Tsion Ben-Judah
Encyclopedia
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 Israel
i government three years before the Rapture
to undertake a study as to how the Jews would recognize the Messiah
when he comes. Ben-Judah was beginning to conclude that Jesus
of Nazareth
met the descriptions of prophecy, but had not committed himself when Christ
raptured His church.
Two weeks later, when United Nations
secretary-general
and Antichrist
Nicolae Carpathia and a host of American
and Israeli delegates arrived in Israel
to sign a seven-year treaty of peace, and at the behest of Buck Williams
, Ben-Judah guided Buck to the Western Wall
so that Cameron could speak with the two prophets, Eli and Moishe, men resurrected from Biblical times to bear witness to Christ
and begin converting 144,000 Jews to become witnesses for Him.
The meeting with the two witnesses had a profound effect on Ben-Judah, who spoke Nicodemus
's words to Jesus
while the two witnesses took turns speaking Jesus' words. Ben-Judah went away from the meeting with much to think and pray about. The next day, Carpathia and the Israelis signed the peace treaty, and shortly after that, Ben-Judah made a one-hour broadcast on GNN International to present his findings. At the end of it, he proclaimed that Jesus
was the Messiah
and was coming again soon.
Many Israelis and Jews worldwide were outraged at Ben-Judah, but he began to teach and meet with Jews all around the world, as more and more began to convert to Christ. Eighteen months later, his wife and teenage stepchildren were horribly slaughtered and Ben-Judah, the chief suspect, was forced into hiding. Buck was guided to him with hints from the two witnesses at the Wailing Wall, and secretly conducted Ben-Judah out of Israel
by way of Egypt
, to be flown back to the United States
for exile and sanctuary.
Just before this, the Chicago
-based Tribulation Force
's own leader and teacher, Bruce Barnes
, is killed by the Red Horse of the Apocalypse when World War III breaks. Bombs hit the hospital that he was admitted in for over-seas bug that stopped his world wide encouragement of "Tribulation Saints". Ben-Judah essentially took his place to teach, now reaching out to a worldwide cyber-audience. Ben-Judah, believing himself to be protected by God
's power, insisted on returning to Israel
to meet with most of the 144,000 witnesses in order to teach them.
Only hours before Antichrist's resurrection
, Tsion has an out-of-body experience, where he witnesses the host of heaven, archangel
Michael
battling Lucifer
in dragon form. The dragon
was cast down to Earth near the end of this experience.
He moves to Petra where Nicolae Carpathia drops two bombs and a missile just minutes after his arrival. There he resides until the Battle of Armageddon when he leaves to help defend the holy city. There both he and Buck Williams are killed by Unity Army soldiers. He is resurrected at the Glorious Appearing
, after having reunited with his wife and children in heaven.
In Kingdom Come
, he and former fellow Trib Force members lead a missionary trip to Egypt, which Tsion renames Osaze. At the end of the Millennium, Tsion is welcomed into heaven with the rest of the believers.
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...
, is a Jew, a rabbinical scholar, and former student of 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"...
. Ben-Judah was commissioned by the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i government three years 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"....
to undertake a study as to how the Jews would recognize the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
when he comes. Ben-Judah was beginning to conclude that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
of Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
met the descriptions of prophecy, but had not committed himself when Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
raptured His church.
Two weeks later, when 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 and a host of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Israeli delegates arrived in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to sign a seven-year treaty of peace, and at the behest of 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...
, Ben-Judah guided Buck to the Western Wall
Western Wall
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount...
so that Cameron could speak with the two prophets, Eli and Moishe, men resurrected from Biblical times to bear witness to Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and begin converting 144,000 Jews to become witnesses for Him.
The meeting with the two witnesses had a profound effect on Ben-Judah, who spoke Nicodemus
Nicodemus
Saint Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who, according to the Gospel of John, showed favour to Jesus...
's words to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
while the two witnesses took turns speaking Jesus' words. Ben-Judah went away from the meeting with much to think and pray about. The next day, Carpathia and the Israelis signed the peace treaty, and shortly after that, Ben-Judah made a one-hour broadcast on GNN International to present his findings. At the end of it, he proclaimed that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
was the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
and was coming again soon.
Many Israelis and Jews worldwide were outraged at Ben-Judah, but he began to teach and meet with Jews all around the world, as more and more began to convert to Christ. Eighteen months later, his wife and teenage stepchildren were horribly slaughtered and Ben-Judah, the chief suspect, was forced into hiding. Buck was guided to him with hints from the two witnesses at the Wailing Wall, and secretly conducted Ben-Judah out of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
by way of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, to be flown back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for exile and sanctuary.
Just before this, the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based 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...
's own leader and teacher, 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:...
, is killed by the Red Horse of the Apocalypse when World War III breaks. Bombs hit the hospital that he was admitted in for over-seas bug that stopped his world wide encouragement of "Tribulation Saints". Ben-Judah essentially took his place to teach, now reaching out to a worldwide cyber-audience. Ben-Judah, believing himself to be protected by 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....
's power, insisted on returning to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to meet with most of the 144,000 witnesses in order to teach them.
Only hours before Antichrist's resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
, Tsion has an out-of-body experience, where he witnesses the host of heaven, archangel
Archangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
battling Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
in dragon form. The dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
was cast down to Earth near the end of this experience.
He moves to Petra where Nicolae Carpathia drops two bombs and a missile just minutes after his arrival. There he resides until the Battle of Armageddon when he leaves to help defend the holy city. There both he and Buck Williams are killed by Unity Army soldiers. He is resurrected at 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...
, after having reunited with his wife and children in heaven.
In Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (Left Behind)
Kingdom Come: The Final Victory is the sixteenth and final book of the Left Behind series, released on April 3, 2007.-Just after the Glorious Appearing:...
, he and former fellow Trib Force members lead a missionary trip to Egypt, which Tsion renames Osaze. At the end of the Millennium, Tsion is welcomed into heaven with the rest of the believers.