Psalms 15:1–5
“O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”
Additional Psalms
Psalms 48:1–14, Psalms 4:1–8
David James wrote in the 17th chapter to his book in which he contends - yes even with the similarities (believe it or not) between Nouriel Kaplan and Jonathan Cahn, and Jonathan Cahn and the prophet - the two main characters in the narrative. The reason I cite this chapter of David James' book is because it is the one that has most impacted other critics of The Harbinger, who wrote their comments after reading Mr. James' comments without first verifying the accuracy of what David James wrote, and therein lies the error of calling Jonathan Cahn everything from a Kabbalist to an Occult Mystic and Gnostic as two or three of these critics have done.
One can trace the basis for these unfounded criticisms of Rabbi Cahn and his book to this chapter of David James' book. It is full of innuendos and misinterpretations of Jonathan Cahn's use of the rabbinical teachings of the Book of Zohar (actually a multi-volume encyclopedic work) as an Apologist for the Gospel in support of it.
On a message board on Amazon.com, Ladybug makes the following cogent observations after having read both Jonathan Cahn’s The Harbinger and David James’ The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? , I quote:
David excluded some VERY CRITICAL portions of Jonathan's quote from his ZOHAR SPEAKS message-the same one he used to charge Jonathan with promoting mysticism. When Jonathan referred his congregation to The Zohar, he specifically said to them, "Listen to the rabbis..on THAT point". David failed to include those last three words in his first edition AND he failed to mention that The Zohar was being used simply as a "hostile witness" even though Jonathan BENT OVER BACKWARDS to explain this-INCLUDING on Brannon Howse's 7/3/12 show (David even cited THIS PART of the interview in his book-but only what suited him), both of which are VERY IMPORTANT. He added them later-after he was called out on it. But it's even worse than that. First, David NEVER mentioned that this was an APOLOGETIC series in EITHER edition. Second, when I compared more of what David quoted vs. what was actually said, I was ASTOUNDED! Below is the way his second edition copy reads:
". . . And now the very hill, the very place, here in, of all places, the rabbinical writings, the Zohar. . . . you want mercy, you go there. Listen to the rabbis on this point. . . ."
and below in caps is the portion David CONVENIENTLY removed:
". . . And now the very hill, the very place, here in, of all places, the rabbinical writings, the Zohar UNWITTINGLY GIVES THE NAME OF IT - GULGATAH - WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE CALLED IT AND TEACHES THAT GOLGOTHA IS THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING - OF GOD'S MERCY... you want mercy, you go there. Listen to the rabbis... on THAT point. . . ."
Did you catch that? It's not very clear where people are to go for mercy in David's quote & he EVEN makes it appear as though Jonathan could very well be directing people to go to the Zohar ITSELF for God's mercy. But when Rabbi Cahn is quoted IN FULL, it is CLEAR that he is directing them to Golgotha! What was going on in David's mind here? Were these few extra words too much to include in this quote? Did his hands suddenly go limp & he could type no more? How could he believe this was unimportant?
In June, 2013, I decided to purchase the CD - which is available on the Beth Israel website (Message #840). At the VERY BEGINNING of that message, which prefaces EVERYTHING else that is taught, Rabbi Cahn says:
"The rabbis - who denied Him and yet who bear witness to Him - which is a powerful thing because, remember, these are the words of a HOSTILE WITNESS but, somehow, the Spirit of God has forced these things into the writings so that Messiah, even by denying - is upheld. And so it's a very powerful thing in seeing how real and true and how legitimate - how totally - the Messiah is Jesus!"
Rabbi Cahn also kept repeating the phrase, "EVEN the rabbis [are testifying]..." in that message - CLEARLY downplaying the rabbinical writings while upholding the Word of God!
Had David James thought to purchase this teaching off of the Beth Israel website in order to understand what was taught in its FULL CONTEXT instead of rushing to judgment & impugning bad motives by saying on his FACT OR FICTION webpage, & I quote, "Fortunately, I downloaded that video before Cahn had it pulled from YouTube", maybe he would have figured out that: #1) - Rabbi Cahn has nothing to hide since this teaching is still available for purchase, & #2) - that he does NOT promote the Zohar or any rabbinic writings, but uses them as hostile witnesses ONLY in order to point people to Christ, just as the apostle Paul had done with a hymn to Zeus! Case closed!
