What do You think about The Indwelling (2001)?
Book #7 in the Left Behind series is a transition in this series from as the 2nd half of the Tribulation arrives. In "The Indwelling" we have the world in mourning over the death of Carpathia & our various members of the Tribulation Force either in hiding or on the run. LaHaye does an actually decent job with not much story to work with this time as he prepares us for the final battle of good vs evil. All previous characters show signs of growth & when we learn who really killed Carpathia it's a surprise to us all. What helps is that the ultimate resurrection of the Antichrist is done at the end so we the reader get a feel for what likely would happen upon the death of this "monumental" figure in world history. This is by far not the best book in the series, but is one that keeps you guessing & reading as we wait to see what happens next.
—Paul Lunger
The action in The Indwelling, the seventh book of the Left Behind Series, covers only a few days, so the pace is especially frantic. Many heart-stopping scenarios involving key people develop, and because of this, I read the book in one sitting both times!This book continues the story of one of my favorite characters: Tsion Ben-Judah, a rabbinical scholar who becomes a believer after a significant meeting with the two witnesses in book five. By this installment, Tsion has become the beloved internet pastor/teacher for the growing number of tribulation saints. He has a special relationship with the protagonists, Rayford, Buck, and Chloe. I loved the presence of a child in Tsion’s life, which allows us to see his tender heart and vulnerability.Tsion reminds me of a missionary my church supports in the country of Lebanon. Because it’s so dangerous to declare your Christianity in the Middle East, our missionary friend teaches the believers in his “church” through internet Bible studies. We’ve given money to help him purchase computers and software as he furthers God’s kingdom. So Tsion’s fictional ministry always hits home for me.Also, this book marks the mid-point in the seven-year tribulation. According to Bible prophecy, this is the time when Satan indwells the Antichrist and he shows himself for who he really is. The authors put their imaginations into high gear to show the machinations behind the scenes as the political players struggle for power. Little do they know that, in spite of their individual wishes, the course of history has been set. There’s no way to sum up the action without sharing spoilers. I’ll just say, the book appropriately ends with a verse from Revelation 12: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”I reviewed this book as part of the Tyndale Summer Reading Program.
—Renee
The Indwelling had some really interesting plot twists in it: Where IS Hattie, anyway? How did Carpathia actually die? Who is going to be martyred this time? While we search for the answers to these questions, we also take a spiritual journey with Tsion, straight to the gates of Heaven itself. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is still in turmoil, and millions gather to mourn the death of Carpathia at his grand funeral. For those misguided enough to make the pilgrimage to New Babylon for the memorial, the resurrection of the Antichrist is a terrifying reward.The character development in this novel seemed to be a little deeper than in some of the other novels. Rayford is more or less forced to come to grips with his own pride and selfishness; Chaim finally makes the decision of whether he is going to accept Jesus as his savior or walk away forever; David and Annie examine the future of their relationship; Chloe finds herself pondering what she will do if she and Kenny are arrested by GC forces. Throughout these difficult times, the characters remain very flawed and very human: not perfect saints, just sinners saved by grace.My main complaint with this book, and the series in general, especially the more I get into it, is that there just seem to be way too many details. About 400 pages per book times 7 books = about 2800 pages for this one story, which could probably be condensed into about half of that if you skim off the fluff. At this point, the suspense seems to be only barely there, and the story tends to drag. I still like the series and will continue reading, but I'm not really in the "I can't put it down" state of mind any more.
—Amanda
