Left Behind
''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, a ...
'' novel series by
Tim LaHaye
Timothy Francis LaHaye (April 27, 1926 – July 25, 2016) was an American Baptist evangelical Christian Minister of religion, minister who wrote more than 85 books, both fiction and non-fiction, including the ''Left Behind (series), Left Behind ...
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 ...
.
Suhail Akbar
Suhail Akbar is a supporting antagonist in the ''
Left Behind
''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, a ...
'' series. A native of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, he was a prominent member of the
Global Community
The term world community is used primarily in political and humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meanings attached to consensus or ...
. He was hired by
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 ...
during the last half of the Tribulation period to be his Security and Intelligence chief in control of Peacekeepers and Morale Monitors throughout all the world regions. Jim Hickman was his predecessor. In contrast to the ineptitude of Hickman, upon hearing the appointment of Akbar,
David Hassid
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 ...
feared he would be competent enough to stymie the
Tribulation Force
''Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind'' (1996) is the second novel in the ''Left Behind'' series, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It takes place from two weeks after the Rapture to 18 months into the Tribulation.
P ...
. Akbar was characterized as a man who is reticent and slow to voice an opinion, but someone who is loyal and effective behind the scenes.
In ''
Desecration
Desecration is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful, contemptuous, or destructive treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual.
Detail
Many consider acts of desecration to ...
'', he received the
mark of the beast
The number of the beast ( grc-koi, Ἀριθμὸς τοῦ θηρίου, ) is associated with the Beast of Revelation in chapter 13, verse 18 of the Book of Revelation. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of t ...
along with his fellow members of the Global Community cabinet –
Walter Moon
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...
and
Viv Ivins
VIV or Viv may refer to:
People
* Viv (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Viv., the standard author abbreviation of Domenico Viviani (1772–1840), Italian botanist and naturalist
Places
* 2558 Viv, a main belt asteroid
* ...
– at the Temple Mount a day before Carpathia committed the abomination of desolation. For his mark, he got a giant black 42 that dominated his forehead. Later he was ordered to bomb the gathering of
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
and
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
at Petra, planning for a BLU-82 and a "lance" missile to be dropped on them, but the inhabitants there were unharmed. He had the esteem of the Supreme Potentate that he was entrusted with organizing "the most massive offensive in the history of mankind" to drive the Christians and Jews from Jerusalem and Petra. Carpathia said to Director Akbar that the practically limitless monetary and military resources afforded to him for this endeavor would make every other historical military strategist hang his head in shame. In ''
Glorious Appearing
''Glorious Appearing: The End of Days'' is the 12th book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Released on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of A ...
'', even though he was entrusted to command the overwhelming forces to overrun
Petra
Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...
and
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
of the Global Community One World Unity Army, Suhail was publicly shamed for daring to mention the destruction of New Babylon in front of Carpathia in his underground bunker in
Solomon's Stables
Solomon's Stables ( he, אורוות שלמה, ar, المصلى المرواني) is an underground vaulted space now used as a Muslim prayer hall by the name of El-Marwani Mosque, some 600 square yards (500 square metres) in area, at the bottom ...
and was later beaten to death on Carpathia's orders by another Unity Army Officer with a
rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed-canopy old-growth tropical forests of ...
rod.
Security Director Akbar was loyal to Nicolae Carpathia, always zealous to carry about his directives, even though these directives came in a pique or at a whim. In ''Desecration'', he saw Carpathia personally murder high-ranking loyal personnel – such as Loren Hut and Walter Moon – for failing to fulfill Carpathia's orders, even though they acted competently and gave an earnest effort. For those murders, Akbar lent Carpathia his side arm when Carpathia vehemently requested it. On his own initiative, he also ordered the execution of two fighter pilots who failed to incinerate the stronghold of Petra due to divine protection of the inhabitants, even though the pilots hit their targets and the bombs detonated. Director Akbar ironically died under similar circumstances for a minor infraction just hours before the
Glorious Appearing
''Glorious Appearing: The End of Days'' is the 12th book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Released on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of A ...
of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
.
Chief Akbar was willing to stand up for competent personnel under him. When one of the pilots attacking Petra appeared to sound insubordinate while communicating to mission command at the Global Community palace after he had dropped his ordinance on Petra when he suggested to abort a subsequent missile launch towards because it seemed to be supererogatory, Akbar defended him of the insubordination when Carpathia was offended by the pilots's tone and Leon Fortunato demanded for the pilot to be reprimanded. However, Akbar had no qualms in killing his pilots once Carpathia expressed his disappointment in their performance and when they pridefully refused to conform to party line of the Global Community that they missed their target due to pilot error because they insisted that execution of the attack was impeccable but the Christians survived due to some kind of
miracle
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...
.
Akbar is not only loyal to Carpathia, but actually regards him as a divine figure; his attitude is similar to a divine command theorist or a theological voluntarist who regards whatever God wills constitutes the basis for morality or truth. He may have complied with Carpathia's directives out of personal and professional expediency instead of sincere reverence because loyalty to Carpathia is what had advanced his career to the point where he became the Director of Security and Intelligence to the Global Community. When questioned by Carpathia about whether the execution of two innocent people bothered his conscience, Akbar said that Carpathia was the "father of truth", reiterating Carpathia's remarks after he finished the
lie detector
A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked an ...
test, where Carpathia reported some obvious falsehoods that were assessed to be truthful replies. When one of stewards on Carpathia's plane referred to Leon Fortunato as "Mr. Fortunato", Suhail corrected him saying that it is "Reverend Fortunato", but said that he did not mind but he should not make that mistake in front of "His Excellency". When the steward replied, "or the Most High Reverend Father", Akbar chuckled. Suhail probably does not hold Fortunato or the role of Most High Reverend Father of Carpathianism in high esteem.
In the dramatic audio for the kids series, during Carpathia's entrance in Jerusalem,
Lionel Washington
Lionel Washington (born October 21, 1960) is an American former college football coach and player. He played as a cornerback for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Tulane Green Wave football ...
says that while has in the Morale Monitor program, they had a picture of Suhail Akbar staring up at you during every meal.
Criticism
Suhail Akbar's portrayal in the novels was criticized for being anti Muslim.
Abdullah Smith Ababneh ("Smitty")
Abdullah Ababneh is a former
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
ian fighter pilot, first officer for the Phoenix 216, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Amman; lost divorced wife and two children in Rapture; former first officer, Phoenix 216; a principal Trib Force pilot assigned to Petra; witnessed the Glorious Appearing; now residing near the Valley of Jehoshaphat, Israel.
Al B. ("Albie")
Albie (no real name given, named for the town Al Basrah) was a Middle East black market arms dealer who became a believer and a member of the Tribulation Force. He helped Rayford rescue Hattie Durham from a detention center in Colorado in ''The Mark'', using the name Marcus Elbaz. He was killed trying to purchase help from another black market dealer named Mainyu Mazda. He later returned with the resurrected martyrs at the second coming of
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
.
Bruce Barnes
Before the
Rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
, Bruce is the associate pastor at New Hope Village Church, serving with the then-senior pastor Vernon Billings. He has doubted the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
for most of his life; though he has professed faith in
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, he has never truly believed in his heart. When the Rapture takes place and his wife and three children are taken to
Heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
, Bruce almost falls into depression and total disbelief. Despite his losses, however, he is determined to start anew. He goes to New Hope Village Church that night and meets a few other members who were also left behind. He finds a video of the pastor explaining the Rapture, from which he learns that it is not too late to be saved, and he commits his life to God.
Bruce befriends
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 ...
, whom he supplies with a copy of the video. The two of them are soon joined by Rayford's daughter,
Chloe
Chloe (; ), also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root ', which relates to the colors yellow and green. T ...
, and
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 together they form an inner core group, the Tribulation Force. Their mission is to help the lost find Christ and prepare for God's Judgement that is to follow the peace agreement between the
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 . ...
and
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 ...
. Bruce acts as a spiritual mentor and adviser to the Tribulation Force, explaining the foretold prophecies of what is to come in the final days. Their study reveals that the peace covenant with Israel will mark the beginning of the seven years' war with the Antichrist, known as the
Tribulation
In Christian eschatology, the Great Tribulation ( grc, θλῖψις μεγάλη, thlîpsis megálē) is a period mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse as a sign that would occur in the Eschatology, time of the end.
At Book of Revelation, ...
.
Shortly after returning to the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
from a missions trip to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, Bruce is killed when the hospital he was being treated at for an overseas bug gets bombed by the Global Community in order to decimate a nearby rebel compound. He is the first of many casualties the Tribulation Force suffers during the seven-year Tribulation. Even though Bruce is killed relatively early in the Tribulation, the Force he helped establish becomes a driving presence during the global war. It is hinted later in the series that Bruce was poisoned by
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 ...
