Left Behind 4456074 225389779 2008-07-13T12:36:59Z JonHarder 629503 /* Film adaptation */ rm trivia {{Otheruses2|Left Behind}} {{infobox Book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books --> | name = Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days | image = [[Image:Left Behind.jpg|200px|Left Behind cover]] | image_caption= Reissue of ''Left Behind'' using original artwork | author = [[Tim LaHaye]] and [[Jerry B. Jenkins]] | cover_artist = | country = [[United States]] | language = [[English language|English]] | series = [[Left Behind (series)]] | genre = [[Christian fiction]] | publisher = [[Tyndale House Publishers]] | release_date = [[31 December]], [[1995]] | media_type = Print ([[Hardcover]], [[Paperback]]; also made into [[Graphic novel]] and [[audiobook]]) | pages = 320 pp (hardcover) and 468&nbsp;pp (paperback) | isbn = ISBN 0-8423-2911-0 (HC), ISBN 0-8423-4270-2 (PB) | preceded_by = [[The Rapture (Left Behind)|The Rapture]] | followed_by = [[Tribulation Force]] }} '''''Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days''''' is a best-selling novel by [[Tim LaHaye]] and [[Jerry B. Jenkins]] which starts the [[Left Behind (series)|''Left Behind'' series]]. This book and the others in the series give narrative form to a specific [[Eschatology|eschatological]] reading of the Christian [[Bible]], particularly the [[Book of Revelation]]. See [[dispensationalism]] and [[premillennialism]]. == Plot summary == [Note: The following is actually a plot summary for the movie based on the book. Between the movie plot and the book plot there are substantial differences of detail.] The story begins with a young journalist, Cameron "Buck" Willams, reporting from Israel concerning the new technology in which food will grow in almost anywhere, thus, he calls it a miracle, but a miracle man has created. Suddenly, thousands of Syrian jets fly over them, attempting to completely destroy Israel. However, God destroys them with his almighty power, thus fulfilling his promise in protecting Israel. The story then turns over to Pilot Rayford Steele's perspective; he was called in for an emergency flight From Chicago to New York, thus forcing him to abandon his son's birthday party. Despite his wife's and his elder daughter's protests, he leaves for the flight, and leaves his family behind. Meanwhile, Buck decides to go to NYC for a investigation of the attack,and gets on Steele's plane, halfway during the flight, Heidi, a flight attendant, tells the crew that this is her last flight and she is going to the UN to be with Nicolae Carpathia, a charming Romanian politician, who later reveals to be the long predicted [[Antichrist]]. As time passes by people start to go missing from the planes due to the [[rapture]] taking place, panic sets in as Steele and his crew try to contain this situation. Upon returning to the flight cockpit, they discover that this is happening on a global basis and he is forced to turn the plane back to the O'Hare Airport. Shortly after returning to the airport, Buck locates Steele and asks him to fly him to NYC; he refuses, saying that he has to be with his family. He asks Buck to tag along with him in his Mercedes S-Class sedan and heads back to his suburban home. Meanwhile, Chloe is driving to her high school exam when she locates a pileup in front of her. People are reporting driverless cars and children missing from their seats. While inspecting the carnage, she is [[carjack]]ed and is now stranded on the highway. Steele returns home and discovers that his wife and kids are missing right from their beds; he sinks into despair and starts crying. He opens his wife's bible, and starts to look for the real answer. Meanwhile, Buck is forced to take refuge in Steele's house after a military enforced [[curfew]] took place. Chloe returns home and reunites with Steele, which makes him feel a lot better. Soon Chloe goes downstairs and discovers Buck sleeping on the couch, Chloe drives Buck to the Airport in her mom's [[Jeep Grand Cherokee]] and goes to look for her younger brother. Steele finally finds her in an elementary school and scolds her for running away without his permission. After Chloe goes home, Steele goes to their neighborhood church and finds a pastor who knows Jesus but was not raised to heaven for his lack of faith. He complains how he preached all his life but was not rewarded properly. Later, he begs God for another chance and Steele tells him that God will give him another chance. They watch the tape left by another pastor, which tells us the true meaning of Rapture, all the believer go to see God, while those left behind get the worst of it. Buck gets to NYC and finds his mark assigned. He takes a computer disc, nearly getting killed himself by a nearby sniper. He then decodes it and find that someone is trying to bankrupt the UN and control all the world's food supplies. After meeting with a UN member, a car bomb explodes, killing the UN member, sending Buck straight back to the Steele house. Steele tells Chloe about God and she accepts God as her Savior, but Buck does not, and goes to the UN to warn the Delegates. Steele attempts to stop him saying, "anything other than God will not work", but he goes to the UN anyway. After his