Joel Rosenberg: Spotlight on a Great Author

Image via Wikipedia

I first heard of Joel Rosenberg when I saw him interviewed on the Canadian Christian TV series “It’s a New Day”. I found it rather hard to believe this author’s story, and even harder to believe that I had never heard of him.

Apparently, Rosenberg’s fictional novels about world politics have an uncanny way of coming true. I’m a bit of a skeptic, so I decided to read his books myself. I have to admit, it’s pretty spooky!

Rosenberg’s first novel, “The Last Jihad” (published by Forge, 2002), opens with the unbelievable scenario of Islamic extremists hijacking commercial airlines and using them as weapons by crashing into American targets. This leads to a war with Saddam Hussein over weapons of mass destruction. “Unbelievable scenario” according to the publishing companies to whom Rosenberg pitched his novel to in January of 2001. Not so unbelievable nine months later. Suddenly everyone was interested. Rosenberg’s agent even called to ask if he was working with the CIA.

His next novel, “The Last Days”(Forge, 2003), opens with an attack on a U.S. diplomatic convoy heading into Gaza; the death of Yasser Arafat and radical Islamic terrorists trying to take over the West Bank and Gaza. Two weeks before it was published, a U.S. diplomatic convoy was attacked in Gaza…thirteen months after it was published, Yasser Arafat died…and then Hamas seized control of the West Bank and Gaza. See what I mean by spooky?

The third novel, “The Ezekiel Option”(Tyndale, 2005), opens with a hijacked Russian commercial aircraft heading straight for the White House. The Americans shoot it down, but then the Russians claim that the plane was not hijacked, nor was it a threat to any American target. They claim that the Americans shot down a plane full of innocent civilians for no apparent reason. A new alliance forms between Russia and Iran, a dictator rises to power in Russia and an Iranian leader vows to annihilate Israel. On the very day the novel came out, Iran elected a new president vowing to accelerate his country’s nuclear program…four months later, he vowed to “wipe Israel off the earth”…and two months after that, Russia agreed to sell Iran $1 billion worth of fighter jets, missiles, and naval warships. My physiotherapist, my massage therapist, and my hairdresser (all of whom frequently ask me about the books I read in their waiting rooms) are all going to call me as soon as they hear news of the Americans shooting down a Russian aircraft as it heads for the White House.

Next, “The Copper Scroll” (Tyndale, 2006) reads like a movie script worthy of a Hollywood Blockbuster. Based on an actual artifact found in the caves of Qumran in 1952, “The Copper Scroll” has fictional characters facing a terrifying new threat to United States homeland security triggered by the ancient mystery uncovered by the scroll. One month after this novel was released, “Biblical Archeology” published a story describing the real-life, intensified hunt for the treasures described on the actual Copper Scroll.

“Dead Heat” (Tyndale, 2008) is the fifth and final installment of the series. This riveting page turner will have you wondering if these events could really happen, and praying that they won’t. Like headlines from tomorrow’s front page, Rosenberg sets the stage for war:

Oil prices are surging to record highs.
A new dictator is rising in Iraq.
China is threatening Taiwan.
North Korean forces are ready to strike south.
Israel is feverishly trying to complete the Third Temple.

Joel Rosenberg is the quintessential author writing about what he knows best: world politics and Biblical prophecy. A communications strategist based in Washington, D.C., he has worked with some of the world’s most influential leaders. Once a political columnist for “World” magazine, he now writes commentaries for “National Review” as well as a weekly e-mail update known as “Flash Traffic” for business and political leaders. He has been labeled as a modern day Nostradamus, and a front-page Sunday ‘New York Times” profile called him “a force in the capital.” His nonfiction works “Epicenter” and “Inside the Revolution” are a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the worldwide implications of current events in the Middle East.

On Friday night, September 11, 2009, Joel C. Rosenberg and Lt.-General (ret.) Jerry Boykin, former commander of Delta Force, will host a live webcast national town hall meeting to discuss the threat of Radical Islam, the future of Israel, and the role of the Church in the Middle East.

And in his spare time, Rosenberg is also the founder and president of the Joshua Fund, a nonprofit charitable and educational organization that provides humanitarian relief for victims of war and terrorism in Israel and the Muslim world.