Author of Bestseller ‘Left Behind’ Series, Timothy LaHaye Has Died

By Derek Welch --
30 Jul 2016 --

Left Behind co-author Tim LaHaye has passed away at the age of 90.

The Christian world was rocked by the demise of Timothy LaHaye, the author of Left Behind, on Monday, July 26. The evangelical pastor had written a 16-book series collectively known as Left Behind, a series which deals with Armageddon and the final battle with the anti-Christ. According to the series written from an evangelical point of view, true believers will be lifted up to heaven at the end of time while the rest will be left behind to battle the anti-Christ.

Author of Bestseller ‘Left Behind’ Series, Timothy LaHaye Has Died[/tweetthis]

The tragedy occurred when the 90-year-old pastor suffered a stroke while on his driveway to pick up a newspaper, according to his son, Larry LaHaye. The evangelist, together with Jerry B. Jenkins, rose to fame for the Christian series they both wrote. The novel was a bestseller and sold more than 60 million copies. Jenkins expressed his grief saying that the pastor's demise has left a deep void in his heart, though he is also happy that the pastor is now where he has always wanted to be.

LaHaye was born on April 27, 1926 in Detroit to Margaret and Frank LaHaye. He married Beverly Ratcliffe in 1947. Beverly later would go on to found the Concerned Women for America in 1979. The active initiatives of the couple in the Christian world earned them the title of “The Christian Power Couple” by TIME Magazine in 2005. The magazine also named LaHaye one among the 25 most influential evangelists in America.

#Author News:: Tim LaHaye, Co-Author of 'Left Behind' Book Series, Dies at 90: Timothy LaHaye, the evangelica… https://t.co/E6C7TC7xyx
— Cheri Graber (@cheri_graber) July 26, 2016

LaHaye's successor as the head of his San Diego Church, David Jeremiah said, “Tim was one of the most godly men I have ever known.” His dedication to the church community is reflected in the extensive letters he wrote about how God is working wonders in their church. Jeremiah further adds that, LaHaye was a very prayerful person, and every conversation with him would end up with a prayer.

LaHaye is best known for the way in which he and Jenkins reshaped the world of Christian literature with his Left Behind series. Still a bestseller in the market, the series is an entirely new direction in the world of religious writing. The series popularized evangelical culture and carved a new potential for evangelical writings. An extremely popular series, Left Behind has captured the imagination of readers for almost 21 years and has stimulated the way they think about the end of time in ways they have never before done.

A true evangelical, LaHaye has left behind an inspiring legacy. By the time of his demise, LaHaye was blessed with four children, nine grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.