Here is something of interest for you, it is the Spire Comics adaptation of There's a New World Coming (it's 4+ mb .pdf file), a "wonderful" book about the coming rapture by Hal Lindsey, author of another "wonderful" book that resides on my bookshelf called Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth. (I would suggest right clicking and downloading unless you have a fast connection)
Lindsey was the 70's version of Jack Van Impe, or Jenkins and LeHaye of Left Behind Fame-big on the rapture and the antichrist, short on the actual thought.
The comic is drawn in a very Archie like style, and takes a group of kids on a groovy trip through the book of revelation. If you ever wanted to indoctrinate your children into the Left Behind phenomena (though why should you have to? Aren't all the children going to get a get into heaven free card according to the books?) this might be a good place for you to start.
This may be a book written for kids of hippies, but Jesus sure looks like an ass-kicker. He's got a purpose and it's puttin a whoopin on the devil and the antichrist. It surely is a Jesus Rally Random-Flying-Kid. Jesus looks like he's going to go kick some ass. No time for lazying about, no sir, it's time for the second coming.
I mean, look at him, he's happy, but he's prepared to visit plagues and whatnot on you. I'm guessing that his preparation for the rapture is to walk across a field of flowers in front of all the raptured children who fly through a whirly-swirly vortex behind him. Also, this panel answers the burning theological question: Yes, Virginia, there are sheep in heaven. It's not just a metaphor, and the Scotts can rejoice. (it does bring up the touchy question of if there are sheep in heaven and grass for them to eat, how is heaven any different from Earth? I mean besides the whirly-twirly vortexes and briskly walking Jesuses? If the sheep need to eat grass to stay alive in heaven, does that mean that there is death in Heaven? Doesn't that mean that there would be a Heaven's Heaven? Would that make Earth Heaven's Hell? Perhaps I over-think the inclusion of the sheep in the panel.)
This isn't really a very good comic in the areas of storytelling or character. We're not given much background on the kids involved, or really any story on them at all beyond that they seem to be tripping on acid and reading Revelation.
I'm not really sure what the message of the panel to the left was supposed to be. If I were of a less pure mind I might think that the blond headed kid is referring to the girl in the red dress that he is looking at, but that would be a bit of a wrong message for a book like this (and is the kid right below her staring up at the heavens or her chest?). If indeed she is a character from the book of Revelation, why have I never heard of her in church? I don't think his exclamation really answers the other kid's question, but, who knows. Also, wouldn't those involved in the rapture have a good idea of what was going on? I'm pretty sure that LB tells me that those who don't know, or don't accept this particular strain of Christianity are doomed to be Left Behind. (Also wouldn't someone known as "The Great Snatch!!!" most likely be left behind? Just a thought)
Ah, the first panel of the next page seems to explain it. That girl in the red dress was indeed, "The Great Snatch!!!," because this girl in the green shirt and blue hat is "The Rapture!!!" These must all be groovy superhero names, what with all these flying teenagers. This begs the question, where are all the adults in this comic version of the rapture. I realize this is a book targeted at young people, but aren't they going to find it odd that there are no adults going with them up into Heaven? Again, I ask, wouldn't everyone involved in the actual rapturing know what was going on? Shouldn't it be the people on Earth who are all confused?
I'm pretty sure the chick in the blue shirt and red pants in the bottom right of this panel is Veronica from Archie, but I don't see any of the other Riverdale crew around. We know that Jughead wouldn't make it since he's Muslim, and Archie is Catholic, but why not Betty? She's a good, nice girl. I always thought that Veronica was the bad girl in that book. Why does she get taken up and not Betty? And it all leaves the question, what about Moose?
In case you were wondering when all of this is supposed to happen, they provide you with a handy timeline to provide you with a visual representation of the situation:
I hope that solves any questions that you had about the rapture. I am left wondering if there was an Eternity in the past, and an Eternity in the future, what does Eternity mean? Doesn't it mean, you know, forever? How do you have a forever, then something, then more forever? I realize that these are "Things we aren't supposed to know," but if we can figure out what God's Outline of History is, shouldn't we be able to make it make a little more sense?
After a careful review of that chart I come to the conclusion that we are in the Messiah's kingdom which will last for 1000 years, since the entire period of the New Testament occurs in the space of seven years (unless the chart isn't to scale, but wouldn't God be a little more careful with his outlines?)
It is comforting to know that the entirety of Creation is just God's Term Paper. I would imagine that he has a big ass set of note-cards laying around somewhere with all his facts on it as well. I'd really like to see God's Bibliography though. I bet that would be some wild stuff.
You know, forget Russia and her Arab Allies, doesn't this kid need a punch in the eye? He looks a lot like Johnny Quest in this panel, and that alone should get him punched. Also, I may be mistaken, but I don't think that Israel is an island. Perhaps it is going to become one during the Rapture, but I'm not sure.
Just remember kids, God's judgement is so poetic. (Even though the panel to the right only refers to the death of the whore of Babylon, forgetting the fact that the antichrist still releases Satan from the pit right afterwards). It seems the girl over Johnny Needs-a-Punch is very shocked by his statement. I imagine he said it with a little smirk and a snort. He seems that type of guy.
I hope that you all have enjoyed this briefest of glimpses inside this wonderful comic, and perhaps you will download it and read it in it's entirety, allowing it's glorious light to shine into the darkest recesses of your soul and to bring you peace.
Or at the very least you'll worry about that ass-kicking Jesus and his Hydrogen Bombs that will eventually blow up the planet in another thousand and ten years or so.
God's Judgement is So Poetic, and badly drawn.
I found this through the Slacktivist's Left Behind Critique Page. He's going through the book page by page (something I'm not sure if I could do) and providing a counterpoint and commentary to the book.
I found that through BoingBoing by the way.
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