Best-selling author Jonathan Cahn has been called America’s prophet, deemed as such for the prophetic messages revealed in his blockbuster books The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah. He has been invited to speak at the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast in 2013 and at numerous events across the country, as well as appearing on a variety of television programs to further sound the alarm.
Now, with his latest book The Mystery of the Shemitah, already claiming five weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, he shares some of the behind-the-scenes elements of his blockbuster books in an exclusive interview with Charisma magazine.
CHARISMA: Your previous book, The Harbinger, has sold 1.6 million copies so far and remained on the New York Times best-seller list for over 110 weeks. How do you explain the interest in that book?
Jonathan Cahn: Part of the reason is The Harbinger‘s nature, which is unique and hard to put in a box. On top of that, everyone is interested in what the future holds. The Harbinger doesn’t give a general or theoretical idea of the future but a very precise and specific revelation of what lies ahead.
Beyond all that—and probably most important—is the same reason I can take no credit for anything about The Harbinger. From the day the mystery began, to the book basically writing itself, to this day, The Harbinger has defied natural explanation. So I believe the ultimate explanation for everything that’s happened is that God wanted the message to go forth and made sure to send it. Before He judges, He sends warning.
CHARISMA: What prompted you to write The Mystery of the Shemitah?
Cahn: As with The Harbinger, I didn’t plan to write it. In many ways, it was a surprise. The Shemitah is not only an ancient mystery but an event that is now upon us. Because of that, there’s been an explosion of speculation and concern for what it will bring. So Charisma felt that there should be at least a booklet to help people prepare in light of it.
I wasn’t intending to write another book until I heard from the Lord that it was time—as with The Harbinger. I offered to help. But as I started, I was flooded with new and unexpected revelations concerning the mystery, how incredibly big it is, how it’s been affecting all of our lives—and what it reveals about the future. There was no way a booklet could contain it. The same way the writing of The Harbinger just flowed onto the pages, so too did The Mystery of the Shemitah. In less than two months it was finished, and less than two months after that, it appeared on the shelves of bookstores. So it couldn’t be any newer than it is!
CHARISMA: The Harbinger is written as a narrative. Why did you choose a non-fiction format for this book?
Cahn: It’s actually the opposite. The Harbinger was originally written in non-fiction form. But right after I finished it, I was led to rewrite it in the form of a narrative. People have continuously asked me about a sequel to The Harbinger, but it’s not the kind of book one can just decide to write. Events have to take place, and God has to reveal. But I know there will be a sequel to The Harbinger, and I believe its timing will be linked with events yet to happen. When I write the sequel, it will be, as is The Harbinger, in the form of a narrative.
The Mystery of the Shemitah is linked to The Harbinger, and in some ways is even more specific about the future, but it’s not the sequel. Rather, it’s the opening up of a mystery that begins with The Harbinger and yet is so big that it opens up an entirely other dimension and world. It’s distinct. Writing it in a non-fiction form allowed me to do things I couldn’t otherwise do. For example, The Mystery of the Shemitah includes many visuals, illustrations, charts, graphs, etc., where the reader can actually see the phenomenon in flesh and blood—things that would not be possible if it were in narrative form.
CHARISMA: Given all the success of The Harbinger, how do you think people will receive The Mystery of the Shemitah?
Cahn: I recently spoke on Capitol Hill at an event hosted by Mike Huckabee. He departed from his text to tell the audience to read The Harbinger and used the word “stunning” to describe it. That’s probably the most common word I’ve heard people use in describing it. So what I would say is this: What is contained in The Mystery of the Shemitah is no less stunning than that which is contained in The Harbinger. It was a total surprise. The mystery is bigger than anyone had imagined—starting with myself!
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