''Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist'' is the third book in the

Left Behind series ''Left Behind'' is a multimedia franchise that started with a series of 16 bestselling religious novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It focuses on a seven-year conflict between the Tribulation Force, an underground network of converts, ...

. It was written by

Tim LaHaye Timothy Francis LaHaye (April 27, 1926 – July 25, 2016) was an American Baptist evangelical Christian minister who wrote more than 85 books, both fiction and non-fiction, including the ''Left Behind'' series of apocalyptic fiction, which he ...

and

Jerry B. Jenkins Jerry Bruce Jenkins (born September 23, 1949) is an American writer. He is best known for the ''Left Behind'' series, written with Tim LaHaye. Jenkins has written more than 200 books, in multiple genres, such as biography, self-help, romance, m ...

in 1997 and was published on Wednesday, October 1 of that year. It takes place 18–21 months into the Tribulation.

Plot

The members of the Tribulation Force have discovered that their pastor, Bruce Barnes, has been killed during the bombing of a hospital in

World War III World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use since at ...

Rayford Steele Rayford Steele is a fictional character and the ''de facto'' protagonist in the ''Left Behind'' series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. He is the leader of the group known as the Tribulation Force, and is the most fully developed ch ...

is quickly called to meet Global Community Supreme Potentate and

Antichrist In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...

Nicolae Carpathia This a list of characters in the ''Left Behind'' novel series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Suhail Akbar Suhail Akbar is a supporting antagonist in the ''Left Behind'' series. A native of Pakistan, he was a prominent member of the G ...

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

to fly him to New Babylon,

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. Meanwhile,

Cameron "Buck" Williams This a list of characters in the ''Left Behind'' novel series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Suhail Akbar Suhail Akbar is a supporting antagonist in the ''Left Behind'' series. A native of Pakistan, he was a prominent member of the Glo ...

and

Chloe Steele Chloe Steele is a fictional character from the ''Left Behind'' series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Chloe was a junior at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, during the vanishing of millions of people during the Rapture. ...

go to New Hope Village Church to inform Loretta about Bruce. Chloe is in downtown

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

when it is bombed by the Global Community. Buck is eventually able to rescue her after she crashed her

Range Rover Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to ...

into a tree. Rayford hears about this and sends

Amanda White Amanda White (born January 15, 1971, in Kitchener, Ontario) is a Canadian producer. She is a partner in iam8bit, a production company, marketing boutique and artist collective, along with Jon M. Gibson. Career White began her film career in 199 ...

back to Chicago to help them and to keep her safe because Nicolae was dropping bombs on major cities and he says to her, "If your flight doesn't leave before mine, board my flight", because Ray is piloting the flight that Nicolae is on. On the flight back to New Babylon, Rayford learns much about Nicolae's secret plans through a secret intercom device installed by his former boss at Pan-Continental Airlines, Earl Halliday. Rayford eventually arrives back in New Babylon. Having heard from his friend

Chaim Rosenzweig This a list of characters in the ''Left Behind'' novel series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Suhail Akbar Suhail Akbar is a supporting antagonist in the ''Left Behind'' series. A native of Pakistan, he was a prominent member of the Glo ...

about

Tsion Ben-Judah This a list of characters in the ''Left Behind'' novel series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Suhail Akbar Suhail Akbar is a supporting antagonist in the ''Left Behind'' series. A native of Pakistan, he was a prominent member of the Glob ...

's loss of his wife and children to murder, Buck goes to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

with charter pilot

Ken Ritz This a list of characters in the ''Left Behind'' novel series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Suhail Akbar Suhail Akbar is a supporting antagonist in the ''Left Behind'' series. A native of Pakistan, he was a prominent member of the Glo ...

. He is led by the two witnesses, Eli and Moishe in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, to a boat near the Sea of Galilee. After proving that he is who he says he is, Buck is taken to the shelter where Tsion is hiding for his protection. Tsion has been accused of murdering his family, although he did not do so. Buck and Tsion are given a worn-out bus to drive to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

to meet Ritz for the escape to the United States. They meet many obstacles along the way, but are supernaturally protected and arrive in Chicago safely. During this time, Rayford meets with his friend

Hattie Durham This a list of characters in the ''Left Behind'' novel series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Suhail Akbar Suhail Akbar is a supporting antagonist in the ''Left Behind'' series. A native of Pakistan, he was a prominent member of the Glob ...

, and tries to discourage her from having an abortion of her baby that she conceived with Carpathia. Because both Buck and Tsion are international fugitives, Rayford flies back to Chicago for the funeral service for Bruce. The service mainly consists of an evangelical message and predictions of what is to come, all outlined by Rayford himself. Rayford then returns to New Babylon to be joined by his wife later. The stateside Tribulation Force meets Hattie Durham on her journey to see her relatives. After this, Amanda flies to New Babylon to join Rayford. Buck is driving to see Tsion at the hideout where he is when the worldwide earthquake predicted at the funeral begins. The sun goes dark, the moon turns blood-red, and meteors fall from the sky. A quarter of the world's population dies. Buck finds Tsion alive but trapped in the shelter. Condor 216 first officer

Mac McCullum ''Left Behind'' is a multimedia franchise that started with a series of 16 bestselling religious novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It focuses on a seven-year conflict between the Tribulation Force, an underground network of converts, ...

flies Carpathia and Rayford to

Baghdad International Airport Baghdad International Airport , previously Saddam International Airport ( ar, مطار بغداد الدولي, Maṭār Baġdād ad-Dawaliyy) is Iraq's largest international airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the ...

just as Global Community headquarters collapses. As the book ends, only Buck, Tsion, and Rayford are accounted for and safe among the Trib Force. Loretta is confirmed dead. Chloe and Amanda are missing.

Characters

is pilot to Global Community Nicolae Carpathia, the Antichrist. *

* Chloe Steele Williams * Amanda White Steele *

Leon Fortunato This a list of characters in the ''Left Behind'' novel series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Suhail Akbar Suhail Akbar is a supporting antagonist in the ''Left Behind'' series. A native of Pakistan, he was a prominent member of the Glo ...

*President Gerald Fitzhugh, confirmed dead in this book *Earl Halliday, dies in this book *

*Loretta, dies in this book *Donny Moore *Sandy Moore

Film adaptation

The upcoming film '' Left Behind: Rise of the Anti-Christ'', will be an adaptation of the book. https://www.facebook.com/leftbehindthemovie/videos/576412050103706/?ref=newsfeed

References

{{Left Behind Left Behind series 1997 American novels American post-apocalyptic novels Novels set in Chicago Novels set in Egypt Novels set in Israel Novels set in Iraq Novels set in Jerusalem Novels set in Washington, D.C.