And as far as Jonathan quoting from THE ZOHAR in a positive manner... Why is it that people readily understand & accept the fact that Satan, who can only imitate God, can infiltrate the church but don't believe God can invade rabbinic writings or even the occult for that matter? He is a loving God Who wants people to come to a knowledge of the truth. He reaches people where they are. Jesus was criticized for "eating with tax collectors & sinners" because the Pharisees thought He should not associate with such godless people. All Jonathan was doing was demonstrating God's grace in directing people to Calvary with something as unlikely as THE ZOHAR! It causes me to praise God that He - our sovereign God - would lead people to the TRUTH in the most unlikely place!
I have never seen such sloppy research done as I did when I read Chapter 17 - the "mysticism" chapter. David could only use words like "appears", "apparently", "seems to suggest", "may be", & cites only the "titles and descriptions" of 10 messages Rabbi Cahn gave without viewing them before making such a serious charge. He also accused Jonathan of lifting up Hebrew mystical literature when, in reality, if you read that part of the story IN CONTEXT, it's clear that Rabbi Cahn was DISCREDITING it. No doubt, the apostle Paul would have appeared to David as a Zeus worshiper because the hymn he quoted was ABOUT Zeus when originally written. David also charged Jonathan with promoting himself as a prophet. Not true. He compared himself to Baruch the SCRIBE! Rabbi Cahn is WAY too humble to elevate himself to prophet status. This book TRULY is a train wreck that should have NEVER been written & is a clear demonstration that David's feet are WAY too swift to shed innocent blood.
3. Rabbi Cahn is charged with promoting occultic mysticism. However, Chuck Missler said something very interesting when he, himself, was being charged with mysticism. He challenged his own critics to find an adequate definition of mysticism. It's defined as having a direct experience with God... but trying to seek it outside God's Word is the occult. He then went on to explain that both Paul and John were mystics, CHRISTIAN MYSTICS - their highest dream was to be in Christ and Christ in them. David James said Rabbi Cahn was "apparently" promoting a FORM of mysticism but couldn't identify WHICH form. I think Chuck Missler identified it for him (Christian mysticism) & it's VERY Biblical!
There are rabbinical writings that pre-date modern Rabbinical Judaism that have more in common with Christianity than with what is being taught today in many branches of the Jewish Faith. Many Christians and Non-Christian Gentiles today are unaware that the Judaism of the 21st Century is not the same Judaism of the 1st Century A.D. They are equally unaware that many of these rabbinical writings can and have been used by Christians – both Jewish and Gentile through the centuries as hostile witnesses in support of the Gospel and to show that Jesus is the Messiah.
In an article that criticizes Dr. David Reagan, a conservative Evangelical leader; what jumps out at the reader is how David James questions whether Dr. Reagan based his own opinion on second-hand knowledge (inferred by his use of questioning whether or not Dr. Reagan obtained his information on "first-hand knowledge of anyone alleging this" (that Jonathan Cahn promoted Free-Masonry in The Harbinger), and uses this line to jettison himself of all responsibility over others writing in his stead - who having read what he infers in chapter 17 - have indeed made this connection.
We see it in an article written by Jeremy James titled, A Prophetic Dream in The Harbinger is suspiciously like a Prophetic Dream acclaimed by American Freemasons, that he wrote in Ireland on June 30th, 2012, where he brings up what in his opinion connects The Harbinger to Free Masonry, a preposterous connection, because Jonathan Cahn is neither a Free Mason, and his use of a dream in his book is as a fictional vehicle to present the elements where great men of history connect in the founding of their nations - one in the founding of the united tribes of all Israel where as its King and earthly ruler, Solomon consecrates the nation through his consecration of the temple in Jerusalem, the capital of his kingdom where he and his father built, but which Solomon finished; and the connection with George Washington, who after taking the Oath of Office as the first President of the United States, led a procession of America's first congress and senate and other leaders from what is today Wall Street to St. Paul's Chapel on the corner of what is today Ground Zero, where America's leaders in their first official act, consecrated the new nation to God in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ for His blessings and protection over the land and its people.
The significance of this, of course, is entirely lost on David James and other critics of The Harbinger, who forget that this prayer of consecration made in the name of Jesus Christ for God's protection and blessing over the new nation, was and continues to this day, to be this nation's bilateral agreement to live according to the Judeo-Christian precepts of God's Word as a free and independent nation under God and indivisible. Call it what you like, it was made by these men, and there is no other nation under heaven which was founded in such a way.