's agents and may have died prior to the actual hospital bombing. In the third film based on the books, '' Left Behind: World at War'', Bruce dies from being infected with a virus, and most of the Tribulation Force (all except for Buck) is at his bedside when he dies.
Bruce is resurrected at the
Glorious Appearing
''Glorious Appearing: The End of Days'' is the 12th book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Released on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of A ...
. In the Millennium World, he and his wife go on Rayford's missionary trip 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 Mediter ...
to help spread the gospel. He is present at the final battle of the Millennium, watching from a safe distance in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
with the rest of the Tribulation Force.
In ''Left Behind: The Kids'', Bruce mentors four teenagers, Judd, Lionel, Ryan, and Vicki, who are left behind at the Rapture.
In the original ''
Left Behind
''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, a ...
'' films, Bruce is portrayed by
Clarence Gilyard
Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr. (December 24, 1955 – November 28, 2022) was an American university professor, actor, and author. As a performer, he appeared in film, television, and stage productions; some sources give his middle name as Alfred.
...
, and
Arnold Pinnock
Arnold Pinnock (born 1967) is a Canadian actor who is perhaps best known for his appearance as Paul Greebie, Casey's guidance counselor, in ''Life with Derek''.
Pinnock was born in Birmingham, England. His career began with sketch comedy at Toro ...
remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
rabbinical
Rabbinic Judaism ( he, יהדות רבנית, Yahadut Rabanit), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, or Judaism espoused by the Rabbanites, has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian ...
scholar and former student of
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 ...
. Ben-Judah was commissioned by the
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 ...
i government three years before the
Rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
to undertake a study as to how the Jews would recognize the
Messiah
In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; ,
; ,
; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach'' ...
when he comes. Ben-Judah was beginning to conclude that
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
of
Nazareth
Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
met the descriptions of prophecy, but had not committed himself when
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
raptured His church.
Two weeks later, when
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
secretary-general
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
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 ...
and a host of
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
and
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
delegates arrived in
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 ...
to sign a seven-year treaty of peace, and at the behest of
Buck Williams
Charles Linwood "Buck" Williams (born March 8, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player and former assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles.
Williams, ...
, Ben-Judah guided Buck (Kirk Cameron) to the
Western Wall
The Western Wall ( he, הַכּוֹתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי, HaKotel HaMa'aravi, the western wall, often shortened to the Kotel or Kosel), known in the West as the Wailing Wall, and in Islam as the Buraq Wall (Arabic: حَائِط ...
so that he could speak with the two prophets,
Eli
Eli most commonly refers to:
* Eli (name), a given name, nickname and surname
* Eli (biblical figure)
Eli or ELI may also refer to:
Film
* ''Eli'' (2015 film), a Tamil film
* ''Eli'' (2019 film), an American horror film
Music
* ''Eli'' (Jan ...
and Moishe, men resurrected from Biblical times to bear witness to
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
and begin converting
144,000
144,000 is a natural number. It has significance in various religious movements and ancient prophetic belief systems.
Religion Christianity
Book of Revelation
The number 144,000 appears three times in the Book of Revelation:
* Revelation 7:3–8 ...
Jews to become witnesses for Him.
The meeting with the two witnesses had a profound effect on Ben-Judah, who spoke
Nicodemus
Nicodemus (; grc-gre, Νικόδημος, Nikódēmos) was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin mentioned in three places in the Gospel of John:
* He first visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus' teachings ().
* The second time Nicodem ...
's words to
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, while the two witnesses took turns speaking Jesus' words. Ben-Judah went away from the meeting with much to think and pray about. The next day, Carpathia and the Israelis signed the peace treaty, and shortly after that, Ben-Judah made a one-hour broadcast on GNN International to present his findings. At the end of it, he proclaimed that
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
was the
Messiah
In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; ,
; ,
; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach'' ...
and was coming again soon.
Many Israelis and Jews worldwide were outraged at Ben-Judah, but he began to teach and meet with Jews all around the world, as more and more began to convert to Christ. Eighteen months later, his wife and teenage stepchildren were horribly slaughtered and Ben-Judah, the chief suspect, was forced into hiding. Buck was guided to him with hints from the two witnesses at the Wailing Wall, and secretly conducted Ben-Judah out of
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 ...
by way of
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 Mediter ...
, to be flown back to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
for exile and sanctuary.
Just before this, the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
-based Tribulation Force's own leader and teacher, Bruce Barnes, is killed by the Red Horse of the Apocalypse when World War III breaks. Bombs hit the hospital that he was admitted in for over-seas bug that stopped his worldwide encouragement of "Tribulation Saints". Ben-Judah essentially took his place to teach, now reaching out to a worldwide cyber-audience. Ben-Judah, believing himself to be protected by
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
's power, insisted on returning to Israel to meet with most of the 144,000 witnesses, in order to teach them. Only hours before the Antichrist's
resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...
, Tsion had an out-of-body experience, where he witnesses the hosts of
Heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
, and the
archangel
Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
battling
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...
, in dragon form. The
Dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
was cast down to Earth near the end of this experience.
He moves to
Petra
Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...
where
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 ...
drops two bombs and a missile just minutes after his arrival. There he resides until the
Battle of Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
, when he leaves to help defend the Holy City. There, both he and Buck Williams are killed by Unity Army soldiers. He is resurrected at the
Glorious Appearing
''Glorious Appearing: The End of Days'' is the 12th book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Released on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of A ...
, after having reunited with his wife and children in Heaven. In '' Kingdom Come'', he and former fellow Trib Force members lead a missionary trip to Egypt, which Tsion renames Osaze, meaning "loved by God" after turning its inhabitants from
Ptah
Ptah ( egy, ptḥ, reconstructed ; grc, Φθά; cop, ⲡⲧⲁϩ; Phoenician: 𐤐𐤕𐤇, romanized: ptḥ) is an ancient Egyptian deity, a creator god and patron deity of craftsmen and architects. In the triad of Memphis, he is the hu ...
worship. At the end of the Millennium, Tsion is welcomed into Heaven with the rest of the believers.
Vicki Byrne
Vicki grew up in a trailer park, and hated it because people regularly made fun of her and the others who lived in Prospect Gardens, calling them names such as "Trailer Trash". Her parents smoked, drank, and fought constantly. Every Friday, Vicki would usually have to baby-sit her sister Jeannie, however, occasionally she would ditch her and run off to smoke, drink or do dope with her friends. When Vicki was twelve, a man asked to speak at the dance. Everyone was first irritated, and then quiet as he told all present that Jesus had loved them enough to die for them and He wanted everyone to accept His gift of grace and eternal life. Vicki's parents and her sister all accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, along with her brother Eddie in Michigan, while a defiant Vicki refused. Following her parents' conversion, Vicki became even more rebellious and continued to refuse to convert. One night she came back from partying to find the house quiet and was under the impression that they had fallen asleep waiting for her. When she woke up the next morning, all her family were gone because they had been raptured. Though her best friend Shelly wondered what happened, Vicki knew the truth — Christ had come back for His own. She then accepted Christ upon meeting Bruce Barnes, Judd Thompson, Lionel Washington, and Ryan Daley. She spent the next seven years proselytizing, which included interrupting a concert by Z-Van (lead singer of the Four Horsemen and one of Nicolae Carpathia's false messiahs) and speaking to the crowd of thousands. Judd fell in love with her very early in the series and the two were married around a year before the Glorious Appearing, shortly following Vicki's twentieth birthday.
Nicolae Carpathia
Nicolae Jetty Carpathia is the primary
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
in the ''
Left Behind
''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, a ...
'' book series. Within the series, Carpathia is the
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 . ...
, and leader of the
Global Community
The term world community is used primarily in political and humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meanings attached to consensus or ...
(G.C.), a
world government
World government is the concept of a single political authority with jurisdiction over all humanity. It is conceived in a variety of forms, from tyrannical to democratic, which reflects its wide array of proponents and detractors.
A world gove ...
which he ultimately marshals against the followers of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
.
In the ''Left Behind'' films, Carpathia is portrayed by Gordon Currie, Randy LaHaye and
Bailey Chase
Bailey Chase Luetgert (born May 1, 1972) is an American stage and television actor.
Chase is known for his role as Cory Snyder in '' Walk. Ride. Rodeo.'', as Butch Ada in the television series '' Saving Grace'', as Graham Miller in ''Buffy the V ...
. In the ''Left Behind'' PC games, he is portrayed by Trevor Parsons.
Fictional biography
Early life and rise to power
According to the plot, Carpathia was born in
Cluj County
Cluj County (; german: Kreis Klausenburg, hu, Kolozs megye) is a county ( județ) of Romania, in Transylvania. Its seat ( ro, Oraș reședință de județ) is Cluj-Napoca (german: Klausenburg).
