Dear brethren and all who read herein,
What I am about to write here will precede what is below; my personal rebuttal to Pastor Gary Gilley’s unfortunate review of Pastor and Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s New York Times bestseller, The Harbinger. Since the day I wrote the article below, I was informed that with regards to my comment where I wrote below the following:
“He next writes: “However, very few people will recognize what Cahn has done, and fewer still will do the hard work of investigating his interpretations.” Well, Pastor Gilley, I respectfully ask, ”When and where did you do your investigation? Because every charge you make here has no basis in reality, and if you had been intellectually honest, and had read the book for yourself, you would not be making these absurd charges against it. Of this I am absolute certain, because I have read The Harbinger, and I know firsthand what it does say and what it does not say, and what you claim it says here, it does not say.”
This next statement, Pastor Gilley tips his hand, and discloses where he obtained the disinformation he writes here. He next writes: Here is where David James has greatly benefited the body of Christ. He has carefully, graciously and thoroughly analyzed the claims found in The Harbinger and found many of them lacking biblical support and historical accuracy. James has written this book not merely to expose error but to keep God's people from being led astray by false teachings and improper hermeneutical approaches to Scripture. I believe he has accomplished these goals in The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?.
Unfortunately, this is not what David James has done, because I and others have examined his book from cover to cover, and have posted here, and in other discussion boards our findings. I would recommend everyone reading this post, to go to my website; The Pepster’s Post: A Voice in Cyberspace, where I have several articles I’ve posted after thoroughly examining Mr. James book, and comparing what it says about The Harbinger. I would also strongly encourage Mr. Gilley to purchase a copy of my book, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARBINGER where I address all of these questions that The Harbinger’s critics have brought up the last nineteen months.”
That Pastor Gilley had been approached by David James and asked to read The Harbinger and provide a review to HIM. Additionally, David James provided me with his chronology of how he says it went. This is what he said were “the facts,” I quote:
1. Gary Gilley reads an entire book almost EVERY SINGLE WEEK – and has done HUNDREDS OF REVIEWS as a service to the Body of Christ.
2. I asked Gary Gilley to read The Harbinger and provide a review TO ME.
3. When I asked him to do this, I provided absolutely NO COMMENTARY WHATSOEVER, because I did not want to influence him in any way.
4. He DID READ the book BEFORE he gave me ANY of his thoughts.
5. His conclusions are completely his own – and he told me what they were BEFORE I shared with him ANY of my thoughts.
6. I believe that Gary’s article was published on his own website quite a bit BEFORE mine.
7. I asked SEVERAL other people to do exactly what Gary Gilley did – and gave them absolutely NO COMMENTARY WHATSOEVER because I did not want to influence them in any way.
8. EVERY SINGLE PERSON came to almost IDENTICAL CONCLUSIONS – and NONE of them had ANY CONTACT with anyone else about the book.
I appreciate Mr. James having provided me with this information, but let us consider each point that David James was gracious enough to supply me with here. Regardless of how many books Gary Gilley reads every week does not indicate that he had read The Harbinger before he wrote his review of it. This is not to deny that he read it, but it is no indication that he had read it before he wrote his review. To claim that the number of books one reads per week indicates that they’re read a particular book is nothing but a logical fallacy, and one has to ask why David James brought that up here as one of his points. So Number 1 above is not a valid argument to show as evidence that Pastor Gilley read The Harbinger before he offered his review to David James.
David James claims that he asked Pastor Gilley to read The Harbinger and provide him with a review (2 and 4). That’s well and good, and there is no reason for anyone to disbelieve this.
But David James’ next claim (3, 5, and 7), respectfully is extremely hard to believe, and it is difficult to envision how David James could’ve requested Pastor Gilley to read a book, to offer an opinion about it to him without providing him with some explanation as to why, and in the process, divulge his own bias against it, which time has shown was extremely strong, especially when one reviews the interviews David James provided Jimmy DeYoung on DeYoung’s program Prophecy Today, where they discussed The Harbinger as early as January 7th, 2012, and subsequent interviews David James gave where The Harbinger was discussed on March 10th, 2012, March 17th, 2012, March, 24th, 2012, and many more, about ten in all just on Prophecy Today, where Rabbi Cahn’s work was trashed and he was called a false prophet and other extremely unfortunate and inaccurate epithets that no biblical servant of God should ever be called by another.
