First-century Rome is a perilous city as Nero stalks the political circles and huddled groups of believers. To be safe, Christians must remain invisible.
Gallus Sergius Vitas is the only man within Nero’s trusted circle willing to do what it takes to keep the empire together. He struggles to lessen Nero’s monstrosities against the people of Rome—especially the Christians. But as three Greek letters are scrawled as graffiti throughout the city, Nero’s anger grows.
As the early church begins to experience the turbulence Christ prophesied as the beginning of the last days, an enemy seeks to find John’s letter, Revelation, and destroy it. Meanwhile the early Christians must decipher it and cling to the hope it provides as they face the greatest of all persecutions.
My review:
Tyndale has put new covers on this series and re-published them. I didn't read them the first time around, but decided to give it a try this time around. I sat down to read the first book, The Last Disciple, last night, and wonder now why I waited so long to read these books.
The authors go with the idea that the Tribulation talked about in the book of Revelation has already happened in the first century when Nero was emperor. I don't agree with that premise, but I still enjoyed the book. The authors did a great job describing what happened and may have happened during that time period. I was pulled into the story and could almost see the streets of Rome and Jerusalem and other places they described.
The book was also sobering as it described what kind of person Nero was and how he persecuted the Christians. Although this would be classified as Historical Fiction, books like this should be a warning to Christians to be more careful about who they vote for, even in local elections, as this country is fast heading down the road to being anti-Christian.
I liked the characters in the book, and am looking forward to reading more about them in the next book in the series.
Whether writing youth or adult fiction, Sigmund Brouwer is a best-selling author of more than 40 fast-paced novels. Some of his works encourage young reluctant readers into the world of books, and others provide adults with riveting tales. His youth series include Mars Diaries; Short Cuts Extreme Sports; Lightning on Ice; CyberQuest; The Winds of Light; Dr. Drabble: Genius Inventor; and The Accidental Detectives. His adult fiction titles include Out of the Shadows, Morning Star, Thunder Voice, Double Helix, and Blood Ties.
Sigmund's diverse background surfaces in the characters of his books as he inspires kids to get excited about reading. He grew up in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, and developed an early interest in sports like hockey, racquetball, and biking. His poor performance in high school English classes led him to receive a degree in commerce from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and not to pursue writing. When a professor in his undergraduate English course encouraged him to write, Sigmund did, and he eventually received a degree in journalism from Carleton College in Ottawa. After publishing several articles for U.S. and Canadian magazines, he turned to writing books for kids reluctant to read.
In 1993, he cofounded The Young Writers' Institute with home education expert and author Debra Bell and conducts writing camps and seminars for more than 10,000 children every year. His commitment to his faith is an integral part of his creative goals, and Sigmund cites C. S. Lewis as one of his greatest writing influences. Although there is no overt Christian agenda in his novels, the deliberate underpinning of morality and redemption make his books more than tools of escape. He quotes C. S. Lewis, "There is no Christian way to write, just as there is no Christian way to boil an egg."
Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan; the couple has two daughters. He writes five pages per day on his laptop, whether he is in an airport, hotel, or dividing his time between family homes in Red Deer and Nashville.
Widely considered to be one of the world's leading Christian apologists, Hanegraaff is deeply committed to equipping Christians to be so familiar with truth that when counterfeits loom on the horizon, they recognize them instantaneously.
Through his live call-in radio broadcast, Hanegraaff equips Christians to read the Bible for all it's worth and answers questions on the basis of careful research and sound reasoning. Additionally, Hanegraaff regularly interviews today's most significant leaders, apologists, and thinkers.
Hanegraaff is the author of award-winning best sellers, including The Prayer of Jesus, Christianity in Crisis, and Resurrection, the latter providing a stirring and persuasive defense of the central event in Christianity. Resurrection and Christianity in Crisis both won the Gold Medallion for excellence in Christian literature awarded by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Hanegraaff's books Counterfeit Revival and The FACE that Demonstrates the Farce of Evolution each won the Silver Medallion. The Prayer of Jesus was honored as a top 10 best-selling nonfiction book in both 2001 and 2002 by the Christian Booksellers Association, while the small-group video presentation "The Prayer of Jesus EZ Lesson Plan" taught by Hanegraaff won a Telly Award in 2003.
Recent releases include The Apocalypse Code: Find Out What the Bible REALLY Says about the End Times . . . And Why It Matters Today; The Legacy Study Bible; The Bible Answer Book, Volume 1, which answers common questions regarding Christianity, culture, and cults; and The Bible Answer Book, Volume 2, in which he tackles tough questions, including "How can Christians legitimize a God who orders the genocide of entire nations?" and "How could the Bible command a rape victim to marry her rapist?"
He is also coauthor of the novel Fuse of Armageddon; The Last Disciple fiction trilogy (The Last Disciple, The Last Sacrifice, and, forthcoming, The Last Temple); The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction?; and Seven Questions of a Promise Keeper.
Other works include The Covering: God's Plan to Protect You from Evil; The Third Day; Fatal Flaws: What Evolutionists Don't Want You to Know; and The Millennium Bug Debugged.
Hanegraaff is a regular contributor to Christian Research Journal and The Plain Truth magazine. A popular conference speaker, he addresses churches, schools, and businesses worldwide. He is frequently invited to appear on national media programs to discuss a wide range of issues.
Hanegraaff and his wife, Kathy, live in North Carolina and are the parents of nine children—Michelle; Katie; David; John Mark; Hank, Jr.; Christina; Paul; Faith; and baby Grace—and the grandparents of five.
The Last Disciple is available from Tyndale Publishing.
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