On October 3, 2014, “Left Behind” hit theaters—a “reboot” of the 2000 film based on the best selling, Rapture theory-promoting book Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. So far, the reviews have not been pretty (e.g., the Chicago Tribune gave it zero stars), but, given the topic, the most important question about the movie is the one not addressed in most movie reviews. Is the main premise of the movie actually true? Is a “rapture” coming?
The Franco-German relationship that has held Europe together is faltering. “‘The problem is that the relationship has become deeply unbalanced,’ said Dominique Moïsi, a senior adviser at the French Institute for International Relations.
Reports indicate that the Islamic extremists of ISIS are “planning to capture the city of Arar in Saudi Arabia” which is close to the Iraqi border and within a day’s drive of Mecca. The leaders of ISIS know that “if you want to control Islam, you have to control Mecca…ISIS knows the only way to enhance legitimacy among Muslims for its ‘Caliphate’ is to control Mecca” (TheTimes, September 26, 2014).