At a time when so many high-profile pastors across America minimize (or ignore altogether) the teaching of Bible prophecy, it is refreshing to hear voices like Carl Gallups.
The Florida pastor has combined a facility for teaching, research and passion to publish a spate of books dealing with eschatology. Simply put, he is one of the best when it comes to spotlighting where we are on the prophecy timeline. His new book, “When the Lion Roars,” is a thrilling look at a triumphant Messiah. The message of the book really resonates, precisely at a time when the world is in such chaos.
Great writers can move in and out of humor, seriousness and wordplay with ease, and Carl Gallups is an Olympian in this particular sport. “When the Lion Roars” takes on an impressive list of game-changers in our world today, from globalism to Middle East chaos, to give a much clearer picture of reality than anyone you’ll see on CNN or read in the New York Times.
If I may be so bold, Gallups has become one of the top go-to authors on the subject of Bible prophecy, and this new offering is proof some writers don’t exhaust their talent with their first couple of books.
Gallups begins by reminding us that events related to prophecy are happening so rapidly, it can be disconcerting to the uninformed: “We are living in unprecedented prophetic times. Biblically foretold events are rolling in like a flood.”
A key thing to understand about Gallups and his books is that this guy is on to something, because he’s so happy. In the past, prophecy teachers have been accused of being “doom-and-gloomers.”
Not this guy.
A nice surprise is that a significant chunk of the book offers a positive action plan for navigating the rough waters we all find ourselves in; and remember, the bulk of high-profile pastors in our culture today offer band-aids and secular self-help answers. That’s another reason “When the Lion Roars” is so compelling.
Of course, in the pages of Scripture, “The Lion” refers to Christ. The image of an all-powerful being whose essence is both love and total sovereignty is a tremendous help.
Gallups points out a glimpse of the eventual victory by the Lion of Judah, and that glimpse came in 2015 in the form of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before the UN, where he put to shame the craven stances of that body. After taking the international community to task for standing idly by while Iran preaches a new genocide against the Jewish people, Gallups writes about the drama Netanyahu set up:
Netanyahu then paused for forty-four seconds. During that uncomfortable eternity he stared angrily into the faces of the stunned attendees without uttering a sound. International television cameras swept the room to reveal a nervous General Assembly hall noticeably deficient of many of its delegates. He continued, “The Jewish people have learned the heavy price of silence. And as the Prime Minister of the Jewish state, as someone who knows that history, I refuse to be silent … The days when the Jewish people remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies – those days are over.”
Point being, while the world writhes in pain and can’t see light at the end of the tunnel, Gallups points to a thrilling challenge by Netanyahu, which looks forward to the preservation of his people. Back of this is the promise of the Lord Himself that He will fight for His people in the great “Day of the Lord.” If the demonic leaders of Iran threaten the existence of the Jewish people, the Lion will crush the threat.
A particularly fascinating chapter is titled “Deadly Connections,” and Gallups points out Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 began a series of chain reactions that have pushed world events into a place where either chaos will reign or … the Lion will roar. Now, for the first time in history, we see global connections that tie together major prophetic events, thus setting the stage of the finale. After all, Saddam’s ill-advised foray into neighboring territory created the conditions for failed international diplomacy, increasing overall chaos and existential threats like ISIS.
“When the Lion Roars” concludes in territory familiar for Carl Gallups: pastoral. As he ties together the prophetic timeline, the author calms fears and points to a future too glorious for us even to really understand at this point. And his conclusions help make this book an indispensable guide for navigating the crazy globe spinning out of control.