Joel C. Rosenberg
Encyclopedia
Joel C. Rosenberg is an American
communications strategist, author of the Last Jihad series, and founder of The Joshua Fund. An Evangelical Christian, he has written five novel
s about terrorism and how it relates to Bible Prophecy, including Gold Medallion Book Award
winner The Ezekiel Option
, along with two nonfiction books, Epicenter
and Inside the Revolution, on the alleged resemblance of biblical prophecies and current events. Rosenberg serves as a political columnist for World
and he has also had his work published by the Wall Street Journal, National Review
, and Policy Review
. He and his wife, Lynn, have four sons and reside near Washington, D.C.
, New York
. His father had been raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and his mother was born into a Methodist family of English descent. His parents were agnostic and became born-again Christians when he was a child. At the age of 17, he became a born-again Christian
and now identifies as a Jewish believer in Jesus
. After graduating in 1988 from Syracuse University
, he worked for Rush Limbaugh
as a research assistant. Later he worked for U.S. Presidential candidate Steve Forbes
as a campaign advisor. Rosenberg opened a political consultancy business, which he ran until 2000, advising former Israel
i Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharansky
and then-former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
where he garnered much of his information on the Middle East that he would later use in his books.
, Joel decided to retire from politics altogether and begin a new career in writing. His first book, The Last Jihad
, was the first of a five-part fictional series involving terrorism
and how it may relate to Bible Prophecy
. The book was written nine months before the September 11th attacks, (a revised edition takes the event into account) and was published in 2002. When published, The Last Jihad spent 11 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, reaching as high as number seven. It also appeared on the USA Today
and Publishers Weekly
best-seller lists, and hit number four on the Wall Street Journal
list. The book was followed by The Last Days
, which spent four weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List
, hit number five on the Denver Post
list, and hit number eight on the Dallas Morning News
list. Following the successes of his first two novels, The Ezekiel Option
was published in 2005, The Copper Scroll
in 2006, and the final book, Dead Heat
in 2008.
Rosenberg also wrote a non-fictional account of current events and Bible Prophecy
in the book Epicenter
. It was published in September 2006 and an accompanying DVD was produced in the summer of 2007. His second non-fiction book, Inside the Revolution, which talked about the different sects of Islam
in the Middle East
and how a significant amount of moderate Muslims are coming to Christianity in the region was released in 2009 and also made it onto the New York Times best-seller list, reaching as high as #7 as of 27 March 2009. His most recent book, The Twelfth Imam, also deals with terrorism and Iran gaining nuclear power.
, due to several of his fictional elements of his books that would occur after his writing of books. Nine months before the September 11th attacks, Rosenberg wrote a novel with a kamikaze
plane attack on an American city. Five months before the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, he wrote a novel about war with Saddam Hussein
, the death of Yasser Arafat
eight months before it occurred, a story with Russia
, Iran
, and Libya
forming a military alliance against Israel
occurring the date of publishing, the rebuilding of the city of Babylon
, Iran vowing to have Israel "wiped off the face of the map forever" five months before Iranian President Ahmadinejad used similar language, and the discovery of huge amounts of oil
and natural gas
in Israel
(a major gas discovery occurred in January 2009). A brief article in U.S. News & World Report
referred to him as a "Modern Nostradamus
," although Rosenberg tries to play down those proclamations, stating that "I am not a clairvoyant
, a psychic
, or a 'Modern Nostradamus,' as some have suggested." He gives the credit for his accurate predictions to studying Biblical prophecy and applying to the modern world.
, the Palestinian Territories
, and Lebanon
.
, and Israeli politics
, including ABC
's Nightline, CBN
's The 700 Club
, CNN
Headline News, Fox News Channel
, MSNBC
, The Rush Limbaugh Show
, The Glenn Beck Program, History Channel, and The Sean Hannity Show
. He has been profiled twice by The New York Times, and was the subject of two cover stories in World
magazine.
He has also spoken at universities, churches, political events, bookseller conventions, fund-raisers, the International Spy Museum
, to members of the US Congress, the White House
, CIA, and The Pentagon
.
