This is Part VIII of the ongoing series of replies to David James’ response to Dr. David R. Reagan’s defense of The Harbinger. This was going to be our final entry into this discussion between David James, the man at the epicenter of this controversy from whose writings the other critics of The Harbinger formulated and built their completely misinformed attacks against Pastor and Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn more than a year and a half ago, but because of the sheer volume of information, I have had to cut it down even further. I am addressing each and every one of David James’ contentions biblically one by one.
It is a strange irony that the man who developed from his own reasoning and misapplied theology the system of attacks and criticisms of The Harbinger and its author, would be the one who would write directly to Dr. David R. Reagan to speak for the others and justify himself for what he did and to direct his vituperations as he does in his response to Dr. Reagan’s biblical and moral defense of a man who was wrongfully publicly slandered and marginalized, and whose service and ministry was brought into question for a protracted period of time by this group of people.
As I’ve written previously, the epithet of false teacher or false prophet leveled at someone is one which we as Christians ought to be very careful with when engaging anyone, let alone our fellow brethren in the body of Christ. Don’t misunderstand, I am not advocating we turn a blind eye to the false teachers and prophets whom have infiltrated our pulpits and seminaries. Much of what we see in today’s Post-Modern Church is precisely the fruits of this. What I am referring to is the misuse of Apologetics and the mangling of the meaning of discernment of spirits (1Cor. 12:10b) into something new called “discernment ministries.” It is the same kind of misreading and misapplication of Scripture that created the excesses of the so-called “deliverance ministries” years ago among come Pentecostals and Charismatics.
These so-called “discernment ministries” have sprung up all over the Internet and on radio, and their prime objective is to train their sights not outward towards aberrant teachings and teachers, cults, and false Anti-Christ movements such as the New Age Movement, and religions such as Islam, or its bastard son called Chrislam; but to focus their attacks and train their sights into the body of Christ itself – to attack legitimate born again Christian Evangelical ministers and teachers – to publicly slander them, bring their work and ministry and life service for the Lord into question, and put them to open reproach in the eyes of everyone over a few doctrinal disagreements of secondary and tertiary separation. This is why I personally eschew the use of the term “Discernment Ministry” and prefer the more correct, Apologetics, as the correct term to use for the watchmen/women who defend the Christian Faith against those who attack it. BIG DIFFERENCE that focusing one’s weapons of warfare that we are not to use against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12) on a fellow brother or sister (James 4:11-12) to publicly disagree with them doctrinally on the radio and television, and on the Internet, and mistreat them by calling them “false teacher” or “false prophet,” or “wolf in sheep’s clothing” over a difference of opinion. The misuse and misapplication of these biblical terms against fellow Christians by these people is a grievous offense of God’s Word, and a misuse of their ministry, and will exact eventual punishment upon those who practice this. These so-called “discernment” bloggers are nothing more than religious ambulance chasers who spend their days in idleness searching the Internet for heresy, who are quick to judge and condemn, and consign their enemies to fires of hell without mercy.
Perhaps the most heinous and contemptible example of public slander and reproach that these people have hurled in recent memory is the one they’ve been engaged in for over a period of a year and a half against Pastor and Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn of the Beth Israel Jerusalem Center in Wayne, NJ over his New York Times bestseller, The Harbinger.
My first exposure to it was when Brannon Howse interviewed Jimmy DeYoung over The Harbinger and the two men savaged both the book and its author, with Jimmy DeYoung being the more vocal while Howse passively acquiesced to DeYoung’s complete evisceration of Rabbi Cahn without having read the book or met the man to see if what was being reported to him by David James was true. At the time of the interview, David James was at work writing a critique that would become the bible for critics of The Harbinger. They have since used it as their playbook from which to hurl at Pastor Cahn all manner of false accusations, slander, and mischaracterizations which have proliferated the blogosphere like a thousand points of light. I cannot overstate just how much the cause of Christ has been hurt by this. It cannot be measured. But it can be felt by the controversy and division it has created among Evangelicals. It crosses denominational lines, and at its heart are the critics of The Harbinger, who rather than take responsibility for the damage done; instead, project their guilt on the book and its author as the cause. I repeat what I’ve said before, there wasn’t a controversy until these people – based upon what David James had written – took it to themselves to become judge, jury, and executioner of Jonathan Cahn and his book, and to make their views public.
When they did this, they crossed the line and did something that no Christian should ever do to another over a doctrinal disagreement regarding a work of fiction that is neither a work of Eschatology, or an Encyclopedic Work of Theology and Hermeneutics, or a Statement of Faith, or any other matter of primary importance such as those which deal with the most fundamental confessions of our faith. They posted articles based largely on the findings and opinions of David James, while Mr. James and company published a collection of his personal objections to The Harbinger, and since that time (over a year and a half), launched a polemical public relations campaign against Jonathan Cahn and teachings, holding him in public to open reproach and defamation. This series has the evidence in David James’ own words of these libels.
Since the time of that infamous interview on Worldview Weekend radio by Brannon Howse of Jimmy DeYoung (Prophecy Today), there have been repeated attacks against Rabbi Cahn and his book by David James, Howse, DeYoung, et al. More recently, Brannon Howse interviewed David James about Covenant America, a Mormon rally at which Rabbi Cahn was invited to speak. While it is true that Jonathan Cahn had been invited to speak at this rally, and was advertised as appearing in it before it took place, when he was apprised that it was organized, promoted, and directed by Mormons, Pastor Cahn did his own investigation into this rally and its organizers. When he discovered that it was indeed a rally to promote the false tenets of Mormonism that America is in covenant relationship with God as Israel is; Jonathan Cahn respectfully withdrew and his name was withdrawn from the event’s roster.
Now to be fair, and to give Brannon Howse the benefit of the doubt here; the show was done live and aired on Friday, July 12th but Jonathan Cahn didn't pull out until Saturday, July 13th. Brannon did post the show on his website either Sunday night - July 14th or Monday morning - July 15th and since we (myself and others who keep a watch on such things) don't know if he had knowledge that Jonathan pulled out by then, we cannot fault him for posting it. We do, however, wonder if an uncut version of the July 12th broadcast is still available for downloading to this day in Worldview Weekend’s Situation Room, with no correction of the record. While we don't recall Brannon specifically saying that he would keep his audience apprised of the developments on the story, he DID promise David he would carry an article he was writing on the subject. But, since the article was abandoned, there was nothing to post. As far as we can tell, Brannon NEVER set the record straight but chose to, instead, brush it under the carpet as if it was unimportant. If anyone reading this has information to the contrary, please forward it on as I wouldn't want to libel Brannon Howse as he and the others have done to Rabbi Jonathan Cahn.
Let me be perfectly clear about this; I write this, not as judge, jury, and executioner of these men – as I have been accused by Mr. James elsewhere – but, I write as a brother in Christ, alerting and admonishing men who appear to be brothers in Christ, to warn them and all brethren that if there is one thing that any one of us should never do to another brother in the faith is to publicly put them to open reproach over a disagreement we have with them about secondary and tertiary matters of importance with regards to doctrines and biblical interpretation.
It is very sad for me and very unfortunate when I see men like Brannon Howse, David James, Jimmy DeYoung, and T.A. McMahon, who by the grace of God were once called to serve and given ministries by God; now because of their misuse of the office of their service, they have one by one deteriorated to nothing more than arm chair critics of other brethren over differences that are not fundamental to our faith, but it is to them. It is with great sadness that I write about this, and with great remorse, I am sorely sorry for our brethren, who if they had humility, would’ve done everything possible to reconcile, to understand, and to respect the differences between us, while accepting that we and they are not too different from one another, because we have the same Lord, and serve the same God, and are saved by the same grace. And unless we are careful and keep our hearts tender in Him, we too can suffer their fate. No one is immune.
