The Last Disciple
The Last Disciple book cover

The Last Disciple

Hardcover – September 10, 2004

by
Price
$9.00
Format
Hardcover
Pages
416
Publisher
Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0842384377
Dimensions
6.25 x 1.25 x 9 inches
Weight
3 pounds

Description

From Publishers Weekly Tyndale House, the publisher of the Left Behind books, the megaselling Christian series about the end times, now presents a new series with a very different interpretation of biblical prophecy. Christian radio-show host Hanegraaff and bestselling CBA novelist Brouwer take readers back to the time of Nero in the first century. As the Roman Empire ruthlessly persecutes Christians, the novel's warrior-hero, Vitas, tries to defend them. But even Vitas can't prevent the destruction of the Jewish Temple—the historical event that sits at the center of this novel. Hanegraaff and Brouwer posit that the Book of Revelation, in code, predicted Roman persecution and the Temple's fall; subsequent novels in the series presumably will walk readers through the rest of Revelation, tying historical events to biblical prophecy. This is, to be sure, middle-brow genre fiction, and not an especially shining specimen thereof. The prose is plodding, with far too many dramatic sentence fragments and a conventional plot. The dialogue tends toward the unsubtly didactic (" 'Jesus, then, uses this rich symbolism?' Darda nodded.... 'You said John was obviously educated. Can you make any other guesses about him?' 'John verges on genius.' ") Despite the series' many flaws, readers who are hungry for apocalyptic fiction may embrace it, though it remains to be seen whether they'll find a first-century apocalypse as gripping as Left Behind's 21st-century one. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. What if the Antichrist has already been revealed? The first book in a gripping new series by best-selling authors Sigmund Brouwer and Hank Hanegraaff explores the lives of Christians who struggle to survive and spread the Gospel during the climactic turbulence of “the last days.” With the enemy seeking to decipher the code of John's letter, Revelation, and destroy the church, believers must cling to the hope Revelation provides as they face the greatest of all persecutions. A spellbinding story of faith and fulfillment of prophecy. Discover the "code" of Revelation as you begin to see it through the eyes of the persecuted believers to whom it was written.

Features & Highlights

  • What if the Antichrist has already been revealed? The first book in a gripping new series by best-selling authors Sigmund Brouwer and Hank Hanegraaff explores the lives of Christians who struggle to survive and spread the Gospel during the climactic turbulence of "the last days." With the enemy seeking to decipher the code of John's letter, Revelation, and destroy the church, believers must cling to the hope Revelation provides as they face the greatest of all persecutions. A spellbinding story of faith and fulfillment of prophecy. Discover the "code" of Revelation as you begin to see it through the eyes of the persecuted believers to whom it was written.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(96)
★★★★
25%
(80)
★★★
15%
(48)
★★
7%
(22)
★
23%
(74)

Most Helpful Reviews

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The Last Disciple

This story failed miserably. The lack of Biblical knowledge was evident.
19 people found this helpful
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Another Perspective That Needs To Be Heard

I am thankful for this book, if for no other reason, that it exposes one to the fact that there are other very credible views of "end-times" things that are not attached to premillenial dispensationalism. When John's Revelation is rooted in the Old Testament and not the headlines of today, the puzzle of escatology becomes much clearer. When Matthew 24 is seen as fulfilled in the 1st century and the Revelation written to seven specific churches; much of the present day "end-times" fog begins to clear.
14 people found this helpful
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Far more accurate than Left Behind

This book, while fiction like the Left Behind series, is far more in line with the biblical theology of the last days. The author team shows that the "last days" of New Testament scripture speaks of the last days of the Old Testamental period/Temple Judaism. The Mosaic Dynasty was reaching its consummation, and the age of Christ was newly emerging during AD 30-70. The apostles and Jesus all clearly state in the NT writings that they themselves were the last days generation, not some far future group of christians. The Mosaic Dynasty and Temple were about to pass away. The characters of the book are acting entirely in accord with the time of testing the jewish christians underwent during Israel's great tribulation and distress in AD 66-70.

Hannegraaff's book really helps the devout Christian reader understand the first-century religious and political scenario that fulfilled in that generation the eschatological prophecies of Christ and his apostles. Finally, a book that makes sense of endtimes teaching--thrilling reading too. I highly recommend it.
13 people found this helpful
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It helps if you know the history

I found "The Last Disciple" a good read, more interesting and faster moving than the "Left Behind" series. The only drawback I see is that most readers will not know the actual history of the time and will not be able to pick out what is the fictionalized portion of the novel and what are the names of real historical persons and what events really did happen. The "Left Behind" series doesn't have that difficulty because readers will easily see the fictionalized characterization and what is presented as real events soon to happen.

