Is 2012 Really the End?

It's ironic that I would chose to pick up a book about the end of times when we are now entering the year that many people fear will be the end of the world. With the end of the ancient Mayan calendar coming upon us, many people believe that the world will be ending or at least will cease to exist as we now know it. I for one, am not one of those people, but I do find the possibility of the coming end times fascinating. That is why I chose to begin reading The Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. This series follows biblical prophecies of the end times, while cleverly telling a personal story. To say I was intrigued is an understatement. I began reading the first book and finished the next day. I have just finished the second book, Tribulation Force, and of course I am ready to continue reading.

While reading Tribulation Force, I noticed how well all the characters became intertwined. When I first started reading this series, there were numerous characters, all of whom lived separate lives in different places around the world. I was amazed at how the authors began to intermix the characters until all of their lives were seemingly connected at the core. They all have some sort of tie to the most powerful and also the most dangerous man in the world, Nicolae Carpathia. In the story, this corrupt man is believed to be the enemy of God, and his quick gain of power marks the beginning of the tribulation times described in the Bible. The eerily realistic events that take place in this book and follow along with biblical predictions keep me wondering and watching for signs of the end times in our current world. Although I have seen nothing to make me believe that 2012 will be the end of the world, it never hurts to be curious, on the lookout, and continually reading.