This is how The Harbinger presents the dream and uses it as a catalyst to explain the significance of how the United States of America was founded. As to bilateral covenants; they are throughout the Hebrew Bible, and were made by Israelite kings and God. There is no other nation but Israel that has a unilateral covenant such as the Abrahamic Covenant; but there are many bilateral covenants between men and God and men and nations with other men and nations throughout the Old Testament. Our first leaders made a bilateral covenant with God through the convocation of a prayer made to Him to consecrate the new nation in its first official act of a joint session of congress and the president at St. Paul's Chapel on April 30th, 1789 in New York City. Few know that New York City in 1789 was the capital of the United States. Washington, D.C. did not yet exist.
The charge that Jonathan Cahn teaches Kabbalah and is involved as some type of gnostic mystic appears in Beit Kjos' article which is posted prominently on The Berean Call's website and cited by Brannon Howse on his website as one of many on-line articles critical of The Harbinger. Though Berit Kjos' article has been biblically addressed by this writer on his website The Pepster's Post: A Voice in Cyberspace, in an article titled A REPLY & CLARIFICATION to KJOS Ministries On THE HARBINGER.
There has yet to be a retraction of what is posted in that article either by Kjos herself or by T.A. McMahon, or Brannon Howse. At least a disclaimer that by David James that he does not necessarily agree with all of the contents of Kjos' article would do, but he all promotes it. What's more, there is a second more egregious article posted by Kjos in which she draws unfortunate parallels to the Kabbalah in order to connect them in some way to Jonathan Cahn's book and teachings. All of this is the fruit of what David James has written in Chapter 17 of his book titled The Tenth Seal.
In chapter Ten of his book, David James cleverly cherry picks titles of Jonathan Cahn's previous teachings series and quotes the most "mystical sounding ones" in his book. Then in what has become classic form for him and other critics of The Harbinger, he takes all of the teachings and trashes because to him they sound to be "mystical."
Mind you, he has not heard a single one, but he is quick to conclude without having heard any of them that they are no good.(pg. 192-194) He does this in order to build on the myth that Jonathan Cahn is a Jewish Mystic and Kabbalist, with Gnostic leanings who dabbles in Jewish Occultism, which he begins to accuse him of in pages which follow. I quote part of what he writes here, and let the reader draw his own conclusion, if this is only a caricature - as David James claims - or an accusation James has made for which he wishes to retract by claiming he hasn't made it, so he will not lose credibility and have to apologize for it. I quote:
"Jonathan Cahn has over 1,700 of his messages available through the Hope of the World website. The descriptions of many of these messages are quite revealing about his approach to handling the Word of God - which appears to be mystical at its core. The focus of much of his teaching and preaching is apparently the discovery and revelation of mysteries that no one has seen before. His ministry appears to build around the idea of hidden mysteries exactly like those in The Harbinger. The titles and descriptions of just a few of his messages should serve as a warning to any serious student of the Scriptures."
(David James, The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?, page 192-193, The Berean Call, Bend, Oregon, 2012)
THE PEPSTER
by Jeremy James
In his review of The Harbinger , David James made the following observation: “In the second half of the book, Kaplan has a dream about the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem which includes the biblical king Solomon. However, when Solomon turns around, he has unexpectedly transformed into George Washington on the Temple Mount. Is this dream just a literary device in the story or did the author actually have a similar dream? Although he [ Jonathan Cahn] has stated that he did not have a dream as described in the book, it is clear that the idea for the dream sequence did not develop in a vacuum. Could it simply represent Cahn’s contemplation and thought process as he sought to arrive at a meaningful interpretation of some of the events in America over the past decade? ”David James asks, “Is this dream just a literary device in the story or did the author actually have a similar dream?” Later in his review, he returns to the same question:
“Although the author has said that this dream is simply part of the fictional storyline, it seems unlikely that there is not a specific reason behind connecting Solomon and George Washington given what is in the previous eighteen chapters. Why does Solomon transform into George Washington on the Temple Mount?”