, a progressive media watchdog group, criticized Rosenberg's July 31, 2006, Paula Zahn Now appearance that "featured a segment on 'whether the crisis in the Middle East is actually a prelude to the end of the world,' marking the third time in eight days that CNN has devoted airtime to those claiming that the ongoing Mideast violence signals the coming of the Apocalypse." It featured Rosenberg comparing apocalyptic Scripture in the Bible to modern events, which he views, in addition to the lenses of politics and economics, through what he calls "a third lens as well: the lens of Scripture."
Rosenberg's views on the War of Ezekiel 38–39 involving Gog and Magog
are in line with dispensationalism
, which is an eschatology
that is debated in the Christian community. Partial preterist
Gary DeMar
has debated Rosenberg on this subject. Rosenberg's work and responses to it by world leaders has earlier precedents in the work of Herbert Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), especially its Plain Truth magazine until 1995, when changes in the WCG's doctrines led its leaders to disavow further speculation and overemphasis in Bible prophecy following Armstrong's death in 1986.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
communications strategist, author of the Last Jihad series, and founder of The Joshua Fund. An Evangelical Christian, he has written five novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s about terrorism and how it relates to Bible Prophecy, including Gold Medallion Book Award
Gold Medallion Book Award
The Christian Book Award is an annual award given by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association to honor Christian content in several categories, including Bibles, Fiction, Children, Inspiration, Bible Reference, and Non-Fiction. Winners are announced each year at the industry's Executive...
winner The Ezekiel Option
The Ezekiel Option
The Ezekiel Option is a bestselling and Gold Medallion Book Award winning Christian apocalyptic novel by Joel C. Rosenberg. It involves the War of Ezekiel 38-39.-Plot introduction:...
, along with two nonfiction books, Epicenter
Epicenter (book)
Epicenter is a 2006 non-fiction Christian commentary by political column poster Joel C. Rosenberg. It is about present day Middle East and the world, and how recent events are beginning to bring to life prophecies in the Book of Ezekiel....
and Inside the Revolution, on the alleged resemblance of biblical prophecies and current events. Rosenberg serves as a political columnist for World
World (magazine)
WORLD Magazine is a biweekly Christian news magazine, published in the United States of America by God's World Publications, a non-profit 501 organization based in Asheville, North Carolina. WORLD differs from most other news magazines in that its declared perspective is one of conservative...
and he has also had his work published by the Wall Street Journal, National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
, and Policy Review
Policy Review
Policy Review is one of America's leading conservative journals. It was founded by the Heritage Foundation and was for many years the foundation's flagship publication. In 2001, the publication was acquired by the Stanford University-based Hoover Institution, though it maintains its office on...
. He and his wife, Lynn, have four sons and reside near Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Early life
Joel was born in 1967 near RochesterRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His father had been raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and his mother was born into a Methodist family of English descent. His parents were agnostic and became born-again Christians when he was a child. At the age of 17, he became a born-again Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and now identifies as a Jewish believer in Jesus
Messianic Judaism
Messianic Judaism is a syncretic religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s. It blends evangelical Christian theology with elements of Jewish terminology and ritual....
. After graduating in 1988 from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, he worked for Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
as a research assistant. Later he worked for U.S. Presidential candidate Steve Forbes
Steve Forbes
Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes, Jr. is an American editor, publisher, and businessman. He is the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. He was a Republican candidate in the U.S. Presidential primaries in 1996...
as a campaign advisor. Rosenberg opened a political consultancy business, which he ran until 2000, advising former Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky was born in Stalino, Soviet Union on 20 January 1948 to a Jewish family. He graduated with a degree in applied mathematics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. As a child, he was a chess prodigy. He performed in simultaneous and blindfold displays, usually against...
and then-former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
where he garnered much of his information on the Middle East that he would later use in his books.
Writing career
Following Netanyahu's loss in 1999Israeli prime ministerial election, 1999
The second Prime Ministerial election in Israel was held on 17 May 1999 alongside elections for the 15th Knesset. Voter turnout was 69.0%.-Context:...
