‘Left Behind’ finale in bookstores

Jerry Jenkins has teamed with Tim LaHaye to sell more than 60 million copies of their books in the “Left Behind” series that dramatizes the end of the world and the biblical book of Revelation.

The final installment of the blockbuster series – “Kingdom Come: The Final Victory” (Left Behind, 416 pages, $25.99) – went on sale Tuesday.

Jenkins shared a few thoughts, via e-mail, on the end of the age:

Q. One would think that, with the return of Christ, we officially would’ve hit the “happily ever after” stage of your narrative.

But there’s still quite a bit of tension in this last book, even though Christ has begun his thousand-year reign.

Why, even at this last stage, would people still turn away?

A. That, of course, is the question of the ages. Why did sin enter the Garden of Eden? Why couldn’t people follow the rules during the Old Testament age of the Law? Why did (and do) people reject Christ during the age of Grace?

We find that even in the Millennial Kingdom, those born in sin must still decide for themselves what to do with Jesus. It’s as if God has tried all these different ways to reconcile people to Himself, and in the end He has to do all the work Himself.

Of course, for a novelist, it’s great that there is still tension and conflict and even sin at the end of time. This could have been a boring novel if the reign of Christ on Earth had resulted in a thousand years of peace. No conflict, no plot.

Q. How large a responsibility is it to, in a sense, “speak” for God? Was it difficult to write dialogue for Jesus?

A. That’s always a daunting challenge and the reason I stay as close to Scripture as possible for all of His dialogue.

Q. How has writing these books changed you as a Christian?

A. I have had much the same response as many readers: I am more passionate about my faith, more expectant of the return of Christ, and more concerned (not less, as some critics speculate) about current affairs and improving the state of the world as we know it.

Q. What did you do to celebrate, after you wrote the book’s final words?

A. Enjoyed a nice quiet dinner with my wife at our favorite restaurant in the mountains. I was quite emotional, actually.

The whole thing still seems new to me, but during the “Left Behind” season we saw our kids grow up and become parents themselves.

Our lives changed in myriad ways and will never be the same.