Millions of Christians are firm believers in a pre-tribulation rapture. According to this very popular view, the Christian church will be raptured before the seven-year Tribulation period even begins, and thereby escape the rule of the Antichrist and his followers. Those who accept Christ after the rapture will, instead, be martyred for their faith. But is this popular view of a pre-trib rapture accurate? What will the end times really look like for the faithful church in America?

Bible teacher and author Kristen Wisen explores this theme in her new novel, THE APPEARING (Credo House Publishers), which casts the reader into the center of prophecy, setting the stage for the rise of the Antichrist and his powerful and deadly influence on the world. Wisen is the daughter of end-times expert Robert Van Kampen, who published three books on the prophetic topic of the last days --- THE SIGN, THE FOURTH REICH, and THE RAPTURE QUESTION ANSWERED. In the 1990s, Van Kampen penned what he called the “pre-wrath” rapture position, which argues the church will be raptured after the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation period and will therefore undergo the persecution of the Antichrist, but be spared the wrath of God in the last days.

“My father believed the scriptures spoke for themselves,” says Wisen. “When he died, he left behind resources to encourage those seeking God’s word for His plan for the last days. Over fifteen years have passed since his book THE SIGN was first printed, and his passion for truth and understanding continues on in my family. This same passion within me led to the birth of THE APPEARING.”

THE APPEARING is a fictional account of a faithful church that enters into the final seven years of this earth prepared as Jesus had instructed. Though Jesus said, “Watch for the signs, then look for My return,” teenagers Emma Hamilton and Adam Reed never dreamed it would happen in their lifetime. However, with the Temple rebuilt and an international leader gathering the world into a unified federation, the signs are everywhere. And though one is more prepared than the other, they find themselves hiding on a mountain with their families, cut off from the world, waiting for His appearing.

But before Jesus returns, there must be another second coming and this one will turn the world upside down. The Antichrist has a deadline and will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goal. Overnight, the church finds itself the target of Satan himself. The government infiltrates unsuspecting churches; no believer is safe. Emma and Adam soon discover that the plans of their congregation have been compromised, and years of preparation have been wasted. Their families find themselves confronting demons, meeting with angels, and weeding out tares within their very hiding place. Can they survive the persecution of Satan? Will any faith be left on the earth?

“I have been told that my subject matter was a massive undertaking, and I heartily agree,” says Wisen. “But THE APPEARING lays the groundwork for the pre-wrath rapture, pointing the reader to scriptures that will help in their search for understanding in a non-threatening manner. It encourages the faithful church to plan for the future. And it is a very exciting storyline that I pray will keep readers engaged and entertained as we imagine together the ecstasies that await us at the return of our Lord!”

THE APPEARING © Copyright 2011 by Kristen Wisen. Reprinted with permission by Credo House Publishers. All rights reserved.