A Distant Thunder (1978 film)
Encyclopedia
A Distant Thunder is a 1978 evangelical, fundamentalist Christian film
by Russell S. Doughten
and directed by Donald W. Thompson. The film is a sequel
to the 1972 film A Thief in the Night, which portrayed the event in Christian
eschatology
sometimes called the Rapture
. These films are part of a four-part series; the story is continued in Image of the Beast
(1980) and The Prodigal Planet
(1983).
A horrified Patty has just learned that her husband and millions of others have disappeared in the Rapture, an event she has heard of, but never believed in - until now. Patty desperately seeks to find her friends and family members but they have all disappeared.
Patty and two of her friends, Wenda Johnson and her sister Sandy, hide out at Patty's grandmother's and watch devastating world events unfold. Drought, famine, and earthquakes become the norm and Patty and her two friends barely manage to eke out an existence. The three manage to survive with the help of Patty's friends Jerry and Diane (who also appeared in A Thief in the Night), who sneak them food supplies. Even through all these circumstances, Patty refuses to put faith in God, instead blaming God for all the terrible things that have happened to her.
As time goes on, Patty and her friends' livelihood becomes more and more desperate as UNITE, the worldwide government, seeks to destroy those who will not take the mark of the beast. They manage to hang on until a supposed friend betrays them to UNITE and they are taken to the church to await their sentencing.
It is now the morning of Patty's execution and she still cannot make up her mind. At one point she almost decides to accept Christ, until she is faced with the guillotine and she learns the surprising identity of her betrayer. Patty can do nothing more now than scream with fright as her own execution draws near.
Christian film
The Christian film industry is an umbrella term for films containing a Christian -themed message or moral, produced by openly Christian filmmakers to a Christian audience....
by Russell S. Doughten
Russell S. Doughten
Russell S. Doughten Jr. is a film-maker and producer of numerous Christian short films and feature-length movies. His film work is credited under numerous variations of his name: with or without the "Jr." suffix or middle initial, and sometimes using the informal "Russ" instead of "Russell". ...
and directed by Donald W. Thompson. The film is a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 1972 film A Thief in the Night, which portrayed the event in Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
eschatology
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
sometimes called the Rapture
Rapture
The rapture is a reference to the "being caught up" referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, when the "dead in Christ" and "we who are alive and remain" will be caught up in the clouds to meet "the Lord"....
. These films are part of a four-part series; the story is continued in Image of the Beast
Image of the Beast (film)
Image of the Beast is a 1981 film by Russell S. Doughten and directed by Donald M. Thompson. It is part of a series of four films popular in evangelical Christian groups, dealing with the subject of bible prophecy. The film is an account of the rise of the antichrist, who establishes a world...
(1980) and The Prodigal Planet
The Prodigal Planet
The Prodigal Planet is a 1983 film by Russell S. Doughten and directed by Donald W. Thompson. It is the fourth in a series of at least five films based on an evangelical interpretation of Bible prophecy and the rise of the Antichrist...
(1983).
Plot
Patty is lying awake one night in a church basement, distraught and scared. She is to be executed the next morning for refusing to take the Mark of the Beast. Patty knows what lies ahead if she takes the mark but can still not believe in Christ. When those around her try to comfort her and encourage her to accept the Lord, she lashes out at them, too scared to think straight. They are able to calm her down, however, and learn her story of how she got to the point she is at tonight.A horrified Patty has just learned that her husband and millions of others have disappeared in the Rapture, an event she has heard of, but never believed in - until now. Patty desperately seeks to find her friends and family members but they have all disappeared.
Patty and two of her friends, Wenda Johnson and her sister Sandy, hide out at Patty's grandmother's and watch devastating world events unfold. Drought, famine, and earthquakes become the norm and Patty and her two friends barely manage to eke out an existence. The three manage to survive with the help of Patty's friends Jerry and Diane (who also appeared in A Thief in the Night), who sneak them food supplies. Even through all these circumstances, Patty refuses to put faith in God, instead blaming God for all the terrible things that have happened to her.
As time goes on, Patty and her friends' livelihood becomes more and more desperate as UNITE, the worldwide government, seeks to destroy those who will not take the mark of the beast. They manage to hang on until a supposed friend betrays them to UNITE and they are taken to the church to await their sentencing.
It is now the morning of Patty's execution and she still cannot make up her mind. At one point she almost decides to accept Christ, until she is faced with the guillotine and she learns the surprising identity of her betrayer. Patty can do nothing more now than scream with fright as her own execution draws near.