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Series: Left Behind
Title: Tribulation Force (Book 2)
Author(s): Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
ISBN: 0-8423-2921-8
Format: Oversized Paperback
Page Count: 449
Overall Concept 8
Execution 7

This is the second book of the Left Behind series that is a fictional telling of what might occur if the Rapture (as described in the Bible and Biblical prophesy) were to occur in the current era.

At the close of the last book, the primary characters had found the truth of the Word of God and have all become 'born again'. They had identified who was the anti-christ and had decided to become the Tribulation Force (the force for Christ who would battle the anti-christ during this time of Tribulation).

This book begins almost immediately where the last book leaves off, and continues the characters faith journeys. There are many points in this book where the journeys of faith the characters are experiencing, despite being fictional and 'contrived', resonate in the world of today. Essentially, "How do I try to do the will of God and be Christ like when the world is seemingly dismissive of this concept and even holds some contempt of those who attempt it?".

The story in this book depicts the first 18 month period of the Tribulation, whereby all is seemingly peaceful and the anti-christ is hard at work in developing a one government, one currency, one religion, one media world, and how this impacts the major characters of this story.

Unlike the first book, which was very much the setup of the concept, this book is more a setup of the changes to the modern world, and it ends with the death of a main character and mass destruction of some major cities of the world. The Tribulation is now in full force and the reader can't help but see where book 3, and the rest, ends up taking this.

I wouldn't say that this book is heady in how it lays things out, nor is it a difficult read. Honestly, I imagine it is written with the common person in mind, as it is obviously trying to not only tell the story of the End Days but also to evangelize the Christian faith. Neither of these are truly off putting, but rather it gives the book a very 'penny dreadful' feel.

My two issues with the events that occur in this book are that 1) they too easily dismiss the faith of the Judaic people of today and 2) they seemingly vilify the Catholic church and its clergy. I take this both with a grain of salt (albeit sometimes a large chunk, due to my recently being a convert to the Catholic faith), as I just see this as a further example of the fact that this is a fictional account of the Rapture, as told from a evangelical Protestant perspective.

I would suggest this book to Christians as a good example of books that can set appropriate examples of 'living the faith', and to non-Christians as an entertaining yarn with a religious overtone, not dissimilar to some horror stories, albeit this is more of a novel of intrigue not horror.