More Observations On The Harbinger & Defiance to It

I just posted this entry on the Posted on Tim Challies’ web site
Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 at 12:40PM

We live in an age where television and the ten second sound bite has conditioned most of us to be unable to read much literature. When we do, it is with great difficulty. I myself am not an avid reader of fiction. I prefer theological works such as the writings of Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Ariel Ministries), and Nehemiah Gordon (Karaite Korner, Makor Hebrew Foundation). Every so often I pick up a fictional work, but unless it is well-written and engaging like a Tom Clancy Novel, I'll lost interest right away.

The Harbinger is a work of fiction used as a warning to the Christians of our nation to awaken from its slumber of apathy, spiritual complacency, and disengagement, and to repent and turn to God.

Like I said, I am not a lover of fiction, unless the story I am reading is written in a style like a Tom Clancy novel; riveting, engaging, melodramatic, and extremely realistic and highly plausible.

I would have preferred if The Harbinger had been given in documentary style, as it is preached by Rabbi Cahn in his sermons, but he chose to write it as a novel instead.

I find the Isaiah 9:10 Judgment DVDs that takes what the book says and breaks it all down to its elements and presents its various components as a documentary; to be thoroughly engaging, like Rabbi Cahn's sermons on The Harbinger.

I understand your difficulty in reading the book. It's interesting; some people found they could not put the book down, whereas others, like yourself; found it difficult to read and disengaging.

There is some truth in the old cliché' that one man's poison is another's food.

But all that aside, it is the underlying theme of The Harbinger that our generation must give heed to, because it involves the destiny of our nation. It involves US as God's people - and we are a covenant people; being made heirs according to God's promises which He made to Abraham through Jesus Christ, and thus these things apply to US, more so than they do to our nation as a whole, though our reaction to what God has to say and what we do with it, will determine the direction America will take, as this election will.

This is what is missed almost entirely by The Harbinger's critics, and it is part of the hardening that will take place both in civil society and within parts of the Christian Community. Jonathan Cahn doesn't say that, I am becoming increasingly aware of that, and so I write of it here, as I have on David James' web site, and have warned him of it, since he is in its epicenter

With every great awakening there are also those who scoff and deride those being used by God to bring it. Many of Israel's prophets were put to horrible deaths because what they had to say was objectionable to those who hear them.

Jesus Christ our Lord Himself, said that if the Head of the Household is called the Lord of the flies, how much more will those who follow Him have the same thing done to them?

I am not at all surprised by the mixed reaction from some quarters The Harbinger has received. It was to be expected, because those same quarters have long been trashing Christians with whom they have fundamental differences of doctrine with.

And I'm not referring here to such exposing cults or false prophets such as Benny Hinn, Robert Titlon, and experiences such as the so-called Toronto Revival; those are obvious aberrations from Biblical Christianity.

I'm not even referring to exposing the false doctrines based on the so-called "faith and prosperity" materialistic gospel being preached by the Word of Faith religious telemarketers and some of the large mega churches. No.

I'm referring to mainline born again, Bible believing Christian who are not Cessationists, who do not hold to hyper-Dispensationalism, or Armenianism, or even what some would term a form of hyper-Calvinist beliefs. These are savaged criticized and their opinions are attacked by these "discernment" teachers who have focused their laser thin gaze on their ministries, as these do now with Cahn's book and teachings.

Therein lies the rub, because the discernment ministries such as the Alliance for Biblical Integrity and the Berean Call - both sort of interconnected entities - have now turned their focus and attention away from the cults and primarily towards their fellow Christians whom they have doctrinal and hermeneutical differences with, and it is under the mantle of "truth and discernment" that they marginalize the ministries and teachings of other Christians.

This is not the Biblical metric for conflict resolution among Christians within the body of Christ and the methods employed by these so-called discernment ministries have often crossed the line when attacking other ministries over doctrinal and exegetical questions they do not agree with.

Because they are doing this, they are bearing false witness against other Christians inasmuch as they are sowing needless contention with the body by employing highly deceptive and Scripturally questionable methods in a public forum.

And because they have built around themselves a reputation and a following - and to an extent, one must say that they've earned it - they are now exploiting that reputation to their advantage as a Trojan Horse within the Body of Christ, destroying lives and reputations, and ministries engaged in bringing people to the saving knowledge of God's grace in Jesus Christ.

This ought not to be.

It would serve the cause of Christ well, were these brethren (and I'll name them here) - Tom A. McMahon (the Berean Call), David James (ABI - Alliance for Biblical Integrity), Brannon Howse (World View Times & World View Weekend Radio), Jimmy DeYoung (the Berean Call), Moriel Carol (James Jacob Prasch), Eric Douma (Twin Cities Fellowship), Ken Silva (Apprising Ministries), Robert Scarpati, Berit Kjos, Jeremy James, Christine Pack (Sola Sisters), Mark Dinsmore (T.A. McMahon - Berean Call), Tommy Ice (Pre-Trib Research Center, Liberty University), Chris Rosebrough (PirateChristian), S. Brinkmann (Women of Grace), Gary E. Gilley (Apprising Ministries), and Larry DeBruyn (ABI). all to take a step back, pray, about what they have done, and stop justifying themselves, but act humbly before their God and question their methods, and its results, and whether or not there is a better, Biblical approach to doctrinal conflict resolution among believing Christians.