Chaim Rosenzweig
Encyclopedia
Chaim Rosenzweig is a fictional character in the Left Behind
series of novels. In the Left Behind films he is portrayed by Colin Fox
.
Dr. Rosenzweig is introduced as a chemical engineer
and politician from Israel
. The reader first meets Dr. Rosenzweig as he is being interviewed by Cameron "Buck" Williams
as Global Weekly's Man Of The Year. Dr. Rosenzweig is a man of science, somewhat stubborn and takes his Israeli heritage lightly. Rosenzweig believes that God
is basically an idea.
Dr. Rosenzweig's character is often used by authors Tim LaHaye
and Jerry B. Jenkins
as a "bridge character." That is the character of Rosenzweig, through his many contacts, helps bring the other characters of the series together.
that causes the dry Israeli deserts to become rich, fertile croplands. The development of this fertilizer promises to end world famine and pushes Israel as a chief exporter of rare and henceforth expensive agricultural products; thus, the formula becomes a highly sought commodity. The enormous wealth brought by the fertilizer and related agriculture-led export boom also lands Israel in a far better bargaining position than the oil
-rich Arab world
in the Middle East peace process, and Israel has made peace with all immediate Arab neighbors on Israel's terms.
Unfortunately, Rosenzweig's scientific breakthrough has made Israel a target for hostile states eclipsed in power and influence, particularly the Russians
, who joined with the Libya
ns, Ethiopia
ns and some other Middle Eastern countries to launch an all-out strike just months before the Rapture
. However, fire from the Russians proves perfectly ineffective and the attackers were repulsed and destroyed by God without causing one casualty in all of Israel, while the invading military is completely eradicated.
Eventually, United Nations
Secretary-General
and Antichrist
Nicolae Carpathia brokers a worldwide peace treaty for Israel in exchange for making the Eden formula available to other nations. This helps usher Carpathia onto the world political stage, and officially inaugurates the Tribulation
.
. Rosenzweig also becomes a close friend and follower of Carpathia, which provides a contact with the Global Community
. Although Rosenzweig seems to be swayed by either side throughout the series, he refuses to commit himself to one. Dr. Rosenzweig continues with his extreme skepticism towards the Bible.
Eventually, Rosenzweig's turmoil between the Tribulation Force and the upper echelons of the Global Community leads him to become embroiled in an assassination
attempt of Carpathia; hence, making him an international fugitive. Despite this, however, Rosenzweig remains resolute and will not completely yield to the Trib Force.
. Through Ben-Judah's teachings and Rosenzweig's studies of the word of God, Rosenzweig becomes a worldwide leader of the Christian faith. He is one of the few who survives the Tribulation and witnesses the Glorious Appearing
of Christ.
, the character of Chaim Rosenzweig is played by actor Colin Fox
. Rosenzweig has yet to appear in any of the film's sequels.
Left Behind (series)
Left Behind is a series of 16 best-selling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological viewpoint of the end of the world. The primary conflict of the series is the members of the Tribulation...
series of novels. In the Left Behind films he is portrayed by Colin Fox
Colin Fox (actor)
Colin Fox is a Canadian actor. His acting credits include playing Jean Paul Desmond and Jacques Eloi Des Mondes in Strange Paradise , as well as voice work in various animated series, and in other roles in film, television and on the stage...
.
Dr. Rosenzweig is introduced as a chemical engineer
Chemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
and politician from Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The reader first meets Dr. Rosenzweig as he is being interviewed by Cameron "Buck" Williams
Cameron "Buck" Williams
Cameron "Buck" Williams is a fictional character in the Left Behind series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Buck is a celebrated news reporter who, after being left behind following the Rapture, becomes one of the founding members of the Tribulation Force.-Pre-Rapture:Buck was born 30...
as Global Weekly's Man Of The Year. Dr. Rosenzweig is a man of science, somewhat stubborn and takes his Israeli heritage lightly. Rosenzweig believes that God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
is basically an idea.
Dr. Rosenzweig's character is often used by authors Tim LaHaye
Tim LaHaye
Timothy F. LaHaye is an American evangelical Christian minister, author, and speaker. He is best known for the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-wrote with Jerry B. Jenkins. He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.-Early life:LaHaye was born in Detroit,...
and Jerry B. Jenkins
Jerry B. Jenkins
Jerry Bruce Jenkins is an American novelist and biographer. He is best known as co-author of the Left Behind series of books with Tim LaHaye, Jenkins has written over 150 books, including romance novels, mysteries, and children's adventures, as well as non-fiction...
as a "bridge character." That is the character of Rosenzweig, through his many contacts, helps bring the other characters of the series together.
