Facing the Future

Left Behind: The Kids #4

by Jerry B. Jenkins

Our four teen heroes--Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and Ryan--are still spooked after the amazing events of The Vanishings (the first book in the Left Behind: The Kids series), when Christ called back millions of his faithful in the blink of an eye, leaving these kids who hadn't accepted Jesus as "instant orphans." Facing the Future continues the cliff-hanging ending of the third book, Through the Flames, where the kids successfully pull off a sting on the man who murdered Lionel's uncle and convert countless others to life with Christ. But they soon realize they have even more to worry about: Bruce thinks he's fingered the great deceiver, the Antichrist, a man named Nicolae Carpathia. The Left Behind kids break out their Bibles to form the Kids Tribulation Force, while Bruce outlines why Carpathia has taken over the instrument of all future evil, the United Nations, and a secret meeting with an eyewitness to evil confirms the kids' worst fears.

The Evangelical Christian science fiction series Left Behind: The Kids is a youth-oriented story line based on Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye's bestselling Left Behind. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

Genres: Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Apocalyptic, Science Fiction

156 pages, Library Binding

First published July 1, 1998

About the author

Jerry Bruce Jenkins is an American novelist and biographer. He is best known as the writer of the Left Behind series of books for Tim LaHaye and The Chosen novels to accompany his son Dallas's TV series. Jenkins has written more than 200 books, including mysteries, historical fiction, biblical fiction, cop thrillers, international spy thrillers, and children's adventures, as well as nonfiction. His works usually feature Christians as protagonists. In 2005, Jenkins and LaHaye ranked 9th in Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary list of Hall of Fame authors based on books sold at Amazon.com during its first 10 years. Jenkins now teaches writers to become authors here at his website. He and his wife Dianna have three sons and eight grandchildren.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“Since the Rapture, Bruce Barnes has been teaching Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and Ryan about the coming events during the Tribulation. They are sure Christ will return for them, but one question remains: Who is the Antichrist?
Bruce thinks he knows. The kids aren’t so sure. Until a man who has met the Antichrist shares his nightmarish story.”


Series: Book #4 (of forty) in “Left Behind: The Kids” series. (Reviews of books #1, #2 and #3.)


Spiritual Content- The Rapture has happened (all four main characters were left behind); Prayers; Church going & a sermon; Witnessing; Testimonies; Many Scriptures are mentioned, quoted & discussed; Talks about God, the Holy Spirit, being convinced of God’s love & where God is; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Ryan is mad at God, but gets over it; Many mentions of the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Antichrist, God & churches; Many mentions of Heaven, Hell, sin & fear; Mentions of the Holy Spirit; Mentions of Bible studies; Mentions of Jews & the two witnesses; Mentions of priests & clergy members; Mentions of religious people; Mentions of theories;
*Note: A couple mentions of aliens; A couple mentions of atheists & agnostics; Mentions of New Age thoughts & gods inside of us.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’; Sarcasm; Lionel & Ryan bicker at each other; Mentions of curses (said, not written); A bullet through a cheek & many mentions of it (semi-detailed); Many mentions of murders, deaths, suicides, killings, shoot-outs & a fire (semi-detailed); Mentions of war, famine, plagues & earthquakes; Mentions of drugs; A couple mentions of kidnappings; A couple mentions of divorce.


Sexual Content- Judd says Vicki is the type of girl he could get interested in; Mentions of girlfriends; A mention of an almost affair.

-Judd Thompson Jr., age 16
-Vicki Byrne, age 15/14
-Lionel Washington, age 13
-Ryan Daley, age 12
P.O.V. switches between them
147 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
{These ratings are for content, since everyone has a different opinion on the Rapture and how it will happen.}
Even though there is a lot of Spiritual Content, the blood & such goes up a few notches from the previous books. The third book said Vicki was a year younger than Judd, but the beginning of this out said she’s 14. I’m confused, but thinking that’s maybe a typo…?


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[10-11 Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judd,Vicki,Lionel,and Ryan are kids who got left behind.They are all wondering who is the antichrist.They think they have an idea. Also they are wanting to know where the people who dissapeared went.Along the way they help set two people up who murdered a man who is related to one of the kids.Later on a cop gets shot in the face by those two men.Sadly something happens to the cop.To know more your going to have to read it yourself.

