Rayford Steele
Encyclopedia
Rayford Steele is a fictional character
and the de facto
protagonist in the Left Behind
series of novels by Tim LaHaye
and Jerry B. Jenkins
. He is the leader of the group known as the Tribulation Force
, and is the most elaborated character in the series.
in Belvidere, Illinois
to working-class parents. While growing up, Rayford is embarrassed by his family's low socioeconomic status, and he makes it his goal to attend college and become either a professional athlete or a pilot. When he Attended Belvidere High School, He was voted Homecoming King, He eventually obtains an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend Purdue University
; while there, he meets a fellow ROTC cadet two years his junior, Irene
. They fall in love and marry in the spring of his senior year, and just a year later, his daughter Chloe
is born. Over the next several years, he leaves the Air Force and begins working as a pilot for Pan-Continental Airlines; when he is thirty, he and Irene unexpectedly have a son, Raymie
.
Though raised in a churchgoing family, Rayford cannot conceive of “faith” being anything more than attending church, trying to be a good person, and helping one another, nor can he imagine what is meant by a "personal relationship" with Christ.
Three years after Raymie is born, Rayford has a brush with death when he nearly collides with another airplane while landing at LAX, and he impulsively promises God
that he will go to church and pray more regularly; on the same night, Irene, after talking to a neighborhood friend, becomes a born-again Christian. They are soon at odds over her new found faith and he reneges on his promises to God.
Though his job at Pan-Con enables him to afford a large house and expensive cars, he finds that these material things do not bring him the satisfaction he had expected, and he increasingly withdraws into himself, sullen at Irene’s constant pushing him to "receive Jesus as his Savior." As a father, he is pleased with Chloe’s questioning, independent streak, and though he loves Raymie, he is dissatisfied with what he perceives as the boy’s soft and overly compassionate nature – as well as the enthusiasm he shares with Irene for everything church-related.
, Rayford is a self-described (afterward) “negligent father and lustful husband with a roving eye,” on the verge of an affair with his senior flight attendant, Hattie Durham
. He is piloting an overnight flight to London when the Rapture happens, and in the ensuing chaos, he returns home to find – as he feared – that Irene and Raymie are among the missing, for his wife had often told him how she anticipated Jesus “calling his people home.”
In desperation, he goes to Irene’s church, New Hope Village Church, to find only one member of the staff left – the visitation pastor, Bruce Barnes
, who has already realized his error and urges Rayford to “receive Christ” as well. While watching a pre-made videotape left by the Raptured pastor of the church, Rayford finally acknowledges his sinfulness and accepts Christ as his Savior. He is thrilled when Chloe soon does the same, and together under Barnes's tutelage, they form the Tribulation Force
to face the travails of the next seven years and to counter the plans of the Antichrist
, who is soon revealed to be the new head of the United Nations
, Nicolae Carpathia. During this time, celebrated journalist and fellow Trib Force member Cameron "Buck" Williams
becomes Rayford's son-in-law when he meets and marries Chloe.
, and moves to New Babylon, the seat of Carpathia's new world government. While his wife, Amanda, flies to New Babylon, the Wrath of the Lamb earthquake occurs. He later finds her body in a plane submerged in the Tigris River. Carpathia's operatives attempt to discredit Amanda by planting false evidence that she was a mole for Nicolae's regime but Rayford sees through the subterfuge.
After a botched plan in Denver, Colorado
, Rayford is looked on with suspicion by the Global Community
. During an assignment in Jerusalem, his co-pilot and friend that he led to Christ Mac McCullum tells him to flee. Rayford catches a ride with Christian charter pilot Ken Ritz back to the new Trib Force safe house near Chicago. Meanwhile, Chloe gives birth to Rayford's grandson, Kenny Bruce Williams
.
Filled with rage over so many losses, Rayford soon dreams to be the one who will kill Carpathia, and goes as far as buying the Saber gun from Albie just to do it. During the gala week festivities in Jerusalem, he places himself during Carpathia's speech and, as he readies his weapon, he chokes, unable to go through with his plan. Although the weapon goes off by mistake, it misses Carpathia, giving the real murderer, former Carpathia loyalist Chaim Rosenzweig
, time to do the job himself.
Rayford flees amidst the chaos, and escapes to Greece, where he is housed by local believers. With the advice of a Greek pastor, Rayford comes to terms with his rageful emotions and expresses regret to God for his selfishness. This helps him ready himself to become a better leader as the Great Tribulation is ushered in with the resurrection of Carpathia, indwelt by the spirit of Satan himself. The system of the Mark of the Beast is established soon after this, and believers all over the world must go into hiding or face execution.
