For those of you who haven’t read Jonathan Cahn’s book titled The Harbinger, it is a fictional story. However, according to Cahn, it is based on true facts. He compares the destruction of ancient Israel to the potential destruction of America – if this country doesn’t turn back to God. You can view his full-length sermon regarding the true harbinger facts at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXei0Zb3dxM
Jonathan Cahn is Senior Pastor and Messianic Rabbi of the Jerusalem Center/ Beth Israel in Wayne, New Jersey. If you have read the book or viewed the sermon, then you are aware of the fourth harbinger of which he speaks and the true facts he claims concerning the cornerstone that was laid at Ground Zero, as well as the ceremony surrounding this event.
David James later wrote a book disputing the facts in Rabbi Cahn’s book. One of Mr. James’ points was that Rabbi Cahn neglected to mention the stone’s later removal, since it was deemed to no longer fit in with the plans to rebuild the towers. Mr. James therefore dismissed Rabbi Cahn’s parallel concerning the fourth harbinger, which is this: Cahn compares the ancient Israelites, who had turned away from God and were rebuilding “even bigger and better” with cut stone, and how it parallels with America and the cornerstone placed at Ground Zero when the rebuilding process began.
Just this week I viewed Rabbi Cahn’s sermon on harbinger facts and did some research to verify his findings. So far, what I’ve discovered correlates with his claims. However, I was a little bothered by what David James said in his Harbinger: Fact or Fiction book regarding Rabbi Cahn not mentioning the stone’s later removal. Nevertheless, I didn’t see this as a huge “deal breaker,” figuring that Rabbi Cahn saw no need in mentioning this fact. After all, they DID start out with the Ground Zero stone. They DID have a big ceremony surrounding its lowering onto the site. So, I tried to justify it in my mind. BUT…….I was disappointed. Bible prophecy has been a passion of mine for the past 35 years. Rabbi Cahn’s sermon with its astonishing revelations had caused me to “bubble over” with excitement and awe. And now my bubble was slightly deflated…..until something profound happened that I believe is not just coincidental.
Last night I fell asleep watching a religious program on TV, and I awoke this morning to hear a preacher talking about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He quoted the following scripture:
Psalms 118:22 “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”
This really got my attention. Could it be that the later removal of the Ground Zero stone paralleled the rejection of our precious Savior, lending credence to the fourth harbinger rather than detracting from it?
I’d like to show you a sample of scriptures in the bible which point to Jesus Christ as “the stone the builders rejected” — the chief Cornerstone, the Rock; the Stone of Israel.
From The New King James Version:
Genesis 49:24 “But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),”
Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily’.”
Ephesians 2: 20 “…having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,”
Matthew 21: 42 “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
Matthew goes on to say in verse 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
It saddened me when I read this last verse, because America used to be a nation which bore those fruits. As we’ve all heard, America was founded on Judeo/Christian principles. I will continue to defend this belief despite “ten thousand” detractors that may attack me for saying the truth.
I remember having prayer in school when I was in first and second grade (1960 to 1962), back in the “days of innocence” as I like to call them. Then came the 1962 Engel vs. Vitale Supreme Court decision banning school prayer. By the next year, 1963, we were asked to have a “moment of silence” before eating our lunch. Needless to say, even that soon ended.
Late fall of 1963 brought an event so shocking to me that – even at the tender age of nine – I remember exactly where I was when it happened. No, it’s not what you’re thinking, though I do remember everything about the moment the announcement came over our school loudspeaker, that President Kennedy was dead. But the event to which I’m referring happened less than a month later and still stands out just as clearly in my mind, despite the passing of half a century. It was when the teacher “put on a 45” – a Christmas song – the title of which eludes me. But I do remember that, when the song started to play, all of a sudden one of the students jumped out of his chair and ran out of the room, looking quite distraught. In my limited understanding, I was still aware enough to wonder and worry if this would cause the teacher to cease all mention of Christmas in our class…..quite a disturbing thought to a child.
Oh, how time changes everything! What I don’t understand is — if this country is still three quarters Christian as I’ve heard it to be — how can this have happened? Today it appears that, even in this country, the mention of anything Christian is taboo. However, this does not apply to certain other religions such as Islam. I could go on about that last sentence for quite awhile, but I’ll refrain.
Since the removal of prayer from schools, America has continued on a downward spiral in its departure from God. I’d like to quote from a 2008 article I found titled When the Praying Stopped.
“Specialty Research Associates, under the direction of David Barton, has released a report entitled America: To Pray or Not to Pray which uses over 100 pages of graphs and statistical analysis to prove that crime, venereal disease, premarital sex, illiteracy, suicide, drug use, public corruption, and other social ills began a dramatic increase after the Engel vs. Vitale Supreme Court decision was made in 1962 which banned school prayer.”
You can find this entire article at: http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0124_When_America_stopped.html
Because of America’s disobedience, God’s hand of protection is gradually lifting from this country. God, in His loving wisdom, is trying to get our attention before we go the way of the empires that have fallen before; all of whom turned their backs on Him as well as on His chosen people, Israel. But God will heal our land if we turn back to Him.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land”.
Job 5: 8 “For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.”
There’s one more thing I’d like to mention before closing. More and more churches seem to be departing from the old hymns, preferring instead to utilize rock bands or to sing only songs one has to gaze upon a screen to follow. I’m not putting this down entirely, as it may have its place. However, I would prefer not to let the old hymns be discarded in our churches. The first stanza of the following hymn has stuck in my memory since I first heard it as a child; and given what I’ve discussed here, it seems an appropriate way to end.
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood
from thy wounded side which flowed
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.”
God bless you. Please pray for America, and for the peace of Jerusalem.