You knew it was going to happen. Some newbie was eventually going to show up and bring up the LaHaye/Jenkins version and want to delve into the psychology of Rayford and pick apart Tsion's scripture lessons. Well, yes, I'm bringing it up, but, no, I don't want to analyze the possibility of all top pilots becoming friends, forming the Trib Force, and managing to infiltrate the Antichrist's palace. So, I read the entire series which was in total, I think, about 16 books. I even read the three that gave the backstory on Carpathia, but those were clearly straight fiction. As far as reading material goes, they did a good job of putting the cliffhangers in the right places and keeping me intrigued wondering "What's next?" They cite scripture to prove it's going to go down exactly the way they wrote it, minus the characters, of course. But I'm still not quite sure where I stand on that. For those of you who read my introduction here, you know I am working on letting go of what I blindly followed most of my life and looking for more substance. So, I'm just curious where you stand on the Left Behind version versus what you truly believe. Do you think it's bunk? Do you see things literally as they do? Do you see things more figuratively? Stuff like that. I will say that the series prompted me to pick up the Bible and pay much better attention to what I was reading. No matter what you think of Left Behind, pointing someone in the right direction is never a bad thing.
Left Behind is speculative fiction and should be treated as such. Whether one agrees with pretribulational dispensationalism or not, the Bible should be the first source, and serious scholarly sources the next. We have too much Hollywood in our theology as it is. With all the speculation that surrounds eschatology, we should not be afraid to explore other historical interpretations, especially given that pretribulational dispenspensationalism is barely 100 year old.
I've never cared much for Eschatology. What's going to happen, is going to happen. With or without my help. Or hindrance.
I read the first book, thought it was great and bought the rest of the series at once. Unfortunately I lost interest after the third or fourth book and I've got idea where they are now. As far as if they line up with my beliefs on Eschatology...I don't even know what my beliefs on Eschatology are. I've studied it since I was a kid and instead of forming opinions/beliefs I just keep coming up with more questions.
As far as Eschatology is concerned I have a feeling when it is all over we are going to be left standing, slaping ourselves on the forehead and saying "OH, that's what that meant."
I don't adhere to the view. I read all the books except the back story books. I enjoyed the books. Don't agree with the theology.
Interesting thoughts, y'all. Thanks for all the replies. Dispensationalism as a term and a subject of study is something fairly new to me. With that and the entire subject of eschatology, I feel like Brian and all research tends to lead to more questions and less answers. I also agree with Cloudwalker that what actually ends up happening is probably going to leave us in an "Oh, duh" moment. I wish I could shrug my shoulders at it like Seeking (how in the world did you type the letters backwards and upside down??), but I am far too much of a busy-body for that. It's always interesting to hear what others have to say, though, and I appreciate it.
I used to believe in a "rapture" before a "tribulation" that are yet future, but that was honestly because that's what I was taught as a new Christian. I no longer believe those things. I now hold to a more partial preterist/historical view of Revelation. Which basically means that I think 90+% of its events are now past and were fulfilled in the 1st century AD. I believe that only the very last part of it even applies to our own future. I do believe that Christ will return physically to judge the living and the dead, and to resurrect our entire planet and its people. I expect this to be one event that will happen very quickly and will be over before we know it. I do not believe that we will spend eternity in heaven without our bodies as that is not what the Bible teaches. I don't have a complete understanding of it all, but that's what I generally hope for and look forward to, however this is going to play out in detail. I personally think that Left Behind is pure fiction and would read it as such. I can't comment on its entertainment value as I never read it.
I read the books years ago after watching the movies. I thought they were pretty entertaining. And at that time, I thought that's the way things played out, since that's what they taught it at our former church.
No consistent hermeneutic. No literal horsemen, no literal sword in Jesus' piehole, ... Picking some things to be literal and dome to be figurative.
One of the greatest lessons I've learned from that whole experience was: Always read my Bible, and never take anything at face value, no matter who says it.
Interpret things the best we can, that's all we can do as mortals and believe in ourselves and do good unto others.
That's a very good point, but with so many things being open to interpretation, how do you determine what's literal, what's figurative, and what may have already come to pass?
1. Make sure you know what the text actually says. There are plenty of translations to compare, along with excellent Hebrew or Greek interlinear versions, that help with making sure that we are reading the true words or meaning of the text and not just the bias of a translator. 2. Read to understand what the original audience (hearer or reader) would have understood. That means scholarship and research into culture, idioms, geography, etc. This means using a bit of common sense, too. I mean, seriously, does anyone really believe that Jesus has a long steel sword sticking out between his teeth, or that he is a wooden barrier that opens and closes, or that four literal different colored horses are riding around? 3. Read to understand exactly what reaction or action God expected of the original audience. 4. Decide if there is a principle that applies to us, in our day, in our life circumstances.
That's basically the conclusion I came to in terms of *everything*. I still get in huge battles with my family about it. "Why don't you pray for <revelation/clarity/peace/faith/whatever else will get me back to Christianity". My answer: "why?" Because as far as I can tell, what I hope for and what I will has absolutely nothing to do what will be. Further, at no point could one be certain that prayer was answered in any sense. If the universe is a mere clockwork engine of sovereignty anyway, what difference does it make? That I did or didn't/would/wouldn't is outside my own capacity to influence.