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Before They Were Left Behind #1
The Rising: Antichrist Is Born
New York Times Bestselling Authors A bookish professor at the University of Romania in Bucharest finds herself overwhelmed by a maternal instinct that leads her on an odyssey of spiritualism. The eternal battle for good and evil spills from the heavens to the earth as Lucifer and his minions conspire to bring to mortality the chosen one: Nicky Carpathia. In America, a young boy named Ray Steele dreams of one day becoming a pilot. With twists, turns, and surprises delivered at a lightning pace, The Rising sets the stage for the fastest-selling adult fiction series ever.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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7410 people want to read
About the author
Tim LaHaye
781 books2,291 followersTimothy "Tim" F. LaHaye was an American evangelical Christian minister, author, and speaker, best known for the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-wrote with Jerry B. Jenkins.
He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.
He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
November 8, 2011
I had a hard time deciding whether or not to give this book 2 stars or 3 stars. If I could give it 2.5, I would -- so let's just say I rounded up.
To start with, the quality of writing is abysmal. I could not help but be annoyed every time the authors tried to make the characters sound more... I dunno, "ethnic" perhaps... by peppering in foreign words, and then immediately having the character repeat the word in English in the following sentence. It was as if they had never heard of context before. Furthermore, every time God entered the conversation, I felt like I was being preached at. Because, you know, there is only one correct way to worship God. Right?
Secondly, the stories of Rayford's youth drove me berserk. He was the smartest, fastest, cutest, and most athletic boy in his school. He was the coolest, most popular kid... in FOURTH GRADE. Really? On top of that, he develops shame of his parents because they are not rich and don't drive fancy cars. All of that from a 9-year-old? I have taught all ages from kindergarten on up, and while I have no doubt that 9-year-olds can be sassy, his character just seemed far-reaching. That type of self-centered materialism doesn't seem to fully entrench itself until kids hit 7th grade or so.
The one thing I appreciate about this book is the character of Marilena. I have read the entire series, and hers is the ONLY character I have ever actually cared about. She seems more conflicted, more human, more deep than any other character in the series. I found myself feeling truly sorry for her at some points, and feeling relief when she turned to God.
I also think they did a pretty good job with Carpathia's back story. No doubt that it, too, is a little far-fetched, but we're talking the end of the world here. Normality is out the window. Anyway, while some of his outright cruel actions made me squirm, it definitely sets the stage for his becoming the anti-Christ.
So... 3 stars for Marilena, 2 for abysmal writing, 2.5 for everything else.
To start with, the quality of writing is abysmal. I could not help but be annoyed every time the authors tried to make the characters sound more... I dunno, "ethnic" perhaps... by peppering in foreign words, and then immediately having the character repeat the word in English in the following sentence. It was as if they had never heard of context before. Furthermore, every time God entered the conversation, I felt like I was being preached at. Because, you know, there is only one correct way to worship God. Right?
Secondly, the stories of Rayford's youth drove me berserk. He was the smartest, fastest, cutest, and most athletic boy in his school. He was the coolest, most popular kid... in FOURTH GRADE. Really? On top of that, he develops shame of his parents because they are not rich and don't drive fancy cars. All of that from a 9-year-old? I have taught all ages from kindergarten on up, and while I have no doubt that 9-year-olds can be sassy, his character just seemed far-reaching. That type of self-centered materialism doesn't seem to fully entrench itself until kids hit 7th grade or so.
The one thing I appreciate about this book is the character of Marilena. I have read the entire series, and hers is the ONLY character I have ever actually cared about. She seems more conflicted, more human, more deep than any other character in the series. I found myself feeling truly sorry for her at some points, and feeling relief when she turned to God.
I also think they did a pretty good job with Carpathia's back story. No doubt that it, too, is a little far-fetched, but we're talking the end of the world here. Normality is out the window. Anyway, while some of his outright cruel actions made me squirm, it definitely sets the stage for his becoming the anti-Christ.
So... 3 stars for Marilena, 2 for abysmal writing, 2.5 for everything else.
March 6, 2011
I'll apologize in advance for the brevity of this review. I would love to do this book justice, but it's that time of the semester when I don't have much time for anything, so rather than touching on some points and ignoring others, I'll stick to generalities in this review.
