The Prophecy Books

Of all the books I have read on "hearing the voice of God", this book is the most easy to understand and practical for application.

I have personally had dreams and things of this nature that I could not explain. After speaking with my pastor he gave me this book to read and I loved it. It really answered alot of questions for me and after reading this book it brought me to a better understanding of what was happening to me. I love the fact that he backs all of his statements with scripture. Amazing read!!!

Insipiring! Easy to read! Loved every word! If you are a fan of the Holy Spirit, YOU will love this book on how to hear the voice of God in today's hectic (loud!) world. I passed the book on and, for all I know, it's already been around the world.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in knowing how God speaks to us.

To be a fair person one should act fairly. Calling a book a "perversion" and citing an article from an antagonistic source is only half the story. It would be objective to cite the answer to that antagonistic source and let the reader who chooses to "check it out" to make up his own mind. Such is the case at hand. The antagonstic source is a paper published by a group strongly opposed to Jack Deere. Mr. Deere answered the claims of that article at this source. www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/5951/PP2.html

It may be that "a reader" did not know of the above source...or, since he searched enough to find one type of article--he just agrees with it. Either way it is still not a "balanced" review.

Check it out and you will see that the small section of quotes listed in the "review" are very misleading.

This is an wonderful study of the book of Daniel. It gives you great insight into the life of Daniel, the hisory of the Babylonian exile, and the prophecy revealed to Daniel. This workbook is to be used with the Daniel teacher kit by Beth Moore. You will need the videos to do some of the work.

Excellent study for those serious about learning God's Word and the prophecy told and still being fulfilled to this day.

I never thought of Babylon and the book of Daniel in comparison to the way we live today. Beth once again does an amazing job at bringing Scripture to light, and causing you to want to dig in and learn...grow...and change!

There's a lot of talk nowadays about end times, and most of the information comes out of the Bible's book of Daniel. Like any book of prophecy, Daniel can make your head spin as you try to put the pieces together. Beth Moore does a really great job of bringing understanding and depth to this hard-to-understand book. With her usual great scholarship and humor, Moore sure makes you understand why people are talking about the imminent return of Jesus. You'll either get excited or get your socks scared off, but you'll have the knowledge you need to understand how it goes. I also watched the DVD's that go with this book, and I would recommend that approach.

Beth Moore is a very engaging preacher and I was inspired by some of her messages in this Daniel study. Unfortunately I didn't care for the study format, which is an hour of a preaching video and almost no allowance for discussion. The homework also does not lend itself to deep scriptural discussion, as it deals more with themes and folksy stories than exegesis.

Also, I think making Daniel half about prophecy is not a wise idea. There are many end times views that don't see Daniel as having a place in future prophecy. Even though Beth mentions the other views, she focuses one the one she agrees with (which is understandable) but which bothered me, as I obviously don't agree with her view. She pulled alot of her viewpoints from commentaries and people who agreed with her viewpoint, as opposed to using inductive Bible study study methods.

For someone interested in a serious study of end times, I recommend Revelation: Four Views: A Parallel Commentary by Steve Gregg (available here at Amazon). This focuses on the Book of Revelation, and going verse by verse through the book of Revelations, shows what each of the main 4 end times views has to say about it. By reading through this, a student of end times can come to his/her own conclusion based on the strongest Biblical apologetics.

The Beth Moore Bible study formula would be good for those who are more comfortable being told what to think--and I don't mean that snidely--just so you know there's not a good format for digging in on your own--or for finding out about generalized themes of the Bible.

Honestly, Beth Moore's strength is preaching, and like I said, she had some very inspirational messages that encouraged me to apply Biblical truths to my own life. Just use her studies with the caveat of knowing her format.

A very informative book with loads of informative details. I would recommend this book as it does not pull the punches about our government and others.

You can always count on Dave Hunt to dig in and get the facts and present them in a straight forward and honest manner. If you're interested in the history of the tiny nation Israel since it's re-birth in 1948 and how the media and unscrupulous people and nations have tried to beat her down for thier own gain this is the book you want. Dave shows the truth about Islam and their efforts to destroy the little giant who by God's protection has thwarted every attempt. Once again a great work by Dave Hunt that is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Dave Hunt is well informed and has done his research, but his presentation style and the editing of his manuscript leaves much to be desired. This book is packed with information, but it is repetitive and not well organized. For the content I would have to give the book a 4 star rating.

This is a rivetting read! A must for all Christians. The book is clear concise, and full of facts and insight into the modern crisis that Islam poses for the world. An invaluable book in these times - it is so exciting to read Dave Hunt, such a polished presentation. Don't hesitate. Hugh Nicholetts

While Mr. Hunt certainly is well versed in the New Testament...I sometimes felt like he was trying to insert round pegs in square holes in order to comport biblical prophecy with modern day events.

That being said, I enjoyed reading Judgment Day for the true historical background of the Mideast, and the Jews inherent right to occupy the land of Israel as God's "Chosen People". I also think Mr. Hunt makes a compelling case on why the US must conduct its foreign policy in a manner that will uphold the democratic values of Western Judeo-Christian civilization over the petrifying Islamic vision of world domination via Jihad (Holy War).

In conclusion, an excellent summation of the modern day clash between Judeo-Christian and Islamic civilizations that appears to be reaching its climax on the inevitable "Judgment Day".

Having the usual problems juggling uni and slayage, Buffy comes across some odd vampires on patrol. Tattoos of bats on their faces, they seem to drain energy, work together, and run away.

With some research help they discover the existence of a bat god named Camazotz, who uses these special vampires, called Kazchiquels, as servants.

Trying to discover what is happening, Willow summons Lucy Hanover, the ghost of a slayer, who brings with her The Prophet - when she possesses Buffy, she is sucked into what seems to be the futre, is several years older, and is in prison.

A girl is thrown into a cell with her, and tells her Faith has just been captured, as well, so with no Slayers free, the new girl, August, needs to kill Buffy to activate a new Slayer to stop Camazotz's rule spreading.

Reads almost like a Season 4 episode, without the dialogue and humor people like Jane Espenson can drum up. There's not much else to say, except that if you're hankering for a "new" episode, these serial novels are the closest, unfortunately, that we'll get.

