Left Behind or Left Befuddled The Subtle Dangers of Popularizing the End Times Gordon L. Isaac LITURGICAL PRESS Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org Cover design by Ann Blattner. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 2008 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, micro- fiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, with- out the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, P.O. Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. 123456789 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Isaac, Gordon L. Left behind or left befuddled : the subtle dangers of popularizing the end times / Gordon L. Isaac. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-8146-2420-3 1. End of the world. 2. LaHaye, Tim F. Left behind series. 3. Christianity and literature. 4. Christianity and culture. I. Title. BT877.I83 2008 236'.9—dc22 2008004756 Contents Preface v Chapter 1 What’s All the Fuss About? 1 Chapter 2 The Rise of Dispensationalism 25 Chapter 3 The Secret Rapture of the Church 51 Chapter 4 Israel: God’s People or God’s Time Clock? 75 Chapter 5 The Subtle Dangers of End Times Teaching 99 Chapter 6 Recapturing the Christian Imagination 128 A Concluding Word 149 Notes 155 Name Index 163 Scripture Index 165 Subject Index 167 Preface fter twelve volumes, sixty-five million copies, three movies, A an endless flood of apocalyptic merchandise, four spin-off series, sequels, and prequels, the Left Behind series continues to set its own standard for publishing success. The publishing efforts of Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins are impressive indeed and the impact of the most successful fiction series in human history will not go away overnight. Even though the twelve volumes are complete, it does not mean that the story is over. More books from the Left Behind point of view are being written, and the ideas they are based on continue to be set forward. What is even more interesting is that much of the vocabulary of this mindset has entered mainstream culture. Most often people know what is being discussed when terms such as “Rapture,” “Ar- mageddon,” and even such code words as “666” are employed in conversation. The other day I found myself in the express lane at the grocery store. The fellow in front of me bought a few items and the total came up to $6.66. Without missing a beat the clerk raised her eyebrows in a telling way and the fellow just behind me made some comment about the sign of the Antichrist. The Left Behind point of view cannot be escaped. What are we to make of it all? No doubt some will extol the series as the perfect potboiler, great reading material for the beach and nothing more. Others, with heartfelt sincerity, will be grateful v vi Left Behind or Left Befuddled not only that the series has shown the applicability of the Bible to everyday life but that it has made clear the events that surround the end of the world—and all in an accessible manner! Still others have read the books and have been convinced of their need to re- order their lives in light of religious truths. Yet again, voices will be heard to say that the Left Behind series has distorted the message of Scripture and presents a form of millennial thinking that does a disservice to church and culture alike. No matter what one’s initial impression of the Left Behind series may be, it is a fact that its presence is pervasive. It is this very fact that makes further reflection on the Left Behind series a matter of great importance. What is the worldview set forward? What is the origin of this way of thinking? What is the relationship between this point of view and the relevant biblical texts? What are the theological consequences of viewing the world in this way? What are the ethical implications of end time teaching and how should one read the book of Revelation? These and other questions are worth raising and discussing in light of the publishing phenomenon that has captured the imagination of so many readers. My own attempt to give answers to some of these questions is contained in the following pages. It is by no means exhaustive, neither is it a point by point discussion of what is found in the Left Behind books. Rather, I have attempted to ask questions that help to place the subject matter in relation to the larger world in which we live. What I have learned along the way has caused me to ap- preciate more fully the compelling power of the millennial mindset. In fact, that is what distinguishes this critique of the Left Behind series from others. Most other critics are content to discuss the series as a deviation from traditional biblical interpretations dealing with the second coming of Christ. While not holding back com- mentary on these issues, I have attempted to describe some of the social factors that come into play. When this is done, it can be seen that the Left Behind series is the product of a mindset, or perhaps better, a worldview, that is self-contained and has its own set of warrants and justifications. Preface vii As with all millennial movements, the Left Behind perspective is pessimistic about the present age and is convinced that the end of the world as we know it is right around the corner. Associated with this particular interpretation of the world is a distinctive way of reading the biblical text in light of current events. This approach to Scripture has some surprising results and helps to explain certain positions both political and theological that are taken up by propo- nents of the Left Behind point of view. Not surprisingly, these posi- tions lead to very specific action in the world with a whole range of ethical implications. As you read through Left Behind or Left Befuddled, you will notice that I disagree with Tim LaHaye on a number of theological points. Whatever disagreement there might be, it is not on a personal basis. It is possible to disagree theologically and still recognize each other as being fully Christian, part of a single family. Pastor LaHaye’s long career of teaching and caring for people indicate his commitment to Scripture and the saving work of Jesus Christ. After listening to the video clip of LaHaye and Jenkins reflecting on the writing of the Left Behind series that can be found on the Left Behind website, it is not hard to warm to the good intentions of them both. The six chapters of the book divide nicely into three parts of two chapters each. The first two chapters set the stage by giving an ac- count of the size, character, and scope of the Left Behind publishing phenomenon. Chapter 1 asks the question, “What’s all the fuss about and why is the series so popular?” An attempt is made to come to grips with the extraordinary size of the publishing industry surrounding the series. Chapter 2 seeks to give some background to millennial thinking generally speaking. More specifically, the historical origin of dispensationalism (the Left Behind point of view) is sketched out and traced to the present. Chapters 3 and 4 deal with some of the doctrines central to the Left Behind point of view. Chapter 3 treats the central doctrine of the Left Behind point of view: the rapture of the church. In this treatment we find that the teaching espoused by LaHaye and Jenkins first arises in the nineteenth century, and thus is not of apostolic viii Left Behind or Left Befuddled origin. Chapter 4 deals once again with some key biblical passages as they are taken up in the book series. Here we find that a funda- mental distinction between Israel and the church drives a good deal of Left Behind theology. The last section of the book raises questions about choices and alternatives. Chapter 5 asks pointed questions about the ethical consequences of the Left Behind point of view. The millennial mindset of Left Behind is not content to talk about prophecy but is committed to making prophecy happen. The ethical implications of this point of view are immense. Chapter 6 takes up the vexed problem of how to read the book of Revelation, the source of much prophecy teaching. One of the questions raised is, “How is the text meant to be read?” At issue is nothing less than the Christian imagination. Whether one is Catholic or Protestant, religious or nonreligious, there is more than enough to ponder given the mainstreaming of the Left Behind point of view. These pages are offered to deepen our thinking on an important topic. Chapter 1 What’s All the Fuss About? eft Behind: A Novel of the Earth’s Last Days was published in L1995. It is a book that is all about Bible prophecy, the Anti- christ, the Battle of Armageddon and the end of the world. Few at the time it was published imagined that it would become a best seller and the center of a great deal of discussion.