I am familiar with the real historical characters and events of the time because I spent many years researching a one-volume book that covers the whole time period. Recognizing the real historical names and events made it easy for me to appreciate the expert job Hanegraaff and Brouwer did in weaving historical names and events with fictional characters to fill out the story and make it interesting. It's a very engrossing novel and is not as preachy as LaHaye and Jenkins sometimes get.

I understand this is the first novel in a series, and it must be so because the novel ends with Nero still alive and the Temple still standing. I can't wait for the next volumes to come out. For those who are interested, my book, available through Amazon, is not a fictionalized novel. It contains sufficient quotes from source documents so that you will be introduced to all the historical characters and events from the time of Christ to A.D. 135 when Rome destroyed the Judean nation. This takes you 65 years beyond the destruction of the Temple. The Book is "Revelation and the Fall of Judea." You can also find a synopsis of the book on [...]
12 people found this helpful
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Refreshing Theology, Pointless Plot

I read this book thinking it would be on the level of one of the "Left Behind" end-times thrillers. While the theology is a refreshing change from the works of LaHaye and Jenkins, the writing quality is surprisingly poor. The plot rambles through the first three-quarters of the book, with ancient Roman names abounding and no real story unfolding. The pace does quicken at the end, but there is no real point made other than the Beast of Revelation being Nero.

After reading this title, there is still a need for a top-notch, end-times thriller that presents an "Exegetical Eschatology" (a term mentioned in the author's afterword). The effort here is commendable, but the end result earns only two stars.
9 people found this helpful
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Massive

Hank Hanegraaf's unigue style of filling in the blanks and creating back story is the perfect mix with Biblical history. He has long been an inpspiration to unleashing the imagination. I particularly enjoyed the mystery of The Last Disciple - not wanting to figure it out - just to see where Hank would take it, and me.
4 people found this helpful
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Just a good read...

At minimum, it's a good read, whether or not you subscribe to the preterist's view of end-times. At max, it provides some insight into the preterist perspective of end-times as an alternative to the futurist perspective taken in the Left Behind series.

BTW: I'm not sure how many books are going to be in the series, but you should be forewarned that you'll want to read the next book when you finish this one. At the time of this post, I am only aware of this book (the first in the series) and "The Last Sacrifice" (the second).
3 people found this helpful
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Refreshing, yet could be developed

This book has been an enjoyable read and is very refreshing when compared to the weird LaHaye books. However, I decided on 3 stars after pondering what others were saying about character development, plot, etc. Those areas were weak. Sort of reminded me of Perettis' Visitation. Peretti had 2-3 great books and then just deteriorated. The theology is extremely refreshing and really, really fits Daniel, Revelation, etc. I think more books can easily be written along this line of interpretation and ALL will be better than the rapture stuff.
3 people found this helpful
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Better than last-days floogie!

I have not yet finished this book; yet I have read most of it and am coming to accept Revelation from the perspective of when it was written: the days of EARLY Christian era. In the first century A.D., Christians were NOT ACCEPTED in the PAGAN Roman Empire. Caesars like Nero persceuted them ruthlessly. The temple in Jerusalem, symbol of their Judaic roots, was destroyed 70 A.D. by Romans. Yet Revelation gave them hope; it was and is mainly imagery, intended to give them trust in the Lord God, the Alpha and Omega, who would always triumph in the end. Such can give hope to today's disciples; though trials are not AS severe as in FIRST century C.E., life is no rose garden, yet God, Who loves us, trimuphs in the end.

I am relieved that Tyndale, which published Tim LaHaye's series, published The Last Disciple, and plans to publish more like it. When I finish this volume, I plan to re-examine Revela-

tion, get sense of what it really means in CONTEXT of GOD's PLAN and PURPOSE, which is how I am viewing the Bible in general. What I am sure Revelation is NOT is a calendar of future events!

So, what Hanegraaff and Brouwer have written and plan to write is MUCH better than the last-days floogie of LaHaye et al!
3 people found this helpful
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A really good read

This book is a really good historical fiction novel. While I am not too sure how accurate the historical part is and I have no idea about the biblical part, the story is captivating and interesting.

While it does require attention and concentration - the authors do jump back and forth between scenes - the story has a nice flow to it and keeps your attention.

I picked the book up after just recently having read "the Expected one" and it fit in nicely into the whole DaVinci Code trend that is going on right now.
2 people found this helpful

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