Faith vs. Content vs. Context vs. Spiritual Growth

books:


	• Glorious Appearing (Left Behind) Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye Tyndale House Publishers, 2004 - 432 pages view larger image
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An Amazing Thriller, Left Behind Series

This is the next to last book in the Left Behind series of books. They are all really great reads and keep you wanting more. They are fiction, but are Biblically based. It is great fiction regardless.

Faith vs. Content vs. Context vs. Spiritual Growth

I've read many of the reviews here of both very negative and positive critiques of the reviewers and can honestly say I'm very surprised on how visceral both sides have reviewed this book. I believe many of the reviewers may have lost sight of 'interpretation of factual prophecy' as it is interpreted by authors providing a 'possible' fictionalized future of events that are to come, and began to espouse how incorrect the authors or spot on.

Hopefully you'll find my review helpful as far as how the 'novel' is laid out and written as opposed to ones own personal beliefs and interpretations as I suppose we can all agree that the argument of the end times has divided both believers and non believers and the church itself.

As a whole, I found the first third of the book very slow at times and random plot threads that seemed irrelevant to both the climax and how the previous novels set forth the action. In it's totality, I honestly believe that a lot of superfluous dialogue and descriptions were overdone and actually detracted from the pace of the book. It may have flowed much better if a good 75-100 pages of 'fluff' with no substance could have been eliminated, but then again, I understand that the authors may felt the need to put out a 400 page novel to match the length of previous installments.

My other criticism of both 'Glorious Appearing' and many of the previous novels is what I personally believe as a very overly simplistic writing style that some may find either unrealistic or insulting. Not the content mind you, but interaction and conversations between characters seem to be 'dumbed' down to a sixth grade reading level at times. This may be intentional on the author's behalf as to not alienate a wide demographic of readers by using fancy words. I can understand with a subject matter like this that everyone has an opinion and you are always walking a fine line as to not to overtly offend or ostracize your readers. I believe that both LaHaye and Jenkins truly do care about the salvation of the human race and must make the content easy for anyone to understand no matter their faith. However, this can lend to a child like mentality in dialogue that some more mature people may find difficult to swallow. I kept thinking to myself that no one really actually talks like this. Even Christians that I know do not have this 1950's Leave It To Beaver like sanitized speech. In other words, while I find the story utterly fascinating and compelling, I'm often stymied with the too many 'Gosh darn & golly gee' speeches that just seem to silly.

It's these two points which lead me to giving it only three stars. If the dialogue was more realistic and secular it would come across as more intelligent and most likely gain another star from me.

As far as content and context to the end times itself and what is prophesized in the bible, I can't find much fault. Though I don't claim to be a theologian or bible scholar by any means, the authors interpretation paints a dim picture for non believers and really gives hope to those believers who have questions. Are the authors actually correct? I suppose only God and Christ know for sure, for it was Jesus who said "Only I know the hour and the day".

Speculation of the end times has dated back to almost 2000 years, but the faithful do believe it will happen. This is a taste, a 'what if' novel that we as readers can apply today looking at events and present day technology. Christ tells us to live our lives in a state of being 'ready' for we never know when that day will actually come, and despite the arguing many reviewers have espoused here on fact versus fiction, I think they are missing the point.

The overall theme is no matter how you personally think events may unfold, we must make a choice....accept or deny His fulfillment and paying our debt through His grace, love, and mercy.

Myself, as a Christian, was scared to read the final chapters. Some have argued that the Jesus presented here is a hateful, mean, unloving person. I didn't get that all....For me it was moving. I am scared because this novel made me look into the mirror at times and my spirit and soul ached not to ever be separated from Christ, whether in the end times or today. I wept for my friends and my family, and even myself. Any novel that can make me look at my own spirit and raise just as many questions about my own eternal destiny therefore transcends just pure entertainment value and has me wanting to make sure I reconnect with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I think His love is shown in abundance here as he give the people of this earth chance after chance after chance, and yet they still deny, mock, argue, and trivialize over petty things. The point of the novel was to illustrate these follies and let the reader realize that we are over-complicating our decisions and analysis of these events. This is still a novel after all. In the end, it really is broken down to a very simple choice: we are either accept Him today in faith, or we deny Him.....but we must make a decision, like it or not, as the end times may be here before we know it.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Thousands of years of human history stained by strife, death, and sin come to an end when the King of Glory returns to earth. The satisfying conclusion of the seven years of tribulation covered by the Left Behind series portrays the return of Jesus Christ to earth in both glory and judgment at the height of the battle between the forces of evil gathered at Armageddon and the remaining Christian believers at Petra and Jerusalem. Nothing seems to be able to stop the Antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia. But God is in control. Street date: Tuesday, November 16, 2004.

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