Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology viewpoint of the end of the world. The primary conflict of the series is the members of the Tribulation force against the Global Community and it's leader Nicolae Carpathia- the Antichrist. Left Behind is also the title of the first book in the series. It is published by Tyndale House, a firm with a history of interest in dispensationalism. A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... A panel from Tim LaHaye’s multi-million selling ‘’Left Behind’’ series, depicting the fate LaHaye anticipates for those who do not follow Jesus Christ. ... Book one in the Left Behind series Jerry B. Jenkins (born September 23, 1949 in Kalamazoo, Michigan) is an American novelist and biographer. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      As a current in Protestant Christian theology... // In the three Abrahamic Religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), the End Times are depicted as a time of tribulation that precede the predicted coming of a Messiah figure. ... It has been suggested that Post Tribulation Rapture be merged into this article or section. ... This article specifically relates to Premillennialism in Christian eschatology; for political millenarianism and other uses of the word see Millenarianism Premillennialism in Christian eschatology is the interpretation of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation in the Bible which sees Christs second coming as occurring before or pre- his... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In Christian theology, Christian eschatology is the... Tyndale House is a publisher founded in 1962 by Kenneth Taylor, in order to publish his paraphrase of the Epistles, which he had composed while commuting to work at Moody Press in Chicago. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      As a current in Protestant Christian theology...

Books

Note: The books are listed in story-line (chronological) order but numbered in order of publication.

13. The Rising: Antichrist is Born: Before They Were Left Behind (ISBN 0-8423-6056-5) |(All Libraries)
14. The Regime: Evil Advances: Before They Were Left Behind #2 (ISBN 1-4143-0576-1) |(All Libraries)
15. The Rapture: In the Twinkling of an Eye: Countdown to Earth's Last Days #3 (ISBN 1-4143-0580-X)
1. Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days (ISBN 0-8423-2912-9)
2. Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind (ISBN 0-8423-2921-8)
3. Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist (ISBN 0-8423-2924-2)
4. Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides (ISBN 0-8423-2925-0)
5. Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed (ISBN 0-8423-2926-9)
6. Assassins: Assignment: Jerusalem, Target: Antichrist (ISBN 0-8423-2927-7)
7. The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession (ISBN 0-8423-2929-3)
8. The Mark: The Beast Rules the World (ISBN 0-8423-3228-6)
9. Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne (ISBN 0-8423-3229-4)
10. The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon (ISBN 0-8423-3230-8)
11. Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages (ISBN 0-8423-3236-7)
12. Glorious Appearing: The End of Days (ISBN 0-8423-3237-5)
16. Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (ISBN 0-8423-6061-1)

There are also graphic novels, CDs, and a Left Behind series for teens. Audio dramatizations based on the first thirteen titles have also been produced for broadcast on Christian radio. A series written for teens has also been written, called Left Behind:The Kids or The Young Tribulation Force Series. The plot of this series is the same as the adult series, but the main protagonists are teenagers. Several of the main books have also been turned into movies by the Canadian motion picture studio Cloud Ten Pictures, including Left Behind: The Movie, Left Behind II: Tribulation Force, and Left Behind: World at War. Book 1 in the Left Behind Series Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology. ... The Regime: Evil Advances is the second prequel novel in the Left Behind series, written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins in 2005. ... The Rapture: In the Twinkling of an Eye / Countdown to the Earths Last Days as the 3rd prequel novel in the Left behind series. ... Left Behind: A Novel of the Earths Last Days is a best-selling novel by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins which starts the Left Behind series. ... The Tribulation Force is a Christian-based group formed by those left behind after the Rapture as portrayed in the fiction series Left Behind, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. ... Nicolae is the third book in the Left Behind series. ... Book 1 in the Left Behind Series Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology. ... for other uses of Apollyon, see Apollyon (disambiguation) Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed is the fifth book in the Left Behind series. ... Book 1 in the Left Behind Series Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology. ... Book 1 in the Left Behind Series Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology. ... Book 1 in the Left Behind Series Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology. ... Book 1 in the Left Behind Series Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology viewpoint of the end of the world. ... Book 1 in the Left Behind Series Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology. ... Book 1 in the Left Behind Series Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology. ... Book 1 in the Left Behind Series Left Behind is a series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatology. ... Kingdom Come is the sixteenth and final book of the Left Behind series, released on April 3, 2007. ... Trade paperback of Will Eisners A Contract with God (1978), often mistakenly cited as the first graphic novel. ... A Compact Disc or CD is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ... Christian radio is a radio format that focuses on transmitting programming with a Christian message. ... Cloud Ten Pictures is a film production company located in St. ...

