WHO IS JOEL ROSENBERG AND WHY IS HE SAYING THINGS WE DON’T WANT TO HEAR?

By Tats Rejante Manahan

The recent past has been rife with devastation, inundation, destruction. Not just in isolated third world boonies peopled by emaciated populations, but in commerce-rich nations whose favorite pastimes include watching who walks red carpets.

In the Philippines, the typhoon triplets led by Ondoy, followed twice by Pepang, saw murky waters rising not just in flea infested squatter areas, but in the basements of wealthy Makati homes; the only difference being that the flea infested populace waited out the flood waters to recede up on their neighbors’ roofs, counting food rations till the next one came along, while the shell shocked rich retreated to five star hotel refugee centers with room service. But overall, given the lifestyles each were accustomed to, the inconvenience was fair for all  concerned.

And then there was the unspeakable massacre down south. Enough said.

Overwhelming disasters, natural or manmade: that’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s not about to let up; it may even get worse. There is also the threat of wars, and more wars. That is Joel Rosenberg’s speculation. Washington political insider, writer and communications strategist, re-born overnight into a best selling author in 2001, Joel Rosenberg has all reason to believe that the signs of the times are leading up to some sort of apocalyptic denoument. “Connecting the dots”, as he terms his mode of conjecture, between current affairs and Biblical prophecy, Mr. Rosenberg’s insights as exposed in his novels stick to a Christian perspective as opposed to the fanciful speculations of Dan Brown’s megahit “ The Da Vinci Code”. Like famous Christian writers before him, C.S. Lewis ( Chronicles of Narnia) and J.R.R. Tolkein ( Lord of the Rings), Rosenberg alludes to the word of the Bible. But unlike them who used allegory to get the message through, Rosenberg minces no words.

One just need to examine his 5 novels to see why his work has been tagged “eerily prophetic”. In his first novel, “The Last Jihad”, he describes a terrorist kamikaze attack on an American city that leads to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Rosenberg had just finished writing his novel weeks before the September 11 attacks. His second novel “ The Last Days”, released in October 2003, opens with Yasser Arafat’s death. Arafat died in 2004. In “ The Ezekiel Option”, released in June 2005, he writes of a dictator emerging in Russia, forming an alliance with Iran.  In return, Iran seeks nuclear weapons. Alan B. Nichols, Washington diplomat writes:” Many argue that Russia appears headed toward dictatorship under an increasingly repressive president while the country continues to arm Iran to the hilt. Meanwhile the Iranian president is seeking nuclear weapons and has vowed to “wipe Israel off the map”. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has also repeatedly declared that world cataclysm is a necessary precondition for the return of the 12^th imam, Islam’s messiah, and that he will be the one to ignite it”.

Long before Rosenberg wrote his first novel The Last Jihad, he already had  impressive credentials in international politics, working with some of the world’s most influential leaders in business, politics and media: as senior adviser to Steve Forbes’ two presidential campaigns; as communications strategist to former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu and Former Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharansky; as research director for conservative talk radio host, Rush Limbaugh.

It has been asked whether the exactness of the predictions is mere coincidence, a case of life imitating art, or if they stem from his insights into world politics. Arguably, there are more people with even more impressive credentials, and yet are considerably less successful in predicting the future of the Middle East. Yet literary critics have tagged his books to be “ripped from today’s headlines”.

Call him a doomsday prophet if you may. A bad news bear even.  Is he a psychic then? A clairvoyant?  Rosenberg is the first to debunk any of the above. The future he “predicts” is of one nature, and that is the path the world is headed,  based not just on his inside knowledge of global politics, but also his insights into Biblical prophecy, and how they seem to run parallel to each other. After the success of his first novel, numerous interviews and queries followed. He explains his seeming knack  to forecast that future in his book “ Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future”. He writes  “…it isn’t dumb luck—dumb, blind or otherwise. There is a reason these books seem to have predicted the future”.

It was in 2000 when the alarming developments in Russia and Israel led Rosenberg to wonder how Biblical prophecy bore a correlation to these global happenings. In the Book of Ezekiel, Rosenberg found that the events in Russia and the Middle East were unfolding just as the prophet wrote in chapters 36-39. Alan B. Nichols writes: “According to the prophecy, “ Gog” and “Magog” will lead the attack in alliance with a coalition of countries that include Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Sudan. It is widely accepted among biblical scholars that Magog refers to what we know of today as Russia, and that Gog refers to a political title, such as prince or czar, Rosenberg explained. Since the attack will be of apocalyptic proportions, it is assumed that it will be a nuclear one. Hence, the prediction that Russia will ally with Iran ( Persia) and other Muslim nations to annihilate Israel.”

