Rating  - Don't Get Left Behind in this Series
To understand what is going on in Armageddon by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, you must read the first ten in the series. The series begins with Left Behind. It starts when all the devote Christians vanish. Rayford Steele, the main character, lost his wife, Irene, and his son, Raymie. He only has his daughter Chloe left.
When everybody disappeared, Ray was a pilot on a plane. Hattie Durham, a flight attendant on the plane, was the person Ray was going to cheat on his wife with. Cameron "Buck" Williams, the second main character, is a senior writer for a New York magazine. Eventually, Ray, Buck, Chloe, and Bruce meet. Bruce is the new pastor at a church because the old one vanished. They all become Christians and form the Tribulation Force. More and more people join the Tribulation Forces while Nicholae Carpathia takes over the globe, without any disputes, as the devil. Some Christians die, while others become Christians. Just in the book Armageddon, two original members die, one other member dies, and another original member gets seriously injured. A lot happens in this series. Three couples get married and one couple has a child
I pretty much liked everything in this series. The only part I don't like is when the characters are waiting for some reason and the way they switch milieus all the time. On one page you could be reading about Ray flying a plane, then it goes to Bruce preaching a sermon. It all makes perfect sense, though. I don't think this book is similar to anything I have previously read. I really, really suggest this book to everyone.
Rating  - "For the time will come when they will not endure sound...
doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:3-4
This verse was written by Paul almost 2000 years ago to warn the Christians to guard their hearts from false teachings that will arise from among the Church. - "and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking preserve things, to draw away their disciples after them." - Acts 20:30-31
As a servant of the Lord, I feel strongly compelled by His Spirit to warn my fellow Christians of the false doctrine being taught by Tim LaHaye. This man and his partner are being used by Satan himself to decieve millions of Christians across the nation concerning the truth and the end times of this earth, and this is making me sick. Tell me why Tim LaHaye, who has never studied theological doctrine or mastered the Bible's teachings, has sold millions upon millions of books regarding prophecy. Prophecy, a subject which has been revered and studied intentisively by theological scholars and Christians alike since the time of Christ. The verse that I started with clearly tells us why. If Tim LaHaye really loves God, than he would respect His Holy Word including God's sacred prophecies. But instead of writing a book strictly on the Holy prophecies of God to bring Him the glory, Tim chooses to envelop God's sacred prophecies with his fictitious novels known as the Left Behind Series. Now what were his motives for doing this? To interpret the scriptures correctly, or to sell millions of novels and receive the wealth and fame for himself? For those of you who read his novels, did you desire to truly know what the Bible says concerning prophecies or did you enjoy having your ears "tickled" by his fanciful writing. "but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires."
In the past year, a man completed devoted to God, has taken up the monumental task of writing a new book to help clear the confusion behind the modern view of Biblical prophecies. The book is called End Time Delusions by Steve Wohlberg, and unfortunaley, it is directed at refuting many of the false teachings endorsed by the Left Behind novels. Mr. Wohlberg has been earnestly studying Biblical prophecies for the past 25 years. Everything he comments on is strongly supported by the scriptures and he encourages every reader to evaluate the Bible before establishing an opinion. The book is concise (220 pages), uses simple language, and is jam-packed with years upon years of extensive research. For the person that leads a busy lifestyle, and doesn't have the time to tackle an 800 page theological book, this book is for you.
May the Lord be with you as you continue to search the scriptures for the truth. "For the truth will set you free!"
Rating - Christian propaganda? Yeah Right!
Mark Moore has it wrong. These books may be Chrstian, but they are not propaganda. They tell about something that I (and many others) believe will happen.
Mark says that it is "ludicrous" to believe that the world will go into chaos if all the Christians disappeared. Give me a break! Let's see millions around the world disappear at the same time and without warning and not have chaos!
I think that Mark's accusations are what's ludicrous. "An evil religion perpetuated by zealous idiots"?!? Yeah right! Christians are as normal as anyone else.
In the Bible the book of Revelation takes about "20 pages" because it gives only enough information to understand what will happen. These books take much longer because they put the happenings into real life situations.
Mark also says that there are no records of Jesus written by non-Christians. Wrong. There was a non-Christian named Josephus who lived at around the same time as Jesus and who mentioned Him in his writings.
As for the quality of the book? I found all of the Left Behind adult series to be a very good bunch of reads. They are all the kind of books that you start reading and then don't want to put down. They have good action, even though it could be a bit more realistic.
On the other hand, I personally think that the authors lost some of their good writing style by continuing the series so long. The last few books show a loss of quality and enjoyment. With all that said, I would definitely recommend these books for anyone but young children. This book especially might not be very good for children.
Rating  - A very easy read, but potentially hazardous as doctrine
As an example of uneven writing, this is one that would fit well on any creative writing course. The character development can best be described as shallow, and the action highly unrealistic given the premise. The Antichrist and False Prophet come across as buffoons, whilst many of their minions are far more nasty. And I find it hard to believe that the devil incarnate would be unable to prevent Christians from piloting aircraft all over the world undetected (just try taking a nail clipper through any airport nowadays). For all that, you do want to know what happens, if only to have the satisfaction of one particularly annoying character getting the chop.
Jenkins seems to take great pleasure in creating uneccessary secondary characters, whose task is merely to get in the way and make the main characters roll their eyes and press on with what they were doing anyway. Well, that's how the reader feels too! However, when something truly significant happens, Jenkins resorts to description in note form. The destruction of Babylon (literalised as the real Babylon in this series) covers all of an unconvincing half page.
More concerning about this Christian pulp series, are the dual facts of its staggering misinterpretation of Bibilical prophecy, and creation of a self-perpetuating book and church resources franchise. I greeted the Left Behind series with curiosity, only to find the latest addition to this money spinner is yet another book series detailing the Antichrist's early life! I guess that means twelve more volumes about Old Nick in Junior High?
This book series is potentially dangerous, since it encourages blithe belief in the doctrine of a rapture, and reorders prophecy to fit. A secret rapture was not preached by the early church, and only came into being as a doctrine in the late Nineteenth Century, through one prophecy given in a Brethren church. It then made its way into mainstream consciousness through the annotated Schofield Bible. Buttressed by this series of popular books, there could be many Christians who fail to recognise the Antichrist when he comes, simply because no rapture has yet taken place.
Best just to treat these books as pulp fiction, and then go and get some proper teaching.
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