Two spin-off series have been written; a political series by Neesa Hart, and a military series by Mel Odom. author of many famous books including Fat And Dog Ugly, Big Cheeks, and Blubberworld; mastering in the art of toyalty ... Mel Odom (born 1957) is a writer who has published more than 140 books. ...

A video game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces was released for the PC on November 6, 2006. The Altair 8800 was among the first microcomputers to be affordable by an individual, although it initially lacked peripherals and memory. ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Album

People Get Ready is "a musical collection inspired by the Left Behind series." // In film formats, the sound track is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... The term Various Artists is used in the record industry when numerous singers and musicians collaborate on a song or collection of songs. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... ForeFront Records logo Forefront Records was also a hardcore punk record label and distribution in Hoboken, New Jersey. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ...

Track listing

1. People Get Ready Crystal Lewis 4:24
2. UFO Geoff Moore & The Distance 3:08
3. Come Quickly Lord Rebecca Saint James 4:29
4. I Wish We'd All Been Ready dc Talk 3:44
5. Horses Margaret Becker 4:05
6. Eve of Destruction Barry McGuire 3:34
7. People Get Ready Impressions 2:38
8. Thief in the Night Big Tent Revival 3:38
9. Elijah Rich Mullins 5:14
10. New Body Audio Adrenaline 4:00
11. I'll Lead You Home Michael W. Smith 5:22
12. Jesus Is Waiting Al Green 8:08

Crystal Lewis (Born 1969 in Corona, California) is the name of an American Gospel Vocalist. ... Geoff Moore Geoff Moore (born c. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Barry McGuire (born 15 October 1935) is an American singer-songwriter. ... For the Australian rock group, see The Impressions (Australian band). ... Big Tent Revival was a Christian rock band. ... now. ... Audio Adrenaline was a Grammy Award Winning Christian rock band formed in the early 1990s at Kentucky Christian College in Grayson, Kentucky, USA. Along with dc Talk, Newsboys and Jars of Clay, they quickly became one of the most successful Christian pop-rock bands of the 90s. ... // Michael Whitaker Smith (born October 7, 1957, to Paul and Barbara Smith in Kenova, West Virginia), often nicknamed Smitty, is a Christian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist. ... Al Green in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California on July 27, 2006. ...

Graphic Novels

In 2002 a series of graphic novels 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 for each book in the original series. However, after the 5th 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) said to be out of print.

Spin-Offs

Summary

Based on dispensationalist interpretation of prophecies in the Biblical books of Revelation, Isaiah and Ezekiel, Left Behind tells the story of the end times, in which many have been 'raptured,' leaving the world shattered and chaotic. As people scramble for answers, a 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 from the Bible. Coming to grips with the truth and becoming born-again Christians, 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. Dispensationalism is a school of Bible interpretation that is associated with fundamentalist Christianity; the primary alternative within the evangelical community is covenant theology. ... Interpretation, or interpreting, is an activity that consists of establishing, either simultaneously or consecutively, oral or gestural communications between two or more speakers who are not speaking (or signing) the same language. ... This article or section seems to describe future events as if they have already occurred. ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ... Isaiah the Prophet in Hebrew Scriptures was depicted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo. ... Ezekiel the Prophet of the Hebrew Scriptures is depicted on a 1510 Sistine Chapel fresco by Michelangelo. ... // In the three Abrahamic Religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), the End Times are depicted as a time of tribulation that precede the predicted coming of a Messiah figure. ... Nicolae Carpathia, as played by actor Gordon Currie. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... In Christian eschatology the Antichrist or Anti-christ (literally: anti, opposite, for, or as; christ, messiah) has come to mean a person, image of a person, or other entity that is the embodiment of evil. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... Born again is a soteriological term used primarily in the Evangelical, Fundamentalist, and Pentecostal branches of Protestant Christianity, where it is associated with salvation, conversion and spiritual birth. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... Rayford Steele, as portayed by actor Brad Johnson Spoiler warning: Rayford Steele is a fictional character from the Left Behind series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. ... Spoiler warning: Actress Janaya Stephens portrays Chloe Steele in the movie version of Left Behind. ... The Three Major Professional Tournaments Professional tennis players in the years before the Open era began in 1968 played mostly on tours in head-to-head competition. ... Cameron Buck Williams, as played by Kirk Cameron in the film version of Left Behind A fictional character in the Left Behind series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, Cameron Buck Williams found his life turned upside down by the sudden disappearance of millions of people from... The Tribulation Force is a Christian-based group formed by those left behind after the Rapture as portrayed in the fiction series Left Behind, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. ... the hersemen of the apocaleps, the entities that bring false peace, War, famine, pestilence, and death. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

