EPICENTER, which marks a departure for bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg, answers many questions that readers have had regarding his novels.

With detailed first-hand research and personal interviews, and having read previous classified intelligence documents, internal White House and State Department memos, this former political columnist writes with authority and insight. Three months before September 11, 2001, Rosenberg completed the first three chapters of THE LAST JIHAD, which opens with radical Islamic terrorists hijacking a jet plane. To his surprise, reporters began calling his work "eerily prophetic."

While the news media will connect political information with economic data for their stories, Rosenberg believes that the Bible is the key to understanding the significance of global events and trends. In well-crafted style, he lays out 10 future headlines. For each one, he provides Scripture and research to make them spring to life. Readers will be amazed at how he weaves these details into a convincing whole.

Among his predictions:

Israel will discover massive reserves of oil and gas, and thus will become one of the 10 richest countries in the world. Treaties and international agreements will give Israel greater security than ever before. A czar-like regime will rise in Russia and raise concerns for a new cold war. With this change in Russia, the Kremlin will form a military alliance with Iran, which will then extend throughout the Arab and Islamic world. As a result, Russia will target Israel --- and this will lead to new wars erupting in the Middle East as earthquakes and pandemics hit Europe, Africa and Asia. Each of these events sounds startling and undoubtedly will change our world.

Rosenberg then turns to his final three predictions. Out of the chaos in Iraq, this country will emerge as the wealthiest in the region. The Jews will build a third temple in Jerusalem. And Muslims will turn to Christ in record numbers. With authority, Rosenberg writes, "The big (untold) story in the Middle East is that more Muslims are turning to Christ today than any other time in human history, and much of it has happened since 9/11."

Some readers may scoff at Rosenberg's contentions, but I found EPICENTER to be fascinating. He validates his predictions with over 20 pages of endnotes and documentation of his various sources. I encourage you to read this book for yourself. You will gain insight into current world events and begin to understand how to use what Rosenberg calls the "third lens" of Scripture.