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Excerpts from
The Harbinger: By David James Article by |
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Chapter 1 – “Introduction“Calling America back
to God is a valid message and one that needs to be proclaimed. America is
clearly in trouble in many ways…. However, because of serious flaws
throughout the book, its potential dangers may outweigh the benefits. The
errors may well overshadow the truth.Many of the views
and ideas presented in The Harbinger have both significant exegetical
and theological problems. Also, the book may leave many of its readers with
serious misunderstandings about how to appropriately interpret and apply the
Word of God. Another concern is that in trying to support his conclusions,
Cahn appears to overstate his case, sees prophetic fulfillment where none
exists, and presses details to draw parallels between historical events
beyond what the facts reasonably support.
Chapter 2 – “Departure from a Biblical Hermeneutic“In a moderated
discussion on Prophecy Today with this author, Cahn affirmed his belief that
Isaiah 9:10 was specifically to ancient Israel. He has also stated that the
prophecy is not to, for, or about America…. However, the book leaves the
reader with the very distinct impression that Isaiah’s prophecy and ancient
Israel are indeed connected to modern-day America in some way.
Chapter 8 – “America: A New Israel?”. . . after having
read The Harbinger, [Glenn] Beck discussed the book on his radio program.
His understanding of what Cahn is saying is identical to that of Timothy
Ballard (author of The Covenant: America’s Sacred and Immutable Connection
to Ancient Israel) — a foundational concept in The Harbinger is that an
American covenant with God exists. On his GBTV television program, Beck said
the following about The Harbinger:“I find this truly amazing because this [The
Harbinger] is making the case that I’ve been making on this program for
a while — that we made a covenant. . . . George Washington made that
covenant in a church that’s right across the street from the World Trade
Center. . . . I believe that church had God’s protection on it to send
us a message. . ..”
Chapter 9 – “Missing Critical Elements“The New Testament
makes it clear that every future judgment of God involves Jesus Christ, yet
Cahn never makes that association…. One almost senses
that Cahn has explicitly avoided saying too much about Christ and Christians
and Christianity. Trying to avoid giving the impression that this is only
about religion is a good thing. But leaving out so much crucial biblical
truth concerning the nature of the coming judgment is just wrong.
Chapter 10 – “The Ancient Mystery: The Nine Harbingers“The Sixth
Harbinger: The SycamoreThis is yet another
forced parallel that does not withstand closer examination. First, the
sycamore (fig-mulberry) of ancient Israel and the American sycamore are two
completely different trees that are unrelated in any way. They are not the
same species (Ficus sycomorus vs. Platanus occidentalis). They are not in
the same genus (Ficus vs. Plantanus), nor even in the same family (Moraceae vs. Platanaceae)….The tree in Israel
is a fruit-bearing tree, with the English translation ultimately coming from
the Greek for “fig-mulberry” which is sycomoros. However, this tree is shaqam in
Hebrew. So it is not legitimate to claim that this tree was a “sycamore” to
the ancient Israelites, who lived long before the influence of the Greek
Empire. It was a fig-mulberry — it was a shaqam to them.In contrast, the
American sycamore, as stated before, is not botanically related in any way
to the fig-mulberry. There is no semantic connection. Of course, both trees
carry the same name–but this is true only for English-speakers, not for
Hebrew-speakers.The Seventh
Harbinger: The Erez TreeCahn’s reasoning
reveals that he is depending on the taxonomic classification system to make
his case. The taxonomic system is based on a hierarchy of seven ranks for
classifying all living things on earth….The Norway spruce
planted at Ground Zero is biblically a different kind of tree than the
cedars of Lebanon in Isaiah 9:10. Although the Bible is not a scientific
textbook, it is accurate in those matters of science about which it speaks.
Consequently, based on the authority of the Word of God there is no amazing
coincidence. There is no match. There is no parallel. And there is no
harbinger.
Chapter 12 – “The Isaiah 9:10 Effect“Just as the theory
of the nine harbingers was developed to demonstrate the connection between
Isaiah 9:10 and America, the Isaiah 9:10 Effect is crucial to understanding
God’s second round of warning to America.So, the question
remains, “Where does the concept of the Isaiah 9:10 Effect come from?” It
doesn’t come from the text itself, nor from the immediate context. Neither
is anything remotely similar to The Isaiah 9:10 Effect mentioned or implied
anywhere else in Scripture. . . . Cahn presents the Isaiah 9:10 Effect as if
it were an inviolable scriptural principle — that once it is set in motion,
the corresponding prescribed outcome is inevitable.