Pastor Gilley does not live in a bubble, and while David James may or may not be truthful and correct in claiming that he kept his opinions to himself when he asked Pastor Gilley to read The Harbinger and provide him with his thoughts on it; David James was already as early as January 7th of 2012 gone public with his opinions on The Harbinger on Prophecy Today, and there is the possibility that Pastor Gilley and others of this “trusted group” Mr. James so often writes about would have heard David James speak about this on the radio during that time.
Whether it happened or not is a valid possibility that must be considered, inasmuch as all possibilities must be examined and considered, because there was much that was said and written against Jonathan Cahn during the year of 2012 by these critics that these men must be held accountable for, because they have treated a brother in the faith in a most improper manner, and have yet to take remedial action by making their apologies to Pastor Cahn for the language they used against him.
In today’s Internet-radio-centered society calling a legitimate minister of God a “false prophet” or “false teacher” is a death sentence to that person and his ministry, especially when it comes from supposedly well-respected people. This is what makes it so egregious.
And with regards to the people whom David James consulted about The Harbinger (8), it would be interesting to know who these people are; whether or not they are Cessationists/Dispensationalists like David James and Jimmy DeYoung, and whether or not they heard any of the early interviews David James gave about The Harbinger, and were influenced by his comments in them. Again, we may or may not believe him when he says that he never divulged his own bias when he approached these “trusted brethren” but that does not mean that they had not been influenced in some way against the book before reading it by the interviews David James had given, and the attacks on the book coming from others like Jimmy DeYoung and others very early in the year. This is why such claims need to be considered in light of these other facts. If indeed Pastor Gary Gilley did read The Harbinger without being influenced by David James’ strong biases against it, and provided him with his opinion only AFTER he read the book. How then are we to understand that AFTER providing David James with this information, Mr. James didn’t unleash his own opinions on him, and afterwards when Pastor Gilley wrote his article, he was by then very unduly influenced by Mr. James’ own very strong opinions against it? This is why there is much more here than what we know, and what is being told us, and what will be divulged. The fact remains that what these brethren wrote about Rabbi Cahn was so unfortunate and so inaccurate that it required a biblical response, which subsequently followed by Rabbi Cahn himself in various articles he wrote, Faith’s Corner, which addressed these inaccurate reports in a fair and biblical manner, and others who discussed this on Amazon.com as well as on David James’ own website, and my own at The Pepster’s Post: A Voice in Cyberspace, and in my book, The Truth about The Harbinger: Addressing the Controversy and Discovering the Facts About This Prophetic Message. This entire affair is most unfortunate, and has only been overshadowed by Dr. John MacArthur’s unfortunate and divisive Strange Fire Conference and others’ like Dr. Michael Brown’s, response to it.
I have been asked by David James to offer Pastor Gilley an apology for what I wrote. My answer is, no sir, I will not offer an apology for something I have yet to confirm. Until I know for certain that Gary Gilley was not in any way influenced in forming his opinion, either by radio interviews he might’ve heard against it by Jimmy DeYoung, Brannon Howse, yourself and others, I cannot know with certainty that privately he may been influenced by any one of these, as well as the gentlemen you cite as “trusted brethren” whom you approached about the book for their opinion. When I wrote this article, I was unaware of this information, and in light of it, I have given the reasons why I cannot give an apology for something that is yet to be confirmed by evidence, all claims aside. I have done no wrong in addressing the errors Pastor Gilley has articulated in his article about The Harbinger, therefore there is no need to apologize for telling the truth. A person apologizes only when a wrong has been committed, and in addressing Gary Gilley’s unfortunate article, there was no wrong done, the wrong is in your imputing a guilt on me that does not exist, and then requiring me to do something that you and your colleagues should have done long ago with Jonathan Cahn in light of what you have said and written against him, which is now public record. No sir, I will not retract or apologize for addressing egregious error. I have read The Harbinger and none of the claims that Pastor Gilley makes in his article reflect what is written in its pages, but these do reflect almost verbatim what you wrote in yours, and there sir, is where almost all of the urban legends began.
Jose J. Bernal: THE PEPSTER
“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 PsalmsPsalms 48:1–14, Psalms 4:1–8
I have been writing in response to critics of The Harbinger since late last year. There are a myriad of articles also that I’ve addressed, some others I have yet to address, much of these I have already addressed and my articles can be accessed at my website, The Pepster’s Post: A Voice in Cyberspace.
Since that time, David James and I have both made our peace with one another, and I have no interest in allowing Rafael’s incessant rants and attempts to divide us over something that he and I have chosen not to engage here on these message boards, but to allow our respective works to be read and speak for themselves.
