Assassins: Assignment: Jerusalem, Target: Antichrist (Left Behind #6) Reviews

• This Book will leave you thinking!

  
  By A3K3MZAB9H8FG3 on 2000-04-21
  After I read the last words of this book, the first word that came out of my mouth was "Wow!" This book will leave you anxiously waiting for the next book of the series.

  The book begins with the Tribulation Force still hiding out in the safe house. Rayford is experiencing an incessantly growing desire to assasinate the Anti-Christ. His rage is fed even more when the Tribulation Force experiences a tragedy near the beginning of the book. The intensity of the story builds as "due time" approaches for the Two Witnesses at the Wailing Wall and Hattie mysteriously disappears. In fear that the safe house's security might be compromised, the tribulation force attempts to retrieve Hattie.

  The dialogue and action in this book are extremely engaging and most readers will not be disappointed. I did, however, grow somewhat weary of the story's account of Rayford's plot to destroy Carparthia. I guess the author wanted to depict the consequences of the pressure that is put on imperfect saints. This, however, did not diminish the story's potency.

  The book's explosive ending leaves many questions and will leave the readers speculating and guessing and looking forward to the next book in the series. "The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession."
  
  

• Working my way through, but not impressed.

  
  By on 2000-12-20
  I got these books as a Christmas gift and am tearing through them a mile a minute. Not because they're good reading, but because there's so little to them--both in content and length! Everything is so prolonged and simplistic (and redundant), that you finish them in no time at all. I will finish the rest of them this weekend but if they don't improve, I won't be buying the last installmant. A somewhat better novel in this category is CHRIST CLONE TRILOGY. Far and away the best novel of the genre is THE LAST DAY, which is vastly better written and a moving, classic spiritual thriller about the Second Coming.
  
  

• If you enjoyed Left Behind . . .

  
  By AZZRPIKKSH29Q on 2003-05-01
  If you enjoy Left Behind, I would strongly second what so many other reveiwers have already said and suggest The
  Christ Clone novels and We All Fall Down by Brian Caldwell. Both are similar to Left Behind but vastly different in aproach. I read them while waiting for the eleventh Left Behind and, while I love that series, found them to be just as good, and possibly better.
  
  

• Remeber What's Important

  
  By A1EBHNDNXSIGNS on 2000-01-20
  For all of you that keep talking about the authors of this series getting greedy-- Please rethink this. It really doesn't matter...What matters is the length of this series gives more people the chance to read it. They may hear good reviews or bad reviews about the writing style, the development of characters or the entertainment value. But face it, the important task here is to spread the word. Whether the authors intended or not, the long series does draw more attention than a one time writing. Look at some of the "bad" commercials on TV. People remember the "good" ones but also the "really bad" ones. So, again, does it really matter? I don't think information that may lead people to their bibles to study more needs to be riveting, entertaining or short. The important thing is that alot of people are hearing about this series and telling others. Some are giving the books to their non-beliving friends. How many of you read the Bible expecting to be entertain or to be a critic of the writing style. Don't lose site of the big picture...the acceptance of Christ and being saved. Please don't turn people away from any book that might make them think about God and their salvation. That is what would be a shame!
  
  