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.3

This was an engaging read. This book starts off with the kids going through with their sting operation to find out who murdered André. I really liked the characters. They have really grown up and made a significant chance in their lives since becoming a believer. Now they are the members of the Young Tribulation Force. I can't wait for them to fight the chaotic years that are ahead. Overall, a great read.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

We're back to this series as our read-aloud. Reading through this, sometimes it feels like they are skirting over the actual events that happened in the adult versions of the book and only "telling" them. Which in a sense makes sense, because the teens aren't going to be in the journalism room or in the big moments that happened in the adult series. But it does leave a lot of the book as just being evangelism or telling instead of showing. That being said, my 12 and 14 year old enjoy reading through it as we have been talking a lot about the book of Revelation and the end times around our house lately.

[charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 star!

[Spork · Rating 1 out of 5]

I unfortunately do not have volume 3 of this series in my possession, so I was forced to mark it as "want to read" and skip straight to volume 4. Clearly I missed some things in the process, but probably nothing very substantive.

In this volume, LeHaye and Jenkins try their hands at a new genre: gritty police drama! After a brief summary of the previous book, the story opens with the cops setting up a sting to catch the criminals who have been hiding out in Lionel’s house. Except…I’m not sure they know what a sting is, because the police aren’t baiting the criminals into doing something specifically illegal; they’re tricking them into coming to a fake insurance agency to get a check for one of their apartments, which burned down. Anyway, this works, and the criminals are arrested, along with Thalia, Andre’s former girlfriend, who was staying with them. Then Vicki and Judd, who for some reason were allowed to watch the sting play out, banter with the cops for a bit. One of them expresses interest in religion; the other says that it’s a load of nonsense but mentions that his wife is interested in that sort of thing. A plan is concocted for this cop and his wife to come to dinner at Judd’s house.

While this is going on, Lionel is actually occupied elsewhere. After being arrested, Thalia called him. She believes that she’ll die in prison, and she asks him to visit her and tell her about the gospel, so this is what he’s doing while the other kids hang out with the cops.

When the cop (Sergeant Fogarty) and his wife show up, the kids don’t have anything prepared, and it’s mentioned that they’ve been living on frozen TV dinners. Fogarty and Josey don’t express any surprise or concern over this (although Josey does immediately get to work on making a casserole for them), and they also gloss over the kids’ living situation. Apparently, since the rapture, there’s been too much work for them to bother verifying that four unrelated kids living together have any sort of legal guardian.

Over dinner, an emotional conversation unfolds. It’s revealed that Josey had two young children who both got age-of-accountabilitied up into heaven, and she’s very interested in spiritual matters for this reason. Then Fogarty gets a call. The criminals they just arrested tried breaking out of jail, and in the process, one of them shot the cop from the first chapter–Eddie–who was interested in religion. He’s been shot in the head and likely won’t wake up from his coma, so Fogarty and Judd go to the hospital to check up on him.

While they travel to the hospital and discuss Fogarty’s own hangups with religion, Vicki convinces Josey to dedicate her life to Christ. Ryan is there too.

Then Fogarty and Judd arrive at the hospital, just in time for Eddie’s death. Judd tries to use this to convince Fogarty to come back to Christianity–you never know when it could be too late!--but there’s a shade of something else here as well. Eddie was curious about Christianity and now he’s dead, and, as far as the kids know, unsaved. Add him to the guilt they’re already feeling about Uncle Andre! It seems to be implied that Christians reading these books–even kids–are responsible for bringing others to Christ before something happens to them. Always Be Closing.

Of course, Bruce later says during prayer that individuals are responsible for making the decision to come to Christ themselves, but these books (for all their sometimes gratuitous and often absurd darkness and violence) don’t seem willing to really grapple with what that means.

The book ends with an abrupt shift. Bruce Barnes is pretty sure he knows who the antichrist is (remember Nicolae Carpathia?), and he gives a sermon listing the characteristics of the antichrist, but without naming his suspect. Then, with only the kids present, he plays a recording (from another VCR tape–take a shot) of Carpathia talking to a reporter. Bruce takes the opportunity to explain how Carpathia's plan for worldwide disarmament meets his Antichrist Criteria. (And yes, LaHaye and Jenkins really did name their antichrist after a mountain range).

Apparently a number of people in Bruce’s circle are quite taken with this Carpathia guy, despite his ideas being as un-American as it is possible to be (there would have to be supernatural forces at work in order to get any Evangelical to agree to this).

