Why did I decide to reread this?

 OK, so we're continuing our really rather sad rereading of Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins' Left Behind series, now in volume two, Tribulation Force. 

So, we start off not long after the end of Book 1, where our core group of Rayford Steele, Chloe Steele, and Buck Williams formed the Tribulation Force under Pastor Bruce Barnes. The Antichrist is still up an running, but, even though the Rapture has happened and the two Witnesses are preaching at the Wailing Wall, the "Period of Tribulation" with its 7 year countdown to the Reappearing of Jesus has not yet started.

Which means by the end of book 2, the Lamb has yet to crack open the second seal. The first is supposedly the Antichrist, in this series Nicolae Carpathia. And he gets 18 months before the second seal gets broken after some kind of treaty with Israel. 

(Again, the authors are pulling a bunch of shit out of several books in two different canons. For the sake of accuracy, doing my best to present this from their viewpoint.) 

Anyway, Rayford gets offered a job flying Air Force One, and Buck gets offered a job working for Carpathia as a reporter. Neither wants it, wind up taking them anyway. (Given the story needs people on the inside that can keep us informed as to what Satan is doing, it's not like they had a choice in the matter, and indeed, they kind of violate their own rules later on in the series once the Mark of the Beast happens. If and when I get that far, we;ll return to that.)

Buck and Chloe get married. Rayford marries Amanda, someone who knew his wife. The UN consolidates under a 10 member security council, all global currency becomes the Dollar, and every country is expected to destroy its arm. Carpathia signs a treat with Israel, allowing them to rebuild the temple, but only after the Cincinnati Archbishop takes over as Pope and consolidates the world's religions into the new Enigma religion. Well, except the Christians who believe as our protagonists. Oh yeah, and it's revealed that Hattie, who Rayford nearly cheated on his wife with, is knocked up with Carpathia's baby. And we meet Ben-Tsion, the Orthodox Rabbi who tells everyone at the end he has found Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Torah.

Most of the reviews I've have read of this particular volume written by people who aren't of the same mindset as the authors focus on the severe misogyny in the treatment of Hattie. Which is very true, but ignores the rather nasty Anti-Catholic and Antisemitic strains that also ooze out of the pages in places. Probably a bit of Anti-Islamic stuff as well, but so far the only real mentions of the other Abrahamic faith center of the moving of the Dome of the Rock to New Babylon since the rock matters more than the place, bits about planting a cemetery in front of the gate so that the messiah can't walk into it, and a lone Muslim being burned by the Witnesses. I seem to recall later on that a group of Armed Muslims help the Tribulation Force and are beset by Angels telling them to accept Jesus, but that's several books down the road. And frankly, given the new religion as of yet is not fully organized, we haven't hit the eye rolling commentary on anything that ain't Crispy Christian. 

And lest we forget, I should also mention the rather startling endorsement of Militia groups to resist the NWO, even if they're fated to be defeated by the Antichrist. Or the fact Pastor Bruce is at one point setting up a worldwide network of Xenos style home churches....

I mean, honestly, the wooden writing is bad enough without the other bad ideas getting thrown in here. I find myself again wondering about who they thought the target audience was, as the majority of people most likely to read the series would be taken up in the Rapture should such a thing occur, I kind of doubt the rather confrontational style of Evangelism within would particularly motivate a non believer, and I seem to recall their placement of the Rapture is controversial in their own circles. (Ever want fun, go read through some of the wiki articles on pre and post millennial rapture. It really is proof Unverified Personal Gnosis isn't just a pagan/wiccan thing.) I know they probably made bank on this series, given it hit the bestseller lists, and the back has adverts for the YA series as well as videos you can order for the sinner who get left behind...

I mean, the sunken cost fallacy means I'll likely finish this reread, but wow, is it painful.