The Mark: The Beast Rules the World

Years ago I read books 1-8 in this series. It started off pretty good (even though I completely disagree with LaHaye's strict premellinialist end-times theology), but then it seemed to go downhill. The Mark was the final book for me - I never bothered with the remaining books. What was originally said to be a 7-part series changed somewhere along the line to a 12 part series. In the first 3 or 4 books there is decent character development, but that later gives way to an emphasis on action. The last couple books I read seemed thin on character development. A new character would be introduced, and then suddenly killed off in the next book in some climactic fashion - as the reader, I felt little attachment to the characters they would show more create just to kill off shortly thereafter. I got frustrated with the series, and stopped waiting for the next book's release. show less

This is the 8th, in the Left Behind Series. I thought it was the last but see there are actually 4 more books in this series. It's beginning to feel like a never-ending story.

I do believe the Tribulation will be a lot worse. In the book, everyone had real skills to keep getting their hands on what they needed, such as: airplane pilot, airport owner, computer wiz, nurse, doctor, tattoo artist who could produce fake ID's and such. What about normal people like me?...haha. Of course, I better not be here. But, I didn’t feel the authors really captured the desperate situation of the end times at all.

IN THE BIBLE: Revelations 20:4 - Then I saw the souls of those who have been beheaded for the witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who show more had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for 1000 years.

In this novel, the sign of the beast doesn’t appear until after Satan enters the Antichrist’s body. They are about 3-1/2 years into the Tribulation and entering the Great Tribulation. Christians across the globe are fleeing and going into hiding as guillotine's used in the beheadings are shipped to every city across the globe. Prisoners are the first to either receive the mark of the beast or immediately be put to death. Then, the workers of the Global Community (GC) are then marked to prove their loyalty to the Antichrist.

This series (1-8) does not go very far into the Great Tribulation because, according to the Bible, there is more to come before the glorious return of Christ. The angels still have to pour out the 7 bowls of God’s wrath upon the earth.

IN THE BIBLE: Revelations 16:1-2 - Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls in the wrath of God on the earth." So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

So, it looks like God will dole out some more pain and misery, more scary stuff, to unbelievers as they continue to go around killing all the believers. 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

Nestled deep in the series, The Mark takes a single event, and stretches it in to a relatively short novel. The branding of belief has been central to the Christian forces for several books in the Left Behind series and with The Mark it now becomes Satan's tool of choice. This particular entry feels more like a television episode than a novel with little character development and a singular plot which doesn't offer much in the way of memorable scenes, beyond one harrowing occurrence near the end. Ultimately, The Mark has a few plot elements which are important to the series and if this book was skipped you would be up to date by reading the first few pages of Desecration (book nine), just like watching a soap opera.

The next few days in the life of the Tribulation Force as they settle into a new 'safe house'. Exciting, but yet again very little character development. Fast-moving yet long-winded with a lot of theology.

It feels like the series is starting to slow down in pace. Maybe this is so the author(s) could stretch this out into as many books as possible?

The Mark continues on the story of the Tribulation Force in their battle against the Anti-Christ. Although not as good as the previous novel, The Indwelling, this novel is pretty good. LaHaye and Jenkins do a find job in their story telling. It took me only 2 full days to read this novel so it isn't the deepest of reads.