Bruce then transitions to another news report. Apparently there’s a mob forming outside the wailing wall in Jerusalem, where two men going by Eli and Moishe are preaching the gospel “in a style frankly reminiscent of the old American evangelists.” The crowd is apparently mostly composed of Orthodox Jews who are outraged by this desecration. The reporter states that this is “the most explosive situation in the Holy Land since the destruction of the Russian air force” (a reference to an absurd fictitious event from the main Left Behind series that is never explained in detail in this series). Bruce believes that these are the “two witnesses” spoken about in Revelation, and that this is the perfect time for the prophecy to be fulfilled because only now can they actually lie in the streets for three days before the whole world (thanks to the cameras of reporters who are following them). So not only does the last trumpet sound at exactly midnight, Eastern time, but the events of Revelation will be televised.

Finally, Bruce moves back to the topic of the Antichrist. It seems Carpathia, by way of the UN, is about to sign a treaty with Israel. Why? Because Israel has discovered a “formula” that can “make the desert bloom.” Once the treaty is signed, the seven-year period of tribulation can begin!!!!

All is not well, though. Vicki doesn’t know if she believes Bruce, and she tearfully confesses as much to Judd. She tells him that she would like to talk to a reporter who has spoken to Carpathia in person, and Judd convenes with Bruce and arranges this. The reporter (Cameron “Buck” Williams, a character from the main Left Behind series) then tells them a story that would be chilling if it were written just a little bit better: he personally witnessed Carpathia hypnotizing a room full of people, shooting two of them in front of the rest, and convincing the remainder that they had witnessed one of the murdered men committing the crime himself. So he’s definitely the antichrist for real.

[84-The_enlightment_of_Doctor_Grace_part5_Jesus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Las time, Judd devised a plan to trap Leroy and get him aressted. With their plan carried out, the police go and arrest Talia Grey. One of the police officers seems interested in getting saved. Another pole officer wanrs the kids to meet his wife who started thinking that maybe God does exsist. Talia tells Lionel that she wants to get out of jail and is curious about God. Lionel and Bruce go and visit her, and she get's saved. The police officer comes over eith his wife and his wife get's saved but he doesn't believe anything. He hears the other police officer who was interested in God got shot. He and Judd race to the hospital only to find he will die. Vicki stays with Ryan and the officer's wife and Vicki prays with her. Bruce invites a reporter, Buck williams, to tell his story about the antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia. Vicki does not believe that Carpathia is the antichrist, but when Buck tells the horrifying story of what Carpathia did, Vicki believes. Much more violence is coming, and chances are some of them won't make it through all seven years.
I liked this and it is scary and sad and hopeful and great!!!!!!!!!

[Reagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Lionel, Judd, Vicki, and Ryan set up a sting for the murderer who killed Lionel's beloved Uncle Andre, they have trouble getting the sting to work. The murderer doesn't do what they planned on him doing. So they have to think of something different to lure him in. Will they ever catch the killer?

I thought it was a good book because I think they did the sting very well, and they gave a good act (I would have believed it was real if I didn't know it was a sting). The one thing I didn't enjoy was how Uncle Andre died. I thought it was just brutal.

If your the type of person who likes police tricking criminals while still reading a religious book then I recommend you read this book.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quickie Review

This fourth outing starts in right where part three left off. Though the story is good, some readers might be unsettled by the description of a fatal gunshot wound. Of course, the whole world that Jenkins and LaHaye have created is quite freaky, so that's pretty much par for the course.