Because of the blatant Christian message of the Left Behind series there's a tendency to stereotype them, but if you've already read the original series, you're already aware that these aren't your typical "feel good" Christian Fiction. In some ways The Rising, first in a 3 book prequel series, is darker than the original series about the end times. In this book we begin to meet the memebers of the Tribulation Force (essentially just Rayford Steele in this volume) before they've let Jesus into their hearts, and the hole it leaves in their lives is obvious and heart-breaking. We also meet Nicholae Carpathia's well-meaning but confused mother and the Luciferian manipulators who control her life. Then there's young Nicholae who is just as scary as he was in the original series, maybe more so since he's younger and still posseses frightening powers. Bottom line: If you've read the Left Behind books, you won't be disappointed by the first prequel. If you haven't read the Left Behind books yet, then you should. While I wouldn't be lying if I said I hoped the importance of becoming a Christian affected every person who read the books, I still think they're enjoyable suspense novels even if you don't believe in Christianity.
Because of the blatant Christian message of the Left Behind series there's a tendency to stereotype them, but if you've already read the original series, you're already aware that these aren't your typical "feel good" Christian Fiction. In some ways The Rising, first in a 3 book prequel series, is darker than the original series about the end times. In this book we begin to meet the memebers of the Tribulation Force (essentially just Rayford Steele in this volume) before they've let Jesus into their hearts, and the hole it leaves in their lives is obvious and heart-breaking. We also meet Nicholae Carpathia's well-meaning but confused mother and the Luciferian manipulators who control her life. Then there's young Nicholae who is just as scary as he was in the original series, maybe more so since he's younger and still posseses frightening powers. Bottom line: If you've read the Left Behind books, you won't be disappointed by the first prequel. If you haven't read the Left Behind books yet, then you should. While I wouldn't be lying if I said I hoped the importance of becoming a Christian affected every person who read the books, I still think they're enjoyable suspense novels even if you don't believe in Christianity.
December 5, 2016
3.5 bumped up to 4 because I'm feeling generous.
This was a random pick off the library shelf, an attempt to try something new.
At the time I had no idea it was a prequel to another very popular series, The Left Behind series.
It was okay in a Rosemary's Baby kind of way.
The writing was good enough and the characters were interesting enough. The book kind of ends without ending, which didn't make sense until I later read that this was a prequel.
I liked it enough to read the second book and/or try the Left Behind series.
I will add that I thought some of the commentary on religion, agnosticism, and atheism was insightful and thought provoking.
This was a random pick off the library shelf, an attempt to try something new.
At the time I had no idea it was a prequel to another very popular series, The Left Behind series.
It was okay in a Rosemary's Baby kind of way.
The writing was good enough and the characters were interesting enough. The book kind of ends without ending, which didn't make sense until I later read that this was a prequel.
I liked it enough to read the second book and/or try the Left Behind series.
I will add that I thought some of the commentary on religion, agnosticism, and atheism was insightful and thought provoking.
February 12, 2023
This is the first prequel (written in 2003) to the Left Behind series (published in the 1990s-2003). While the writing itself isn't my cup the tea, the story that is being told had me captivated and I couldn't wait until bedtime every night (when I read from e-books generally) to read more and see what will happen next.
Looking at the world as it is today (and even 20 yrs ago when this was published), I can totally see this coming to fruition. Granted, there was a scene or two which felt action movie-ish, but other than that the struggles some of the characters were going through are things you see many struggle with today: unhappy marriages, longing for a baby, seeking "help" from clairvoyants, having questions about Jesus and thinking works and "being good" is enough and more.
Looking at the world as it is today (and even 20 yrs ago when this was published), I can totally see this coming to fruition. Granted, there was a scene or two which felt action movie-ish, but other than that the struggles some of the characters were going through are things you see many struggle with today: unhappy marriages, longing for a baby, seeking "help" from clairvoyants, having questions about Jesus and thinking works and "being good" is enough and more.
February 20, 2023
This book was...interesting. I was looking for an author similar to one of my favorite authors who I've read most of his books, and stumbled across Tim LaHaye. . The story is compelling but is disturbing. Note: the plot does include some adult material including adultery, homosexuality, murder etc. Overall, I did enjoy this book but would also have to include Ray and Marilena are probably the thickest-headed, most dense pair of dunces you will ever encounter in a book like this. I was amazed and disgusted by just how big of blockheads they both were.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 2, 20253.5⭐️ It was pretty good and I liked it
June 30, 2025
A look at where it all began for two of the main characters of Left Behind. I had fun, but it was a little jarring to go from Rosemary's Baby to slogging through Rayford's attempts at wooing Irene.
March 24, 2010
Bought at Commerce Public Library book sale, but plan to donate back to library when finished.
I enjoyed this one. It's back to the quality of the original series when it started out. I think Marilena Carpathia is the best developed character the authors have come up with. She's a very sympathetic character, even though she chooses the wrong side at first. There is a very poignant scene where she discovers the mistake she made and finds out what has really been going on. It's interesting to discover Nicolae's background and see that he was always a scary character, even as a child.
