On July 1, 2025, Vanished will join the shelves of rapture literature, with Dr. David Jeremiah’s ideas of what the end of the world might be like.
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This is a book about choices. The consequences of choices. The tremendous effort it takes to make the choice to confront the pain of the past and find reconciliation and healing. The story follows John Haggerty, who deals with demons from his past in all areas of life. Childhood abuse at the hands of an alcoholic father. A broken marriage. The death of a child. Fame followed by devastating failure at work.
Throughout Haggerty’s story, Dr. Jeremiah places great emphasis on the impact of his choices. Each one of Haggerty’s choices to stop running from the past and finally be honest with the people who deserve to know the truth provide a little bit more freedom and relief from the crushing weight of guilt and regret. He experiences tremendous victory with his estranged daughter, but when he makes one last attempt at saving the world, everything starts to fall apart again.
The Impact of the Rapture
While most books on the end times have the rapture happening relatively early in the narrative, Dr. Jeremiah intentionally places the rapture near the end of his book. It’s a strategic emphasis on the greatest choice his characters will ever face – more so than relationships, work, or what kind of donut to order on a daddy/daughter date.
Will they surrender their lives of pretending, their hurt, anger, and bitterness, and accept that God is the ultimate authority? Or will they keep running and hiding from the tension that is building within themselves?
When the rapture happens in Vanished, the characters are confused, angry, and grieving; some of them wonder if it is too late. Yet the book ends with a powerful message of hope and comfort. Even if it might be too late to rebuild broken relationships, it’s never too late to seek God. He will always be found by those who earnestly cry out to him. We will always have the hope and confidence of knowing that God wins in the end.
Rapture Confessions
Admittedly, no one knows when the rapture will happen. No one knows what the “birth pains” will look like as this world comes to an end. I believe that those details are of secondary focus in Vanished. The larger question that readers walk away from is how they want to live their lives, knowing that potentially any moment could be their last to make things right with the people they love the most.
I think that’s the heart of Dr. Jeremiah’s book. What choice will you make today that will impact you for the rest of your life? Who do you need to be reconciled with? Who deserves to hear the truth? What relationships have fallen into disrepair that need to be mended? What events from your past do you need to stop running from and finally face?
The Theme of God as Rescuer
Another unique theme of the book is the idea of God rescuing his children. The rapture is not God stealing people or killing people, but rescuing them out of a broken and hurting world and bringing them to himself. It’s a promise of hope and saving. God is the great Rescuer.
If you are doubting how God could possibly be good and loving in the midst of the suffering of the world, Vanished does an excellent job of portraying how faith anchors some of the characters and gives them hope even during some of the worst circumstances. It’s not a crutch during times of doubt, but a pattern of life that makes a very real difference.
Final Thoughts
Vanished is an intense read, as the characters experience difficult challenges and make some of the hardest decisions of their lives. It’s a sobering reminder to the rest of us that our choices about what we believe, how we interact with our family, and what we prioritize in life have very real impacts on our future.
Yet it is also a book of hope. That it is not too late. That people can heal from even the worst pain. That God can still be found. It’s a masterful combination of biblical themes for Dr. David Jeremiah’s first fiction novel.
If you want to read the book for yourself, you can buy Vanished from the FamilyFiction Amazon Affiliate HERE.
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Kaylisa Montijo is the Editor for FamilyFiction.