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Is the recent book "The Harbinger" by
Jonathan Cahn simply an example of American's pre-occupation
with themselves, seeing references to their country in corners
of the bible where no such reference really exists, or is there
indeed, a "hidden message" for the U.S.A. to be found in Isaiah
9:10-11? Below are two reviews of the book to help you make up your mind. Better still, buy or borrow a copy, read it for yourself, and let me know what YOU think. ......Keygar. |
A phenomenon has taken place in the book publishing world. The secular
book market–headed by the New York Times’ Best-Sellers list—has let slip
through its normally anti-Christian critics’ hands a book of profound
significance. It is on the surface a work of fiction that is at the same
time deeply ingrained truth from the only source of truth there is–the
very Word of God.
Not since Hal Lindsey’s Late, Great Planet Earth and Tim LaHaye and
Jerry Jenkins’ Left Behind series has such a volume been allowed to
reach such a mass audience by those who control that level of mega sales
in the book publishing industry. First time author Jonathan Cahn
outlines the stunning fact about The Harbinger with the simple
understatement from the opening page: “What you are about to read is
presented in the form of a story, but what is contained within the story
is real.”
I’ve been studying Bible prophecy for more than fifty years and have
been writing about eschatological matters in terms of prophecy’s
progression through our daily lives for most of forty. In all that time,
I haven’t seen a case for current issues and events as having prophetic
relevance presented in a more evidence-based way than in this book.
To my way of thinking, this book defies the art of fiction writing
because the template would have it that there be action that builds to a
crescendo, always keeping readers on the edge of their seats, wanting to
get past the present life-and-death cliffhanger and onto the building
suspense of the next. The Harbinger is all narrative through dialogue
between three people, basically. It is, as the author says, a story, but
one that is real. Unheard of! A Christ-centered story, with no real
action–so massive in its appeal that it makes the big show–the NY Times
Best-Seller list?
Certainly it is not formulaic. The Harbinger is inspired. There can be
little doubt about it, after reading it. Most everyone who reads the
story will agree, I’m convinced. That is the secret of its appeal. That
is the power behind its defying the odds to crash right through the
critique barrier that the secular guardians of contemporary literature
constantly put up against scribes who would mention the name of Jesus
Christ in ways other than as invective.
It is obvious: The Lord of Heaven wanted this book written and
disseminated widely. There’s no agent or publisher who can see that that
is done in a more proficient or powerful way. There is no critic or
system of critiquing that can change such a course as He determines. The
question becomes, then: Why is this book so important that the Lord has
forced it past those anointed defenders of literature who rarely let
such works get past them?
The Harbinger itself gives the answer.
The protagonist, Nouriel Kaplan, sits in a publisher’s office high above
the streets of central Manhattan. He is there to propose a book idea
based upon his strange experience. The woman executive, with a
reputation for being straight to the point and known to rarely entertain
a face-to-face meeting with a prospective author, impatiently asks what
the book is about that could possibly be so mysterious.
Nouriel gives her the answer. “An ancient mystery...that holds the
secret of America’s future...and on which its future hangs. And it’s not
fiction—it’s real.”
The story then begins to unfold, as I've said, through an unconventional
(for successful fiction) narrative–dialogue that basically involves only
three characters. But, wow! What dialogue!
The Harbinger’s phenomenal success isn’t about the scintillating way the
three converse with each other, however. The “wow” is in the subject
matter discussed and the astonishing details unveiled as the story
progresses. America’s past, present, and future are at the heart of the
experience that Nouriel Kaplan–by way of ancient biblical seals
mysteriously provided him--unveils throughout the book. His telling gets
to the heart of what I and many other students of Bible prophecy sensed
following the horrors of September 11, 2001. I wrote the following in
the introduction to my book, Prophecy at Ground Zero, released
in 2002:
Television screens across America and the world repeatedly flashed
videotape of the huge passenger jet crashing full-throttle into
the enormous building. Dazed people watched in awestruck
disbelief while trapped victims leaped from the building’s top floors,
some holding hands with others when they jumped. The massive twin towers
disintegrated and crumbled to flaming rubble. It was the most heinous
terrorist attack ever recorded. Almost immediately, angry, frightened
people began demanding answers to the insanity now forever etched in
their memories.
Many churches were filled the Sunday following the attacks in New
York and Washington D.C. There was an instinctive sense that those
murderous acts of terrorism were somehow foreordained. That the carnage
now known as “Ground Zero” and the uncertain future is, in some
troubling way, linked by prophetic destiny.
From Today’s Middle East Madness to the Second Coming of Christ
goes a long way toward shedding light on, and providing answers for, the
dark, troubling questions that continue to arise from the decimation of
September 11, 2001. You have, for many months, heard the pundits on
network and cable news shows. They have analyzed the terrorism, the war
on terrorism, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from every angle
imaginable. Except from God’s angle. And that’s the only one that
counts!
I’m writing this review to tell you that Jonathan Cahn has, with The
Harbinger, been given the blueprint to what 9/11 was and is all about.
He dots the I's and crosses the T's. He connects the dots through a
mysterious prophet who interacts with his protagonist
Pardon me for mentioning another of my books, but in The American
Apocalypse, I time and time again make the connection between the United
States and Israel as preternaturally linked to each other in God’s great
providence. Jonathan Cahn’s book makes clear that linkage like none
other.
The Harbinger has its frightening aspects to be sure, but, once you’ve
read it, you won’t be able to say you haven’t been given truth about the
Israel/America connection and the defining prophetic event of our era,
the falling of the towers on 9/11.
Please believe me. You must get and read this book. You will have no
doubt, then, why it is a best seller!