Rayford organizes and helps leads Operation Eagle, a mass exodus of believers, especially Jews, to the stone city of Petra
, which God promised to protect during the Great Tribulation. This enrages Carpathia, who orders the city to be bombed. However, when the bombs hit the city, the explosion has no effect on the city or its inhabitants, reminiscent of biblical story of the fiery furnace.
In the months leading up to the Glorious Appearing, several Trib Force members are martyred, including Chloe and Buck. During the battle of Armageddon, Rayford is critically wounded by a stray GC missile. He is the only original surviving member of the Tribulation Force left when Jesus Christ returns to the earth, whose very presence heals Rayford's wounds. After slaying the GC Unity Army and banishing both Antichrist
and his False Prophet
to the Lake of Fire
, Jesus welcomes all the saints who were raptured or martyred back to earth. The Tribulation is over and Rayford reunites with his friends and family. In tears, he tells his wife Irene that she is allowed "one cosmic I-Told-You-So".
As a natural, Rayford slowly ages over the course of the Millennium, becoming a senile old man. Over time, he becomes a grandfather many times over through his grandson, Kenny Bruce, and Kenny's wife, Ekaterina Risto. Near the end of the Millennium, he and the rest of the Trib Force gather for Mac's thousandth birthday party. Rayford is present at the final battle of the Millennium, watching with the rest of his friends from Cameron's estate. Jesus destroys the armies of Satan
and spirits the entire human race into the heavens for the White Throne Judgement. Rayford and the rest of the believers are then welcomed into heaven.
and its sequels, Rayford is portrayed by actor Brad Johnson
. However, while the main male character in the novels (indeed, serving as the leader of the Tribulation Force), his role in the film series has him downplayed to a supporting role, with Cameron "Buck" Williams taking over the leadership role Rayford held in the novels.
series. He is, at the outset, an example of the worldly man stock character
that is common in rapture fiction. The worldly man character is normally a generally good person, but has less interest in Christianity
than he does in sex or some other pleasure. This aspect of Rayford's character is displayed by the potential affair he contemplates with Hattie Durham
at the beginning of the first novel. The worldly man is also normally married to a Christian woman whose disappearance in the rapture
convinces the man to become a Christian. This is exactly Rayford's experience. Nonetheless, the authors' construction of Rayford also runs counter to much of the rapture fiction tradition in that he is a member of the elite. In most rapture fiction, the Christians are lower-class and lack influence; most of the world consider them to be backwards and of no importance. In Left Behind, however, Rayford is a very prestigious pilot who is so prominent that even the President of the United States knows his name. One critic has argued that Rayford's eventual lack of forwardness in pursuing his second wife, Amanda White, is unrealistic and an example of boastful, conservative
prudery
on the part of the authors.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
protagonist in the Left Behind
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 by 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...
. He is the leader of the group known as the Tribulation Force
Tribulation 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...
, and is the most elaborated character in the series.
Early Life and Marriage
Rayford was born 42 years before the RaptureRapture
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"....
in Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,585 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
to working-class parents. While growing up, Rayford is embarrassed by his family's low socioeconomic status, and he makes it his goal to attend college and become either a professional athlete or a pilot. When he Attended Belvidere High School, He was voted Homecoming King, He eventually obtains an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
; while there, he meets a fellow ROTC cadet two years his junior, Irene
Irene Steele
Irene Steele is s a fictional character in the Left Behind series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The character is featured heavily in three Left Behind prequels The Rising, The Regime, and The Rapture.-Biography:...
. They fall in love and marry in the spring of his senior year, and just a year later, his daughter Chloe
Chloe Steele
Chloe Steele, a fictional character from the Left Behind series of novels, was a Junior at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California until the disappearance of millions of people worldwide.-Fictional Biography:...
is born. Over the next several years, he leaves the Air Force and begins working as a pilot for Pan-Continental Airlines; when he is thirty, he and Irene unexpectedly have a son, Raymie
Raymie Steele
Rayford "Raymie" Steele is a fictional character in the Left Behind series sequel, Kingdom Come.Raymie is the second child and only son of Rayford and Irene Steele. He was raptured, along with his mother, when Jesus returned before the Tribulation. Throughout the Left Behind Series, he frequently...
.
Though raised in a churchgoing family, Rayford cannot conceive of “faith” being anything more than attending church, trying to be a good person, and helping one another, nor can he imagine what is meant by a "personal relationship" with Christ.