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Jun 1, 2012 in Current Issues, Features
The following by Dr. Gary Gilley, pastor of Southern View Chapel, is republished at Apprising Ministries with permission:
The Harbinger is one of the hottest selling books today. It is a quasi-fictional story reminiscent of novels such as The Da Vinci Code or The Shack. Each of these books involves mystery and intrigue, and has a serious message that the authors want to convey. Dan Brown, in The Da Vinci Code, wanted to cast doubt on the Christian message and interject the teaching of ancient Gnosticism.
The Shack portrays a new-age, unconditionally accepting view of God which promotes universalism. The Harbinger is warning America that God’s judgment is imminent unless the country repents and turns to the Lord and that very soon. The need for repentance and true dedication to Christ in our society is not doubted by most Christians. America, as a whole, has rejected the Lord, ignored His ways, and rebelled against His sovereign rule.
That we ultimately reap what we sow is a biblical concept that is not going to be repealed for the United States and Cahn’s basic theme is well worth considering. If the book is read merely as a novel warning our country to wake up spiritually it has value, but the author makes immediately clear that “what is contained within the story is real” (p. 7). In other words Cahn believes that God pronounced exacting judgment on America and that judgment is found in Scripture.
Isaiah 9:10-11 is the specific text of Scripture that frames The Harbinger. In context Isaiah 9:1-7 is one of the clearest prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the coming of the Messiah, both His first and second comings. This is followed by a warning of coming judgment on Israel because of its arrogance and rebelliousness (9:8-21). We know from subsequent revelation and from history that God’s judgment did fall on Israel just as the prophecy promised.
So far so good. But then Cahn determines that Isaiah 9:10-11 contains a hidden second prophecy directed not to ancient Israel but to modern America. At this point the author massages Scripture and current events in an attempt to prove that God’s judgment on the United States has been hiding in these verses from the day they were given by Isaiah, but have now been unlocked by the careful investigation of Cahn.
Nothing could be further from the truth and, even more importantly, once someone decides they can cherry-pick verses at will, change the meaning of these texts to fit his theories and use random hermeneutical methods, anything can be “proven.” However, very few people will recognize what Cahn has done, and fewer still will do the hard work of investigating his interpretations.
Here is where David James has greatly benefited the body of Christ. He has carefully, graciously and thoroughly analyzed the claims found in The Harbinger and found many of them lacking biblical support and historical accuracy. James has written this book not merely to expose error but to keep God's people from being led astray by false teachings and improper hermeneutical approaches to Scripture. I believe he has accomplished these goals in The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?.
Bottomline: The Harbinger is a semi-interesting novel that exposes the pride and sinfulness of America and God’s distain for such rebelliousness. But the novel does not in reality discover a mysterious Old Testament prophecy about America. Read as fiction with an important point, the book has value. Read as a prophecy, it is dangerous.
Gary Gilley: The Harbinger is one of the hottest selling books today. It is a quasi-fictional story reminiscent of novels such as The Da Vinci Code or The Shack. Each of these books involves mystery and intrigue, and has a serious message that the authors want to convey. Dan Brown, in The Da Vinci Code, wanted to cast doubt on the Christian message and interject the teaching of ancient Gnosticism.
MY REPLY: Pastor Gilley never considers that there is a compelling reason why The Harbinger is a bestseller and has continued to be a bestseller for more than eighteen consecutive months, with no signs of abating the charts. People know that things are not right, that there is something very wrong with our nation today, but they just can’t put their finger on it. For Christian Evangelicals, all of the signs (indications) are evident that this nation is in steep and precipitous moral and spiritual decline, and has been for quite some time. And in recent years this degeneration has accelerated with each passing year. Popular culture is now markedly Anti-Christian, and intolerance of it has become the new normal across every level of American society. Into this world of uncertainty and questioning The Harbinger has appeared with a warning, a call to repentance, and the promise and hope of God’s forgiveness to a lost and dying nation, indeed to a lost and dying world at war with itself. It is nothing like The Shack or Dan Brown Gnostic The Da Vinci Code – both literary works with decidedly unbiblical narratives.
Gary Gilley: The Shack portrays a new-age, unconditionally accepting view of God which promotes universalism. The Harbinger is warning America that God’s judgment is imminent unless the country repents and turns to the Lord and that very soon. The need for repentance and true dedication to Christ in our society is not doubted by most Christians. America, as a whole, has rejected the Lord, ignored His ways, and rebelled against His sovereign rule.
