The author traces the origin and scriptural basis for such beliefs as the Rapture, Second Coming, Antichrist and Messianic Prophesy. He emphasises that the writers of the New Testament consistently set a 1st century deadline for the return of Jesus Christ and yet the stubborn fact that the Second Coming obviously did not occur has not deterred fundamentalist Christians from blindly predicting the event throughout the centuries up to the present day. Price then critiques the raft of previous apocalyptic novels before turning to the Left Behind series. He offers both literary and theological criticism, while explaining the psychological appeal of the books.