The Eden Formula
Dr. Rosenzweig is named Global Weekly's Man Of The Year due to his development of the Eden formula, a new synthetic fertilizerFertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
that causes the dry Israeli deserts to become rich, fertile croplands. The development of this fertilizer promises to end world famine and pushes Israel as a chief exporter of rare and henceforth expensive agricultural products; thus, the formula becomes a highly sought commodity. The enormous wealth brought by the fertilizer and related agriculture-led export boom also lands Israel in a far better bargaining position than the oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
-rich Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
in the Middle East peace process, and Israel has made peace with all immediate Arab neighbors on Israel's terms.
Unfortunately, Rosenzweig's scientific breakthrough has made Israel a target for hostile states eclipsed in power and influence, particularly the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, who joined with the Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
ns, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
ns and some other Middle Eastern countries to launch an all-out strike just months before the Rapture
Rapture
The rapture is a reference to the "being caught up" referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, when the "dead in Christ" and "we who are alive and remain" will be caught up in the clouds to meet "the Lord"....
. However, fire from the Russians proves perfectly ineffective and the attackers were repulsed and destroyed by God without causing one casualty in all of Israel, while the invading military is completely eradicated.
Eventually, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Secretary-General
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
and Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
Nicolae Carpathia brokers a worldwide peace treaty for Israel in exchange for making the Eden formula available to other nations. This helps usher Carpathia onto the world political stage, and officially inaugurates the Tribulation
Tribulation
The Great Tribulation refers to tumultuous events that are described during the "signs of the times", first mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet discourse...
.
The post-rapture world
Rosenzweig befriends Buck Williams during the Man Of The Year interview; thus maintaining a contact with the Tribulation ForceTribulation Force (group)
The Tribulation Force is a fictional Christian-based group composed of those left behind after the Rapture, as portrayed in the fiction series Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B...
. Rosenzweig also becomes a close friend and follower of Carpathia, which provides a contact with the Global Community
Global Community
The Global Community is a the fictional world government/state described in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The Global Community was established as the successor of the United Nations by Nicolae Carpathia, the series' main antagonist.At its territorial peak, the GC...
. Although Rosenzweig seems to be swayed by either side throughout the series, he refuses to commit himself to one. Dr. Rosenzweig continues with his extreme skepticism towards the Bible.
Eventually, Rosenzweig's turmoil between the Tribulation Force and the upper echelons of the Global Community leads him to become embroiled in an assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempt of Carpathia; hence, making him an international fugitive. Despite this, however, Rosenzweig remains resolute and will not completely yield to the Trib Force.
Tribulation Force
Rosenzweig does eventually become a devout Christian during a plane crash. He becomes a disciple of his friend and former student Tsion Ben-JudahTsion Ben-Judah
Tsion Ben-Judah, pronounced "[z'ai-an]" or "Zion", who is a character in the Left Behind series, is a Jew, a rabbinical scholar, and former student of Chaim Rosenzweig. Ben-Judah was commissioned by the Israeli government three years before the Rapture to undertake a study as to how the Jews would...
. Through Ben-Judah's teachings and Rosenzweig's studies of the word of God, Rosenzweig becomes a worldwide leader of the Christian faith. He is one of the few who survives the Tribulation and witnesses the Glorious Appearing
Glorious Appearing
Glorious Appearing: The End of Days is the 12th book in the Left Behind series. Released on March 30, 2004, this book sees the surviving believers awaiting the return of Jesus Christ as the war of Armageddon and the seven-year Tribulation period draws to its climax...
of Christ.
Other
In the film version, Left Behind: The MovieLeft Behind: The Movie
Left Behind is a Christian based film released in 2000 and starring Kirk Cameron, Brad Johnson, Gordon Currie and Clarence Gilyard. It was directed by Vic Sarin. Left Behind was proclaimed by its creators as the biggest and most ambitious Christian film ever made...
, the character of Chaim Rosenzweig is played by actor Colin Fox
Colin Fox (actor)
Colin Fox is a Canadian actor. His acting credits include playing Jean Paul Desmond and Jacques Eloi Des Mondes in Strange Paradise , as well as voice work in various animated series, and in other roles in film, television and on the stage...
. Rosenzweig has yet to appear in any of the film's sequels.