Three years after Raymie is born, Rayford has a brush with death when he nearly collides with another airplane while landing at LAX, and he impulsively promises 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....
that he will go to church and pray more regularly; on the same night, Irene, after talking to a neighborhood friend, becomes a born-again Christian. They are soon at odds over her new found faith and he reneges on his promises to God.
Though his job at Pan-Con enables him to afford a large house and expensive cars, he finds that these material things do not bring him the satisfaction he had expected, and he increasingly withdraws into himself, sullen at Irene’s constant pushing him to "receive Jesus as his Savior." As a father, he is pleased with Chloe’s questioning, independent streak, and though he loves Raymie, he is dissatisfied with what he perceives as the boy’s soft and overly compassionate nature – as well as the enthusiasm he shares with Irene for everything church-related.
The Rapture
By the time of the RaptureRapture
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"....
, Rayford is a self-described (afterward) “negligent father and lustful husband with a roving eye,” on the verge of an affair with his senior flight attendant, Hattie Durham
Hattie Durham
Hattie Durham is a fictional character in the Left Behind series, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.Hattie was a senior flight attendant, young and beautiful, working for Pan-Continental Airlines. She seemed to be attracted to Pan-Con pilot Rayford Steele, perhaps wanting an affair with him...
. He is piloting an overnight flight to London when the Rapture happens, and in the ensuing chaos, he returns home to find – as he feared – that Irene and Raymie are among the missing, for his wife had often told him how she anticipated Jesus “calling his people home.”
In desperation, he goes to Irene’s church, New Hope Village Church, to find only one member of the staff left – the visitation pastor, Bruce Barnes
Bruce Barnes (Left Behind)
Bruce Barnes is a fictional character of the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins He is pastor of the New Hope Village Church in Chicago.-Fictional Biography:...
, who has already realized his error and urges Rayford to “receive Christ” as well. While watching a pre-made videotape left by the Raptured pastor of the church, Rayford finally acknowledges his sinfulness and accepts Christ as his Savior. He is thrilled when Chloe soon does the same, and together under Barnes's tutelage, they form the Tribulation Force
Tribulation 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...
to face the travails of the next seven years and to counter the plans of the 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...
, who is soon revealed to be the new head of the 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...
, Nicolae Carpathia. During this time, celebrated journalist and fellow Trib Force member 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...
becomes Rayford's son-in-law when he meets and marries Chloe.
The Tribulation
Through a bizarre set of circumstances, Rayford marries Amanda White, takes over as the leader of the Tribulation Force after Barnes dies in World War IIIWorld War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
, and moves to New Babylon, the seat of Carpathia's new world government. While his wife, Amanda, flies to New Babylon, the Wrath of the Lamb earthquake occurs. He later finds her body in a plane submerged in the Tigris River. Carpathia's operatives attempt to discredit Amanda by planting false evidence that she was a mole for Nicolae's regime but Rayford sees through the subterfuge.
After a botched plan in Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Rayford is looked on with suspicion by 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...
. During an assignment in Jerusalem, his co-pilot and friend that he led to Christ Mac McCullum tells him to flee. Rayford catches a ride with Christian charter pilot Ken Ritz back to the new Trib Force safe house near Chicago. Meanwhile, Chloe gives birth to Rayford's grandson, Kenny Bruce Williams
Kenny Bruce Williams
Kenny Bruce Williams is a fictional character in the Left Behind series, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.Kenny is the son of Cameron "Buck" Williams and Chloe Steele Williams, named after martyred believers Ken Ritz and Bruce Barnes. He is born during the Tribulation, in the book Apollyon...
.
Filled with rage over so many losses, Rayford soon dreams to be the one who will kill Carpathia, and goes as far as buying the Saber gun from Albie just to do it. During the gala week festivities in Jerusalem, he places himself during Carpathia's speech and, as he readies his weapon, he chokes, unable to go through with his plan. Although the weapon goes off by mistake, it misses Carpathia, giving the real murderer, former Carpathia loyalist Chaim Rosenzweig
Chaim Rosenzweig
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"...
, time to do the job himself.
Rayford flees amidst the chaos, and escapes to Greece, where he is housed by local believers. With the advice of a Greek pastor, Rayford comes to terms with his rageful emotions and expresses regret to God for his selfishness. This helps him ready himself to become a better leader as the Great Tribulation is ushered in with the resurrection of Carpathia, indwelt by the spirit of Satan himself. The system of the Mark of the Beast is established soon after this, and believers all over the world must go into hiding or face execution.
