There’s nothing more controversial than religion. And it's especially provocative when a book takes on some of the most widespread assumptions many Christians have about their faith.
But the latest blockbuster from WND founder and CEO Joseph Farah, "The Restitution of All Things: Israel, Christians, And the End of the Age," is meeting with rapturous reviews.
The project debuts Tuesday.
At its peak, the Kindle edition of the book was the No. 1 bestseller in the categories of "prophecy" and "eschatology." And every single person who has reviewed the book on Amazon.com has given it a five-star review, the highest possible rating.
Readers rave:
- "This work will encourage you to be a deep diver, not a surface swimmer. Joseph Farah shows us there is a reward in this life for those 'who diligently seek Him.' Knowledge, especially of Him, does bring understanding and comfort. Farah challenges us to thirst for the truth of God and desire to know Him. Are you up to the task? Eternity awaits your answer."
- "Got questions about modern Christianity? Want some answers taken directly from the Bible? Maybe the best thing to do is ask someone besides your pastor."
- "Thank you, Mr. Farah, for addressing this topic."
Among those who gave a positive review is William Struse, a top 500 reviewer on the site, whose writings "reflect a lifelong interest in biblical history and Bible prophecy," according to his biography on the site.
He praised Farah for confronting the Christian tradition about the "death" of the law.
It's the book that gives you tomorrow's news today! Get your autographed copy of "The Restitution of All Things: Israel, Christians and the End of the Age.”
Struse writes:
"At different points in my life I've wrestled with the place the 'law' has in my walk as a believer. Mind you, as a believer I've never felt uncertainty about the means of salvation, I believe the Bible is clear that salvation is the unmerited favor of YHWH through faith in Yeshua. But I have to admit I've struggled with what I've been taught over the years regarding the law and its intended place in a believer's life in contrast with what a plain commonsense reading of the Bible seems to indicate.
"Within this context, it was with great encouragement that I read Joseph Farah's new book, 'The Restitution of All Things: Israel, Christians, and the End of this Age.' In this well written book Mr. Farah uses his penchant for investigative journalism to explore one of the most controversial subjects in today's church, that is, the place Old Testament 'law' has in a believer’s life. Notice I said ‘believer’s life.’ From the outset of this book, Mr. Farah makes it clear that he believes we are saved by grace through faith in Yeshua. What he challenges his reader to explore though, is the Biblical basis for honoring or not honoring YHWH’s timeless instructions and the consequences of those choices."
Many believers, mistakenly according to Farah, believe the coming of Jesus Christ meant the biblical laws were simply abolished or rendered irrelevant. This theological assumption is often defended by citing Colossians 2:14, which states "the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross."
However, as Farah notes, Jesus Himself says He came to not "to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am come not to destroy, but to fulfill."
Instead, Jesus/Yeshua's case against the Jewish religious authorities of His time was they were adding man-made traditions to the law, instead of obeying the commands of God.
Farah writes: “[C]larifying the intent of the Torah, or law, was one of the principle missions Jesus fulfilled. Think of how many times in the gospel accounts He disputes with the Pharisees, for instance. What is this about? Look more closely and you will see the Pharisees, the forerunners of today's rabbinic Judaism, were adding to the law and the commandments through their oral traditions of men.
"In effect, they were repeating the sin of Adam and Eve – succumbing to the temptation to be 'as gods' by adding to the law for their own empowerment."
"The Restitution of All Things" doesn't just take on this core doctrinal issues of Christianity. It also explores some of the most important eschatological topics dominating the headlines today, especially those centering on the land of Israel.
For Farah, this is an especially personal topic as it was for Hal Lindsey and his book "The Late Great Planet Earth," which played a huge role in how he was evangelized.
"It was Hal Lindsey who got me interested in prophecy and taught me how Israel as God's vehicle for bringing the light to the entire world was at the center of it all, from the beginning to the end," recalls Farah.
It was the beginning of a lifelong interest in eschatology, a journey that ultimately led to the book.
"'The Restitution of All Things' is the culmination of all my studies of prophecy over the last forty years," Farah said. "But it's unlike most prophecy books, which all focus on what happens before Jesus returns. This book focuses on what the world will be like after he returns."
And Farah calls it the most important and exciting book he has ever done.
"I’ve written a lot of books in my life, some with other famous people like Hal Lindsey and Rush Limbaugh. Some of them have set records for sales," Farah recalled. "But I'm more excited about this book than any of others because I believe I've been called by God and His Holy Spirit to do this, to point people toward the Kingdom just as He did in the Lord's Prayer. That's where our hearts and minds and souls should be in these turbulent times."
Readers evidently agree.
"[T]his is a book which desperately needs to be read by our generation," said "Top Reviewer" Struse in his conclusion. "Our generation, like few others in the history of the world, is reaping the bitter harvest of moral relativism, the first seeds of which were sown and nourished in the first centuries of the early church. As this age draws to a close and we prepare for the return of Yeshua and what Mr. Farah so eloquently describes in this book as the 'restitution of all things,' it’s time to decide who's instructions we are going to follow, our own manmade traditions, or the faith once delivered to the saints by YHWH the living God of the Bible."
It's the book that gives you tomorrow’s news today! Get your autographed copy of "The Restitution of All Things: Israel, Christians and the End of the Age."