The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn

Image source: TheHarbingerBook.com

Subtitle is The Ancient Mystery that Holds the Secret of America's Future.

Finally, I got around to reading this book. I've also procrastinated in posting a review of it. That's mainly because I don't know what to think of it. The title was a negative for me because I thought it sounded like another Mayan-type prophecy that would be more hype than substance. But, since everybody was talking about it, I decided to read it.

The ideas presented in the book are thought-provoking if nothing else. The author is a Messianic Jew and leader of a worship center in New Jersey. See more about him here. He is recognized as an authority on Jewish scripture. However, many question that his idea that America and Israel are similar in that they both have a covenant with God. According to Cahn, because of this special relationship, America is subject to the same warning-punishment-forgiveness process that is described in the Old Testament. If you do not agree with this theory, the whole thing collapses.

His key scripture is the prophecy in Isaiah 9:10. Israel has been apostate and has been warned. However, Israel is still arrogantly rejecting God. Cahn suggests that America is in the same situation. The September 11 attacks were a warning. The 2008 market crash and a number of other current events are presented as similar warnings. He finds parallels to the scripture in objects and events surrounding  9/11. He calls for repentance to avoid future disasters.

Since I'm not a Bible expert, I hesitate to criticize someone who is. However, there are a number of Bible scholars who disagree with Cahn. To say that the book is controversial is definitely an understatement. I found it difficult to read because it is written in story form. There is entirely too much dialogue between the three main characters and not enough action. It's presented as fiction but, as they say in the book, it could also be true. I think Cahn would have been better off presenting it as nonfiction. However, it's possible that more people have read it because it is fiction.

Read more about The Harbinger at this link. Also, perhaps we should all read The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?

Note: This book was not provided to me by the publisher.