Response

The books have sold very well in the United States, many topping The New York Times list of bestsellers. In 1998, the first four books of the series held the top four slots simultaneously,^[3] despite the fact that the New York Times' Bestseller's list does not take Christian bookstore sales into account. Book 10 debuted at number one on this list.^[3] Nick Parmley, a charismatic Baptist minister from Portland, Oregon, has called on Evangelical Christians to adopt this series as "required reading". In other areas, such as continental Europe—where dispensationalism is largely non-existent—the books have been far less successful. The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      As a current in Protestant Christian theology...

The popularity of this series has spilled over beyond the Americas and the English-speaking world. It has been translated to many languages including Chinese and Japanese. There is, however, a protracted lag in translation; as of September 2005, the Chinese version of Book 11 is in the press and the Japanese version of Book 6 has been published.

Criticism

In an article enquiring into the series' popularity, Salon magazine writer Michelle Goldberg described what she believed was one of the series' attractions: "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 Manichean."^[4] However, she considered the books to be an attack on Judaism and liberal secularism, and pointed out that the near-future "end times" the books are set in seem to reflect the actual worldview of millions of Americans, including many prominent conservative leaders. Screenshot of Salon. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. ... Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of over 200 stories including over 50 bestselling horror novels. ... Look up plot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Manichean priests, writing at their desk, with panel inscription in Sogdian. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906), British writer who coined the term secularism. ... // In the three Abrahamic Religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), the End Times are depicted as a time of tribulation that precede the predicted coming of a Messiah figure. ... Worldview is Chicago Public Radios daily international-affairs radio show, hosted by Jerome McDonnell. ...

The series presents a very obvious religious bias against religions other than Christianity, but this is only to be expected as the purpose of the books is that of Christian eschatology. However, it has been criticized for the bad depiction of the pantheist and universalist belief that the Enigma Babylon World Religion indicates, which has overtones of Hinduism and Buddhism. Pantheism literally means God is All and All is God. It is the view that everything is of an all-encompassing immanent God; or that the universe, or nature, and God are equivalent. ... In comparative religion, a universalist religion is one that holds itself true for all people; it thus allows all to join, regardless of ethnicity. ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religion that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ...

In 2004, Penn & Teller's TV show Bullshit! devoted an episode to the "end of the world" phenomenon, following centuries of incorrect prophecy. The show explained that Bible prophecy is nothing new, and that the vague descriptions in the book of Revelation can apply to almost any location at any time. The Left Behind series was featured, and Jerry B. Jenkins was interviewed. Jenkins stated, "In my mind, in a way, we are sales people for the Gospel." He continued, "People say money is the root of all evil, and actually it's the love of money that's the root of all evil. So there is nothing wrong with money if you use it right." The host, Penn Jillette, responded in voiceover, "What's the story on money if you get it by creating an irrational fear in people?" Penn & Teller at the 1988 Emmy Awards Penn & Teller are Las Vegas headliners whose act is an amalgam of illusion and comedy. ... Bullshit! (also known as Penn & Teller: Bullshit!) is an American, Emmy-nominated documentary television series, running since 2003 on the premium cable channel Showtime. ... Book one in the Left Behind series Jerry B. Jenkins (born September 23, 1949 in Kalamazoo, Michigan) is an American novelist and biographer. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

The Slacktivist blog is notable for analyzing these books at a rate of a few pages every week.^[5] Written from the perspective of a non-dispensationalist evangelical Christian, it generally criticizes the books for poor writing, bad biblical scholarship and for presenting an unflattering view of God.