• This book had some disappointments

  
  By A1DOL5YRSR2R8J on 1999-11-03
  Actually I give this 3 1/2 stars, the lowest of the books so far. I found some of the tie ins from this volume of the series to have flaws. For readers who have not read the book and don't want to know what happens please skip this review as I will give away part of the plot: The section with Dr. Floyd was weak. I felt cheated that the authors were using an unlikely plot device to bring a new person into the Tribulation Force. Even if Floyd had somehow disregarded what was happening to himself (how could he?), why wouldn't he have died in peace at home instead of risking a trip to the hospital that wouldn't help anyway? The change in Rayford's nature is troubling. I feel the authors are undoing the strength of character they have built for him. Some of his tirades don't even make sense to the circumstances around him and seem to suggest someone who is losing his grasp on reality. It is more likely his views are due to demonic influence than a special annointing of the Lord. I can understand the shock of seeing his wife dead from book 3 and how that could cause an unnerving, but it wasn't directly due to anything Nicolae had done. Which brings me to my next thought, why would a Tribulation Saint want to kill Nicolae? After he's dead he'll come back more powerful than ever and with a very bad attitude. Shouldn't the focus be on reaching and saving as many souls as possible instead of taking an action with no positive results? And how could Buck & Chloe have decided to bring a child into the world? They are on the front lines and there is a good chance that they and their child will die a horrible death or perish from starvation. Can't say I follow their thinking since it will only get in the way of the very tough decisions they have to make. I also have some minor quibbles. I have appreciated the way the book has dealt with issues of skin color by making it a non-issue in tribulation times as it should be in Christian society. I was disappointed with the offhanded comment Dr. Floyd made using an outdated racial term to deflect attention from himself. I found it to be a troubling comedown from the high stance the authors had been taking. Even as a joke it was not funny and unnecessary. Don't the characters ever honestly talk to each other? I'm getting tired of the way they keep hiding the truth from one another about what is going on in their lives or what they are trying to do. Haven't they learned that the best way to fight the common foe is to share with one another a complete and honest picture of what they know? At some point I expect Chloe to have a heart to heart talk with Buck about how he is failing in this regard. The Pope Peter thing was a letdown. If it was that easy to off him why the build up? Or did it have to wait until the announcement could be made in front of an audience where mass hypnosis could be done? If Nicolae's power is so effective he can convince 2,000,000 people, why couldn't he simply have bent Peter to his will? Surely Peter wasn't protected by the mark of the Lamb. The ease with which the tribulation force is able to monitor Nicolae seems a bit simple. For a world leader of such incredible power he's not very bright when it comes to building in position redunancies in his power structure that would catch such strong infiltration. Even petty dictators know this. This may seem like a harsh review, especially for the high rating I gave, but I have found the difficulties to be building with each successive book and I'm sure I am not the only one. If the authors truly do read the comments placed on this page, then I want them to know the shortcomings that I see.
  
  
• A fast great read!
  By A3MH9RPB5F0A1J on 1999-09-24
  Assasins, the newest book in the Left Behind series keeps the suspence of it's predacessors right on track. I am a born again christian and my interest in Biblical prophecy is what got me interested in this series. But these books are so well written and take such interest in the development of plot & characters, that I find it hard to believe that a person of any differing faith would not enjoy reading them as well. Even if they just presumed it to be a science fiction series of novels. Jenkins knows how to unfold a story and keep the readers involed in it on so many levels. This book is so relevant to the headlines I read in the newspapers each day and once you decide to read it I think you will start to see the things happening around you in a different light. I would reccomend starting with the first book in the series, so that you can have a focus on the entire story. This series is a must read for any fan of action & adventure & mystery novels no matter what your faith!
  
  
• A frightening but necessary read
  By A5OIB1DTW7NSG on 2000-01-30
  I have read all of the Left Behind series and although I do understand some people saying they drag out, but as a Christian I feel that they are very enlightening and most helpful to those who do not know the Bible and what is to come if you are not saved by the blood of Jesus. If you feel this book is just a scare tactic then you need to read this series and read your Bible along with it. It gives you books of the Bible to refer to and if you will do this you will see that although these books are fiction, the prophesy is not. God Bless you all.
  
  
• There is an alternative, Thank God
  By A1A8NS3L5MXEG0 on 2002-01-14
  I don't hate Left Behind. In fact, to begin with it looked like it might be a pretty good series. Now it just drags on and on with subplots and characters I find it hard to care about. There's HARDLY ANYTHING about the Tribulation. Thank God I heard about the end times series THE CHRIST CLONE TRILOGY by James BeauSeigneur. First of all, it sticks to the story. Even better, BeauSeigneur explains WHY and HOW the events of the Tribulation happen instead of just having them occur with no logical explanation.
  
  
• Sizzle and No Steak
  By on 2000-03-13
  This was a disappointing continuation of the series. There were a lot of cliffhanger chapters that were underwhelmingly resolved. LaHaye and Jenkins are milking an interesting premise for all it's worth!
  
  
• a still worthwhile series
  By A3VWKXZVX4PAGT on 2000-01-19
  I thought this last book was the best since the initial "left behind" book. the series still holds my attention, though I too am tiring of Hattie and other characters. During the downtime awaiting book 7, I took some others advice and read THE LAST DAY (Glenn Kleier, 1998, Warner books). I second their opinions. it is a stunning book!
  