I enjoyed this one. It's back to the quality of the original series when it started out. I think Marilena Carpathia is the best developed character the authors have come up with. She's a very sympathetic character, even though she chooses the wrong side at first. There is a very poignant scene where she discovers the mistake she made and finds out what has really been going on. It's interesting to discover Nicolae's background and see that he was always a scary character, even as a child.
September 10, 2019
This book is my first encounter with the Left Behind Series. I have watched the movie Left Behind and am quite curious to see if the book would be the same as the movie. But about this book, the vocabulary was a bit daunting in the beginning since English is not my first language. But a good dictionary quickly fixed that problem.
In the beginning of the book the character's names and surnames were mentioned multiple times, after about one paragraph the reader is already acquainted with the character. The steady flow of reading is interrupted when the surname is mentioned and it feels as if the reader is being reintroduced. Unless the importance of the character is conveyed to the reader that way, then it imprints the character into your memory for the rest of the series.
I particularly enjoyed the character of Marilena Carpathia, the trials she endured and the choices she had to make, all the emotions she experienced, made her a believable character. I almost felt like I knew her.
The story had such a sudden twist, there was no way I could have guessed what would happen next. A story is as good as the next surprise. You should sit and literally gasp when turning the page. And that's what happened to me, and I really enjoyed it.
Then I knew I was reading a good book. A book that can be predicted is as boring as the color grey (no offence to people who like grey, its a lovely color, but not on its own :) )
Rayford Steele has a strong character and he portrays qualities that we should practice - never give up. He had a dream and he fulfilled it. Not once did something stand in his way, even when his father tried to change his mind, he put his head on a block and stayed with it. His story evolved quickly and I'm excited to see what happens next with him and Irene.
Nicolae Carpathia is a character on his own, I don't even know what to say. Because he was just a child in the first book, I believe in the next book I would be able to say something since he is realising who he is and what he is capable of. The story will change completely and I have no idea of what to expect!
Other than that, I believe this series will help people to think about the coming Rapture and though this series is fictional, it is based on actual events in the Bible and can help people to realise the importance of salvation.
January 14, 2024
We meet Rayford Steele the main character when he was in 4th grade. We then immediately jump into Rayford having a sleepover with some pushy 4th grader who tells him he is going to hell. We love it.
The mother of the anti-christ is married to a gay literature professor and department head. I love it when evangelicals use their imaginations like this.
Also they fully explain and go through the entire “Romans Road to Salvation” with soon to be mother of the anti-Christ.
Oh my gosh Ray (who is the stand in for the authors) was voted the “best looking male” in high school. What an actual hell is this? The writing is so bad and feels like bullet points about someone. What a weird weird bunch of people.
I think a lot about why these books exist. Especially a full prequel series to an already bloated 12 book main series. The way the authors write about Rayford it literally feels like they are writing loose fantasy about the pre-Christ sinful lives they wish they could have had. There is a longing in the way they write about sleeping with their secular college girlfriend that is a bit unnerving. It’s almost like they write about the “sinful” times in people’s lives because there is nothing interesting happening after they devote themselves to evangelical fervor.
Also every time someone gets evangelized in this book the person is just so clearly hating their life and begging to be told what to do. The assumption is that every person who is not their type of Christian is miserable. Also non-Christians LOVE pamphlets in this universe and cannot get enough of those sweet sweet evangelical tracts.
The mother of the anti-christ is married to a gay literature professor and department head. I love it when evangelicals use their imaginations like this.
Also they fully explain and go through the entire “Romans Road to Salvation” with soon to be mother of the anti-Christ.
Oh my gosh Ray (who is the stand in for the authors) was voted the “best looking male” in high school. What an actual hell is this? The writing is so bad and feels like bullet points about someone. What a weird weird bunch of people.
I think a lot about why these books exist. Especially a full prequel series to an already bloated 12 book main series. The way the authors write about Rayford it literally feels like they are writing loose fantasy about the pre-Christ sinful lives they wish they could have had. There is a longing in the way they write about sleeping with their secular college girlfriend that is a bit unnerving. It’s almost like they write about the “sinful” times in people’s lives because there is nothing interesting happening after they devote themselves to evangelical fervor.
Also every time someone gets evangelized in this book the person is just so clearly hating their life and begging to be told what to do. The assumption is that every person who is not their type of Christian is miserable. Also non-Christians LOVE pamphlets in this universe and cannot get enough of those sweet sweet evangelical tracts.
