The Book of Mysteries

Who doesn’t love to explore a good mystery? The very word mystery calls to mind hidden things or secrets just waiting to be discovered. Without a doubt there is no greater book of mysteries than the collection of sacred texts we call the Bible. The apostle Paul in his epistles to the Colossians acknowledged such mysteries by boldly claiming:

“…to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2-3)

Today some of those Biblical mysteries are retold by bestselling author Johnathan Cahn. I must admit this probably is the most unique book I’ve read this year. Part daily devotional, part allegory, and part mystery, Mr. Cahn takes some of the most important principles, stories, and truths of the Bible and retells them in an engaging way which compels you to keep reading.

The format of this book is a 365 day devotional written as a story told from the perspective of a teacher and his student. Frankly, as I started this book I was skeptical about this approach but I soon realized that it works. The narrative kept the story moving so well and the subjects were so intriguing that instead of 365 days it might normally take to read this book, eight hours later I realized I had finished the book.

Now for those wondering if the title “mystery” doesn’t make the book sound just a little sensational I can tell you subjects discussed in this book did indeed do the title justice. This was a great adventure in some of the Bible’s greatest mysteries, the central theme of which was YHWH’s redemptive love as worked out through the history of the Jewish people and the promised “seed” of Yeshua, mankind’s salvation of YHWH.

As I read this book last night I highlighted some of the daily devotionals of special interest or profound insight which I intended to share later in this review. Well, when I was finished and I had read back through my bookmarks I realized that I had dozens and dozens so that it would be impractical to reproduce them here. Suffice to say this book is about God’s love for mankind and the many wonderful ways in which that love is expressed in Biblical record.

I will say there were a few stories in this book that I didn’t completely understand and there were also a few which I felt overreached the underlying Biblical truth but this may have been due to my own lack of understanding or some misunderstanding on my part. I gave up a night’s sleep to read this book and frankly it was worth every minute of it. I appreciated the message of this book so much that I will be purchasing a paperback copy to read as part of our family devotional. It will be sure to engender much wonderful discussion.

I would like to just mention just one devotional which really meant a lot to me personally. The subject of Daniel 9 and the prophecy of 70 weeks is a subject which is dear to my heart. On day 320 in his book Mr. Cahn talks about The Karat or the cutting of a covenant with Abraham and the “cutting off” of the Messiah. He makes some truly wonderful points in this devotional which many miss when discussing the topic.

Not mentioned, but also worth noting is that karath (cutting off) is first mentioned in the Biblical record in regards to Noah and the destruction of mankind. There the waters karath mankind because of their sins. Nearly 1500 years later the Messiah was karath (cut off) but not for himself. Indeed he died so that all mankind would not have to perish. In any case this is a wonderful Biblical theme which is worthy of further discussion and reflection.

In closing let me say I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a wonderful journey through many of the Bible’s greatest mysteries. I didn’t agree everything Mr. Cahn wrote but the book has a wonderful redemptive message which really shines through. This is a book which will keep you thinking long after you’ve read the last page.

THE GOOD This book provides insights into Jewish roots of Christianity. I found these nuggets helpful and sometimes powerful, and Cahn seemed predominantly accurate in interpretation. “THE MYSTERY OF AUTUMN” on Day 289 is a sample of these, in which Cahn shows that the Jewish festivals remind us of God’s work in the unraveling of redemption and of the nature of the Christ. Another is Day 329, explaining how in animal sacrifices the one bringing the sacrifice had to identify with the sacrifice and confess his sins. We do the same in spiritually identifying with Christ for salvation. Cahn shows how Palm Sunday becomes the substance of a seemingly prophetic practice known as the Lambs of Nisan. See Day 95. Sometimes the book provides cogent applications to daily life with Christ. Day 358 is an example, in which Cahn takes the Hebrew word “PELEH” and shows that Christ is the wonder of our salvation. Day 334 is another example, showing how the Incarnation reveals God’s specific use of specific people and circumstances to accomplish His will. The one-page-per-insight format is handy for daily devotions, which is the author’s intention.

THE BAD Cahn confuses interpretation with application. An example is on Day 359 in which he refers to the festivals of Israel as holding THE mystery of a believer’s life stages. There may be some good ideas here about our experiences as believers, but they do not equate well with the festivals of Israel, and they are not THE meaning of those passages. This makes a similarity into THE meaning. Simply using a phrase such as “This is like…” or “This reminds us of…” would help, but Cahn instead calls ideas THE secret, THE truth, THE mystery, etc. Another example is Day 216. It is a stretch to say that his ideas here are THE meaning. Cahn actually misses an interpretation occasionally. On Day 159 he talks of two Jerusalems. He tells THE meaning of the Hebrew word for Jerusalem. It is a stretch, and it could mean other things. On Day 182 he comes dangerously close to confusing the church and the nation of Israel. I liked his application (“mission”), however. On his discussion of God’s love in Day 216, he reads meaning into the word—not that the outcome is wrong, but it is not in the normal use of the word. It is the same with the “ladder” on Day 207. I do not mean to say that Cahn is some sort of heretic. I found little to complain about doctrinally.

THE UGLY Jonathan Cahn over uses the concept of “mystery” by referring to so many things in the Bible and in our faith by this term, or by other strong terms such as “law”, “meaning”, and “secret”—all with a strong THE before them. I find this somewhat disconcerting because in Christian theology “mystery” is reserved for doctrines that have no clear human explanation, such as the Incarnation, the Sovereignty of God and the will of man, Predestination, the Virgin Birth, and the Gospel itself. Cahn uses the word and its synonyms rather indiscriminately to bring a bit of ancient aura to his insights. It seems rather sensationalistic. The teacher/student dialog format gets tired. Imagine, 360 such conversations!

CONCLUSION This book is a more careful use of Bible analogies for teaching purposes than some of Cahn’s other works, notably THE HARBINGER and THE PARADIGM. Both those works are “over the top” as far as Bible interpretation is concerned, and I cannot recommend them. But I will not “throw the baby out with the bath” in regards to this work. I recommend it, but “one must eat the meat and throw away the bones.”