The end (times) is near

Written by Eric Tiansay

Monday, 21 September 2009 03:33 PM America/New_York

As moviegoers prepare to witness the Earth's destruction in the newest apocalyptic disaster film, 2012, Christian publishers are busy offering answers about the world's final days.

Years after the release of the final installment of Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins' enormously popular "Left Behind" series, books on Bible prophecy continue to sell.

Two appeared on the New York Times best-seller lists in the last year--David Jeremiah's What In the World Is Going On? (Thomas Nelson) and Joel C. Rosenberg's Inside the Revolution (Tyndale House Publishers)

Jeremiah's follow-up, Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World (Thomas Nelson), releases Oct. 5. Also next month, Tyndale will releases a DVD and study guide based on Rosenberg's Inside the Revolution.

The new releases join other recent and upcoming titles centered on prophecy and the end times such as Jim Fletcher's It's the End of the World As We Know It (Christian Life/Strang Book Group), Grant R. Jeffrey's Shadow Government (WaterBrook Press), C. Marvin Pate's What Does the Future Hold? (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group) and Benny Hinn's Blood in the Sand (FrontLine/Strang Book Group).

Two titles focused specifically on the year 2012 may benefit from interest in the secular movie of the same title, which hits theaters in November. Mark Hitchcock's 2012, The Bible and the End of the World (Harvest House Publishers) will release in September, while 2012: Is This The End? by Lloyd Hildebrand (Bridge-Logos Foundation) was published by the Alachua, Fla.-based house in July.

Read the complete report in the Sept. 21 issue of Christian Retailing magazine.