Name
In Hungarian, it is known as ''Kolozs megye ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, the product of
genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...
and
artificial insemination
Artificial insemination is the deliberate introduction of sperm into a female's cervix or uterine cavity for the purpose of achieving a pregnancy through in vivo fertilization by means other than sexual intercourse. It is a fertility treatment ...
. His mother, Marilena, is unwittingly convinced by a group of Luciferians, whose group she joins, to become the mother of a child who, they assure her, would change the face of the world. Marilena stays with her husband, Sorin, until the baby is born, insisting that her son keep the strong Carpathia name. (In the prequel novel '' The Rising'', it is explained that the name "Nicolae", when translated, means "victory of the people", although this is far from Carpathia's actual goals. His middle name refers to the " jet-black" night on which he was born.)
Through his parents, Carpathia possesses a unique bloodline dating back to
Ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...
, so he can actually claim to be a Roman descendant. This references both the early Christian belief that the Antichrist would come in the form of a Roman emperor, as well as the current Pre-Millennialist Christian view that the Antichrist will emerge from a "New Roman Empire".
As a young child, Carpathia shows remarkable intelligence and athletic ability, and also proves to be extraordinarily manipulative, able to bend others to his
will
Will may refer to:
Common meanings
* Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death
* Will (philosophy), or willpower
* Will (sociology)
* Will, volition (psychology)
* Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will
...
with relative ease. His handlers arrange for his mother to be eliminated, and Nicolae himself eventually demands the dispatch of his "father", a key to his rise to power. With his advisers and counselors, Carpathia forms a successful import-export business which quickly makes him a millionaire. After he becomes a millionaire, he is then taken by a demon to a desert, probably the
Judaean Desert
The Judaean Desert or Judean Desert ( he, מִדְבַּר יְהוּדָה, Midbar Yehuda}, both ''Desert of Judah'' or ''Judaean Desert''; ar, صحراء يهودا, Sahraa' Yahuda) is a desert in Palestine and Israel that lies east of Jerusa ...
, where he is forced to live without food and water for 40 days. In contrast to Jesus's temptation, Nicolae falls for all three temptations, thus fully confirming that he will soon be the Antichrist. After that, he is then returned to Romania. He quickly grows bored with business and finance and, guided by the "
kingmaker
A kingmaker is a person or group that has great influence on a royal or political succession, without themselves being a viable candidate. Kingmakers may use political, monetary, religious and military means to influence the succession. Origina ...
"
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 ...
, sets his sights on politics.
At the age of 24, Carpathia steps into the political scene as a member of the lower house of the
Parliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania ( ro, Parlamentul României) is the national bicameral legislature of Romania, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies ( ro, Camera Deputaților) and the Senate ( ro, Senat). It meets at the Palace of the Parliament i ...
. Falling victim to Fortunato's blackmail, the President of Romania resigns, allowing Carpathia to assume power with the unanimous support of the country's parliament. He also finances an attempted invasion of
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 ...
which is thwarted by
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
.
Shortly thereafter, in the chaos following the
Rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
, Carpathia is appointed
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Secretary-General
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
. From this office, he converts the U.N. into the Global Community, appointing himself as that government's Supreme Potentate.
After Carpathia establishes the Global Community, the governments of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, and
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 Mediter ...
launch an uprising against him, resulting in
World War Three
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 ...
. Carpathia allows his enemies to start the war so that the Community can "retaliate" by destroying them.
Carpathia orders cities around the world, including neutral ones, to be obliterated to serve as an example to his enemies.
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, and other cities are nuked, resulting in millions of casualties, and blamed on the rebels.
Having won the war, and with no government left to oppose him, Carpathia gains full dominion of the earth.
Death and resurrection
After three and a half years in power, Carpathia is assassinated by
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 ...
, an Israeli botanist and statesman. He is killed by a lethal head wound from a sword which Rosenzweig had concealed. His demise is short-lived, however, as after three days of lying dead, Carpathia's body is indwelt by Satan himself, thus making Carpathia appear to rise from the dead and further cement his power. Four million people attend his funeral.
Final 3½ years
After his resurrection, Carpathia drops his peaceful facade and reveals himself to be a
narcissistic
Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive interest in one's physical appearance or image and an excessive preoccupation with one's own needs, often at the expense of others.
Narcissism exists on a co ...
and
psychopathic
Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...
tyrant. He has statues of himself built around the world, which all people are required to bow to. He then enforces the loyalty mark, the prophesied
Mark of the Beast
The number of the beast ( grc-koi, Ἀριθμὸς τοῦ θηρίου, ) is associated with the Beast of Revelation in chapter 13, verse 18 of the Book of Revelation. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of t ...
, which all are required to wear. Refusal to do either of these activities is made punishable by public execution. Carpathia has the Global Community motto written as "Hail Carpathia, our lord and risin king!". He then wages a genocidal purge against
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
,
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
,
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
, and
secular
Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...
rebels, going as far as telling an officer in ''Desecration'' to behead enemy bodies, even if already dead.
To complete his quest for world domination, Carpathia creates the One World Unity Army, composed of all G.C. military presence on the planet. Their mission is to destroy the remnant stronghold of
Petra
Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...
and take over the city of Jerusalem as the world's new capital, following the supernatural destruction of New Babylon. He also gathers the armies of the world at the valley of
Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
for the battle with Jesus Christ and his army.
In accordance with the series' interpretation of biblical prophecy, Carpathia is overthrown with the
return
Return may refer to:
In business, economics, and finance
* Return on investment (ROI), the financial gain after an expense.
* Rate of return, the financial term for the profit or loss derived from an investment
* Tax return, a blank document or t ...
of Jesus, who cast him, along with his
false prophet
In religion, a false prophet is a person who falsely claims the gift of prophecy or divine inspiration, or to speak for God, or who makes such claims for evil ends. Often, someone who is considered a "true prophet" by some people is simultaneou ...
Fortunato, into the Lake of Fire to suffer for all eternity. Before his eternal sentence is carried out, Satan is cast out of Carpathia, rendering Carpathia to his rotting corpse-like remains, the state his body would have been in had Satan not resurrected him prior. He then kneels before Christ and declares him the Christ after Jesus judged him for all his crimes and sins against humanity and God. He also admits, at the feet of Jesus, that his entire life was a waste and that he rebelled against a God that he never knew loved him. Unlike Fortunato, who attempted to struggle with
Michael the Archangel
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
out of his sentence, Carpathia accepted his fate out of his own guilt and shame, and simply covered his eyes as he passively allowed the archangel to throw him in.
One thousand years later
One thousand years later, a brief glimpse of Carpathia and Leon Fortunato is seen as the Lake of Fire opens to swallow up Satan. Carpathia is still writhing in agony as he is tortured in fire and brimstone, repeating over and over that Jesus is Lord. The scene closes, and Carpathia's suffering—along with that of his master and his underling—is resumed for all eternity.
Carpathianism
Carpathianism is a
fictional
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places
Place may refer to:
Geography
* Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population
** Census-designated place, ...
religion established by Leon to worship Nicolae Carpathia, leaving it as the only legal religion on Earth. Failure to comply results in death. The religion lasts for three and a half years before meeting its downfall at the
Second Coming of Christ
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messi ...
.
Carpathianism draws heavily from the narratives and traditions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. After his death and resurrection, Carpathia proclaims himself God in the desecrated Temple of the
Holy of Holies
The Holy of Holies (Hebrew: ''Qōḏeš haqQŏḏāšīm'' or ''Kodesh HaKodashim''; also הַדְּבִיר ''haDəḇīr'', 'the Sanctuary') is a term in the Hebrew Bible that refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle, where God's prese ...
, an act that is considered blasphemous in all three Abrahamic religions. He orders golden statues of himself to be placed prominently and worshiped three times a day. This touches on the golden calf story found in both the
Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
and the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
. In reference to the
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...
, Carpathia introduces the mandatory mark known as the
Mark of the Beast
The number of the beast ( grc-koi, Ἀριθμὸς τοῦ θηρίου, ) is associated with the Beast of Revelation in chapter 13, verse 18 of the Book of Revelation. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of t ...
.
Annie Christopher
Angela "Annie" Christopher grew up in an atheist home in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. After losing some friends in the
rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
she began searching but became a fan of
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 ...
. While she was in the air going to New Babylon to work for him, the Wrath of the Lamb earthquake hit killing all her family.
She is described as having short black hair and being athletically built.
In New Babylon she became a believer and meets
David Hassid
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 ...
. In ''
Assassins
An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder.
Assassin may also refer to:
Origin of term
* Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins
Animals and insects
* Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviida ...