October 18, 2019
This prequel is totally different from the rest of the novels that make up this series. It has elements of the best horror and suspense stories. The mystery grows in each chapter. The scenario is set for what will come later. Evil has no limits, and makes its way to place. An excellent start for this series. I would dare to say that it is under, by very little, Rosemary's baby. Very good novel.
January 27, 2020
whew! well, im glad that's over! It dragggggggged! There was no need to give us Rayford's childhood story.
Carpathia's backstory was interesting though. However, the pacing was off. I bought the other 2 prequels so I'll have to read them, but SHESH! This one lacked any major climax.
Took me almost a month to get through this *sighs heavily*
Carpathia's backstory was interesting though. However, the pacing was off. I bought the other 2 prequels so I'll have to read them, but SHESH! This one lacked any major climax.
Took me almost a month to get through this *sighs heavily*
April 29, 2025
Absolutely (ok this is an exaggeration but not much of one) 0 action but the characters in this are more fleshed out than the entire rest of the series. I don’t like the Satanic stuff but I get why they put it in here. Rayford’s story kinda hits home for me. Anyway this is a well-written and character-driven story that makes the original series better, so it’s worth a read.
April 11, 2024
I would say it was genuinely okay. It wasn’t anything special or great but it wasn’t bad. It was interesting enough to carry on.Perhaps it’s my dislike for prequels that makes this book so average to me.
January 8, 2022
I had read all of the Left Behind books when they first came out. This book felt like I was revisiting some old friends- Rayford, Irene, Chloe, and Raymie- and seeing how their stories began. Nicholae’s story creeped me out, but considering who he becomes, it makes sense. Great book.
August 11, 2024
I read all but the last two or three books of the Left Behind Series. I enjoyed this first book of the prequel to that series. Curious to see what comes next and now feel the need to go back and complete the original series.
December 2, 2024
Why did I wait so long to get to this one? So good!
April 3, 2020
The story wasn’t bad but it seemed like it should have been a companion novel to the Left Behind series rather than the start of a new series. This book was mostly going through the childhood of the pilot from the Left Behind series. Without the context of that series this book seemed a little pointless.
February 3, 2017
I had several things to say about this book, but now that I've read the remaining ones I can't remember the specific yays or nays. I can say, however, that The Rising is interesting in an informative way. We learn about the anti-Christ's parentage and more background on key Left Behind characters. But overall, it lacks any major climax. It feels more like a book laying out a history of certain characters rather than telling an actual story.
May 4, 2016
Most Christians will admit that if they were old enough or a part of the contemporary Christian culture of the 1990s and early 2000s that they read some of the Left Behind series. I'll be that guy and say I did read at least the first four books of the Left Behind series way back when they started coming out. But, as the years went on I lost interest. Probably the rebelliousness of the college years or the decision to part ways with the cheesiness of some of the Christian pop-culture of the time.
About a week ago I was searching for a fun fiction book to read that had a sci-fi or thriller twist. For some reason Left Behind popped in my head and I thought, "Why not?" Turns out that they have added three books as a prequel to the original Left Behind book and so there would be an incentive to trying the series again. I am into a lot of the crime, thriller, sci-fi and dystopian books that are popular today and I have to admit, this first book in the 17 book series is GOOD. I am not kidding!
What works for this book? The writing and character development is excellent. The suspense and drama of the book is one that could be seen in a blockbuster movie or primetime show. The book follows (no spoilers) Nicolae Carpathia and Rayford Steele from childbirth to almost where the original first book in the series starts. We learn the backstory to these characters and it is really fleshed out well.
Do you need to know the characters going into the prequel series? No. But it is helpful to know where you are going. We know that the whole series is based on the end-times (no surprise here) according to the Christian faith, so expect some Christian vocabulary. Also know that we are following the two characters for a reason. If there is any flaw in the book, it is that there is no set-up early on as to why the reader is following the two different stories, but if you can hold off to the last half of the book, you will begin to understand what roles these men will play in the future.
Why is it 5 stars? Like I said above. Excellently written. Creepy story. Not a cheesy Christian writing. In fact, it is a little violent and intense. My favorite thing is the emotion I built for the characters. I felt happy, upset and horrified for them in various chapters. I think you will get wrapped up in the story too.
If you are looking for a good weekend read, I highly recommend trying this out again or for the first time, Christian or not. Trust me.
About a week ago I was searching for a fun fiction book to read that had a sci-fi or thriller twist. For some reason Left Behind popped in my head and I thought, "Why not?" Turns out that they have added three books as a prequel to the original Left Behind book and so there would be an incentive to trying the series again. I am into a lot of the crime, thriller, sci-fi and dystopian books that are popular today and I have to admit, this first book in the 17 book series is GOOD. I am not kidding!
