Dateline Jerusalem by Chris Mitchell

It takes a good eyewitness and a team behind him to report current events in such a way to make it a pleasure to read. Most books that try to interpret current events to project the future meaning read dry.  Not so this book.

 Mitchell is a reporter for CBN News who was posted in The Holy City and got out in 2011 when the Egyptian revolution burned hot and Mubarak was thrown out. He asks what this means for the Middle East and especially the small state of Israel.

He discusses the Arab Spring where democracy is being tried and the Islamic Winter where the Muslims are taking over the control of government and setting up a war against non-Muslims. He examines the Bible and its’ prophecies. He brings in the history of the title to the land which was granted to the Jews by the League of Nations after the First World War. For the history buff and especially for the Bible student the land of Israel is very important. Any book that can help further the understanding of both is welcome.

 You will ask,what can I do? Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. There is a group of people in Jerusalem who pray 24/7. Be one of them. Add your intercession to their prayer chain.

  What I like about this book is the research and the careful pulling together of the past to explain the present. He links the accounts given in the Bible of the nations to present day events to explain the meaning of what is going on.

It is a book that should be on the reading list of all concerned people.  

I was given the book free by BookSneeze as part of their blog reviewing team. I was not required to give a positive review. All points of view expressed are mine and not the view of the publisher.  

What You Need To Know About Bible Prophecy by Max Anders

       At last an easy to understand and follow explanation of one of the  basic doctrines of the Christian belief system.. eschatology. And not just eschatology but the subgroup of prophecy. It is laid out in twelve chapters  which can be used as discussion aids in a small group setting.

            Anders carefully presents the viewpoints that are around when it comes to the understanding of the subject of prophecy. He points out that none of the viewpoints keeps a person from heaven. They just act as grids to the understanding of what God says.

            My reaction is that Anders  walks the line between divergent views  on the meaning of prophecy in a way that allows the discussion to continue without major fist fights over small points. As he points out whether we hold to literal or symbolic  interpretation we can all agree that Jesus is coming back someday. Anyone reading this book and thinking about it will be challenged in his application of the truths. He will also be a little more understanding of those who differ in the minor points of prophecy.

            I feel the information was present in a nonjudgmental manner. I recommend it for small study groups who enjoy discussion.

        This book was given to me free by the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The viewpoints held are my own and not those of the publisher.