"Left Behind" Fiction or Mythology?

[Presbyterian Deacon]

There are so many things wrong with the Left Behind novels that it would be easy to fill many books listing all the errors. Some of them are truly ridiculous, such as these passages in Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (the same volume where a note from LaHaye says all of this "will happen someday")where the characters come upon literal streams of milk flowing down the side of a hill, and literal streams of wine, collecting in pools of milk and wine that they can drink from, in supposed fulfillment of Joel 3:18 ...

"the streams had become pure white milk. Having only half finished his meal, Rayford knelt and cupped both hands in the white cascade."

"There, gushing down the mountainsides were deep purple channels, collecting in great, beautiful pools below."

- page 13

Apparently he forgets that the promise to the Israelites of a "land flowing with milk and honey" did not mean they would find streams of milk and streams of honey literally flowing down the hills of the Promised Land.

But the most serious error -- promoted throughout by the entire series of novels -- is LaHaye's teaching found also in his nonfiction works such as Are We Living in the End Times? (page 158) that those "left behind" because they had "rejected God's offer of salvation" will get a Second Chance (the title of volume 2 in the kids series).

Mr. Reed:

Thank you for your addition to this thread. I am looking forward to reading your book.

 

[queenknitter]

I've always equated them to "The Munsters" -- silly sit-com-like writing that is like a train wreck.

C

 

[HaigLaw]

I remember Paul Washer in a sermon saying "The only thing left behind in the "Left Behind" series is the Bible"
I think he is right. I read them all exept for the last one when I was newly saved out of Catholicism and very confused looking for a spiritual home.

If anyone reads them and gets motivated to read their Bible more, then God gets the last laugh.

Otherwise, their primary effect was to breath new life into dispensationalism, which had since 1988 lost substantially all its intellectual respect. Dispensationalism now has new life in pop culture, due to this series.

And its author and publisher have made billions on it for their religious-right causes.

 

[HaigLaw]

This is a very important point from Dennis:

"Literal" is a shibboleth. The more correct term is historical-grammatical. As to literal, when someone asks R.C. Sproul "You don't take the Bible literally, do you?" he answers: "Why of course. How else could you possibly take it?" Even if you reject premill views of eschatology, don't surrender the good term "literal" or find yourself attacking literal interpretation.

What differentiates dispensationalism in its many forms from non-dispensationalism has to do more with the notions of the covenant, relations between the testaments, and therefore with the understanding of Israel and the Church. It is not as if amill/postmills are "allegorical" and dispensationalists are "literal."

Most evangelicals don't know the difference between "literal interpretation" and literal inspiration. The historical-grammatical hermeneutic includes many figurative usages, such as figures of speech. And there is much figurative interpretation in dispensationalism.

 

[calgal]

No matter what genre they are, they are not good literature In my humble opinion.

They are like harlequin romances (aka penny dreadfuls) with less content.

 

[Abd_Yesua_alMasih]

If the movies can be played on Chinese state television (which is my only acquaintance with the series), then there can't be much Christian about them.

 

[nicnap]

It's really great fiction.

Some have questioned the quality of the series even on that level. I can't say since I've never read any of them.

What I mean to imply with the above statement is that it is so far from realistic it's great fiction. Fantasy would have been a better word.

 

[nicnap]

No matter what genre they are, they are not good literature In my humble opinion.

They are like harlequin romances (aka penny dreadfuls) with less content.

THAT was great.

 

[HaigLaw]

If the movies can be played on Chinese state television (which is my only acquaintance with the series), then there can't be much Christian about them.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

One of the most dominant evangelical theologies of the 20th century -- and Chinese communists don't even regard it as a Christian threat!

 

[etexas]

If the movies can be played on Chinese state television (which is my only acquaintance with the series), then there can't be much Christian about them.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

One of the most dominant evangelical theologies of the 20th century -- and Chinese communists don't even regard it as a Christian threat!

Sorry, but....Chuckle!

 

[Abd_Yesua_alMasih]

Then again I also remember shopping where that big earthquake in China was, through a major shopping mall, hearing "Amazing Grace" loud and clear over the radio system. Such a special moment. It means a lot in places like that, but little back here in the west.

 

[InevitablyReformed]

Can't take it anymore....what in the world does In my humble opinion mean?!

Thanks.

Daniel

 

[TimV]

In my honest opinion

Internet Acronyms Dictionary

 

[Presbyterian Deacon]

Can't take it anymore....what in the world does In my humble opinion mean?!

Thanks.

Daniel

I thought it was: "in my humble opinion"

 

[DMcFadden]

It is both: The source cited gave both "In My Humble Opinion" and "In My Honest Opinion." I always use it as "In My Humble Opinion" unless it is not so humble and then write "in my opinion."