Chapter 14 – “The Shemitah“All credit and debt
from 2001 to 2008 had “in effect, been canceled?” There were certainly a lot
of losses experienced by both creditors and investors, but nowhere close to
all debt was wiped away. Just the simple fact that many people ended up
upside down on their mortgages as the housing market collapsed and many lost
their homes because of foreclosures clearly demonstrates this. . . . If debt
had been wiped away, these people could have kept their homes and owed
nothing.Another crucial
issue that could be easy to miss is the fact that the author has
just redefined the Shemitah itself. The biblical Shemitah involved the
cancellation of all debt owed to creditors. However, Cahn has completely
redefined it, with no scriptural support whatsoever, to include the wiping
out of savings and investments. This is more than misleading.And the speculation
does not end there. Cahn goes so far as to argue that God was imposing
a global Shemitah made up of countless smaller ones all over the world. . .
. This is so far beyond the realm of reasonable logic, so thoroughly
contradicted by historical facts, and so completely devoid of any biblical
support that it simply requires no rebuttal other than to say, “It did not
happen.”
Chapter 15 – “A King and a President“As previously noted,
Nouriel 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, the idea of
connecting Solomon and George Washington is clearly far more than just a
surprising plot-twist.Furthermore. Cahn
goes well beyond just connecting them in some vague sort of way — King
Solomon actually transforms into George Washington on the Temple Mount. . .
.
Chapter 16 – “Preparing for Eternity“Not once does the
author ever mention the idea of “placing one’s faith in Christ” or
“believing in Christ” or “trusting in Christ” for one’s salvation. In fact,
quite inexplicably, the words faith and trust never appear in relation to
salvation or the gospel anywhere in The Harbinger.Unfortunately the
gospel is almost completely obscured in the midst of the many words, while
the few words and phrases that could have made the gospel very clear are
missing. . . .Although Cahn refers
to the Cross at Ground Zero three times in one paragraph, he never makes any
connection between it and the Cross upon which Jesus was crucified. He makes
no other mention of the Cross anywhere in the book. It is never once clearly
stated that Jesus died on the Cross, shedding His blood for the remission of
our sins.Paul makes it clear
in 1 Corinthians 15:1-6 that Jesus’ resurrection is an essential component
of the gospel, and in Romans 10:9-11 he states that one must believe in His
resurrection to be saved…. However there is not the slightest mention of
the resurrection of Jesus Christ anywhere in The Harbinger. How could this
be?
Chapter 17 – “The Tenth Seal“The following quote
is from an article titled “Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism.”“Mysticism and mystical experiences have
been a part of Judaism since the earliest days. The Torah contains many
stories of mystical experiences, from visitations by angels to prophetic
dreams and visions. The Talmud considers the existence of the soul and
when it becomes attached to the body.”“Jewish tradition tells that the souls of
all Jews were in existence at the time of the Giving of the Torah and
were present at the time and agreed to the Covenant. There are many
stories of places similar to Christian heaven and purgatory, of
wandering souls and reincarnation. The Talmud contains vague hints of a
mystical school of thought that was taught only to the most advanced
students and was not committed to writing.”Intentional or
otherwise, Jonathan Cahn’s approach to explaining the ancient mystery hidden
in Isaiah 9:10 seems eerily close to the above description. Even if he does
not personally subscribe to classic Jewish mysticism, as a messianic rabbi
he certainly seems to have created his own form.
Chapter 18 – “Final Thoughts“Jonathan Cahn’s
intention is for The Harbinger to be a powerful wakeup call for
America — a call to repent from her rapid descent into the depths of sin and
turn to God as her only hope of avoiding His imminent judgment. . . . Cahn
has grabbed the attention of millions–and he has struck a nerve. For those
who have taken this idea seriously, we can praise and thank the Lord for His
gracious loving-kindness.In the final
analysis . . . The Harbinger’s phenomenal success is the result of a tragedy
whose magnitude can be measured in many ways. It can be measured in terms
of dollars and hundreds of thousands of copies that have been sold . . . or
in terms of its long-held position near the top of the theology category on
Amazon.com . . . or in terms of the millions of television viewers and radio
listeners who have been dramatically influenced through the interviews Cahn
has given.The real tragedy is
what ultimately allowed this to happen. A growing segment of the
evangelical church seems to be losing its way regarding discernment. We
have become far too dependent on what others are writing when it comes to
our own understanding of the Word of God. We’re letting others do the “heavy
lifting” while we sit, watch, listen, and atrophy.Like a beautiful
piece of furniture that appears to be handcrafted from the finest oak but
really has only the very thinnest of oak veneers, The Harbinger has
only a veneer that gives it the appearance of being biblical. How could so
many believers be deceived by this? Is it because the church has largely
abdicated its responsibility to examine and test a matter in light of
Scripture?
“…they
received the word with all readiness,
and searched the
Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Therefore many of them believed.” Acts
17:10-12
See
The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?
(article)
The Harbinger – A Matter of Critical Discernment
The Harbinger – Part 1: Revealing – or Concealing – America’s Ancient Mystery?The Harbinger,
the Inverted Tree and Prophetic Speculation
George Washington: A
Prophetic Dream