P. S.: I read this twice by mistake!

Score: 4/5

[Ardae Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book carries over from the next book carrying on the plan Judd has to capture Cornelius
and LeRoy. They baited them for insurance money on the apartment building which broke down.
Officer Fogarty and others caught them and jailed them. While they were booked in jail all of the
officers and detectives went to celebrate and Judd and Vicki tagged along and they all talked about
their takes on “the disappearances” . This was a chance for Judd and Vicki to witness to unbelievers.
One of the officers named Archibold Edwards (Eddie) refused to believe it and Officer Forgarty
wasn’t that much close to it. Eddie had passed his chance of salvation and went back to work with the
other officers. Then, Officer Forgarty upon his colleagues request took his Wife Josey to visit “The
Kids” and Lionel was called to go talk to Talia in jail also and Pastor Barnes went with him. TaliaSoon confessed to Christ and requested a lawyer. Judd left with Officer Forgarty upon calling that
LeRoy and Cornelius made a jailbreak broadcasted on TV and Eddie who just previously extended the
opportunity of salvation and just was shot and was murdered. Judd once again for the 3rd time
extended the offer of salvation to Officer Fogarty. Vicki and Ryan were left alone in the house to
complete the circle of all the kids finding new converts and helped Josey pray a prayer to confess Jesus
CHrist. So after Bruce talks to the kids and informs them of information and turns on the news
exposing the Anti Christ they were anticipating was the man his name is Nicolae Carpahthia. He was
the President of Romania and new Secretary of the U .N and has attempted to control the world and
establish 1 religion and 1 peace. Bruce told them the Characteristic of the AntiChrist
● He will be of Roman Blood
● He will be convincing and attractive and many people will put trust in him
● He will be a politician
● He will sign a peace treaty with Israel for 7 years which marks the 7 Year Tribulation
Period.
He met all of these during a press conference. When Bruce brong Cameron Williams (Buck) to the
bible meeting also called “Tribulation force” With the Pastor, The Steeles, and Buck. The Kid
Tribulation are the Children in the book. He spoke with them about what Nicolae did to make him a
Christian and the things that happened and signaled he was the AntiChrist. Both Tribulation Force
Members must start “Facing the Future'' in the last 7 years, 42 months, and 2,557 days on earth as
they examine the timeline and table that Bruce has spelled out as the prophecies that must happen
before Jesus sets up his Millennium Year Reign. Bruce Predicts that ¼ of the World will be dead.
Bruce tells them they all must have to endure the horrible tribulation though they confessed Jesus they
did after the offer was extended and those who do die even if Christian will have to expect horrible
deaths and most likely death due to murder, famine, diseases, and earthquakes.

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'm getting to know these 4 kids better all the time, and the stories become more interesting.

In this volume, we learn much more about the power that the Antichrist will have upon the world, and the evil inside of him.

What I really liked about this book is that the kids are trying to spiritually reach out, as they realize that saving more souls is the best thing they can be doing right now.

[Bobby Stringini · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one felt like a step back to me. While there are some solid dramatic moments, this book reverts to a lot of telling, but not a lot of showing. Now, this particular book feels more like set up for some larger plots that should be coming down the line, but we get info dumped to no end. While not as bad as the first two books, this really feels like a step back from there more exciting (and better balanced), third book.

[Becca Avila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has to be one of my favorites out of the series. I have read up to #31 and LOVE them so far.
This one I especially liked. And don’t give up hope on Tom Fogarty, you’ll be seeing him again. He’s going to be changed.
I LOVE the part where the check says ‘You’re under arrest’. That part is so cool and fun.

[Sarah Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 4th one was definitely better than the 3rd. This book definitely dove into more information about the prophecy and we really enjoyed the introduction of the Junior (Kids) Tribulation Force. The kids have come so far and can’t wait to see their impact on the world. My 10 year old and I are truly loving this series.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had more to do with the religion side then the last one. It was still good and normally I don’t like stuff about God and all that but I like these books. The kids and their pastor think they know who the antichrist is.

[Janae' · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book in the series. I found it very interesting and informative about what would happen in the future and how life would be for those who are left behind. Great way for young adults to learn more about the coming of God. Definitely recommend to all, believers or not.

[Anna Schwirian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good

Again a quick read but this kept you interested while still giving good advice on how to share your testimony with a wide range of people. I'm glad I'm reading this series.

[Judy Tarver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good series for kids and teens to read about what might happen according to the Bible in the end times. This is a fictionalized story but based on what the author interprets will happen at the end of the world.

[Tricia Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

all young adults need to read these

[Leslie]

The series is about to get exciting!

[Aimiebraun]

LOVELY😅😅😍

I just love these books 📚in this series and i hope that i will be able too read the remaining

[Sudhir Kumar]

Focus on your furture

[shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST SERIES EVER!!!!! YOU HAVE TO READ THIS SERIES!!!!! BEST SERIES EVER!!!!!

[Angel Reichart]

This series keeps getting better and better.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative! Especially for anyone who may not understand Revelations, and I know it's many.

[Barbara Dougherty Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional!!

Enjoying this series immensely!
Highly recommend it to both adults and teens
I am 61 and this is my second read through.

[♡Hannah♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in a great series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for teens, but just as riveting as the original Left Behind series.

Highly recommended.

[Mellissa Saucedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and faith inspiring, plus an easy read. But eschatologically inaccurate.