Ok, so I was one of millions who got caught up in the “Left Behind” series years ago. I lost about three weeks of my life just catching myself up to whatever the newest book was at the time. I think I remember reading about 9 books in 2 weeks time. The fastest I’ve ever read before in my life. I can honestly say that it was the Left Behind series that got my seriously thinking about myself and my relationship with Christ.
Well, as time went by, I read the new ones when they came out. I haven’t read any of the newest “prequel” series. Not because I don’t have the time or anything. I love to read. As a matter of fact, I can probably credit LaHaye and Jenkins for rekindling my love of literature. No, my reasons for not reading the newest installments are a little different.
You see, about two years after I read the first eight books, I began talking to people about different Bible study methods and such. Many of them started talking about the things you discover when you inductively study scripture. Well, to be honest, I never thought much of it. If I had the time, I would have taken the nine month School of Biblical Studies course while I was working for YWAM in Kona, Hawaii, but it just wasn’t in my schedule. Never the less, those ideas about study intrigued me. So I spent some time chatting with some friends about the “discoveries” that were made while taking this class. One topic that particularly caught my attention was about the book of Revelation. I don’t remember exactly what they had learned from their study of Revelation, but the one thing that stuck in my mind was when one of my friends said “So many people have this “Left Behind” theology and it just doesnt line up with scripture.” What? How could that be? It all made so much sense. I mean, it’s so well written, how could it not be true.
Well, after almost four years, I am finally taking the initiative to find out for myself. Armed with a study guide entitled “Revelation Unveiled” written by Tim LaHaye, another study guide entitled “Left Behind?: The Fact Behind the Fiction” written by LeAnn Snow Flesher, and of course my trusty little thinline pocket ESV Bible, I will spend the next few months (perhaps years) figuring out the truth behind this “Left Behind” theology. And what better way to study than with sources from both schools of thought.
Ahh, the thrill of study and discovery.
*UPDATE*
After reading through a bit of the “Left Behind?” book I decided to get a couple more books that were slightly less biased than this one. I picked up another critique of pre-millenial “Rapture” theology entitled “Rapture Fiction: And The Evangelical Crisis” written by Gribben Crawford. I also picked up two other books which explain the various eschatological views. The first is entitled “Three Views on the Millenium and Beyond” written by Darrell L. Block, Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., and Robert B. Strimple. The second is entitled “Four Views on the Book of Revelation” written by Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., Sam Hamstra Jr., and Robert L. Thomas.
This, of course, now means more reading on my part. Yay! Reasearch is never easy.
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