THE HARBINGER

Israel was established the war through the guidance and sovereign will of God.  Lev ch. 18 tells them in order to keep the land would be contingent on their obedience to God's word.  America like wise was established through war by people who were seeking to establish a country based upon the word of God based upon the new testament and the teachings of Jesus Christ.  That being the case we seem to have strayed far away from our original commitment just as Israel did.  Israel lost their land because they wanted to be and live as the pagans who do not God lived.
Here are some thoughts about the book the harbinger that many people have and are deeply concerned about for America.

Question: "Does The Harbinger really predict America’s future?"

Answer: The book The Harbinger: the Ancient Mystery that holds the secret of America's Future by Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has been a best-seller and has sparked controversy and much discussion. There is no question as to Cahn’s passion about alerting his fellow countrymen to the spiritual, economic, and moral dangers that the United States faces. But is Cahn’s interpretation of the book of Isaiah correct, and are those Old Testament prophecies applicable to modern-day America?

The back cover of the book clearly labels the book as “FICTION / Suspense,” and the line following the copyright page says, “What you are about to read is presented in the form of a story…” The rest of that sentence is ambiguous: “… but what is contained within the story is real.” If the author is saying that the book’s content is a real message from God to the USA, then it is important to examine his view of the meaning of biblical prophecy.

The story’s opening dialogue reads, “An ancient mystery that holds the secret to America’s future.” This attention-getting assertion is made by the story’s narrator and lead character, journalist Nouriel Kaplan. Kaplan is attempting to persuade Ana Goren, a media executive, to publish information that Kaplan believes will affect the economic, political, military, moral, and spiritual future of the United States. Even though Cahn presents this information in a fictional vehicle, he asserts that it is “real.” Is it?

In the story, a nameless prophet meets Kaplan on a number of occasions, giving him information about how recent events, including the World Trade Center terrorist attacks of 9/11, the housing boom, the war in Iraq, the 2008 collapse of Wall Street, etc., were predicted specifically by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. The prophet leads Kaplan to understand that Isaiah not only warned his own nation (Israel) about the danger of abandoning God but, in a mysterious way, also predicted America’s contemporary events.

In drawing parallels between Israel and America, Cahn asserts several things: first, that America was founded on a covenant with God as much as Israel was. Second, that America is being released from God’s protection to suffer the consequences of having marginalized Him. Third, that Isaiah predicted all of this.

Cahn’s prophet in the book tells Kaplan that each of the key American events since September 11, 2001, is a harbinger of America’s coming fall; each disaster is another warning from God for America to return to Him. Cahn’s point, couched as it is in a fictional narrative, is that, unless the U.S. changes course, it will suffer the same fate as the ancient nations. That is, God will allow America’s enemies, external and internal, to bring it down. Cahn sees evidence for his claim in the words of Isaiah 9.

Cahn identifies Isaiah 9:8–10 as revealing the main harbinger of coming disaster: “The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel. All the people will know it—Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—who say with pride and arrogance of heart, ‘The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.’” In the original context, God is expressing His anger at Israel over their refusal to repent from their idolatry. Even after receiving God’s discipline in the form of several disasters, the nation of Israel hurled their defiance at God Himself. To paraphrase Israel’s words, they said, “God, You may have allowed our enemies to damage our city, but we will rebuild it even stronger.” This was conscious and deliberate rebellion against God. The Israel of Isaiah’s day would not bow to God, not even under His rod.

Cahn’s prophet in The Harbinger quotes government leaders using similarly defiant words following the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Since U.S. leaders used the words, “We will rebuild” and expressed a “spirit of defiance,” Cahn applies God’s angry words in Isaiah 9 to America. The problem with this interpretation is that when America’s leaders vowed to rebuild the World Trade Center, they were not defying God but the terrorists who demolished it. Israel was defying both their human enemies and God. Cahn’s linking of the two nations with the same prophecy is unfair. The principle behind Isaiah’s prophecy—that judgment may befall any nation that forsakes God—could be applied to America. It may be a fascinating coincidence that Isaiah mentions fallen bricks. The book may be exciting to read. But it is faulty Bible interpretation to take a prophecy clearly meant for Israel and make the details pertain to modern-day America.

Cahn does not claim in his book to be a prophet. Neither does he claim to have received the message of his story directly from God. He writes as a teacher, putting into the mouth of Kaplan what he understands to be both the original and the contemporary meanings of Isaiah’s prophecy. Cahn does not claim that Isaiah uses the name America or the United States in his prophecies. He does not even claim that Isaiah had a dual fulfillment of his prophecies in mind. Cahn’s apparent purpose in his book is to spin a convincing yarn and persuade readers of a real danger America faces in light of Cahn’s understanding of how Israel’s situation in 600–500 BC applies to America’s current situation.

In the book, Cahn creates a fictional means of revealing prophecy from God—clay seals, such as were used to hold impressed signatures on official documents. In The Harbinger, the prophet gives Kaplan a set of nine such seals. Each seal supposedly represents a national event in Israel’s history—a harbinger that warned of final collapse and dispersion into the surrounding pagan nations—as well as a current event in America, heralding ultimate doom if America does not repent.

Cahn connects each seal with a serious American event in the decade following September 11, 2001, and with an object or an event in Israel’s history. Since Cahn is writing fiction, he is free to manufacture not only clay seals but coincidences. His creative way of identifying the coincidences is both fascinating and convincing, as far as the story goes. He sees in the coincidences a pattern of God’s warnings to both His chosen nation, Israel, and the U.S. Each seal and its related dire event are harbingers of ultimate doom. America is being warned to turn back to God.

