12/20/2005

Russian/Iranian Arms Deal Amazingly Close to Prophecy-Based Novel Plot

WHEATON, Ill., Dec. 20 /Christian Wire Service/ -- Political strategist and novelist Joel C. Rosenberg has an odd track record of writing political thrillers with plot twists that in some way come to pass. In his most recent "New York Times" bestseller, "The Ezekiel Option" (Tyndale), Rosenberg uses the prophecies of the Old Testament's Ezekiel to depict a nuclear alliance between Russia and Iran as a scheme to annihilate Israel. This month's headlines that Iran and Russia have negotiated a $1 billion dollar arms deal have flooded his in-box with the question: "Does this mean the prophecies used in your book, Ezekiel 38 and 39, are coming true?"

Rosenberg is a former strategist for Steve Forbes, Benjamin Netanyahu and Natan Sharansky as well a Zionist Christian currently doing research in the Middle East. In his latest analysis posted at www.leftbehind.com, Rosenberg writes from Cairo, Egypt, that prophecy watchers must be cautious and patient.

"It is, I believe, too early to give definitive answers to such questions, or to say that Ezekiel's vision is coming to pass in our time," he says.

Rosenberg, who has more than one million copies of his "ripped from tomorrow's headlines" style novels in print," dramatizes Iran's hatred for Israel in such scenes as on page 358 of "The Ezekiel Option" when a fictional Islamic scholar says to the "New York Times" "Allah is not on the side of the Jews… The world will know who the One True God really is when Israel is wiped off the face of the map forever."

That fiction seemed alarmingly close to reality when in October headlines appeared around the world -- Ahmadinejad: Wipe Israel Off Map—Aljazeera.net (10/26/05) -- Wipe Israel "Off the Map" Says Iranian—New York Times (10/27/05)

Rosenberg, whose analysis is incorporates not only political and economic factors but Biblical teaching, finds it an intriguing thought that more than 2,000 years ago Ezekiel 36 and 37 foretold the dramatic rebirth of the modern State of Israel. Is it inconceivable that the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39 could come to pass as well? "Time will tell," he says.

For more information on Joel Rosenberg, see www.joelrosenberg.com.