Well, I believe I can answer that question. In chapter 19 of his book, The Secret Destiny of America, one of the foremost authorities on Freemasonry, Manly P Hall, gave an account of a prophetic dream that General George McClellan reported at a critical point in the American Civil War. Details of the dream were published shortly thereafter in the Portland Maine Evening Courier on March 8, 1862. The circumstances and content of the General’s dream were as follows:
While poring over his maps late into the night, he fell asleep and found himself standing in space, staring over a huge map of the country, from the Mississippi to the Atlantic. A voice warned, “Your time is short.” He couldn’t make out the features of the man who addressed him, but he followed his instructions and rapidly noted the disposition of the enemy forces. As Hall states: “His pencil moving with the speed of thought, McClellan transferred the troop positions from the living map to the paper map on his desk. When this had been done, McClellan became aware that the figure standing near him had increased in light and glory until it shone like the noonday sun. And as he raised his eyes he looked into the face of George Washington. ” The First President proceeded to give the General further information about the destiny of America. When he awoke he looked at the maps on his desk: “But there was one difference; the maps were covered with the marks, signs, and figures which he had inscribed there during the vision.” The dramatic warning from the “Glorified Spirit of Washington” included the following prophetic remark:
“But her [America’s] mission will not then be finished; for ere another century shall have gone by, the oppressors of the whole earth, hating and envying her exaltation, shall join themselves together and raise up their hands against her. But if she still be found worthy of her high calling they shall surely be discomfited, and then will be ended her third and last great struggle for existence. Thenceforth shall the Republic go on, increasing in power and goodness, until her borders shall end only in the remotest corners of the earth, and the whole earth shall beneath her shadowing wing become a Universal Republic...”
According to this prophetic vision, America has been destined to go through three traumatic events. The first was the War of Independence. The second was the Civil War, which the “Glorified Spirit” of Washington said the Union forces would win. And the third would come about when America became so powerful that all nations of the world would rise up against her in envy and try to destroy her. But “if she still be found worthy of her high calling” she would triumph over them and establish dominion over the entire world, to “the remotest corners of the earth.” According to this dream-vision, America has clearly acquired the Biblical destiny of Israel, which scripture tells us will be attacked by a confederacy of all nations in the End Time but will survive and become the center of a world empire. American Freemasons regard George Washington as a man who became a god. This profoundly pagan event is celebrated by a huge fresco – 65 feet in diameter – inside the eye of the Rotunda of the Capitol building in Washington DC:
The Apotheosis of Washington in the eye of the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol
As a ‘god’ he appears from time to time at critical moments in America’s history to guide mortal men and help their nation realize its destiny as a world empire. Here is how Manly Hall describes this work of divine guidance: “It is written in the old books that when the brothers of the Quest desire to bring about changes in the mortal state they send messengers and strange dreams and mystic visions and, accomplish their purpose by revealing their will to the leaders of nations in sundry and curious ways.”
Christians everywhere should immediately recognize all of this as demonic. It is all part of Lucifer’s revolt against the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He wants a world empire where all men are under his control and worship him as the supreme deity. In order to achieve this he has to convince them that they are really gods, not created beings, and that through his ‘divine’ guidance and the inspired use of their creative imaginations, they can break free from the limitations of the flesh and become deified like Washington. So, when King Solomon is transformed into George Washington in The Harbinger ,and this occurs on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, one’s inner alarm bell should ring loud and long.________________
Jeremy James Ireland
30 June 2012
SIDEBAR: The Following exchange was between David James, someone named Steve, and myself on Amazon.com regarding the dream sequence in The Harbinger. I post it here in answer to Jeremy James’ article quoted above as my rebuttal. JB
About Washington’s Masonic connections: People; that is, human beings, tend to associate one’s personal walk and faith in God with their associations, public statements, and other “evidences” of their religious fraternal “affiliations.” God looks at the heart, and that is where we are to look as well. How can we know? How can we discern that a person is genuine versus a charlatan? The life of the person. The redeemed conduct themselves in a manner that is most distinct from the rest of humanity, and it has been this way from ancient times right down to this day. I don’t mean religious, but a real change in attitude’s expressions, behavior, tastes, actions, and primarily love for God and His Word, and service to others.
There is much made about George Washington’s Masonic affiliations, but few of his critics know that he only attended their lodges twice in his lifetime, and that as far as his practice of Free Masonry, he was what would be considered a “nominal” Mason, though because of his status and historical worth in our history, much is made by both critic and supporters of his being a Mason.
As to why they wished to enshrine him as some pagan god on the capitol’s rotunda, he had nothing to do with this, so why would anyone in their right mind criticize him for something he had absolutely nothing to do with, or any control of, that others did long after he was dead and buried? This is only fodder to continue to milk the cow of criticism against The Harbinger. And no, there is no morphing in The Harbinger, as David James describes it here and in his book.