  
• Enough with this series already!
  By on 2003-03-25
  I agree with a number of other reviewers that this series has stretched on way past where it should have stopped. The original Left Behind novel started off well, but it seems the length of the series was stretched by publishers who wanted to make as much money as possible off of the series. I see no reason why "The Indwelling" and "Assassins" couldn't have been merged into a single book. A lot of what the authors put forward was rehashed in previous books, like a television soap opera with Monday and Friday shows that mirror each other. Those still interested in reading well written, realistic scenarios of the apocalypse should read The Christ Clone Trilogy and Conquest of Paradise instead. Both those books were a lot more believable, and they didn't need twelve books to tell a good story!
  
  
• Excellent
  By A2JYAIKIZ9O7BG on 2000-01-10
  I thoroughly enjoyed the Assasins. It is was an excellent book, and was very well written. It is another exciting book in the soon ending saga of those that were left behind. I have been thoroughly mystified by the entire series. I've found that each time I've begun reading one of the books in the series, I was unable to put it down until it was finished. For me, beginning with Left Behind, right on through the Assasins, has been a fun filled adventure. As I finished each book, I began to eagerly anticipate the release of the next one. The authors have written a series of books that seems more truth than fiction. I could not help but feel that I was living the experiences of the characters. Their joys were my joys, and their sorrows were my sorrows. I feel as though I know each one of them on a personal level. I eagerly await the next book to be released in this delightful series. I would truly like to know when I can expect it. I applaud both Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins for authoring such dramatically exciting, thought provoking, and eye opening books. They have displayed excellence in authorship. I wish them continued success in their quest.
  
  
• I'm just being Honest!
  By A3HRZTAZ3ILCEN on 2000-05-03
  Sure the books are fascinating, the idea is provacative, but the writing is just plain poor. What started out as a well above average book(Left Behind), has been dragged into an ever increasing, unrealistic, potrayal of the End Times. I understand you love the subject matter, and you can't stop reading the series right in the middle. But come on folks, 10,000,000 copies sold.This series is so magnificently OVERRATED it is not funny. I just read Solar Flare by Larry Burkett and he accomplished in 435 pages what the Left Behind Boys have yet to accomplish in over 3,500 pages of writing. They constantly rely on formulas, such as " Oh, well the action is thinning, let's make the witnesses fry somone" or " let's kill somebody, or have Rayford or Buck run frm somebody!" Granted they are the best apocliptic thrillers out. But please, Oh please don't overrate them so. IF you are looking for intrigue and suspense, read Peretti, he'll blow you away. Give honor to whom honor is due. But don't overrate just cause you are obsessed with the End Times
  
  
• What Happened to all the Good Guys?
  By A1HYPKEHXT4QH6 on 2000-03-27
  In this book, we see the antichrist's real subterfuge as he must have invaded the Trib Force's secret water supply with some chemical that caused everyone on the Trib Force to suddenly act like an 11-year-old. Suddenly, they are so tied up in pettiness and meaningless spats that it's hard to root for the good guys anymore. Suddenly, all of these "growing Christians" have one God-called purpose KILL THE ANTICHRIST! What is this, a Swarzenegger movie? Has everyone suddenly forgotten the point of the whole trib saint thing? There is a great soul harvest going on. Then our doctor dies because he forgot to wear gloves or something, Ray and Rose argue about trivial things, everybody looks for cash stashes, and Buck, Rayford, Chaim, Hattie, and who knows who else all race to Israel to claim the prize -- who gets to blow his brains out?

  I started out as a fervent fan of this book series, and still think #3, Nicolae, to be Christian fiction at its best, but I, too, think that even great guys like LaHaye and Jenkins can succumb (only temporarily I hope)to the dollar sign and stretch out what would have been a good 4-to-6 book series into twelve moneymakers.

  My advice to all the Christians in the book series: Grow Up, for goodness' sake. It's the Tribulation! To the authors, please stop introducing new characters to draw the gunfire away from the "fab four," as this is getting old. I miss Bruce Barnes. Maybe he could have helped all of our heroes to mature a little bit.
  