, Joel decided to retire from politics altogether and begin a new career in writing. His first book, The Last Jihad
The Last Jihad
The Last Jihad is a novel written by Joel C. Rosenberg. The novel is the first book in the Last Jihad book series....
, was the first of a five-part fictional series involving terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and how it may relate to Bible Prophecy
Bible prophecy
Bible prophecy or biblical prophecy is the prediction of future events based on the action, function, or faculty of a prophet. Such passages are widely distributed throughout the Bible, but those most often cited are from Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew 24, Matthew 25, and Revelation.Believers in biblical...
. The book was written nine months before the September 11th attacks, (a revised edition takes the event into account) and was published in 2002. When published, The Last Jihad spent 11 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, reaching as high as number seven. It also appeared on the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
and Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
best-seller lists, and hit number four on the Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
list. The book was followed by The Last Days
The Last Days (Joel C. Rosenberg novel)
The Last Days is the second novel in the Last Jihad book series by Joel C. Rosenberg where he shows a fictional version of the end times....
, which spent four weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
, hit number five on the Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
list, and hit number eight on the Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
list. Following the successes of his first two novels, The Ezekiel Option
The Ezekiel Option
The Ezekiel Option is a bestselling and Gold Medallion Book Award winning Christian apocalyptic novel by Joel C. Rosenberg. It involves the War of Ezekiel 38-39.-Plot introduction:...
was published in 2005, The Copper Scroll
The Copper Scroll
The Copper Scroll is a 2006 Christian apocalyptic novel by Joel C. Rosenberg. The novel is the fourth book in the Last Jihad book series. It involves the Biblical prophecies concerning the restoration of the Jewish Temple, tied in by the author to the treasures of the Copper Scroll.-External links:*...
in 2006, and the final book, Dead Heat
Dead Heat (novel)
Dead Heat is a novel written by Joel C. Rosenberg in 2008. The novel is the fifth and final book in his Last Jihad book series.-Plot summary:The year is 2016.In Yemen, a U.S...
in 2008.
Rosenberg also wrote a non-fictional account of current events and Bible Prophecy
Bible prophecy
Bible prophecy or biblical prophecy is the prediction of future events based on the action, function, or faculty of a prophet. Such passages are widely distributed throughout the Bible, but those most often cited are from Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew 24, Matthew 25, and Revelation.Believers in biblical...
in the book Epicenter
Epicenter (book)
Epicenter is a 2006 non-fiction Christian commentary by political column poster Joel C. Rosenberg. It is about present day Middle East and the world, and how recent events are beginning to bring to life prophecies in the Book of Ezekiel....
. It was published in September 2006 and an accompanying DVD was produced in the summer of 2007. His second non-fiction book, Inside the Revolution, which talked about the different sects of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and how a significant amount of moderate Muslims are coming to Christianity in the region was released in 2009 and also made it onto the New York Times best-seller list, reaching as high as #7 as of 27 March 2009. His most recent book, The Twelfth Imam, also deals with terrorism and Iran gaining nuclear power.
"A Modern Nostradamus"
Rosenberg's novels have attracted those interested in Bible ProphecyBible prophecy
Bible prophecy or biblical prophecy is the prediction of future events based on the action, function, or faculty of a prophet. Such passages are widely distributed throughout the Bible, but those most often cited are from Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew 24, Matthew 25, and Revelation.Believers in biblical...
, due to several of his fictional elements of his books that would occur after his writing of books. Nine months before the September 11th attacks, Rosenberg wrote a novel with a kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
plane attack on an American city. Five months before the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, he wrote a novel about war with Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
, the death of Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
eight months before it occurred, a story with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
forming a military alliance against Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
occurring the date of publishing, the rebuilding of the city of Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
, Iran vowing to have Israel "wiped off the face of the map forever" five months before Iranian President Ahmadinejad used similar language, and the discovery of huge amounts of oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
(a major gas discovery occurred in January 2009). A brief article in U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
referred to him as a "Modern Nostradamus
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...