What works for this book? The writing and character development is excellent. The suspense and drama of the book is one that could be seen in a blockbuster movie or primetime show. The book follows (no spoilers) Nicolae Carpathia and Rayford Steele from childbirth to almost where the original first book in the series starts. We learn the backstory to these characters and it is really fleshed out well.
Do you need to know the characters going into the prequel series? No. But it is helpful to know where you are going. We know that the whole series is based on the end-times (no surprise here) according to the Christian faith, so expect some Christian vocabulary. Also know that we are following the two characters for a reason. If there is any flaw in the book, it is that there is no set-up early on as to why the reader is following the two different stories, but if you can hold off to the last half of the book, you will begin to understand what roles these men will play in the future.
Why is it 5 stars? Like I said above. Excellently written. Creepy story. Not a cheesy Christian writing. In fact, it is a little violent and intense. My favorite thing is the emotion I built for the characters. I felt happy, upset and horrified for them in various chapters. I think you will get wrapped up in the story too.
If you are looking for a good weekend read, I highly recommend trying this out again or for the first time, Christian or not. Trust me.
July 29, 2011
I have read the entire Left Behind Series and am now reading the books that take place before the rapture. In the first, we follow the life of young Rayford Steel. It starts when he is approximately 9 years old and takes us through his marriage and the birth of his two children. Ray is smart, athletic, and good looking. He knows what he wants (money, nice house, nice cars) and is willing to work hard to achieve all his dreams. We also follow the birth and young life of Nicholae Carpathia. Compared to Rayford's life it is very disturbing. His mother and "aunt" worship Lucifer (although his mother sees the error of her ways towards the end of her life). Even though Nicholae is smart beyond his years and very athletic, he uses these gifts to his advantage and doesn't care who he hurts. He is incapable of showing love, even to his own mother, and everything about him is cold.
I really enjoyed reading the chapters about Ray, but those about Nicholae were pretty disturbing. However, I guess that you need to read these to understand the man that he becomes.
I really enjoyed reading the chapters about Ray, but those about Nicholae were pretty disturbing. However, I guess that you need to read these to understand the man that he becomes.
February 21, 2011
This book was very unique and different from most of the books that I have read. It tended to creep me out at times because of the certain detail that Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins would go into. They went into way too much disturbing detail when talking about how Nicolae was born. But besides that, I did enjoy the book. It is very interesting about how Nicolae grows up. Pretty much the typical way you would imagine the antichrist to grow up. One thing that surprised me was when he killed his mother. Honestly I did not see this coming. But looking back at it the author did a great way at hinting at this occurring. He wrote the book so that you didn’t see the murder coming but once it happened you kind of sat back and thought about how you should have seen it coming. Another thing I enjoyed is how the author always kept you interested in the plot. I don’t think that at any point in the novel I wanted to put the book down.
April 8, 2021
For ten years, Tyndale House Publishers rode the Left Behind train to literary and financial success, but all that seemed like it was coming to an end with the twelfth and final novel in the series. Glorious Appearing spent 22 weeks on the NYT bestseller’s list, selling millions. Having almost quite literally reached the end of time (in a sense), the series couldn’t go much further forward (eventually doing so in a sequel called Kingdom Come), Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye decided to go back to the beginning—before the beginning—and piece together the events that led to the rise of Nicolae Carpathia as Antichrist.
There’s a lot that could be said about the series as a whole and its assumption of a dispensational, premillennial, pretribulational eschatology. There’s even more than could be said about the cultural zeitgeist that led to the success of these novels from a sales standpoint. And there’s even more that could be said about their affect on Christian evangelical culture over the past generation. But for now, let’s just stick to the realm of fiction to see if these stories—as fiction—are any good.
The Rising is the first in prequel trilogy (The Regime, The Rapture) that primarily follows the storyline of a young Nicolae Carpathia. Carpathia, as readers of the series know, is the president of Romania turned secretary-general of the United Nations turns Antichrist ruler of the world. Throughout the series, we are given only a few hints about his past. This left readers wanting to know more. What would the rise of Antichrist look like?