  

• I couldn't put it down
  By A24DDDF826Q7P9 on 2000-02-09
  All of the books in the series have been a blessing to me. They are very biblical and quite suspensful. The authors have the ability to bring the Book of Revelation to life. The character development is exceptional and I just love the books. I have read all of them in just a couple of weeks. I cannot wait for the rest.
  
  
• Overall review of the Left Behind series
  By A1MJXK16OWX6K2 on 2000-01-18
  I feel that the whole series is a great tool for witnessing to people. I have tried to explain these things to friends and co-workers and they laugh at me. I know I dont explain it anywhere near as well as the books do but I try. They will definetly open your eyes. God is real and so is his word. Our world as we know it will explode once the rapture occurs. many people are going to be crazy over it. I just praise the Lord I wont be here for it. Once you start reading these books you wont want to put them down. I think they are GREAT!
  
  
• Thank You
  By A29U1D05ZAHR0A on 2000-01-27
  Thank you Tim and Jerry for writing this series. It's made me understand and visualize Revelations. For those who critize the books don't surely understand their true meaning. Even through the story and the characters are fictional the truth of the matter is that events of these kind are in the future of this world. One day god will come take all his believers and leave behind those who are not saved. This series has made think about how we don't know when he is coming so all people need to take a good look at ourselves and ask Will I be one of those who are left behind?
  
  
• What a wonderful time to be a Christian lover of literature!
  By AOYKZHA8QR31R on 2001-11-08
  For so many years, a Christian's only real option to read quality Christian literature was to read the marevelous C.S. Lewis. I feel blessed in the the last couple of years with the outpouring of quality literature now available. What's more, the different books are all very different. Left Behind is a wonderful introduction to the theology behind the End Times and a great series for all ages. We All fall down is a great book for more mature, intellegent Christians who wsnt to explore the individual ramifications of the End Times and the one on one relationship of a man who has fallen away from God. The Christ Clone Trilogy is a thrilling, Tom Clancey like look at these events, full of unexpected twists and turns. I know some people like to argue the various merits of these books as compared to each other, but I think they are all worth reading and feel lucky to finally have such a wide variety of GREAT Christian literature available.
  
  
• Suspenseful Fiction?
  By AO4A961ZKHJPL on 2000-08-30
  I've read all but The Indwelling in this series and found this one to be entertaining but a little drawn out. Besides the continuing saga of good vs. evil as portrayed by Buck, Rayford and other believers against Carpathia and his henchmen, the book continues to move along in its narrative of the end days. The specualtive interpretation, based on Biblical Phrophecy is full of God's message all be it not so suttle at times. If you've read the others in this series you probably will read this book no matter what is said. If you're new I suggest you start with the original to get a complete feel for Jenkin's and LaHaye's apacopalyptic vision. If you just want to jump into the series, don't do it here as this book is a bit drawn out. I found myself saying "OK kill him already"! I thought there would be much more to this installment than there was but nonetheless found it rewarding. For believers and non-believers alike this is a fun book that will at least make you think and hopefully be a better person. There are tons of reviews for this book but I told myself I would review all in the series, so, peace be with you, share the spirit.
  
  
• leave behind
  By on 2000-04-23
  The only thing that will be left behind is the money you leaveat the counter for this book. I know this book is fiction, but youmust admit that people take the idea of the Christ's return veryserious and they use Tim and Jerry's books as a tool to understand the rapture. If the authors really believed the rapture was coming, why do they write so many books about it and make so much money. What good will their big pile of wealth do them when they are up in heaven. Wouldn't one book explaining how judgement day is upon us suffice? People...if you really believed this was the end of times you would quit your jobs, be with your families, and pray for forgiveness every waking moment. Instead you go about your days, running the rat race, trying to make more money so you can buy the next installment in this tired series. END
  
  
• When Will It End?
  By ADRVIXF8OBUHA on 2000-01-19
  This book is another unsatisfying installment in a truly awesome story. The first book was wonderful, but they have gotten progressively more disappointing. How long can the authors drag this story out! It begins to look suspiciously like a marketing technique to wrest more money from readers. The writing is inconsistent in most of the books (though better in this one than several of the others), and I get tired of plowing through huge amounts of "she said this, he did that, they went there". One of the basics in writing is "SHOW me, don't TELL me," and two such experienced authors should have mastered this by now.

