The whole image is that eternal suffering awaits anyone who questions God's infinite love. That's the message we're brought up with, isn't it? Believe or die! Thank you, forgiving Lord, for all those options.— Bill Hicks
I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade when we watched the "A Thief in the Night" series at church. The movies are about the Rapture and follow a woman and several others who were not 'saved' and thus are not raptured.
The main character and others are hunted and persecuted because they will not receive the Mark of the Beast, a mark upon the forehead or hand that is required by the one-world government. The movie focuses on and follows the main character and others during the Tribulation, a roughly seven-year period of persecution and hunting of Christians who remain or convert to Christianity after the Rapture.
Several concepts, both that appear above and that have not yet been covered, may not be clear to those who were not raised or instructed in 'the Faith' as Evangelical or Fundamentalist Evangelical.
The concept of being 'saved' refers to one who has accepted Jesus Christ into their lives as their personal Savior and Redeemer. They have been forgiven of their sins and been 'born again' in Christ and thus are 'saved' or have received salvation. This is the only method of becoming forgiven and saved from the 'wages of sin' or damnation to Hell.
The 'Rapture' refers to an end-of-the-world event during which all those who are 'saved' will be transported to Heaven. This includes the living as well as the dead, according to some belief systems. When this 'Rapture' occurs those thus saved will vanish from the Earth, leaving behind only those who are un-saved or have not accepted Christ as their Savior.
The Tribulation, or Great Tribulation is a period of approximately seven years during which the world will experience great hardships including disasters, famine, war, and other forms of suffering. Those who become saved, or believers in Christ, during this period will suffer additional persecution and suffering. Some believe that the Rapture occurs mid-way through or after this time of tribulation, and thus even existing Christians or believers will suffer as a test of faith. It is believed by some that during this period there will be a great one-world government overseen or operated by the Great Beast in league with the Antichrist.
The Beast out of the Sea, also known as the first Beast or the Great Beast, is a nation or individual or figurehead towards whom devotion is demanded by the False Prophet. It will cause people to be "filled with wonder" and people will follow and worship the Beast. The Beast will wage war against God's people and will conquer all. It is given authority over all the world. People will be forced to take the 'Mark of the Beast' upon their forehead or hand otherwise they will be restricted from 'buying and selling'.
The False Prophet arises after the Great Beast and is also known as the second Beast or Beast of the Earth. It or he or they directs the world in worship of or following of the Great Beast as opposed to the 'true God'. In this way it attempts to lead people astray and against God. It will perform signs including calling down fire from the sky and call for those who refuse to worship the Beast or its 'Image' to be killed. Some consider the second Beast to be the Antichrist.
A person, people, or institution that will rise up and attempt to subvert the place of the 'true Christ'. It is a false messenger and attempts to lead people away from Christ and God by taking Christ's place as a central figure of adoration and/or worship. Many people and institutions have been called the 'Antichrist' at various points in history by different religious leaders.
To recap, in the first movie the main character, Patty, does not accept Christ as her savior and is thus not raptured. She refuses to believe even after the Rapture but also resists taking the Mark of the Beast. The movie focuses on her being hunted and avoiding capture by the one-world government. The end of the movie involves Patty dying and then awakening from a dream only to learn that the Rapture has just occurred in real life.
The second movie focuses on what occurs to Patty after awakening from her dream. The movie is mostly flashbacks and begins and ends with her facing execution for refusing to take the Mark of the Beast.
The third movie begins with Patty being executed by guillotine and follows another character who narrowly avoids their own execution due to an earthquake. It follows this other character and several others as they continue to avoid capture or re-capture and fight against the Beast and its agents.
I remember certain scenes intensely. At least the emotional impact they had on me as a child. The execution scene and sequence were horrifying. These movies were presented as 'true' in the sense that they reflected what was really prophesied to happen to the Earth during the Tribulation. These movies left a lasting impression on me.
I was terrified for my friends and family who were not 'saved'. I felt increasing pressure to 'witness to' or try to convert my friends and family. I desperately wanted them to avoid the fates of the people who would be hunted or persecuted, or worse those who would fall under control of the Beast and thus be damned for all eternity.
I remember constantly asking if certain family members believed 'as we did' or in other words were 'saved'. When I learned that some of my family was not our 'type' of Christian I was filled with terror for them. In my dreams they replaced the characters of the movies in the internment camp and awaited execution by guillotine. These dreams persisted for years and even in my early teens I would sometimes have these nightmares. The recurring imagery and scenes from the movies followed and haunted me through my young life.
As I grew up 'horror', especially 'sci-fi horror' became one of my favorite movie genres. I had no problem separating the fiction from reality but still could be thrilled and scared by a spooky movie. Nothing, after all, compared to the real-life horror I believed "A Thief in the Night" represented.
When Christians today talk of children 'losing their innocence' by being exposed to pop-culture, sex education, or other secular ideas I am left with anger. Nothing 'stole' my innocence more than being exposed to the Fundamentalist Evangelical Eschatology and the ideas of the Tribulation and the horrors that awaited humankind in the end-of-days. Horrors that God would allow, permit, and then perpetuate.
After seeing these movies the idea of 'God is Love' and the lyrics to children's songs such as "Jesus Loves me, This I Know" felt empty and failed to capture the horror of God I felt. My faith was not now rooted in belief or love but rooted in terror and a desire to avoid the dark fate that would befall the world. My faith was not a shelter or source of strength for me but a desperate hope that I wished to extend to those I cared about. To avoid not just Hell itself, but Hell on earth during the Tribulation.
To me God was not love but fear. Fear and horror of the fires of Hell and of the end-of-the-world Apocalypse God had waiting for humanity. A faith rooted in terror does not grow in strength or passion. Rather it planted the seeds of resentment and anger. Seeds that would grow as I too grew.