But we must never misuse Apologetics against a fellow member of our faith in public to marginalize, belittle, slander, and destroy them and their ministry and life’s work for Christ. We must never claim to be above and over any of our brethren, or appoint ourselves over them as their judge, but help one another to biblically discuss our differences in private correspondence with the aim to fully understand one another’s interpretation of the biblical narrative, and to affirm the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father of us all.
It is in this manner that I have written what I write here, and in the knowledge of my own frailties and imperfections, my own wretched state of being without Christ, but in Christ by God’s grace a new man, write as I do here to warn my brethren that they must stop blaming others for their guilt, and take responsibility for what they have done in creating this needles controversy, and publicly slandering a brother in Christ, repent of what they have done and said – it is grievously contemptible behavior from any Christian to slander their brother in public – stop this practice of publicly reproaching Christians over differences of opinion. This is NOT the biblical manner in which such differences are handled. My book, The Truth about The Harbinger: Addressing the Controversy and Discovering the Facts About This Prophetic Message provides some examples straight from God’s Word how it is done. But unless it is stopped, it will destroy the body of Christ from within, and be used as cannon fodder for the enemies of our faith to point to as evidence of their claims against our most cherished beliefs, because of how we treat one another. No Christian should ever mistreat another in public or privately. The critics of The Harbinger have convinced themselves that they are above reproach, and that their cause is just. This willful human arrogance and pride couched in religiosity and self-justification. There is no place for it in God’s kingdom. No one is above it, and we must all be careful not to fall into it.
The Bible calls this sin, and as long as they do not take responsibility over their public actions and slander against another brother in the Lord, a servant of Christ, they bear their guilt. They must make restitution by first repenting of this grievous sin, making a public confession of this sin against a brother in Christ over disagreements they have with him, and make a sincere apology to this man and to all others whom they’ve hurt, and ask his and most of all God’s forgiveness. This is nothing short of sin, and sin must be repented of otherwise, it remains and festers and degenerates with time. It opens the person if he is a Christian to demonic oppression, and with demonic oppression there follows all sorts of error, vexation, and evil. This is how great men of God and their ministries fall.
THE PEPSTER
v DAVID JAMES: However, Dr. Reagan says of the message:
The message presented a stark, bone-chilling indictment against this nation for thumbing its nose at God. It was a hardhitting prophetic message that took great courage to deliver.
Christians should be giving Rabbi Cahn a standing ovation, and many have. But some leaders of discernment ministries have tried, instead, to crucify him.
THE PEPSTER FOR DR. REAGAN: THIS IS CORRECT. The Harbinger is not – as some critics mislabeled it – a teaching to have people’s ears tickled, alluding to the Scripture in 2Timothy 4:3-4, that warns, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. Let me make perfectly clear to everyone who reads this, The Harbinger is not the type of read that people who want their ears tickle would put up. It is a very stark and very real warning and call to repentance. The Harbinger is no fantasy children’s book, or a book about predictions, or prophecy, but a prophetic call to a nation, and to the people of God in it, to turn or be judged. It holds a message that warns that time is very short, repent now, seek God now, call on His salvation now, invoking the name of Yeshua/Jesus for that salvation, or face the consequences. That The Harbinger’s critics would misapply this Scripture to a prophetic call to repentance only serves to show how far they will go to squelch something they disagree with. You pick up The Harbinger, you’re not going to get your ears tickled, you’re going to get a hard dose of prophetic reality. You either choose to listen to it, and act on it, or dismiss it – as its critics have chosen to do for themselves – and await the consequences of your choice. A day of reckoning is coming, and everyone will be made to account on that day for their choices they made in this life. The following epithets and accusations have been used against Jonathan Cahn here and in David James’ book, and on various websites that have followed Mr. James’ lead in this controversy; people for whom Mr. James speaks here as their “unofficial” – “official” spokesperson. There was an old cliché’ in the ancient world that said, “All roads lead to Rome,” because of the extensive public works projects built by the Romans that connected the conquered lands of their empire with one another, and with Rome. It can be said that all criticisms against The Harbinger lead back to David James. The following list of epithets used by Mr. James is not complete. The actual list is more extensive. But the one provided below serves to demonstrate for the reader that – though Mr. James may claim otherwise – he has been and continues to treat Jonathan Cahn very personally. Jonathan Cahn has been called and accused of being:
A Gnostic
A Kabbalist
A Mystic
An Occultist
A False Teacher
A False Prophet (see below)
He’s accused of calling himself a prophet.
He’s accused of “mishandling of Scripture.” (see below)
He’s accused of being “wrong on significant issues.” (See below)
He’s been accused of being “Unbiblical” (See Part VII of this series)
He’s accused of presenting “the misrepresentation of historical facts.” (see below)
He’s accused of “a failure to communicate the gospel?” (See below)
He’s accused of rendering his “presentation of the gospel incomplete, ineffective and unbiblical.” (See Part VII of this series)
He’s accused of receiving a message from a “message from God that no one else has ever received.” (See Part VII of this series)
He is accused of writing a book – The Harbinger – in which”the first major problem is that it is not primarily a novel.” (See below)
He’s accused of adding to Scripture by the implication of the following: “It must also be noted that it has been strongly suggested and implied that The Harbinger is, in fact, based on new revelation from God.” (See Part VII of this series)
He is accused that “he has reaffirmed over and over that he is saying exactly what we have consistently claimed he is saying.” (See below)
He’s accused of authoring “a book that is built on a mishandling of Scripture and the misrepresentation of historical facts” (see below)
He’s been accused of being “Ambiguous” in presenting the Gospel. (See Part VII of this series)
He’s accused of “obscuring the idea” that Christ died for our sins. (See Part VII of this series)
Commenting on an article favorable to The Harbinger on a blogger’s website, Inspired Reading – The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn; David James doesn’t mince words there either, and comes right out against The Harbinger and its author, Jonathan Cahn. He gets recklessly personal very fast; and plays it about as fast and as loose with the facts. This is not a personal observation, but a matter of fact, the evidence is the sophistry that fills Mr. James’ book from cover to cover. In an attempt to woo the reviewer, he writes:
“You might want to consider taking a look at my book, The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? (available on Amazon.com or I can send you a review copy).
“Unfortunately, things are not what they appear in The Harbinger – the harbingers don’t really exist the way he says they do, the Bible is mishandled and historical facts are manipulated to create the illusion.
“(I generally read reviews of my book and The Harbinger just to see what people think – which is how I found yours.
“Dave James
“The Alliance for Biblical Integrity”
Now I ask, what else can this man write, and these people call a minister of the Gospel and continue to call him over the span of almost nineteen months (at the time of this writing), after it has been proven, both by his own personal testimony to them in interviews and on various radio programs such as the programs of courageous Apologetics Ministries such as Chris Rosebrough’s Fighting For the Truth program, and Jan Markell’s and Eric Barger’s program, Understanding the Times, and on other radio programs where Jonathan Cahn was interviewed and asked the same questions (Replacement Theology, Mormonism, Free Masons, Kabbalah, etc.) that every single charge and epithet leveled at Jonathan Cahn on the list above is a slanderous libel!!!!?????
