Visions of the Apocalypse:
I am excited to order this amazingly timely book written by Jan Holtrop. I loved her first book, Wall of Fire, which showed us Gods never ending faithfulness to His people and a multitude of facts that He is the same yesterday, today and forever! Amen!
I was blessed to be in a yearlong Bible Study of Revelation by Jan many years ago. Whenever I see the news, I think about the things we learned and am constantly in awe! Everything is unfolding right before our eyes! Now Jan has managed to compile all those notes and current events into a reference for us to be reminded that God loves us enough to tell us in advance what to expect and how to prepare!
-Ronnie
Wall of Fire:
“5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Israel, or want an inside understanding, this is the book for you!
Masterfully written, superb research on Israeli modern history and Biblical application. Great characters! It was hard to put it down. Fascinating, delightful, and meaningful. If you read only one book I’m the next year, make it this one.”
Lonnie Lane
Listen2HIm
“5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Biblical truths
This is a great book full of Biblical accounts and a great way to learn about the book of Revelation.”
James K Holtrop
“I just finished this book last night, I know the author and finally read the book. I really enjoyed how Jan weaves factual stories of Israel and Jewish history into this well written and exciting book. I can’ wait to share it with friends. It is a great book you will find it hard to put down!”
Tika Chicagoland
“I’ve never been much of a reader, but that changed when I read Wall of Fire. I honestly could not put the book down! Now I’m reading for it a second time. The layers of depth in this book are amazing! It takes place in modern times, but it uses real historical events and scriptural references. The fictional characters are quite endearing; you will surely find yourself relating to one or more of them!
Nate, the main character, is a sensitive young man who is experiencing supernatural intervention in his life, and we have the privilege of being on the journey with him! Tahlia, his girlfriend, is struggling with her emotions because she thinks that Yeshua/Jesus might actually be the Messiah her people have been waiting for. She feels a sense of excitement and awe, but also is fearful of betraying her family or being disowned by them if she accepts what she knows in her heart is true. Jan Holtrop obviously has God’s love in her heart for the Jewish people. She does an amazing job of accurately expressing the inner conflict and process of a person coming to faith. Nate is a wise young man with an amazingly strong, grounded faith. He knows his scripture and desires to share his belief with others in gentle, loving ways, and he isn’t afraid to do so. He finds a very personal way to explain the message of salvation to his girlfriend through scripture. The author writes a beautifully touching, very personal account of their relationship with God and each other.
I, too, am a Jewish Believer. I have felt the same types of emotions as Tahlia. At the time I was 30, I actually thought that I was the only Jewish person on the planet who thought that that Jesus might be the Messiah! Until then I had never met another Jewish person who thought like me. I had no idea that all the first believers were Jewish! I found it amazing that after I began to study the New Testament, I began to feel more Jewish than I had ever been! That’s the other major draw for me about this book. I was raised in a secular Jewish home; after I accepted Yeshua as my Messiah, I became drawn to the history of Israel and the Jewish people. This book gave me the opportunity to learn even more! The author shares multiple examples of God’s steadfast love for His people by describing prophecies which are being miraculously fulfilled some even in my own lifetime! She has so skillfully interwoven the scripture references into the book that I am currently reading it again and using it as my own personal Bible study. I would love it if there was a companion workbook for Wall of Fire!
Not all of us are as outgoing as Nate about our beliefs. Some of us want very much to discuss our deep convictions with those we love, but we chose not to for various reasons. Talking about the novel Wall of Fire has already been a much more comfortable way for me to broach a subject I would never normally talk about with some of my family and friends. I also bought several copies of the book to give to as gifts, who knows, maybe we’ll start a Wall of Fire bookclub! Then we’ll really a workbook! ( I’m just sayin’…)”
Watusi
“I seldom read historical fiction, but I enjoy a good story. And this surely is one. This story keeps things moving & held my interest from the first page. Holtrop weaves a number of threads together that yield a compelling story set in modern Israel, with references to Israel’s ancient history and the near past. Holtrop demonstrates how ancient scripture can be powerfully important in modern times, and aims at the glory and sovereignty of God, and at the good news that, in Jesus, the Messiah has come and is governing the currents of modern life in things large and small. Holtrop shows familiarity with Israel’s geography, the political tensions that afflict its life, and communicates all these things through the lives of many Jewish characters that we come to care about. It’s a story told at length so that, when I was half-way through, I was glad that there was so much of the story yet to hear! There are stories of mysteries solved, of a romance that grows slowly, of miracles that appear incredible—and many of these are footnoted, referring the reader to the original sources recording these wonderful events; others, of course, are fictional elements of the broader story. For that matter, the author frankly tells us the circumstances of writing the book more than any other book I’ve read. And she invites any reader to engage her about things raised in the book. So, I am happy to recommend this book to any and all who enjoy a good story, and unafraid of being engaged in ultimate questions. A big thank you to J. G. Holtrop!”
Wm. Zeilstra
“I enjoyed reading ‘Wall Of Fire’. This is a story about a young man who comes to Israel and finds his life is changed as well as the lives of the people he interacts with. Throughout the book the author interweaves stories of real documented miracles that have taken place in Israel’s recent history. This book gives a clear gospel message to all readers. The final chapters provide incentive to the readers to make sure that their hearts are right with G-D. Yeshua is exalted in page after page of this book. The expression the “Finger of God” haunts you as you read reminding you that G-d has His Hand involved in the affairs of Israel. I believe anyone will enjoy reading this book.”
Pastor Paul Helle
Temple Shalom Yisrael
Rolling Meadows IL
“What a fascinating and page-turning novel! A fiction book with mystery and a love story that shares an incredible amount of history (and miracles!) concerning Israel! In school, I don’t have any recollections of learning about Israel…at all. I knew Israel existed, and was talked about in scripture, and that was it. I love the historical fiction aspects of this novel! An enjoyable way to learn about history while getting attached to dynamic characters in the story. The author also mixes in her theories about End Times which are very insightful. I laughed and was choked up many times while reading. Recommended!”
Fox Valley, IL
Call it a day and a half. That’s how long it took me to read. Well done! The story line captured me and the ending came as a surprise despite my personal reliance on Yeshua. I love stories that mingle love with history with questioning with impact. And then ends with most but not all the story lines answered. But which ones? You’ll have to read it.
In fact, I think that I’ll read it again.
Hinsdale CPA