Nicolae: The Rise of the Antichrist by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
Written: Jan 03 '02 (Updated Jan 15 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: action packed, riveting, great writing
Cons: cheesy 'intercom' storyline
The Bottom Line: This was a great book in a great series, though it is far from perfect. LaHaye and Jenkins have another winner.
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| CindyJean's Full Review: Tim Lahaye et al - Nicolae: An Experience in Sound... |
Introduction
Having read the first two books of the “Left Behind” series, whether or not I would read the third was not in question.
As a Christian, I enjoy reading this particular pair of authors’ interpretation of the “end times” as written in the book of Revelations, from the Holy Bible.
I personally have always had trouble interpreting this particular book of the Bible, so not only do these books entertain me but they give me one possible interpretation of a confusing book as well.
Nuts & Bolts
Authors
As I indicated above, this book (as with the entire “Left Behind” series) is co-authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.
Both are well known authors in the world of Christian writing.
Publisher
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. of Wheaton, Illinois is the publishing company the was blessed with the publishing rights to the entire “Left Behind” series, “Nicolae” included.
Miscellaneous
“Nicolae” has 420 pages, but it was so riveting that I was able to read the entire novel in about 24 hours.
As of the paperback printing of “Nicolae,” the “Left Behind” series has sold over 7 million copies.
Characters/Story
Rayford Steele
With the death of Bruce Barnes, Rayford is thrust into the role of leader of the Tribulation Force.
Rayford is a Christian, and the pilot to the Antichrist. In this book he must face the guilt of leading a friend to his death, as well as the guilt of financially benefiting from his service to the Antichrist.
Rayford flies a Condor 216, a totally new plane that his friend developed. The plane is equipped with an intercom that allows Rayford to hear anything being said in the plane, and it allows him to keep closer tabs on what Nicolae Carpathia is really doing, saying, and planning.
Amanda Steele
Amanda’s role in this book is almost totally peripheral. She has little to do with the overall plot, though she does a lot of interacting with Hattie Durham towards the end.
Cameron “Buck” Williams
Buck is a top writer/editor for one of the premier magazines in the world. He is a direct employee of Nicolae Carpathia, Grand Potentate of the Global Community, and as such has the highest of security clearances.
Buck is an adventurer, and he goes through quite an ordeal in the Middle East attempting to sneak a friend out of the country. With God on his side, Buck can make it through anything!
Chloe (Steele) Williams
Chloe actually plays a much more minor role in this book than in either of the previous two.
Chloe’s major adventure is a car accident (caused by the shock wave of an atomic bomb) the lands her in a tree causing semi-major injuries. Otherwise she mainly stays in the background.
Tsion Ben-Judah
Tsion Ben-Judah is a Jewish man who was commissioned to study the Torah for references to the Messiah and come up with a list of things to look for in a Messiah, with the findings to be read on live television. When the results of his research pointed to Jesus as having been the Messiah, he becomes a target in his own homeland. These events happened in “Tribulation Force.”
In this book, Tsion’s family is executed in the street and witnesses have been bribed to say that it was Tsion who killed them, thus making him an international fugitive.
Hidden out by friends willing to die for him, Tsion mourns in seclusion until Buck comes to his rescue. When he makes it to America and the underground shelter made by Bruce Barnes before his death, he is able to study and further his work for Christ. As a trained scholar in Torah and Bible knowledge, he is asked to be the new spiritual leader for the Tribulation Force. Will he be able to handle the job, or will the loss of his family be too much for him to bear and leave him with nothing to offer?
Nicolae Carpathia
In this novel, we finally start to get a good look at the depths of evil to which Nicolae is capable of sinking.
Nicolae has crushed a resistance effort led by American militia, the United States of Great Britain, and Egypt with great force. He has devastated almost all of America’s major cities, and intentionally kills off several men who he feels could potentially be a problem for him.
Nicolae claims to be a pacifist, but I’ve never personally seen a pacifist so willing to use military force. Not only is he willing to use military force, but he’s already tried more than once to get someone—anyone—to do away with the witnesses at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.
Nicolae has no trouble tossing Hattie aside, even when she carries his child. He ‘fires’ her from her job as his personal assistant, and then he essentially dumps her. Not even man enough to do it himself, Nicolae wants Rayford to deliver the bad news.
Minor Characters
Several minor players help this book along.
Loretta is Bruce Barnes’s former secretary, and in this novel her house becomes the ‘base’ for the Tribulation force while in America since Buck and Chloe’s apartment in New York is history (New York was one of the attacked cities).
Hattie Durham is less annoying in this book than the others, but she has some major problems to face. She’s pregnant with the child of the Antichrist (though she doesn’t hold that view of Carpathia), though she knows their relationship is ending fast. She is tempted by abortion, but she’s unsure and needs some advice.
Verna Zee is one of Buck’s co-workers, and through severe circumstance they are thrown together. Some ‘interesting’ information about Verna’s life comes out in this book.
My Thoughts
I think that “Nicolae” is the best of the series thus far. It has all the action and drama of the first book (“Left Behind”) and then some!
I particularly enjoyed the portion of the book that dealt with Buck and Tsion attempting to escape Israel, it was a heart stopping series of events that kept me turning pages as fast as I could.
I also enjoyed the aspect of Buck and Verna’s necessary alliance. I liked seeing a soft and vulnerable side of Verna, though I wasn’t exactly thrilled with her secret.
One thing that did annoy me about “Nicolae” was the secret intercom on the Condor 216 that allowed Rayford to listen to what was being said in the plane. It was totally unrealistic and unbelievable, and came off as being quite ‘cheesy.’ The reason the intercom was so annoying to me was that the rest of the book seemed quite believable to me, so this totally blew it out of the water.
My Recommendation
I loved “Nicolae” despite its glaring flaw (the intercom).
I would recommend “Nicolae” highly, but I would also suggest that you read the first and second books (“Left Behind” and “Tribulation Force”) prior to this one.
My Other Reviews of the Series
#1 -- Left Behind -- http://www.epinions.com/content_48580628100
#2 -- Tribulation Force -- http://www.epinions.com/content_50303176324
#4 -- Soul Harvest -- http://www.epinions.com/content_52662865540
#5 -- Apollyon -- http://www.epinions.com/content_52895977092
#6 -- Assassins -- http://www.epinions.com/content_54738390660
#7 -- The Indwelling -- http://www.epinions.com/content_55159393924
#8 -- The Mark -- http://www.epinions.com/content_55341649540
#9 -- Desecration -- http://www.epinions.com/content_61732720260
#10 -- The Remnant -- http://www.epinions.com/content_68884991620
Recommended:
Yes
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CindyJean
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Location: Oregon
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