Left Behind Books In Order

Publication Order of Left Behind Books

Chronological Order of Left Behind Books

Publication Order of Before They Were Left Behind Books

Publication Order of Left Behind: The Kids Books

Left Behind is a series of Christian novels written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The novels take readers to a world where all the Christians have left and the remnants must contend with seven years of trials and tribulations.

+The Story

There are sixteen novels in the Left Behind series. The books are biblically inspired. They are specifically drawn from the books of Ezekial, Revelation, Isaiah, and Daniel. The Bible speaks of a time when the true believers in Christ will be taken up to heaven to escape an earth-shattering disaster.

The people that are left behind must deal with the anti-Christ, a mysterious figure that rises to a place of power on the world stage and initially brings peace to all corners of the world.

His true purpose is eventually revealed and the heinous nature of the efforts he takes to cement his power, compounded upon by a litany of natural disasters, results in untold misery and suffering.

The Left Behind book series takes this concept and tries to arrange it into a cohesive fictional narrative with a large cast of characters, with heroes and villains and grand stakes.

Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins basically attempt to imagine what those events would look like. In their world, the anti-Christ is a European politician called Nicolae Jetty Carpathia.

He comes to power after all the Christians are raptured. The consequences of this event are first seen in ‘Left Behind’, the first novel in the series. Here, a pilot on his way to London is shocked when a number of his passengers suddenly disappear.

When this phenomenon is repeated all across the world, with disastrous effects, Nicolea emerges as the one person with the answers to all the problems, new and old. The figure rises to the position of Secretary-General of the UN. Not only does he promise peace, stability, and financial prosperity but he actually proceeds to deliver on those promises.

As Nicolea attempts to remake the world in his image, a small group of individuals realizes the truth of their predicament. They become newly minted Christians and transform into the Tribulation Force, an underground organization fighting to survive the coming days of misery and pain even as they attempt to convert as many people as they can find. Over time, they each learn that they have a divine destiny.

While the Left Behind series has a large cast, Rayford Steel is generally regarded as the primary protagonist. When he is first introduced, Ray is a pilot. He is also a negligent husband and father with a roving eye.

When the rapture happens, Ray goes home to find that his wife Irene has disappeared. He is reminded of all the times he scoffed at her religious beliefs and it leaves him wracked with guilt.

Over the course of the Left Behind series, Rayford comes to terms with his past failures. He converts to Christianity, makes peace with the rest of his family, and finds a new purpose in life.

Rayford can trace the changes in his life to his encounter with Bruce Barnes. Barnes was an assistant pastor at a church before the rapture. Despite his position, Barnes never truly believed in the things he taught.

When the rapture happens, Barnes’ wife and children are taken away to heaven but he is left behind, and the occurrence lives him heavily depressed. But he eventually recovers and forms the Tribulation Force.

Barnes is the one who leads Rayford to conversion. Together, they form the core of the Tribulation Force. They make it their mission to prepare people for the trials that will follow once the anti-Christ comes to power.

The Left Behind series is very divisive, even among Christian readers. Fans have complemented the books for being fast paced and action heavy. However, everyone generally agrees that the novels are not well-written, to begin with.

The series has also been accused of being anti-Catholic, a charge that the authors deny.

+Adaptations
The Left Behind Series was adapted into a live-action movie in 2000. Despite fairing poorly, the movie spawned two more sequels. None of them performed particularly well.

The whole series was eventually rebooted, with a new movie, also called ‘Left Behind’, being released in 2014. Starring Nicholas Cage and Chad Michael Murray, the movie was a financial failure.

There have been video games released based on the Left Behind Concept.

+The Author
Tim LaHaye was an American evangelical minister and author. Born in 1926 in Detroit, Michigan, Tim was ninety-years-old when he died in 2016. By then, he had written over eighty books.

Jerry B. Jenkins is an American author that was born in 1949 in Michigan. Jenkins primarily writes adventure and mystery fiction for children. He has a preference for stories with a Christian theme.

Tim and Jenkins met in the 1990s. The Left Behind series was Tim’s idea. The concept came to him while he was on a plane. He saw a pilot with a wedding ring flirting with a flight attendant. He considered the possibility that the pilot had a Christian Wife at home and then wondered what the man would do if the rapture happened and he went back home to find his wife gone.

When Tim spoke about his interest in developing the idea, the two of them entered into a partnership with Tim writing the outline for the stories while Jenkins did the actual writing.

Their collaborations saw them sell vastly more copies of their books as a team than they ever did individually.

+Left Behind
Rayford Steel is a pilot flying to London. Rayford hasn’t always been the best husband. And there is a woman on the plane with whom he intends to have an affair. Things take a complicated turn when a number of the passengers disappear.

By the time Rayford gets home, the world has descended into madness, with people disappearing all over the world. Those that are left behind must face the apocalypse.

+Tribulation Force
The world was forever changed when millions of people around the world suddenly disappeared. Then natural disasters were triggered, devastating entire populations. And unfortunately for everyone left behind, that was only the beginning.

There is plenty of war, famine, and plagues on the horizon. Rayford and his friends must stand ready to weather the oncoming storm.

5 Responses to “Left Behind”

1. Susan Marie Fulton: 2 months ago

   i just completed all 12 books of the series and I was so captivated. now i will be ordering the regime, the rapture and kingdom come. these books have really helped me my understanding of our lord. i will, ofcourse continue reading my bible

   Reply
2. Marcia: 4 months ago

   I’m just on Book 9, I’m finding out there are 3 more books that are listed 1-2-3. I started with “Left BEHIND” Are the other 3 dated 2005 important to read before the last book or does it matter? I’d like to see Mel Gibson do a movie to include ALL of it. Would be EPIC!

   Reply
   • Graeme: 4 months ago

     I would read up to Glorious Appearing, then read The Rising, The Regime then The Rapture, THEN read Kingdom Come. One of those where the publication order of all of those just makes it that much better I find

     Reply
3. carren jen hullinger: 3 years ago

   is the Kingdom COME THE LAST BOOK IN THER SERIES

   Reply
   • Graeme: 3 years ago

     Yes

     Reply