Ron Mumford presents The End Begins as his fictional interpretation of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation. The story begins with the introduction of two main characters, Cooper McCoy and Jennifer Hatfield, as they meet at a conference to discuss a lucrative business deal. Suddenly, half of the conference participants literally disappear, leaving only piles of clothes behind. Coop and Jen soon discover that this phenomenon has happened all over the world, suggesting they had just witnessed the Biblical Rapture, indicating the end of times and the second coming of Christ. Mumford then introduces Helel Guyion, who was chosen by Satan to be the Antichrist, and shows his gradual rise to power. The bulk of the novel references lines from the Book of Revelation to outline the machinations of the ultimate battle between good and evil: Coop and Jen fighting alongside all true Christian believers to save their souls and Helel using his six vicious demons to spread every kind of evil throughout the world. The ending of Mumford’s story coincides with the biblical predictions of the end of the world.
This book is brilliant. Although it is offered as fiction, Mumford is meticulous in his adherence to both biblical chronology and theology. The book is so incredibly creative and detailed, I never felt the need to verify any of the biblical references. Mumford proves himself a true Christian scholar. Also, I was intrigued by Mumford’s modern depiction of the true evil of Helel. Among other schemes, Helel enlists the world’s current terrorist organizations for his own protection; he destroys all copies of the Bible, rewriting a new A.I. version; he corrupts curriculums in schools and universities; and he infects the internet with false information and massive scams. Finally, I appreciated the character of George, who spends all of this time in deep study of scripture, an excruciating task as the survival of the world rests upon his interpretation of God’s word. …..