novels, the darkness of that human, satanic violence is once again attributed to God". [29] Time said "the nuclear frights of, say, Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears wouldn't fill a chapter in the Left Behind series. (Large chunks of several U.S. cities have been bombed to smithereens by page 110 of Book 3.)" [27]

David Carlson, a Professor of Religious Studies and a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, wrote that the theology underpinning the Left Behind series promotes a "skewed view of the Christian faith that welcomes war and disaster, while dismissing peace efforts in the Middle East and elsewhere—all in the name of Christ". [30]

Left Behind: The Kids series

Left Behind: The Kids is a series of forty novellas written for teenagers. It has the same plot as the adult series, but the main protagonists are teenagers.

Spinoff books

Williams professor Glenn Shuck has written the book Marks of the Beast: The Left Behind Novels and the Struggle for Evangelical Identity, published by NYU Press in 2005. He followed this with a collection of original essays co-edited with Jeffrey J. Kripal of Rice University on the Esalen Institute in California, published by Indiana University Press in 2005.

Starting in 2003 the series was expanded upon by Mel Odom with his Apocalypse military series and Neesa Hart with her political thriller series, both taking place concurrently with the main series

AuthorTitle (With Subtitles)Year Published
Mel OdomApocalypse Dawn: The Battle Begins2003
Mel OdomApocalypse Crucible: The Battle Continues2004
Mel OdomApocalypse Burning: The Battle Lines Are Drawn2004
Mel OdomApocalypse Unleashed: The Battle Rages On2008
Neesa HartEnd of State: Now All the Rules Have Changed2003
Neesa HartImpeachable Offense: The Conspiracy Grows2004
Neesa HartNecessary Evils: A Time For Treason2005

Graphic novels

In 2002, a series of graphic novels published by Tyndale House was launched that comprised the first two books in the series, Left Behind and Tribulation Force. The original idea was to release sets of 3 to 5 novels (each about 45–50 pages) for each book in the original series. However, after the fifth and final novel for Tribulation Force was released, the graphic novel series was apparently discontinued, and the novels that were released are now (as of December 2006) out of print. A compilation of the graphic novels for the first book was later released as one novel.

Film adaptations

The success of the Left Behind books has led to the release of five motion pictures based on the series so far. All four have been produced by brothers Paul & Peter LaLonde, and have been released through Cloud Ten Pictures, an independent Canadian-based Christian film studio.

The first, Left Behind: The Movie , was based on the first book of the series and was released in 2000. In a very unusual marketing scheme, the studio released the film on home video, and then theatrically. It fared poorly in theaters. [31] The film starred former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron as Buck Williams. Cameron, who praised the book series as "inspiring", became a practicing evangelist (and co-host with Ray Comfort on the TV show The Way of the Master ).

The sequel, Left Behind II: Tribulation Force , based on the second book, Tribulation Force , was released in 2002. The film debuted at #2 on Nielson's video scan reports, behind Spider-Man , [32] and was #1 in terms of overall sales for two days on Amazon.com. [33]

The second sequel, World at War , was released first to churches on October 21, 2005, for church theatrical viewings and was released via home media on October 25. Much of the main cast from the previous two films, excluding Clarence Gilyard, reprised their respective roles for World at War. Gilyard, who played Bruce Barnes, was unable to return due to a scheduling conflict with a play in New York.[ citation needed ] It is based very loosely on the final 50 pages of Tribulation Force and features Louis Gossett Jr. as the President of the United States, Gerald Fitzhugh. The third installment was the least identifiable with events in any of the books. Recognizable events were the marriages of Buck with Chloe Steele, and of Rayford Steele with Amanda White; the death of Bruce Barnes; and President Fitzhugh's heading an attack, resulting in World War III, with Great Britain and Egypt fighting against the Global Community. Major parts, however, were taken from subsequent books; these events include the poisoning of Barnes by GC forces, instead of Nicolae Carpathia himself, and an attempt by Fitzhugh to assassinate Carpathia. Buck's meeting with the President in the books takes a different form in the film.

