Religion & Fiction Podcast · J. A. Bouma

R & F Podcast Episode 017 | That '90s Apocalypse: The Context of the "Left Behind" Series (Pt. 2)

·29 min·2 clips

Discover why the Left Behind series begins with a plane full of people mysteriously vanishing in an instant.

This episode is the second part of a deep dive into the *Left Behind* apocalyptic fiction series, hosted by Jeremy Bauma, a former pastor and theologian. Bauma examines the specific theological framework that shapes the narrative of these popular novels. He focuses on the doctrines of dispensationalism and the pre-tribulation rapture promoted by authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. The episode centers on the theological concept of the rapture, derived from a Latin word meaning "snatched up," where believers are secretly taken to heaven. Bauma explains that dispensationalism creates a stark distinction between God's plans for national Israel and the Christian church. He references a scene from the first *Left Behind* novel where pilot Rayford Steele discovers many passengers, including his wife and son, have vanished from his airplane. The narrative premise is that those "left behind," like Rayford and his daughter Chloe, did not have sincere faith. The series posits a seven-year period of Great Tribulation involving divine wrath, the rise of the Antichrist, and the Battle of Armageddon, from which the church is spared. Bauma cites theologian Wayne Grudem's outline of arguments for this view, including that the tribulation is a time of God's wrath and that Revelation 3:10 promises to keep the church "from the hour of trial." A surprising detail is the novel's inclusion of unborn children being raptured, based on a theological "age of consent" for moral accountability. Bauma notes the historical novelty of this specific pre-tribulation rapture doctrine, tracing it to 19th-century teacher John Darby and its popularization through the Scofield Reference Bible. He contrasts it with other historical rapture interpretations, like a "partial rapture" for only the spiritually fit or a "mid-tribulation" timing. The host shares his personal background growing up in a church that taught this view, complete with prophetic charts and speculation about figures like Saddam Hussein as a potential Antichrist. Bauma reveals he has written his own apocalyptic series, *End Times Chronicles*, which presents an alternative theological perspective where the church endures the tribulation. The tone is educational and conversational, blending theological explanation with personal reflection and literary analysis. Bauma maintains a neutral stance, framing doctrinal differences as "second-tier" issues not essential for salvation. Listeners interested in the theology behind popular Christian fiction or end-times prophecy would find this episode engaging. Those seeking a purely literary critique or who have no interest in Christian eschatology might choose to skip it.

As heard by us

A careful guide to the theology behind Left Behind.

Episode 17 focuses more on the theology behind Left Behind than on the series' spectacle. Jeremy Bauma places the books in their dispensationalist frame, walking through the assumptions behind the rapture, the tribulation, and the way passages like Matthew 24:21 and Revelation…

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If you want the theology behind Left Behind, start here.

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