Close up: Jonathan Cahn Print
Written by Leslie Santamaria   
Monday, 11 August 2014 12:53 PM America/New_York

Cahn-Jonathan-PhotoLatest project: The Mystery of the Shemitah: The 3000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future, The World’s Future…and Your Future (9781629981932, $16.99, FrontLine/Charisma House).

Your book The Harbinger has sold 1.8 million copies and has been a New York Times best-seller for more than 110 weeks. How do you explain that?

Part of the reason, I think, is that The Harbinger is very different. Its nature has caused it to stand out and be noticed from the beginning. 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. … God wanted the message to go forth and made sure to send it. Before He judges, He sends warning.

How is The Mystery of the Shemitah related to The Harbinger?TheMysteryOfTheShemitah

The Harbinger contains 14 central mysteries. One of these is the “Shemitah.” Most people had never heard [the word], yet it comes from the second book of the Bible. As with The Harbinger, I didn’t plan to write [The Mystery of the Shemitah]. The Shemitah is not only an ancient mystery, but an event that will soon be upon us. Because of that, there’s been an explosion of speculation and concern for what it will bring. Charisma Media felt 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 [write the booklet], but as I started, I was flooded with new and unexpected revelations concerning the mystery and how it’s manifesting even now 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.

What exactly is the Shemitah?

The Shemitah is something that came from the mind of God and was given to Israel on Mount Sinai. It was the seventh year, the Sabbath year, a year of rest, release, cessation and a nullifying or wiping clean of the nation’s financial realm. But that’s just the beginning. Later on, the Shemitah becomes a prophetic sign against a nation that once knew God, but now has driven Him out of its national life and culture, a sign that strikes the nation’s financial realm and a sign linked to national judgment. That sign has now appeared in America. It holds the secret of America’s future, the world’s future and the future of everyone living.

When is the next Shemitah?

The next Shemitah will begin on Sept. 25, 2014. It will come to its conclusion and climactic day on Sept. 13, 2015.

The Harbinger was written as a narrative, so why did you choose a nonfiction format for this book?

Writing it in a nonfiction form allowed me to do things I couldn’t otherwise do. For example, The Mystery of the Shemitah includes many visuals, illustrations, charts, graphs … things which would not be possible if it were in narrative form.

What else would you like Christian retailers to know about your new book?

I was recently at an event with Mike Huckabee, and he used the word “stunning” to describe The Harbinger. That’s probably the most common word I’ve heard people use to describe it. So I would say this: What is contained in The Mystery of the Shemitah is no less stunning. The mystery is bigger than anyone had imagined, including myself. The Shemitah has affected all of our lives from the beginning of our lives. It is affecting American history, world history, even now. ... And it reveals the future, what will be coming to America and nations, and what lies in store for our lives. The mystery is truly mind-boggling.