Prophecies is a good novel with an interesting story. Buffy is facing a new foe, in the form of a demon-god. His vampire followers aren't like other vampires that Buffy has faced before, which causes her to be concerned. Buffy is also warned of some impending doom by a Prophet, but she is unable to figure out what will come to pass until it is too late.

In this novel, Buffy doesn't quite seem like the Buffy from the tv series. She's cold and bitter. She's rude to her friends and is just mean compared to the tv version of her character. Though I don't particularly enjoy her attitude, she has her reasons for being this way and I respect that.

The story takes a while to develop, which, though leaving you in suspense, is a bit off-putting. It is an interesting concept, though, so for that I give the book 4 stars.

This book got off to a slow start, when I started to read it my only motivation to actually finish the book was "common, common, you bought all 4 of these books don't just let them go to waste." But they didn't go to waste. They were great! Throughout the middle of the book you capture Buffy and Willows thoughts. Its just too great! But my only problem with this book is at the end - it leaves you hanging like "what? what happens next?" but the book is finished. I guess this is just a cheap way to get you to read THREE other books and pay too much money for a series! I reccomend that you buy the big book with all 4 books in one. Its cheaper and not such a waste. But I do reccomend this book for a true Buffy fan. But definetly not for someone who just started watching Buffy as it can get a little confusing.

Vampire-slayer Buffy Summers is having an extremely hard time of adjusting to her life as a non-high school student, and new Freshman at UC Sunnydale. For one thing, she's made a bad impression on her teachers, turning this in late, and missing classes; and her relationship with Willow and Giles is slowly going down the tube. However, when a group of organized vampires covered in bat tattoos show-up in Sunnydale, Buffy knows that it's up to her to try and destroy them before they take over the entire town. But when Giles and her begin investigating, and run into danger, causing Giles to be captured by them, and held hostage, Buffy finds herself fleeing, and calls upon the now-dead slayer, Lucy Hanover to help her out. Lucy informs Buffy that she must find a Prophet, to show her what will happen in the future, so she can avoid danger. But instead of helping, this action catapults the now 19-year-old Buffy into the future, to what she'll be when she's 24-years-old.

In this wonderful first installment in THE LOST SLAYER quartet, famed BUFFY...author Christopher Golden, crafts an enticing story that is uterly irresistible to BUFFY...fans. His well-crafted, original storyline is ingenious, and will have readers furiously turning the pages to find out what will happend next, while his vivid descriptions makes it hard to put PROPHECIES down. Beware, PROPHECIES contains a killer cliffhanger, that will have you itching to find out what will happen to Buffy next, so make sure you have a copy of the second LOST SLAYER installment entitled DARK TIMES close by.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I appreciated seeing a listing of so many of Christ's commandments along with easy-to-read explanations coupled with exegesis of key Greek words. I had no idea that Christ gave 382 commandments! (The author reviews 125).
And, yes, this is a call against compromising, lukewarm Christianity that is so common today.

I was somewhat surprised, though about what seemed to be a slight inconsistency in the beginning. Wittstock, taking a strong Arminian stance, rails against the position of unconditional eternal security and couples it (unfairly in my opinion) with an antinomian "it's okay to sin" attitude. He then advocates Lordship Salvation and vehemently condemns the "no-lordship school" which "should continue to be exposed; be rebuked; and be discarded..." The irony is that Lordship Salvation is advocated largely by Calvinists. Who does Wittstock cite as a leading Lordship proponent? John MacArthur, who, like all Calvinists, also believes in unconditional eternal security.

Getting down to Christ's commandments listed in this book, we are reminded that many of the Savior's statements are very challenging. But it is necessary for Christians to be reminded of them. It is not easy to read that if we say "You fool!" to a Christian brother, we will be in danger of hell. (Matthew 5: 22), but Christ said that! Wittstock's list also includes Christ's commandment to "turn the other cheek" if slapped. Wittstock says this means "offer yourself for additional abuse!" Actually, I believe a better explanation is-- do not retaliate when injured but try to de-escalate the conflict in love.

Wittstock covers a broad spectrum of Christ's commands. Issues include forgiveness, being on guard against false teachers, repenting of sin, avoiding hypocrisy, etc. The author then gives good basic elaborations. This type of book is quite valuable for Christian living and pastoral counseling.

And although I am not a Pentacostal or charismatic, I did find his "revelation" from God--about coming judgment in response to abortion to be thought-provoking. We know our Lord is an awesome God of judgment!

When I was given the opportunity to read, HEAR HIM! several weeks ago, I was initially reluctant. As a lifelong Catholic, many aspects of non-Catholic writing do not appeal to me. One area in particular is the idea that salvation comes solely from a profession of faith alone - when one professes his or her belief in Jesus Christ, that is, in essence, the golden ticket, the lifetime pass...nothing else is required. If one has faith, many have written, one essentially has carte blanche to do anything going forward. Of course, scriptures do not teach that at all; those who take this view usually are practitioners of eisegesis (taking a word, phrase or passage from the bible to suit their own purposes).

Peter Wittstock offers a refreshing reminder of what faith really is all about: words and actions - a turning over of one's life to Christ. Quoting liberally from the "New Revised Standard Version" of the Bible - in my opinion, a premier English translation used by learned Catholics and other Christians - the author warns us of the danger of departing from the Gospel message of Christ. His message is similar to that of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrote of, lived, and died for his Christian beliefs. Bonhoeffer distinguished between cheap grace and costly grace: the former being grace without discipleship; the latter being the complete surrender of one's life to God. Wittstock echoes this teaching, reminding us that the profession of faith does not "eternally secure salvation if one does not live the faith. Our lives are lived through actions and not just words. Otherwise we are hypocrites, not unlike the Pharisees of Jesus' time. One turns over one's life to Christ by obeying his commands.

