The Fourth Millennium

The Sequel

By Paul Meier and Robert Wise
Thomas Nelson, $12.99

ISBN 0785281495

Ripe Target for Satan in End Times Thriller

Review by James Cutler

When: April 999, New Era (the end of the 1,000 year Millenial Reign) Where: New Baghdad (ancient Baghdad had been destroyed at the end of the 0ld Era) Who: Ziad Atrash, President of Egypt, and Rajah Abu Sita, King of Syria What: Plot to regain the world and overthrow the Jews This is the scenario as The Fourth Millennium begins. The events are set far into the future, but human motives and actions are very familiar in this End Times novel. Co-authors Dr. Paul Meier and Rev. Robert Wise have combined ancient history, futuristic technology, and longstanding Middle East animosities in this followup to their previous bestselling novel, The Third Millennium.

They base their fiction on millennial interpretations of Scripture, and readers may have some questions about the time and setting of this new novel at 1,000 years after the return of Christ. However, events bear out the fictional Reverend John G. Harrison's remarks in the prologue: "Some facets of the human personality never changed, even when offered the full possibility of redemption. Homo Sapiens generally proved to be a perverse lot, always a ripe target for the Evil One."

In chapter 2, we move to Jerusalem and meet familiar characters from the previous book: Jimmy Harrison and Ben Feinberg, both now patriarchs and almost a thousand years older. As they discuss things in the present, readers will remember Jimmy's wife Ruth who is now an Immortal (redeemed from death and given a resurrected body), and Ben's wife Cindy, away delivering a series of lectures in the Far East. And we catch up with Ben's father, Dr. Larry Feinberg and Ann Woodbridge from the earlier book. When Ben gives a lecture at Hebrew University, he explains the period of time beyond the year 2000, and we see that mankind has again lapsed or been tempted into a "Period of Complacency." The stage is set for Satan, and his activity is soon evident.

The plot by Arab nations to overthrow Israel is only one of the fast-paced eruptions to indicate Satan's activity in The Fourth Millennium. There's also an outbreak of AIDS and riots in Los Angeles, making a three-ronged attach on world stability. Satan is manifested in Arab worship of the idol, Marduk. Harrison notes that "such problems haven't existed for nearly a thousand years." His friend Feinberg reminds him that there is only one more thing to attack: faith in Yeshua.

The authors add a cast of new characters to the fast-paced drama: Fong, a Chinese ally of the Arabs; Deborah and Isaiah Murphy, allies to Ben and Jimmy; and Rivka Zachary, the object of intellectual temptations in the university. The authors also create numerous inventions that add credibility to this future scenario: light projection transmission, antijet-lag pills, air-foil planes and cars, magnification plates for windows. And readers will enjoy settings in places such as Masada.

But it's more than entertainment on every page. Meier and Wise know the one cure for all mankind's sin, regardless of the time frame. The one question that keeps you reading is where is Yeshua? Through the bombing of Jerusalem, the physical attacks and torture of individuals, we keep looking for the Lord to appear. And He does in many ways in the final end to history. Just as Satan seems always to be eager to tempt and destroy, so the Lord is always victorious.

As Ben concludes: "This is the way of the cross," whether it's found in the first, third, or The Fourth Millennium.