Because of his Jewish background, Rosenberg bears close affinity to Israel. As a teenager, he was particularly intrigued with the book of Ezekiel, chapters 36 and 37 which, he explains “ (it) says that in the last days, Israel will be reborn as a country, the Jews will pour back into the Holy Land after centuries in exile, that Israelis will rebuild the “ ancient ruins”, reunify Jerusalem, and develop a great and powerful army. I realized that all these things had come true in the 20^th century. That made me curious: If Ezekiel 36 and 37 have already come true, is it possible that Ezekiel 38 and 39 will soon come true as well?”

Rosenberg views his success as an author as an opportunity to serve as an educational tool, utilizing culture and history through fiction, without “slogging through 900 page history books to do so”. His writing style and plot development has been compared to Tom Clancey’s political thrillers. But unlike other books of this genre, Rosenberg refrains from sex scenes or foul language. His first 3 books, ( The Last Jihad, The Copper Scroll, The Ezekiel Option) have sold a combined 1 million copies. The Last Jihad stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 11 weeks on the #7 slot. It made the USA Today and Publishers Weekly best seller lists, hit #1 on Amazon.com and #4 on The Wall Street Journal list. And yet, ironically, has received little notice by the press.

“ What’s interesting is how strong sales have been without much in the way of reviews or coverage in the mainstream media”, says Rosenberg. Even more intriguing is how 90% of  the novels with an obvious Christian overtone were picked up in 2006 by  secular buyers, with the 10% remainder being currently bought through Christian bookstores. “….It seems that the core audience right now are Americans who have little or no faith background”, he muses.

“ People are worried. They’re anxious. They see wars in the Mideast and hear rumors of more wars and they desperately want to know, “ What does the future hold?” More importantly, “ What does my future hold?” and “ Is the Bible relevant to life in the 21^st century? Does it really have answers that can affect my life?” ……. The truth is, I do believe the Bible is relevant to our lives. I believe Bible prophecy is an intercept from the mind of God. It tells us what is coming, what it means, and how to be prepared for it. I’ve based my novels on these prophecies. That’s why they keep coming true. And as I explain God’s Word to people, I find they are fascinated. They want to know more. They want real, solid answers in these times of uncertainty”.

Rosenberg writes of  “ wars and rumors of wars”, and yet, quesy as that sounds, that just seems to be part of the bigger picture for there is more to  Biblical prophecy than just “ nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom”. It speaks of famines, earthquakes, tribulation, betrayal of one another. “ And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold”. (Matthew 24: 12). And there too is the

“ abomination of desolation” (Daniel 9:27).

It all sounds too currently familiar, and uncomfortably so.

I guess no one wants to admit that. Yet.

“ For  in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking…..and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away……( Matthew 24: 38-39)

So for now, shall we let the good times roll?

Joel Rosenberg’s website: www.joelrosenberg.com

Joel Rosenberg’s blog: http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com

WHAT IF?

By Daniel Lim Buenafe

Many think very little of the Bible, considering it a book of myths and legends, hardly worth taking the time to crack open. Others rate the Bible as a good piece of literature and nothing more. Assuming they even have a copy lying around at home, far too many are content to leave it on a bookshelf to gather dust. But have you ever wondered if what it says might, in fact, be true? What would you think if I told you that there is much, much more to the Word of God than a collection of fables and nice stories? And that what the Bible teaches has profound implications on your life, and your family’s lives, that will no longer allow you to just go on ignoring it?

What’s worse is that your nation may be making political decisions that carry with them spiritual consequences, some of them not at all desirable. Your country’s leaders may have been making alliances with enemies of God’s Plan as outlined in that Bible, cutting deals with people who stand in the way of what God wants to do and is already doing, and who will only reap the whirlwind for the poor choices they have made. But what about you? Will you align yourself with Him, or will you stand in His way?

Think about that for a minute. Either Bible truths invade your life with your cooperation and understanding, or without it. You may not know it, but the invasion has already begun.

What If?

What if God was dead serious when He proclaimed to the nation of Israel in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse?”

What if He meant it when He said to the Jewish people, “I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again?”

What if William Koenig, author of ”Eye to Eye: The Consequences of Dividing Jerusalem,” was right as he tracked US history and noted that:

- the 10 costliest insurance events
- the 12 costliest hurricanes
- 3 of the 4 largest tornado outbreaks and
- the 2 largest terrorism events in U.S. history “all occurred or began on the same day or within 24 hours of U.S. presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush applying pressure on Israel to trade her land for promises of ‘peace and security,’ sponsoring major ‘land for peace’ meetings, making major public statements pertaining to Israel’s covenant land and/or calling for a Palestinian state?”