Scripture is consistent in this as the author points out in referencing a point made by theologian, Millard J. Erickson. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the results of works so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2: 8-9). Taken in isolation, Saint Paul may be interpreted. However, to continue, "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life" (Ephesians 2:10). Peter Wittstock emphasizes faith as a following of Jesus' commands, of total surrender to his will and his way. As Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, we cannot follow Jesus and then pick or choose only those commands we find most convenient. However, we are not merely legalists; we are called to the highest of ethical and moral standards. The cost of discipleship is high. It is total surrender to God through Jesus Christ.

Unlike other books which often get lost in archaic terminology and complicated structure, the author has structured the Gospel message around 125 sections corresponding to Jesus' teachings. This enables the reader to easily read and embrace the message. The prose is straightforward and provides great insight.

One area in which I do not agree is Appendix A. Here, the author shares a revelation regarding the events of September 11th. As one connected to this event, I do not see the events of that day as divine retribution for specific sins of certain members of society. Rather, I see it as a wake-up call for all those who doubt the existence and presence of evil or who seek to minimize the Gospel message as a clarion call to action in a secular world. Perhaps this is my reaction to a specific style or interpretation. Nevertheless, HEAR HIM! offers great wisdom, challenging us to a faith of words and deeds - a challenge to which we all must rise.

Peter Wittstock calls the American church to awaken from cultural complacency and live out the reality of the gospel. Taking the message of Jesus Christ seriously, Wittstock offers a comprehensive catalogue of Jesus' commands.

While Christians often claim to trust in Jesus and worship him, Wittstock challenges us to listen to him and obey him. Instead of cute cliches and catchy slogans, he offers the words of Jesus.

I personally like to use a variety of spiritual exercises as part of my devotional life. While Wittstock does not neccesarily introduce this book as such, it lends itself to spiritual exercises. I would recomend readers read only one command a day. Then meditate on the command and reflect on the relation of the command to their own life. This time of reflection can naturally lead into a time of prayer and possible insight about how this might be realized in their own life.

While I appreciate Wittstock's work and recomend it, I do have one caveat. He comes down hard on "free grace" in his introduction. He even quotes a variety of Reformed writers (inlcuding John Calvin) to build his case for a life of holiness. Unfortuantely, he does not present a cogent argument on the relation of grace to the life of holiness.

From a Covenantal perspective, grace is a prerequisite for holiness and the only means to realize the life of holiness. Without a proper foundation of covenant and grace, a call to holiness can easily become another system of human centered righteousness. I would balance his introduction with covenantal perspectives from the writers he quotes like John Calvin or Francis Schaeffer or more contemporary works like Jerry Bridges' The Pursuit of Holiness or Joel Beeke's Overcoming the World.

Unique and inspired, "Hear Him!" is a scholarly work that will be appreciated by anyone who wants to understand in depth what Jesus told us, and by following those words, implement them to make the most of our earthly lives.

The introduction is lengthy, and explains how this book came about, the author's view of the modern world, and how best to live in it as a Christian. It has many quotes from theologians like Francis Schaeffer and John Knox, and expresses thoughts on marriage, as well as the church accepting new teachings "for the sake of private human interests," "faith vs. works," and whether the commands of Jesus are an "obligation or option." The introduction also has the "criteria for inclusion" the author used when choosing the commands that are part of the 125 in the book, explained with graphics, and includes a list of the commands that were excluded.

The 125 commands of Jesus are written in bold type (the New Revised Standard Version Bible is used), often with a Greek translation for better understanding, and then analyzed with great clarity by Peter Wittstock. His knowledge is equaled by his insight, and I was inspired as well as illuminated by his penetrating wisdom. There are many books on the market that analyze Scripture, but I found this one to be exceptional in its lucidity and purpose. Whether one simply reads one of the commands and meditates upon its meaning, or takes in several at one sitting, one will invariably gain discernment, and more invaluable than anything, the commands will bring one into a closer relationship with the Lord. The writing is profound, yet simple and easy to understand, and the book itself is of fine quality, with a nice large font size.

There is much of value in the back of the book, with a glossary, bibliography, command category index, and much more. Of very special interest is appendix A, a poetic revelation received by the author on the morning of September 11, 2001. It is intensely moving, with a searing reality that some would rather not face. I applaud the author for his courage, and for putting a lamp of truth in a dark place.

The author of HEAR HIM! writes in the preface of the book that the book was written for several reasons: "(1)satisfying my own personal curiosity concerning the specifics of Jesus' commands; (2)unraveling doctrinal confusion being experienced at my local church on related subjects; (3)improving accessibility to the commands by simply listing them numerically; and (4)satisfying what has been an unanticipated, and unremitting, spiritual urgency for their publication." It is important to keep these reasons in mind as one reads HEAR HIM! because though the linguistics in the Gospels of Jesus' commands are heavily researched and the 125 different commands covered have importance, the book is very personal and at times reads more as a personal journal than a book for public consumption.

Though the book contains a preface, a couple of appendixes, a glossary, and other items, there are really two parts to the book: the introduction and the list of the 125 commands themselves. The introduction is rather lengthy; at 86 pages it's almost as long as the list of commands themselves. In the introduction the author explains how the book came to be and how all of Jesus commands mentioned in the Bible were narrowed down to the 125 listed and briefly unpacked in the book. The commands themselves are listed in no particular order. Each one of the commands listed includes a brief paragraph explanation, a clause on the context of the command, and scriptural references. Some of the enteries also include the original Greek words for the verbs of the commands.

As far as reading goes, HEAR HIM! isn't a book that just anyone would be interested in reading. Stictly as a source of reading, the book doesn't read all that well. I am very interested in the source material, but found myself quite bored at times when reading and instead of deriving pleasure or spiritual enlightenment felt I was forcing myself through some sort of difficult manual mental labor. However, though the book doesn't appear to be meant as a devotional, it is much easier to read one or two of the commands at a time rather than reading them in huge chunks. If one keeps this in mind before reading the book, I think they will get more out of it. Also, despite my difficulties in making it through the text, after reading the book I found it refreshing to have spent time reading the commands that Jesus spoke.

Overall, a very well researched book about some of Jesus commands that works better as a devotional rather than a source of free reading.

I loved the illustrations but I was looking for something with motivation or description on the back of each card. In this set you have to review the book to use the most thoroughly. Similar to tarot cards in their use.

