The Dead Rise First: Rapture Countdown (Book Review)

Residents of Jordan, Oklahoma, are dismayed to discover that a massive power outage knocked out all the electricity to the city. In fact, nothing with a computer chip is working. Cars, cell phones, video games are all suddenly useless. Local authorities suspect a terrorist attack: an EMP detonated to disable the nearby air force base. The frightened residents are cut off from the rest of the country and fear the attack may be widespread. Adding to the fear are several reports of "ghost" citings. Actually, not ghosts. These people are claiming their deceased relatives are showing up in their houses alive.

The Dead Rise First:  Rapture Countdown, written by Alton Ragan and Robert D. McLaughlin, is described as a "book of fiction [which] gives scriptural answers to why the dead rise first."  The story is based on 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:  "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (New International Version).

I have not read much "end times" fiction, but I'd never heard of this particular interpretation.  It's an interesting take, but (even though the authors clearly state that it's a work of fiction) I think it can be dangerous to speculate about what the future holds.  If the story piques your interest in reading what the Bible actually says about the return of Christ ... great.  My concern is that some readers may accept this story as fact, which is not the authors' intention.

Aside from that, I found the story interesting.  Some of the characters tend toward the stereotypical, and I think the book would benefit from more editing.  But the story is contemporary, and it addresses some real issues such as broken families, unbelieving loved ones, insincerity, and self-reliance.

For more information or to purchase the book, visit the book website.


Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book, at no cost to me, for review purposes.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions in this post are my own.