departure, Steele and his daughter pray that he will find his way to the one and only faith. Buck gets to UN and warns the officials; they listen to him, but not after a meeting hosted by Nicholae. Nicholae shoots one member who disagrees and fakes the whole scenario. Before the meeting, Buck finally accepts God and asks him to show him the way, he realizes that Nicholae is the Antichrist as he reveals his plan for world domination and plans for rebuilding the temple of Israel. Nicholae orders everyone at the meeting not to tell anyone else about his murder and everyone agrees, almost brainwashed. After the meeting, Buck asks his friends in the UN and Heidi to open their eyes but they too have been brainwashed. Buck finally returns to the church, he knocks on the door and Chloe lets him in. Before the movie, he says the "seven years of peace" declared by Nicholae will be the seven worst years mankind has ever seen, and that faith is all we need. Upon that, the film ends. == Characters == * [[Rayford Steele]] - 747 captain for Pan-Continental in his mid-forties. He is member, but non-attender at New Hope Village Church; Mount Prospect. * [[Chloe Steele]], Rayford's daughter who is a student at [[Stanford University]] in her mid-twenties and skeptical of Christianity. She lost her mother and brother in the Rapture. Chloe resides in [[California]]. * [[Cameron "Buck" Williams]] - journalist and senior writer for Global Weekly from [[New York]] who authors the Newsmaker of the Year story on Chaim Rosenzweig. * [[Bruce Barnes]] - assistant pastor at New Hope Village Church in his mid-forties who must lead new congregation * [[Joshua Todd-Cothran]] - international [[financier]], head of [[London Stock Exchange]] * [[Jonathan Stonagal]] - international financier and wealthiest man in history * [[Ken Ritz]] - charter pilot * [[Chaim Rosenzweig]] - [[Israel]]i botanist and statesman who discovers of a formula that makes Israeli deserts bloom; former Global Weekly Man of the Year. * [[Steve Plank]] - publisher of the Global Weekly; old school journalist; Cameron's boss. * [[Hattie Durham]] - [[flight attendant]] in her late twenties, works with Rayford at Pan-Continental. * [[Nicolae Jetty Carpathia]] - president of [[Romania]] in his mid-thirties who was invited to speak at the [[United Nations]]. * [[Stanton Bailey]] - publisher of ''Global Weekly''. == Major themes == {{Original research|date=March 2008}} Christian prophetic themes are explored in a fictional context around the theme of the "[[Rapture]]", an interpretation of the [[First Epistle to the Thessalonians]]. Amongst those Christians who believe there will be a Rapture, there are three main theories on the timing of this event: Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation. This book takes the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position. The story is built around such [[End times]] themes as the [[Second Coming]], the [[Antichrist]], the [[Tribulation]], and the expected coming [[Millennium]] of [[Messiah]]. == Reception == This novel has received different reactions; however, the American Evangelical Christian community in general has approved the idea of representing in a worldly language the end times theology. [[Jerry Falwell]] said: "In terms of its impact on Christianity, it's probably greater than that of any other book in modern times, outside the Bible."<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101050207/photoessay/15.html Time magazine. Accessed 2007-9-8]</ref> There have been several good reviews from various media. [[The New York Times]] stated that it "...combines Tom Clancy like suspense with touches of romance, high tech flash and Biblical references". <ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E4DE1138F937A35753C1A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1 Fast-Selling Thrillers Depict Prophetic View of Final Days - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The [[Chicago Tribune]] called it "...an exciting, stay-up-late-into-the-night, page turner story". [[Publishers Weekly]] recognized Left Behind as "...the most successful Christian Fiction series ever". == Controversies and criticisms == Some evangelicals are seriously concerned about the message of the genre. Their objections are based on the paucity of scriptural evidence for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture which forms the basis for the story. The supposition is that the Christian Church will not be present for the "final witness" nor need to prepare themselves in the faith for that possibility. It forms a growing basis for discussion among evangelicals who hold to a [[Post Tribulation Rapture]], [[amillennialism]], or forms of [[preterism]]. Other evangelicals object to the message of ''Left Behind'' because they say it is not a Christian message, though framed as a Christian series. [[Loren L. Johns]], the Academic Dean of the [[Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary]] writes: "At the end of the day, this series is ultimately a rejection of the good news of Jesus Christ. I say this because it rejects the way of the cross and Jesus’ call to obedient discipleship and a new way of life. It celebrates the human will to power, putting Evangelical Christians in the heroic role of God’s Green Berets. ... Love of enemies is treated as a misguided strategy associated not with the gospel, but with the Antichrist."