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End-times prophecy has always been of special interest to truth-seekers. A popular belief among Christians regarding end-times prophecy, and especially the rapture, is reflected in a series of fictional novels called Left Behind, which have sold over 42 million copies. While the authors use fictional characters, they claim the premise of the story is based on Scriptural fact. Let us look into their interpretation of end-times events to see where we agree or disagree.

Left Behind says there will come a time when both the living and the dead members of two groups of people will be bodily taken to heaven, or raptured. One of these groups, the much smaller group, includes all true Christians who have ever believed, accepted, and trusted in the sacrificial death of Christ for salvation. The second and much larger group includes all unborn babies and children, who, they claim, God will not hold accountable for a decision that must be made with heart and mind, fully cognizant of its ramifications.

Left Behind says after the rapture of the children and the faithful Christians, there will be a 7-year period of trial and tribulation when terrible things will happen, including a thermonuclear war that will wipe out millions, the vast majority of which are unsaved people, forever sealing their doom. The purpose of the 7-year tribulation period, they claim, is to allow a second chance to all those adults who remain, who prior to the rapture had ignored or rejected God’s salvation through faith in Christ. If during that terrible period they will examine the claims of the scriptures, accept Christ and prove their faithfulness by refusing to fall in line with the antichrist, they will, after the 7-year trial period, join in Christ’s kingdom.

We agree with Left Behind’s premise that children will not be held accountable or suffer consequences because they were not able to knowledgeably accept Christ. But we disagree that ignorance of God’s means of salvation through Christ gives anyone, including children, automatic entry into eternal life as part of the church. If eternal life could come to even one without faith in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, then every scripture that tells us such a faith is absolutely necessary must be disregarded, altered, or thrown out. But this we cannot do.

Then how will those who died without this faith gain everlasting life? The answer to this apparent dilemma is that there are two salvations and two different periods of salvation revealed in God’s plan. The first period of salvation is now, during the Gospel Age, when God is calling out of the world a people for his name to be the bride of his beloved Son Jesus. When these have all entered into their heavenly reward after proving faithful unto death, then the second salvation, the earthly salvation, will open up during the second period of salvation known as the 1000-year reign of Christ and his church. During this period, every individual will be brought back to life and given an opportunity to gain eternal life in God’s kingdom on earth through faith and obedience to Christ. The Apostle Paul states in 1 Cor. 15:22, “As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Since all were lost in Adam, it was necessary that Jesus “by the grace of God should taste death for every man” Heb. 2:9.

In Left Behind, a pastor prepared a video tape prior to the rapture explaining to those left behind what had happened, what they might expect afterwards, and what they must now do to be saved. In the video the pastor says to those left behind, “It doesn’t make any difference at this point why you’re still on earth. You may have been too selfish or prideful or busy, or perhaps you simply didn’t take the time to examine the claims of Christ for yourself. The point now is, you have another chance. Don’t miss it.” While we cannot agree that all people have had a fair opportunity in this life to accept Christ, the Scriptures do tell us that after the church is complete and no longer on the earth, the rest of the world of mankind will be given an opportunity, during a trial period, to gain eternal life. To most, that will be their first full chance. Rev. 22:17 tells of that time when Christ and his Church will assist the world in righteousness, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

We believe Left Behind has made God’s plan of salvation too narrow. They give only the living adult population remaining on earth a “second chance” for salvation, and they also put those people at a tremendous disadvantage because they must find and come to a knowledge of the truth under the 7-year worldwide rule of the antichrist, whose power of deception they claim is practically insurmountable. After the 7-year tribulation, Left Behind says the 1000-year reign of Christ will occur, and it will be a favorable opportunity for a new population of people born after the rapture to be tested under peaceable conditions. But why would God allow this new population to have such a favorable opportunity to be saved while all others were tested under extremely disadvantageous conditions?

The scriptures clearly teach (Rev. 20) that during the 1000-year reign of Christ the whole world of mankind beginning with Adam -- not a new population -- will be taught the truth and will be given a favorable opportunity for eternal life through the knowledge of Christ. 1 Tim. 2:4 states, “Who will have all men to be saved [saved from Adamic condemnation and brought forth from the grave], and come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 John 2:1,2 says, “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins: and not for our’s [the church’s] only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Jesus Christ’s sacrifice will be a satisfaction for all men who ever lived. All mankind will have a full fair opportunity to accept Christ.

The Scriptures teach (Isaiah 35) that during Christ’s glorious reign, the redeemed on earth will walk up the highway of holiness where no lion or ravenous beast shall be. During that time the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14). “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” Jer. 31:34.

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Last modified: 09/19/09