In an era when to say that you don't believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church is tantamount to abandoning orthodoxy altogether I think it's necessary to stand up for what is right... I work in a bookstore where, because of the recent events of terrorism and war in the middle east, many are coming in and asking about books about the end of times. When handed End Times Fiction most are immediately reluctant to even consider to possibility that the views they espouse are unbiblical.
Why? Because these days the Christian sup-culture is awash in "End Times Mania" But what passes for "solid" Biblical teaching is not so solid after all! The false teaching of the "pre-tribulation Rapture" followed by an "earthly millennium" is excepted as fact by many well intentioned Christians.
Scripture isn't as esoteric as some try to make it out to be. Nor is it as convoluted and spooky.
The problem is that fiction is a great thought-conveying medium. And Left Behind
has become the vehicle for indoctrinating millions of believers into an end-time theology that was
invented in the nineteenth century.
So many today make the assumption that there will be a "rapture" before a seven-year tribulation period, that Russia will attack Israel, that there will be a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, and that there will be one person called the Antichrist that will lead a one-world government. They believe that the seven churches in the first chapters of Revelation correspond to different periods in the church age rather than actual churches that were in existence at the time the book of Revelation was written. It would be rather eye-opening to many people to see that these interpretations are a modern fantasy and have very little support in the actual text of the Bible. Ultimate validation should be found through interpreting end-times passages in light of the whole of Scripture. When compared with what the Bible actually teaches, the theology that undergirds the "Left Behind" series and pre-tribulation rapture is found seriously flawed.
What is more, many in the secular world, because of the popularity of this doctrine (and it should be noted that popularity is never a measuring stick for truth), are coming to equate to whole of Christianity with this flawed "Armageddon Theology." Consequently, we are presenting a wonderful opportunity for the world to "throw the baby out with the bath water" and discount Christianity altogether, despite the fact that the Scriptures nor the majority of the Church's testimony maintain such theories.
*Warning the remaining portion of this is full of sarcasm, and probably quite mean too*
Check out this site devoted to End of times stuff...
Whoever subscribes to this site doesn't HAVE any unbelieving friends anyway! So who are they going to put on their list? (Probably family members that they have already repelled and alienated by condemning them their whole lives)
I, of course, will be going straight to heaven, so I'll need the services of youvebeenleftbehind.com to send emails to all my friends and family who aren't QUITE as holy as I am. According to the website:
"There will be a small window of time where (your loved ones who have been Left Behind) might be reached for the Kingdom of God. We have made it possible for you to send them a letter of love and a plea to receive Christ one last time."
Ha! Ha! I can't wait to see the look on all my “unsanctified” friends' faces when they get my snarky I-told-you-so messages seven days after I've been taken up in the Rapture!But wait! There's more!
You will also be able to give them some help in living out their remaining time. In the encrypted portion of your account you can give them access to your banking, brokerage, hidden valuables, and powers of attorneys' (you won't be needing them any more, and the gift will drive home the message of love).
Nothing drives home the message of love quite like the gift of things you won't be needing anymore!But there's an even better reason to entrust your account numbers and power of attorney to youvebeenleftbehind.com's encrypted website: If you don't,the Government of the AntiChrist gets your stuff, unless you make it available in another way.
*End of sarcasim*
please check out the following links...
http://www.reformationtheology.com/2006/06/pretribpremillleft_behind.php
http://www.youtube.com/user/wevebeenleftbehind