The series has also been accused of plagiarizing.^[6] One website states that: "These similarities [with earlier novel 666] are noteworthy, I think, for a couple of reasons. The first has to do with Lahaye’s claim of originality for his series of books. In an interview in the March 28, 2000 issue of the Assembly of God magazine Pentecostal evangel,^[7] he insists that "Left Behind is the first fictional portrayal of events that are true to the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy. It was written for anyone who loves gripping fiction featuring believable characters, a dynamic plot that also weaves prophetic events in a fascinating story."

Christian criticisms

Some practicing Christians, evangelical and otherwise, have shown concern that the social perspectives promoted in the Left Behind series unduly sensationalize the death and destruction of masses of people. In addition, some Christians deny the key eschatological beliefs underpinning the plotline. For instance, amillenial and postmillenial Christians do not believe in the same timeline of the Second Coming as premillennialists, while preterist Christians do not interpret the Book of Revelation to predict future events at all. Brian McLaren, a self-appointed spokesperson 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. But at the end of the day, the difference is I don't think Brown really cares that much about theology." ^[8] Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... For the book by Pope Benedict XVI, see Eschatology (book). ... Amillennialism (from the Latin prefix a meaning no, mille meaning thousand, and annum meaning year) is a view in Christian eschatology named for its denial of a future, thousand-year, physical reign of Jesus Christ on the earth, as espoused in the premillennial and some postmillennial views of the Book... It has been suggested that Reconstructionist Postmillennialism be merged into this article or section. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      This article is about Premillennialism in Christian... Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days (or End Times) refer to events which actually happened in the first century after Christs birth. ... Brian D. McLaren is a prominent, controversial voice in the Emerging Church movement. ... The emerging or emergent church is a diverse, 20th century Christian movement seeking to engage people living in postmodern or postcolonial cultures. ... This article is about the novel. ... Dan Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the controversial 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. ...

Along with some other rapture fiction novels, the Left Behind series demonstrates a different understanding of the gospel and the Christian life than that taught within the historic orthodoxy of evangelical Protestantism. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Protestantism encompasses the forms...

Some Catholics also believe the books are anti-Catholic, noting that the book mentions that many who thought of themselves as Catholics were not "raptured." The book says that many who called themselves Catholics but did not truly believe in Jesus were not raptured, but it does not mention the proportion who were. While the fictional Pope, John XXIV, was raptured, he is described as having greatly differing views from the rest of the church and this is implied as the reason he was raptured. His successor, Pope Peter II, becomes Pontifex Maximus of Enigma Babylon One World Faith, an amalgamation of all remaining world faiths and religions. Jimmy Akin wrote the Catholic Answers Special Report titled False Money: Money, Prejudice, and Bad Theology in Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind Series details the series as anti-catholic;^[3] a view held by other catholics too.^[9] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin... Peter Mathews, a character of the fictional Left Behind books, was the archbishop of Cincinnati, Ohio, at the time of the Rapture. ... Alternate meanings: see Pontifex (disambiguation) In Ancient Rome, the Pontifex Maximus was the high priest of the collegium of the Pontifices, the most august position in Roman religion, open only to a patrician, until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post. ... Enigma Babylon One World Faith is a fictional world religion in the Left Behind series that ostensibly seeks to harmonise the remaining faiths on earth after the Rapture as portrayed in the novel. ...

Other Christians describe problems with prophetical teachings in the Left Behind series. It is noted that "in Books 8 & 9, LaHaye and Jenkins teach that recipients of the mark of the beast can still be saved. However, in The Mark, "The Chang scenario" is developed, whereby a character receives both the mark of the beast and the sealing of the Lord. In Desecration, the character's dual-marking was justified in the storyline. This has led some readers to wonder how a Christian can have the mark of the beast and still be saved, which many readers voiced on the Left Behind messageboard,^[10] and which was answered on the FAQ page at LeftBehind.com.^[11] Spoiler warning: Chang Wong, is a fictional character of the Left Behind series of books. ... Desecration is the ninth book in the Left Behind series. ...

