'Rapture Fiction' by Crawford Gribben

Well well... this is turning into a busy day for posting on the old blog! Feast and famine springs to mind, but then I have some time to think and write today!

My 'recently read' list in the sidebar has suffered from neglect for a long time - I have read a few more books since those ones, but just keep forgetting to change them. Anyway, one that I read during BB Camp (I managed to get through 5 that week), was 'Rapture Fiction' by Crawford Gribben.

I had heard the book was coming out (through reading the blog he's a part of - Irish Reformation Blog) and was looking forward to it, having read his previous book on Archbishop Ussher. Also, it was interesting as I had started reading the Left Behind series last year when the rapture gripped our Youth Fellowship [not that they were taken away obviously, but interest in the rapture gripped them!]

Once again, Gribben has written a good, thought-provoking and clear book, as he examines the beliefs and gospel contained in the Left Behind series. He also discusses the post- and pre-millenialist positions in End Time thinking, with a useful biography of John Darby Smith, who had been a Church of Ireland minister before setting up the Brethren movement (known locally as the Gospel Hall).

However, I must confess that I still don't have a pre- a- or post-millenialist belief, and am rather confused on the whole thing... (Revelation 20:3 and its relation to Jesus' return). Anyone care to help me out with this?

But full marks to Crawford, for another great book! No doubt he will come across this posting at some stage, so what will the next book be on?

*** Edit - Thanks to David for his correction of my stupidity... It was of course John Nelson Darby who founded the Brethren movement... not John Darby Smith (whoever he was...). Evidently, I should have either remembered better, or else had the book beside me when I wrote the posting!***