I love these cards they are great for the soul, kids love it and it makes you feel good when you are feeling down. Truly recomend it.

Beautiful drawings but the box is small for the cards. cards can easily be damaged due to the box

I do alot of Angel Readings, and I have to say I really like SANTS & ANGELS reading cards.
I know it's the Angels that give the people the anwsers, but these cards are right on!!

I am a practicing Catholic and I was drawn to these cards to help with deeper prayer/meditation. The accompanying booklet is very helpful to get focused and 'in tune'. The tough thing for me was that deck claims to be saints and angels and Mother Teresa has been beatified but is not a saint, YET. Another point is that St. Padre Pio had the stigmata and this isn't shown in the artwork. That was a huge identifying factor for Padre Pio. These are easily researched on the internet so someone as educated as Doreen Virtue, should have learned these two little things.
That said the cards are very inspirational and positive. I don't do readings but I could see how these would greatly benefit mediums and those who want to counsel and heal through positive thought.

-1 star for research and accuracy of the saints

I have to admit that I was skeptical of Rick Joyner. I have visited Morningstar in Charlotte, NC several times and at times felt it was shallow and not biblically balanced. However, my views have changed. This is not to say that I don't disagree with Joyner or Morningstar International because I do but that seems to be part of being human. None of us have perfect knowledge (1 Corinthians 13:8-13).

Therefore, when I was given this book I at first read it with a skeptical eye. I was looking for error. The irony is that this is a good book. Joyner, contrary to some of the other views given, does not promote mystical Christianity at all in this book. In fact, I found that Joyner does a good job of wrestling with the Scriptures. The book's focus is on Jesus and Joyner wants the reader not to simply have a head knowledge of Jesus but a living, vital relationship with Jesus. If that is mysticism then count me in. Joyner attacks denominations and doctrines that divide but he balances this with an emphasis on loving Jesus and sharing unity in Him. He is not pushing for blind obedience without sound doctrine but he does desire for the Church to love each other more and that is a lesson we all need to hear and obey (John 13:34-35).

Overall this is a solid book. For those skeptical of Rick Joyner and his ministry I believe you will realise that Joyner is not as far out there as you might think. In fact, you might just become a supporter as I am.

Joyner has received revelation not common to the "big names". He is not afraid to relate the uncomfortable reality that the way up is down

The author opened my eyes to a truth that I had never realized. Glory to God.

Occasionally you read a book that opens the door to your heart for an amazing revelation from God. This is one of those. The author begins by showing that there is just as much death in the knowledge of good as there is in the knowledge of evil. It sounds simplistic, but this book helped me shift my focus from trying harder to growing more in love with Jesus getting to know more of him. The change is amazing. I highly recommend the book.

This book presents a foundational insight based on the Garden of Eden experience of Adam and Eve: Are we interested in knowledge, or life? This principle applies to so many of the moral choices that we face.

Reading this book was a life-changing experience for me.

This is a pretty good summary of Catholic views on eschatology and a critical response to dispensationalism. It's interesting that a Catholic apologist would only feel the need to present these issues as a response to the popularity of dispensationalism in America, focusing on "Left Behind." However, it is a little embarassing that in doing so Olson has to rely on so many Protestant authors to make his case. One example that really bothers me: instead of describing Luis de Alcsar's preterist treatise on Revelation from first hand acquaintance, he cites Steve Gregg's parallel commentary on Revelation. Is the problem that de Alcasar's book was written in Latin and has not been translated into English in a modern edition? That it has not is a sign of the Catholic Church's disinterest in the topic. That Olson has not read it is a sign that he doesn't know Latin or doesn't know it well enough to read de Alcasar's book, though of course he defends the Church's continued practice of using Latin as a church interlingua. Go figure.

Worse still is the "black hat/white hat" presentation of Protestants and Catholics. Martin Luther and John Nelson Darby are presented as rigid, egomaniacal ideologues. At least they didn't burn anyone at the stake for being a heretic, which is more than anyone can say for the Catholic Church. But could Olson make any effort to undertand the at least partially valid criticisms that motivated Darby? For example, he could have started with Darby's oft quoted statement that he left the Church of England because he did not find the primitive Christian faith of the New Testament in that institution. And that, at the end of the day, is the main motive behind all Protestant movements of reformation and renewal: when you read the New Testament, the Church that is described only looks vaguely like the Catholic Church or a mainline Protestant denomination. Olson is going to have to do a better job of explaining to people why we should think of the Catholic Church as anything other than just another modern denomination before we're going to accept the idea that the Church is the Kingdom of Heaven. The fact that there are at least 3 major divisions in Christianty (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant) puts the lie to the claim that the Church is the Kingdom.

Finally, there is no discussion of the vast literature of Catholic private prophecy, mostly the visions of saints and mystics and appartitions of Mary. While no faithful Catholic is required to believe any private prophecy, they may if it has received official sanction, and many do for the unapproved ones as well (such as Medjugorie and Bayside). These prophecies speak of a coming Minor Chastisement ending in Three Days of Darkness followed by an Age of Peace (the Age of Mary). One does not need to be a Jungian to see that these visions have exactly the same function within Catholicism that the dispensational focus on the signs of the End Times, the coming Rapture, the Great Tribulation and the Millenium do for "fundamentalist" Protestantism. They are ways for the faithful to deal with a world that often seems pointlessly evil and apostate. That most Catholics are completely ignorant of this strand of their tradition is more a testament to the extremely low standards of Catholic catechesis in recent decades, rather than a repudiation of these ideas by the Vatican. At least members of the independent Bible churches know what they believe. It is disingenuous to attack dispensationalism and warn Catholics against it when you can't even present the Catholic tradition for Catholics, who, as Olson admits, occassionally need to go to Protestant Bible studies because their parish doesn't offer one.

The unprecedented popularity of the Left Behind series of books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins presents a dilemma for Catholic apologists and others from historic forms of Christianity. While not objecting to a well spun adventure yarn, the books present as fact the relatively novel ideas of dispensationalism which arose in the most sectarian and anti-Catholic regions of Protestant thought. When one combines the fact that the historic churches and the churches of the Reformation have not always made clear their eschatological views and the contemporary culture's obsession with conspiriacy theories and fortune telling of all sorts , it is a recipe in which the sensationalistic elements of dispensational thought can strike a chord with a wide audience - including a Catholic one.