In reply to an earlier post on Nov 16, 2013 9:01:49 PM PST
Solomon didn't morph into Washington? Call it what you will, but the text speaks for itself:
________________
"And how did you know it was King Solomon?" "He was wearing a crown and what seemed to be a royal robe of gold. And I just knew, the way you just know things in a dream . . . intuitively."
"So King Solomon was speaking to the crowd . . . and saying what?"
"I couldn't tell or understand. But after he finished speaking, he turned back toward the Temple, knelt down, covered his head with the golden robe, and lifted his hands to the sky. He was praying. He was leading the people in prayer. And as they prayed, I was walking through their midst . . . through crowds . . . toward the platform where the king was kneeling. I approached him. He was now just a few feet away from me. But I could only see him from the back since he was turned in the opposite direction. He stood up, still facing the Temple and with the golden robe still covering his head. And then he turned around, I saw his face . . . and it wasn't him."
"What do you mean it wasn't him?" she asked.
"It wasn't King Solomon anymore," he answered.
"Then who was it?"
"It was Washington."
"Washington . . . as in the president?"
Cahn, Jonathan (2011-09-03). The Harbinger: The ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's future (p. 193). Strang Communications. Kindle Edition.
______________
Morphed, transformed, became, replaced, etc.
This is why it's not just about what the Puritan's thought about America - whether they were right or wrong.
One can spin this all they want - and it may have been a very poor way for Jonathan Cahn to try to convey what he was thinking - but it is what it is. It's not like his critics made this up - and it was one of the most dramatic scenes in the entire book - and it is disturbing.
David James wrote: “Solomon didn't morph into Washington? Call it what you will, but the text speaks for itself” ….. “Morphed, transformed, became, replaced, etc.
“One can spin this all they want - and it may have been a very poor way for Jonathan Cahn to try to convey what he was thinking - but it is what it is. It's not like his critics made this up - and it was one of the most dramatic scenes in the entire book - and it is disturbing.”
MY ANSWER: It was a dream David. Have you ever had a dream? It was a dream, and in dreams such things happen. Tell me what’s wrong about someone having a dream where they’re in one place with someone and all of a sudden, they’re somewhere else, and in somebody else’s company? Have you ever had a dream where that’s happened? I have. And I’ve had dreams similar to this one where I’m at one place and all of a sudden I’m someplace else and in the company of other people in an instant. And this disturbs you? Why does it disturb you, David? Why should a dream where such common occurrences happen should disturb you as you claim this one does? In this part of the narrative, the venue of a dream is used to advance the story in it and present within that story the information. It is nothing more than that, and I think you’re reading into it more than what it is, just as you do the rest of the book. Writers do that all the time. What was wrong with this? This is a work of fiction David; a work of fiction. Can you make that distinction?
David James wrote: “This is why it's not just about what the Puritan's thought about America - whether they were right or wrong.
MY ANSWER: This is where you once again tip your hand. You’re insinuating here that not only is Jonathan Cahn suggesting something The Harbinger nowhere suggests – that America is in a covenant relationship with God, like that of the Abrahamic Covenant, but he goes on to make another charge that has no basis in fact. In your book, you charge, “that the founders were right about America being in covenant with God – if not as a new Israel as such, then at least as one patterned after Israel’s covenant relationship with Him”.
For one, the founders never made this claim, nor does The Harbinger ever say that the founders ever made this claim – that America is in covenant relationship with God, nor does The Harbinger make this claim for America. This came out of the figment of your own imagination, and you present these false charges throughout your book as though Jonathan Cahn made them in his book. Very clever, but it does not hold up to close examination, as we have seen. Rabbi Cahn did not in his book, nor has ever said any of what he is being accused of saying.
What The Harbinger does say is that the Puritans and Pilgrims; those who first settled America, saw themselves as a type of new Israel fleeing the slavery of the Church of England and religious intolerance in Europe, and venturing out into the new world to conquer it for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and religious liberty.
The founders did not make this claim for themselves, nor does The Harbinger say that they made this claim; David James infers that The Harbinger claims they did and that claims that Jonathan Cahn makes it in his teachings. No he does not. The facts are a far cry from what your book claims, and since your perspective is so muddled and confused in this regard – perhaps intentionally – you project the same confusion you have about this onto Jonathan Cahn.