At first, we’re taken into the story of Marilena, a young woman who falls in love with and marries a scholar’s scholar named Sorin Carpathia. The couple’s marriage is virtually perfunctory, a convenience. They enjoy the other’s company and intellectual stimulation, but that’s about it. Soon, Marilena begins to have an overwhelming desire to have a child—something that Sorin is vehemently against. It soon comes to light that Sorin is gay and he leaves Marilena for a male colleague. She then takes solace in the spiritual world, befriending a Luciferian named Viv Ivins who claims that loyalty to her god will ensure Marilena a child. Marilena takes the bait and Ivins arranges, through secretive connections, for a sperm donor. Marilena becomes pregnant and soon, Nicolae is born.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, a young Rayford Steele is up to typical kid things. One of the issues with this novel structurally is that there are two storylines. In one storyline, we get adventures like Ray’s mom taking too long in a store and him not being able to find her. In another, we get international cabals, secret organizations, and demonic influences. It’s a jarring twist that only makes any sense because these novels aren’t intended to tell their own stories but provide extended backstory for the story we already know. The Rising should have just focused on Nicolae. It would have provided a much more even reading experience.
However, I don’t know that I could have stood much more depth to the Nicolae storyline. My chief complaint is theological. The Rising presents Yahweh and Lucifer in very dualistic terms. Viv Ivins tells Marilena that her religion views Lucifer, not Yahweh, as the rightful god. Marilena’s conception is seen as an imitation of the immaculate conception. Later, Carpathia is literally taken out into the desert by his spirit guide—Lucifer—and tempted for forty days in the wilderness. In a direct comparison and contrast to Jesus, he is offered the same three things as Jesus and takes them all. LaHaye and Jenkins have made a conscious choice for anti- to mean “false pretender” and not “against.” This sets up a very easy comparison and contrast in the minds of readers, but also presents Carpathia and Christ as equals. This isn’t compatible with the theology of the rest of the series, but it’s the path clearly presented here. Antichrist is Christ if Christ made different decisions. That sort of dualism, where Yahweh and Lucifer are presented as competing spiritual entities, is a dangerous philosophy—probably one that the authors did not intend.
There’s also a cultural component to the Nicolae storyline in that LaHaye and Jenkins try to cram in any number of social critiques, some of which are laughably inept. One of the most egregious is that Nicolae’s father is revealed to actually be two men, the result of genetically modified sperm. Those two men are Sorin (his mother’s husband) and his husband, who were paid handsomely for their contribution. There’s even evidence that Marilena’s whole marriage to Sorin was an orchestrated sham to lead her toward Viv Ivins and Luciferianism. Given LaHaye’s vehemently anti-LGBT stance (he once wrote a book called The Unhappy Gays), having the father of the Antichrist be two dads who sperm was genetically modified by science is a bit on the nose.
By the end of the novel, Carpathia has grown from a baby to a psychopathic young man who has had his mother and both of his fathers killed and has become a multi-millionaire businessman financed by the Jeff Bezos (or Elon Musk, if you wish) of this book, Jonathan Stonagal. Ray has grown up, married Irene, and had two kids, but their lives are about to take a drastic change when Irene becomes a believer.
The Rising is not a good novel. Social and theological commentary aside, the story does not cohere and does not stand on its own. It’s a vapid, stereotypical, fearmongering piece of propaganda—even more so than the original novels. The original series is heavy-handed in its Christianity and exacting in its eschatology, but the storytelling had elements of brilliance. There’s none of that here. Left Behind fatigue is real and Jenkins, as primary author, seems to have just been going through the motions.
There’s a lot that could be said about the series as a whole and its assumption of a dispensational, premillennial, pretribulational eschatology. There’s even more than could be said about the cultural zeitgeist that led to the success of these novels from a sales standpoint. And there’s even more that could be said about their affect on Christian evangelical culture over the past generation. But for now, let’s just stick to the realm of fiction to see if these stories—as fiction—are any good.
The Rising is the first in prequel trilogy (The Regime, The Rapture) that primarily follows the storyline of a young Nicolae Carpathia. Carpathia, as readers of the series know, is the president of Romania turned secretary-general of the United Nations turns Antichrist ruler of the world. Throughout the series, we are given only a few hints about his past. This left readers wanting to know more. What would the rise of Antichrist look like?
At first, we’re taken into the story of Marilena, a young woman who falls in love with and marries a scholar’s scholar named Sorin Carpathia. The couple’s marriage is virtually perfunctory, a convenience. They enjoy the other’s company and intellectual stimulation, but that’s about it. Soon, Marilena begins to have an overwhelming desire to have a child—something that Sorin is vehemently against. It soon comes to light that Sorin is gay and he leaves Marilena for a male colleague. She then takes solace in the spiritual world, befriending a Luciferian named Viv Ivins who claims that loyalty to her god will ensure Marilena a child. Marilena takes the bait and Ivins arranges, through secretive connections, for a sperm donor. Marilena becomes pregnant and soon, Nicolae is born.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, a young Rayford Steele is up to typical kid things. One of the issues with this novel structurally is that there are two storylines. In one storyline, we get adventures like Ray’s mom taking too long in a store and him not being able to find her. In another, we get international cabals, secret organizations, and demonic influences. It’s a jarring twist that only makes any sense because these novels aren’t intended to tell their own stories but provide extended backstory for the story we already know. The Rising should have just focused on Nicolae. It would have provided a much more even reading experience.
