The Watchman's Return

Nouriel, once charged as a watchman to warn America of impending judgment, is drawn back into the mystery when Ana, his confidante, presses him for answers about what comes after his first revelations. The narrative opens with Nouriel recounting his supernatural encounters with a mysterious prophet, who had previously given him nine seals—each unlocking a harbinger of warning. Now, after years of silence, Nouriel admits the prophet has returned, not as expected, but in a way that signals a new phase of revelation. The emotional weight is palpable: Nouriel is both humbled and burdened by the knowledge that his mission is not yet complete, and that the fate of a nation may hinge on his willingness to listen, record, and sound the alarm once more.

The Girl and the Seal

At a chaotic book signing, Nouriel encounters a mysterious little girl in a blue coat who gives him a clay seal identical to those from the prophet. Her words are prophetic: the time of not seeing is ending, and a new revelation is about to begin. She tells him to prepare for the prophet's return, but not as he expects. The encounter is surreal, leaving Nouriel unsettled and searching for meaning. The seal, engraved with a watchman sounding a ram's horn, is a sign that the cycle of revelation is restarting. The girl's disappearance into the crowd underscores the supernatural nature of the message—Nouriel is being called again, and the emotional tension is one of awe, confusion, and anticipation.

Prophetic Encounters Rekindled

Nouriel's search for the prophet leads him to a familiar riverside bench, but it is in a dream that the prophet appears. The prophet affirms that the watchman's mission is unfinished: America, like ancient Israel, has been warned but has not returned to God. The dream blurs the line between vision and reality, emphasizing that the means of revelation matter less than the message itself. The prophet outlines the template of judgment: a nation blessed by God, turning away, is warned, shaken, and given a window to return. If it does not, judgment follows. Nouriel is told that more mysteries—unrevealed in the first cycle—are now to be shown, holding keys to America's past, present, and future. The emotional arc is one of sobering responsibility and the weight of destiny.

Gateways of Judgment

In a vivid dream, Nouriel stands before colossal golden doors, symbolizing the ancient city gate—the point where judgment begins. The prophet explains that New York City, with its harbor and the Statue of Liberty, is America's gate. The 9/11 attacks, he reveals, were not random but followed the biblical pattern: judgment begins at the gate, with enemies besieging and breaching it. The imagery of the planes crossing the harbor and striking lower Manhattan is recast as a fulfillment of ancient warnings. The emotional impact is chilling: the familiar landscape of New York is transformed into a prophetic stage, and the sense of vulnerability and divine orchestration is overwhelming.

Towers and Pride

Nouriel's next dream takes him from childhood memories of building paper towers to witnessing the construction of the Tower of Babel. The prophet links the Hebrew word for tower, "migdal," to greatness and pride. America's skyscrapers, especially the Twin Towers, are seen as monuments to national pride, built as the nation turned from God. The fall of the towers on 9/11 is interpreted as a biblical sign: "the lofty will be brought low." The emotional resonance is deep—what was once a symbol of achievement is now a warning against hubris, and the nation's identity is shaken to its core.

The Breached Wall

In a museum dream, Nouriel witnesses an Assyrian siege, with battering rams breaching a city's wall. The prophet explains that America's "wall" is its defense system, embodied by the Pentagon. The 9/11 attack on the Pentagon is thus the breaching of the nation's protective wall, fulfilling the biblical pattern: after the gate and towers, the wall is struck. The emotional tone is one of exposure and helplessness—what was thought impregnable is shown to be vulnerable, and the sense of divine judgment intensifies.

Prayers Before Calamity

Nouriel dreams of a weeping prophet among ruins, reciting the "selichote"—Jewish prayers for mercy in times of judgment. On 9/11, these prayers were being recited throughout New York as the attacks unfolded, their words eerily matching the events: enemies razing buildings, glory demolished, blood spilled. The convergence of ancient liturgy and modern tragedy is haunting. The emotional effect is one of sorrow and awe—prayers for forgiveness and restoration are uttered even as calamity strikes, suggesting both warning and hope.

Foundations Exposed

Nouriel dreams of a collapsing mansion, descending through its floors to a foundation stone inscribed with Ezekiel 13:14—a verse about exposing foundations in judgment. The prophet takes him on a symbolic voyage with Henry Hudson, revealing that New York's foundation was laid on September 11, centuries before the attacks. The day of America's economic and military rise is the same as the day of its shaking. The emotional arc is one of revelation and humility—what was built in pride is brought back to its origins, and the nation is called to remember its true foundation.