Writing on her website Faith’s Corner for May 5th, 2013 in post replying to an e-mail she had received from one of The Harbinger’s critics, Connie/Faith writes regarding Berit Kjos’ erroneous charge that Jonathan Cahn is a Kabbalist and Jewish Occult Mystic, the following where she quotes what God’s Word says about religious ambulance chasers who look for heresy under every bed:
“This is my preliminary remark on Berit Kjos' mistaken response to Cahn's interest in a phrase from the Zohar:
Isa 29:20-21 ...all that watch for iniquity ..:
That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
“All discernment ministries do in a sense ‘watch for inquity’ but in the case of the supposed discerning of Jonathan Cahn they've gone over the line into condemning a brother in Christ who isn't perfect but is not guilty as charged. He has his own interests that the discerners can't appreciate.”
And what shall we say of the testimonies of so many others, like the one just cited above, and those The Harbinger’s defenders have posted on our websites, as well as Ladybug, and others? Some of us know Jonathan Cahn personally, and I have known him for over ten years, and I am deeply acquainted with his teachings, and confession of faith that he is mainstream Evangelical Christian. I do this before God Almighty to whom I will have to account to for every word I say, that Jonathan Cahn is not any of the things that these critics have said he is, nor is anything they’ve written about him against him with regards to his teaching, has even a single grain of truth to it. I should know, because if it did, I would be the first to know about it, and would’ve discussed it privately with him so he could expound the belief, as is the proper thing to do. But I bear witness that Jonathan Cahn is a servant of the Most High God, and these critics of The Harbinger will most assuredly account for what they have written and what they have done, and the false witness they have borne regarding him.
DAVID JAMES: A few questions are in order:
v 1.Should Christians really be giving Jonathan Cahn a standing ovation for this message when it was based almost entirely on a book that is built on a mishandling of Scripture and the misrepresentation of historical events?
THE PEPSTER FOR DR. REAGAN: WRONG. Yes they should, because he and his book are calling this nation and His people to repentance, devoting an entire chapter as to how they can do this and the name they must call upon for their salvation and this nation’s deliverance from eminent judgment. That Mr. James and company have a difference of opinion as to how this ought to be done, they should have kept it to themselves rather than slander the man and bring into question his teachings and ministry over a protracted period of time over disagreements. What we read above is the usual mantra from David James. Take note, he repeats himself without offering a shred of evidence in support of his claim, but only refers to his book. When one reads it, as I and others have done, it’s one vapid argument after another, all supported by Logical Fallacies, based upon a complete misreading of The Harbinger’s narrative, which he seeks to replace with his own. One is left asking oneself after reading The Harbinger, then reading David James’ book, “Why did Mr. James write this book? Nothing that it says applies to The Harbinger if The Harbinger is read and understood as is for what it clearly says without embellishments by clever critics such as Mr. James. Let’s take for example the topic of the Shemitah. David James doesn’t see it. He addresses it, but he dismisses it wholesale, even though it happened. Commenting on David James’ obvious theological relativism about the prophetic – an observation that others have made; Connie/Faith, in an an UPDATE of June 11, 2013 for Faith’s Corner, wrote, and I quote:
“Some Christians may claim to know more specific reasons for a particular weather pattern than it's possible to know, but the basic idea can't be wrong. God's judgments come in many forms and that is surely one of them. For just one scripture reference, consider the famine in Elijah's day, the withholding of rain for the idolatries of Israel….
“This was one of the errors made by the critics of Jonathan Cahn's Harbinger too. All the harbingers he identifies the critics dismiss as meaningless coincidences. Is there really such a thing as a meaningless coincidence?
“But when it comes to the harbingers that so CLEARLY reflect the scripture verse Isaiah 9:10, how can they be dismissed as meaningless? How can Christians even believe in meaningless coincidences in a universe ruled by God?”
Well there are others who wrote before Jonathan Cahn made his observation who concur with those in The Harbinger One of these is White House Correspondent Bill Koenig. I do not know what his personal views of The Harbinger are, but I do know that he wrote a book, Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel, that documents precisely how the recent incidences of monster hurricanes and rash of hundreds of tornado activity, as well as earthquakes and other “natural disasters” coincided with key decisions American presidents made regarding Israel’s land for peace negotiations, where America involved itself in brokering Israel’s surrender of land God had exclusively given to it through the Abrahamic Covenant for an elusive peace with its Palestinian counterparts. In each one of the events, American presidents successively forced Israel in some way to make concessions to its enemies regarding land, or putting its people and territory in mortal danger, while rewarding its enemies as long as they promised to work for peace. Every storm, every hurricane, every rash of hundreds of tornadic activity took place on exactly same day these negotiations were being signed into treaties, right at the very hour. Mr. Koenig made the following observation on November 14th, 2008. No one can invent or manipulate the vast elements involved in them – the people, places , and things to fall precisely into place in exact order, as each piece like the intricate inner workings of a watch would all of a sudden come to pass as detailed and documented in The Harbinger, and The Truth about The Harbinger: Addressing the Controversy and Discovering the Facts About This Prophetic Message. I quote:
November 14, 2008
· Executive Summary
· Inside the White House —
The United States is experiencing a rapid moral decline … Americans are being impacted by inept leadership in Washington … The world says the US is responsible for the worldwide financial contagion, Bush denies it …The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) collapse directly corresponded to this year's Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur …One of the worst seven-day declines in Wall Street history occurred during this year's Days of Awe … The Torah readings of the last three weeks correspond to the political news in Israel and the US and world financial news … Saturday's G-20 Financial Summit in Washington of the world's top economies falls on Cheshvan 17, the day Noah's flood began 4,113 years ago …
· News Briefs —
Putin probes Obama softly with a stiff bayonet … Cuba and Russia strengthening ties as Raul Castro to visit Moscow … Russia now prefers to wait to deal with Obama on outstanding issues … Media worldwide saying the world would have voted Obama … Some Muslims believe Obama answers their end time prophecy … Obama a gift from God according to Farrakhan … World economists jockeying for one world order financial system …
· Connecting the Dots —
Christian Americans rather than American Christians Can Transform This Nation
Executive Summary
There is a lot of financial speculation taking place. Some are asking: How much government money will big business get for how many shares of government ownership?
In addition, Russia is making a move on the world stage to test the new president-elect by pointing missiles at Poland and making new overtures to Cuba. Meanwhile, there appears to be a global effort to make a one-world economy out of many failing economic situations.
Inside the White House
by Bill Koenig
The United States is experiencing a rapid moral slide and a further acceleration into the final days. The outcome of the recent national election will only accelerate this.
We are living in a time as spoken in Isaiah 5:20 (KJV): "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Americans being impacted by inept leadership in Washington
Sadly, the leadership in Washington, which helped create the crisis our nation is facing on so many fronts, is not qualified to handle the challenges, so that means the times will get more challenging. Their previous actions have created many "unintended consequences" with many more coming in the future.
The world says the US is responsible for the worldwide financial contagion
The world is blaming the US for the worldwide financial contagion; but President Bush, others in his administration, and those on Capitol Hill deny that the subprime fiasco and Wall Street's financial derivatives and futures trading activities were a main reason for the financial catastrophe.
Apparent biblical connections to the US financial contagion
There have been some very interesting possible connections between the state of the US economy, the Jewish fall feasts this year, and the Torah readings of Nov. 1, 8 and 15.
