Image of the Beast

The movie although "dated" is a GREAT tool for ministering to public. the story line is good and what it may lack in it's "datedness" it gains in its ability to explain the Bible in ways that others can understand. Yes, it is a no holds barred (including the beheadings) enactment of God's word but unlike what had been commented .. `scenes of people who refuse the mark of the beast being beheaded (to scare the audience into accepting Jesus, I guess)" ... the scenes in the movie are true to what the Bible states is coming and if seeing this movie scares someone to Jesus all I can say is Thank God the movie did it, for what would these people do when it happens to them in real life. I highly recommend this, and the entire `Thief in the night' series to anyone looking for material to do God's work.

This is the third film in a four-part series. The previous movie, "A Distant Thunder", followed a young woman by the name of "Patty Myers" (Patty Dunning) up to the point where she had to make a choice between accepting "the mark" or being executed. This film essentially takes up where the last one left off with Patty making her decision and then shifting the focus to three other people: "David Michaels" (William Wellman Jr.), "Kathy" (Susan Plumb) and "Leslie" (Wenda Shereos). Not only do each of them have tough choices to make but the situations get much more difficult as "the tribulation" continues. Now, while a couple of the interpretations concerning this period may seem a bit out-dated, the main prophecies are still quite possible. For example, the emergence of a "world church" which replaces Christian gospel with ecumenical humanism is already taking root. Same thing with the advent of a "mark" in the form of a bar-code or microchip to replace paper currency and to provide easily retrieved personal data whenever necessary. The technology is already present and it could easily be used for all kinds of reasons. For example, it could practically eliminate counterfeiting and identity theft. So who could possibly be against something like that? Christians, of course! And if they refuse to get it then the case could be made that they are "trouble-makers" who need to be dealt with. And for anyone with complete control of all media outlets that shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. Be that as it may, I thought this film was pretty good. Yes, there were some scenes which could have benefited from better equipment or special effects. But the acting was surprisingly good and for a low-budget movie of this type I thought everything turned out rather well. All things considered. Overall then, I'd rate it as slightly above average.

I saw this movie when I was a child and it terrified me. I still vividly recall images of the Rapture, the Mark of the Beast and the horrible fate of those Left Behind. It's the perfect movie to show your kids if you're a religious fanatic and you want your kids to start wetting the bed and crying in their sleep. It actually sowed the first seeds of my disbelief and started my move away from Christianity. If you have to resort to terrifying people in order to convert them instead of using rational discourse it doesn't say a whole lot for your belief system. This movie relies on the worst sort of emotional manipulation to convey its message. I didn't see the others in the series but since this is the best of the bunch I probably wouldn't bother with the others. I watched this movie again recently and I didn't find it terrifying at all, just really overwrought and annoying. If you like those cheesy Left Behind Books, you'll probably like this version of the Revelation fantasy. Oh, and the acting is really awful.

The first one, the second one, and the third one are good movies that show what will happen when Jesus comes to get us. Yeah the clothing is bad, and the hair is messed up, but this movie was made in the late 70's. It's a good movie either way, and Left Behind is nothing compared to these series. It's more people like than government talking throughout the whole movie like Left Behind. It's great, and sad at the same time. I recommend it to people who don't believe in God, and don't believe in the end of the world, until next thousands of years where there are going to be new people building up this earth and starting all over again.

Go out and rent the series!

Anybody else forced to watch this as a kid? It not only gave me nightmares, but it also fueled my doubt in religion. Ironically it also sewed the seeds of mistrust for governments, creating the conspiracy theorist that I am today. I WAS 6 YEARS OLD WHEN I SAW THIS!!! Keep in mind we didn't have a radio or television in our home until I was 14 so this was literally the first and only thing I saw on the t.v. It's a 4 part series and we watched them all at church. It's an old movie, so now it seems silly but damn did it affect me then.