I would believe that you take Jonathan Cahn at his word, that he does not believe or promote Replacement Theology, if not for the rejoinder David James provides where he writes:
“This is not to suggest Cahn believes that national Israel has been replaced and has no future in God’s program. He has said that he does not believe this. Unfortunately, there seems to be a significant disconnect between what the author says he believes about this and the ideas he so clearly presents in The Harbinger.”
(ibid, page 150)
Your rejoinder at the end of the paragraph mitigates, and all but blots out any claim you can make, including the statement you wrote above in this discussion above about taking Jonathan Cahn at his word when he has said that he does not believe or teach Supersessionism. This is a subtle form of plausible denial should anyone correctly accuse you of promoting the fallacy and continuing to promote the urban legend that Jonathan Cahn teaches and promotes Replacement Theology in The Harbinger while claiming that you accept Rabbi Cahn’s statements to the contrary. Of course, you’ve said that you do not believe Jonathan Cahn teaches “Classic Replacement Theology” – right, well, do you or don’t you believe he teaches it? This is double-mindedness; you either take him at his word when he says he doesn’t teach it, or you do not; which will it be David?
By creating the so-called “disconnect” of what of what you claim for Jonathan Cahn as saying versus what he writes, you perpetuate the myth that Jonathan Cahn teaches Replacement Theology while presenting him as inconsistent and double-minded because (according to you) Rabbi Cahn contradicts what you claim he wrote versus what you claim Rabbi Cahn says; a complete contrivance of yours and nothing but pure sophistry at its worst. This disingenuous behavior is called bearing false witness against one’s neighbor; in this case, against a fellow bondservant of Christ and brother in the Lord. A line no Christian should ever cross. Very sad.
As Ladybug [on Amazon.com] and others have observed on other message boards about this book, you continue to develop the urban legend further on page 173 of your book. Each one of these statements you make must be examined and compared to the facts so that the re-written narrative you attempt to insert here is put roundly into its proper place as nothing but complete fiction.
Let’s begin with David’s bold conjectural statement that declares the following: “Cahn (sic) refers only to Israel’s destruction but never to its restoration as modern-day Israel. Neither does he ever mention that national Israel still has a place in God’s program in the future – that Jerusalem will be the capital of the messianic kingdom. With these two significant omissions, Cahn (sic) leaves the reader with the unmistakable impression that Israel is finished as a nation (which many Christians already believe) and that he is suggesting that America very well may constitute a new Israel.”
While it is true that these elements could have been included into the narrative, as I do in my book The Truth About The Harbinger, they were not what The Harbinger was about, and therefore unnecessary, because the primary focus of The Harbinger was to alert those reading it to the pattern of warning and judgment that occurred in ancient Israel recurring in modern America. If the book were about Eschatology, or even prophecy, it would have included these other elements.
Since they are unnecessary to the focus of the narrative, Rabbi Cahn did not include them. But, David James gratuitously brings them up in order to pan out his criticisms of Rabbi Cahn’s book and have additional material to gripe about, as well as to create the urban legend that Jonathan Cahn teaches and believes Replacement Theology, while claiming to believe the opposite. David James is searching for error and omissions, but in the process, falls into these traps of his own making.
On the heels of this conjectural statement, follows his rhetorical question, “Exactly which covenant did Israel break? Was it the Mosaic covenant or the Abrahamic covenant? This is not merely an academic question,” Of course it’s not, and David serves the coupe de grass with, “This means that Israel could have broken only the bilateral, conditional Mosaic covenant – which is exactly what the Scripture teach. But that immediately raises the question concerning America and which type of covenant Cahn (sic) thinks was broken that led to the destruction of America’s place of dedication.”
(ibid, page 172-173)
The not-so-subtle method of reasoning David James uses attempts to create and develop the urban legend further with these conjectural observations in order to manipulate his readers into believing it, and seeing it as real as he himself does, and tries in these places, to convince everyone else of it.
In reply to an earlier post on Nov 17, 2013 8:18:47 PM PST
David James says:
Jose wrote: It was a dream David. Have you ever had a dream? It was a dream, and in dreams such things happen. Tell me what's wrong about someone having a dream where they're in one place with someone and all of a sudden, they're somewhere else, and in somebody else's company?
Then there are two possibilities:
1. Jonathan Cahn actually had this dream and it makes ups the 90% of the book that isn't fiction (according to what he said in an interview with Brannon Howse).
