The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession

I read this installment of the blockbuster end-o'-the-world series courtesy of a BookCrossing release. The "Left Behind" series is such a phenomenon that it seems worthwhile to engage with the books and try to understand their popularity.

This is the seventh book in the series. It appeared in 2000, only months ahead of the eighth book. In the end there were sixteen volumes, the last published in 2007. The series recounts a series of adventures set in the End Times as described in the Book of Revelation and interpreted through a fundamentalist, dispensationalist lens.

I hesitate to call the book an example of Christian literature. Take the following episode, for example. Our hero has stolen a plane by deceiving an airport employee named show more Wyatt. As the hero makes his escape, leaving Wyatt to take the consequences, his thoughts turn to the wisdom of his Israeli mentor, Tsion. (The name Tsion is a respelling of Zion, and the character is essentially an embodiment of Zionism seen as a sacred ideology.)

Tsion has thought about the moral problem of the slaughter of thousands of millions of people during the “tribulation times.” How is this consistent with God's justice? "Tsion taught," we are informed, "that part of the population decimation might be God's way of removing his most incorrigible enemies in anticipation of the coming battle."

Hmm, sounds logical. We wouldn't want the omnipotent deity to find that his hands were full dealing with too many enemies in the final battle.

Our hero's ruminations continue. "Wyatt was living proof that the inept had survived." What a fine Christian sentiment. It did occur to me that our hero might ought to study on Matthew, chapter 5, verse 22; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

But maybe the Lord makes exceptions for His favorite action heroes.

I have to say, I love the archvillain's name, "Nicolae Carpathia." The authors must have heard of Nicolae Ceausescu, the late Romanian dictator. Then they coupled his first name with a geographic region. I've tried to imagine what a Romanian writer of similar abilities might regard as a plausible-sounding name for an American villain. John F. Appalachia, maybe?

As for the secret of these books' appeal, I guess there may be two factors.

First, the "Left Behind" books may offer a sense of vicarious relief to readers who feel like losers in the American class system. (We are supposed to be a classless society — a claim that does nothing to console people who find themselves at the bottom of the pyramid. That's especially true for lower-class whites who hold an antiquated sense of racial privilege. Unable to rise by their own efforts, but contemptuous of any kind of public assistance, they nurse a grievance that their birthright has been stolen by unworthy non-whites and their secular, liberal allies. Christianity provides no succor to these views, but judgmental churchgoing often does. The two are easily and frequently confused.)

The "Left Behind" protagonists, who act in concert as a secret "Tribulation Force," are regularly shown getting the best of people who are supposed to be their social or intellectual "betters" — i.e., winners in the class system. What's more, in the context of the book, these "betters" are plainly and unmistakably evil. The "Left Behind" timeline offers the reassurance that eventually all those know-it-alls will suffer eternally, while "folks like me" will enjoy the gift of new skills and confidence from God Almighty. Thus these books can provide temporary escape from a workaday world that leaves one feeling confused, inadequate, and full of a rage that can never be safely expressed. And because the books have a Christian veneer, these ventures into pulp-fiction escapism can be justified as a type of self-improvement.

Then there is the second factor: "Left Behind" books give the reader permission to hate. Even better: to hate, and to feel like a godly person at the same time. In these books, Christianity is reconceived as a great holy plot for destroying enemies without mercy.

You call that Christian? I call it something much worse: hypocrisy, organized hatred, and Christian-scented hucksterism. show less

This book got more interesting in the last half. It was mainly about the believers making connections with other believers and trying to stay alive, and losing a few people they had grown to know, respect and love, which kept up the suspense in-between boring dialogs, and made you want to continue to the next chapter. Still, just a 3-star. The ending of how the Antichrist came back to life fell a bit short for me, although still interesting how they framed it out in their view.

Nicolae’s body was placed in an airtight plexiglass viewing box for the world to see and witness and worship for three days before his burial. Millions of people gathered from all over the globe to pay respects. But, as the Bible says, he came back to life. show more It’s also interesting how Tsion Ben-Judah sees a vision in his dream while in the cosmos of how Satan is cast out of Heaven for good during the Tribulation. Of course, we won’t know for sure how all that plays out until that day comes. I sure hope I'm not here!

Now that Satan is here on earth working through Nicolae's body, and is alive and well in New Babylon where there are still a few Christian insurrgents working for the GC as watchmen undercover, it will be interesting to see how, or if, they will make it out of New Babylon. It doesn't seem like they will be able to keep up their secret for very much longer.

...onto the last book in the series: #8 - The Mark show less

Whereas the last few entries in this epic series regarding the End of Days have been somewhat wearisome, The Indwelling offers both lighter and darker tones in equal amounts and is ultimately more refreshing for it. The witty banter evidences the authors having some fun and just in time to save the Left Behind series from becoming a chore. The action takes a back burner, although there is still one memorable set piece, and the focus is twofold. Initially there is still the big reveal regarding the Assassination from the last book and in the other two thirds there is the set-up and execution of the Indwelling - the transference of Satan. With some unforeseen twists along the way The Indwelling is interesting from start to close with show more plenty of adventure and intrigue. There are still some characters with too much seemingly redundant narrative, building them up for future parts, however considering there is no big finale the authors have produced a decent mid-series book. show less

I enjoyed the story as fiction. I laughed, cried, fumed, and shouted--all positive things--but I want to temper that strongly by saying that I wouldn't suggest it as theological or eschatological material, as some have. I'm not really concerned with the order and how's of end-time events and believe we waste too much time trying to figure it out. As Jesus said: "No one knows the times or the seasons, but my heavenly Father." Do worry about it. Live and hope. You don't need to have it all marked out on a calendar.If someone were to ask me what fictional literature I would suggest, this series wouldn't occur to me at all, and I wouldn't suggest it if it did. But, seeing as I have read it (except the last one and the prequels), I felt like show more I ought to review it. For story, I would give it three stars, maybe four. But my reservations pull that rating down to two. show less

Seventh in the 'Left Behind' series. Quite exciting and readable, although the plot moves extremely slowly.

This book is much better than Assasins (Book #6) in the series. Lahaye and Jenkins get this series back on track with a book that I was unable to put down. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

For about the first half of the Indwelling, there is regrouping after the crisis. They are living crisis to crisis, but this was a big one and everyone is trying to get home. New believers are coming home. Rayford is coming to his senses.

Then the book begins to slowly increase in tension until the end.

And it explodes.