New wave of prophecy-themed books piques interest of rapture readers 'in an uncertain world'

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, releases Oct. 5. The author's ministry, Turning Point, is once again teaming with Nelson on a viral marketing campaign for the release—which includes online videos featuring a fictional group, The Agency.

This month, Tyndale 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 end times such as Jim Fletcher's It's the End of the World As We Know It (Charisma House), Grant 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 2012 may benefit from interest in the secular movie of the same title, which hits theaters in November. 2012, the Bible and the End of the World by Mark Hitchcock (Harvest House Publishers) will be released next month and 2012: Is This The End? by Lloyd Hildebrand (Bridge Logos Foundation) was released by the Alachua, Fla.-based publisher in July.

"There is tremendous interest in prophecy/end-times books right now," said Hildebrand, Bridge Logos' CEO. "Many people believe we are on the verge of cataclysmic changes. Even science suggests that the year 2012 may well be significant due to major solar activity that will take place that year and the fact that the planets of our solar system will be in direct alignment with a black hole in the center of our galaxy around the winter solstice of 2012."

Hitchcock, who began writing his book before learning of the film's production, said it was later timed to coincide with the movie's release date. A regular speaker at prophecy conferences, Hitchcock has noticed a larger amount of attendees in the past few years.

"The reason for the strong interest is probably that people today sense that our world is a more unstable, dangerous place than ever before," he said. "We see a steady stream of terrorism, rogue nations pursuing nuclear weapons, Category 5 hurricanes, oil depletion and the threat of global pandemics. People are searching for transcendent, solid answers in an uncertain world."

Fletcher recently purchased the Balfour Books division—centered on a Bible prophecy and pro-Israel titles—from New Leaf Publishing Group, with plans to release several new titles a year.

"I think the interest level in Bible prophecy and end-times events is still very high," he said. "It's probably as high as it's ever been."

Like others, Fletcher believes the popularity of the subject is driven by world events such as terrorist attacks, wars and economic trouble.

"As long as things are stable in the culture, I think people's interest wanes in prophecy, but when something scares everyone, the interest is quite hot again," he said.

Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine and author of the upcoming Fire in My Bones (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group), said end-times discussions have shifted in recent years, spotlighting Israel and the Middle East.

"There was a major focus on the rapture back in the 1970s with Hal Lindsey's books," he said. "Another wave of interest in the last days came with the "Left Behind" books during the past decade. Today, the focus seems to be on Israel, the crisis in Iran and how we should view the Middle East in light of the Bible."

"Rapture-ready" Christians are also finding themselves the subject of satire. Rob Stennet, who penned the novel The End Is Now—released in July by Zondervan—said end-times issues were "too important to not be debated and discussed."

He said his book, which places a humorous look at a family dealing with the possibility of the end times, was designed to "bring these issues to a new generation of readers who may be hesitant to pick up other rapture novels."

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