Tim LaHaye co-wrote the 16 Left Behind books with Jerry B. Jenkins and the series has sold nearly 80 million copies.
It chronicled the end times and God's judgment on the world during Jesus' second coming. It featured Christians being taken up to Heaven while non-believers were left behind on Earth.
Some have praised the books for bringing Christian thoughts and theology to a mass-market audience, while others have accused them of revelling in the suffering of people who don't know God.
Jerry B. Jenkins said on Facebook: "Thrilled as I am that he is where he has always wanted to be, his departure leaves a void in my soul I don't expect to fill until I see him again.
"The Tim LaHaye I got to know had a pastor's heart and lived to share his faith.
"He listened to and cared about everyone, regardless of age, gender, or social standing.
"If Tim was missing from the autograph table or the green room of a network television show, he was likely in a corner praying with someone he'd just met, from a reader to a part-time bookstore stock clerk to a TV network anchorman."
As well as being a New York Times best-selling author, Tim LaHaye was also a megachurch pastor, theological writer and founder of several schools.
His books were also made into several films including one starring actor Nicholas Cage in 2014.
