Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #851828 in Books
• Published on: 1961-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 318 pages

Customer Reviews

A mystery with a difference
The Introduction to this book states that it is a mystery story. Fair enough. As I began to read it I realised that it was more than an ordinary mystery. It was actually trying to answer the million-dollar question: What if Christ had returned (like a 'thief in the night') and the world had totally missed the event? Could this really be possible? I read on and began to be amazed by the proofs put forward by the author, American Sports Broadcaster William Sears. I became more and more intrigued the more I read. For somebody with an enquiring mind and an interest in the whys and wherefores of 'does religion make any sense?' it is rather like becoming a detective as the story unfolds. The plot indeed reveals extraordinary historical and world-shaking happenings during the second half of the nineteenth century.

The world has made huge technological advances since the 1840s. Is this coincidence or is it due to the fact that a new divine force was responsible for its introduction? Have we become technological giants but ethical midgets? Was the Middle East indeed the venue for a drama of divine dimensions?

The book reads like popular fiction but there is more to it than that. Facts are presented which explain why certain historical events may have happened. Whatever a person's religious background, or none, the book is gripping and the story convincing.

Enquirer finds Baha'i faith through prophecies
This popular book is written in a very chatty, homely style. Probably because of this, it is still available after more than 40 years, since it has none of the pomposity which sometimes is a feature of books of Bible interpretation. It provides a very full account of how someone who was not a theologian explored prophecies in the Bible and the teachings of the Baha'i faith and proved to his satisfaction its claims to be the latest revelation from God with teachings suitable for the present day.

Because it is relatively easy to read, its length and the scope of material it covers do not seem too overwhelming. The book's aim is clearly to convince enquirers of the validity of the Baha'i faith and it seems to have been an enduring influence in convincing enquirers to convert to that religion.

I would say this is a book for someone from a Christian background who is intrigued by Baha'is and wants to be convinced that he or she would not be disloyal to Jesus Christ by becoming a Baha'i.

Your life may never be the same again
This real-life mystery story started when Sears was given a book containing a story about people who had eagerly awaited the return of Christ during the 19th century. Being a newspaper reporter he found in the archives accounts in the 1840s of people preparing for the sudden appearance of Christ. Some were filled with fear and panic; others called on the world to repent; others cashed in their bank accounts or gave away their worldly possessions. Why did they all expect Christ at that particular time? This is the mystery that Sears set out to solve.

Armed with the writings of Professor E.G. Browne of Pembroke College, Cambridge and Professor Jowett of Balliol College, Oxford, the author started by researching the period 1830-1850 in greater depth, finding that it was a period when a great comet with a tail 108 million miles long dominated discussion, when awesome shooting stars and halo-like rings around the sun fueled speculation about the second coming. Zeal reached its climax in 1844 because Christ said that he would return when three things came to pass:
- the Gospel would be preached everywhere on earth
- the Jews would return to Israel
- mankind would see the "abomination of desolation" foretold by the prophet Daniel.
Sears investigated each very carefully and confirmed to his own satisfaction - and he provides all the evidence - that each of these promises had been fulfilled in 1844.

It occurred to the author to apply a technique common in criminology that when evidence points to only one conclusion that proves false, you assume that the evidence is right but that you need to draw a different conclusion. Sears had a dozen different conclusions to check out and we accompany him as he investigates each of these - bringing us to the really exciting part of the book.

This book is well written, well researched, well documented and highly readable. He found that Jews were looking for a Jew, Christians for a Christian, blacks for a black, whites for a white, overlooking the clue given in the Bible that it would be a new religion. The Bible provided very clear prophecy regarding the coming of the Messiah, but the religious authorities at that time misinterpreted the information and crucified Jesus instead of welcoming him. History repeated itself as the religious authorities about 150 years ago misinterpreted the information and persecuted, exiled, and imprisoned the new savior.

This book has vast implications for us all. If in fact the author has found what all those people were seeking in 1844 and if you reach the same conclusions as the author, your life will never be the same again.