___________________
The Harbinger
( ...take 2 )
By Dave James
The Harbinger, by Jonathan Cahn, is about a series of signs or omens
which he believes have manifested in America beginning with the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The author believes he has
discovered an ancient mystery in Isaiah 9:10-11 that “explains
everything from 9/11 to the collapse of the global economy.” Although he
uses a fictional narrative as a framework, the book is based on what he
believes are undeniable facts from the biblical text, the corresponding
history of 8th century B.C. Israel and current events of the last decade
in America. As Cahn states at the beginning of the book, “What you are
about to read is presented in the form of a story, but what is contained
within the story is real.”
The overall purpose of The Harbinger is to call America to repent for
turning her back on God and moving away from the foundations upon which
the country was built. It is also to warn of the danger of God’s
judgment that this represents. Not only is this a valid message, but one
that needs to be proclaimed. Jonathan Cahn is to be commended for his
passion and commitment to sharing this message with as wide an audience
as possible.
However, because of serious flaws throughout the book, the potential
dangers may well outweigh the benefits. Many of the author’s views and
ideas as presented in The Harbinger are misguided, having both
significant exegetical and theological problems. Additionally, the book
could well leave its readers with serious misunderstandings about how to
appropriately interpret and apply the Word of God. Beyond this, it is
also problematic because in trying to support his conclusions, Cahn
appears to variously overstate his case, see prophetic fulfilment where
arguably none exists and presses details to draw parallels between
historical events beyond what the facts reasonably support.
Not only does The Harbinger fail to reveal a mystery in Isaiah 9:10, but
in spite of the much-needed call to repentance, the book presents a
danger to believers and unbelievers alike.
A Runaway Success
Released on January 3, 2012, The Harbinger has already established its
place as one of the best selling books of 2012. According to “Charisma
News,” on January 22, the The Harbinger debuted at No. 10 on the NY
Times best-seller list in the “print paperback” category and at No. 28
in the “combined print hardcover and paperback “ category. In just 10
days, it had gone to reprint four times. (Charisma House is the
publisher of the book.)
As of April 26, on Amazon.com, it was ranked at #1 in the “Christian
Books and Bibles – Fiction” category, at #1 in the broader “Religion and
Spirituality” category, #2 in “Christian Books and Bibles – Theology”
category and at #50 for all books. There were also 346 reader reviews of
the book on Amazon.com – with 282 giving it a 5-star rating.
The founder of “World Net Daily,” Joseph Farah, has produced a two-hour
documentary featuring Jonathan Cahn: “The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment.” On
March 13, in an email alert, WND noted: “The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment DVD
tops faith chart at Amazon.com…It is also the No. 8 most popular
documentary of any kind and the 247th most popular video for sale.”
On the day of the book’s release, Jonathan Cahn was interviewed by Pat
Robertson on The 700 Club, who said of the book, “This is one great
book…This is the read you need to make…It is a prophetic word.” The
author has also been interviewed on a number of other programs as well,
giving the book very broad exposure.
Departure from a Biblical Hermeneutic
The heart of a biblical hermeneutic is the commitment to understanding
the literary context of a passage. This is where Cahn’s thesis first
runs into trouble. Nothing in the context gives any indication that
either Isaiah or the Lord intended for Isaiah 9:10 to be understood as
having to do with anything other than the Northern Kingdom in the 8th
century B.C. Although the author has insisted in a moderated discussion
with this reviewer that he does not believe Isaiah 9:10 is to, for or
about America,6 the book paints a very different picture.
Although Cahn has tried to explain that the passage is only functioning
as a “sign” to America, this is not a meaningful distinction. Biblical
signs are revelatory and therefore prophetic, in that they signify that
something is happening or is going to happen. And, this is exactly the
way Cahn handles these “harbingers” in the book—meaning that in at least
some way he actually does see a direct connection with Isaiah 9:10.
Also, if Isaiah 9:10-11 functions to demonstrate a pattern of God’s
judgment, as Cahn believes, why is it not identified as such, either
here or elsewhere in Scripture? If it is a predictable pattern as he
suggests, why is there neither a precedent nor repetition of the pattern
in the Bible? Yet, it is the author’s contention that the nine
harbingers he believes he has found in Isaiah coincide precisely with
recent historical events, beginning with the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001.
Furthermore, there is no mention of the first seven verses in the
chapter. Yet, these form a critical part of the immediate context of
Isaiah 9:10 and represent one of the most important messianic kingdom
passages in the entire Old Testament. This is a significant omission
when dealing with the subject of Israel’s judgment because it includes
the unconditional promise that even in the face of the coming
destruction Israel’s future is still sure. The kingdom will still be
established and Messiah will rule from the throne of David forever.
A Prophetic Message?
Although Cahn says he does not claim to be a prophet, he does affirm
that his message is prophetic. But, what else besides “prophet” would be
an appropriate title for someone who believes he has discovered the
hidden meaning of a biblical mystery and then proclaims this prophetic
message as factual? He is doing more than simply relaying a message
given by someone else. He is the originator of the message.
In the brief biography introducing the author, the back cover of The
Harbinger has the following: “His teachings are seen on television and
radio throughout the nation and are known for their prophetic
significance and their revealing of deep mysteries of God’s Word.”
Others have also identified Cahn’s message as prophetic and him as a
prophet. For example, in September, It’s Supernatural aired shows that
were produced around interviews with Jonathan Cahn. Of these host Sid
Roth said, “This may be—no, this is the most important prophetic show
you will ever see.”
On Amazon.com, the book description includes the following:
Hidden in an ancient biblical prophecy from Isaiah, the mysteries
revealed in The Harbinger are so precise that they foretold recent
American events down to the exact days. The revelations are so specific
that even the most hardened sceptics will find it hard to dismiss or put
down. It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood thriller with one
exception… IT’S REAL.
Fact or Fiction?
Even though categorized as “fiction,” the story is prefaced by: “What
you are about to read is presented in the form of a story, but what is
contained within the story is real.” In other words, the book conveys
what Cahn considers to be biblically accurate and historically factual.