The Night of Declarations

Nouriel is shown the pivotal role of leaders' words in determining a nation's fate. He witnesses FDR's 1941 "Shoot on Sight" speech, which marked America's entrance into WWII and its rise as a superpower—delivered on September 11. The prophet reveals that the same date recurs at key moments of American ascent and calamity. The emotional impact is profound: history is seen as a tapestry woven with divine timing, and the responsibility of leadership is magnified.

The Hidden Word

Nouriel is led to discover a hidden word—an ancient vow of defiance—inscribed by America's leaders after 9/11. The prophet reveals that the vow, echoing Isaiah 9:10, was spoken by Congress and inscribed by the president on the final beam of the new World Trade Center. The vow's essence—"We remember. We rebuild. We come back stronger"—mirrors the ancient words that sealed Israel's judgment. The emotional tone is ominous: the nation's response to calamity is not repentance, but prideful resolve, setting its course toward further judgment.

The Withered Hope

The prophet leads Nouriel to the site where the "Tree of Hope," an erez tree planted at Ground Zero to symbolize national resurgence, has withered and died despite all efforts to save it. The withering is interpreted as a sign of spiritual and moral decay—a nation cut off from its roots cannot thrive. The emotional resonance is one of grief and warning: hope placed in human strength, rather than in God, is doomed to wither.

The Day of the Eagle

The prophet reveals that the biblical sign of judgment—an enemy coming as an eagle—was fulfilled on 9/11, as the planes struck from the sky. The image of the eagle, present on the attacking planes, is traced through ancient prophecies of Assyria, Babylon, and Rome. The emotional effect is one of dread and inevitability: the nation's symbols are turned against it, and the pattern of judgment is unmistakable.

The Vow of Defiance

The prophet reviews the nine harbingers: breaches, terrorists, fallen bricks, vows to rebuild, hewn stones, felled sycamores, planted cedars, uttered vows, and prophetic declarations. America's response to 9/11 is shown to follow the same path as ancient Israel—defiance rather than repentance. The emotional arc is one of tragic repetition: the warnings are clear, but the nation hardens its heart, accelerating its fall.

The Image and the Idol

Nouriel is shown the projection of the Hindu goddess Kali on the Empire State Building—a colossal image of destruction and death. The prophet explains that as America turns from God, it turns to idols, just as Israel did before judgment. The emotional tone is one of shock and lament: the removal of God's commandments is followed by the exaltation of false gods, signaling deep spiritual crisis.

The Judgment Tree Falls

The Tree of Hope, once a symbol of resilience, is cut down on Passover, coinciding with a blood moon—both biblical signs of judgment. The prophet reveals that the fall of the erez tree is a greater sign than the fall of the sycamore, foreshadowing not just warning, but destruction. The emotional impact is one of finality and sorrow: the nation's hope, placed in its own strength, is felled, and the window for return is closing.

The Plague and the Price

The prophet connects the COVID-19 pandemic to the ancient law of judgment for the shedding of innocent blood—abortion. The plague, striking the old and sparing the young, is seen as an inversion of the sin of sacrificing children. The epicenter of the pandemic is New York, the nation's abortion capital, and the timing aligns with the jubilee of legalized abortion. The emotional resonance is one of awe and trembling: the consequences of national sin are manifesting in real time, and the call to repentance is urgent.

The Call to Return

The prophet brings Nouriel to St. Paul's Chapel at Ground Zero, the site of America's original consecration to God. He recalls the biblical promise: if the people humble themselves, pray, seek God, and turn from their wicked ways, He will heal their land. The emotional arc is one of hope amid crisis: even as judgment looms, the door to restoration remains open, but only through genuine repentance and return.

The Watchman's Trumpet

The prophet leads Nouriel to the Statue of Liberty, the nation's gate, and recounts a prophetic act performed two years before 9/11—a watchman sounding the shofar toward the Twin Towers on the Feast of Trumpets, the biblical day of warning. The convergence of dates, symbols, and warnings is overwhelming. The prophet gives Nouriel the shofar, charging him to fulfill his calling as watchman: to sound the alarm, warn the people, and call them to return before the window closes. The emotional climax is one of solemn urgency and hope: the trumpet has sounded, and those with ears to hear must respond.

