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perilous1's review against another edition
4.0
Similar in style and tone to Cahn's first work, The Harbinger, this book has the advantage of being a bit more concise.
Instead of examining and contrasting events with biblical prophecy, we are given an in-depth background on three different entities--spiritual forces which a cursory reading of the Old Testament has probably left many people thinking of merely as "idols." Cahn does so with a bit more repetition and dead-horse-beating than I might prefer, but his prose is effective and his tone sincere. (I finished over a week ago, and I'm still thinking about it.)
For those open to a supernatural explanation (or thought-provoking possibility) for why the United States has slid so steadily--and in the past decade or so, VERY quickly--into such division, greed, corruption, moral relativism, extremism, and social contagion phenomena... this look back at the more prominent gods of the ancient Middle East leaves one with the concept that we may not be facing something new at all. We may be in the middle of a cycle that humanity (and in fact, the nation of Israel) has seen before--with dire consequences.
The author lays out a chronology of the last 70-80 years, with the systematic removal of Judeo-Christian values, monuments, and practices from public view and discourse--and repeatedly asserts that what most think is merely the rejection of God is in actuality an exchange. And where God has been kicked out, with Him goes His protection. Although Cahn doesn't borrow the cliche to make his point, I personally can't help but quote Aristotle:
"Power abhors a vacuum."
I'm vaguely tempted to call this particular kind of writing pre-apocalyptic.
Is that a genre? If not, can we coin it?
Instead of examining and contrasting events with biblical prophecy, we are given an in-depth background on three different entities--spiritual forces which a cursory reading of the Old Testament has probably left many people thinking of merely as "idols." Cahn does so with a bit more repetition and dead-horse-beating than I might prefer, but his prose is effective and his tone sincere. (I finished over a week ago, and I'm still thinking about it.)
For those open to a supernatural explanation (or thought-provoking possibility) for why the United States has slid so steadily--and in the past decade or so, VERY quickly--into such division, greed, corruption, moral relativism, extremism, and social contagion phenomena... this look back at the more prominent gods of the ancient Middle East leaves one with the concept that we may not be facing something new at all. We may be in the middle of a cycle that humanity (and in fact, the nation of Israel) has seen before--with dire consequences.
The author lays out a chronology of the last 70-80 years, with the systematic removal of Judeo-Christian values, monuments, and practices from public view and discourse--and repeatedly asserts that what most think is merely the rejection of God is in actuality an exchange. And where God has been kicked out, with Him goes His protection. Although Cahn doesn't borrow the cliche to make his point, I personally can't help but quote Aristotle:
"Power abhors a vacuum."
I'm vaguely tempted to call this particular kind of writing pre-apocalyptic.
Is that a genre? If not, can we coin it?
arnizach's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t know enough about ancient history or mythology or even demonology to critically evaluate the claims in this book, but sure feel plausible on an intuitive level. Very interesting thesis at least! And very well written too!
bibliomaniac33's review against another edition
3.0
This one is a bit tricky to review.
I should probably preface this by saying that I do believe in spiritual battles and that demons are real.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:12
I simultaneously believe in human nature and free will.
This book was a good reminder that The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Eccles 1:9
There were many new to me concepts here, particularly the origination of many of the gods of antiquity. I've got a degree in anthropology and read quite a bit of history, yet I was completely ignorant that the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses had their roots reaching all the way back to Mesopotamia. I honestly kept pausing and googling because I couldn't believe so many of the things I was reading..........but they all panned out as fact. On face at least.
That is where the stars get shaved off. This book is a case in point of, "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."
I say that not to be dismissive, but rather, cases made became a little heavy handed and seemingly forced as the book wore on.
The parallels presented between antiquity and present day are striking enough on their own. The repetitive cycles of human nature, specific sins, and yes, demonic influence, become quite obvious.
It isn't necessary to stretch to the level that Cahn does as the book goes on.
By the end I was ready to hear "altars to Ishtar were constructed of wood, and Pride floats are sometimes constructed of wood, therefore Pride floats are providing a portal for a return of the goddess. Behold." This was particularly the case for everything that occurs in the modern month of June.
Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes a demon is a demon.
But pretty much always, subtlety is better than a hammer when it comes to long form writing.
Don't shy away from this book if you find the premise interesting, as it seems like a basic enough introduction to the concept that ancient ills don't stay buried, and perhaps ancient demons don't either. Just be prepared for that fact to be hammered home.
Nails abound, and you may feel a bit clobbered yourself by the end chapter.
I should probably preface this by saying that I do believe in spiritual battles and that demons are real.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:12
I simultaneously believe in human nature and free will.
This book was a good reminder that The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Eccles 1:9
There were many new to me concepts here, particularly the origination of many of the gods of antiquity. I've got a degree in anthropology and read quite a bit of history, yet I was completely ignorant that the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses had their roots reaching all the way back to Mesopotamia. I honestly kept pausing and googling because I couldn't believe so many of the things I was reading..........but they all panned out as fact. On face at least.
That is where the stars get shaved off. This book is a case in point of, "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."
I say that not to be dismissive, but rather, cases made became a little heavy handed and seemingly forced as the book wore on.
The parallels presented between antiquity and present day are striking enough on their own. The repetitive cycles of human nature, specific sins, and yes, demonic influence, become quite obvious.
It isn't necessary to stretch to the level that Cahn does as the book goes on.
By the end I was ready to hear "altars to Ishtar were constructed of wood, and Pride floats are sometimes constructed of wood, therefore Pride floats are providing a portal for a return of the goddess. Behold." This was particularly the case for everything that occurs in the modern month of June.
Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes a demon is a demon.
But pretty much always, subtlety is better than a hammer when it comes to long form writing.
Don't shy away from this book if you find the premise interesting, as it seems like a basic enough introduction to the concept that ancient ills don't stay buried, and perhaps ancient demons don't either. Just be prepared for that fact to be hammered home.
Nails abound, and you may feel a bit clobbered yourself by the end chapter.
jerseyfemme's review
medium-paced
4.0
This requires the eyes and ears of the spirit when reading this book.
mnkeemagick's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
0.25
What a truly abhorrent excuse for a book. It's a genuine travesty that trees had to die only to have their remains made into paper for this to be published. At best it is wildly misinformed, at worst it's wholly dangerous in conception and messaging.
From the very beginning it's misuse and abuse of biblical text references range from being miscontextualized to pure fabrication. Largely ignoring sections of the Bible and referencing them as acts of evil ancient gods that are portrayed as literally overtaking our world. There's nothing of substance here, just poorly cited (if cited at all) bad takes on history, hate, and Christian fear mongering. I don't even know how to grasp the concept of a seemingly Christo-Fascist Rabbi wanting to return America to its pristine "Christian Nation" of the 1950s because ancient gods are overthrowing the Christian God without the active knowledg of the people to promote homosexuality, feminism, and abortion.
Judgements on the "loss of Christian America" beginning with Civil Rights movements in the 60s, branching into the evils of women's empowerment, gay Rights, and general social progress. Framing the issues in Christian "equality" and stating there is no us versus them while casually railing against the lack of women's subjugation in the modern age and the legalization of not only gay marriage, but the legality of homosexuality itself. All ending with a warning of impending Christian extermination and a call to arms against the other.
The book touches on bad numerology, a fundamental misunderstanding of ancient calendars, the fragility of a God being overthrown with no active effort, astrology, and raw conspiracy nonsense, this book has left me with a headache and a set of crossed eyes. A poor mishmash of various mythologies presented as a single conspiracy to destroy the world, damning women, gay people, non-believers, ancient and modern Israelites, and generally anything left of the most extremely Orthodox Christian movement while also completely ignoring valid sections and laws of the Bible itself.
From the disregard of God's creation of the rainbow (favoring instead that one of the old gods made it and wields it as a weapon) to the laws and rites of the old testament, this book is full of holes filled with random dates and events coalescing in a conspiracy board Alex Jones wouldn't even dream up.