'', David introduces her to
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, ...
and Abdullah Smith, Carpathia's pilots who are also believers. She and David get engaged but can't marry till they escape.
On the day of Nicolae Carpathia's funeral/resurrection, she is killed by the ensuing storm – by a painless lightning strike. The death is not confirmed until the book '' The Mark'' when Hannah Palemoon finds her body in the morgue, then takes David to see it.
Annie is also mentioned in ''Left Behind: The Kids'' when Judd and Lionel are at Carpathia's funeral, and Judd witnesses her death by lightning.
Ryan Daley
His mother and father, unbelievers, died because of the events after the rapture. He was the last one out of the four to become a believer due to his
atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
background and grief in his parents loss. He was best friends with Rayford "Raymie" Steele Jr., Rayford Steele's son, and the two often had much fun together. Ryan finds a dog and names it Phoenix early on in the series. He and Lionel often clashed to the point of a brawl, yet they were still very close. In The Search, following the death of Bruce Barnes Ryan is kidnapped along with a girl named Darrion Stahley. He helps Darrion escape her captors and she also become a believer following these events. After her mother's death, Darrion remains with members of the Young Trib Force until Glorious Appearing. In the book "On the Run", Ryan accompanies Judd to Israel where Ryan saves Judd's life after Judd is captured by the GC for having a tape containing the truth about the murders of Tsion Ben-Judah's family. Ryan died a couple days after the Wrath of the Lamb earthquake, having had a chunk of debris fall on him, causing his legs to become paralyzed and a wound in his back to become badly infected, from which he died soon afterward.
Tyrola ("T") Mark Delanty
Tyrola Mark Delanty became a believer and a member of the Tribulation Force. He was in charge of the airstrip that Ken Ritz had used. Rayford Steele met him when the plague of locusts struck, attacking all unbelievers. T also helped Buck Williams and Chaim Rosenzweig escape from Israel on a plane that crashes in Greece, killing him.
Hattie Durham
Before the Rapture, Hattie was a senior flight attendant, young and beautiful, working for Pan-Continental Airlines. She seemed to be attracted to Pan-Con pilot Rayford Steele, perhaps wanting an affair with him. Late into the night, it was stated halfway to London from O'Hare, many awake to find that loved ones and others have vanished, leaving behind everything material, ranging from clothes and hearing aids to tooth fillings. Terrified from the events, Hattie informs Rayford about the event, thinking he does not know what has just happened. When they return to Chicago, Hattie begs Rayford to stay with her, but he refused, wanting to check on his family. A few days later she arrives at his house, pleading for him to come with her, but he tells her he found what he was missing, Jesus Christ, and that the disappearances was the Rapture. However, she declines, thinking he has gone crazy after losing his wife and son, and leaves without him.
Hattie, who convinced Buck to introduce her to Nicolae Carpathia, eventually becomes Carpathia's personal secretary, and later his lover. Rayford and the other members of the Tribulation Force attempt to convince her that Carpathia is evil, but she refuses to listen. After becoming pregnant with Nicolae's child and being engaged to him, Carpathia attempts to poison her, but the child takes the brunt of the poison and dies. Hattie is eventually sent to the Belgium Facility for Female Rehabilitation (BFFR, or "Buffer") when Carpathia realizes she would be a liability to him. She is rescued by members of the Tribulation Force. She is then convinced of the truth of God's Word, and she becomes a devout Christian. She is eventually killed by
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 ...
, who calls down a bolt of lightning to vaporize her.
Hattie is resurrected at the Glorious Appearing of Jesus Christ, to the great delight of Rayford and the rest of God's followers. She is awarded a crown from Jesus Himself, who praises her for her bravery in the face of certain death. She also appears briefly in Kingdom Come, as she is among those present at Mac McCullum's thousandth birthday party and is assumedly with the rest of the Trib Force as they gather to watch the end of the Millennium. Hattie is played by
Chelsea Noble
Chelsea Noble is an American actress. She is known for her role as Kate McDonnell on the television sitcom ''Growing Pains'' (1989–1992). She is married to her former ''Growing Pains'' co-star, Kirk Cameron. She is the sister-in-law of former ...
in the films,
Nicky Whelan
Nicky Whelan (born 10 May 1981) is an Australian actress and model known for her role as Pepper Steiger in the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours''.
Career
Before ''Neighbours'', Whelan hosted a number of shows, including '' Coxy's Big Brea ...
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
at the time of the Rapture. In the first novel, he is shown to be openly welcoming of Nicolae Carpathia, but gradually become more suspicious.
In
Tribulation Force
''Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind'' (1996) is the second novel in the ''Left Behind'' series, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It takes place from two weeks after the Rapture to 18 months into the Tribulation.
P ...
, with his power and countries independence fading, Fitzhugh plans with the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
and
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
governments to launch a worldwide offensive against Carpathia and the Global Community, with help from various
militias
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
. When a combined British and Egyptian attack on New Babylon backfires, the conflict escalates into World War III. Cities around the world are destroyed in the war, and Fitzhugh himself is killed by a Global Community
blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg ( , ; from 'lightning' + 'war') is a word used to describe a surprise attack using a rapid, overwhelming force concentration that may consist of armored and motorized or mechanized infantry formations, together with close air su ...
on
Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
Louis Gossett Jr.
Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (born May 27, 1936) is an American actor. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, He had his stage debut at the age of 17, in a school production of '' You Can't Take It with You.'' Shortly after he successfully ...
Leon Fortunato
Leon Fortunato is the
False Prophet
In religion, a false prophet is a person who falsely claims the gift of prophecy or divine inspiration, or to speak for God, or who makes such claims for evil ends. Often, someone who is considered a "true prophet" by some people is simultaneou ...
, and he is a key member of the inner circle of
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 ...
, businessman, financier, politician, 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 . ...
.
In his native Italy, Leon grew up fascinated with the trappings of
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, although he never truly believed in any of the Church's teachings; Leon simply liked the glory. He was fond of dressing in ornate and flowing robes and strutting all over his college campus. After being expelled, Fortunato grew fond of becoming a kingmaker, preferring to work behind the scenes to elevate his chosen candidates to any positions of power they wanted. Carpathia, wanting to enter politics himself, employed Leon on his staff, and grew to value the man's counseling; although Leon tended to be clingy and sycophantic, he taught Carpathia
humility
Humility is the quality of being humble. Dictionary definitions accentuate humility as a low self-regard and sense of unworthiness. In a religious context humility can mean a recognition of self in relation to a deity (i.e. God), and subsequent ...
(or more specifically, how to feign humility) which proved to be very valuable on the world political stage.
When Carpathia created the
Global Community
The term world community is used primarily in political and humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meanings attached to consensus or ...
, he appointed Leon to the position of Supreme Commander, the deputy to Nicolae's Supreme Potentate.
Throughout his relationship with Carpathia, Fortunato continues to fawn over the man, a fact that seems to be driven home when Leon died in the Wrath of the Lamb earthquake. He had been buried and crushed in the rubble of the GC headquarters complex and his mother was calling him home, when he heard a voice – Carpathia's – calling out: ''"LEONARDO, COME FORTH!"'' in imitation of a command that
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
gave to Lazarus. Leon is revived, and then becomes more faithful than ever to Carpathia, believing that Carpathia is a god incarnate. Like Nicolae, Leon regularly communicated with the 'spirit world'; it is implied that both men shared the same spiritual 'guide' –
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
himself.
Later, when Carpathia is assassinated by Dr. Rosenzweig and resurrected as prophesied, Fortunato becomes even more important, and is Carpathia's go-to man and second-in-command. Leon becomes the Most High Reverend Father of the new religion of Carpathianism. He is imbued with power from
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...
and is able to kill believers (such as
Annie Christopher
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 ...
) with the Satanic ability to call down fire from the sky, either as lightning from a cloudless blue sky (as he did in killing three opposing sub-potentates during Carpathia's funeral) or as a single ball of flame (in the slaying of
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 is officially identified as the
False Prophet
In religion, a false prophet is a person who falsely claims the gift of prophecy or divine inspiration, or to speak for God, or who makes such claims for evil ends. Often, someone who is considered a "true prophet" by some people is simultaneou ...
that aids the
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 . ...
. In '' The Remnant'', he is given the task of training a legion of wizards,
priests
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...
and miracle-workers, who are also bestowed with various similar demonic abilities.
Fortunato's "glory days" are short-lived, however, ending in ''
Glorious Appearing
''Glorious Appearing: The End of Days'' is the 12th book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Released on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of A ...