(Thanks to Dr. Elliot Snyder of Dallas for the Wall Street and fall feast connections and Pastor Mark Biltz for the Noah/Cheshvan connection to this Saturday’s G-20 Summit in Washington and the Torah readings.)
Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) began at sundown on Monday, Sept. 29, and ended at nightfall on Wednesday Oct. 1, 2008.
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. As such, it is a time for Jews to review the mistakes they made in the past year and to resolve to make improvements in the upcoming year.
On Rosh Hashanah, Jews listen to the shofar blown during lengthy prayer services, eat holiday meals, and do no work. After repenting for bad deeds through prayers, they symbolically cast off sins through the tashlich ceremony.
Rosh Hashanah is both a solemn and a happy day. It is a time for introspection, asking for forgiveness, giving forgiveness, resolving to do better, remembering God is King and Judge, and praying for a healthy and happy year to come. Those observing the Jewish New Year are solemn in their repentance but happy in their confidence that God is merciful and good.
The stock market crash of 2008
In 2008, Rosh Hashanah began on the evening of Sept. 29, while Yom Kippur began on the evening of Oct. 9.
On Rosh Hashanah eve in the U.S. (Sept. 29), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed down a record-setting 777.68 points. Israel was already celebrating Rosh Hashanah at the time of the record Dow close.
Dr. Elliot Snyder wrote:
Seven is the number of God, and 777 could represent "Holy, Holy, Holy." This is God's signature, the manner in which the angels praise the Sovereign God in Isaiah 6:3. This is also reflected in 7-Seal, 7-Trumpet and 7-Bowl Judgments, in the events of things to come as outlined in Revelation 6:19! I believe the Rosh Hashanah shofar was a heralding, proclamation or announcement of God's weighing our nation in the balance beginning at the start of the 10 Days of Awe. The judge is entering the courtroom.
The eyes of the financial world were fixed upon the 777-point drop, the largest single one-day point decline in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), although not the largest percentage drop.
Other peculiarities on the opening bell and gavel of 9/29/08 and 9/30/08 for the NYSE
There was an anomaly at the opening bell when there was no opening bell! At 9:30 am ET a mechanical bell should have rung. As the CNBC countdown to the opening reached zero, there was puzzlement at the podium as the bearer of the gavel awaited the opening bell in vain. After about a minute, even without the bell, trading began.
The next morning, the bell worked. CNBC had made a big deal over the bell having never failed to ring before; it had failed on the morning of 9/29. On 9/30 the bell worked at 9:30AM; however, with the camera fixed upon the podium, there was no one manning the gavel!
——
Yom Kippur (the Jewish Day of Atonement) began at sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 8, and ended at nightfall on Thursday, Oct. 9.
Yom Kippur, literally "Day of Atonement," is the holiest day of the Jewish year.
After the Israelites alienated God by worshipping the golden calf, Moses ascended Mount Sinai to ask God for forgiveness. While Moses was on the mountain, the Israelites repented by fasting. On the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (Yom Kippur), Moses descended Mount Sinaiwith the second tablets. Thus, on the first Yom Kippur (approximately 3,500 years ago), the Israelites succeeded in atoning for their sins and restoring their covenant with God.
Why is Yom Kippur important?
Yom Kippur is observed eight days after Rosh HaShanah (the Jewish New Year). Jews believe that on Rosh HaShanah, God inscribes all of their names in the "books"; and on Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. Yom Kippur is, essentially, the last chance to demonstrate repentance and change God's judgment. On Yom Kippur, one's fate for the coming year is sealed.
Dow falls 678.91
Dr. Elliot Snyder wrote:
On Yom Kippur eve in the U.S. (Oct. 9), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed down678.910 (6, 7, 8, 9, 10!) The odds of this precise sequence arising are 1:99,999.
Following the 10 Days of Awe, on the Day of Atonement or Judgment, God sent another numerical message through the fall of the stock market. Specifically, God has judged the nation in accordance with the Noahic law. This is spelled out in the second table of the Ten Commandments – specifically, 6-10* — by the Dow falling exactly 678.910. As the sun had already set in Jerusalem, God was telling us that we have been weighed in the balance of the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th commandments and found wanting. God has spoken for all with eyes to see and ears to hear!
Our nation is not being judged for idolatry, blasphemy or failure in Sabbath observations, but rather for murder, adultery, stealing, lying and covetousness.
——
The Days of Awe refers to the ten days between the first two Fall Feasts of Israel, Rosh Hashanah (or the Feast of Trumpets), and Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.
The sound of the trumpet shofar ushering in Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe is a call to a searching of our souls and thorough examination of our thoughts, deeds and intentions for the past year. This begins a time of God's evaluating the life of each member of the House of Israel, culminating on the 10th day with Yom Kippur, the day of final judgment, and hopefully, atonement.
The just verdict was to be pronounced on the Day of Judgment, Yom Kippur!
One of the worst seven-day declines in Wall Street history occurred during this year's Days of Awe
Chronology – Sept. 29–Oct. 10
Sept. 29: U.S. House of Representatives rejects mammoth $700 billion bailout plan. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) drops 777.68. (Rosh Hashanah began that evening; it had already begun in Israel at the close of Wall Street.)
Sept. 30: Wachovia Bank teeters on collapse, starts negotiating with Citigroup for takeover deal.
Oct. 1: U.S. Senate adopts massive bailout plan, adding sweeteners to get House acceptance.
Oct. 3: Wells Fargo Bank and the fourth largest U.S. bank, Wachovia Corp., announce merger.
Oct. 3: The largest government intervention in capital markets in U.S. history clears the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming law with President Bush's signature. The bailout was for $700 billion.
Oct. 6: Responding to global credit fears, the Dow finished below 10,000 for the first time since October 2004. After a day in which stocks dropped as deeply as 9,600, the market rebounded, finishing the day at 9990.47.
Oct 9: The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 678.910 points, or 7.33 percent, at 8,579.19. It's the first time since May 2003 that the Dow traded below 8,600. The steep sell-off capped the Dow and the S&P's biggest seven-day decline since the October 1987 market crash, and the NASDAQ’s worst seven-day decline since December 2000. Over the seven days, the Dow shed almost 21 percent and the S&P 500 nearly 22 percent. The steep declines came on the anniversary of the Dow's all-time closing high above 14,000.
"With no visible sign of restoration of normal credit movement, that is shaking investor confidence that the banking system at this point still has a long way to go before it gets fixed," said Frederic Dickson, senior vice president and market strategist at D.A. Davidson & Co., in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Oct. 10: The central barometer of the U.S. economy, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended one of its worst weeks in history.
—————
Torah reading – Nov. 1 – Times of Noah
Torah / Gen. 6:9-11:32 – Haphtarah / Isaiah 54:1-55:5, 1 Pet. 3:18-22
- The Torah makes clear that the world was not flooded because of the caprice of some god, but because it had become corrupt, destructive and entirely idolatrous. Moreover, Noah was not arbitrarily saved, but was considered ish tzaddik (a righteous man), perfect in his generation: Noah walked with God.
- The earth was repopulated through Noah's three sons (as the founders of the "seventy nations" of the Gentiles — as described in the detailed genealogy of Genesis chapter 10). The descendants of Noah remained a single people group with a single language (leshon hakodesh) for ten generations.
However, they eventually returned to the evil ways of the "sons of Cain" by uniting in an idolatrous religion that led them to build a "tower with its top in the heavens." God confounded their evil religion, however, by "confusing their speech" and thereby dispersed the people into the 70 nations of the earth (the abandoned tower was called Bavel (Babel) and is considered by many to be the origin of "Mystery Babylon").