However, the lines between what is fact and what is fiction is not at
all clear.
For example, the story centres around a set of small clay discs that are
said to date from 8th century B.C. and connected with Isaiah’s prophecy.
The purpose of the nine seals is to reveal the ancient mystery and to
authenticate that their message comes from God. But do these seals
really exist as an archaeological find or are they simply part of the
fictional storyline? The answer is not clear in the story and it seems
very likely that many readers will think these seals do exist, although
they do not.
In addition, rather than simply adding an element of authenticity to the
story, the nine harbinger seals only make things more confusing for the
reader. The obvious question is, “Does this mean that the author is
using them as a literary device to suggest that his views are
authentically from God (though perhaps confirmed in some other way)?
“Are they inherently fact or fiction?
In the The Harbinger, the nine seals are given over a period of time, to
journalist Nouriel Kaplan by a mysterious figure identified only as “The
Prophet.” Kaplan and The Prophet are the primary characters in the book,
along with a third lesser character, Ana Goren, a Manhattan publishing
executive, to whom Kaplan tells the story of his encounters with The
Prophet. Are The Prophet and Kaplan purely fictional characters or do
they in some way represent real people? Do they represent two different
people, a compilation of multiple people or are they rather just two
aspects of the same person? Given the central role of The Prophet, is
there really someone who is believed to be a prophet who gave the author
his message? Or is the answer actually somewhere between the two? Based
on the way the story develops and then concludes in the last chapter,
one has to wonder if The Prophet and Nouriel Kaplan, when taken
together, actually represent Jonathan Cahn. Are they fictional
characters or are they real?
In the second half of the book, Kaplan has a dream about the dedication
of the temple in Jerusalem which includes the biblical king Solomon.
However, when Solomon turns around, he has unexpectedly transformed into
George Washington on the Temple Mount. Is this dream just a literary
device in the story or did the author actually have a similar dream?
Although he has stated that he did not have a dream as described in the
book, it is clear that the idea for the dream sequence did not develop
in a vacuum. Could it simply represent Cahn’s contemplation and thought
process as he sought to arrive at a meaningful interpretation of some of
the events in America over the past decade? Once again, the crucial
question is: “Fact or fiction?”
Another major issue is the interpretation of events in America since
9/11. Can the author’s interpretation of the events rightly be
considered to be facts as he apparently does? For example, Cahn believes
that God removed His “hedge of protection” from the United States which
allowed the successful attacks on the World Trade Centre. He also
believes that these attacks marked the beginning of God’s judgment upon
the nation.
However, to claim to know these things with the absolute certainty
claimed by the author is to claim insight into the very mind of God,
including His specific purposes and plans for America in this
generation. Although one might speculate and form opinions, these things
cannot be known for sure unless God were to personally reveal them. So,
does the author believe he has received this necessary revelation? And
if so, is he right? Is God using him as a prophet? Has God given him
special insight into an ancient mystery? Has God truly shown him that
his confidence in the veracity of his conclusions and interpretation is
justified? Or does his message amount to nothing more than speculation?
Fact or fiction?
The Mystery of Isaiah 9:10: A Direct Link between Israel and
America?
The author denies that he is arguing for a direct connection between
Israel and America and maintains that the passage only demonstrates a
pattern of God’s judgment. Likewise, he concludes that recent events in
America, beginning with 9/11, are only parallels to that specific
pattern. Yet, in multiple places the book gives the very clear
impression that these are more than simply parallels and that a direct
connection does exist. Based on what is clearly stated in the book, it
is difficult to conclude that this is not precisely what Cahn intended
to convey at the time. The following are just a few of the numerous
examples.
[Ana Goren] “How could an ancient mystery have anything to do with
September?”
[Nouriel Kaplan] “An ancient mystery behind everything from 9/11 to the
economy . . . to the housing boom . . . to the war in Iraq . . . to the
collapse of Wall Street. Everything in precise detail.”
[The Prophet] “The Assyrians are the fathers of terrorism, and those who mercilessly plotted out the calamity on 9/11 were their spiritual children, another link in the mystery joining America to ancient Israel.”
[Kaplan] “So if the ancient mystery is joined to
America, then somehow 9/11 has to be linked to the words ‘We will
rebuild.’”
[The Prophet] “Well done, Nouriel. So what would we expect to find in
Washington DC?”
[Kaplan] “Some link between this city and the ancient vow,” I said.
“Somehow Isaiah 9:10 has to be connected to Washington DC.”
[The Prophet] “And all referring to America’s campaign to defy the
calamity of 9/11, as he links it all to the judgment of ancient Israel.
[The Prophet] “Solomon was the king of Israel.
Washington was the first president of the United States. There was
something in the linking of ancient Israel and America, as with all the
other mysteries.”
Cahn’s belief in a direct prophetic link between Isaiah 9:10 and the
United States could not be more clear. As such, the author’s theory
about this direct connection unambiguously forms the “factual” basis for
the entire story.
The Mystery of Isaiah 9:10: A Driving Force?
Not only does Cahn seem to believe that there is a connection,
but he also presents Isaiah’s words as functioning as a driving force in
specific events in America over the last decade, set into motion by the
attacks of 9/11. According to The Prophet, because of the link between
Isaiah 9:10 and Israel, once the pattern is set into motion, each step
of the progression must inevitably take place.
The cause/effect relationship is also confirmed in his The 700 Club
interview on January 3, 2012:
[The mystery] even has determined the actions and the actual
words of American leaders. A mystery that goes back two and a half
thousand years and is a warning of judgment and a call of God—a
prophetic call of God.
