Apocalypse 1998 Review: Eye of the Storm Insight
Movie – Apocalypse: Caught in the Eye of the Storm (1998) PG 1 Hr. 34 Min.
Partial Cast List – Leigh Lewis, Richard Nester, Sam Bornstein, Toni Carey, David Roddis, Jack Van Impe, Rexella Van Impe, Luis Palau, Michael Halkusis
Apocalypse: Caught in the Eye of the Storm was a movie depicting the Rapture and other events in the end times story. The movie revolves around two reporters, Bronson Pearl and Helen Hannah. They were dating and deeply in love. This was shown during the first scene, when Bronson had to go to Israel to cover the mounting tension between China, Russia, several Arab countries, and Israel. The concern increased when Hannah’s grandmother expressed that the events in the Middle East were following Scripture’s prophecy of the end times.
Now, the movie was divided into seven days. What’s the reason for this division is not clear to me. Will the events during the end times calendar occur in seven days? I don’t believe so. As the film progresses, the tension increases with each passing day. There was a bombing between the United States, Russia, and China. Brunson reports the buildup of armies from China, Russia, and Arab countries within the region of Megiddo as tension increased. Megiddo was the only appropriate region where any army could approach Israel for a successful attack. Franco Macalusso stated that a miraculous event would occur soon during this time.
The next day, various countries fired nuclear missiles at each other, Russia at the United States, the US at Russia, China, and Arab countries at Israel. Suddenly, those missiles and a large group of people disappeared. Macalusso took credit for making the missiles disappear and removing people who didn’t agree with him. He then proclaims to be the Messiah.
During the movie, Hannah accepts Jesus Christ as her Savior. Then, she tries to convince Bronson of the truth of Macalusso and what the Bible says about the Rapture and the upcoming seven-year peace treaty, which will turn into a seven-year tribulation. At first, Bronson didn’t believe Helen and called her a fanatic, but when a seven-year treaty was signed between the countries of the world and Macalusso, Brunson stepped back to reassess his position.
Brunson went to his father’s grave. He asked for help in understanding everything that was unfolding. Suddenly, a light shone from the moon to reveal the Scripture citing etched on the tombstone – 1 Thessalonians 4: 16 – 17. He went back to his vehicle and read the Scripture:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
Brunson returned to his father’s grave and dug until he reached his coffin. He opened it to find that his body was missing. He then took his father’s Bible and read 1 Corinthians 15: 55:
“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”
At that moment, he believed and gave his life to Jesus Christ.
The rating for this movie is appropriate since there are no bloody scenes. There are only scenes of destroyed churches and people gathered and put into freight trains.
At the movie’s end, Bronson was executed to quelch any rebellion from the people.
Overall, this was a good depiction of the Rapture and end-time events. Several times within the movie, Jack and Rexella Van Impe stated Scriptures and encouragement via video tapes Hannah and Brunson viewed.
I recommend this movie based on the story’s simplicity, and the accuracy of Scripture stated within the movie. This was filmed in the late 1990s, so that you will see outdated hair and clothing styles. You will also see a great lack of technology compared to now. Yet, overall, I am sure you will enjoy it. This should encourage your faith.