Carl E. Olson, as a former adherent of the dispensationalist view, understands its appeal to those seeking simplisitic answers to difficult questions. He also understands that, unlike other branches of Christianity where a large amount of freedom is left for individuals to interpret details, dispensationalism cannot survive without every "i" dotted and every "t" crossed. For it is not merely an eschatological system but an overarching hermeneutic that governs the interpretation of every facet of Scripture. Thus any crack in the system sends the whole facade tumbling down and must be opposed vigorously by its followers.

In Will Catholics Be Left Behind?, Olson exposes the many cracks in the dispensationalist system to the light of day and leaves it in utter ruins. This is not merely a point of intellectual interest for Olson; as a convert to Catholicism, he knows the hostility to Catholicism inherent in the system and the complete incompatibility of the dispensationalist vision with Catholic doctrine. He contrasts the malformed understanding of Scripture and the Church at its very heart and contrasts this with the rich and firmly rooted understanding of these and other topics that underpins historical Christianity. The result is the complete vanquishing of his dispensationalist opponents as their logical inconsistency, historical ignorance, and parochial outlook is bared for all to see.

The book itself is divided into two parts. The first outlines the beliefs and development of the dispensationalist doctrine. At this point, Olson points out only the most obvious of problems and responds with the basics of the historic Christian view as a counterweight. In his presentation of the origins of the dispensationalist system, he wisely avoids the peripheral issue of who came first with the doctrine. Dispensationalists often argue that John Nelson Darby, frequently creditied with dispensationalism's founding in 1830, had predecessors in the 1600s and 1700s. Yet whether the system was created in the 17th, 18th, or 19th centuries is irrelevant - it had at most a handful of followers prior to Darby and it was a novelty in comparison to the whole of Christian history.

The second part of the book is a complete deconstruction of the dispensationalist system. Most telling is when, applying a theme developed by historians of American Protestantism such as George Marsden and Mark Noll, Olson demonstrates the reliance of dispensationalists on a now outmoded understanding of science and classification pioneered by Francis Bacon. This fixation with an ideal of the scientific method most popular in Anglo-American intellectual circles prior to the 20th century does much to explain the complete misreading of the symbolism and poetic imagery common in the apocalyptic writings of Holy Scripture. It also does much to explain why dispensationalism never arose prior to the modern period and only in the English speaking world. In the end, fundamentalism in general and dispensationalism in particular are as modernist in nature as the liberalism they oppose.

In successive chapters, Olson exposes the complete artificiality of the dispensationalist invention of Church-Israel and Kingdom of Heaven-Kingdom of God barriers, the inconsistency in application and historical groundlessness of their so-called "literal" method of interpretation, and the total absence of both Scriptural and historical justification of the dispensationalist doctrine of the pretribulational rapture. The latter in particular is an extraordinary example of careful exegesis as each of the dispensationalists' pet passages to justify their rapture doctrine are placed back in context and shown to either be about the Second Coming of Christ or not relevant to end times issues at all. It becomes clear that without the system assumed a priori, no one would ever come to such a conclusion. The pretibulational rapture was constructed to overcome a problem of consistency and then passages of Scripture were misapplied to justify its invention after the fact. When all is said and done, Olson has completely unraveled the dispensationalist fantasy and left it in ashes.

Olson then closes with the Catholic vision of the endtimes. This may disappoint some because it is not overly concerned with military hardware but with spiritual armor; it is concerned less with escaping danger than with martyrdom; it concerns itself less with what Satan will do as with what Christ has already done. It is a vision of glory that all beleivers in Christ will share - presented in eternity as the marraige supper of the Lamb and foreshadowed in time by the Holy Eucharist. For those who worship following the historic liturgical pattern of the Church, they need not fret over when Christ will come to take them away for He has never left them.

The challenges presented by such popular works as the Left Behind series has caused more historically rooted Christians to finally wake up to the doctrinal aberrations inherent in the dispensationalist system. This has necessitated a careful study of eschatology and a thorough presentation of their own tradition's views in a form accessible to the layman. For Catholics, it will be hard to top Will Catholics Be Left Behind? - in this book, Carl E. Olson has written an essential work of apologetics not just for Catholics, but for all Christians so they now can leave Left Behind behind.

Carl Olson has become an important, and orthodox, Catholic voice addressing some of the great heresies of our age. This book is one of the best I have read by him.

I am a cradle Catholic, and never believed in the Rapture. However, I have been challenged by evangelicals I know, and even though I am very familiar with the bible, my evangelical friends would just scratch their heads when I went over the relevant verses with them and spoke about the dangers of anachronism. From their perspective, they just couldn't figure out why I refused to see something (the rapture) that was "clearly" in the bible.

However, pre, mid, and/or post-tribulation dispensationalism are NOT clearly in the bible, and this book does an excellent job outlining why. Furthermore, almost all the evangelical authors and preachers who believe in the rapturist system are frighteningly anti-Catholic and this book does a good job explaining why these people's false ideas need refuting. There is a section devoted to the most prominent exponents of rapturist theology that is very interesting.

There are some authors and preachers who are dispensationalists who are not anti-Catholic. (Jack Van Impe is one example). Olson is careful to be charitable and point out people's strengths. He does this with Pastor Van Impe whom I continue to enjoy on television on occasion, even if I disagree with him.

However, Olson is correct to address this issue, and address it strongly. The Left Behind series sells millions of copies, and the ideas contained within are seriously misguided, not to mention anti-Catholic and neo-Gnostic.

This is a great book that is well worth the read.

WOW - what an AWESOME book! It's very well written, and is backed by concrete facts and sound Catholic teaching. It is a little bit of a heavy read, so it may be a bit much for someone who is new to the faith and/or religious terminology - at least, it was for me... However, as a new Catholic (ex-Baptist), this book really helped to straighten out a lot of confusion I'd always had on the subject matter. I ABSORBED what I read on the pages, and could not put the book down! Everywhere I went, I took it as reading material, until I was finally done with it. If you're someone who is better read in Catholic books than I am, then reading this will be a real treat.