This comes perilously close to being a mystical view of the prophetic
Scriptures because biblical prophecies do not function this way. Any
prophecy as specific as Isaiah 9:10 also has a unique, specific future
referent in view which sets parameters and limits on what constitutes
literal fulfilment. That what is being suggested about Isaiah 9:10
sounds more like a sort of mystical incantation than a prophecy is
reinforced when the author introduces the idea of “The Isaiah 9:10
Effect” later in chapter 15.
Undoubtedly, Jonathan Cahn did not intend to give this impression. But
he would not be the first person to unintentionally confuse genuinely
spiritual approaches with unbiblical and dangerous mystical ones.
America: A New Israel?
In the April 4 discussion, as well as in email correspondence, the
author has stated that he does not believe that America is the “New
Israel” or has replaced Israel in God’s program. However, a number of
exchanges between The Prophet and Nouriel Kaplan could easily leave The
Harbinger’s readers with a different impression. The Prophet builds the
case for the connection by referencing the thinking and intentions of
America’s founders:
[The Prophet] But there was one other—a civilization also conceived and
dedicated to the will of God from its conception . . . America. In fact,
those who laid its foundations . . .”
[Kaplan] “The Founding Fathers.”
[The Prophet] “No, long before the Founding Fathers. Those who
laid America’s foundations saw it as the new Israel, an Israel of the
New World. And as it was with ancient Israel, they saw it as in covenant
with God.”
Although the author denies this, the argument of the book seems to
specifically depend on the idea that America’s founders and early
leaders had indeed established the nation to be in a covenant
relationship with God similar to that of ancient Israel. If it were not
for this belief there would be no book. However, God established a
covenant relationship with only one nation through His covenant with
Abraham. Abraham entered into the covenant by faith, forever
establishing Israel as a unique nation in a unique relationship with God
that would be enjoyed by no other nation.
While The Harbinger does not state that God has completely rejected
national Israel, there is no reference to either modern-day or future
Israel at all. This is a significant omission because the sense one gets
from the book is that Israel had failed to heed the warnings of the
prophet and was subsequently permanently annihilated. This impression is
compounded by the fact that there is no mention of Isaiah 9:1-7 (as
noted earlier).
Granted, it is beyond the scope of The Harbinger to present a
fully-developed eschatology. However, all we know from the story is that
ancient Israel did not repent and was therefore destroyed. The story
then jumps to the vision the founders had for America to be the New
Israel. Again, this gives the impression that Israel met its final end,
which is precisely the warning the author is communicating to America if
there is no repentance.
The Ancient Mystery: The Nine Harbingers
As previously noted, the fictional part of the story centres around a
“mystery” connected with nine small, engraved clay discs. The original
purpose of the nine seals was to warn the Northern Kingdom of Israel of
progressive stages in God’s judgment as prophesied in Isaiah 9:10.
“The bricks have fallen down,
But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores have been cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”
The nine seals were “harbingers” of impending events in the passage that
would take place if Israel did not heed them as warnings— events which
would ultimately lead to a catastrophic final judgment resulting in
Israel’s total destruction and collapse. And although the nine seals are
only part of the fictional narrative, they do represent nine actual
“harbingers” or signs which the author believes he has identified in the
Isaiah passage. He also believes that he has discovered an ancient
mystery—a pattern of judgment represented by these signs, that is being
manifested once again in the United States of America. This is what the
author means when he writes, “…what is contained within the story is
real.”
NOTE: A thorough treatment of all nine harbingers is being included in a
book-length response to The Harbinger by this author. Each of the nine
harbingers has problems comparable to those discussed in this review.
The First Harbinger: The Breach
Concerning Israel: God’s removal of his “hedge of protection” which
allowed the Assyrians to attack
Concerning America: God’s removal of his hedge of protection which
directly led to the breach of America’s security, providing an opening
for the terrorists to attack on 9/11.
While God protects whomever, whenever and however He chooses, a “hedge
of protection” is a very specific type of protection. Such protection is
mentioned only twice in the Old Testament: once in Satan’s accusation
against God concerning Job (Job 1:10) and once concerning the nation of
Israel (Isaiah 5:5). In the New Testament, it appears in only one
parable which is also about Israel (Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1). There is
no indication anywhere in Scripture that any other nation ever has or
ever will be protected in this particular way.
In the absence of any scriptural support, how can it be claimed with any
certainty that 9/11 marked the removal of God’s hedge of protection?
Furthermore, even if God ever has provided such a hedge of protection
around America, is it not possible to also argue that it is still in
place? There has not been another terrorist attack since 9/11—even
though the motivation, intent and plotting to launch more attacks has
continued to the present.
Also, if America enjoyed God’s hedge of protection, then what about
Pearl Harbor? Hawaii was an American territory and therefore the attack
was against America and on American soil. The next year, the Japanese
captured and occupied two Aleutian islands of the Alaska territory. In
the War of 1812, Detroit was captured by the British and Washington D.C.
was captured and burned. Mexico invaded Texas in the Mexican-American
War. In 1993, the World Trade Centre was bombed by foreign nationals
with the intent of taking down both towers. Was God’s hedge of
protection not in place when these breaches occurred? If not, when was
it put into place or put back into place?
Third Harbinger: The Fallen Bricks
Concerning Israel: The bricks which were originally used to build the
city walls
Concerning America: Bricks that fell from buildings when the World Trade
Centres collapsed.
Fallen bricks meant the Northern Kingdom lay in ruins. However, as
tragic as they were, the 9/11 attacks involved only a few buildings, not
an entire city, let alone the entire nation. And although there had been
an airport security breach, this was not a breach of America’s military
defences, even when the attack on the Pentagon is considered.
The pattern of forcing current events into the Isaiah 9:10 prophecy
continues with the author’s discussion of the bricks themselves. The
fallen bricks in ancient Israel were the ruins of a destroyed city,
while fallen bricks were only incidental in the World Trade Centre
attacks. In fact, it has been suggested that it was the lack of masonry
construction that allowed the collapse of the towers.
