Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Rising: Antichrist is Born | 2003 | Tim LaHaye | N/A |
| 2 | The Rising | 2005 | Tim LaHaye | Buy |
| 3 | The Regime | 2005 | Tim LaHaye | Buy |
| 4 | The Rapture | 2005 | Tim LaHaye | Buy |
Before They Were Left Behind is a prequel trilogy to the main Left Behind series. Written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, the three books cover the decades before the Rapture, showing how the key players in the Tribulation came to be where they were when millions vanished.
The series traces the birth and political rise of Nicolae Carpathia, who would become the Antichrist in the main series, while also filling in the backstories of Rayford Steele, Buck Williams, and other central characters. Published in 2005, all three prequel novels came out in the same year, allowing readers to experience the full lead-up to the events of the original Left Behind.