In Will Catholics Be Left Behind, Carl Olsen critiques contemporary fundamentalist eschatological theology as popularized by writers such as Tim LaHaye in his popular Left Behind series. Olsen identifies himself as an ex-evangelical/fundamentalist convert to Catholicism.

Olsen provides a solid and comprehensive, if at times a somewhat jumbled, overview of fundamentalist terminology as it pertains to eschatology. This is helpful as the lexicon associated with this subject can seem arcane and opaque to the uninitiated. Olsen is also effective in highlighting the sensationalist feel of some current rapture literature. This is not to say that he does not consider judgment a serious issue that requires sober reflection by believers - he does. Instead, he argues that it needs to be balanced with God's love to provide a more holistic view of Christianity.

Despite its strengths the book left me feeling somewhat disappointed. This is not because of any significant difference of opinion with Olsen (as a former Protestant Catholic I think I share many of his views) rather, is due to his poor presentation of the argument. Although the book is lucid at times, it structure and flow is choppy and repetitive. I found it a bit ironic that Olsen works as an editor - this book would benefit from some editing. An example of the latter point is his use of notes at the bottom the page. I generally like this approach, however, in this case many pages are dominated by lengthy notes that add little and disrupt the flow. I appreciate the attempt to be thorough, but, many of these notes were needlessly verbose and not required.

Olsen also uses the book to identify the naive anti-catholic bias and stereotyping used by some fundamentalists. He definitely has a point in this regard; however, I think he over does it at times and is guilty of using similar overheated rhetoric. It may feel good blowing off steam - but you often lose your credibility and audience as a result. A good editor would have picked this up.

Overall, it is not a terrible book. It has some useful information; however, it is often lost as a result of the poor presentation. In the hands of a more capable author this could be a fascinating topic.

Animorphs: The Prophecy, by K.A. Applegate, is in the popular Animorphs series. In this book, an Andalite trapped in Hork-Bajir morph, Aldrea, returns from another book, The Hork-Bajir Chronicles. Aldrea has been long since dead, but the Arn, who had hoped to find the Hork-Bajir on Earth, and the Animorphs need her help to find the weapons she had hidden so they could give the Hork-Bajir weapons. Luckily for them, the Arn has the Ixicla, or mind, of Aldrea with him, but he needs a body for Aldrea. The person who has to share her body with Aldrea happens to be the tree-hugger Cassie, member of the Animorphs. Without much choice, the Animorphs, along with Toby, Aldrea's great-granddaughter, the Arn, and Aldrea leave Earth to head for the Arn and Hork-Bajir planet, where the weapons are hidden.
Like the other Animorphs books, this one has an interesting plot. The heroes travel to a world they know very little about with two strangers that they have to trust and rely upon. It is a great risk they are taking, especially when their enemies, the Yeerks, have gained control of the planet itself. However, the Animorphs have their morphing abilities on their side, giving them the upper-hand. They are allowed to morph into which ever animal they want as long as they have acquired the DNA of that animal. In a morph, they can feel the instincts of those animals, which, in my opinion, is pretty amazing. Even so, morphing is a horrifying experience for the teen heroes, or at least, most of them. Cassie can control her morph very well, and therefore, is chosen to morph from seagull to whale in order to swim to the place where the weapons are hidden. Amazingly, Cassie manages to pull this morph off, even as she was fighting Aldrea, who was trying to gain control. ("But the little human female had held me at bay even as she performed an act of morphing that would have made her a hero among the Andalites.") Another interesting part of this book was the part where Aldrea's thoughts would mix with Cassie's. Though the two do not trust each other, more often than not are their thoughts similar to one another.
Though this book has an interesting plot, it is not the best Animorphs book I have read so far. ("I could fee Aldrea's incredulity at being silenced by what she saw as an alien youth.") Aldrea was being prejudice to the humans and Andalites, thinking that she was superior to them. She also thought that all they cared for was what they wanted. On the other hand, the Animorphs weren't exactly fair to Aldrea as well. They seemed as though they had to keep an eye on her and Cassie the whole time. However, they had a good reason too. A few times, Aldrea tried to take control of Cassie's body when it wasn't necessary. One time, it could have even brought the Animorphs to their death, or fail the mission. As for the Arn, he didn't seem to be doing much except for piloting the Yeerk ship. If he had expected help, then he should have done his share of the work as well.
Overall, this was a pretty good book. My favorite parts were when it describes the Bug fighters and when Cassie was morphing from seagull to whale. I could almost see the Bug fighter, and it seemed as though I'm looking through Cassie or Aldrea's eyes. When Cassie was morphing from seagull to whale, I could feel the excitement and danger the characters were in. K.A. Applegate couldn't have made this story any more exciting than it already is now.

In this Cassie book, the only surviving Arn comes to Earth with a request: to harvest DNA for the creation of new, free Hork-Bajir who will retake their planet from the Yeerks. None of the Hork-Bajir mind donating DNA, but there's another catch-the Arn needs a receptacle for the Ixicla (essence, spirit) of Aldrea (the daughter of Seerow) who led the resistance on the Hork-Bajir home world years ago (read the Hork-Bajir Chronicles for the full story that is quite sad, yet insightful) and stockpiled a ship and weapons.

So Cassie becomes the receptacle and the Animorphs, Toby Hamee, and the Arn go to the Hork-Bajir home world to find the stolen ship and start the resistance. The reader gets narration from both Cassie and the long-dead spirit of Aldrea residing in her brain, which is quite good. I liked this book for its change of scenery and for some decent Cassie that's not too preoccupied about moralizing.

The whole book starts when Cassie finds Jara Hamee walking around, looking for the Animorphs. THey go to the Hork-Bajir valley and find that and Arn (see Hork-Bajir Chronicles) is looking for a vessel to put the essence of Aldrea, daughter of Seerow in. The Arn's plan was to go to the Hork-BAJIR world to find the weapons Dak Hamee and Aldrea hid there. Then he would create a new race of Hork-Bajir to fight the Yeerks.