Fourth Harbinger: The Tower
Concerning Israel: A spirit of defiance against God when Israel would
declare that the destroyed city would be rebuilt
Concerning America: The declaration by America’s leaders that the
destroyed towers would be rebuilt
On the fourth clay seal is the image of a tower which is described as
looking like the Tower of Babel. With nothing in the text about a tower
(more on this later), how does this fit in? In the story, it is
connected with a “spirit of defiance” which prompts the declaration by
ancient Israel to rebuild the levelled city with hewn stone—and in the
case of the WTCs, to rebuild a tower at Ground Zero.
Israel knew that the Assyrian attacks were a judgment they had brought
upon themselves. When they declared that they would rebuild, they were
shaking their fists in defiance of both their enemies and their God.
This is not what happened in the wake of 9/11. Yet, in both the book and
the documentary by World Net Daily, the author attempts to build the
case that America’s leaders were proudly and arrogantly acting in
defiance against God when they spoke of rebuilding (even though they
didn’t realize it). This is very misleading because although standing in
defiance of America’s enemies, they were demonstrably not standing in
defiance of God.
The explanation of the ninth harbinger seems even more misleading. In
the book, Cahn gives the impression that Senate Majority Leader Tom
Daschle concluded a speech on 9/12/2001 by quoting Isaiah 9:10.23 But,
that was not the end of the speech. In the documentary by World Net
Daily, Cahn specifically states that Daschle closes the speech with,
“That is what we will do and we will rebuild, and we will recover.”
However, this is not how the speech ended. There were two more sentences
not shown in the documentary:
The people of America will stand together because the people of
America have always stood together, and those of us who are privileged
to serve this great nation will stand with you. God bless the people of
America.
By invoking God and thinking he was comforting Americans by using the
Bible (albeit wrongly), his intent was clearly not defiance against
God—it was exactly the opposite. To fail to include or mention his last
two sentences is very misleading.
On September 11, 2004, then vice-presidential candidate John Edwards was
speaking at the Congressional Black Caucus Prayer Breakfast. Cahn
attempts to frame his speech as another unwitting act of defiance
against God. However, an honest reading of the speech shows that
defiance of God was the furthest thing from his mind.
However, he explains that both Daschle and Edwards were defying God
without realizing it. In spite of their intentions, Cahn postulates that
God was inspiring them to unknowingly pronounce judgment upon America.
But how does he know that God is inspiring America’s leaders to
prophecy? Unfortunately, he presents his speculation as fact. This is
undoubtedly not part of the fictional storyline.
The author attempts to defend his theory by referencing Caiaphas, who
unwittingly prophesied concerning the death of Christ (John 11:49-52)
Cahn concludes that Daschle and Edwards intended to say one thing, but
their words carried a far different meaning. However, that is not what
happened with Caiaphas. His words were inspired to mean exactly what he
intended. He just didn’t know how right he actually was. Once again, the
author’s exposition of the biblical text does not stand up to scrutiny
and the supposed parallel is simply not there.
Finally, Cahn appeals to the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation
of the Hebrew Old Testament) to bring the idea of a tower into Isaiah
9:10. The Septuagint has “let us build for ourselves a tower.” However,
this phrase is not in the Hebrew text.
Furthermore, he doesn’t inform his readers that in contrast to the
Hebrew text, the Septuagint indicates that it is Israel that cuts down
the sycamores. And rather than planting cedars, they, too, are cut
down—apparently for the purpose of building the tower. So, the
Septuagint eliminates the sixth and seventh harbingers. It is extremely
misleading and ethically questionable to pick one phrase out of a
translation in order to prove a point when the passage as a whole has a
very different meaning.
The Isaiah 9:10 Effect
The Harbinger is roughly divided into two major parts. Chapters 1-13 lay
a foundation for the author’s arguments as he attempts to correlate the
nine harbingers of Isaiah 9:10 with events of the last decade in America
as evidence for the first wave of God’s judgment. In the second part of
the book, chapters 14-22, Cahn presents a second wave of God’s judgment,
a “second shaking,” as a final warning of impending severe judgment if
America persists on its present path and refuses to repent. The “Isaiah
9:10 Effect” is introduced in chapter 15 and is used to explain the
second shaking, which is the collapse of the entire American economy.
The Prophet explains the Isaiah 9:10 Effect as follows:
“The attempt of a nation to defy the course of its judgment, apart from
repentance, will, instead, set in motion a chain of events to bring
about the very calamity it sought to avert.”
Thus, the Isaiah 9:10 Effect is presented as having prophetic force,
going far beyond a simple parallel or pattern. Cahn believes that the
Isaiah 9:10 Effect is what has driven the course of events since the
9/11 terrorist attacks:
[Kaplan] “And they connect 9/11 to the economic collapse?”
[The Prophet] “Not only do they connect them . . . they determined them
. . . down to the time each would take place.”
[Kaplan] “An ancient mystery?”
[The Prophet] “Yes, an ancient mystery upon which the global economy and
every transaction within it was determined, a mystery that begins more
than three thousand years ago in the sands of a Middle Eastern desert.”
Thus, the Isaiah 9:10 Effect is presented as an inviolable principle
that once set in motion, the corresponding prescribed outcome is
inevitable. Furthermore, it is discussed as if it were completely
biblical, yet nothing even remotely similar to this theoretical
principle is mentioned or implied anywhere in the Word of God.
The theory of the Isaiah 9:10 effect also raises an obvious, but very
important question: Are there any other prophetic passages in the Old
Testament that also function in a similar way? How many other prophecies
directed to Israel can be correlated to historical events in the United
States? Is there also a “Genesis 12:1-3 Effect?”—or a “Joshua 1:6
Effect?” Are such principles to be found throughout the Old Testament or
is Isaiah 9:10 the only such passage (which would seem unlikely if the
Isaiah 9:10 Effect were true)?
