WHEN: Background
Initially, placing the book and later the series, at a specific time and place has been the most difficult aspect of developing and writing this series. From the beginning I knew it was after the Rapture, but for some reason, not during the Tribulation. I did not want to write about the Tribulation and all it’s horrors. This was for several reasons, but the biggest was that I knew so little about it, and was reluctant to learn more, because it terrified me. As I explained in an earlier post, I was not an individual who studied the End Times, but rather believed that as long as I was prepared, that is a follower of Jesus Christ, I was good to go and didn’t need to know the rest.
Something Was Missing
As I wrote the first book, I knew I was missing a critical component of story structure. Sure, the books are speculative in nature, but I am a creature of ‘science’ and I need to understand the why, when, where, etc. So, I realized I had to place my series in both time and place and not just make things up… creating a totally fictional setting, although that has also come into play.
Studying the End Times
This meant I had to do some studying about End Times after all. So began my journey. I read book after book and must admit to being very confused at the start. So much of what I learned seemed contradictory. Not having been a Bible scholar, I had enormous gaps in knowledge. But I am blessed to live in a time where there are many resources, such as Bible commentaries and expositories written on this subject. I began with authors I knew and could trust, such as Billy Graham, John Wesley White, Ron Rhodes, John Walvoord, Thomas Ice, John MacArthur, David Jeremiah and Tim LaHaye, plus others.
Formulating a Fictional Timeline
After months, I started to gain an understanding and began formulating a fictional timeline for the Children of Light. Although the books are entirely fictional, I wanted to place them at a possible reference point that, you, the reader, might understand and accept. Since I write for a very small niche or readers, I chose to place the series after the Rapture and prior to the Tribulation. This way I hoped to avoid all the horrors of the last days, the seven years of the Antichrist’s reign.
End Times Series of Events
When one studies the End Times, one learns of a specific series of events that must take place. For example, from my newly gained perspective and in very simple terms, I believe that we will have the Rapture, followed by the seven-year Tribulation period, which is divided into the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation. This all ends at the battle of Armageddon, when Christ returns, vanquishes the Antichrist and Satan. Then begins the Millennial reign of Christ.
Intermediary Steps
But, there are many intermediary steps between things that the Bible defines. Scholars over the years have placed these intermediary steps at certain places in the chain of events. Since the placement was determined by men, it is not foolproof, but I am not one to question them.
Time Between the Rapture and Tribulation
One such instance is the time between the Rapture and the start of the Tribulation. Some, such as Dr. Jeremiah, believe that one comes immediately after the other, almost in the same instant. Others, such as Dr. Thomas Ice, Tim LaHaye, and Dr. Ron Rhodes, among others, believe there may be a period of time between the Rapture and the start of the Tribulation. That length of time is unspecified in the Bible, yet the scriptures speak to the necessity of certain things happening before the start of the Tribulation. (The ordering of these events may not be accurate.)
1. The Antichrist must arise – and become a world leader.
2. An attack on the Nation of Israel, by the King of the North and his allies.
3. God’s annihilation of the invading armies.
4. It takes Israel seven years to burn the attackers’ weapons, and this must be done by the midpoint in the Tribulation, which is three and a half years into it.
5. Signing of a seven-year peace treaty with Israel, brokered by the Antichrist. A deal that is broken mid-way into the Tribulation.
6. Start of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, which must be completed by the midpoint in the Tribulation, for its desolation by Antichrist/Satan.
An Unknown Length of Time
I may have missed some things, but I think you get my point. These things happen after the Rapture and many must at least begin before the start of the Tribulation. As a minimum, if one employs basic math, there is a period of at least three and a half years between the Rapture and Tribulation, since Israel needs seven years to burn all the weapons, which is done three and a half years into the Tribulation. This one item, is what solidified for me, the idea that there is indeed a time span between the two events.
WHEN are the Children of Light Series Located?
So, with that in mind, I decided to set the Children of Light in the intervening space, after the Rapture, and before the Tribulation. In my series, however, I have a space of 70 years between the Rapture and the Tribulation. Why? I have described all of the above that must happen in an earlier blog article, titled End-Times Prophesies (3) Time Between the Rapture and Tribulation.
An Apocalypse
As part of my speculation, I considered the possibility of an Apocalypse that may happen after the Rapture. Just imagine, millions upon millions of people have disappeared from the earth in the blink of an eye. This will cause tremendous problems all over the world, including massive political and military instability. How? Any Christian in a political and military position is now gone. Many high-ranking positions are empty. Chaos and confusion reign.
Such a situation may inspire less scrupulous actors (yes, I think Russia, China, North Korea and even Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) to seize the opportunity to overcome their long time rivals, such as the United States, the British Empire, and even possibly the European Union and all of their allies. So, an apocalyptic war ensues. A war from which it may take years and years to recover.
But, remember this is fiction.
Scriptural Reality – Maybe?
It may be possible, that the apocalypse I am describing is the attack on Israel that the Bible speaks of, after which the treaty with Israel is signed by the Antichrist, and the Tribulation begins. But, in my series, I have two wars. One is the apocalyptic war I call the Great War (WWIII) in my books. Then the second is the attack on Israel. I chose two wars because I cannot imagine Israel being the lone target following the Rapture. I imagine an overall war, from which it takes many years to recover, a time of re-ordering of the world, and then the war that sets the Tribulation period into motion.
Children of Light Series is Fiction
Remember, this is fiction. This is the world I have created, it is the WHEN. For these books, the when is 70 years after the rapture. So much has to happen, that it requires a great deal of time. I took the 70 from Jesus’s prophecy about the temple being torn down, and it happened 70 years later, during the Roman invasion/occupation.
WHEN is in the Eleventh Hour
So, for my stories, the time frame is very long, a period of 70 years intervened between the Rapture and the Tribulation, but in my books, we are at the 11th hour of that time. It is in fact, less than a year before the attack on Israel by the King of the North takes place. So, 70 years had elapsed, and we are down the last few months.
Next blog…
WHERE are the Children of Light Series of books located?
Blessings,
Jana