Left Behind (October 3, 2014)

[Xantavia]

I'm ignorant of the storyline in the books and previous movies, but I do know what the rapture is. My question is, how are we supposed to care about any of the characters? If the rapture is when all the good people are taken up into heaven and the bad people are left behind, then all the characters are heathens that I shouldn't care about, right? Or did God screw up and leave some good people behind? Oops!

Been years since I've read the book, but you are supposed to care because the people the books follow now believe in god and want to suddenly become good enough for heaven. I thought it was interesting if you are willing to skim the religion heavy portions. My biggest problem is the several prequels that put out a few years later, when the main characters you grew to know were there old pre-rapture asshole selves. Thats why I never read those.

On the movie, I'm having hard time deciding if Nick Cage is worse for this role than Kirk Cameron was.

[Buffy]

Incoming semi-knowledgeable religious speak:

There are three "accepted" (I say accepted in that theologians will debate them in some form - some people get hung up on it, I am not one of them) forms of rapture within credible Christian theology. What is referred to as "pre-trib" (Pre-tribulation) "mid-trib" and "post-trib". The tribulation is a series of trials or experiences that will occur over the course of roughly seven years. They are very bad. Without going too deeply into the theology of the event, it is a period of time where God's influence on the world would be lessened and Satan's influence would grow (holy smoke that is a gross approximation, but no one wants the actual theology, trust me).

This book is based on a "pre-trib" theological viewpoint. This means that the rapture of all saved Christians will get taken up into heaven and then the tribulation begins. In other words, the world heads into the shitter big time.

If you wanted to view it in a non-theological light, it is an interesting mental exercise: What would happen to the world if somewhere between 5% and 35% (who knows how many people in the world that claim to be Christian or Catholic would actually be raptured in said event) of the world's population disappeared instantly?

I can't remember if I saw the Kirk Cameron flick or not, but I'll see this cause Nic Cage.

I don't recommend the books. For those who read real authors like David Weber or Ayn Rand or any of the other hundreds of authors recommended in the books thread, the writing in these books is pretty poor. In their defense, they hadn't written fiction before (it was two authors writing together) and they are hampered by their sincerity. The books aren't very good.

[Cantih]

For those who read real authors like David Weber

=D

or Ayn Rand

ಠ_ಠ

[Koul]

so, let's say I'm the passenger in a car with a friend. and they get raptured and the car crashes into something else killing me. Would I go to heaven or be satans torture slave. I don't think it's fair that I didn't even get a chance to survive in the post-raptured world. inb4 qq

[Abandon]

Where exactly in the bible is that?

From what I've read, people have taken a "lot" of liberties when expanding on "the rapture" which is basically them interpreting 2 lines from Revelations and 1 line from Mathew and making shit up after that. (Basically there isn't really a rapture mentioned in the bible, people just don't read very well).

1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 16-17 are what the rapture itself is based upon.

As for the tribulation and the inspiration for the events during the book, that is mostly taken from Revelations Chapter 6, and goes on through chapter 11. picks up again at around 13, and carries through, bit by bit, for pretty much the rest of Revelations.

These are things said in the bible, not made up. Whether or not it'll ever happen, who knows. but research your shit before you come in here throwing around your false-ass knowledge.

[chazzyphizzle]

These are things said in the bible, not made up.

teehee

[Abandon]

you know what i meant, lol, shaddap

[Moss]

so, let's say I'm the passenger in a car with a friend. and they get raptured and the car crashes into something else killing me. Would I go to heaven or be satans torture slave. I don't think it's fair that I didn't even get a chance to survive in the post-raptured world. inb4 qq

Torture slave for you. In this story, a bunch of people die in plane and car crashes in the exact scenario you mentioned.

[Brill Weave]

Just watch Rapture-Palooza.

[Snprphnx]

The book series begins with the Rapture, and follows the lives of those "left behind" through the book of Revelations, as they try to survive the judgements of God (Seven Trumpets, Seven Seals, and Seven Bowls). As they realized whats going on, these events openstheir eyes to the truth of God, and they themselves become believers and seek out others to save, and fight against the Anti-Christ.