What if Koenig and ”As America Has Done to Israel” author John McTernan were right when they wrote that:

- when George Bush, Sr. first announced his plan to partition Jerusalem at the 1991 Madrid Conference, within 24 hours of his speech, “The Perfect Storm” hit Maine and caused extensive damage with the largest waves ever recorded in the region, even leaving Bush’s Kennebunkport vacation home an empty shell?
- when the Madrid Conference moved to the US to continue discussing Israel giving up land, Hurricane Andrew, the worst natural disaster to ever hit the US to date, struck America?
- when Bill Clinton met with Syrian president Hafez Al-Assad to discuss Israel giving up the Golan Heights which were so vital to Israel’s security, within 24 hours the US was hit by its 2nd worst natural disaster, the 6.9 magnitude Northridge Earthquake?
- when George W. Bush forced Israeli settlers out of the Biblical lands of Judea and Samaria on Aug 23rd, 2005, on that very same day Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas, struck Florida, and then moved back out into the ocean, only to return days later to become the costliest and one of the 5 deadliest hurricanes to ever hit America?

What if God wasn’t happy that, on Sep 24th, 2009, the Philippines announced that it was supporting the UN’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the central target of which is Israel, which is widely suspected to have enough nuclear weapons to serve as a sufficient deterrent to attack from its Arab neighbors and enemies, many of whom have sworn to wipe Israel off the face of the earth?

What if it wasn’t a coincidence that, within 24 hours of our siding with Israel’s enemies, the Philippines was feeling the wrath of Typhoon Ondoy?

What if it wasn’t simple coincidence that, as the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict was presenting its Goldstone Report to the Human Rights Council in New York on Sep 29, Typhoon Pepeng was entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility? This was the same Report, filled with unjust and unfounded accusations against Israel, that UK Commander for Iraq and Afghanistan Col. Richard Kemp was speaking against when he told the UN Human Rights Council that the Israeli Defense Forces “did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare ?”

And what if God wasn’t at all happy that “the only Christian country in Asia” chose to be one of only 18 countries in the 47-member UN Human Rights Council to vote with nations known to be mortal enemies of Israel in pushing forward the UN Goldstone Report?

What if God really meant it when He said in Joel Chapter 3, “I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My inheritance, My people Israel, for they scattered My people among the nations and divided up My land?“

What if God was seriously displeased that, in the voting on the Goldstone Report on Nov 5th, 2009, the Philippine Representative to the UN stated that the country was “unwavering in its strong support for the Middle East peace process based on a two-state solution,” in effect declaring that we, too, are for a division of the same Land God promised to Israel?

What if it wasn’t coincidence that the Philippines and Indonesia, both of which had voted to move the Goldstone Report forward, both suffered horrendous casualties from completely natural causes, the Philippines from Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, and Indonesia from earthquakes, the strongest of which registered at 7.6 magnitude, just days after making their decisions to support a Report which was clearly biased against Israel?

What if it wasn’t a coincidence that, just like Hurricane Katrina did in 2005, Typhoon Pepeng first made landfall, moved back out into the ocean and then returned to wreak even more havoc?

What if it wasn’t coincidence that, just like Hurricane Katrina did with the US, Ondoy and Pepeng left many areas still flooded weeks after they had gone?

And what if it was no coincidence that among the countries to be hit by natural disasters on the day of the voting on the Goldstone Report on Nov 5th, 2009, were the countries of El Salvador (hit by Hurricane Ida), Sudan (famine), China (pandemic flu), Indonesia (earthquake), and Nicaragua (Hurricane Ida), all of whom voted against Israel in the Goldstone Report? Also struck that day were the pro-Jerusalem partition U.S. (Hurricane Ida), and Japan, which chose to abstain (pandemic flu).

Consider this sampling of knowledge that the Bible contained way before any of these concepts were understood by man. The Bible spoke of:

- the existence of ocean currents thousands of years before they were discovered by man
- the earth being suspended on nothing (gravity) while many still believed the earth was carried around on the back of a turtle
- washing one’s hands before eating, digging latrines and burying the dead quickly to avoid infection, all taught thousands of years before man ever discovered germs and their relation to disease
- circumcising baby boys 8 days after their birth. Medical science now knows that the child’s immune system is at its peak and the child will bleed less on the 8th day
- the earth being round about 4,000 years ago, or long before man started debating that it was flat. If the so-called “Flat-Earthers” had only read their Bibles, they would have known better

Again, take a moment to think about it. If the Bible knew so much thousands of years in advance of their being discovered by science, isn’t it logical that it also contains truths about our future?

What is no coincidence is the fact that you are reading this today.