'' with the return of Jesus. In Fortunato's final moments of life, he reveals his true self: a babbling, incoherent coward. He knelt before Jesus and acknowledged him as Lord without hesitation. As Jesus laid out his crimes against humanity and the will of God, he pleaded for mercy and forgiveness, even attempting to reject Carpathia and Satan, pledging allegiance to him. However, it was already too late for Leon and Jesus sentenced him for eternity in the lake of fire. Unlike Carpathia, who accepted his fate, Leon struggled with
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
as the archangel threw him into the lake of fire.
The world catches a final glimpse of both Carpathia and Fortunato at the end of the Millennium World, when Satan himself is thrown into the Lake of Fire. Fortunato is writhing in pain and shouting "Jesus is Lord!" The scene closes and Fortunato's suffering is resumed for all eternity.
Critical Reception
Leon Fortunato has been described as
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 ...
's sidekick. Because he is an Italian American, he has been cited as an example of the cultural diversity of the novels' characters. In '' The Mark'', Fortunato is revealed to be the ''
Left Behind
''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, a ...
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...
. One critic has condemned the silliness of Fortunato's titles as being
anti-Catholic
Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics or opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and/or its adherents. At various points after the Reformation, some majority Protestant states, including England, Prussia, Scotland, and the Uni ...
and
populist
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
. There have also been complaints about the farcical characterization of Leon Fortunato when he suffers from the pain of a
hemorrhoid
Hemorrhoids (or haemorrhoids), also known as piles, are vascular structures in the anal canal. In their normal state, they are cushions that help with stool control. They become a disease when swollen or inflamed; the unqualified term ''hemo ...
Formerly assigned to Global Community Headquarters Palace, New Babylon, United Holy Land States as Director of Purchasing; oversees all purchases for the GC and the hangar and cockpit crew of the Condor 216 and the Phoenix 216.
Hassid is a Jew who worked in New Babylon in the global government headed by Supreme Potentate and Antichrist
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 ...
. Very quickly, he becomes a believer in Christ, and is spotted by Mac McCullum in the GC shelter right after the Wrath of the Lamb earthquake.
Hassid works in communications and is considered one of the top computer experts alive. His service to the Tribulation Force is to confound communications, tip off the Trib Force and arrange for some goods to be "mislaid" and end up in the hands of the Tribulation saints.
Immediately after Carpathia's assassination, Hassid had to work with artist Guy Blod, who was making a huge statue of Carpathia. Hassid and Blod clash, but eventually, Hassid realizes he must get along with Blod or risk discipline and possible exposure as a Tribulation saint; also, it is not very Christ-like to be promoting enmity. Hassid's love interest, Phoenix 216 cargo chief Annie Christopher dies as a result of False Prophet Leon Fortunato's Satan-imbued ability to call down lightning from heaven to kill any non-Carpathianist. David (at some point during this time) vomits on Carpathia during a meeting. Hassid begins grooming Chang Wong, a young man from China who is also very technically gifted, as his protégé and replacement when Hassid must leave; the mark of loyalty is now required of employees in New Babylon, and Chang, given the mark unwillingly, has both the mark of the Beast and the mark of God's on his forehead.
After his death is faked, Hassid starts setting up communications in Petra, to prepare for the remnant of Israel's arrival during the fifth year of the Tribulation.
Hassid is killed by two GC MIAs at Petra, before the remnant actually arrives in Petra.
Judd Thompson Jr.
Judd Thompson, Jr is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
and one of the four main protagonists in the Left Behind: The Kids series of novels by
Tim LaHaye
Timothy Francis LaHaye (April 27, 1926 – July 25, 2016) was an American Baptist evangelical Christian Minister of religion, minister who wrote more than 85 books, both fiction and non-fiction, including the ''Left Behind (series), Left Behind ...
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 ...
. He, along with, Vicki, Lionel, and Ryan, were the first original members of The Young Tribulation Force.
Judd was born to a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
family that always had faith towards Christ. His name originally came from his father, and he has hated it ever since. On the night on the rapture, Judd decided that he was going to run away. He had stolen money from his father's credit card and lied to both of his parents, telling them that he was going to the library to study for his schoolwork. Instead, Judd went to the O'Hare airport and boarded a plane that was heading to
London, England
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
.
After hearing about the strange disappearances of his fellow passengers, Judd realized that what he had been told in his church before was true. Jesus had come back and he had been left behind. Afterwards, Judd got off his plane and met up with Bruce Barnes. Bruce was a pastor, believer, and the only member of the staff that had been left behind. He initially met other Left Behind protagonists
Vicki Byrne
''Left Behind: The Kids'' (stylized as LEFT BEHIND >THE KIDS<) is a series of young adult speculative fiction novellas based on the '',
Lionel Washington
Lionel Washington (born October 21, 1960) is an American former college football coach and player. He played as a cornerback for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Tulane Green Wave football ...
, and Ryan Daley. As the four earned a liking to each other, they formed The Young Tribulation Force.
He allowed Vicki, Ryan, and Lionel to stay at his house until they were forced to flee because of the Global Community. Bruce and Judd go on a few international trips, the last of these was taken shortly before Bruce's death. Following the earthquake and Ryan's death the Young Trib force live in a cave until they can escape to a safer hideout. Zeke then gives them a new ID. He resists going to the schoolhouse, as he and Vicki have a massive falling out. He eventually goes in order to warn the kids about Wormwood. Due to their disagreements Vicki lets him and Lionel go to the Gala in Israel. The trip was meant to last a week but actually lasted around three years. A girl in Israel fell in love with him but however she was shot. Before she died, she wrote him a letter saying how she felt like there was somebody back home that he loved. He realized she meant Vicki. He proposed to Vicki (he always wanted to)after his return, and they marry about a year before the Glorious Appearing, where he and Vicki are both in Jerusalem.
Peter Mathews
Peter Mathews was the
archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, at the time of the
Rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
. He was described as a very traditional
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
at this time, although he rapidly embraced dramatic changes to the faith after the Rapture. Shortly after the Rapture, Mathews participated in key meetings to establish the Global Community Faith (shortly after, it was renamed Enigma Babylon One World Faith) and also was elected to replace the
pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
John XXIV who had been raptured.
Calling himself
Supreme Pontiff
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
and Pontifex Maximus, Mathews became the leader of Enigma Babylon, adopted the name Peter the Second, and considered the new faith organization to be at least as important as the
Global Community
The term world community is used primarily in political and humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meanings attached to consensus or ...
and himself an equal of 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 ...
.
Mathews is later assassinated—stabbed with icicles from an ice sculpture—by the ten "kings" that Carpathia had appointed to lead the world under his rule.
Montgomery Cleburn ("Mac") McCullum
Pilot for Carpathia; Good friend of Rayford 'Ray' Steele, chief Tribulation Force pilot assigned to Petra; witness to the Glorious Appearing; residing near the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
Walter Moon
Walter Moon is a supporting
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
in the ''
Left Behind
''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, a ...
'' series. He was a prominent member of the
Global Community
The term world community is used primarily in political and humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meanings attached to consensus or ...
who was promoted to the role of Supreme Commander after
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 ...
's promotion to High Reverend Father of Carpathianism and Jim Hickman's death. Moon is given the title though it has no real meaning at this point in the story. Before that, he was
Director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
of Security for the Global Community. After his death, the Supreme Commander position was dissolved.
Moon begged Carpathia to be the first to bear his mark and swore that he would bear it with endless pride. In ''
Desecration
Desecration is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful, contemptuous, or destructive treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual.
Detail
Many consider acts of desecration to ...
'', he got his wish when he received the
mark of the beast
The number of the beast ( grc-koi, Ἀριθμὸς τοῦ θηρίου, ) is associated with the Beast of Revelation in chapter 13, verse 18 of the Book of Revelation. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of t ...
along with his fellow members of the Global Community cabinet –
Suhail Akbar
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 Viv Ivins – at the
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compoun ...
a day before
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 ...
committed the abomination of desolation. He received a dark negative six on his forehead for his mark of loyalty. Carpathia expressed his disappointment with him when he expressed some misgivings to Carpathia's plans to attack the Christians and Jews who are assembled at the
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...
,
Mizpe Ramon
Mitzpe Ramon ( he, מִצְפֵּה רָמוֹן, Ramon Lookout; ar, متسبي رمون) is a local council in the Negev desert of southern Israel. It is situated on the northern ridge at an elevation of 860 meters (2,800 feet) overl ...
,
Masada
Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dea ...
and
Petra
Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...
by referring to Micah's threat that an attack would bring back the plague of the sores or turn the waters of the world into blood. The final straw for Carpathia was his failure to promptly terminate a hijacked broadcast of Tsion Ben-Judah delivering a message from Global Community's own television network. Angered by the appearance of Ben-Judah on television, a choleric Carpathia shot Moon to death when Moon's frantic pleas to the network failed to terminate the broadcast.
Hannah Palemoon
Hannah Palemoon is a fictional character in the ''
Left Behind
''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, a ...