- Nov. 2 Israel's secular leadership pressured Israeli settlers to leave unauthorized settlements
- Nov. 2 Shin Bet chief warned extreme-right settlers might carry out political assassination
- Nov. 2 Israel's government decided on new measures against the illegal Jewish outposts in the West Bank
- Nov. 2 Ehud Barak: Settlers trying to fracture State's authority
- Nov. 4 Ehud Olmert reiterated that he intended to use every day left in office to continue pushing forward with the diplomatic process, saying that Israel's problems were too pressing to wait.
- Nov. 4 Dozens arrived at Jerusalem's Mt. Herzl Cemetery to take part in the civilian memorial ceremony held for slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Former IDF Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak spoke of the growing violence within the far right: "Rabin wouldn’t have allowed for a reserve officer to have his arm broken and do nothing about it. This simply cannot happen, and it makes no difference whether it emanates from the Left, the Right or the middle."
Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eilezer warned that a political assassination was still possible in today's political climate: "The writing is once again on the wall, this time in bigger letters. The next political assassination is right around the corner," he said.
- Nov. 4: The United States selected Barack Obama to be president, a man who says homosexuality isn't a sin, is not opposed to late-term abortion (even infanticide), has questionable domestic and foreign associations, and says that people can be saved through other faiths while calling himself a Christian.
- November 4: Daunting challenges lie ahead for the U.S. economy as it faces the worst financial crisis in decades, the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said Tuesday. "We are navigating the mother of all financial storms," Richard W. Fisher, the Dallas Fed's president and chief executive, said at a meeting of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association in Grapevine.
"Despite the efforts of the Fed, the hope that comes with a new presidency and what will hopefully be responsible and carefully calibrated fiscal initiatives from Congress, I believe we have an epic challenge ahead of us," he said.
All told, the assets on the Fed's books now exceed $1.9 trillion, compared with $890 billion at the beginning of this year, Mr. Fisher said. They could grow even more in the coming months to as much as one-fifth of gross domestic product, or GDP, he said. "I would not be surprised to see them aggregate to $3 trillion — 20 percent of GDP — by the time we ring in the New Year," he said.
- Nov. 5-6: Major post-election sell-offs on the Dow, S&P 500 and the NASDAQ. Rice left for Israel.
- Nov. 6: Harvard University sponsored Islamic Finance 101 at the U.S. Treasury Department.
- Nov. 6: Rice arrived in Israel for the 24th trip as secretary of state. On Thursday evening she met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, followed by a dinner at the home of U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham in Herzliya with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
- Nov. 7: Rice met leading prime ministerial candidates, Likud head Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. She traveled to Ramallah for a meeting with PA officials and flew to Jordan for a meeting with King Abdullah.
Torah reading Nov. 8 – God instructs Abraham to go to Canaan
Torah / Gen. 12:1-17:27 – Haphtarah / Isaiah 40:27-41:16, Romans 4:1-25
- Abram left everything behind in response to the promise of divine inheritance given by the LORD. As a result of his obedience, the LORD told Abram that he would become the father of a multitude of people, as numerous as the stars in heaven. The LORD then renamed him Abraham and made a covenant to give him the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession. The LORD further commanded Abraham and his descendants to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant.
- Nov. 8: Rice flew back to Israel on Friday evening, and on Saturday morning took a trip to Jenin to get a first-hand look at the PA's efforts to assert security control there.
- Nov. 9: The Quartet met in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, on the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants. Rice and the Quartet leaders met with Livni and Palestinian Authority negotiator Ahmed Qurei on where the negotiations currently stand. In attendance were United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, High Representative for European Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and Quartet Representative Tony Blair.
- Nov. 9: This day was the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht — the nights of Nov. 9-10, 1938, when gangs of Nazi youth roamed through Jewish neighborhoods breaking windows of Jewish businesses and homes, burning synagogues and looting. In all, 101 synagogues and almost 7,500 Jewish businesses were destroyed. Some 26,000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Jews were physically attacked and beaten, and 91 died (Snyder, Louis L. Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. New York: Paragon House, 1989:201).
- Nov. 10: This day was the 7th anniversary of President Bush declaring to the U.N. General Assembly that he favored a Palestinian state — the first time a U.S. president had made that declaration.
- Nov. 11: The Obama-Biden transition team included both "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" in its non-discrimination policy for applicants for employment in the incoming Obama administration.
Christopher Anders, senior legislative counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, said "President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden, by explicitly rejecting the bigotry and intolerance of the past, are committing that gay, lesbian and transgender professionals can serve in government without fear of discrimination." (AFA)
- Nov. 12: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson laid out details for the next stage of the government's financial-market rescue package announcing that he has shelved the original plan to buy troubled mortgage assets while turning his attention to non-bank financial institutions and consumer finance.
- Nov. 12 King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia sponsored United Nations high-level debate on interfaith dialogue. President Bush gave a message on faith. He said freedom is God's gift to every man, woman and child — and that freedom includes the right of all people to worshipas they see fit.
- Nov. 13 Bush discussed financial markets and world economy. He said, "We're facing this challenge together, and we're going to get through it together. The United States is determined to show the way back to economic growth and prosperity."
- Nov. 13 Bush unexpectedly met Livni, Peres: During a brief, unscheduled and warm encounter on Thursday afternoon in New York, Livni told Bush that he had helped advance Israeli-Palestinian peace hopes and congratulated him for standing up to terrorism and extremism.
Torah reading Nov. 15 – Abraham and Sarah promised a son. Abraham pleaded for Sodom. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
Torah / Gen. 18:1-22:24 – Haphtarah/ 2 Kings 4:1-37, 2 Peter 2:4-11
- While the three men were eating, one of them announced that in exactly one year, He would return to them and Sarah would then birth to a son. Sarah, who had been listening from the tent door, heard this and laughed within herself at the suggestion. To this the LORD (disguised as one of the three guests) replied "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."
- The three guests then set out from there for Sodom, and Abraham accompanied them to see them off. Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that he shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?" The LORD then explained that He was going to see if the outcry against the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was true, and if so, was going to pronounce judgment upon it.
- Abraham then questioned the LORD: "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" he asked. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" In a profound sequence of hypothetical questions and answers, Abraham asked the LORD whether He would destroy the entire city if 50 righteous dwelt there. No, answered the LORD, not if there were 50 in the city. Well, how about 45? No again, answered the LORD. Abraham began showing some chutzpah. What about 40? 30? 20? … 10? The LORD then stated that if even ten righteous men were found there, He would spare the city from His wrath, and then went His way.
- Summary: Abraham and Sarah were promised a son. Abraham begged for Sodom. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Isaac was born. Hagar and Ishmael were sent away. God tested Abraham.
Bank Crisis: Special G20 Summit in Washington
The Top 20 global financial powers will meet in Washington on Saturday, Nov. 15.
- Nov. 15 is Cheshvan 17, the 17th day of the second month, the very day when Noah's flood began (Genesis 7:11): "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."
News Briefs
Russia
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sees America's election of President-elect Barack Hussein Obama as evidence of a nation in decline, and Putin is setting out to test Obama's mettle as a leader … For example, Russia chose the day of the Obama victory to announce deployment of short-range missiles pointed at Poland.