  Instead of leaving me eager to read the next installment, the last few books have left me slightly disgusted that Christian people would stoop to selling their story out for a sensationalist money-making scheme. The whole story could easily have been told in a trilogy. I guess big business wins out again.
  
  

• I can't believe it
  By on 2000-06-26
  I have managed to trudge through all 6 of these books out of sheer will to understand why it's so successful. I can't believe that books that lack depth, story, sense of characters, and are so badly written can be on the best sellers list.

  The characters in these books are unbelieveable, shallow, too perfect (after being saved), and totally uninteresting.
  
  

• The dog's bollocks? No. It is just bollocks.
  By AWDFOM2D4PTZD on 2000-03-14
  Evangelical Christian proselytizing pap masquerading as fiction. And these guys think the devil is deceitful. Bad. Avoid at all costs. Read the phone book. At least that contains some truth.
  
  
• Finally figured it out...
  By AGSMNCH9DYYOF on 2000-10-20
  This book is the best of the series, and yesterday I realized why. For the first time in the entire set of books, we finally see a person -Rayford- become genuinely hurt by the horrible situation he is in. Millions -check that- BILLIONS have died or disapeared by the beginning of the 6th book, and all anyone in the Trib Force seemed to think about was the task at hand, or how wonderful Jesus is. Finally, Rayford reacts as many of us would in the same situation: sheer, uncontained rage. By the end of the 6th book, he has lost his son, BOTH of his wives and at least two members of the "Force." His home and city that he lives in has been reduced to rubble and a former friend had been impregnated by the Anti-Christ. Not to mention the fact that he has seen some of the most horrible events in the history of the known universe: plagues of locusts, fire and brimstone. For crying out loud, it is about time someone began to doubt their sanity!

  Unfortunately, however, the authors still resort to using background on the characters as not-so-thinly veiled sermons about sin and Christ as Savior. I realize that the authors are Christian theologians, and ultimately these books are evangelism, but it seems they missed the point. The interpretation of Revelation's plagues and horrors these people encounter are enough for the hairs on your neck to stand on end. Why not give more introspectives into the character's feelings and emotions through dealing with these events? Rayford is broken, and for the first time we see a man at odds with himself, the world and God. His rage during the burial scene in the first third of the book is the closest I have come to absolute empathy with the members of the Force. It is at these junctures that we can truly see what a force God can be in one's life. A prayer session to an outsider (like myself) is little more than a reason to skim a page. I have been more convinced of the power of Christ and religion by this book than any of the others, only because the characters (especially Rayford) are humans first, and Christians second. He has feelings of regret about bribing someone to find the location of Hattie, and he looks inside- a personal monologue to God- for the answer. It is my hope that the authors continue this trend; moving away from blatant sermons and into the aspects of a personal relationship with Christ.
  
  

• What has happened to this series?
  By AVY1FSTT8L8VD on 2001-04-04
  I am an avid reader and a Christian, so I was totally enthralled when reading the first of this series. And I admit I still care about what happens to a few of these characters and whether they will see the Glorious Reappearing. But, honestly, there is so much wrong with these books I can't decide whether to continue.

  The core characters go on, but since this is the tribulation time, somebody has to die, so we get a parade of new believers who help the force only to be killed off later, like the Tuttles. Ben-Judah serves to interpret the meaning of the endtime prophecies for the world, but his interpretations seem to be verbatim text from Revelations. How convenient that so many of the Trib Force can fly planes, so they can be at all the key events of the world. Rayfords new attitude, Hattie's unlikely release, etc., combine to give us a host of possible suspects to take Carpathia out. But this book ends without revealing who Carpatia's murderer is, a cliffhanger to get you to buy the next book.

  Frankly, I have read better written children's books. With their simple sentence structure and often trite and corny dialogue, I zip through these books in a couple of days. These authors had a good idea, but just simply not the abilities to carry it off. It's a race now to see which comes to an end first, this series or my patience with it.
  
  

• Soul Harvest
  By A25V3834J08JEA on 2000-03-12
  This book was amazing. The way that they write about the characters makes you actually think that you are with them through all the turmoil. I am glad that this series will continue for the next 3 years and that we have a chance to follow these true believers.
  
