Fourth Dawn

Imagine living in a country ruled by an evil king. When you see his soldiers brutalize people daily, you wonder, Who will punish the wicked? You plead, When will this world be set right? Imagine receiving a visit from an angel while you're milking a cow in your barn. What this angel says is so shocking, your life will never be the same. Would you think you were dreaming? Or would you believe the message? What if the message were true? Would you ask yourself, If I told others about it, would they believe me? Imagine just before you are to be married you hear that your betrothed has been unfaithful. How would you respond? You have now entered the world of Fourth Dawn. Excerpt from the introduction to Digging Deeper into Fourth Dawn Taking a drastic step thirty years back in time from where Third Watch, the previous book in the A.D. Chronicles series, leaves off, Fourth Dawn places the reader into the lives of those whom every Christian holds in high esteem. We unconsciously put them in a place of reverence for the roles in which they partook in the Messianic prophecies as they were fulfilled one by one over 2,000 years ago. But they were people, just ordinary people who were used by God in an extraordinary way. Brock and Bodie Thoene delve into what their lives must have been like and put their own insightful thoughts onto paper in the most amazing history lesson for us to enjoy. How must Zachariah have felt when, while fulfilling his Levitical duties in the Holy of Holies, he learns his elderly barren wife is to conceive? What about Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist? Haven't you always wanted to know what thoughts must have kept them awake at night as they saw themselves being used of God in such a personal way? Mary is so young to bear such a burden for her people, to carry the Christ-child. Wouldn't you doubt your capabilities? Wouldn't you buckle under the weight of such responsibility? In love with the sweetest girl in Nazareth, Joseph dreams of the day he'll take Mary to his marriage bed. He spends his days preparing his home to receive her, the home where they will raise children and grow old together. How must he have felt to know that he must not touch his beloved, that the child she carried was the Child? Fourth Dawn will take you on their journeys of shock, fear, doubt, and acceptance. Other well-loved fictional characters from the series also make a re-appearance. The reader is swept into their pasts and shown what events made them who we know them to be from the first three books. Onias, propelled by the urgency of the times, secretly, fervently scours the writings of the prophets searching, wondering...when will the Messiah come? What are the signs we must look for? Surely the hour is at hand! But who is that around that dark corner? Whose footstep does he hear at his back? Herod, that insane king of the Jews, would like nothing more than to see Onias staked to a cross, as well as any other w

Walk in the shoes of Joseph and Mary - for just a few hours. It will open many you to many new insights.

What can I say? This book is great!! This book brings to life the most important time in history. You can feel the sand on your feet as Mary travels the long roads to see her cousin. You can feel the joy of Zachariah, when he finds out in his old age he is to be a father. Also feel the struggle Yosef has over his repuation and love for Mary. This series will truly make you feel everything! The Thoene's have done it again! Historical fiction at its best! Give this book a try.

As they grow old beyond the child-bearing age, the priest Zachariah the Levite and his wife Elisheba are saddened that they have no offspring as she is barren. However, one day while he performs duties in the Temple, the angel Gabriel informs Zachariah that his wife will give birth to his son to be named Yochanan; stunned by the visitation and the prophesy, Zachariah informs his friend Eliyahu and Onias the tutor what happened. Onias claims the ancient Messiah prophesies have begun to occur. As the Zachariah event unfolds, Herod, King of Judea, seems to be losing his grip on sanity especially as increasingly rumors abound that the Messiah is coming. The news of Zachariah unhinges him further. He remains unaware of a heavenly visit in Nazareth where Mary learns from an angel that she has been chosen to carry the Messiah. She wants to, but fears how her family especially her beloved betroth Yosef will react to her pregnancy. This is very interesting biblical fiction that brings to life Zachariah, Herod, and especially Mary and Yosef. Readers will understand the mixed feelings that run through Mary as she is euphoric with the honor bestowed on her but also fears how her family and her fiancé will react. Bodie and Brock Thoene are experts at creating characters the reader understands. Using astronomy/astrology and a deep rooted look at the David family tree enhances the feel of the era and makes Onias in some ways the most interesting character as he studies the tomes. The Thoenes have provided an interesting look at the first century in Jerusalem in their latest A.D. Chronicle. Harriet Klausner

Zachariah is thrilled to be chosen for the once in a lifetime opportunity to offer incense before God in the temple. He and his wife are content but unhappy at never having had children. This will take away that reproach for the rest of his life. Then an angel of the Lord appears and promises that his wife, long past childbearing years, will have a son. Zachariah's lack of belief renders him speechless. This amazing sign only increases the paranoia of Herod, king of Judea. Herod has no true claim to the Jewish throne yet claims to be a descendant of David. Rumors of the coming Messiah only make him more nervous. Meanwhile, in Nazareth, a young woman also receives a visit from an angel. Mary is awed to learn she has been chosen to bear Messiah. But what will her family say? Does this mean she will loose the love of Yosef, her betrothed? Will her faith in God be enough to sustain her? The Thoenes have a wonderful gift for telling stories of ordinary people caught up in world shaping events. This book is no exception. Even when we know the outcome of most of the stories, their writing pulls you in and enchants you. And the storylines of the fictitious characters were certainly suspenseful. It is a little surprising to see them switch gears from the building storyline of the last three books to the birth of John. While the prologue and epilogue do tie into the last book, it felt a little odd. Still, they provide their normal incites into the story we all know. I was especially fascinated by the astronomer's logs and the genealogical explanations. And they are able to bring Mary and Yosef to life in a very human way. While I knew the outcome, I cared deeply about them and wanted to see them reach it. This turn of events has left me puzzling where the next book will go - back to Christmas or on toward Easter? Either way, I'll be back for it. This book would be perfect to read in early December. It got me in the Christmas mood, and I even had to pull out my Christmas music before I was done reading it.