The Rapture in Pop Culture

(NOTE: If you only watch one video from this post, watch the very last one from the Rap-Sures)

The rapture is big business in Christian culture. As the publishers so willingly tell you (with a giant sticker on the front cover), the Left Behind series has sold over 65 millions copies. Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins' end times series was a sometimes entertaining and often cheesy depiction of life for those who had missed out on Jesus' magical, mystery tour to the afterlife. The books spawned an even cheesier movie starring Evangelical wunderkind Kirk Cameron:

"The future, as foretold by the Bible, has come to pass."

And if that wasn't enough, the 2000 release is being redone with Nicolas Cage:

Left Behind owes much to the 1972 film A Thief in the Night:

I wasn't alive in the 1970's, so would someone who was mind telling me if all movie trailers were like this back then? Just a collection of random music and action shots?

Anyway, original Christian rocker Larry Norman was responsible for the soundtrack to the film. This led to perhaps the singular instance of a legitimately good rapture reference in Christian pop culture, dc Talk's cover of Norman's song, "I Wish We'd All Been Ready":

dc Talk wasn't the only 90's "hip-hop" group to release rapture songs - my favorite is from kids rap group, The Rap-Sures, "Get Right, Or Get Left." If you only watch one video on this blog, this is the one:



I am sure I have left out good rapture material, post yours in the comments.

Yesterday: History of The Rapture
Tomorrow: In Defense of the Rapture
Bonus Material: Jesus Meme: Rapture Edition