Book Review: “Operation Joktan” and “Has the Tribulation Begun?” by Amir Tsarfati
Tsarfati is an Israeli citizen and previously served as a major in the Israeli Defense Forces. Though his writing pays attention to the nation of Israel, it covers matters of global concern.
Amir Tsarfati is the co-author of “Bible Prophecy: The Essentials,” which I recommended in the Additional Resources chapter of “Lifeline, A Guide to Surviving the End Times.” He has written many best-selling nonfiction books and has started a series of novels (book three, “Out of the Far North” is now available for pre-order). I decided to try one of those novels.
His first novel, “Operation Joktan” (2021) was written with Steve Yohn, an American pastor. The book includes an “Author’s Note” that spells out the key goals for the novel. Tsarfati explains that he wanted to deliver an exciting story, but he also wanted it to incorporate Biblical and geopolitical truth to give the book a higher purpose.
The book follows a group of Mossad agents working to prevent terrorist attacks upon Israel and other nations in the Middle East. Their opponents are backed by Iran and the story illuminates the destructive efforts and goals of that regime. There is plenty of action and the plot draws from historical and current political developments in the region. Fans of political thriller novels by authors Tom Clancy and Joel Rosenberg will enjoy “Operation Joktan” (I did).
The story has a romantic thread involving two members of the Mossad team, but it’s kept at the PG level. People are killed, but the book does not glorify violence or gore and it avoids the crutch of profanity used by too many writers. The book introduces the Gospel message; it’s done deftly and appropriately in just a few passages.
That same “Author’s Note” also explains how Tsarfati’s nonfiction books present Biblical and geopolitical truth, but make it a more enjoyable read by including anecdotes and humor. I tested this by reading “Has the Tribulation Begun?” (2023). Imagine that the joke-cracking Elvis Cole (the hero in the excellent series of novels by Robert Crais) was a solid Bible scholar instead of a detective, and you have a big-picture view of “Has the Tribulation Begun?”
This book accurately presents Biblical truths about the end times events and connects them to current political and social developments. Tsarfati explains why this should be important to the reader. He uses the Bible and logic to knock down several false doctrines. Though the book provides plenty of Bible quotations and other footnote references, there are just as many humorous passages and anecdotes, so the book is both enjoyable and educational. For example, the first page in the book answers the book’s title with “No.” It then explains why that’s the case and why the book is more than one page long.
Of course, time has passed since the book was published and if you are reading this review after being left behind by the rapture (that event is explained well in the book), the answer might actually be “Yes.” Even so, the book would still be worth your time.
I recommend both of these Tsarfati books.
