Dr. David Jeremiah has hit another homerun with his latest book, What in the World is Going On? Needless to say, this is a timely work. Christians seeking a better understanding of world events; past, present, and future had best read this book. I certainly wish I had done so last year when the book first made its debut.
Dr. Jeremiah is meticulous as he walks the reader through ten prophetic clues about end times. In doing so, he brings world conditions into focus through the third and decisive lens of Scripture. As one would expect, he generously cites fulfilled and yet-to-be fulfilled Biblical prophecies, pointing out along the way that the fulfilled variety have a hundred percent accuracy track record. The inference being: with such a record, who can doubt the ones that remain? This all serves to buttress his apologetic of what indeed is going on in our world today.
As a layperson, reading this book certainly helped me acquire a better grasp of the end times' framework and the central role played by the nation of Israel. Suffice it to say that the term "New World Order" will now take on a more meaningful role in my thought process as I absorb the daily occurrences of international events. Many of my questions on such topics as Islam, America, the Church, the Antichrist, Russia, China, and the Rapture are all addressed. Dr. Jeremiah's organized presentation provides clarity to what once may have been prophetic and historical stumbling blocks for the reader.
Dr. Jeremiah's pre-millennialist stance may give some Christians in other camps (amillennialist, post-millennialist, etc.) some heartburn, but not because of a lack of documentation. He has searched the Scriptures well and leaves little room for disagreement. In addition, his endnotes are numerous and helpful.
While it is a smooth read primarily aimed at Christians, the picture for the unbeliever is not a pleasant one. For those who read the book and fall into such a category, Dr. Jeremiah provides the means for a life course correction (page 117 and page 160, for example). Hopefully, they will heed his witness.
The book was published prior to the 2008 presidential election, but Dr. Jeremiah correctly assesses the problem with the electorate (as opposed to the candidate) in one short paragraph on page 157. His objectivity is commendable as he assails the increasing and disturbing superficiality of far too many who now exercise their voting rights. Even here, as one ponders the events, a sign of the end times is evident.
There were only two areas in the book where a correction and a further clarification would have been beneficial, as follows:
* Middle of page 38: ".....when [the twelve Tribes] entered Palestine....." COMMENT: The twelve tribes (Israel) re-entered the Promised Land (Canaan), not Palestine. The name "Palestine" didn't come into being and become part of Middle East history until A.D. 135 when the Romans, after crushing the Jewish revolt led by Simon Bar Kochba, angrily renamed the land of Israel, Provincia Syria-Palestina, after Israel's ancient enemy, the Philistines. From that time forward, all those living there (mostly Jews) were known as "Palestinians." The Arabs at that time had no fixation that "Palestine" was their land. That ambition would not take hold for another 500 years upon the advent of Islam.
* Middle of page 191: ".....during the Tribulation, when Satan is cast out of heaven to the earth....." COMMENT: As a clarification, it would have been helpful to the reader if Dr. Jeremiah had explained that Satan had long ago (circa early Garden of Eden timeframe) been cast out of his heavenly authority as the anointed cherub (Eze 28:14-17), though he still had access to God as "the accuser of our brethren" (Rev. 12:10). He then could have pointed out that access will come to an abrupt end during the Tribulation when he is defeated by the archangel, Michael (Rev. 12:7), upon which he and his angels (demons) will be limited to the earth alone, where he will still desperately try to overthrow God.
Thank you for allowing me to offer up my comments on this important and most informative book.
Joseph A. Schweigart
Lake Worth, FL
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