However, I don’t know that I could have stood much more depth to the Nicolae storyline. My chief complaint is theological. The Rising presents Yahweh and Lucifer in very dualistic terms. Viv Ivins tells Marilena that her religion views Lucifer, not Yahweh, as the rightful god. Marilena’s conception is seen as an imitation of the immaculate conception. Later, Carpathia is literally taken out into the desert by his spirit guide—Lucifer—and tempted for forty days in the wilderness. In a direct comparison and contrast to Jesus, he is offered the same three things as Jesus and takes them all. LaHaye and Jenkins have made a conscious choice for anti- to mean “false pretender” and not “against.” This sets up a very easy comparison and contrast in the minds of readers, but also presents Carpathia and Christ as equals. This isn’t compatible with the theology of the rest of the series, but it’s the path clearly presented here. Antichrist is Christ if Christ made different decisions. That sort of dualism, where Yahweh and Lucifer are presented as competing spiritual entities, is a dangerous philosophy—probably one that the authors did not intend.
There’s also a cultural component to the Nicolae storyline in that LaHaye and Jenkins try to cram in any number of social critiques, some of which are laughably inept. One of the most egregious is that Nicolae’s father is revealed to actually be two men, the result of genetically modified sperm. Those two men are Sorin (his mother’s husband) and his husband, who were paid handsomely for their contribution. There’s even evidence that Marilena’s whole marriage to Sorin was an orchestrated sham to lead her toward Viv Ivins and Luciferianism. Given LaHaye’s vehemently anti-LGBT stance (he once wrote a book called The Unhappy Gays), having the father of the Antichrist be two dads who sperm was genetically modified by science is a bit on the nose.
By the end of the novel, Carpathia has grown from a baby to a psychopathic young man who has had his mother and both of his fathers killed and has become a multi-millionaire businessman financed by the Jeff Bezos (or Elon Musk, if you wish) of this book, Jonathan Stonagal. Ray has grown up, married Irene, and had two kids, but their lives are about to take a drastic change when Irene becomes a believer.
The Rising is not a good novel. Social and theological commentary aside, the story does not cohere and does not stand on its own. It’s a vapid, stereotypical, fearmongering piece of propaganda—even more so than the original novels. The original series is heavy-handed in its Christianity and exacting in its eschatology, but the storytelling had elements of brilliance. There’s none of that here. Left Behind fatigue is real and Jenkins, as primary author, seems to have just been going through the motions.
June 23, 2016
I read the Left Behind series of books many years ago, but had never read the prequel books. That is what I am doing right now. This was written in the same style as the original series, but explains the characters who we meet in the first book of the series when the Rapture took place. I am in a Revelations Bible study, so I am reading these books in light of what I've learned through the study. I'm enjoying them very much.
October 22, 2011
I read all of the Left Behind books and thought they were amazing ... this book now has filled in some of the parts that were missing. It is about the two men in the books ... Nicholae and Rayford. It is the story of their childhoods and how they came to be who they were. You have to have read the prior Left Behind books for this all to make sense. What a wonderful book!!!
May 29, 2008
This wasn't a comfortable read for me and I ended up stopping half way through. I was not thrilled to ponder how the anti-christs childhood would be like, nor was I that much interested in thinking about the enemy he is, and will be, to all mankind and God someday. I got bored real fast.
November 3, 2011
This is the creepiest book I've ever read. It bothered me so much, I packed up the entire serious and put them right in the dumpster.
December 17, 2023
I enjoyed this book. It explores the birth of the man who becomes the Antichrist in the Left Behind series. You can almost feel the evil, and I’m not sure I would be able to write something similar myself because it is very dark. I found myself hoping (practically praying) the mother would listen to that voice instructing her to “tell the devil to flee.” Without spoiling it, because obviously Nicolae is born, I’ll just say that as so many do, she weighed her options and chose her own desires instead of listening to the will of God, and as expected paid the price. I’m not a fan of reading about evil incarnate, but also know we can’t ignore it in this world. Evil is real, spiritual warfare is raging barely noticed but so blatant people see it and don’t even realize it, and this book written a generation ago was a good predictor of our society now. I don’t agree with all the theology, but that’s not a problem because none of us can know 100 percent about these secondary issues. It’s interesting to read this series and then read current novels about the same issues, and how authors contrast the characters and events. I think we will see many more books in this genre as events in the Middle East unfold, antisemitism rises (I never thought to see such blatant hatred in our country and it grieves my heart), and of course we near the 2000-year mark of Christ’s death and resurrection. I don’t personally think we can possibly know when He will return, but we are called to know the signs of the times, and since 1948 they’ve been intensifying. Who knows, it’s very possible the Antichrist is alive and rising as I write this. I pray I’m not around to see that awful day, and that none of you face it either.