'' series of novels created by
Tim LaHaye
Timothy Francis LaHaye (April 27, 1926 – July 25, 2016) was an American Baptist evangelical Christian Minister of religion, minister who wrote more than 85 books, both fiction and non-fiction, including the ''Left Behind (series), Left Behind ...
nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
working for the
Global Community
The term world community is used primarily in political and humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meanings attached to consensus or ...
in New Babylon. She met
David Hassid
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 ...
when he passed out from sun-stroke while looking for
Annie Christopher
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 ...
. Hannah later escapes New Babylon with David Hassid,
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, ...
and Abdullah Smith. She and Leah also serves as a nurse during Operation Eagle. After a feud by e-mail with David, she goes with Rayford, Mac, and Leah Rose to the city of Petra to investigate a disturbance. She is grief-stricken to find that David was killed by two MIA GC soldiers, and has a hand in killing both men so as to keep Petra safe for the Remnant to move in. She goes back to the US and stays with a co-op flyer and his wife till she moves to Petra with Leah, where she helps tend the wounded with her medical expertise. She is one of the Tribulation Force members still alive at the
Glorious Appearing
''Glorious Appearing: The End of Days'' is the 12th book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Released on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of A ...
.
Steve Plank
Prior to the Rapture, Plank is the executive editor of ''Global Weekly'' magazine, and the boss of
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 ...
. Within two weeks of the
Rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
, Plank accepts a post as press secretary for rising international political leader
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 ...
, and nominates Buck to take his place as senior editor.
Plank falls under Carpathia's spell and serves him faithfully until he becomes surplus to Nicolae's needs. He disappears for several years, presumably lost in the Great Wrath of The Lamb earthquake when the Global Community Headquarters in New Babalyon collapsed.
Plank resurfaces shortly after the midpoint of the
Tribulation
In Christian eschatology, the Great Tribulation ( grc, θλῖψις μεγάλη, thlîpsis megálē) is a period mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse as a sign that would occur in the Eschatology, time of the end.
At Book of Revelation, ...
, using the alias Pinkerton Stephens, and a believer in
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
.
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 ...
and Albie encounter him in '' The Mark'' working undercover as a GC operative in
Pueblo
In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
. He is badly disfigured and wears a prosthetic to hide the fact that most of his face is missing as a result of injuries caused by the Wrath of the Lamb earthquake. Though he is hideously disfigured, the seal of the believer is visible on his forehead. He says that he had already been convinced before the earthquake, and that he "was praying the prayer as the building came down."
After revealing his true identity to Rayford and Albie, he helps them rescue
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 ...
from the very facility where he has been working undercover.
Plank next appears in '' The Remnant'', when the GC brass order all personnel without Carpathia's mark of loyalty obtain it immediately. After agonizing in prayer, Plank surrenders himself to the GC, refusing to take the mark. Even while choosing to place his head on the guillotine at the loyalty mark processing center, Plank uses wit and disarming cooperation as he is positioned for execution, bantering good-naturedly with his executioners, and trading quips about the stand-in executioner owing him a favour for assisting in operating the guillotine.
Razor
Razor is a Mexican military officer in his mid-twenties at the
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
Tribulation Force fortress. He is introduced in ''
Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
'' shortly after Chloe Steele Williams disappears. He is very military-like, and refers to men that he speaks with as "Sirs," which he eventually quits doing after
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 ...
tells him enough times.
He acquired his name from a snowmobile accident in Minnesota before the Rapture when he hit some razor wire and should have died.
He leads a band of about four men and a woman at the safe house. They discovered Chloe's
Uzi
The Uzi (; he, עוזי, Ūzi; officially cased as UZI) is a family of Israeli open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns and machine pistols first designed by Major Uziel "Uzi" Gal in the late 1940s, shortly after the establishment of the ...
and ski mask near two platoons of
Global Community
The term world community is used primarily in political and humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meanings attached to consensus or ...
Peacekeepers. By that point, they had assumed the worst and knew she had been captured.
Ken Ritz
Ken Ritz, a fictional character of the Left Behind series, is a private pilot. Once a commercial airline pilot, Ritz was sacked because he was too much of a stickler for safety. He went into charter business, and by the time of the Rapture, he owned a small fleet of aircraft based at Chicago-area airports.
The second day after the Rapture, Ritz provides Buck Williams with a flight as close to New York City as possible. The conversation they share is instrumental in the start of Ritz's journey to salvation, although the novels do not indicate any further services by Ritz to Buck until some 18 months into the Tribulation. Then, Ritz flies Buck to Israel where he locates and rescues Tsion Ben-Judah, and Ritz flies them safely back to America.
Ritz is badly injured in the Wrath of the Lamb earthquake, when an airplane wing hits the back of his head. However, given the urgency of the circumstances, he flies Buck to Minneapolis to rescue Chloe Steele Williams before she is taken by Global Community operatives to be used as a bargaining chip. He manages to fly Buck and Chloe back to Chicago, and is shortly afterward employed to take Buck to Denver to pluck Hattie Durham from the GC. On arrival at the safe house to begin the flight to Denver, he shows that he has become a believer.
In Apollyon, Ritz is killed by a GC bullet to the head while racing with Ben-Judah, Chloe, and Buck to board a waiting plane at Jerusalem Airport to return to the United States. The catalyst for the shooting is the detected theft of GC Chopper One to pluck the threesome from the roof of Israeli botanist and statesman Chaim Rosenzweig's house.
Later, Chloe and Buck name their child Kenneth Bruce Williams in honor of Ken. He is resurrected in Glorious Appearing with the other martyred saints.
Leah Rose
Former head nurse at Arthur Young Memorial Hospital in Palatine, Illinois, she helped
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 ...
get
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 ...
out without compromising the Tribulation Force's cover, and after helping deliver
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 ...
's stillborn baby that was fathered by
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 ...
, abandons her now-compromised job and must request sanctuary at the Trib Force safe house.
Leah and
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 ...
clash as they stumble at trying to work together, their personalities colliding. Leah's first Trib Force undercover mission, at the midpoint of the
Tribulation
In Christian eschatology, the Great Tribulation ( grc, θλῖψις μεγάλη, thlîpsis megálē) is a period mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse as a sign that would occur in the Eschatology, time of the end.
At Book of Revelation, ...
, takes her to
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
to try to communicate with Hattie at the Belgium Facility for Female Rehabilitation (BFFR), or "Buffer." There, she meets Ming Toy, another believer with a strategic position inside the
Global Community
The term world community is used primarily in political and humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meanings attached to consensus or ...
. Ming helps Leah avoid suspicion and incarceration, and Leah returns to Illinois.
She helps out at Operation Eagle as a nurse, and then goes to live with a co-op pilot and his wife when the Chicago safe house is compromised.
She and Hannah Palemoon move to Petra and help run the hospital there. Leah also helps
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 ...
in
Glorious Appearing
''Glorious Appearing: The End of Days'' is the 12th book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Released on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of A ...
after an almost fatal ATV wreck. She is among the few believers left alive when Jesus Christ returns to earth.
Chaim Rosenzweig
Israeli botanist and statesman, discoverer of a formula that made Israeli desert bloom, former ''Global Weekly'' Man of the Year; murderer of Carpathia; leader of the million-plus Jewish remnant at Petra; witness to the Glorious Appearing; now residing near the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
Chaim was Carpathia's friend for the first half of the tribulation; Chaim believed in him with all of his heart. However, through infiltration of the GC Palace by the Trib Force and
Buck
Buck may refer to:
Common meanings
* A colloquialism for a dollar or similar currency
* An adult male in some animal species - see List of animal names
* Derby shoes, nicknamed "bucks" for the common use of buckskin in their making
People
*Buck ...
& Tsion's conversations with him, Chaim was led to murder Carpathia. He faked a stroke, got a wheelchair, and hid a hand-filed blade in the handle. When
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 ...
accidentally shot the
Saber
A sabre ( French: sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
, Carpathia staggered back, tripped, and fell backwards, right into the blade being held in Chaim's hands. Chaim later became a believer, and led the Jewish Remnant at Petra under the alias "Micah" (made from the letters of his original name).
In the ''Left Behind'' films, he is portrayed by Colin Fox and David LeReaney.
Irene Steele
Before the Rapture, Irene is married to the series' chief
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
,
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 ...
. Together they have two children,
Chloe
Chloe (; ), also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root ', which relates to the colors yellow and green. T ...
and
Raymie
''Raymie'' is a 1960 drama film directed by Frank McDonald and starring David Ladd. It is perhaps best known for its title song, which was sung by comedian Jerry Lewis and written by Ronald Stein.
Plot
A nine-year-old boy and an experienced ...