This perception of a weak Obama was driven home by a photograph on the front page of theKommersant newspaper that showed his humiliating detention at an airport in the Ural Mountainson a 2005 visit he made as part of a nuclear disarmament program.
Last week, Putin dispatched a trusted lieutenant, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, to Cuba and Venezuela to prepare a presidential tour of South America this month that is likely to rankle Washington. (The Associated Press)
Cuban President Raul Castro will visit Russia in 2009, the Kremlin has announced, in a new sign that Moscow is reviving a Cold War-era trade and military alliance … Moscowalso repeated calls for Washington to lift the economic embargo imposed on Cuba in 1962 when Castro's brother, Communist revolutionary Fidel Castro, was in power.
"Next year we await … Raul Castro in our country, and this will be yet another contribution to the development of ties," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque in Moscow. "Your visit is yet more evidence that relations between Cuba and Russia are developing in a very dynamic way," NTV television showed Medvedev saying. (Reuters)
The Kremlin on Wednesday rejected U.S. proposals aimed at easing concerns over a missile defense system in Europe and said it would try again to resolve the row once Barack Obama is in the White House … "Russia is ready to cooperate with the United States on European security but considers the proposals that were sent [as] insufficient," Itar-Tass news agency quoted an unidentified Kremlin source as saying.
"We will not give our agreement to these proposals, and we will speak to the new administration," said the source. The Bush administration "is intent on putting the new U.S. president in a hopeless situation, so that he should take responsibility for what they concocted without him." (Reuters)
One-world Obama
Had the whole world been able to vote in the American elections, it would make the same choice made by Americans: Obama. Indeed, he has enjoyed record-breaking global support. In the past 60 years, the US elections have not featured a presidential candidate whom a majority of six billion people hoped would win.
According to Ynet columnist Sever Plocker, the wave of excitement that swept through the streets of the world in the wake of Obama's victory reflects deep desire by current-day humanity for a social leader who would not only lead the world’s greatest power but, also, the entire world.
Does Obama carry significance in Islamic prophecy? According to Daniel Pipes, he just might … Ali ibn Abi-Talib, the seventh-century figure central to Shiite Islam, is said to havepredicted when the world will end.
A "tall black man" commanding "the strongest army on earth" will take power "in the west." He will carry "a clear sign" from the third imam, Hussein. Ali says of the tall black man: "Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us." Barack Hussein in Arabic means "the blessing of Hussein." In Persian,Obama translates as "He [is] with us."
But the Muslim reaction to Obama's victory is more mixed than one might expect. AmericanIslamists are delighted, and terrorist groups like Hamas are happy. However, Iran insiders believe that enmity between the U.S. and Iran would have been better served with a McCain victory, andTaliban terrorists believe that resistance will continue.
In a Sunday address celebrating Obama, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said Obama has a God-given capacity to handle any burdens he'll face as the nation's leader … Farrakhan added that Obama will only be able to make positive changes with help from "God and people of good will," and he urged the Chicago-based movement's followers to do their part.
"Because if God is involved, and He is, then it is God who has laid on this young man this horrible burden at the worst time in the history of America and the world," he said. "But it was also God that has given this young man this tremendous capacity to handle what God has put on his shoulders." (AP)
World economy
The worldwide economic summit hosted by the Bush Administration this coming weekend has prompted academic economists to weigh in with a bail-bucket of advice … The economists agree that governments need to act more quickly than they have to recapitalize banks, guarantee cross-border bank claims, restructure nonperforming assets, and extend support to countries in crisis.
In the collection of ideas, several offer creative ways to regulate financial institutions across borders. One argues for a World Financial Organization, modeled on the World Trade Organization. At the same time, others worry that countries may over-regulate financial institutions and raise protectionist barriers in response to the crisis — a response they say would impede the global economy in the long run. (The Wall Street Journal)
Connecting the Dots —
When even the elect are deceived
by Bill Wilson, Daily Jot News Service Senior Analyst
Over a week after the historical presidential elections, Americans are expressing concern and anxiety over what a Barack Hussein Obama presidency will mean. Some are complaining that Obama will open the doors to unimpeded abortions. Others are concerned about Obama’s plan for mandatory civil service camps where young people between the ages of 18 and 25 will be forced into military-style civil service and “reeducation’ as to what it means to be an American—Obama style. Still others are upset with using taxpayers’ money for massive federal bailouts and the government taking ownership positions in America’s most storied industries.
Others are alarmed that anti-American voices like former Clinton Administration secretaries of state—Warren Christopher and Madeleine Albright—will be taking strong advisory roles in the Obama administration.
The media now confirms reports that the Obama campaign met with the terrorist group Hamas before the election but told Hamas not to announce the meeting until after the election. And then there is the question of exactly where did all the money come from that Obama raised and how nobody will ever know because he is not subject to the scrutiny of Federal Election Commission guidelines—Obama did not receive public financing.
Americans wanted change. And change is what they are going to get. Change was defined all along in the details of what Obama wanted to accomplish. But the public refused to hear. Now that the Obama chief of staff is defining exactly what mandatory civil service means; the co-chair of the Obama transition team says that Obama will be ready to “rule” on day one; and every big business in America is going to get billions of taxpayer dollars in return for government-held stock, Americans are alarmed. There were warnings all along. But Americans, even American Christians, ignored the warnings.
The National Election Pool exit survey showed Obama won 43 percent of voters who say they attend church weekly, eight points higher than 2004 Democratic nominee John F. Kerry. Obama won 57 percent of occasional worshipers, 11 points more than Kerry. Some 54 percent of the Catholic vote supported Obama—two points higher than Catholic support for President Bush in 2004.
The Los Angeles Times cited as an example Christian leaders like Pastor Rick Warren for helping Obama court Christians with appearances at an AIDS conference, a Warren review of Obama's book, and the presidential forum Warren hosted.
Jesus warned in Matthew 24:24 (NKJV), "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
These occurrences, like The Harbingers, do not happen at random, and cannot be dismissed, as David James does, as mere coincidences; nor can they be, as some critics have alleged, trumped inventions forced to appear like some great power were behind them. They happened, and they happened just as described, and they happened beyond the control or influence of man. Additionally, they happened precisely as described by The Harbinger on the date exact dates given. These things cannot be ignored, nor can they be dismissed so easily, and those who do, do so at their own peril.
What occurred on on Elul 29, 2008 was not a fluke, it was not a coincidence, and it was not something that someone invented out of their imagination, but the various elements that surround the economic collapse of America were too numerous to be any of the above, and well beyond the influence and control of man. To try to dismiss them or explain them away is the epitome of foolishness. It is like attempting to explain away the damage left behind from a hurricane or a tornado on a city it has struck. David James attempts to do this, and gives it his best effort, but falls far short of the mark. This is because he is attempting to grasp the wind in his fists and convert it to water while not dropping a single drop. This is the third supplement to the study of America’s economic collapse which occurred on the Hebrew month of Elul 29, eight years to the day of the first crash following September 11, 2001. David James can try to deny it as best he can, but the evidence is all around US and it has since spread virally around the world. America is now a second-rate power, according to this headline: PAPER: America's Superpower Status Ebbs Away... and we are told now that the Treasury now taking 'final extraordinary measures'... Someone is woefully wrong about all this as the evidence continues to build up and America’s prophetic timeline and her degeneration and the degeneration of the church escalates even more every day. We can choose to be ostriches, or we can work more diligently as we see the day draw near. Without a robust and growing economy the United States cannot support its superpower status around the world. The crash continues, and we are seeing evidence of it all around US and around the world. It is now global, as for example Spain's public debt to approach 100% of GDP... and not getting better, but worse throughout Europe, except the stories about it are intentionally being spiked by our media for political reasons. And here in America, the economy is not in recovery in spite of what we are told by the government-media complex out of Washington these days.
v DAVID JAMES: 2.This is not to take away from Jonathan Cahn at all, but why would Dr. Reagan seek to bolster his argument that Jonathan Cahn is a prophet by claiming that it took courage for him to deliver his message at the prayer breakfast? Cahn was invited to speak in that venue because the organizers were already familiar with what he would say and wanted him to preach that message, knowing it would be well-received. The response of the audience confirms that he was in friendly territory and not in a hostile environment. There was no risk, danger or downside that would have made it courageous. (Again, this is not about Jonathan Cahn, only about Dr. Reagan’s argument.)
