Glorious Appearing: The End of Days

This is surprisingly boring for how glorious the content is. But it's like the authors ran out of ability to create a story (note: I skipped books 2-10. Maybe they never had it.) so they spend the second half of the book having characters just quote scripture and have Bible studies. It really needed an editor to cut the length in half, as there just isn't enough that actually happens to be 400 pages long. The characters don't really _do_ much of anything. They think and talk, correctly, about how wonderful Jesus is, but that's about it.

One of the more frustrating things is that Jesus and the angels have very little personality. They mostly just quote scripture while moving from event to event. I counted up a good 33 pages of it. My show more heart longs, very imperfectly, for the Jesus who's good and creative and surprising enough to create a universe from nothing, complete with platypuses and black holes and sports teams. Such a God does not appear here. Mostly He is just an audiobook of the Bible that can deliver salvation (in every sense) and smite the wicked. Wonderful and necessary things, but such a letdown. show less

I should have left this book behind at the library! Out of all 12 books, this one was by far the most ridiculous. I can't believe I read them all - I'm still not sure how I managed that feat!

The authors stretched the arrival of Jesus to 400 pages. I could have done it in four sentences. (Jesus comes. Bad people die. Good people are reunited with their loved ones. The end.) At this point, the characters are almost cartoonish. Carpathia and Leon are so ridiculous, they could have been in the movie Dumb and Dumber. Even Jesus was disappointing - and he was Jesus!

I think I'm done with these books. No 'Left Behind: The Kids,' no prequels. I think the authors missed the money they were making so they continued the saga for as long as show more possible. They will have to continue it without me! show less

I didn't think I was ever going to finish this book. I had to force myself to finish. To me, it seemed as if there was very little story, but a whole lot of preaching (not that there's a thing wrong with preaching, I just wanted less of it in THIS book, and more actual story). The book seemed too drawn out as well. This one was definitely the worst one of the series, and thankfully, the last one that I'm reading.

I got bored with this series at about number 9, but thought I should read the last one. Sure enough, it follows the expectations of the Tribulation Force and concludes both the time of tribulation and the series. One day seems to take forever; the book is long-winded, sticking in as much preaching as possible - and there is still no character development. Only recommended for people who have read others in the series and want to know how it all ends.

I view these books in the Left Behind series as fiction. I am not a christian and I have absolutely no belief system that mirrors the authors. SO, I am looking at these books from really, more of a fantasy/paranormal slant.

And I have stuck with the story since the beginning - it has become like a train wreck for me. I/m cringing as I see the next novel coming - not wanting to read it for the pain it will cause - yet I can't stop myself from it anyway.

I enjoyed the story premise from the beginning. IT has been increasingly difficult for me to continue though. The writing is so stilted and to me without true character building that nearly everyone of thr characters thru out are one dimensional for me.

I think at least 4 of the books were show more stretched out far beyond what they should have been in order to get enough pages so they could wrap it up as a complete book. This series could have, should have, been so much shorter. It really dragged. show less

This is the final book in the left behind series. The book is still not well written, but it was able to build suspense. Like the people in the book, I kept anticipating the Glorious Appearing. And the story does keep moving. The book begins with the Battle already started and was able to surprise me (I won't be a spoiler). And ends with Jesus getting ready to start his reign.

They do tie up all the story lines. And get most of the biblical prophesies in. But it seemed sort of rushed at the end. Mainly so they could get in what they interpret the Bible to say. But we pay the price in that they neglect the personal storylines (feelings) of the main characters.

The Book of Revelations is a difficult book to understand. The end times in the Left Behind series has really left me baffled. I thought I knew what was going to happen during the 7-Years Tribulation and the Coming of the Lord. Most of the calamities prophesied are set to destroy the unbelievers and ones with the mark of the beast, not the ones with the mark of Christ. Although, many will be martyrs for Christ during this time and tortured and killed by the Antichrist's army. I definitely see an in-depth study is in order for the coming year. Sorry for the long and drawn-out notes below. I don’t want to forget, and I will need to compare what the novel says against what the Bible says, when that time comes.