MY REPLY: Pastor Gilley’s mention of these two unbiblical works is unfortunate here, because its use is to connect The Harbinger to these in some way, and there is a universe of a difference between Rabbi Cahn’s book and the two Pastor Gilley mentions here.
Gary Gilley: That we ultimately reap what we sow is a biblical concept that is not going to be repealed for the United States and Cahn’s basic theme is well worth considering. If the book is read merely as a novel warning our country to wake up spiritually it has value, but the author makes immediately clear that “what is contained within the story is real” (p. 7). In other words Cahn believes that God pronounced exacting judgment on America and that judgment is found in Scripture.
MY REPLY: Like so often happens when there is a misunderstanding, someone says something or writes something, someone else hears it, or reads it, and give it a totally different meaning than what the original intent was. Sometimes a person is accused of saying something, when in fact never said it.
This is what’s happened to Jonathan Cahn and his New York Times bestseller, The Harbinger. Take for example the following from the post above. The first half of Pastor Gilley’s review appears rather drab and innocuous, of course, sans the unnecessary mention of The Shack and The Da Vinci Code; two books that do not promote the Gospel and whose theme is decidedly un-Christian. He appears at first to agree with the message and call of The Harbinger to repentance, but almost immediately has problems with the statement in it that says, “what is contained within the story is real” (p. 7). Commenting on it, he writes, “In other words Cahn believes that God pronounced exacting judgment on America and that judgment is found in Scripture, specifically Isaiah 9:10-11.”
Gary Gilley: Isaiah 9:10-11 is the specific text of Scripture that frames The Harbinger. In context Isaiah 9:1-7 is one of the clearest prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the coming of the Messiah, both His first and second comings. This is followed by a warning of coming judgment on Israel because of its arrogance and rebelliousness (9:8-21). We know from subsequent revelation and from history that God’s judgment did fall on Israel just as the prophecy promised.
MY REPLY: The critic began his article agreeing with Rabbi Cahn that America is under serious judgment and is in need of repentance, or face severe chastisement for its sins. But here the critic attributes a statement to Jonathan Cahn and his book than neither he or his book ever made, and that is “that God pronounced exacting judgment on America and that judgment is found in Scripture, specifically Isaiah 9:10-11.”
Jonathan Cahn has never said “that God pronounced exacting judgment on America and that judgment is found in Scripture, specifically Isaiah 9:10-11,” nor does The Harbinger make this statement. Pastor Gilley was told this and he believed it at face value without doing his own homework to verify if it was so. But it gets worse.
Gary Gilley: So far so good. But then Cahn determines that Isaiah 9:10-11 contains a hidden second prophecy directed not to ancient Israel but to modern America.
MY REPLY: In the next line, we read:
“But then Cahn determines that Isaiah 9:10-11 contains a mysterious prophecy directed not to ancient Israel but to modern America” No he does not. Nowhere does The Harbinger say that its mystery is “prophecy directed not to ancient Israel but to modern America” This also is not true. There is no place in The Harbinger where this statement is made, but what it does say is that the same pattern of warning and judgment that befell ancient Israel two thousand seven hundred years ago is repeating here in modern America. But Pastor Gilley’s review deteriorates further.
Gary Gilley: At this point the author massages Scripture and current events in an attempt to prove that God’s judgment on the United States has been hiding in these verses from the day they were given by Isaiah, but have now been unlocked by the careful investigation of Cahn.
MY REPLY: As we see above, next he writes:
“At this point the author massages Scripture, American history and current events in an attempt to prove that God's judgment on the United States has been hiding in these verses from the day they were given by Isaiah, but have now been unlocked by the careful investigation of Cahn.” No he does not! Neither Scripture is massaged, or history altered one bit to prove anything, and Pastor Gilley’s cynical and snide comments is below a servant of God.
His unfortunate remark that Rabbi Cahn has massaged Scripture and altered American history and current events “in an attempt to prove that God's judgment on the United States has been hiding in these verses from the day they were given by Isaiah, but have now been unlocked by the careful investigation of Cahn,” is unfounded and unnecessary, and had Pastor Gilley not gone on hearsay, but read the book himself, he would have discovered that the charge is baseless, because The Harbinger nowhere massages Scripture, alter American history, or do anything with current events, or make the claim “that God's judgment on the United States has been hiding in these verses from the day they were given by Isaiah, but have now been unlocked by the careful investigation of Cahn.” This is a complete fabrication on Pastor Gilley’s part, assumed by him because this is the false narrative that was given him by one of its critics.