THE PEPSTER FOR DR. REAGAN: Jonathan Cahn has been interviewed and cross-examined by Jimmy DeYoung (moderating), challenged by Mr. James on the same program, and asked repeated questions that he’s answered with all candor. It is the critics whose duplicitous nature led them to use his answers as cannon fodder against him afterwards. Jonathan Cahn has been on hostile territory. I’ve listened to and have downloaded every program he has been on, and in some cases have written posts answering what these critics say to challenge him. I’ve never seen a more disingenuous lot, and they say they love Jesus Christ, but they don’t do what He teaches them to do, and that is to repent for bearing false witness.
DAVID JAMES: 3.What exactly have discernment ministry leaders done to “crucify” Jonathan Cahn? (There have been no personal attacks and ad hominem arguments against Jonathan Cahn that come anywhere close to what these same leaders have experienced by supporters of The Harbinger, of which Dr. Reagan’s article is a clear example.)
THE PEPSTER FOR DR. REAGAN: WRONG. Just keep reading, the reader will have much to see for themselves just how personal David James gets. Here David James projects guilt on defenders of The Harbinger by asking “What exactly have discernment ministry leaders done to ‘crucify’ Jonathan Cahn?” In other words, he implies that they’re guilty of accusing and of doing it under false pretenses; precisely what the critics of The Harbinger have been doing since early months of last year. Additionally, the question – “What exactly have discernment ministry leaders done to ‘crucify’ Jonathan Cahn?” – Is asked in order to establish doubt and confuse the issue enough and project guilt for it away from those committing the acts, to those defending The Harbinger; the same tactic the serpent used on Eve in the garden. “Indeed, has God said…?” (Genesis 3:1b) The question is posed to solicit an answer in order to control the conversation. In Eve’s case, it was meant to sow doubt and confusion and to cause disorientation of Eve’s capacity to think the matter through. So it is in this case. Take note how the serpent reworded the question; “Indeed has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) That’s not at all what God had said, but the serpent’s ability to change the narrative by rewording it, allowed him to use it to his advantage against Eve. “There have been no personal attacks and ad hominem arguments against Jonathan Cahn that come anywhere close to what these same leaders have experienced by supporters of The Harbinger, of which Dr. Reagan’s article is a clear example,” and thereby transferring all guilt of slander and libel away from himself and his colleagues and redirecting them to Evangelicals like Dr. Reagan and other defenders of The Harbinger. Not only is this disingenuous, but it is a bold faced lie, because we have already witnessed the epithets, charges, and accusations Mr. James hurls at Jonathan Cahn throughout this response of his. We have not even begun to address the ones in his book, on his website, which is a repetition of his book, and all of the ones flung at Jonathan Cahn by The Harbinger’s critics on the web. The only reason I do not cite them here is because they are already listed above, and in previous parts of this series. David James indicts himself with his own choice of words when writing about Jonathan Cahn. David James says what he says in full knowledge of what he is doing. What’s more the statement Mr. James makes is self-incriminating. Take note that while he first denies making personal attacks by writing “There have been no personal attacks,” he contradicts and incriminates himself by writing, “and ad hominem arguments against Jonathan Cahn that come anywhere close.” This indicates his awareness of the existence of the very ad hominem ‘arguments against Jonathan Cahn’ – as he calls them. But nonetheless they are precisely that – ad hominem attacks against Jonathan Cahn – call them “arguments,’ or anything he wishes to call them. This is as close as it comes by David James to an admission of guilt for flinging ad hominem charges as one will find here or anywhere. But they are there nonetheless. He can deny it, but they are his own words.
v DAVID JAMES: Then, Dr. Reagan attempts to defend Cahn by referring to David Wilkerson as an example of someone who was vilified as a false prophet because of his strong message of repentance—a message now being echoed by Jonathan Cahn. While David Wilkerson didn’t make friends with some because of his direct style, he was also loved by many. He did deliver some powerful messages that undoubtedly made a difference in many lives. On the other hand, it is well-documented that Wilkerson also claimed that God had shown him a number of things that he formulated into predictions, but which did not come to pass.
THE PEPSTER FOR DR. REAGAN: WRONG. Fact is, the strong message of repentance is preached by the Apostles throughout Luke’s Acts, and anyone who preaches the Gospel must include a strong call to repentance in it, otherwise how can there be restoration if guilt is not imputed because of sin, and one’s need for a Savior?
v DAVID JAMES: Therefore, based on Dr. Reagan’s own definition of a false prophet, David Wilkerson is an unlikely person to be used in a defense like this. And, because Dr. Reagan defends someone with numerous failed predictions this also raises questions about the following statement he makes about Jonathan Cahn:
I know a genuine prophetic voice when I hear one, and as I watched Rabbi Cahn deliver his powerful message, I realized he was a prophetic voice raised up by God to warn this nation of its impending doom and to call us to repentance.
THE PEPSTER FOR DR. REAGAN: DR. REAGAN IS CORRECT, DAVID JAMES IS INCORRECT. Here, as in several other places in this response of his, Mr. James posits two Logical Fallacies to promote a point of view he cannot defend because there is no evidence for it. Logical Fallacy One: “David Wilkerson predicted some things that never came to pass. David Wilkerson is a false prophet. Dr. Reagan defends David Wilkerson, therefore he defends false prophets. Logical Fallacy Two: “Dr. Reagan defends David Wilkerson, now Dr. Reagan defends Jonathan Cahn. Jonathan Cahn must be a false prophet.” The first logical fallacy uses the same technique that the second one uses, and that is to impute guilt upon the person for defending someone whom the critic deems less than credible, therefore according to this logic, the second logical fallacy questions the credentials of the second person whom this person is promoting even though the two have absolutely no connection to one another other than the second person was aware of a sermon the first person had given regarding the tragic events of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001 in NYC. In one short statement containing two logical fallacies, the critic has promoted a point of view he cannot defend by substituting it with two hasty generalizations that he use to connect one to the other so that he can remove from himself the burden of having to prove that why he thinks Jonathan Cahn is a false prophet. This too adds nothing to this discussion, and therefore must be identified and seen for what it is; nothing but a disingenuous red herring developed from two hasty generalizations about someone with no basis in reality. Jonathan Cahn does not claim here or anywhere else to be a prophet. Jonathan Cahn has not made any predictions either in The Harbinger or in his teachings. To infer that he is or call him one is bearing false witness and is a serious breach of God’s commandment that we should not bear false witness. (Exodus 20:16, 23:1, Deuteronomy 5:20, Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20) In fact, Proverbs characterizes someone who bears false witness against his neighbor the following way, Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor. (Proverbs 25:18) This is how severe this charge is.
v DAVID JAMES: How does Dr. Reagan reconcile his belief that Jonathan Cahn is a “prophetic voice raised up by God” with the fact that he misapplies Isaiah 9:10, claims there is an Isaiah 9:10 Effect, argues that America is experiencing a Sh’mitah-type judgment from God, creates an illusion that there have been parallel harbingers in ancient Israel and America, issues such a generic call to repentance and so poorly communicates the gospel? Is this consistent with the message of a prophet raised up by God?