Persuasive preaching about a real need, yes; accurate interpretation of a Bible text, no. The problem is that Israel is the only nation with whom God has made a covenant, through Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). America is not Israel.

If you read The Harbinger, remember that only time can reveal the validity of what claims to be prophecy from God (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). And, even though the book may use some faulty interpretations, do not close your heart to Cahn’s essential message. He is right that America needs to repent. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The United States of America very likely will meet the same fate as ancient Israel if its people do not repent. Americans need to give their hearts to God and exercise faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. To that end we should pray.

Recommended Resources: The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery that Holds the Secret of America's Future by Jonathan Cahn and Logos Bible Software.

THE EFFECT OF ADAM’S FALL

                                                                   the effect of ADAM'S fall

   We only know the universe after the fall of man.

The federal view states that we are judged guilty for Adam’s SIN BECAUSE he was our fair and just representative. From another angle as our representative he simply carried out my wishes.  The first Adam was a man of earthly origin and represented man and did the will of man The second Adam was a man of heavenly origin who represented God and did the will of God. Jesus carried out God's wishes. on the other HAND, Adam carried out our wishes.

The whole world was imputed with Adam's sin and condemned to die.

Paul argues this in Romans 5 by demonstrating that people died from "Adam to MOSES, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come" (v. 14, ESV). They died, even though they lived before the law was given, and even though "sin is not counted where there is no law" (v. 13, ESV). In other words, they were condemned and died on the basis of one sin committed by one human being, Adam.  That being true, then the whole human race is either in Adam or in Christ there can be no other options I COR 15: 22.

Pelagian View; People incur death when they sin after Adam's example. Sin affected Adam alone. No one is affected by Adam's sin.

Augustinian View; Depravity is total; sin and guilt are imputed, Humanity sinned in Adam.

                                                              The myth theory of the Fall.

Holds that there was no factual, historical fall. Adam and Eve are not considered historical persons. They are mythological symbols drawn to explain or represent the problem of man’s corruption. The story of the fall in the Bible is a kind of parable; it teaches a moral lesson.

There never was an Adam; there never was an Eve. The very structure of the story suggests a parable or myth because it includes such elements as a talking serpent and such obviously symbolic objects as the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The myth points to a higher reality: Every person has his own private fall. Sin is a universal human condition precisely because every person succumbs to his own private temptation. Everyone commits sin; no one is perfect it's that simple and reasonable or so they say. In this scheme, my fallenness is a direct result of my own fall, not of someone else’s.

This view suffers no big problem from certain theories of evolution or from scientific disputes about the nature of creation.

Adam's sin brought out the nature of god IN A WAY that without it we never would have known god IN a personal way.  We never would have known that there was such a thing as sin.  We never would have known that forgiveness even existed.  We never would have understood what love is if we did not know what hate was.  Did our first parents do us a favor?  Was this great sin necessary?  Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery under the law of Moses demanded the death penalty see exodus 21: 16.  But didn't this just turn out to be a good thing years later?

The greatest most spectacular sin ever committed was the murder of Jesus BY HIS OWN PEOPLE

 what THIS SIN brought about WAS the most spectacular event in human history. ACTS 3: 14, 15

The greatest crime in the history of the world Brought about the greatest event that the world will ever know.

In the same way that all of Adam’s offspring would be condemned to death the offspring of the rejecting Jews would suffer the same fate as their forefathers rejection of him would also be their fate.

The question is how far Adam fell if he went over a cliff and fell halfway down was he still able to figure this thing out with his own mind?  Or did he fall the way down, meaning that He was not completely dead but badly injured.  Thomas Aquinas rejected total depravity in that it was still possible for man I think his way to god. 

BUT did he fall all the way to the bottom and BECOME completely dead in his mind and conscience AND defiled?

What we really need from God is more than just pardon, but a sense that God loves and accepts us and would never lose US even if he was not too impressed with what he had on his hands.

Romans 5; 16 what Paul wants us to know what Adam did to us cannot be compared to what Christ did for us.  Christ can wipe out what Adam did to us but Adam cannot reverse what Christ gives to us.  Adam is dead and has no power.

Luke10; 1 Matt 10; 5- Acts 10 acts 13; 46 

 “Easy believism” is a somewhat derogatory term used by opponents of the view that one needs only to believe in Jesus in order to be saved. From this they conclude that those who hold to sola fide (faith alone) are saying that no corresponding need exists for a committed life of Christian discipleship as proof of salvation, but this is not true. Those who use the term easy believism are confusing justification—the one-time act of being declared righteous by God—with sanctification—the lifelong process by which the justified believer is conformed to the image of Christ. Those who call salvation by faith "easy believism" miss the fact that true conversion will always result in sanctification and a life of good works. Much of this debate is unnecessary and is based on a misunderstanding of the Scriptures. The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The essence of this doctrine is found in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” this is a full understanding of the gospel. Adam did not ask to be born but after he was born or created he was put into a position to make a choice.  Why was this we may ask; one answer to that question is was TO PROVE that freedom of choice  will never choose god.  This is why when Adam was born or created he had no choice.  Now this being true it is STILL questionable to a lot of evangelicals.  After all we make choices every single day of our lives.                                   

                                                                                     What about free choice

Adam did not ASK to be born he had no choice.  After he was born he was HAD to make a choice, and surely was not caught by surprise when the ATE of the forbidden fruit HE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD the consequences. I TIM 2: 14.  Was free choice given to Adam to show that free choice will always choose the opposite of what God says?

Which is most correct I came to Christ or Christ came to me?  Or could it be both?  Lots of questions demands lots of answers. PERHAPS SETTLING FOR AN ANTINOMY IS THE BEST ANSWER.  This is my view, I have no choice (LOL).