Influences on the authors

LaHaye and Jenkins cite the influence of Russell S. Doughten, an Iowan film-maker who directed a series of four low-budget feature-length films in the 1970s and 1980s about the Rapture and Second Coming. The films' popularity among Christian fundamentalists have led to increased study and speculation as to the events described in the Book of Revelation. Russell S. Doughten accepts a lifetime achievement award from the National Religious Broadcasters in 2002 Russell S. Doughten Jr. ... Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  Ranked 26th  - Total 56,272 sq mi (145,743 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 199 miles (320 km)  - % water 0. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In conservative Christian eschatology... The Second Coming refers to the Christian belief in the return of Jesus Christ, an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic prophecy such as the resurrection of the dead, last judgment and full establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (also called the Reign of God), including the... Fundamentalism originally referred to a movement in North American Protestantism that arose in the early part of the 20th century in reaction to modernism (see below, History), stressing that the Bible is literally inerrant, not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record. ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ...

Crawford Gribben has shown that there were successful rapture fiction novels as early as 1913, with some earlier works identified as dating from 1905. Of the former, Sydney Watson's Scarlet and Purple (1913), The Mark of the Beast (1915) and In the Twinkling of an Eye are cited as examples of the genre. Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Movies based on the series

DVD cover of Left Behind: World at War.

The success of the Left Behind books have led to the release of three motion pictures based on the series so far. The movies have been produced and released by Cloud Ten Pictures, a Canadian Christian movie studio. Image File history File links Leftbehind4. ... Image File history File links Leftbehind4. ... Left Behind: A Novel of the Earths Last Days is a best-selling novel by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins which starts the Left Behind series. ... Cloud Ten Pictures is a film production company located in St. ...

In 2000, the studio released Left Behind: The Movie, based on the first book of the series. In a very unusual marketing scheme, the studio released the movie on video and DVD first, and then released it to the theatres. The movie fared poorly in theaters.^[12] The movie starred former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron as Buck Williams. Cameron, who finds the series inspiring, is a practicing evangelist (and co-host with Ray Comfort on the TV show The Way of the Master). Growing Pains was an American television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from 1985 to 1992. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Ray Comfort (born December 5, 1949) is a New Zealand-born minister and evangelist. ... The Way of the Master is a Christian evangelism training ministry, created in 2002 and headed by 80s actor Kirk Cameron and evangelist Ray Comfort, though there are several other key figures within the organization. ...

In 2002, the sequel, Left Behind II: Tribulation Force, based on the first four hundred pages of the second novel, Tribulation Force, was released. The film debuted at #2 on Nielson's video scan reports, behind Spider-Man,^[13], and was #1 in terms of overall sales for two days on Amazon.com ^[14] The Tribulation Force is a Christian-based group formed by those left behind after the Rapture as portrayed in the fiction series Left Behind, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. ... Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man Spider-Man is the name of an extremely successful movie (released on May 3, 2002) which stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Willem Dafoe and was directed by Sam Raimi. ... Amazon. ...

In October 2005, the second sequel, Left Behind: World at War was released first to churches on October 21, 2005 for church theatrical viewings, and was released to DVD and video on October 25, 2005. The new movie is based very loosely on the final fifty pages of Tribulation Force, and features Louis Gossett Jr. playing the President of the United States, Gerald Fitzhugh. The third movie was the least identifiable with events in any of the books. Recognizable events were the marriages of Buck with Chloe Steele, and Rayford Steele with Amanda White, the death of Bruce Barnes, and President Fitzhugh heading an attack, resulting in World War III, with Great Britain and Egypt, against the Global Community. Major parts of the movie, however, were not in any of the books, including the poisoning of Bibles by GC forces, and an attempt by Fitzhugh to assassinate Nicolae Carpathia. Buck's meeting with the President in the books makes it into the movie, but in a totally different form. October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Tribulation Force is a Christian-based group formed by those left behind after the Rapture as portrayed in the fiction series Left Behind, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. ... Louis Gossett Jr. ... A fictional character in the third movie of the Left Behind series; played by Louis Gossett Jr. ... Amanda was a friend of Rayfords first wife Irene, who was Raptured. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Global Community is the fictional autocratic, anti-Christian world government in the Left Behind series of novels. ...

In 2004, Cloud Ten Pictures made a deal with Sony Entertainment to release all of its pictures under the Sony banner and has been doing so ever since. Cloud Ten Pictures is a film production company located in St. ... Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $68. ...

Except for Clarence Gilyard, the entire cast of Left Behind and Left Behind II: Tribulation Force reprised their respective roles for Left Behind: World At War. Clarence Gilyard, who played Bruce Barnes, was unable to return for the third movie due to a scheduling conflict with a play in New York. Clarence Darnell Gilyard Jr. ...