March 26, 2018
4 stars!
This was honestly just as interesting and compelling as the original Left Behind series. I will say that this book in particular has some very creepy and harrowing parts if you are a Christian so I would tread carefully not to be too distracted or interested by the representation of a false god that takes place in this as a part of Nicolae’s origin story. I do think it’s handled well by the authors in showing the dangers and what it does to a life that becomes entrapped in such things. It is also a powerful representation of the full redemptive power of God’s mercy and that it’s never too late to receive his grace and to invite him into your life.
I found the struggle that Rayford’s childhood friend tried to impress upon him when they were kids that was also addressed later in the story when Irene had meetings with with her friend was a very compelling and great way to represent the fact that people are searching for something more even if they are already avid churchgoers. The clear push that there is something more to a relationship with God than just going to church is clearly shown on the page as well as the internal struggle with those who are being reached out to and how they may feel attacked or judged when people come up to them and try to share that truth. These books do such a great job of making you take a step back and evaluating your own relationship with God and speaking truth into so many people’s lives.
I can’t wait to continue with this prequel trilogy.
This was honestly just as interesting and compelling as the original Left Behind series. I will say that this book in particular has some very creepy and harrowing parts if you are a Christian so I would tread carefully not to be too distracted or interested by the representation of a false god that takes place in this as a part of Nicolae’s origin story. I do think it’s handled well by the authors in showing the dangers and what it does to a life that becomes entrapped in such things. It is also a powerful representation of the full redemptive power of God’s mercy and that it’s never too late to receive his grace and to invite him into your life.
I found the struggle that Rayford’s childhood friend tried to impress upon him when they were kids that was also addressed later in the story when Irene had meetings with with her friend was a very compelling and great way to represent the fact that people are searching for something more even if they are already avid churchgoers. The clear push that there is something more to a relationship with God than just going to church is clearly shown on the page as well as the internal struggle with those who are being reached out to and how they may feel attacked or judged when people come up to them and try to share that truth. These books do such a great job of making you take a step back and evaluating your own relationship with God and speaking truth into so many people’s lives.
I can’t wait to continue with this prequel trilogy.
February 10, 2022
The worst of the books I've read in this series so far, and that's saying something. Paralleling Rayford's early life, in which he's good at everything until he isn't for plot reasons, with Nicolai's birthing, is jarring. How do these belong together? Doesn't seem to be any effort at thematic resonance. Rather, just beating the same cultural drums they always do. Of course the "parents" of the antichrist are academics, and it’s unclear but perhaps one or both of the fathers are gay. They use the "humanists" as their vector into the world. Hah! That whole plot resolves pretty closely to Rosemary's Baby.
Also continues the misogynistic trends in this series. "This" woman's "always looks her best", but "that" woman ... when the girl Ray might marry, who's grown up used to expensive things, really wants the expensive ring, rather than handle it any number of ways, Ray thinks that until now he's "never before had to pay for sex" and that now he was engaged to a "high-priced [whore]" with the last word unsaid... that's a really awful thing to have him think in this situation. She may not be for him, but to have him go there so quickly, is out of nowhere so not attributable to Ray's immaturity or character. This is what the authors want *us* to think about her. Given how much the authors have shown over a dozen books that they love Range Rovers and private jets, it's more than a little ironic. Wealth and a number of other prideful sins are handled so strangely in these books and it's almost always a woman who, like Eve, does the first sinning.
Also continues the misogynistic trends in this series. "This" woman's "always looks her best", but "that" woman ... when the girl Ray might marry, who's grown up used to expensive things, really wants the expensive ring, rather than handle it any number of ways, Ray thinks that until now he's "never before had to pay for sex" and that now he was engaged to a "high-priced [whore]" with the last word unsaid... that's a really awful thing to have him think in this situation. She may not be for him, but to have him go there so quickly, is out of nowhere so not attributable to Ray's immaturity or character. This is what the authors want *us* to think about her. Given how much the authors have shown over a dozen books that they love Range Rovers and private jets, it's more than a little ironic. Wealth and a number of other prideful sins are handled so strangely in these books and it's almost always a woman who, like Eve, does the first sinning.
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