The film series have been criticized for, among other things, low production values. A Slate reviewer commented that in 2004, Cloud Ten Pictures made a deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to release all of its pictures under their banner and has been doing so ever since. [34]

In 2010, Cloud Ten announced that a remake of the Left Behind series was in development, with production set to begin in late 2012 for an October 2014 release date. [35] The reboot, starring Nicolas Cage as Steele and Chad Michael Murray as Buck Williams, was released to theaters October 3, 2014. It focused mainly on the very beginnings of the first book and added much to the plot. The remake focuses on the experiences of the passengers on the plane and partially on Chloe Steele as she comes to terms with her missing family. It earned overwhelmingly negative reviews and flopped at the box office. [36]

Vanished – Left Behind: Next Generation , a spin-off film based on the spin-off series Left Behind: The Kids released on September 28, 2016 The film was developed by Tim LaHaye's grandson, Randy LaHaye and was well received by the book author. [37]

In November 2021, LaLonde announced the beginning of production on Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist , with Kevin Sorbo directing and replacing Nicolas Cage as Rayford Steele. The film is set six months after the events of the 2014 film and is an adaptation of the rest of book one in the series. The film makes a few small changes to be more relevant for modern times. [38]

Video game

A video game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces , (2006) and its three sequels, Left Behind: Tribulation Forces, Left Behind 3: Rise of the Antichrist and Left Behind 4: World at War, were developed by a publicly traded company, Left Behind Games. The games are real-time strategy games wherein the player controls a "Tribulation Forces" team and allows the player to "use the power of prayer to strengthen your troops in combat and wield modern military weaponry throughout the game world." The original game was released in the United States on November 14, 2006, and received mixed reviews. Distribution was initially planned to work through churches and megachurches. [39]

Although the original game was accused of encouraging religious violence, [40] not all reviewers of the game or critics of the Left Behind series shared that view. [41] [42] [43] [44] Representatives of the company have responded that the game's message is pacifist, because shooting nonbelievers instead of converting them costs the player "spirit points", which can be recovered by pausing to pray. [45] The company also responded to these criticisms in an online newsletter, stating, "There is no violence, only conflict," and, "The most successful way to fight, is through the means of spiritual warfare; PRAYER and WORSHIP. Soldiers and military weaponry are available, but once anyone plays the game, they'll see how difficult it is to succeed by using these less effective means of warfare." [46]

Music

People Get Ready
Soundtrack album by
Various artists
ReleasedNovember 17, 1998
Genre Christian music
Label Forefront

People Get Ready: A Musical Collection Inspired by The Left Behind Series (1998) is "a musical collection inspired by the Left Behind series."

See also

Related Research Articles

Christian eschatology is a minor branch of study within Christian theology which deals with the doctrine of the "last things", especially the Second Coming of Christ, or Parousia. Eschatology – the word derives from two Greek roots meaning "last" (ἔσχατος) and "study" (-λογία) – involves the study of "end things", whether of the end of an individual life, of the end of the age, of the end of the world, or of the nature of the Kingdom of God. Broadly speaking, Christian eschatology focuses on the ultimate destiny of individual souls and of the entire created order, based primarily upon biblical texts within the Old and New Testaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapture</span> Eschatological concept of certain Christians

The Rapture is an eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Christians who are still alive, together will rise "in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."

Dispensationalism is a theological framework of interpreting the Bible which maintains that history is divided into multiple ages or "dispensations" in which God acts with his chosen people in different ways. It is often distinguished from covenant theology. The term "dispensationalism" is attributed to Philip Mauro, a critic of the system's teachings in his 1928 book The Gospel of the Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim LaHaye</span> Evangelical Christian minister and author from the United States

Timothy Francis LaHaye was an American Baptist evangelical Christian minister who wrote more than 85 books, both fiction and non-fiction, including the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-authored with Jerry B. Jenkins.

Jerry Bruce Jenkins is an American writer. He is best known for the Left Behind series, written with Tim LaHaye. Jenkins also writes the novels following the first ever TV series about Jesus, The Chosen. Jenkins has written more than 200 books, in multiple genres, such as biography, self-help, romance, mystery, and young adult fiction. Nineteen of his 130+ novels have explored eschatological themes and settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post-tribulation rapture</span> Doctrine in Christian theology

The post-tribulation rapture doctrine is the belief in a combined resurrection and rapture, or gathering of the saints, after the Great Tribulation.

Cloud Ten Pictures is a Canadian film production and distribution company located in St. Catharines, Ontario, who specialised in producing "end times" Christian films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Futurism (Christianity)</span> Christian eschatological view

Futurism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets portions of the Book of Revelation, the Book of Ezekiel, and the Book of Daniel as future events in a literal, physical, apocalyptic, and global context.

<i>Nicolae</i> (novel)

Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist is the third book in the Left Behind series. It was written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins in 1997 and was published on Wednesday, October 1, of that year. It takes place 18–21 months into the Great Tribulation.

<i>The Remnant</i> (novel) Tenth book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon is the tenth book in the Left Behind series written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins and published in July 2002. It was on The New York Times Best Seller List for 19 weeks. It takes place from 43 months to 6 years into the Tribulation and a month to 2+1⁄2 years into the Great Tribulation.