THE PEPSTER FOR DR. REAGAN: These “facts” as David James calls them; “that he (Jonathan Cahn) misapplies Isaiah 9:10, claims there is an Isaiah 9:10 Effect, argues that America is experiencing a Sh’mitah-type judgment from God, creates an illusion that there have been parallel harbingers in ancient Israel and America, issues such a generic call to repentance and so poorly communicates the gospel?” Then raise the rhetorical question, “Is this consistent with the message of a prophet raised up by God?” Again, it is the exact method used by the serpent in the garden against what God had said then, when the serpent asked rhetorically, “Indeed, has God said…?” (Genesis 3:1b) David James here is using the same reasoning the serpent used against Eve in the garden to bring Jonathan Cahn’s ministry into question. He is making a direct attack on a fellow Evangelical Christian by bringing into question everything he writes in The Harbinger as nothing but an illusion. There is no illusion; the illusion exists only in the mind of David James.
Again, David James, does not present evidence, he presents accusations and Logical Fallacies to support his premise. He first presents the rhetorical question, “How does Dr. Reagan reconcile his belief that Jonathan Cahn is a ‘prophetic voice raised up by God”’ Then he presents the list of mischaracterizations all wrapped into a Logical Fallacy that transforms Jonathan Cahn into an agent of all of the things he accuses him of doing. This is how he does it, if it’s not obvious with a reading of his statements; Logical Fallacy Premise: “It is a fact that Jonathan Cahn misapplies Isaiah 9:10, claims there is an Isaiah 9:10 Effect, argues that America is experiencing a Sh’mitah-type judgment from God, creates an illusion that there have been parallel harbingers in ancient Israel and America, issues such a generic call to repentance and so poorly communicates the gospel” “Is this consistent with the message of a prophet raised up by God?” Conclusion: “Of course not.” “David Reagan shouldn’t believe Jonathan Cahn is a ‘prophetic voice raised up by God. How does Dr. Reagan reconcile his belief?”’ Answer: He reconciles the facts to the reality which the evidence points. The evidence is incontrovertible. But Mr. James and his colleagues, and other critics of The Harbinger need to have a blast of reality hit them straight in the face, and wake them up from their slumber. Only then will they realize what they have done, repent, make a public apology to Jonathan Cahn, and retract the things they’ve said about him.
These accusations speak for themselves as the evidence here and in other places that contradict David James’ claim that he’s never attacked Rabbi Cahn personally, when such statements as those he makes here, and elsewhere testify against him and the claim you make about not “getting personal.”
What’s more, none of what he writes here has any basis in fact. Perhaps it does in his mind; but the facts do not support what is in his head. David James make claims, and public statements about them, and present them as cleverly written Logical Fallacies in order to support those contentions, but they have absolutely no basis in fact. All anyone has to do is read The Harbinger for themselves, and they will discover just how far off the mark he is. Again, one must ask whether David James has read The Harbinger, or some other book, because none of what he cites has any substantive basis in reality. Now, I ask David James point blank, “Did you read The Harbinger, or did you skim through it several times trying to find fault with it here and there? Because none of what you say indicates that you read The Harbinger; some other book similar to it perhaps, but not The Harbinger.”
v DAVID JAMES: Christian McCarthyism
This is where Dr. Reagan takes what feels like an unnecessarily mean-spirited turn, following a pattern characteristic of many who have denounced The Harbinger’s critics. He resorts to a style and uses an appeal that is long on emotion and generalities and short on facts and specifics.
The current unbridled, petty and vicious attacks on Rabbi Cahn smack of what I would call “Christian McCarthyism.” For those of you who might not be familiar with what I’m referring to, let me explain.
After giving some historical background, Dr. Reagan gets to the point of his illustration, which is obviously aimed directly at those who have expressed concern about The Harbinger:
When McCarthy resumed his attack, Welch interrupted him: “Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator. You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”
This was one of the first Congressional hearings ever to be televised, and it exposed the Senator for what he was — a shallow, irresponsible, arrogant power-seeker who was willing to destroy other people in order to gain the limelight.
In like manner there are hyper-critics within Christianity today who are yelling “Apostate! Apostate!” over matters that really amount to nothing. If a person speaks to a group they disapprove of, they label him an “Apostate.” If he has a different viewpoint from theirs about a non-essential doctrine, he is branded an “Apostate.” If he compliments someone they don’t like, he is relegated to Hell as an “Apostate.”
THE PEPSTER FOR DR. REAGAN: CORRECT. And why not, when these people – spurred on by Mr. James’ clever and inventive contentions – have wrongfully hurled all manner of aspersions against Jonathan Cahn and The Harbinger? If I were to publicize my differences of opinion in print and on the Internet about someone else, and use the epithets David James, his colleagues, and other critics of The Harbinger employ against Rabbi Cahn to describe that person, and take their attitude about themselves and their critics; I would be wrong, because I would be putting myself in the place of God as JUDGE over their ministry, over their teaching, over their service for Christ, over their personal faith and walk in Christ, and impute all manner of guilt on my target, as these people do against Jonathan Cahn and other Christian Evangelicals with whom they have personal doctrinal differences of opinion. I would be guilty as these people are, because I would be presenting my difference of opinion as though it were ex cathedra, pronouncing my opinions as though they were not to be challenged, and to challenge them would be equivalent to challenging God’s Word, as they contend!
1.) These people accuse Pastor Cahn of all of the charges listed at the beginning of this report above.
2.) They claim they do this because they are concerned about what The Harbinger says and what Rabbi Cahn teaches, though they’ve never heard a single teaching.
3.) They chose to publicize their differences and publish it into a book, as well as write articles describing Rabbi Cahn as though he were a false teacher.
4.) They have no presented a public apology to him, even though they have been apprised of the errors in Mr. James’ book, as well as the articles written.
5.) They do not believe they have sinned, even though they have made held a brother in the faith to open reproach for more than eighteen months.
6.) Just this act alone is one of which any discerning Christian would be seeking God about in repentance, because it is great.
7.) They think themselves godly men who love Jesus Christ and who serve God, this is nothing but religious pride. Any righteousness, any godliness, any work of righteousness and good deed is a work of God, not of our own godliness and righteousness.
8.) They believe they are infallible and their opinion unquestionable. They do not accept correct from others very well, as this letter by David James to Dr. Reagan evidentially demonstrates to the casual reader.
9.) And they tend to put those whom they target together with the real false prophets, false teachers, cults, cranks, and religious telemarketers out there on television fleecing God’s unsuspecting flock for $1000 seed donations for questionable causes.
They fail to realize the seriousness of what they’ve done, and because they don’t see it as sin, they continue without remorse, unabated, unimpeded by anyone, because they deem themselves accountable to no one. Anyone who dares to question their methods and the excesses of their condemnation of others, and their public posts against member of the body of Christ, are summarily dismissed, ignored, and relegated as contentious. They just don’t see.
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