If you missed the 2014 movie ‘Left Behind’ don’t worry, the producers have been promising ‘Left Behind’ 2 since, well, 2014. The big issue at first was whether or not Nicholas Cage would return in the sequel. But since the first one was a flop (having Cage in it was enough to keep me away) the problem became financing. Few people want to waste their money making it or watching it. As I scroll through movie options trying to find something fit to watch seeing Cage’s face is enough to keep me moving. However, even if he doesn’t make it into the sequel I probably won’t watch it anyway because of the subject.

The movies are based on the ‘Left Behind’ series of books by Tim LaHay, which are a fictionalized account of the fictional theory called dispensational premillennialism. It teaches there will be a time when Christians disappear from earth while non-christians are left behind. The whole theory was popularized in the early 1800’s by a man named John Darby, who taught that God ‘failed’ to convert the Jews with Jesus’ first appearance 2000 years ago. According to the theory Jesus will have to come back to get it right. But if he failed the first time how can we know he won't fail again, and again. That's a puny god. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

This format is too brief for a detailed analysis, but the whole dispensational premillennial theory is false. Let me repeat that – the whole dispensational premillennial theory is false. One of its key elements is that God has yet to fulfill the earthly physical land promise to Israel. However, that theory fails miserably for a whole host of reasons, but let’s focus on one – it rejects the plain scriptural declarations that God fulfilled His promise. Under David and Solomon God kept His earthly nation and land promise to Abraham: “Judah and Israel were as many as the sand of the sea…and Solomon ruled over all the land from the river…unto the border of Egypt” (1 Kings 4:20-21).

Also, the theory fails because it is anchored in a physical, this world, mindset instead of in the spiritual mindset focused on the spiritual realm of heaven, where Jesus cast our anchor (Hebrews 6:19-20). The physical realm is temporary while the spiritual is eternal. From before the beginning God had bigger plans than an earthly nation on a little plot of land in the Middle East. His plan was for a spiritual kingdom of believers spread across the world sharing the gospel with every one and living in anticipation of an eternal dwelling in heaven (Galatians 3:25-29; Colossians 3:1-4).

Why believe in a puny failed god, who couldn’t keep His promise when the Bible reveals a triumphant God who succeeded the first time because He is the great I AM. And when Jesus comes again no one will be left behind, not even Nicolas Cage.