2. It isn't a dream at all - it never actually happened - which makes it a literary device just like any other, which according to Jose's own admission, it advances the storyline and presents information within that story. What storyline is it advancing? The line that Washington's consecration of America to God is precisely parallel to Solomon's consecration of Israel to God at the dedication of the temple.
I'm hard-pressed to understand how this isn't completely obvious.
Again, if this isn't what the author intended to convey, then it was a very unwise use of a literary device - and blurs the lines between fact and fiction as happens throughout the book - thus the title of my book: Fact or Fiction?
Your post: Nov 17, 2013 11:32:12 PM PST
Jose J. Bernal says:
With regards to the dream narrative, we have the following statements made by David James.
David James has written: “Then there are two possibilities:
1. Jonathan Cahn actually had this dream and it makes ups the 90% of the book that isn't fiction (according to what he said in an interview with Brannon Howse).
ANSWER: No, Jonathan Cahn did not have this dream, it is a fictitious vehicle used to illustrate how two historical events were pivotal to the history and destiny of both nations; Solomon’s prayer to God in Jerusalem at the dedication and founding of the temple, and Washington’s prayer to God in the name of Jesus Christ consecrating the new nation to His divine protection and will. I have already quoted the prayer in a previous post, including provided the locations where it is posted.
The dream is fictitious; the two events in the dream were two separate historical events recounted in the dream and connected by both men’s prayer of consecration. There is nothing that should be read into this than what is there. This is why I recommend in objective fairness and intellectual honestly; read The Harbinger and The Harbinger Companion With Study Guide, then read The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?, then read my own book, The Truth about The Harbinger. Then let them make their own determination about these things.
David James has written: 2. It isn't a dream at all - it never actually happened - which makes it a literary device just like any other, which according to Jose's own admission, it advances the storyline and presents information within that story. What storyline is it advancing? The line that Washington's consecration of America to God is precisely parallel to Solomon's consecration of Israel to God at the dedication of the temple.
I'm hard-pressed to understand how this isn't completely obvious.
ANSWER: Correct. The dream never actually happened. I don’t see the problem. The book is a novel that contains these two historical events about two real people. I don’t know if David James is familiar how an author uses one or more fictitious events and even characters to form the narrative within the framework of a historical event – for example the Kennedy Assassination – to advance the storyline of the actual historical event. This is done all of the time by writers. This is nothing new. The Harbinger is a work of fiction their novel is about Why read into it more than what is there? Why question what it obviously says? There is no problem for a writer to use whatever literary devices he so chooses to convey something he wants to convey to his readers, unless someone else questions either what he’s conveying to his readers or how he is doing it, which is an absurdity. How does one question a dream? And for what purpose?
David James has written: Again, if this isn't what the author intended to convey, then it was a very unwise use of a literary device - and blurs the lines between fact and fiction as happens throughout the book - thus the title of my book: Fact or Fiction?
We should not read into this more than what is obviously there. There is nothing there that should send any red flags up to anyone. It is fiction. It is a dream that is used in the fictitious venue of The Harbinger’s narrative Rabbi Cahn created where two historical figures and two historical events coalesce in a dream to make a point that both of these two historical figures prayed to God for their respective nations at their respective dedications. There is nothing more to read into it. And there is no confusion about it. That is what it is.
Now, does this in any way indicate that either The Harbinger or Jonathan Cahn are trying to convey to the reader that America entered into a unilateral covenant with God as Abraham did because America’s first president, George Washington, and the first American government upon the founding of the republic; prayed to God for the nation? Absolutely not. Nowhere does The Harbinger claim this.
The Harbinger does say that upon its founding, the first president and first congress and senate convened at St. Paul’s Chapel at the corner of what would later be called Ground Zero to pray and consecrate this nation to Almighty God for His blessing and protection in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is unmistakable that the God who answers the prayers and petitions of men who pray thusly, did indeed answer the prayer offered at St. Paul’s Chapel, as He has honored and answered the prayers made to Him throughout history, as the Scriptures record for us.
The dream sequence in The Harbinger is meant to convey the importance of this prayer of consecration upon this nation’s founding by comparing it to Solomon’s prayer; both were made by the nation’s leader; both were made in the nation’s capital; both were made in God’s house; both were made for His divine blessing and protection; both were honored by God; and both were pivotal in each nation’s history, and set its course for generations.
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