the Left Behind message {Merged}

[Wingshire]

Does anyone feel that fictionalizing the end times, particularily the events in the Book of Revelation was wrong? Is it a closed book, at least until 1 Thessalonians (the Rapture) is through?

Would the authors of the LB series be wrong to publish their works??

[Wingshire]

Does anyone feel that fictionalizing the end times, particularily the events in the Book of Revelation was wrong? Is it a closed book, at least until 1 Thessalonians (the Rapture) is through?

Would the authors of the LB series be wrong to publish their works??

[shinethelight18]

No , I believe its true. There are evidence for pre trib. If you want to debate, we can head over to the rapture doctrine message board area.

[RobinB]

I think they and other end-times novels (like "The Bema") are good tools for evangelizing.:nod

[christyr]

I was raised in the church and I never knew a thing about Revelations other than it talked about the end of the world. When the LB series came out, I read them and it was an eye opener. The story line was not the main point of the books for me. The main point was all the Biblical references. I could actually go to my Bible while reading this fictional book and suddenly Revelations made sense to me. I've become an avid end-times studier since and thank God often that He put those books in my hands. They may be fiction, but they stirred up just enough curiousity in me (and others I know) to "wake" us up!! You gotta think anything that can reach people like that is a good thing. :confused :clap

[alabama35565]

I was raised in the church and I never knew a thing about Revelations other than it talked about the end of the world. When the LB series came out, I read them and it was an eye opener. The story line was not the main point of the books for me. The main point was all the Biblical references. I could actually go to my Bible while reading this fictional book and suddenly Revelations made sense to me. I've become an avid end-times studier since and thank God often that He put those books in my hands. They may be fiction, but they stirred up just enough curiousity in me (and others I know) to "wake" us up!! You gotta think anything that can reach people like that is a good thing. :confused :clap


that's exactly what i did, when i started reading the books and found all the references in them. i would go to bed at night and take my Bible with me. as i read i would go to whatever chapter / verse it was and read several verses before and after the one mentioned ...........
it was like a light went on and a door opened for me.:nod :nod

[beachball]

:tape

[fiat_lux]

Does anyone feel that fictionalizing the end times, particularily the events in the Book of Revelation was wrong? Is it a closed book, at least until 1 Thessalonians (the Rapture) is through?
I've never thought that for a moment. It's fiction, not attempting to add to the Biblical truth. What I think WOULD have been wrong would be if Lahaye and Jenkins had said, "These books are God's new message about the end times and take the place of Revelation." They make a a lot of serious mistakes in their interpretation of the end times, I believe, but that's another matter: to my knowledge, the LB books were never claimed to be God's revealed truth, and if discussing the pre-trib perspective in a board like this isn't wrong, I can't see why a series of novels trying to understand it by way of fiction would be wrong, either.

[mel27p]

I think they and other end-times novels (like "The Bema") are good tools for evangelizing.:nod

I got saved after watching the first Left Behind movie. I read the whole series and think publishing them was a wonderful idea.

[TEXASGRANDMA]

I have all the books. love them. the last book I cried with joy as I read it

[Dana67]

I have all the books. love them. the last book I cried with joy as I read it

Me, too!
The books have helped bring a lot of people to Christ in these last days.

[PPLGetReady]

[QUOTE=Wingshire]Does anyone feel that fictionalizing the end times, particularily the events in the Book of Revelation was wrong?

I think that if you ask that question then you have to ask the other which is: are all Christian books and movies wrong?

Christian books and movies use various trials and tribulations of a fictionalized character. They character usually spends time praying at some point asking God to help them, they stand on the promises of God as given in the Bible and because it's a book or movie God always comes through for them in a nice neat little nutshell.

Now we know that God has his own timetable. God does not always answer prayers immediately although it is a blessing if not a miracle when he does. Sometimes he does not answer them in our lifetimes. Sometimes he never answers a prayer, I supposed because it is not according to his will.

So we must ask when we fictionalize all these trials and tribulations where God answers the prayer in a two hour movie are we adding to the Bible in that case too?

I believe that God gave us a powerful imagination for the 'ride off into the sunset', isn't that what we all dream about? I believe that imagination was meant to give us hope and comfort.

[Grimlock Prime]

Does anyone feel that fictionalizing the end times, particularily the events in the Book of Revelation was wrong?

You are certainly not alone in the belief that any fiction based on the Bible is not proper. Conversely, my grandmother used to go into fits about the TV show Hercules because it showed the ancient Greek gods instead of Jesus. If it bugs you, just don't support the work financially. But there's really no scripture against telling stories based on the Bible.

[Becky]

Does anyone feel that fictionalizing the end times, particularily the events in the Book of Revelation was wrong? Is it a closed book, at least until 1 Thessalonians (the Rapture) is through?

Would the authors of the LB series be wrong to publish their works??No. It's fiction for one. And it lays out the Pre-trib Rapture and what could possibly happen afterward. We won't be here but those left behind will have a good visual of what could happen.