As of December 2006, Cloud Ten has announced that the fourth film in the series is now in development, to release in late 2007.

Video game based on the series

The video game Left Behind: Eternal Forces was developed by a publicly traded company, Left Behind Games. The game is a real-time strategy game where 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 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. The interior of Rev. ...

The game has drawn criticism from some quarters (notably the renowned anti-violent videogame campaigner, Jack Thompson) for giving the player the choice of who to play as (Trib Force or Global Community) and for rewarding the player for killing non-Christian characters. For other persons of the same name, see Jack Thompson and John Thompson. ... The Global Community is the fictional autocratic, anti-Christian world government in the Left Behind series of novels. ...

Parody

Satirical takes on the Left Behind series include:

• Earl Lee, Kiss My Left Behind (Aventine Press, November 2003). ISBN 1-59330-106-5
• Kiss My Left Behind 2: The Tribulation Farce
• Nathan D. Wilson, Right Behind: A Parody of Last Days Goofiness (Canon Press, June 2001). ISBN 1-885767-87-0
• Nathan D. Wilson, Supergeddon: A Really Big Geddon (Cannon Press, July 2003). ISBN 1-59128-013-3
• "Thank God It's Doomsday" (The Simpsons episode, May 2005)

Thank God Its Doomsday is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons sixteenth season. ... Simpsons redirects here. ...

See also

Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Christian theology is reasoned... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In conservative Christian eschatology... A panel from Tim LaHaye’s multi-million selling ‘’Left Behind’’ series, depicting the fate LaHaye anticipates for those who do not follow Jesus Christ. ... Futurism is an interpretation of the Bible in Christian eschatology placing the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel in the future as literal, physical, apocalyptic and global rather in the past as literal, physical and localised (i. ... Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days (or End Times) refer to events which actually happened in the first century after Christs birth. ... Historicism in Christian eschatology is a school of interpretation of the eschatological prophecies of Daniel, Revelation and other passages are seen as finding literal earthly fulfillment through the history of the church age, and especially in relation to the Protestant- Catholic conflicts of the Reformation. ... Idealism (also called the Spiritual view) in Christian eschatology is an interpretation of the Book of Revelation that sees all of the imagery of the book as non-literal symbols which are perpetually and cyclically fulfilled in a spiritual sense during the conflict between the Kingdom of God and the... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      As a current in Protestant Christian theology... This article needs cleanup. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      for Christians who belong... Zionism is a political movement that supports a homeland for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, where Jewish nationhood is thought to have evolved somewhere between 1200 BCE and late Second Temple times,[1][2] and where Jewish kingdoms existed up to the 2nd century CE. Zionism is... The Late, Great Planet Earth is the primary example of pre-millennialist, dispensationalist Christian Zionist literature by prolific author Hal Lindsey (here assisted by co-author C.C. Carlson). ... Harold Lee Hal Lindsey (born 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

References

• Official website
• Tyndale Press, website of the publisher
• Archive of Left Behind radio shows in Real Audio
• Left Behind: Eternal Forces Game Fansite
• The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Jesus and Jihad, The New York Times, July 17, 2004
• The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Apocalypse (Almost) Now, The New York Times, November 24, 2004
• Slacktivist's "Left Behind" Archives An in-progress page by page critical analysis of the first Left Behind book.
• Slate reviews the three Left Behind DVDs
• A response from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (PDF)
• Evangelist Tom Sine on Tim LaHaye and the Left Behind series

RealAudio is a proprietary audio codec developed by RealNetworks. ... Evangelism is the proclaiming of the Christian Gospel. ...

Secondary literature

• Forbes, Bruce David and Jeanne Halgren Kilde (eds.), Rapture, Revelation, and the End Times: Exploring the Left Behind Series. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. ISBN 1-4039-6525-0
• Frykholm, Amy David. Rapture Culture: Left Behind in Evangelical America. Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-19-515983-7
• Shuck, Glenn W.. Marks Of The Beast: The Left Behind Novels And The Struggle For Evangelical Identity. New York University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8147-4005-7
• Gribben, Crawford, Rapture Fiction and the Evangelical Crisis. Evangelical Press, 2006. ISBN 0-85234-610-7.
• Snow Flesher, LeAnn, "Left Behind? The Facts Behind the Fiction". Valley Forge, Judson Press, 2006. ISBN 0-8170-1490-X