Even the technical aspects of the book were bad. It comes across as a teenager trying to meet a minimum word count for class, as the book would be less than a quarter of its already short length had he not spent so much of it writing in circles. I counted how many instances this happened on a single section of a single page to find he had repeated himself as many as 7 times. Though if he sold it as the essay length it actually is he couldn't charg $30/piece for them regardless of his talk about the evils of seeking prosperity.
His (poorly) cited sources are done in the format of footnotes that are completely absent save for the small bibliography at the end, which itself is full of religious websites, old Christian doctrine, single sources stretched for effect (of 8 sources for abortion "sanctity" advocated, 7 of them were from the same single person) and generally nothing academic or scientific in the least to support his claims that literal gods have returned to enslave humanity.
Even his page numbering isn't consistent with some being in the middle and others to the side. Just the saddest excuse for an essay turned book that I've seen in a very long time.
I'd be leary of anyone who finds this to be their favorite book. Hell, I'd be leary of anyone who enjoyed it, even for the trashiness of it, for I couldn't even enjoy how bad it was when considering how dangerous it is that real people genuinely believe this.
From the very beginning it's misuse and abuse of biblical text references range from being miscontextualized to pure fabrication. Largely ignoring sections of the Bible and referencing them as acts of evil ancient gods that are portrayed as literally overtaking our world. There's nothing of substance here, just poorly cited (if cited at all) bad takes on history, hate, and Christian fear mongering. I don't even know how to grasp the concept of a seemingly Christo-Fascist Rabbi wanting to return America to its pristine "Christian Nation" of the 1950s because ancient gods are overthrowing the Christian God without the active knowledg of the people to promote homosexuality, feminism, and abortion.
Judgements on the "loss of Christian America" beginning with Civil Rights movements in the 60s, branching into the evils of women's empowerment, gay Rights, and general social progress. Framing the issues in Christian "equality" and stating there is no us versus them while casually railing against the lack of women's subjugation in the modern age and the legalization of not only gay marriage, but the legality of homosexuality itself. All ending with a warning of impending Christian extermination and a call to arms against the other.
The book touches on bad numerology, a fundamental misunderstanding of ancient calendars, the fragility of a God being overthrown with no active effort, astrology, and raw conspiracy nonsense, this book has left me with a headache and a set of crossed eyes. A poor mishmash of various mythologies presented as a single conspiracy to destroy the world, damning women, gay people, non-believers, ancient and modern Israelites, and generally anything left of the most extremely Orthodox Christian movement while also completely ignoring valid sections and laws of the Bible itself.
From the disregard of God's creation of the rainbow (favoring instead that one of the old gods made it and wields it as a weapon) to the laws and rites of the old testament, this book is full of holes filled with random dates and events coalescing in a conspiracy board Alex Jones wouldn't even dream up.
Even the technical aspects of the book were bad. It comes across as a teenager trying to meet a minimum word count for class, as the book would be less than a quarter of its already short length had he not spent so much of it writing in circles. I counted how many instances this happened on a single section of a single page to find he had repeated himself as many as 7 times. Though if he sold it as the essay length it actually is he couldn't charg $30/piece for them regardless of his talk about the evils of seeking prosperity.
His (poorly) cited sources are done in the format of footnotes that are completely absent save for the small bibliography at the end, which itself is full of religious websites, old Christian doctrine, single sources stretched for effect (of 8 sources for abortion "sanctity" advocated, 7 of them were from the same single person) and generally nothing academic or scientific in the least to support his claims that literal gods have returned to enslave humanity.
Even his page numbering isn't consistent with some being in the middle and others to the side. Just the saddest excuse for an essay turned book that I've seen in a very long time.
I'd be leary of anyone who finds this to be their favorite book. Hell, I'd be leary of anyone who enjoyed it, even for the trashiness of it, for I couldn't even enjoy how bad it was when considering how dangerous it is that real people genuinely believe this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and War
sarahunsaker's review against another edition
3.0
I agree with another reviewer in that his writing style is very repetitive. It didn’t bother me as much in previous books, but did in this one for some reason. However, this was very eye-opening and I feel like I agree heartily with the author.