The bottom line is this: If a theological idea cannot be supported by
the Bible, then someone simply made it up. Unfortunately, this is
precisely the nature of the Isaiah 9:10 Effect—it is made up.
The Shemitah as a Mystery
In the Law God commanded that every seventh year Israel must allow the
land to completely rest with no harvesting, reaping or any other work in
the fields. In addition, all who owed money to creditors were to be
released from their debts (Deut. 15:1-2). This was the Shemitah (or
“release” in Hebrew).
Humanly speaking, the Shemitah should be crippling for any nation that
attempted to practice it. However, Israel was not just any nation. It
was the one special nation God had raised up to be His chosen people.
God would demonstrate His love and faithfulness to Israel by providing
enough in the sixth year to meet the nation’s needs the following year.
Conversely, Israelites would demonstrate their faith in God as
individuals and as a nation by obeying the command to keep the Shemitah
and trusting Him for the results.
The author correctly has The Prophet stating that the Shemitah was never
given to nor binding upon any nation other than Israel.30 However, in an
apparent contradiction, he also believes that hidden in the Shemitah is
a mystery that is now affecting the United States31—a mystery that
extends to even the precise timing of events to the day. He argues that
God has imposed a Shemitah upon the United States as He did when Israel
had turned from Him and failed to voluntarily observe the Shemitah for
centuries. In what seems to be an attempt to mitigate this
contradiction, he presents the Shemitah as a principle as he did the
Isaiah 9:10 Effect. Yet, as is true of the Isaiah 9:10 Effect, Scripture
nowhere presents the Shemitah as either a mystery or a pattern or a
universal principle connected with God’s judgment.
The Shemitah as a Principle
In order to lay a foundation for the argument that the Shemitah is a
principle, the author makes the following assertion through the words of
Nouriel Kaplan: “Seven years—the biblical period of time that concerns a
nation’s financial and economic realms.” While Israel was on a
seven-year cycle as required by God, this statement further suggests
that the Bible indicates that seven years represent a natural economic
cycle in general. However, once again, there are no biblical passages to
support this idea.
Furthermore, extensive internet research does not reveal any uniform
conventional wisdom or consensus among economists or financial experts
that seven years is a natural economic or financial cycle (although
apparently it has been suggested a couple of times). Things are said
about various cycles that range from three to ten years, but cycles of
specifically and exactly seven years apparently do not exist. And, yet,
the Shemitah was precise to the exact day.
Cahn’s theory that the Shemitah is a principle thus appears to be yet
another example of speculation raised to the level of fact, which is
once again misleading. Yet, the second half of the book is built on this
theory.
The Shemitah as a Sign
According to Cahn, the Shemitah is not only a principle, but is also a
sign which is “given to a nation that has driven God out of its life and
replaced Him with idols and the pursuit of gain. The issue is the
Shemitah as a sign of judgment, the sign that specifically touches a
nation’s financial and economic realms.”
However, if the Shemitah is genuinely a sign from God, then it is a
predictor of things to come because a biblical sign is revelatory.
Therefore, if God warns that judgment will come through a particular set
of events, when those events begin to happen they signify that the
prophesied judgment is underway. On the other hand, in the absence of
such a prophetic warning, even if identical events happen, it cannot be
known with any certainty that God is executing judgment. For example,
even though God judged Egypt through a locust plague, that another
region of the world also experiences a swarm of locusts does not
necessarily mean that those people are under judgment.
Because the Word of God does not give the required prophetic warning
concerning America and the Shemitah, there is no Scriptural basis to
interpret recent events as a sign that God is imposing a Shemitah as
judgment upon the nation.
The Shemitah and America
What, then, could bring someone to suggest any sort of connection
between the Shemitah and America? The only potential explanation would
seem to be that the author, in some sense, believes the founders were
right about America being in covenant with God, even if not as a new
Israel per se, at least patterned after Israel’s covenantal relationship
with Him. This is not to suggest that Cahn believes that national Israel
has been replaced and has no future in God’s program. Unfortunately,
there seems to be a significant disconnect between what the author says
he believes about this and the ideas he presents in the book.
The Case for the Shemitah
The examples Cahn uses to demonstrate that America is going through an
imposed Shemitah feel contrived. In contrast, the Shemitah in ancient
Israel was simple. The Israelites were not to work the land and the
wealthy lenders were required to forgive the debts owed to them by
average people. When God imposed the Shemitah on Israel, He forced them
to stop working the land completely by taking the nation into captivity.
And, as captives, the wealthy were brought down to the level of their
debtors and the financial system completely collapsed. The imposed
Shemitah was not simply a sign, it was the judgment itself. It meant
utter devastation. Almost everyone lost almost everything.
Since the situation with America has been significantly different, the
author must go to great lengths in an attempt to support his
interpretation of both the Bible and history. He has clearly done
extensive research and has assembled an impressive array of facts and
figures. Because he writes and speaks with conviction and authority, he
makes a case that initially seems compelling—and one that has persuaded
a lot of people that he is right.
However, upon closer examination, little of what is presented concerning
America remotely resembles the Shemitah imposed by God upon ancient
Israel. The first major component of the imposed Shemitah, forcing the
land to lay completely fallow, has no contemporary parallel, even if
possible economic modern-day equivalents are considered. Nothing in this
regard indicates that an imposed Shemitah might be underway.
An analysis of the other major component, concerning credit and debt,
reveals that the parallels proposed by the author are not much closer.
He draws his support almost exclusively from the failure of a few large
financial institutions and the response of the federal government. He
cites four corporations.: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, and
AIG.