Gary Gilley: Nothing could be further from the truth and, even more importantly, once someone decides they can cherry-pick verses at will, change the meaning of these texts to fit his theories and use random hermeneutical methods, anything can be “proven.”
MY REPLY: With regards to his last comment, he writes: “Nothing could be further from the truth and, even more importantly, once someone decides they can cherry-pick verses at will, change the meaning of these texts to fit his theories and use random hermeneutical methods, anything can be "proven." Well what Mr. Gilley here claims for The Harbinger is false, and therefore, this applies to his statement, “Nothing could be further from the truth,” and his unfounded charge that somehow Jonathan Cahn cherry-picked Scripture.
I suggest to Mr. Gilley, if he wants to get the facts about this book, that he’d read it first before he “flies off the handle” like this, and discredit himself for criticizing a book he has not read. Or at the very least, that he’d read my book, The Truth about The Harbinger: Addressing the Controversy and Discovering the Facts About This Prophetic Message, so that he will understand precisely why the information he has embraced about The Harbinger is nothing but someone else’s own fictional re-write of the narrative, and not based on accurate fact.
He next writes: “However, very few people will recognize what Cahn has done, and fewer still will do the hard work of investigating his interpretations.” Well, Pastor Gilley, I respectfully ask, ”When and where did you do your investigation? Because every charge you make here has no basis in reality, and if you had been intellectually honest, and had read the book for yourself, you would not be making these absurd charges against it. Of this I am absolute certain, because I have read The Harbinger, and I know firsthand what it does say and what it does not say, and what you claim it says here, it does not say.”
This next statement, Pastor Gilley tips his hand, and discloses where he obtained the disinformation he writes here. He next writes: Here is where David James has greatly benefited the body of Christ. He has carefully, graciously and thoroughly analyzed the claims found in The Harbinger and found many of them lacking biblical support and historical accuracy. James has written this book not merely to expose error but to keep God's people from being led astray by false teachings and improper hermeneutical approaches to Scripture. I believe he has accomplished these goals in The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?.
Unfortunately, this is not what David James has done, because I and others have examined his book from cover to cover, and have posted here, and in other discussion boards our findings. I would recommend everyone reading this post, to go to my website; The Pepster’s Post: A Voice in Cyberspace, where I have several articles I’ve posted after thoroughly examining Mr. James book, and comparing what it says about The Harbinger. I would also strongly encourage Mr. Gilley to purchase a copy of my book, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARBINGER where I address all of these questions that The Harbinger’s critics have brought up the last nineteen months.
Gary Gilley: Bottomline: The Harbinger is a semi-interesting novel that exposes the pride and sinfulness of America and God’s distain for such rebelliousness. But the novel does not in reality discover a mysterious Old Testament prophecy about America. Read as fiction with an important point, the book has value. Read as a prophecy, it is dangerous.
MY REPLY: Pastor Gilley and all who read this post, these are the facts; The Harbinger is written in the form of a novel that describes a biblical pattern of judgment that has repeated itself in just about every great civilization in history, but the book focuses on how this specific pattern of judgment befell the northern kingdom of Israel, headquartered in Samaria, in 732 B.C. when the prophet Isaiah rebuked and pronounced judgment on the nation for vowing – as he describes it – “in pride and in arrogance of heart” (Isaiah 9:9) ) to undertake a rebuilding and recovery program after a limited first strike on the land was made by Assyria. This rebuilding, replanting, and recovery effort was done without accounting to God in repentance, or giving Him any mind, much as our leaders today have done today.
The full strike occurred ten years later in 722 B.C., when the Assyrian Empire invaded Damascus, overran the northern kingdoms’ defenses, and exiled almost the entire population to the east, to the cities of Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. (1Kings 17:6) The Assyrians then resettled the land with Gentiles from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sephar-vaim; who then mingled with what was left of the Israelites to produce what became known as the Samaritans. (2Kings 17:29)
The Harbinger breaks the various parts of this judgment down to its elements – nine specific warnings – harbingers – that manifested themselves in the land, and describes according to the summary parts contained within the biblical text as they are described in the vow made by the ancient leaders of Israel and how historically these played out, and their subsequent results. This vow was pivotal to their fate, because in pronouncing it, they unwittingly pronounced their own judgment, which Isaiah uses to prophesy God’s judgment on them and the land.