<i>The Rising</i> (LaHaye novel) 2005 novel by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

The Rising: Antichrist is Born/Before They Were Left Behind is the thirteenth novel in the Left Behind series and the first prequel. It was written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins and published on Thursday, March 31, 2005. The hardback edition has the title and subtitle as The Rising: Before They Were Left Behind. It takes place 32–9 years before the Rapture.

<i>Left Behind: The Kids</i> Book series

Left Behind: The Kids is a series of young adult speculative fiction novellas based on the Left Behind series, published by Tyndale House from 1998 to 2005. Written by Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye, with uncredited contributions from Chris Fabry, The Kids follows a group of young Christians as they experience the Rapture and Great Tribulation.

<i>Left Behind: The Movie</i> 2000 Canadian film

Left Behind: The Movie is a 2000 Christian apocalyptic thriller film, based on the novel of the same name by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It is directed by Vic Sarin and stars Kirk Cameron, Brad Johnson, Chelsea Noble, Janaya Stephens, Gordon Currie, and Clarence Gilyard.

<i>Tribulation Force</i>

Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind (1996) is the second novel in the Left Behind series, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It takes place from two weeks after the Rapture to 18 months into the Tribulation.

<i>Left Behind</i> (novel) 1995 novel by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days is a best-selling novel by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins that starts the Left Behind series. This book and others in the series give narrative form to a specific eschatological reading of the Christian Bible, particularly the Book of Revelation inspired by dispensationalism and premillennialism. It was released on Sunday, December 31, 1995. The events take place the day of the Rapture and the two weeks following.

<i>Desecration</i> (novel) Novel by Jerry B. Jenkins

Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne is the ninth book in the Left Behind series. It was published on Tuesday, October 30, 2001, by Tyndale House. It was on The New York Times Best Seller list for 19 weeks, and was the best selling novel in the world in 2001. It takes place 42–43 months into the Tribulation and 25 days to a month into the Great Tribulation.

Left Behind is an American Christian thriller film series based on the Left Behind book series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The series consists of five films and two spin-offs.

Rayford Steele is a fictional character and the de facto protagonist in the Left Behind series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. He is the leader of the group known as the Tribulation Force, and is the most fully developed character in the series.

<i>Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist</i> Film directed by Kevin Sorbo

Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist is a 2023 Canadian apocalyptic thriller film directed by Kevin Sorbo and co-written by Paul Lalonde. It stars Sorbo, Neal McDonough, Bailey Chase, Corbin Bernsen, Greg Perrow, Sarah Fisher, Sam Sorbo, Charles Andrew Payne and Stafford Perry. It serves as a sequel to 2014 reboot Left Behind, which itself is based on the 1995 novel of the same name written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

