Do you wonder what the end times might be like? Well look out our window. You are a part of them. Our everyday events such as the election coming up and all the fighting we seeing on our little tv screens are all building up to create the last days. This Present Darkness is a book which uses themes to tell of the social and intellectual milieu of the time and its relationship with biblical prophecy. This book’s author, Frank E.
Peretti, is a world famous and successful Christian writer of adult novels and children’s books.
Through his use of monsters, demons, angels, and common day events, Peretti creates a more appealing way of viewing biblical prophecy and its importance in today’s society. One thing often heard of in today’s society is talk of freedom and the fight for it. Peretti demonstrates how there is also a spiritual fight for freedom of our souls especially through Sandy Hogan and her search to have her own chooses in relation to her religious beliefs and her schooling courses on page 46.
The people of Ashton were also fighting for their freedom such as the retired Reverend James Farrel on page 83, Ted Harmel on page 142, Hank and Mary Busche on pages 83 – 89, and many others. All of these people fought for their freedom though religious ways, political, or spiritually within themselves. Only one person could grant the true freedom that they were looking for and this is seen in the peace that all those, who have accepted God, have at the end of the battle at the university on page 508.
Peretti is showing that we will always have trials and hard times, no matter if you are a Christian or not, but it is the peace that you have through God at the end that is your true freedom. The main aspect of the social and intellectual milieu of the time was the New Age Movement. Peretti uses the New Age Movement in many of the themes of This Present Darkness, such as that God will prevail over darkness and that truth is the key. According to an article written by Mark Slick, the New Age Movement is an eastern- influence meta physical thought system, with a theology of ‘feel goodism’, ‘universal tolerance’ and ‘moral relativism’.
With its belief and teachings that man is central, divine, co-creator, and the hope for all future peace and harmony, its appeal amongst a divided world grows. Peretti displays this through once again Sandy’s struggle with her father on page 97. Biblical prophecy seemed to be becoming more and more real every day during the years of 1985 and 1986. The social and intellectual milieu of the time seemed to strengthen these thoughts of fulfilled biblical prophesies also.
With talk of Nuclear warships, protests, missiles, murder and mayhem in the streets of America, it leaves little to wonder why Peretti believed to focus his book on Biblical prophesies coming true through the creation of the New Age Movement. With the need for peace so great, the peace- hippy style of the New Age Movement was willingly accepted into society without a close examination of its darker interior. It was with this reason that Peretti’s book is written to expose this dark nature of the New Age Movement through the demonstration of its appeal to Sandy Hogan on page 153 and 154 and later her destruction by it on page 491.
It is a dangerous movement, which Peretti has taken upon himself to expose to the world to be careful of the social and intellectual milieu of the time which was in the preparation for the fulfilling of biblical prophecy. It can clearly be seen throughout the themes of This Present Darkness that Peretti was writing on the New Age Movement, its impact on the social and intellectual milieu of the time and its relationship to biblical prophecy.
Both Frank Peretti’s book, This Present Darkness, and his view of biblical prophecy had also been affected by certain events in Peretti’s lifetime, such as his disability and rough childhood, which lead him to write this book. Peretti’s search for truth and his need to expose the truth of the New Age Movement comes clear through the use of the theme of truth in the book. The resulting factor of this book may very well be to cause the reader to question their own view and concepts of the New Age Movement and a sense of precaution developed about dealing with it.
These people might not realise how serious this stuff is otherwise. Peretti’s ultimate reasons for his book shown through the themes of This Present Darkness would have to be said to be the representation of the truth about the New Age Movement and how the end times are becoming closer each and every day. There is a battle waging, not quite like the one in Peretti’s books, but God is in control and he still has power over both angels and demons. Peretti urges all Christians through his book to put on the armour of the spirit and prepare for the spiritual war of all time (pg76). It’s going to be huge so get ready.
This Present Darkness Summary. (2019, Dec 05). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/paper-on-doe-the-book-this-present-darkness-apply-today/