. After becoming a
born-again
Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...
Christian, Irene becomes desperate for her family to have the same salvation she has. She eventually gets through to her son, Raymie, who becomes a Christian and helps her cope with Rayford's and Chloe's indecisiveness toward God. She even counsels Rayford's parents, who are struggling with
Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As t ...
, leading them both to salvation before their deaths. Through the counseling of her friend Jackie, Irene tries to turn the rest of her family towards Christ, but to no avail.
Rayford becomes more and more distant over the years, and Irene suspects he is having an affair. Chloe leaves home to go to college, having never let go of her "show me" attitude. Just as Irene is at the height of her desperation, the
Rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
occurs. Irene and Raymie are among the countless millions of believers who are taken up into the House of God, where the Bema Seat Judgment takes place. At first, Irene is nervous when her works are tested by the fire because of her short time as a Christian, but her efforts are ultimately praised by Jesus.
After the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Irene and the rest of the raptured saints wait and enjoy life in Heaven. On Earth, the cosmic battle of the ages takes place as the Tribulation ravages the planet. Irene returns with the heavenly hosts at the
Glorious Appearing
''Glorious Appearing: The End of Days'' is the 12th book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Released on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of A ...
of Christ, reuniting with her husband, her daughter, and her young grandson, Kenny Bruce Williams. She is also thrilled to meet
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 ...
, Chloe's husband.
In '' Kingdom Come'', Irene and her husband lead a missionary trip to Egypt, where they lead many to salvation during the Millennium World. She is present at the final battle at the end of the Millennium where Christ overthrows evil once and for all and welcomes all believers into the Kingdom of Heaven for eternity.
Rayford Steele
Rayford Steele was a former 747 pilot for Pan-Con Airlines, lost his first wife (Irene) and only son (Raymie Jr.) in the Rapture. Shortly after that, he became a born-again believer, became an employee of Global Community, and flew Carpathia's private jet until his cover was blown. His daughter Chloe also became a believer, and he has a grandson Kenny Bruce; he lost his second wife Amanda in a plane crash; original member of the Tribulation Force; wanted for supposedly murdering Nicolae Carpathia; witness to the Glorious Appearing; now residing near the Valley of Jehoshaphat. He was portrayed by Brad Johnson in the films,
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gu ...
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and as Captain Dylan Hunt in '' Andromeda''. Sorbo is also known for actin ...
Raymie is the second child and only son of Rayford and Irene Steele. He was raptured, along with his mother, when Jesus returned before the Tribulation. Throughout the Left Behind Series, he frequently comes to the mind of Rayford—who was left behind due to his unbelief. He is also the best friend of Ryan Daley. Ryan is a member of the Young Tribulation Force in the Left Behind The Kids Series.
In ''Kingdom Come'', he works in Jerusalem with his older sister, Chloe Steele, who was executed during the Tribulation for her belief, and her husband, Buck Williams, who also died during the Tribulation during the final battle in Jerusalem. During the Millennium World, Chloe and Buck are in charge of a massive childcare center, whose speaking guests include Noah and King David.
Dishelved with the death of a fellow co-worker at the age of one-hundred, Raymie founds the Millennium Force, a small group dedicated to sharing the Word of God with the undecideds during the Millennium World. When his nephew, Kenny Bruce Williams, attempts to infiltrate a Luciferian organization called
The Other Light
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
, Raymie becomes worried by the level of the devotion the "mole" is showing. He later kicks Kenny out of the Force after evidence surfaces that indicates that Kenny has "switched sides." Kenny is later vindicated, however, and Raymie is overjoyed to welcome his nephew back into the Force.
He is assumedly present at Cameron's estate during the final battle of the Millennium. He, like other believers, is welcomed into
Paradise
In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
at the end of both the Millennium and time itself.
As he had a Glorified Body, he never aged, while his nephew did and became older.
Jonathan Stonagal
Jonathan Stonagal is a powerful, corrupt, and highly influential
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
financier with links to
Viv Ivins
VIV or Viv may refer to:
People
* Viv (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Viv., the standard author abbreviation of Domenico Viviani (1772–1840), Italian botanist and naturalist
Places
* 2558 Viv, a main belt asteroid
* ...
' Luciferian organization. Apart from controlling most of the world's largest financial institutions and being the richest man in history, he also owns the genetic engineering company that artificially inseminated
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 ...
's mother Marilena. As her son Nicolae comes of age, Stonagal becomes one of his mentors, financing his rise in the corporate world.
At his first meeting as
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Secretary-General
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
(at the end of ''Left Behind'' Book 1), Carpathia executes Stonagal with a revolver, believing that his usefulness has expired. The same bullet that kills Stonagal also kills Joshua Todd-Cothran, the head of the
London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Pau ...
, believed responsible for plotting an attempt on Buck Williams' life earlier in the book as well as murdering many of his acquaintances. Carpathia then brainwashes everyone in the room (except Williams, who was protected by
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
) into believing that Stonagal shot himself and Todd-Cothran in remorse for the assassinations.
In ''Tribulation Force'' (Book 2), Carpathia tells Williams that he was named the sole beneficiary in Stonagal's will, though Stonagal's family members will receive massive payoffs to silence them. This effectively bestowed on Carpathia the financial resources and clout needed for his intended takeover of the world's media and information networks, granting him a media
monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...
.
Eleazar Tiberias
Eleazer Tiberias is one of the elders at Petra, who helps Micah (aka
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 ...
) run the operations of the city of the remnant. Eleazar's wife was converted to Christianity before she died of an illness, and Eleazar, who otherwise loved his wife greatly, rejected his dying wife's pleas to convert, and instead disowned her and slipped into depression. The events of the
Rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
happen; Eleazar listens to
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 television broadcast on the Messiah and is converted. Eleazar is one of the 144,000 evangelical converts in the book. Eleazar's daughter is Naomi Tiberias.
Naomi Tiberias
Naomi Tiberias is the teenage daughter of Eleazar Tiberias, one of the elders at Petra, who help Micah (aka Chaim Rosenzweig) run the operations of the city of the remnant. Naomi's mother was converted to Christianity before she died of an illness.
Naomi is one of the "techies" in Petra, and assists Chang Wong in setting up technology within Petra. After helping rescue Chang from New Babylon they become very close, but decide to postpone marriage until the Millennium Kingdom.
She and her father take in single women and families after the return of Christ.
Joshua Todd-Cothran
Joshua Todd-Cothran is the head of the
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
Stock Exchange
A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
and, like his colleague
Jonathan Stonagal
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 ...
, is a highly influential financier. So influential, in fact, that award-winning journalist
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 ...
believes he is responsible for having many professional acquaintances assassinated. Williams also suspects Todd-Cothran had framed him for the
car bomb
A car bomb, bus bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles.
Car bombs can be roughly divided ...
murder of
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...
agent and close friend Alan Tompkins, who had grown suspicious of Todd-Cothran's practices.
At his first meeting as
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Secretary-General
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
(at the end of ''
Left Behind
''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, a ...
''),
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 ...
executes Stonagal and Todd-Cothran with a single bullet that passes through Stonagal's head, then Todd-Cothran's. Carpathia explains to Buck that he was fulfilling his promise to take care of Buck's problem, knowing that Todd-Cothran was responsible for plotting the attempt on Williams' life earlier in the book as well as the assassinations. Carpathia then brainwashes everyone in the room (except Buck, who was protected by
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
) into believing that it was Stonagal who shot himself and Todd-Cothran in remorse for the assassinations.
Ming Toy
Ming Toy is the older sister of Chang Wong. She was a former Global Community employee working at Buffer who is a believer.
She was formerly married but left a widow during the early years of the Tribulation. She joined the Tribulation Force in "The Mark", escaping Buffer when the "mark of loyalty" was being tested out on prisoners.
She traveled to China under the guise of a Global Community Peacekeeper officer named Chang Chow in order to find her parents who became believers, and discovered that while her mother was still alive, her father died a martyr.
She later fell in love with and married Ree Woo in "Armageddon". She made it to the Glorious Appearing.
Lionel Washington
His whole family were the most devout Christians he knew, and he pretended to go along with them. The only one he could connect with was his Uncle André, who would turn into a drunk and a gambler one week and a "devout Christian" the next. All of his family disappeared in the Rapture except André, who died after being shot by LeRoy Banks and being caught up in a fire in his apartment complex. Lionel became a Christian and acknowledged that Jesus had raptured his church. He spent the next seven years proselytizing, spending most of his time with Judd and Bruce Barnes. He had to amputate his left arm after it was crushed in a rock slide while he and Judd were traveling back to the rest of the Young Tribulation Force from their adventures in the Middle East, but gained it back when Jesus returned at the end of the series. He came to stay in Petra after the marriage of Judd and Vicki where he was best man. At the end of the series he went to Jerusalem with the other believers.