It was pretty good but it had some holes. This is one of the Animorph books that I think is kind of dumb. I read it because it had Aldrea, from the Hork-Bajir Chronicles, my favorite of all theextra Animorph books.

The ending was kind of fuzzy but I like the way KA did it.

First off, read the Hork-Bajir chronicles first. In this book, the last remaning Arn, the race that created the Hork-Bajir (see, i told you to read the HB chronicles first) lands in the Hork-Bajir colony in a captured Yeerk Bug fighter. He asks for the free Hork-Bajir's DNA so he can start a rebel army against the Yeerks on the Hork-Bajir home world. But Aldrea, daughter of Prince Seerow that delibritly trapped herself in Hork-Bajir morph and married Dak Hamee, a seer. She stole a Yeerk ship loaded with Dracon Beams and hid it, but the only way to recover the weapons is to ask her, and she's dead. The Arn has he persona stored, and she choses Cassie to reside temparily in. They fly to the HB home world. What happens next? Read the book to find out!

This was a pretty good book. First off, before you read this, read the Hork Bajr chronicles. In this book Aldrea returns. At least her mind does. The last remaining Arn comes to Earth, saying he has Aldreas mind. Before ahe died, Aldrea good her profona, or something like that, tooken. Everything she new, thought, felt went into storage. Now she is brought back into Cassies mind and body. They share one body and quest to find hidden Yeerk Weapons. After searching everywhere on the hork bajr homeworld, they finally find them. When they get back to Earth, Aldrea doesn't want to leave. Ax threatens to kill Toby, her grandaughter and seer, and leaves. Confusing? Read the Book. You'll be glad you did.

The author's idea that Earth's precession could be due to the gravity of a companion star to our sun is interesting. Indeed the laws of mechanics are not able to account for it.
On the contrary, it is strange that such a companion has not been discovered yet, and Sirius, the author's proposal, seems a bvit to far away.
Globally speaking, a book that makes one thing, and that is never a mistake.

With dread I expected to read the wild speculation of a sensationalist b-author. For the fun of it. What a surprise or rather what a shock to get a revelatory science based work which beats anything contentwise I have read so far! And I have "revealed myself" a lot via books and other sources.

This book is well structured. First it goes into the cyclical nature of human history instead of the modern Western proposed linear one, i.e. that progress in any way conceivable is made in cycles - or rather a spiral - than the steady build-up construct. Next, evidence is provided that this is based on a binary (or multiple) star system we live in, i.e. astronomical proof that our solar system is circling in connection with another. After that the search for the most likely candidate goes into full gear, including verification through ancient (obviously superior) knowledge. As I am a known critic of astrology, I was REALLY dreading to find out about the supposed reason, why on Earth the proximity to another sun is supposed to dramatically influence humanity. I was shocked next to find the reasoning very convincing. (Even though much more scientific research has to get done in that area.) The book closes with some notions of how the ancients attempted to counteract this cycle at the descending age as long as possible, until the inevitable scientific prophesy fulfilled itself. Plus some more advanced overstandings by the ancients, still unsolved today (2007) are provided.

This book really stunned me. A lot of previous bits of knowledge, usually not fully overstood, suddenly made perfect sense. I had read an entire (German) book before about the difference of Western thinking about linear history and basically anybody else's thinking in cycles. Quite frankly, before "Lost Star" I never really grasped the concept of what exactly is supposed to cycle. I had also informed myself on the ancients' concept of expecting an ever deteriorating future. Which remained alien to me as sick, as the other books never grasped the cyclical nature of that concept, i.e. that before the last "Golden Age" there was a lesser one and after the long (now retrospect) abyss, there will be an ascend once again. I had informed myself on the astronomical sources of the astrological and religious evolution of the age of the bull (Taurus) finishing and getting villified (by symbols etc.) in the process. Yet, none of the sources connected that with the very real cycle of history.

In other words, during the descending age, knowledge about the scientific reasons for all of that got lost and astrology emerged without full overstanding. Which is the same principle with ancient cartography getting copied and not overstood anymore (read Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings: Evidence of Advanced Civilization in the Ice Age) and ancient measurements getting decadenced (read Civilization One: The World Is Not as You Thought It Was), two books I highly recommend to read in tandem with this one. Actually, "Lost Star" provides a lot of bibliograpyhy, referencing books which elaborate on many separated issues, without seeing the holistic picture yet. I ordered myself crazy, I couldn't help it.

"Lost Star of Myth and Time" takes the phenomenological approach, i.e. jumps right into the viewpoint of the ancients, which once and again turns out to be absolutely necessary to comprehend them. As such, a spiritual approach isn't neglected, though it isn't necessary to count oneself spiritual in order to follow this book. However, personally, I take the spiritual path and could appreciate the occasional revelation in that light, even though when not directly pointed out by the author. The Age of the Lion - and in fact the Age of Pisces - have impact for RastafarI symbols. As a Rasta, I got even challenged here and there, e.g. about the real worth of jewelry, which got utterly lost as sick in the mean-while.

There isn't an end to the search for reality and the author closes with some theories and speculations after all the science. Which is necessary to give a direction for further science projects. Even though such speculation usually turns out to be hilariously off the mark, without them, the path which leads to knowledge for the better would not have entered. Still, I have to say I am not quite sure what the author is insinuating by stating that odd archaelogical findings would suggest a high civilization on Earth 65 million and 600 million years ago in previous cycles. I am seriously concerned, what species exactly would have had to produce these items found in granite etc., as the author fails to mention that humans are considered to be 195,000 years young only. His numbers clearly leave the ape species, even the next related mammals in line. I suggest there are rather as of yet unknown reasons, why certain artefacts ended up in rock stratum millions of years old instead of thousands. But I shall forgive that brain storming...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has a simple hypothesis that explains many of the great mysteries of the ancients. It provides convincing evidence for the rise and fall of civilisations and bucks the well-known and rather arrogant view that our current civilisation is the most evolved.

Often the simplest explanations are the most likely to be true and this book is no exception. Our solar system orbits a companion star every 24000 years and hence moves Earth through increasing and decreasing solar activity that has profound effect on human awareness, growth and decline.