References

  1. ↑ Byle, Ann. "LaHaye, Co-Author of Left Behind Series, Leaves A Lasting Impact". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Left Behind". www.tyndale.com. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Watch Nicolas Cage in the Left Behind Trailer". Vulture. May 30, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Trials of the Tribulation - 00.01". www.theatlantic.com. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  5. ↑ Bielo, James S. (2011). Emerging Evangelicals: Faith, Modernity, and the Desire for Authenticity. NYU Press. p. 141. ISBN   978-0814789551.
  6. ↑ The Rising: Antichrist Is Born . Tyndale House Publishers. 2005. ISBN   978-0-8423-6193-4. OCLC   57124481.
  7. ↑ Lahaye, Tim F.; Jenkins, Jerry B. (2005). (All Libraries) . Tyndale House Publishers. ISBN   9781414305769 . Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  8. ↑ Anderson, Dean A. (March 7, 2012). "The Original 'Left Behind'". ChristianityToday.com. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ "New York Times Bestsellers". The New York Times . June 11, 2000. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  10. ↑ Alissa Wilkinson, The 'Left Behind' series was just the latest way America prepared for the Rapture, washingtonpost.com, USA, July 13, 2016
  11. ↑ Goldberg, Michelle (July 29, 2002). "Fundamentally unsound". Salon. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007.
  12. ↑ LaHaye, Tim; Jenkins, Jerry B.; Swanson, Sandi (2005). The Authorized Left Behind Handbook . Tyndale House Publishers. p.  336. ISBN   9780842354400.
  13. ↑ Dreyfuss, Robert Dreyfuss (January 28, 2004). "Reverend Doomsday: According to Tim LaHaye, the Apocalypse is now". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 6, 2007.
  14. ↑ Haber, Gordon Haber (August 23, 2004). "The Ministry of Fear". New York Sun. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Tim and Beverly LaHaye". TIME. Archived from the original on February 3, 2005. Retrieved September 8, 2007.
  16. ↑ Goodstein, Laurie (October 4, 1998). "Fast-Selling Thrillers Depict Prophetic View of Final Days". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  17. ↑ [ dead link ] "Salon.com: Fundamentally unsound". July 30, 2002. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  18. 1 2 Catholic.com – No Rapture for Rome Archived July 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ 'Left Behind' authors begin tour of the South, The Associated Press via USA Today, March 31, 2004.
  20. ↑ Writing the Rapture: Prophecy Fiction in Evangelical America, Crawford Gribben, Oxford University Press, 2009.
  21. ↑ Akin, Jimmy (2008). "Catholic Answers Special Report: False Profit: Money, Prejudice, and Bad Theology in Tim LaHaye's Left Behind Series". Archived from the original on July 11, 2008.
  22. 1 2 "Tim LaHaye: The Left Behind Series". Catholic League. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2007. When a reader complained online that Tribulation Force was anti-Catholic, Left Behind co-author Jerry B. Jenkins vehemently insisted that the books are "not anti-Catholic" and that "almost every person in the book who was left behind was Protestant. Astute readers will understand where we're coming from. True believers in Christ, regardless of their church 'brand' will be raptured" (Amazon.com, August 26, 1999). LaHaye responded by insisting that "our books are not anti-Catholic. In fact, we have many faithful Catholic readers and friends" (Religion News Service, June 26, 2003). "The books don't suggest any particular theology," he said, "but try to introduce people to a more personal relationship with Jesus."
  23. ↑ Boston, Rob (February 2002). "If Best-Selling End-Times Author Tim LaHaye Has His Way, Church-State Separation Will Be... Left Behind". Americans United for Separation of Church and State . Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  24. 1 2 Dart, John (September 25, 2002). "'Beam me up' theology—The Debate Over 'Left Behind'". Christian Century Foundation. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  25. ↑ McLaren, Brian (May 9, 2006). "Brian McLaren on the Da Vinci Code". Grace Fellowship. Sojourners Magazine. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  26. ↑ Rossing, Barbara R. (March 1, 2007). The Rapture Exposed. Basic Books. ISBN   978-0-465-00496-6.
  27. 1 2 John Cloud and Rancho Mirage. "Meet the Prophet Archived 2008-12-01 at the Wayback Machine ". Time. June 23, 2002.
  28. ↑ John W. Whitehead. "God So Loved the World that He Gave Us World War III Archived 2008-01-12 at the Wayback Machine ". OldSpeak. July 1, 2004.
  29. ↑ "Re-Sacralizing Violence in Left Behind". girardianlectionary.net. Archived from the original on November 19, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Left Behind" and the Corruption of Biblical Interpretation". Archived from the original on June 2, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Imdb.com: Left Behind (2000) – Box-office/Business". IMDb. Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  32. ↑ clarionledger.com: Audition for TV role or be 'Left Behind' Archived July 1, 2001, at archive.today
  33. ↑ "End-Times Thriller Left Behind II: Tribulation Force Ousts Spider-Man Over the Weekend to Become the #1 Selling Video Overall on Amazon.com". Manta. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  34. ↑ Hendrix, Grady (December 1, 2005). "How to end the world on a budget". Slate Magazine.
  35. ↑ "Cloud Ten Plans Big Budget Left Behind Remake" (PDF). October 13, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 27, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Left Behind" . Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  37. ↑ "'Left Behind' Author Tim LaHaye Worked on Gen X Apocalyptic Film 'Vanished' Before His Death". August 13, 2016.
  38. ↑ "LB2 Day 1 | FINALLY!! | By Left Behind | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  39. ↑ Jacobs, Stephen (2015). "Simulating the Apocalypse. Theology and Structure of the Left Behind Games". Online – Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet. 7. doi:10.11588/rel.2015.0.18509.
  40. ↑ "Critics blast 'Left Behind'". USA Today. December 14, 2006. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  41. ↑ "Left Behind: Eternal Forces – The Video Game". Adl.org. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012.
  42. ↑ "Left Behind: Eternal Forces Review". IGN. November 14, 2006. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
  43. ↑ "Reviews: Games: Left Behind: Eternal Forces". Artstechnica. December 14, 2006. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  44. ↑ "Left Behind: Eternal Forces Review". GameSpy. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
  45. ↑ Lelchuk, Ilene (January 9, 2011). "'Convert or die' game divides Christians / Some ask Wal-Mart to drop Left Behind". The San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  46. ↑ "LB Games – Newsletter". Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2007.

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