The Harbinger then takes the reader to the present and describes in exact detail and precision how the same pattern of judgment has befallen the United States. It documents thoroughly the biblical history contained in Isaiah’s prophecy and the prophetic events that are now a matter of public record available regarding the same patterns of warning and judgment that are now repeating in our land today, in the same recurring pattern of warning and judgment as they occurred in ancient Israel.
This exact vow that ancient Israel’s leaders pronounced has been repeated by three of America’s leaders, who while taking part in commemorations of the tragic events of 9/11, tied it directly to those events, and used it primarily as both a consolation to the nation, but also a vow of defiance against its enemies, and pledge to make it the nation’s rebuilding, replanting, and recovery efforts. Like Other leaders have repeated the vow in public ceremonies, all connected to the rebuilding efforts at Ground Zero. And like the ancient Israelites who made this vow unwittingly pronouncing God’s judgment on the land, so have our national leaders. The Harbinger describes this and presents also the public records of them for the reader. It presents the historical backdrop to the prophecy made by Isaiah, and describes how it biblically fits the recurring pattern of warning and chastisements that have befallen America since 9/11, including the Second Shaking, what Rabbi Cahn calls, the Isaiah 9:10 Effect; the economic implosion of America’s economy and the explosion of its debt, which are being felt right down to our day. This Isaiah 9:10 Effect has been made into a two-part DvD titled The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment, which describes all of the components that comprise it, and how it has come about. America is most assuredly under judgment, and The Harbinger describes how it is being played out.
It is not hopeless however, because The Harbinger presents the hope that since these are warnings – harbingers from God – they all indicate that He is trying to get our attention so that God’s people may call upon Him in repentance for themselves and their nation, seek His face, and avert the same fate that befell ancient Israel (the northern kingdom) at the hands of the Assyrians in 732 B.C. and 722 B.C., and ancient Judah (the southern kingdom) at the hands of the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C., during the first deportation and in 586 B.C., during the final deportation to Babylon.
The Harbinger is a strong call to repentance to God’s wayward people in America today as we see the same recurring pattern of warning and judgment – the same harbingers – manifest themselves in our land today. It is a prophetic warning that must be heeded if we are to survive. It is the same warning that Paul in the Holy Spirit warned about when he used what had happened to Israel as an illustration of what would befall his people – the Jewish people, and all others who reject God’s warnings – His harbingers; where he writes:
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
“This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
(Romans 11:17-36)
The Lord is patient and ever ready to forgive our transgressions. He awaits to pardon US if we only seek His forgiveness fully realizing our guilt, confessing it to Him, recognizing how hopeless we are without His mercy, and calling upon His name – the name He has given under heaven to all men by which we must be saved, because as Peter spoke in the Holy Spirit to the Great Sanhedrin (Israel’s Supreme Court in his day where civil and religious matters were adjudicated), “He” – meaning the Person of the Messiah, and His name; the name of Jesus – “is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12) This we all must do to avert personal judgment and the corporate judgment of our nation which we and it rightfully deserve. This is why I have written The Truth about The Harbinger: Addressing the Controversy and Discovering the Facts About This Prophetic Message to answer the critics’ charges as well as to explain how these warnings – these harbingers have recurred in our land today, and what to do about it. It must be heard and acted upon, our nation’s fate hangs in the balance, and we will be held accountable for it.
And no sir, The Harbinger is not a dangerous book. It does not promote any new or strange doctrine, nor is does it make any predictions, nor is it a work of eschatology as some have mistaken it for, nor does it promote the Occult or Supersessionism (Replacement Theology), or Free Masonry, or Gnosticism, Spiritualism and the Kabbalah, sorcery or New Age Paganism, or any strange heresy.
Pastor Gilley has written: “Bottomline: The Harbinger is a semi-interesting novel that exposes the pride and sinfulness of America and God’s distain for such rebelliousness. But the novel does not in reality discover a mysterious Old Testament prophecy about America. Read as fiction with an important point, the book has value. Read as a prophecy, it is dangerous.”
Well sir, to conclude, you correctly observe that The Harbinger “exposes the pride and sinfulness of America and God’s disdain for such rebelliousness,” but where you write, “The novel does not in reality discover a mysterious Old Testament prophecy about America,” you are completely wrong, because there is no place that this claim is made in The Harbinger. It is nothing but an urban legend that has grown around the re-written narrative of David James’ book; one of many. The Harbinger is not prophecy, but a warning. Thus, your conclusion that it is dangerous when read as prophecy is nothing but a fallacy on your part, because it is not prophecy. Thank you and God bless.
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