Lionel is the only primary character from the main protagonists in the Left Behind: The Kids series to appear in the adult novels. This occurs in
Left Behind
''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, a ...
when he speaks to Buck Williams, who at the time worked for the same paper as Lionel's mother, Lucinda Washington.
Amanda White
The second wife of Rayford Steele, whom married him in Tribulation Force. Engaged and married on the same day as Chloe and Buck.
She died in a plane crash in ''Soul Harvest''. Thought to be subversive after death due to messages planted by Hattie Durham, who later clears Amanda's name when poisoned by Nicolae.
She appears in ''Glorious Appearing'' with Rayford's first wife Irene.
Sam Sorbo
Sandra Lynn "Sam" Sorbo ( née Jenkins; born October 18, 1964) is an American actress. She played Serena in the television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and hosts the weekday, syndicated radio program, ''The Sam Sorbo Show''.
C ...
Cameron ("Buck") Williams, is an award-winning journalist, former senior publisher of Global Community Weekly, who became a believer before the murder of
Jonathan Stonagal
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 ...
. He married his wife Chloe in a double wedding with Rayford Steele (his new father-in-law) and Amanda White, has one son Kenny Bruce Williams. Author of the underground cyber-magazine "The Truth". He died less than 24 hours before the Glorious Appearing. He and his wife were gifted to teach children during the millennium, in a place called Children of the Tribulation (COT), which was located in
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 ...
; towards the end their son Kenny expanded it to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
. He is portrayed in the films by
Kirk Cameron
Kirk Thomas Cameron (born October 12, 1970) is an American actor and evangelist. He first gained fame as a teen actor playing Mike Seaver on the ABC sitcom ''Growing Pains'' (1985–1992), a role for which he was nominated for two Golden Gl ...
,
Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray (born August 24, 1981) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for playing Lucas Scott in The WB/ CW drama series '' One Tree Hill'' (2003–09, 2012), a recurring role as Tristin DuGray on The WB/ CW series ''Gilm ...
Chloe Steele Williams, daughter of Rayford Steele and wife of Buck Williams, was a former college student. She lost her mother and brother in the rapture, became a believer in Christ, married Buck and had a son called Kenneth Bruce Williams after Ken Ritz, the pilot, and Bruce Barnes, who led Buck, Rayford, and Chloe (CEO of the International Commodity co-op) to Christ. She was beheaded shortly before the Battle of Armageddon. She is portrayed by
Janaya Stephens
Janaya Stephens is a Canadian film actress prominently featured in the ''Left Behind'' series of films as Chloe Steele. She appeared on the TV series '' Flashpoint,'' playing the character Sophie Lane.
Stephens was born in London, Ontario. In hi ...
in the films,
Cassi Thomson
Cassi Nicole Thomson (born 14 August 1993) is an Australian-born American actress and singer. She is known for her recurring role as Cara Lynn Walker in the television series ''Big Love'' and for her role as Nikki Papagus on the series '' Switc ...
Kenny Bruce Williams is the son of Cameron "Buck" Williams and Chloe Steele Williams, named after martyred believers
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 ...
Tribulation
In Christian eschatology, the Great Tribulation ( grc, θλῖψις μεγάλη, thlîpsis megálē) is a period mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse as a sign that would occur in the Eschatology, time of the end.
At Book of Revelation, ...
, in the book
Apollyon
The Hebrew term Abaddon ( he, אֲבַדּוֹן ''’Ăḇaddōn'', meaning "destruction", "doom"), and its Greek equivalent Apollyon ( grc-koi, Ἀπολλύων, ''Apollúōn'' meaning "Destroyer") appear in the Bible as both a place of de ...
. He is taken care of by his grandfather,
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 ...
, when Buck goes to Jerusalem to help defend it in Armageddon. He is reunited with his parents in ''
Glorious Appearing
''Glorious Appearing: The End of Days'' is the 12th book in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Released on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of A ...
''. Jesus promises Buck and Chloe that because they lost Kenny they would be repaid by the hundredfold. Because of that they start a massive daycare ministry called COT(Children of the Tribulation), which focused on teaching children and trying to show them that
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
is the only way. Kenny is the first child in COT.
Ninety-some years later, Kenny is working at COT and is now living on his own. When one of the workers, Cendrillon Jospin dies at one hundred, It creates an uproar among the believers since only unbelievers die. Not wanting anyone to follow Cendrillon's path, but knowing many will, Kenny,
Raymie Steele
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 ...
,
Bahira Ababneh
Bahira ( ar, بَحِيرَىٰ, syc, ܒܚܝܪܐ) was an Assyrian, likely Nestorian monk from the tribe of Abd al-Qays who, according to Islamic religion, foretold to the adolescent Muhammad his future as a prophet.Abel, A.Baḥīrā. '' Encyc ...
, and Zaki Ababneh form the Millennium Force, a branch off of the Tribulation Force.
At Cendrillon's funeral, Kenny (who has the only non-glorified body of the four) meets Cendrillon's cousins from France, who are in deep with TOL (The Other Light), a secret organization that worships Lucifer. He goes under cover for the Millennium Force. He also meets Ekaterina Risto and falls in love with her. When a friend of Zaki, Qasim Marid, goes undercover for the Force without their permission, they all start to wonder where his loyalties lie. When Kenny goes to France, he meets up with the Johpins and their other cousin, Nicolette. They head to Jordan where Kenny is seen by Abdullah Smith. After being accused of switching loyalties, he is kicked out of the Millennium Force, deserted by Ekaterina, and hardly believed by his parents.
This causes Kenny's life to fall apart, and while he is extremely lonely, he trusts in God to deliver him in the end. Kat finally goes to talk to Kenny and realizes that he is innocent. Qasim is discovered as the real infiltrator at COT and fired, eventually dying at the age of one hundred along with the Johpins and Nicolette. Kenny later marries Kat and they have eight sons and six daughters. They go on to establish a branch of COT in Greece, as was Kat's lifelong dream.
As he is a natural, Kenny ages over the course of the Millennium, with both he and Kat unable to walk without walking sticks. Both Kenny and his wife are present at the final battle of the Millennium and they, along with all the other believers, are welcomed into heaven.
Chang Wong
The brother of Ming Toy, he is 17 at the time of Global Community Supreme Potentate and Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia's temporary death, he is groomed by David Hassid to replace him as the Tribulation Force's mole in the GC Headquarters Palace in New Babylon. Hassid, who is a believer, cannot take the mark of the beast and so he flees, faking his death.
Chang is pressured by his parents, who are Carpathia loyalists, to take the mark, but Chang violently protests this as he is a believer in Jesus Christ. He is later drugged by his father, who forces the mark on Chang while the young man is incapacitated; Chang fears for his soul as a result of this, although he is reassured that he cannot be held responsible for taking the mark since it was forced on him against his will.
Even though Chang appears to have the mark of loyalty, believers can still see the mark of God on him. He is able to continue as the Trib Force's mole until God strikes New Babylon with darkness; then he is rescued and relocated to Petra to work with the Remnant of Israel. There, he is prayed for by Tsion and others, and his mark of loyalty is miraculously removed by God.
Chang becomes romantically involved with Naomi Tiberias, but they decide to postpone marriage until a point beyond Glorious Appearing.
Gustaf Zuckermandel, Jr. (Zeke)
Gustaf Zuckermandel, Jr. (aka: Zeke or Little Zeke) is a fictional character in the
Left Behind
''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, a ...
series. He is described as a "fleshy" young man in thick-soled, square-toed, black motorcycle boots, black jeans, black T-shirt, and black leather vest.The Mark the 8th book of the
Left Behind
''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, a ...
series He is the only son of Gustaf Zuckermandel Sr. (aka: "Big Zeke"). Zeke and his father were first introduced in
Assassins
An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder.
Assassin may also refer to:
Origin of term
* Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins
Animals and insects
* Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviida ...
.
After having lost his mother and two younger sisters in a fire the night of the
rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
, he and his father were converted by a trucker stopping at their gas station. They started going to a secret church in Arlington Heights and running a
black market
A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the se ...
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, subdivision_name ...
, after his dad was arrested for black marketeering. He transformed
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 ...
into Micah in ''
Desecration
Desecration is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful, contemptuous, or destructive treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual.
Detail
Many consider acts of desecration to ...
''. He was one of the few believers left alive when
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
, with his armies, returned to earth. Shortly after, he is reunited with his father, who returned from
heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
with the armies of Christ.
He appears twice, albeit briefly, in the final novel '' Kingdom Come'', when he gives Abdullah Smith advice on how to go about infiltrating The Other Light, and later when both he and his father are present at Mac McCullum's thousandth birthday party.