This book actually gives a show more pretty good account of what it could possibly be like at the end of the 7-Year Tribulation, fighting the Armageddon War, and when Jesus returns to reign over the earth for a thousand years, called the Millennium.

It starts with the ruin of New Babylon, which meant more than just smoke and ashes. New Babylon was responsible for food distribution, commerce and pay for the entire world. It has come to a complete halt. But Carpathia plans to re-establish his throne in Jerusalem. And since now in the middle of the Armageddon War, he believes that by annihilating ALL the Jews and revolters, there will be peace and paradise here on earth.

(Just a note that Satan wasn't some hideous looking monster in the novel. When he exited Carpathia's body while in Solomon's Stables underneath Jerusalem to express his disgust with Carpathia, he was a bright golden angel with a beautiful white light and long blond hair. (Satan can change into many forms to deceive the people.) But, he also contained heat, enough for it to feel like a fire underground. The horses and forces stampeded out in a panic, trampling all over and killing each other.)

As Carpathia prepared for the final positioning of the Armageddon War, the clouds began to gather. The sun and the moon lost their light as unseen meteors screamed down to earth worldwide. Once again, Christians would be protected from their impact. A stall, then lightning followed...thousands of bolts per second filled the sky, hit the earth. Thunder so loud you had to cover your ears. Carpathia's army sitting and waiting for him and his word to attack outside Petra, were in a chaotic state. The lightning stopped just as suddenly as it began. Thick boiling clouds hung low in the eerily quiet atmosphere, and pitch blackness, except for the artificial lights on earth, returned.


A great light in the shape of the cross appeared in the sky for the world to see. Even Carpathia’s GC army of millions surrounding Jerusalem and Petra with their atomic bombs could see this and all the promises God has promised, yet still refuse to recognize Him. Carpathia remained so vain and arrogant, he had the news media GCNN following him around and shining a great light on him as he continued to lie about his winning the war and pronounced the end of the Jews. Meanwhile, ¾ of his army had been annihilated just by Christ’s Words. Seventy-five ton hail fell to earth crushing millions. As it melted with the blood of the millions slain, blood filled the valley 4 feet deep. Then the great earthquake rocked the world and flattened mountains into the sea as the Mount of Olives was raised above the earth and became Christ's new throne from which he will reign the world for 1000 years.

There seems to be several periods of resurrection. The first resurrection of life (all those who have died before the Rapture) will rise at the time of the Rapture. Between a short interval of the Glorious Appearance of Jesus descending from the clouds and the actual start of the Millennium, the first resurrected of those who made it into the Millennium, and the Old Testament saints and the ones who were killed or were martyrs during the 7-Year Tribulation will be judged. These will have glorified bodies, aged to the prime of life. Those killed will receive special recognition and eternity with Christ, but those who were martyrs for professing God’s words and drawing other’s to Christ, will receive an eternal crown and live as prophets with the Lord. NOTE: There will still be millions who make it through the 7-Year Tribulation who will still be sentenced to hell. They will line up on Jesus’s left side and with His Word, the ground will open up and the masses drop into the earth, and into Hades until the last and final judgment after the 1000 years of Christ’s reign here on earth. The new heaven and earth comes after this.

Christ throws the Antichrist and the False Prophet into the pits of hell, and throws Satan into a cage in Hades (kind of a temporary holding place in hell), for the next 1000 years. This Millennium period is not “Heaven on earth” just yet. People who entered this Millennium alive will be able to still procreate. Those who arrived alive, and those born during the Millennium, will age, but age very slowly as in the days of Noah. Life will be lived as usual, except Christ will be center of this world. They will work the ground and grow food, each for their own family. They will build homes for their own family, not for others to inhabit. EVERYONE WORKS ! (Isaiah 65:18-24). Sin will still be able to enter into this period of time. It is believed that if you are born in the Millennium, that child will grow up to 100 years, and if found disobedient and unbelieving to Christ and His laws, he or she will presumably drop dead at that time. Otherwise, believers will live throughout the 1000 years and enter into a second and final judgment for the actual Heaven on earth. This judgment is called the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelations 20). show less