However, this doesn’t follow “the ancient pattern.” Ancient Israel was
overrun by a foreign army with everything of value either destroyed or
taken. In sharp contrast, even though the U.S. and global economy has
gone through a serious contraction and certainly many have been hurt, it
has not been even close to the scale, relatively speaking, of the utter
devastation that occurred in Israel.
As the author rightly notes, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were
rescued by the federal government when the Federal Financial Housing
Authority placed them under conservatorship. They did not collapse.
When Lehman Brothers filed the largest bankruptcy in history after being
denied a federal bailout, the U.S. and world markets were rattled for
weeks. However, the analysis in the book includes overstatements and
what feels like spin in the effort to find support. Although The Prophet
states that the fall of Lehman Brothers triggered the implosion of the
American and global economies,36 the fact is that they did not implode.
They were seriously shocked, even damaged, but they did not collapse.
Unfortunately, because the failure was staggering in terms of dollars
($639 billion in assets and $619 billion in debt), the reader’s initial
reaction might be that the author has made his case on this point—but he
has not. If both the assets and debt of Lehman Brothers, at $1.25
trillion are added together, this represents only an extremely small
percentage of the world economy. Even when compared to just the American
economy, which has an estimated value of $188 trillion in assets, it
comes out to only about 0.6%—a far cry from what happened when God
judged Israel and imposed a Shemitah.
The author continues to try to build his case by citing the September
29, 2008 stock market crash as the “greatest single-day stock market
crash in Wall Street history.”39 However, in only one place does the
author note that it was the biggest drop in terms of points not in terms
of percentage. At the same time, he repeats over and over that it was
the “biggest crash in Wall Street history.” The fact is that at just 7%,
the drop in the Dow Jones industrial average did not even rank in the
top ten.
To be fair, the Dow did drop a total of about 25% in the two weeks
following the defeat of the bailout bill in the U.S. Congress on
September 29. Once again, however, this does not rank in the same league
as the market collapse in 1929 when it fell 48% in just over two months.
By the time the crash had run its course, stocks had lost 90% of their
value. Was God imposing a Shemitah in 1929? What about the other major
market crashes that are in the top ten?
Even the above examples do not exhaust the numerous overstatements in
this section, but they do give a sense of just how statistics can be
used to prove almost anything.
King Solomon and George Washington
As previously noted, Kaplan, the journalist, has a dream about the
dedication of the temple in Jerusalem under king Solomon (chapter 19).
Although the author has said that this dream is simply part of the
fictional storyline, it seems unlikely that there is not a specific
reason behind connecting Solomon and George Washington given what is in
the previous eighteen chapters. Why does Solomon transform into George
Washington on the Temple Mount? This suggests that Cahn does, in fact,
believe that there is much more than some superficial parallelism
between the establishment of ancient Israel and the establishment of the
United States as an independent nation.
Although preceded by kings Saul and David, it was Solomon who built and
dedicated the temple. This finalized the establishment of Israel as a
nation because it was then that God came to dwell among His people once
again—not in a temporary tent, but in a permanent structure. So, too,
the inauguration of George Washington finalized the establishment of the
United States as a nation. The factual message that Cahn believes he is
communicating through this fictional literary device is unmistakable
(and not too surprising).
At this point, it would seem difficult for the author to continue to
deny that he has clearly connected ancient Israel and America together.
In fact, that he believes they are linked is stated explicitly in the
book:
[Kaplan] “Solomon was the king of Israel. Washington was the first
president of the United States. There was something in the linking of
ancient Israel and America, as with all the other mysteries.”
Mosaic or Abrahamic Covenant?
Also, despite denials to the contrary, Cahn seems to affirm, once again,
that America is in a covenant relationship with God. As part of his
explanation of the dream, The Prophet says, “The nation’s ground of
consecration will become its ground of judgment.” A few pages later,
Kaplan has traced the consecration of the United States to God’s
purposes to the first capital, New York City—and more specifically to
St. Paul’s Chapel, “The place where America was dedicated to God”—which
is located at Ground Zero.
In other words, a harbinger had been manifested in America, just as it
had been in Israel. The place of Israel’s consecration, the temple, was
destroyed, while the place of America’s dedication, Ground Zero, was
also destroyed. Immediately following the above quote, The Prophet
continues: “The Temple Mount represented the nation’s covenant with God.
So its destruction was the ultimate sign that the covenant was broken.”
In other words, the destruction of the place of consecration was a sign
that the nation’s covenant with God had been broken—both Israel’s
covenant and America’s covenant.
By insisting on pressing every detail as he has, Cahn has either tipped
his hand as to what he really believes or has made a serious mistake
that needs to be corrected because no one could come to any other
conclusion but that he is saying Israel and the United States are both
God’s chosen covenant nations. When combined with the fact that he only
refers to Israel’s destruction, but never its restoration as modern-day
Israel or its future hope as the centre of the Messianic Kingdom, he
gives the unmistakable impression that America actually does constitute
a new Israel.
Another serious question is that of precisely which covenant was broken?
Was it the Mosaic Covenant or the Abrahamic Covenant? The foundation of
America has been in view throughout the book, but it was upon the
foundation of the Abrahamic Covenant that the nation of Israel was
established. If Cahn is somehow proposing that Israel managed to break
the Abrahamic Covenant, then that means God is finished with national
Israel. If that is not what he is suggesting, then The Harbinger needs
to undergo some serious revisions to clear up the theological confusion
caused by this ambiguity.
Confirmation of prophecy to America
In chapter 20, the author once again demonstrates that there is a
discrepancy between what he now says he meant in the book and what he
actually wrote. He emphatically denies that Isaiah’s prophecy is to
America. However, he explicitly states that there is a prophetic word
from Solomon to America:
[The Prophet] “So the message is twofold. There’s another part to it,
another prophetic word, and this time from King Solomon.”
[Kaplan] “From King Solomon to America?”