  
• Showed me the light
  By on 1999-11-23
  I have read all six books from Left Behind. I must say it made me question myself. I always thought I had a strong faith in the lord and when I read about some of the characters that got left behind an I said that person is just like me. I got very afaird and found a renewed faith in the Lord. I was up all night reading those books because I got the first three when I started to read them. I finished all three in about two days. I just couldn't put it down. I think everybody should read this book. It will change your life because everything in it, is going to happen.
  
  
• Is this what the last days on earth will be like?
  By on 1999-11-20
  If you liked the "Left Behind" series of books by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins, you better read "Transfer: The end of the beginning" by Jerry Furland. Both the "Left Behind" books and "Transfer" are fictional accounts of what the world's last times might hold for everybody. Both have intrigue, murder, personal relationships, etc., all the good stuff. "Transfer" depicts events that are currently, or will soon be, technologically possible.
  
  
• Another recommenation for you. . .
  By on 2000-01-11
  To all lovers of the LEFT BEHIND series, let me recommend another sensational author you will love: Glenn Kleier. His novel, THE LAST DAY is nothing short of brilliant and I believe you will find it just as astounding as I have. It's become my all time favorite novel and I'd like to share the great enjoyment it gave me.
  
  
• The Trib Force Saga & the End Times Continue
  By AL8IWEXRY1EWB on 2001-02-13
  This is the continuing saga of the Tribulation Force and the members readers first met in LEFT BEHIND. In this installment, the authors Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins continue to inform readers of what the end times will look like for believers and non-believers alike.

  Some reviewers here have stated that they think this series is being dragged out too much. I won't dispute that opinion because at times, I have had it myself. Despite some reservations, I have become hooked like so many others who have followed the story of Rayford Steele, his daughter Chloe, Buck Williams, Tsion Ben-Judah, Hattie Durham and the Anti-Christ himself, Nicolae Carpathia.

  What I especially liked about this book was that the authors show the Trib Force members as believers who are still all too human. In ASSASSINS, the period of trial is rapidly approaching the middle of the treaty period between the GLOBAL COMMUNITY and the state of Israel. As readers know, this means that the two prophets in Jerusalem will be killed and later resurrected. The time is also coming when the GC Potentate will be killed and "indwelt" with the living embodiment of Satan himself. This will come in a future installment (THE INDWELLING-which is already available, as is THE MARK).

  In this, the sixth book in the series, the 200 million horseman apocalypse foretold in Revelations has arrived and 1/3 of the survivors of all the previous disasters have been slaughtered. Believers live through this tribulation unscathed but they know they face worse to come. I think the authors, rather than unnecessarily dragging this series out are providing just the right degree of pacing to keep this series alive and fresh.

  The plot elements move along in a progressive way and the fact is, the title comes from the desire of many to end the not so benevolent rule of the GC Potentate. Despite his leadership role in the "Trib Force," Capt. Rayford Steele has become sickened by the abuses, death and suffering he has seen around him and only wants to hasten Carpathia's demise. That makes him human and understandable. He is no marble saint on a pedestal.

  After reading this far in this series, I can say that I have been entertained and have also been forced to consider my own faith. I don't think that anyone can really ask for more from these books. I do look forward to reading THE INDWELLING and THE MARK. The two writing partners have kept me going this far and I'm sure they won't disappoint me in those two volumes.

  While these are not literature in the sense that Tolstoy's writings are, they are a good way for believers and non-believers to re-evaluate where they stand on the issues of faith, salvation, redemption and what comes after death. These books are a literalist approach to the Bible, told through the medium of fiction. If you take them that way, and read with an open mind, you might be surprised with how these stories make you feel. While they are fiction, it's also pretty obvious that readers who know anything about the scriptures are hearing the Lord's message.

  For those who haven't discovered this series, my main recommendation is go back and start at the very beginning. You may have a lot of catching up to do, but I think you'll enjoy the reading and the ride.

  Paul Connors
  
  

• The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession (Left Behind No. 7)
• Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed (Left Behind No. 5)
• The Mark: The Beast Rules the World (Left Behind No. 8)
• Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides (Left Behind No. 4)
• Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne (Left Behind No. 9)