The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery that Holds the Secret of America's Future

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2011

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-7

Chapters 8-10

Chapters 11-13

Chapters 14-16

Chapters 17-19

Chapters 20-22

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Character Analysis

Baruch Nouriel Kaplan

Baruch Nouriel Kaplan, commonly called Nouriel in the novel, is the protagonist of the work, forming both the narrator of the story as it is told to the reader, and as the narrator within the frame of Kaplan reporting to Goren. Kaplan is a journalist, and he is well-known enough that Goren recognizes his name. Over the course of the novel, Kaplan is progressively convinced by the prophet that recent American events are harbingers, or omens, of the judgment of ancient Israel. In the beginning of the novel, Kaplan is nervous that Goren will not believe his story, which allows the reader to envision Kaplan as a believer in the prophet’s story, though he is not convinced in his own ability to bring this message to the world. As such, Kaplan is portrayed as humble, rarely overstepping either Goren or the prophet’s words, unless making a joke. His frequent jokes with the prophet characterize Kaplan as anxious, as his facetious comments occur in times when the prophecy or story is tense. This also breaks the seriousness of the prophet’s narrative, which makes a skeptical reader more likely to keep reading. The role Kaplan serves in the novel is that of a scribe, as the prophet eventually appoints Kaplan to be his scribe, and his purpose as a scribe is to spread the message of the prophet.

Kaplan is also a representation of Jonathan Cahn, following one of Kaplan’s last conversations with Goren. Goren recommends framing Kaplan’s story as a narrative with changed names, implying that Kaplan is a stand-in for Cahn’s actual experiences with a prophet and a book publisher. In this light, Kaplan is formed from Cahn’s view of himself, also likely with some alterations to make Kaplan a more specifically likeable and relatable character. Unlike Cahn, Kaplan is a journalist who is not specifically religious, which gives him greater credibility with his audience. Cahn, himself, is a rabbi, noted for his reputation in religious fields, which would cast a shadow of bias in a protagonist. Since the bulk of the novel involves the prophet convincing Kaplan of the authenticity of his theological claims, Kaplan needs to be a disinterested party in the beginning of the novel. As a dynamic character, one who changes over the course of the novel, Kaplan’s progression from disinterest to dedication regarding the prophet and his message is meant to mirror Goren’s reaction, and, by extension, the reader’s reaction to the text.

Ana Goren

Ana Goren is a noted book publisher in the novel, and she serves as Kaplan’s sidekick, or supporting character, in the sense that she assists Kaplan in telling his story. Initially, Goren is portrayed as an antagonist who is skeptical of Kaplan’s story and may not be willing to acknowledge its significance. Goren admits later in the novel that she thought Kaplan was “clinically crazy” when they first met, indicating that she did begin the novel in opposition to Kaplan’s proposal. However, by the end of the novel, Goren is ready and willing to assist Kaplan in constructing and publishing the prophet’s message as a narrative work. Throughout the story, Goren interjects in the present as Kaplan reviews his interactions with the prophet, and her interjections often serve to emphasize specific points of interest. Goren interrupts Kaplan when a revelation is particularly impactful to her, or when she begins to understand elements of the prophecy without Kaplan explicitly telling her those details, and these interjections show her progressive dedication to and acceptance of the prophecy.

Goren, more so than Kaplan, who serves as an “everyman” character, is meant to represent two necessary components of Cahn’s construction within the narrative. First, Goren represents authority, as Kaplan notes her seriousness and reputation of excellence in her field. As an authority figure, especially one that begins as a skeptic, Goren is meant to show that a reasonable and intelligent listener should be persuaded by Kaplan’s story. Her interjections that become increasingly devoted to the mystery assert that even such an intelligent and reasonable person should be shocked and impressed by the prophet’s message. The second role Goren serves is as a representative of the reader. Just as Goren is listening to Kaplan throughout the novel, so, too, is the reader listening to Cahn. As such, Goren’s responses and impressions are meant to mirror those of the reader, who may also be assumed to be skeptical initially, but who should become convinced by the end of the work.

The Prophet

The prophet, whose name is never given, straddles the line between two archetypes in the novel: the magician and the sage. The magician usually displays abilities beyond the natural, such as omniscience, or knowledge beyond reasonable expectation, or omnipotence, ability beyond reasonable expectation. The prophet displays these qualities throughout the novel, even if some instances of magic are less magical in nature. In the beginning of the novel, though Kaplan and Goren are shocked that the prophet knows Kaplan’s first name, which would display omnipotence, it is likely that the prophet mailed Kaplan the first seal, which explains how he would come to know Kaplan’s name without magic. However, later instances of disappearing and reappearing do appear to be magical, such as when Kaplan leaves the prophet standing in a wheat field, drives to Washington, DC, and finds the prophet waiting for him there after hours of driving. The prophet should not have been able to make that trip in less time than Kaplan, and such an occurrence is a display of omnipotence.

The sage is a mentor figure in a work, and the prophet fills this role in the novel, with his magician-type tendencies serving to establish his authority as a sage. His primary goal for most of the novel is to reveal the ancient mystery to Kaplan and guide Kaplan on the path to salvation in accepting God and Jesus. Usually, both the magician and sage archetypes involve a specific goal to be accomplished, and, for the prophet, that goal is encapsulated in convincing Kaplan to be his scribe, spreading the prophecy so that America will hear the warnings that the prophet claims God is sending. By combining the magician and sage archetypes in the prophet’s character, Cahn is emphasizing the mysterious nature of the prophecy, as well as attempting to legitimize the message for the average reader. The reader is meant to be impressed, as Goren and Kaplan are, by the prophet’s riddle-focused delivery and acts of omniscience/omnipotence, which are usually reinforced with factual recounting of events or prior narratives. The main element of the prophet’s character that serves to convince readers is his ability to combine riddles, scripture, and fact to generate his narrative.