LEFT BEHIND BY TIM LAHAYE & JERRY B. JENKINS

LEFT BEHIND by Tim Lahaye & Jerry B. Jenkins is the first book in the Left Behind series.  I have read all the books in the series many times and can highly recommend them, but I feel that this first book can be read as a stand alone novel.  The others must be read in sequence to avoid confusion. It is an important book, as it explains the Rapture of believers and End Times in a way that makes it easier to understand Biblical prophecy.  This novel is a wake up call for all of us.  Whilst the characters are fictional, the novel portrays Biblical truth and strongly emphasizes the importance of being born again and having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rayford Steele is a successful pilot.  He is good looking and intelligent, has a lovely wife and two children.  Whilst all seems to be going well on the surface, he is unhappy and dissatisfied with his life.  He is selfish, spends little time with his wife and children, and is thinking seriously of having an affair with the beautiful air hostess, Hattie Durham, who is much younger than he is.  Since his wife, Irene, has become a born again believer, he uses her "fanaticism" to keep away from home as much as possible and he makes every excuse to miss church. His son Raymie is a believer, but his daughter Chloe, who is away at college, has stopped going to church as well as her father.

As Rayford is about to make a definite move on Hattie during a flight to Heathrow, he finds to his horror that people have disappeared all over the plane leaving their clothes and personal effects behind.  He enlists Hattie's help to keep the hysterical  passengers calm and is told to return to the States where he makes a difficult landing at the already full airport. 

Deep in his heart he knows that he won't find Irene and Raymie at home when he finally gets there.  He and Chloe are left to face things on their own.  Irene had told Ray many times about the Rapture of the church and about the teachings that she was getting from Pastor Billings of New Hope Church about End Times prophecy.  He knows now that he has missed out and is desperate to find out if he has a chance to make things right.

Ray, and eventually Chloe, listen to the tape that Pastor Billings left for those who were left behind and they join with Bruce Barnes, a pastor from the church who had been living a lie and was not raptured with the believers, and they form the Tribulation Force.  They are determined to make up for lost time and convert as many people as possible.  They realise that they are going to have a hard time as believers during the Tribulation, but they know that those without the Lord in their lives are going to suffer for all eternity.  Cameron (Buck) Williams is a young reporter who is also on the plane when the Rapture takes place, and once he believes he becomes a member of the Tribulation Force as well.

The world is in turmoil.  People have disappeared all over the world.  Traffic is gridlocked, airports are disaster areas, looting and vandalism is rampant.  Into this scenario comes a glimmer of hope in the shape of Nicolae Carpathia, the charismatic, young, newly appointed president of Romania, who dazzles everyone with his charm and his extraordinary intelligence.  Is he too good to be true or is he the answer to the world's problems?  Or is he, in fact, the Antichrist?  With his seeming humility he graciously "accepts" leadership of the United Nations and puts forward his plans for world peace.

The novel is fast paced and exciting and well worth reading.