Rayford organizes and helps leads Operation Eagle, a mass exodus of believers, especially Jews, to the stone city of Petra
Petra
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
, which God promised to protect during the Great Tribulation. This enrages Carpathia, who orders the city to be bombed. However, when the bombs hit the city, the explosion has no effect on the city or its inhabitants, reminiscent of biblical story of the fiery furnace.
In the months leading up to the Glorious Appearing, several Trib Force members are martyred, including Chloe and Buck. During the battle of Armageddon, Rayford is critically wounded by a stray GC missile. He is the only original surviving member of the Tribulation Force left when Jesus Christ returns to the earth, whose very presence heals Rayford's wounds. After slaying the GC Unity Army and banishing both 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...
and his False Prophet
False prophet
In religion, a false prophet is one who falsely claims the gift of prophecy, or who uses that gift for evil ends. Often, someone who is considered a "true prophet" by some people is simultaneously considered a "false prophet" by others....
to the Lake of Fire
Lake of Fire
A lake of fire appears, in both ancient Egyptian and Christian religion, as a place of after-death punishment of the wicked. The phrase is used in four verses of the Book of Revelation. The image was also used by the Early Christian Hippolytus of Rome in about the year 200 and has continued to be...
, Jesus welcomes all the saints who were raptured or martyred back to earth. The Tribulation is over and Rayford reunites with his friends and family. In tears, he tells his wife Irene that she is allowed "one cosmic I-Told-You-So".
The Millennium
In the Millennial Kingdom, Rayford and Irene lead a missionary trip to Egypt to share the gospel with undecides. During the trip, he is captured by a pocket of resistance calling itself The Only Light, a Luciferian organization that denies the existence of God. While incarcerated, Rayford helps lead a young woman in TOL named Rehema to salvation. Hours later, an angel appears inside the prison and leads the captives to freedom.As a natural, Rayford slowly ages over the course of the Millennium, becoming a senile old man. Over time, he becomes a grandfather many times over through his grandson, Kenny Bruce, and Kenny's wife, Ekaterina Risto. Near the end of the Millennium, he and the rest of the Trib Force gather for Mac's thousandth birthday party. Rayford is present at the final battle of the Millennium, watching with the rest of his friends from Cameron's estate. Jesus destroys the armies of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
and spirits the entire human race into the heavens for the White Throne Judgement. Rayford and the rest of the believers are then welcomed into heaven.
In other media
In the film 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...
and its sequels, Rayford is portrayed by actor Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (actor)
Brad Johnson is an American actor and former Marlboro Man.Johnson's first acting credit was in the low-budget biker film The Nam Angels , and shortly after he had his first co-starring role in a major film when he played the role of Ted Baker in the 1989 film Always, directed by Steven Spielberg...
. However, while the main male character in the novels (indeed, serving as the leader of the Tribulation Force), his role in the film series has him downplayed to a supporting role, with Cameron "Buck" Williams taking over the leadership role Rayford held in the novels.
Critical reception
Rayford Steele is the primary protagonist in the Left BehindLeft Behind
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. He is, at the outset, an example of the worldly man stock character
Stock character
A Stock character is a fictional character based on a common literary or social stereotype. Stock characters rely heavily on cultural types or names for their personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics. In their most general form, stock characters are related to literary archetypes,...
that is common in rapture fiction. The worldly man character is normally a generally good person, but has less interest in Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
than he does in sex or some other pleasure. This aspect of Rayford's character is displayed by the potential affair he contemplates with Hattie Durham
Hattie Durham
Hattie Durham is a fictional character in the Left Behind series, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.Hattie was a senior flight attendant, young and beautiful, working for Pan-Continental Airlines. She seemed to be attracted to Pan-Con pilot Rayford Steele, perhaps wanting an affair with him...
at the beginning of the first novel. The worldly man is also normally married to a Christian woman whose disappearance in 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"....
convinces the man to become a Christian. This is exactly Rayford's experience. Nonetheless, the authors' construction of Rayford also runs counter to much of the rapture fiction tradition in that he is a member of the elite. In most rapture fiction, the Christians are lower-class and lack influence; most of the world consider them to be backwards and of no importance. In Left Behind, however, Rayford is a very prestigious pilot who is so prominent that even the President of the United States knows his name. One critic has argued that Rayford's eventual lack of forwardness in pursuing his second wife, Amanda White, is unrealistic and an example of boastful, conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
prudery
Prude
A prude is a person who is described as being concerned with decorum or propriety, significantly in excess of normal prevailing community standards...
on the part of the authors.