[kayhil]

I see nothing wrong with the series of books they did.

[TEXASGRANDMA]

i have all the books and I like them all.
betty

[SummerSailing81]

One of the times my daughter was in the hospital for 5 weeks, I started re-reading the LB books. Several of the nurses were so interested in the series that they actually went out and bought Left Behind and started reading it. These nurses were not Christians either - but I'm hoping they've since become believers! I, too, believe they're good witnessing tools about what might happen after the Rapture.

[chuckrsooz]

I know these novels can be the start of something great! My grandmother gave me two such novels by a guy named Salem Kirban called "666" and "1000" in the early 70's. They were great because they were fictionalized stories expaining the rapture, tribulation, and millenium. As a 12 year old, I would have never understood Bible prophecy if I read it - I read the stories I could understand & skimmed the confusing stuff, of course!

The thing they did which would have really benefitted the readers of the Left Behind series, was that as the story progressed, the bible verses to support the prophecy being fictionalized were printed in the margin. So what does a curious reader do? Go look it up!

Well, 35 years later, I've never lost those books, technologically dated as they are, they opened a door for me. We all learned in Sunday school that Jesus was coming back for us, but this was the first time I was taught why and when. My little Granny thought it would be in my lifetime!:clap

[Caver]

I believed in God but was not "born again" when I started reading the series. Before finishing the 1st book, the Lord brought a series of events into my life where I understood just what I needed to do to complete my journey. This series was important to me and I am very greatful for it.

I have used it as a tool on others, those in the same shape as I was as well as non believers, withches included.

From the first page, I understood this was a fictional account. It was one explination about how things Could unfold, not how they would unfold. I think the authors did a good job of making that clear up front.

[cindyl1]

I see nothing wrong with it either and I love those books! They've brought many, many, many people to salvation and caused many many more to open their Bibles back up and read it for themselves.

[RobinB]

. Several of the nurses were so interested in the series that they actually went out and bought Left Behind and started reading it.


The place I've noticed the most people reading the LB series was on airplanes!! I guess since some of the main characters are on a plane when the fictional Rapture occurs, it is appropriate. :D:

[faline]

Hal Lindsey's book, The Late Great Planet Earth, opened up the whole fascinating vista for me in 1970. I think the Lord used the Left Behind series to open up a few eyes, even though it was only fiction. (personally, as a writer and from a writer's perspective, I didn't like them, but not because of the message, which was a good interpretation of the pre-trib rapture view. I know a lot of Christians who are writers who DID like them, as well, I should point out. I just didn't think they were very well done from a technical point of view.).

[Becky]

Yea, the LB Series isn't a literary masterpiece, however they opened the door and were the very first series of actually detailing the Rapture and afterwards. It opened our minds to really imagine what could really happen.

[SeaDreamer]

I see nothing wrong with them either. I haven't read any in a long, long time but don't they make it clear in the preface that it's a fictionalized account?

[carmen]

This thread merged with the one begun on the same topic in ETC :):

[Wingshire]

Thanks for the replies. A friend and me got into this debate yesterday, and I wanted to get your povs. For one, I agree with the poster who declared that it isn't against any Bible teachings, for two any Christian fiction can benefit the lost, or looking. His point was that he dare not INTERPRET scriptures that haven't come to pass. My point is that we are close, and its pretty easy to interpret the judgments to come...still his words ate at me all night, so I had to seek more wisdom. Thanks everyone :):

[JoelH]

His point was that he dare not INTERPRET scriptures that haven't come to pass.

Hi Wingshire, does your friend give sufficient scriptural justifications why scriptures pertaining to prophecies should not be interpreted befroe they are fulfilled?

Remember the Jewish Bible teachers told Herod the Book of Micah predicted Jesus would be in Bethleham. They were certainly interpreting prophecies, strictly speaking.

YBIC,

Joel

[Wingshire]

This is the jist of what he said in his email to me...I cut out some of the more personal parts. I'd love to hear your replies...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
there is a lot the Bible tells us, and a lot that it does not. the
events following what people sometimes call the Rapture are a good
example. Biblical foretelling has a habit of becoming clear as the
events approach their fulfillment, or afterward; prior to that, they
can be very tough, or impossible, to understand. for example, the
prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in Isaiah 52 and 53 read like a
fingerprint to us today. and yet many people who had virtually
memorized the OT completely missed the point, and ended up crucifying
the guy whose coming they were supposedly anticipating.

because of this, i am hesitant to publicly speculate concerning the
details of the Book of Revelation. i just don't believe anybody
understands its prophetic statements in any detail. until the events of
1 Thessalonians are fulfilled, i believe Revelation will be essentially
a closed book.

please note my use of the word "publicly". all of us enjoy discussing
these things among ourselves. but in print, i would rather not commit
myself to things which God has not chosen to make clear to us.