I could not put this book down, once I got into it. That took a bit of time and encouragement from someone who had already finished reading it. The outer framing from which much of the story hung bothered me a bit; but once I got past that and into the narrative, made up primarily of back-and-forth dialogue, I read it in just a few sittings. The ideas behind this book are incredible. Seeing some of the parallels between the USA and ancient Israel is jaw dropping. I have never believed in coincidences – I know that God is in control of absolutely everything – but the historical and current events marked out in Harbinger were things I had never before considered or pieced together.

Basing much of the book on the scripture of Isaiah 9:10 (for context, read Isaiah 9:8-21), Cahn breaks the verse down and compares it with events of the past decade, beginning with 9/11. He points out how many things had to line up perfectly for things to play out the way they did. The almost unbelievable detail of everything lining up with the words of Isaiah 9 is well documented; Cahn includes detailed footnotes, allowing readers to do research on their own. We are called to study and understand for ourselves the things we hear. This book makes it very possible to do that.

The biggest problems I had with this book were stylistic choices. As I mentioned, the opening framework was slightly awkward, but it picked up quickly. The ellipses felt overused to me, but I have been noticing that more often lately in fiction designed to excite the reader. There were also a couple of ideas that Cahn expressed with which I don’t fully agree, but that’s to be expected with any book. I wouldn’t argue with most of his major points.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to any reader. Be prepared to have a couple of sleepless nights. This book will challenge you. It’s time to wake up and look at where we, as a nation, are compared with where we could be, if only we would remember Who gave us the blessings we enjoy every day.