<ref name="Loren">[http://www.ambs.edu/LJohns/Leftbehind.htm The Left Behind Series: Description and Critique]</ref> The Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the [[Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod|Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)]] reported that,"the ideas expressed in the Left Behind series are in many ways contrary to the teaching of holy scripture. Though containing a fictional story line, the books promote a [[theology]] that is, in important respects, at odds with the biblical revelation."<ref name="Lutheran">[http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/CTCR/LeftBehind.pdf LeftBehind.pdf: A Lutheran response to the Left Behind series]</ref> Lisa Ruby, writer of over 50 investigative articles about the Left Behind Series, and a book, ''God's Wrath on Left Behind'', insists the novels are filled with soul-subverting messages: "My focus is not on the author's eschatological bent, but rather, the apostate thinking and behavior of the allegedly Christian characters. The Left Behind Series is conditioning people to believe that Christians may work at Satan's headquarters and even "pretend" to worship the Antichrist during the Tribulation without forfeiting their souls."<ref name="GWrath">[http://www.libertytothecaptives.net/left_behind.html Exposing False Doctrines in the Left Behind Series]</ref> Other Christians find the focus on the Rapture as a dramatic device in a "Christian" film gives too much credence to this debatable theory. Some Christians find the use of Biblical interpretations for commercial entertainment somewhat exploitive and disingenuous, in spite of the claims of some that the books and movie have helped bring new believers to Christianity. ==Film adaptation== This book has been adapted into a feature film, ''[[Left Behind: The Movie]]'', first released on video and DVD, and then to cinemas where it fared poorly.<ref name="Imdb">[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190524/business Imdb.com: Left Behind (2004) - Box Office/Business]</ref> In the movie [[Cameron "Buck" Williams]] was played by former ''[[Growing Pains]]'' star [[Kirk Cameron]] who said he finds the series inspiring; he is a practicing evangelist and co-host with [[Ray Comfort]] on the TV show ''[[The Way of the Master]]''. So far there have been two sequels released straight to video. The first was named "[[Left Behind II: Tribulation Force]]". The most recent one, ''[[Left Behind: World at War]]'', premiered in thousands of churches before its video and DVD release. A fourth installment has been announced by Cloud Ten Pictures, but the information on their website has not been updated for quite some time. == Release details == * 1995, USA, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-2911-0, Pub. date 31 December 1995, Hardback * 1995, USA, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-1675-2, Pub. date ? December 1995, Audio Cassette * 1999, USA, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-2912-9, Pub. date ? February 1999, Paperback * 2000, USA, Chivers, Windsor, Paragon & Co ISBN 0-7862-2468-1, Pub. date ? September 2000, Large Print * 2000, UK, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-4270-2, Pub. date 30 September == See also == * [[Tyndale House]] ==Further reading== *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 *Reed, David A., ''LEFT BEHIND Answered Verse by Verse''. Morrisville, NC: Lulu.com, 2008. ISBN 1-4357-0873-3 *Rossing, Barbara R., ''The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation'', New York: Basic Books, 2004. ISBN 0-8133-4314-3 *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 == References == <!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags--> <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> {{reflist}} </div> ==External links== *[http://www.leftbehind.com Official website] *[http://www.catholicconferenceofillinois.org/bins/site/wrappers/default.asp?pane_2=cci-pages-tyndale Statement of Catholic Conference of Illinois] *[http://www.met-uk.org/met/article.php?cat=general&id=166&PHPSESSID=8ad757ca16cf2787c16b37cc03b3b1ce Dr. Stephen Travis, Has real hope been 'Left Behind'? Methodist Evangelicals Together, Jan., 2005] *[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/17/opinion/17KRIS.html?ex=1247803200&en=b9eee1a2743a902b&ei=5090 Nicholas Kristof's critical op-ed] in the ''New York Times'', July 17, 2004 *[http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/061501/061501a.htm Teresa Malcolm, Fearful faith in end times novels] ''National Catholic Reporter'', June 15, 2001 *[http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/onlinetv/?portal&video=432 Barbara Rossing interview] ELCA Lutheran Professor Lecture {{Left Behind}} {{Left Behind Characters}} {{portal|Christianity}} [[Category:Left Behind series]] [[Category:1995 novels]] [[Category:Post-apocalyptic novels]] [[Category:Christian popular culture]] [[da:Left Behind]] [[de:Left Behind]] [[nn:Left Behind]] [[pl:Dzień zagłady (książka)]] [[pt:Left Behind]] [[zh:末日迷蹤]]