The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Jonathan Cahn on the Harbinger: Controversies and Criticisms

Jonathan Cahn on Christ in Prophecy


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What are some of the criticisms surrounding Jonathan Cahn’s controversial book The Harbinger?

To answer that question, were were blessed to have on our program Christ in Prophecy Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn. Rabbi Cahn is the spiritual leader of the Beth Israel Worship Center in Wayne, New Jersey and best-selling author of the book The Harbinger and a new book titled The Mystery of the Shemitah. Both books have been best sellers and highly controversial in Christian circles.

The Bible teaches that God never pours out His wrath on a nation without first sending remedial judgments and prophetic voices to warn of God’s impending judgment and to call the nation to repentance. Rabbi Cahn believes that when it comes to the United States, God already has been emphatically warning us, and since we haven’t listened, is delivering us from judgment to destruction.

As always has been the case with anyone who historically speaks out in prophetic manner calling people for repentance, Jonathan has of course been severely attacked. So, in this series we are going to discuss the first of his two books — The Harbinger and the controversies that surround it.

[Note: The interview has been put into article format for ease of reading. For an unedited transcript, please click the PDF button above.]

Criticism #1 – A Prophecy About America

Dr. Reagan: You can correct me on this, but I would say the number one criticism of The Harbinger that I’ve heard is people saying that it was a prophecy that God gave to Israel and it has absolutely nothing to do with the United States of America. So, first of all, it’s not a prophecy.

Jonathan Cahn: Yes, that’s right. That’s right. It is the prophetic word of what happened.

Dr. Reagan: If we can’t apply verses to us, then forget all preaching. We might as well forget the Bible. The book of Colossians was written to the church at Colossae, so it doesn’t apply to us? Philippians doesn’t apply to us?

Jonathan Cahn: Nothing does. Yes. Nothing does unless it says America.

Dr. Reagan: This is a spiritual principle we are talking about here.

Jonathan Cahn: You’d have to cut down all prophecy, yes. My book The Harbinger never says this was a prophecy about America. What it says is exactly what you said — this is a template. This is what God actually did to Israel. God is consistent. God is able. God when He acts He judges, He warns, and He will do so in a biblical way as only He does. Not only that, God is also able to use the Scripture, or use a template, to speak to a nation so that we can say, “Wow! This pattern is all there and we can use it to identify where we are right now as a nation.”

Criticism #2 – America in Covenant with God

Dr. Reagan: Detractors also accused you of saying that America has a covenant with God?

Nathan Jones: That’s the number one accusation people write in to our ministry about. They reject your book because they say you’re claiming that America is under the same covenant relationship as Israel. But, that’s just not true?

Jonathan Cahn: I never said that.

Nathan Jones: Your book never says that America is under the same covenant relationship as God had with Israel?

Jonathan Cahn: It never says that. God can judge any nation, but He uses His usual template.

What I bring up that’s especially pertinent to America is that America was founded after the pattern of Israel. It’s there historically documented. The Puritans covenanted with God. Sure, it doesn’t mean we know what God did on his side, whether He honored the Puritans’ covenant or not. Did He honor it? It seems to me like He did. But that’s not the same as the covenant God made with Israel when God made it thousands of years ago. There is only one nation that has that covenant.

Still, there’s something about America that’s very special compared to all other countries, and that is that our founders dedicated our nation to God. So, there are historic principles that are in effect.

Nathan Jones: Yes, from my reading I never thought you said that the United States was in a covenant relationship with God like Israel’s covenant.

Jonathan Cahn: No, indeed. And yet, God can honor prayers. But, even without knowing that, the fact is God’s enacting the harbingers.

Criticism #3 – Replacement Theology

Dr. Reagan: What are some other major attacks on you concerning your book The Harbinger?

Jonathan Cahn: First let me just put it into context. Attacks generally only come from a small group of people, but they speak loud. Most have not. Most have taken my book seriously.

Dr. Reagan: I refer to them as the “Junkyard Dogs of Christianity.” They’re just snarling and growling and always looking for someone to attack.

Jonathan Cahn: Well, yeah, there I was and there they came. I came into the “junkyard” and I didn’t realize the sign said “Beware of the Dogs.”

Okay, another complaint about The Harbinger was the very first one I received. It was actually the accusation that my book was Replacement Theology. Some claimed I was preaching that God is finished with Israel, which is classic replacement. “He’s replacing Israel with the Church!”

Dr. Reagan: Are you going to replace yourself?

Jonathan Cahn: Yes, I’m Jewish. I’m a Jew! How can I? I literally have to replace myself with myself because I’m saved. So, with the accusation of my book being Replacement Theology, I can’t possibly do that. I’m totally pro-Israel. The name of my ministry is Beth Israel. I mean that accusation is crazy, right! By the way, most of these people didn’t even read the book.

In the third part of our interview with Rabbi Jonathan Cahn on his book The Harbinger, we’ll debunk more of the criticisms his detractors have thrown at him.

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Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

3 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • I have read most of Johnathan’s books and only down loaded these coments to see what the
    barking dogs had to say. I believe in what I read. Praise God!! Jerrry 91 years old

    I am not a barking dog. I have read 3 of your books an d want the truth you send orth wth them
    Jerry 91 years old.

  • This article is 9 years old as I write this and I’m only the 2nd comment. I doubt anyone reads this, but I will write anyway. I read the article simply because I wanted to discover what anyone could possibly think in the negative about Johathan’s books. I’ve read all 9 of them to date and anxiously wait for the next. Perhaps you read one book, are the sceptic, and think the relationship of the events he has compared the US to Israel on, are just coincidental and do not support the idea that God is behind things. OK. But when a pattern consists over the explanations in 9 books, when time markers line up over decades and centuries, when events line up to the same year, even month, day, hour and sometimes to the exact second, then explaining them as coincidentally occurring draws more skepticism than claiming that God is behind these events.
    I fully support the claim that the USA became the greatest nation in history because it was founded with a claim of freedom to worship God. And please do not mistake God as Allah. And definitely not as Buddha, Tao, Confucius or any other subject of worship by other peoples. The followers of these deny the Son of God-Yeshua-under which our forefathers agreed was the basis of our beliefs. Judaism is included in our worship of God because, unlike the other religions and their ‘prophets’, Yeshua (Jesus) was a Jew!
    And I am also in agreement that the US has long been in a descent downhill. Legalizing abortion has got to be the straw that broke God’s heart, in his turning away from protecting us. Followed by taking Him out of our schools and condoning, even supporting and encouraging immoral activities and relationships. Only a liberal and God denier, could think otherwise. Keep telling the Truth Jonathan. Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Light, NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him.

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