An airborne Boeing 747 is headed to London when, without any warning, passengers mysteriously disappear from their seats. Terror and chaos slowly spread not only through the plane but also worldwide as unusual events continue to unfold. For those who have been left behind, the apocalypse has just begun…
This is the beginning of a twelve book, best-selling series known as Left Behind written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The series is based off of the end times of the Bible, known as the Rapture, when Jesus comes like a thief in the night to take His people to Heaven, and those who have not put their faith in Him, are left behind – these are the people we follow.
Throughout the series we follow Captain Rayford Steele, who was piloting a Boeing 747 when the disappearances happened. Right away, he knows what happened – Christ came back for His church, and he was left behind. His wife had been telling him for months that this would happen, but he brushed her off, and his daughter did as well. Along the way they meet others who, like them, had been warned but didn’t take it seriously and search for answers as they begin to put their faith in Christ.
Over the next seven years of Tribulation, they make it their mission to bring as many others to Christ as they can, all while trying to survive as the Antichrist takes his throne and vows to destroy those who oppose him (while preaching world peace) and the earth-shattering prophecies foretold in the Bible as God finally releases His wrath on a world that has turned their backs on Him since the beginning of time.
Trust me when I say that my little summary up there does no justice to the series. You really have to read it to know how amazing the books are. The feelings I got from reading Left Behind are indescribable. Knowing that one day these events (the Rapture and following prophecies) will happen is chilling because I can’t imagine living through all of that. I’m so thankful I’ll be one of those millions who disappear and I won’t have to go through the end times, but it makes me worry that I might have friends and family who will.
I know the series is long, and some books drag on compared to others, but it’s worth sticking it out. The first three books and the last three are the ones that I devoured in no time because I needed to know what happened next. All together, there are probably only two books that seemed to drag on for me, but because of the intensity of the novels, it took me longer than I expected to finish. I had to take breaks in between some books. If you decide to check out the books, I’d say read in groups of three.
Whether you’re a Christian or not, these books are worth reading. You can’t deny that the plot is good, so you can at least check it out. Left Behind is a series that you don’t want to miss out on!