," although Rosenberg tries to play down those proclamations, stating that "I am not a clairvoyant
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
, a psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
, or a 'Modern Nostradamus,' as some have suggested." He gives the credit for his accurate predictions to studying Biblical prophecy and applying to the modern world.
The Joshua Fund
Rosenberg is the founder and President of The Joshua Fund, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity that seeks to "Bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, according to Genesis 12:1-3". The fund has raised $1.2 million in 2008 alone and dedicated the money to those afflicted by war and terrorism, specifically those in IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Appearances in Media
Rosenberg has been interviewed on radio and TV programs about his views on the End timesEnd times
The end time, end times, or end of days is a time period described in the eschatological writings in the three Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios in various other non-Abrahamic religions...
, and Israeli politics
Politics of Israel
The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Knesset. The Judiciary is independent of the executive...
, including ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Nightline, CBN
Christian Broadcasting Network
The Christian Broadcasting Network, or CBN, is a fundamentalist Christian television broadcasting network in the United States. Its headquarters and main studios are in Virginia Beach, Virginia.-Background:...
's The 700 Club
The 700 Club
The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Headline News, Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, The Rush Limbaugh Show
The Rush Limbaugh Show
The Rush Limbaugh Show is an American talk radio show hosted by Rush Limbaugh on Premiere Radio Networks...
, The Glenn Beck Program, History Channel, and The Sean Hannity Show
The Sean Hannity Show
The Sean Hannity Show is a talk radio show hosted by Sean Hannity on Citadel Media and Premiere Radio Networks. The program is broadcast live every weekday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m...
. He has been profiled twice by The New York Times, and was the subject of two cover stories in World
World (magazine)
WORLD Magazine is a biweekly Christian news magazine, published in the United States of America by God's World Publications, a non-profit 501 organization based in Asheville, North Carolina. WORLD differs from most other news magazines in that its declared perspective is one of conservative...
magazine.
He has also spoken at universities, churches, political events, bookseller conventions, fund-raisers, the International Spy Museum
International Spy Museum
The International Spy Museum is a privately owned museum dedicated to the field of espionage located within the 1875 Le Droit Building in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, D.C., across the street from the Old Patent Office Building and one block south of the Gallery Place Metro...
, to members of the US Congress, the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, CIA, and The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
.
Criticism
Media Matters for AmericaMedia Matters for America
Media Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...
, a progressive media watchdog group, criticized Rosenberg's July 31, 2006, Paula Zahn Now appearance that "featured a segment on 'whether the crisis in the Middle East is actually a prelude to the end of the world,' marking the third time in eight days that CNN has devoted airtime to those claiming that the ongoing Mideast violence signals the coming of the Apocalypse." It featured Rosenberg comparing apocalyptic Scripture in the Bible to modern events, which he views, in addition to the lenses of politics and economics, through what he calls "a third lens as well: the lens of Scripture."
Rosenberg's views on the War of Ezekiel 38–39 involving Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog are names that appear primarily in various Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures, as well as numerous subsequent references in other works. Their context can be either genealogical or eschatological and apocalyptic, as in Ezekiel and Revelation...
are in line with dispensationalism
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
, which is an eschatology
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
that is debated in the Christian community. Partial preterist
Partial Preterism
Partial preterism is a form of Christian eschatology that places the events of most of the Book of Revelation as occurring during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD yet still affirms an orthodox future bodily return of Christ to earth at an unknown day and hour...
Gary DeMar
Gary DeMar
Gary DeMar is an American writer, lecturer and the president of American Vision, an American Christian nonprofit organization. The think-tank has a vision of "an America that recognizes the sovereignty of God over all of life and where Christians are engaged in every facet of society".-Family life...
has debated Rosenberg on this subject. Rosenberg's work and responses to it by world leaders has earlier precedents in the work of Herbert Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), especially its Plain Truth magazine until 1995, when changes in the WCG's doctrines led its leaders to disavow further speculation and overemphasis in Bible prophecy following Armstrong's death in 1986.