Foreword from Shattering the 'Left Behind' Delusion

Shocked is what you'll be if you haven't been inside a Christian bookstore lately-or for that matter in a secular bookstore, or even in a Wal-Mart. As never before, the displays of end-time thrillers abound. According to them, our world is in bad shape and is about to come to an end.

You'll also notice that somebody, or some "bodies," are planning a major disappearance from planet Earth. It's called the Rapture. Millions of people believe it could occur at any moment, and that it will most likely happen near the turn of the millennium.

What then happens to the rest of humankind? They will be 'left behind" to endure seven years of unbelievable apocalyptic havoc and catastrophic horror. Left Behind is the title of a most-popular novel series and a movie in the making.1 Even children are not exempt. A "Left Behind The Kids" six-book edition has been tailored just for them. Nothing in the history of Christian retailing compares to the sky-rocketing sales of this blockbuster series.

Moreover, its escapist-rapture theme is the prevailing belief of most conservative and evangelical Christians. But how sad is this distortion of biblical prophecy! It is, in fact, a delusion. Best-selling preterist author John Noe shatters that delusion in this challenging new book.

Originally, this was penned as a response to R. C. Sproul's critique of Preterism,2 in his recent book The Last Days According to Jesus.3 Dr. R. C. Sproul is a greatly respected Reformed theologian of our times.4 And even though he is not in full agreement with the preterist view, he has nonetheless encouraged serious consideration of it as perhaps the best solution to the nonfulfillment dilemma posed by liberals and skeptics.

Preterism is one of the four schools of interpretation of end-time Bible prophecy in the historic church. The other three are: historicist, idealist, and futurist. Within the futurist school are the premillennial, post-millennial, and amillennial positions. A century ago, the preterist view was the popular interpretation in Europe. However, it never quite caught on in America. But thanks to both Dr. Sproul and John Noe and Noe's recent award-winning book Beyond the End Times: The Rest of The Greatest Story Ever Told (see pp. 154-155) this may soon change.5

Dr. Sproul's book does an excellent job of recognizing and articulating both the strengths and weaknesses of Preterism, as he perceives it. In his Conclusion, pages 202-3, he writes:

The purpose of The Last Days According to Jesus has been to examine and evaluate the various claims of Preterism, both full and partial. The great service Preterism performs is to focus attention on two major issues. The first is the time-frame references of the New Testament regarding eschatological prophecy. The Preterist is a sentinel standing guard against frivolous and superficial attempts to downplay or explain away the force of these references.

The second major issue is the destruction of Jerusalem. This event certainly spelled the end of a crucial redemptive-historical epoch. It must be viewed as the end of some age. It also represents a significant visitation of the Lord in judgment and a vitally important "day of the Lord." Whether this was the only day of the Lord about which Scripture speaks remains a major point of controversy among Preterists.

The great weakness of full Preterism-and what I regard to be its fatal flaw - is its treatment of the final resurrection. If full Preterism is to gain wide credibility in our time, it must overcome this obstacle.

John Noe has "overcome this obstacle" in his previous response to Sproul. Now, under a new title and, with some adaptations, he confronts head-on the faulty theology and adverse consequences of the Left Behind craze. This book both refutes the futurist view and offers a totally consistent biblical solution in its place.

In this unique book you will discover how all the scriptures used by popular "rapture" teachers have actually been fulfilled. This occurred within the 1st century time frame, exactly as and when Jesus predicted, and every New Testament writer expected (Jn 16:13). What's more, you'll see how the biblical concept of resurrection-at the moment of physical death-is an eternally relevant and on-going reality for us today. This past-fulfillment view is not a second rate option. It provides a better hope and better world view to live by. For too long, our resurrection has been shrouded in theological ambiguity and confusion. But no more! Noe skillfully and compellingly communicates its meaning to us in simple terms.

What you are about to read is a more scripturally honoring and spiritually meaningful interpretation of the so-called "rapture" verses than that presented by the Left Behind writers. Noe explains with Scripture what he believes the "rapture" is not, what it was, what it is today, and what it means for Christians in the future. After reading this, you will better understand and appreciate how and when the individual believer participates in Christ's bodily resurrection, and how you can reign with him, here, now, and forever.

I commend this book to your serious attention. It's a must-read for every Christian serious about having a biblical faith and sharing it with others. Why fear being "left behind" when you can enjoy the peace of knowing you have resurrection life now and receive our resurrection body immediately at physical death? Enjoy!

Edward E Stevens, President
International Preterist Association

Footnotes for Foreword

1. "Left Behind, the first novel in Tyndale House's wildly successful Christian fiction series of the same name, will become a feature film. (The adult series now numbers six titles.) The Left Behind series now has seven million copies in print; six more titles are planned...." -Publishers Weekly, August 16, 1999, p. 39. A nonfiction book titled Are We Living in the End Times by the same authors, Dr. Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, was released in November 1999 and "looks into the truth of the authors' Left Behind series - Publishers Weekly, August 9, 1999, p. 257.

2. The previous title was Your Resurrection Body and Life Here, Now, and Forever. A Response to R. C Sproul's Critique of Full Preterism. It was also read as a theological paper at the Evangelical Theological Society's 51st Annual Meeting on the theme of . eschatology" in Danvers, Mass. November 1999.

3. Baker Books, 1998.

4. "A Christianity Today magazine poll named R. C. Sproul one of the three most influential theologians" reported in Christian Retailing magazine, October 24, 1998, "Author Spotlight" article by Cindy Crosby.

5. "Preterist" means past in fulfillment, as opposed to "futurist" which means future in fulfillment. The preterist position believes that all promised, end-time events and the complete establishment of all "age to come" kingdom realities were fulfilled within the 1st-century time parameters demanded by Scripture. Partial Preterists believe many but not all were fulfilled in the past.

| Table of Contents |
| Foreword | Introduction | Conclusion |