They pull scripture from throughout the Bible, mainly from Revelations and Daniel.

All that said, the concept of the Rapture is highly debated and several interpretations exist.

[Alarial]

1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 16-17 are what the rapture itself is based upon.

As for the tribulation and the inspiration for the events during the book, that is mostly taken from Revelations Chapter 6, and goes on through chapter 11. picks up again at around 13, and carries through, bit by bit, for pretty much the rest of Revelations.

These are things said in the bible, not made up. Whether or not it'll ever happen, who knows. but research your shit before you come in here throwing around your false-ass knowledge.

I apologize for mixing up my false ass knowledge with other people's false ass knowledge.

That being said, I don't believe that all readers of those books connect the two events, or believe that there is mention of a "rapture." Thessalonians mentions the dead rising and people going into the clouds, but it's not in reference to any pre-apocolyptic events. It's also stated (several times) that these events would take place while -that- generation was still alive (but hey, what's a couple thousand year difference).

As for revelations, there's no mention of rapture there either, just the chosen people from each tribe (12,000) and the multitude which survived the "tribulation." However notice it mentions the multitude before it mentions the curses/shitty things (locusts), so the tribulation doesn't necessarily relate to any post return event.

Either way, this is like arguing which Harry Potter spell is more effective, and I'll probably still see this movie with some friends as a drinking game.

[Buffy]

This thread is going to have so much non-movie crap in it by the time the movie is released, lol. It's gonna be great, so much fun.

A huge part of end-times theology isn't found in Revelations. The book of Daniel, in the Old Testament, has an immense amount of prophecy regarding the end times. Isaiah also has an enormous wealth of end times related prophecy. In his book "Sign", Robert Van Kampen asserts that Nazi Germany was the sixth of seven empires prophesied by Daniel that would oppress the Jewish people.

That being said, I don't believe that all readers of those books connect the two events...

That of course is true, but is why Christians should study and read smart authors that research and understand more than them. Like any other topic, you learn by absorbing knowledge from people smarter than you - even if you don't agree with them. For an example of authors you can read and respect without agreeing with everything they right, Van Kampen's Sign is a perfect example. While his study of the topic is very solid and exhaustive and I lean towards agreeing with his feelings about Nazi Germany, I don't think Van Kampen is right about everything - you see, he also asserts that the antichrist will be Adolf Hitler, reborn.

The end times is probably the single most written about and studied aspect of the Bible. The rapture is something every Christian looks forward to and what we eagerly anticipate.

[Alarial]

I too look forward to the day where everyone that believes differently than me will be massacred and tortured.

Wait, no, that's terrible.

[Moss]

The rapture is something every Christian looks forward to and what we eagerly anticipate.

Seriously dude this statement makes you look like a kook.

[Abandon]

nah it doesnt, if you think about it. if it happens, everyone will be all "welp" and if it doesnt, nobody will know.

[Buffy]

Seriously dude this statement makes you look like a kook.

Well in my defense I don't want it to happen before the Bears win the Super Bowl again preferably.

[Qalbert]

you're saying Bears winning is a sign of the apocalypse?

[Moss]

nah it doesnt, if you think about it. if it happens, everyone will be all "welp" and if it doesnt, nobody will know.

I'm waiting for the Spaghetti Monster to reach its pasta arms down to Earth and grab its faithful worshippers. Everyone else will die in an overgrown sea of spaghetti and meatballs. This is something every Spaghettic looks forward to and what we eagerly anticipate.

That statement would make me look like a kook. There is as much evidence that will happen as there is a "rapture" will happen, including:

if it happens, everyone will be all "welp" and if it doesnt, nobody will know.

I'm not trying to start a religious debate. I have plenty of friends that are religious. I'm just trying to let y'all know that saying "we eagerly anticipate the rapture!" - an event where the majority of people on earth would be doomed to death or suffering - makes you look crazy.

[Gokulo]

I wouldn't mind dying in a sea of spaghetti and meatballs.

[Moss]

There are worse ways to go for sure.