The beauty of the book is it's inclusion of many thought-provoking ideas on the purpose and creation of the thousands of megalithic structures found across the globe that today's engineers would be unable to reproduce.

welcome to the age of Aquarius...

An excellent companion to this book is 'The Secret History of the world - and how to get out alive" by Laura Knight-Jadczyk

When I first read the synopsis of this book, I thought this is the book I always wanted to write.
After reading it I can summarize my feeling in just one word: disappointment. This book is about the connection between the cosmic cycles of the traditions and the precession. According to Walter Cruttenden there must be a companion star out-there. Why? First: because there are some astronomical problems with the precession (for more details see: "Binary Research Institute" web-page). Second: this is a chance to give material reason of the ascending and descending ages (golden, silver, bronze, iron). How: via electro-magnetic waves. If the companion stars nears our Sun we become enlightened, when it goes away we fall into the dark age. (Sounds weird?)
The other planet hypothesis is not new, but mostly scientifically unproved. The best theory I have ever read is from Woelfli and Baltensperger. This book is contains some vague predictions about the size and distance of this object, but the Sirius would be the perfect fit (as the book suggests). Only some very new laws of the universe should be discovered, and we will understand the importance of Sirius in ancient mythologies.
Until then I will have time to write my own book.
Anyway, this is not a bad book, it's like a work of Graham Hancock. Terra Preta was the most interesting for me, that would be worth a book on it's own.

What defines civilization? Is it the magnitude of knowledge, or tools, or transportation, or commodities, or peace, or all of these? Some writers have postulated the easiest method to ascertain a civilization's height is sift through their garbage dumps. There is some predisposition to believe a civilization is more developed if the refuse shows signs of complexity in art or construction technique. Archeologists have sought in vain to find records in the dust bearing the knowledge of deceased civilizations. The best they have found is records of commerce or letters between merchants or rulers.

Walter Cruttenden makes a pretty good case for our sun being a companion star in a binary or trinary system. And he presents some curious research on the finer influence of energy upon living tissue. But the idea of information stored in rocks or the earth's surface stretches credulity. The storage of information involves the imprinting of specific, organized patterns. To date, no one has noticed patterns of any kind (geological phenomena aside) residing or emitted from rocks or soil. I submit that the mark of a truly advanced civilization is it's ability to record and PRESERVE its knowledge for future generations. What would be the point of life if what is learned is carried to the grave? Isaac Asimov wrote an interesting story of a world which self-destructed caused by superstition, each time all the planets and moons occulted the sun. After a great number of cycles some information was preserved, enough that those of learning could disseminate to subsequent generations the discovery of the cause for periodic occultation, as well as the technical knowledge gained since the previous conflagration.

Mankind, in order to survive, must have transportation. The nomadic way of life has never produced a culture or civilization of advanced degree. It may contain a significant body of knowledge, but the passing of that knowledge verbally and by myth are the least effective of tools. The Ancients Walter speaks of may have had some knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, and various technologies, but they certainly weren't highly developed when it comes to technology, nor do they evidence anything of the Calculus we have today.

The Ice Man of 3500 BC may have owned an axe of highly refined tool grade copper, but did that knowledge die with him? Where are the others like it? Today we may not know how to refine and harden copper to that level, but apparently that knowledge was not widely disseminated by the Ancients either.

Did these Ancients levitate all those giant megaliths around like Tibetan monks in meditation? The scientific investigation into Stonehenge shows that those stones were moved by raw muscle-power which was destructive to bone and sinew. The Sumerians may have had beautiful gardens, sewers, tools of metal, medical technique, and the wheeled cart. They also had war. But none of it was as highly developed as we have today. No evidence has come forth demonstrating widespread education, high technologies in metals, glass, oil derivatives, medicine, art, and transportation. All of these advancements over the basic knowledge the Ancients had have happened in less than 200 years. It is exceedingly difficult to overlay this explosive growth with the Cycle of the Ages as Walter presents it. It doesn't fit the gradual cycle curve controlled by an interlaced binary companion star.

We may have lost some of the ancient knowledge of more refined energies, but no civilization of the past can rival the developments in knowledge dissemination and preservation, technology and artistic materials as we have today. Where is the evidence that a Pavaroti could be heard and observed not only in real time thousands of miles distant, but repeatedly as often as desired? Where is there evidence that man has brought back soil from the Moon, along with the technology to transport him there and back? Where is there evidence that the Golden Age of the Ancients had pictures of the surface of Mars, of asteroidal impacts upon Jupiter, of those tiny light sources in the sky really being galaxies of endless number as far as we can see?

The Ancients may have known many things we have yet to discover. The Spinx and Giza pyramid may forever remain a mystery as to how, when, and why they were constructed. But their "Golden" civilization does not hold a candle to the opportunities of learning, mobility, health, and leisure of today. It has been estimated that 70% of all the people who have lived on this earth are alive today. Surely, we do not know the extent of population on the earth back 10,000 years and more. But this merely begs the point: any advanced civilization will leave a trail of evidence indicating that of all advancements, chief will be reliable record keeping. The Egyptians will remain embarrassed over the mystery of the Sphinx and Pyramids. Ralph Ellis can go rooting around the north slope of K2 for the fabled Hall of Records. But the pattern that has emerged to date indicates no knowledge more advanced than we have today lies anywhere on this planet, nor were there ever any people who had greater comforts and self-fulfillment than today. Nor were they able to preserve their "advanced" knowledge against the Decline.

I'll trade the stone commode or bath-house for a modern flusher and sauna in a thermally efficient, heated room. If the Ancients were masters at canals and waterways it couldn't be due to unwillingness to use advanced technology over stone building. Walter claims there is evidence of widespread prosperity, but that is an unwarranted conclusion about a culture based on digs. I'll take the modern instruments used to do cranial surgery (which replaces the entire bone in its original location) over the crude Egyptian trephine any day.

Walter contradicts himself in many places trying to fit the eccentric binary orbit into the gradual loss and accretion of knowledge. He attempts to account for the changes in life span via the precession cycle, without investigating research into the errors in the Bible and his other sources of ancient longevity. It is amazing