[The Prophet] “For that nation that has turned from God, for that nation
from which the smiles of heaven have been withdrawn.”
[Kaplan] “And this word came during the dedication of the Temple?” I
asked.
[The Prophet] “It came when the dedication was finished”
Preparing for Eternity
As stated in the beginning of this review, the author is to be commended
for his desire to proclaim a message of repentance to America. His
target audience is believers and unbelievers alike, which is one reason
he chose to use the fictional format. He also rightly notes that
national repentance can only take place at a personal level, when people
individually turn to God. Because of this, chapter 21, “Eternity,” is
arguably the most important one in the book. The challenge to be
spiritually prepared for the day of judgment is quite clear as The
Prophet states: “And no one is exempt. Each must stand before Him.
Unfortunately, there are some issues which diminish the impact this
chapter could have. A believer, or even an unbeliever who already
understands the gospel would understand what the author is talking
about. However, there are a few things which are either not stated, are
unclear or require the reader to “connect-the-dots”—a difficult task
without some prior exposure to Christianity.
Although the author does present the idea that Jesus is God in one place
in the dialogue, it could be easily missed by an unbeliever. Neither is
Jesus identified as “the Son of God.”
The book does talk about God putting himself in our place, “In our life,
in our death, in our judgment . . . the sacrifice” which is a very good
statement. However, while the Cross at Ground Zero is mentioned, the
connection with Jesus and what He did is not. What is not clearly stated
is that Jesus died on the cross, shedding His blood for our sins.
It was Jesus’ death that secured the forgiveness of sin and it is His
resurrection that provides the sure hope of eternal life. Paul makes it
clear in 1 Corinthians 15:1-6 that Jesus’ resurrection is an essential
component of the gospel and in Romans 10:9 that one must believe in His
resurrection to be saved. However, there is no mention of the
resurrection in The Harbinger.
As previously noted, Isaiah 9:10 is in the context of one of the most
important messianic passages in the Bible. Yet, the problem of not
mentioning Jesus’ resurrection is compounded by the fact that His return
is not mentioned either. Although Cahn repeatedly emphasizes the danger
of coming judgment, nowhere does he tie it to the Second Coming of
Christ. Neither does he mention the hope of the peace that will come to
the earth during Christ’s rule over the promised millennial kingdom.
Cahn describes what someone must do to be saved:
[The Prophet] “By receiving . . . by letting go . . . by letting
the old life end and a new one begin. By choosing . . . by opening your
heart to receive that which is beyond containing—the presence . . . the
mercy . . . the forgiveness . . . the cleansing . . . the unending love
of God.”
However, it is never explained that it is by simple faith that one
“receives, lets go, chooses or opens one’s heart.” Neither faith in
Christ, nor believing in Christ, nor trusting in Christ for one’s
salvation are ever discussed. Someone with no biblical background would
not understand what The Prophet means when he speaks of partaking in the
infinite sacrifice. Unfortunately, the gospel is almost obscured in the
midst of the many words, while things which could have made it much more
clear are missing.
The Tenth Seal
In addition to the nine harbinger seals, there is a tenth, which is
Kaplan’s personal seal. In the last chapter of the book, which deals
with the tenth seal, the author seems to reveal the connection between
himself and Nouriel Kaplan. It actually seems likely that Kaplan is
Jonathan Cahn himself.
Kaplan is Jewish, as is the author. Kaplan is from the priestly line of
Levi, as is the author. Kaplan becomes a messianic believer in Christ,
as is the author. Kaplan has been given a prophetic message by God, as
the author apparently believes is true of himself. Kaplan is
commissioned and anointed to become a prophet himself, just as many are
saying of the author. Kaplan is to be a “watchman on the wall” to warn
of impending judgment, just as the author sees himself. And finally,
Kaplan is encouraged to get out the message by writing a fictional
novel, as has the author.
Conclusion
Jonathan Cahn wrote The Harbinger to call America to repent and turn to
God, as well as to warn the nation that it is in danger of coming under
the judgment of God if it fails to do so. This is a legitimate and very
important message. He also rightly recognizes that the danger faced by
the nation is ultimately a personal spiritual matter for each American.
This message could have been communicated in any number of ways,
including through a fictional novel. That is not the main problem. The
real problem arises from the way he has inappropriately handled the Word
of God, from the many instances of speculation concerning the
interpretation of historical events, and from the many overstatements
and misleading statements he has made in order to make his case for an
ancient mystery hidden in Isaiah 9:10.
Unfortunately, The Harbinger is a distraction from properly
understanding the Word of God, particularly prophecy and so can
legitimately be characterized as dangerous. It conveys what the author
believes is a prophetic message, but the book clearly does not meet the
tests for a prophetic Word from God. The Harbinger is misleading and
therefore does not legitimately achieve what it sets out to do.
Believers run the risk of embracing a misguided view of Scripture and a
distorted view of history, while unbelievers will likely end up either
sceptical or confused or both.
Cahn apparently anticipated that the book would encounter opposition,
launching a “pre-emptive strike” against his critics:
[Kaplan] “They’ll do everything they can to attack and discredit it.”
[The Prophet] “Of course they will,” he said. “Otherwise they’d have to
accept it.”
[Kaplan] “But not only the message.”
[The Prophet] “No, the messenger as well.”
[Kaplan] “They’ll do everything they can to attack and discredit the one
who bears the message.”
[The Prophet] “Yes,” said the prophet. “The messenger will be
opposed, vilified and hated, mocked and slandered. It has to be that
way, just as it was for Jeremiah and Baruch.”
To be clear, this reviewer is not an enemy of the Word of God or of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. I accept the Bible as literally true and that
all biblical prophecy will be fulfilled. I agree that America is truly
on a dangerous path and could well find itself under God’s judgment, if
that has not already begun.