Characters

Nouriel

Nouriel is the central figure, a man chosen to receive and relay prophetic warnings to America. Initially an everyman, he is thrust into a supernatural narrative, encountering mysterious figures and receiving visions that reveal the nation's spiritual state. His relationship with the prophet is both mentor-mentee and challenger-challenged; he is often overwhelmed by the weight of his calling, struggling with humility, fear, and responsibility. Nouriel's psychological journey is one of transformation—from passive recipient to active watchman, ultimately accepting the charge to sound the alarm regardless of the cost. His development is marked by increasing clarity, courage, and a deepening sense of urgency for national repentance.

The Prophet

The prophet is an enigmatic figure who appears at pivotal moments, both in dreams and reality, to reveal layers of the mystery to Nouriel. He possesses uncanny knowledge, wisdom, and authority, often answering questions with questions and leading Nouriel through symbolic encounters. Psychologically, the prophet embodies the archetype of the seer—detached from personal ambition, focused solely on delivering the message. His relationship with Nouriel is both nurturing and challenging, pushing him to deeper understanding and action. The prophet's development is static but profound; he is a constant reminder of the seriousness of the message and the urgency of the times.

Ana

Ana is Nouriel's friend and confidante, serving as a sounding board and emotional anchor. She is skeptical yet open, pressing Nouriel for clarity and challenging him to articulate the meaning and purpose of his revelations. Psychologically, Ana represents the rational, questioning aspect of the human psyche, balancing Nouriel's mystical experiences with practical concerns. Her development mirrors the reader's journey—from curiosity to conviction, ultimately moved by the gravity of the message and the call to personal and national return.

The Girl in the Blue Coat

The little girl appears at critical junctures, delivering seals and cryptic messages that signal the beginning of new cycles of revelation. She is both innocent and otherworldly, her words carrying authority beyond her years. Psychologically, she represents the unexpected, childlike conduit of divine messages—her presence unsettling yet comforting. Her relationship to Nouriel is that of a catalyst, prompting him to action and deeper inquiry.

America

America is personified throughout the narrative as a nation blessed, warned, shaken, and called to return. Its relationship to God, its leaders, and its people is explored through the lens of biblical patterns. Psychologically, America embodies the tension between pride and humility, blessing and judgment, destiny and choice. Its development is tragic—moving from consecration to defiance, from warning to the brink of destruction, yet always with the possibility of redemption.

The Watchman

The watchman is both a literal and symbolic figure, representing those charged with sounding the alarm in times of danger. In Nouriel, the watchman's role is internalized, becoming a psychological burden and a call to action. The watchman's development is cyclical—always present at the city's gate, always sounding the trumpet, regardless of the people's response.

The President

The president appears as the leader whose words and actions—especially after 9/11—mirror the ancient vow of defiance. Psychologically, he represents the power and peril of leadership, the ability to set a nation's course through public declarations. His development is marked by the tension between intention and consequence, as his actions fulfill patterns he does not understand.

The Prophet's Seals

The seals given to Nouriel are more than objects; they are characters in their own right, each unlocking a layer of the mystery. Psychologically, they represent the process of revelation—hidden truths waiting to be discovered, each demanding interpretation and action.

The Twin Towers

The Twin Towers are personified as embodiments of America's greatness and arrogance. Their fall is both literal and symbolic, marking the beginning of judgment. Psychologically, they represent the heights from which a nation can fall, the vulnerability of even the mightiest structures.

The Tree of Hope

The Tree of Hope, planted at Ground Zero, is a living character whose fate mirrors that of the nation. Its withering and destruction are signs of spiritual decay and the futility of hope placed in human strength. Psychologically, it represents the nation's soul—capable of renewal, but only if rooted in the right foundation.

Plot Devices

Prophetic Template and Recurrence

The narrative structure is built on the device of prophetic recurrence: events in America mirror the biblical judgments on ancient Israel. This template is revealed through dreams, visions, and the interpretation of historical events, creating a sense of inevitability and divine orchestration. The use of seals as keys to each layer of the mystery provides a tangible progression, while the recurring motif of the watchman's trumpet signals moments of warning and decision. Foreshadowing is employed through dreams and the appearance of the girl in the blue coat, preparing both Nouriel and the reader for coming revelations. The convergence of dates, places, and symbols—such as the repeated significance of September 11—serves as a plot device to underscore the interconnectedness of past, present, and future. The narrative's cyclical structure, returning to the city on the hill and the watchman's charge, reinforces the theme of return and the urgency of the present moment.

Analysis

Jonathan Cahn's The Harbinger II: The Return is a prophetic narrative that weaves together biblical patterns, American history, and contemporary events to deliver a sobering warning and a call to repentance. The book's central thesis is that America, like ancient Israel, was founded on a covenant with God, blessed beyond measure, but now stands at the precipice of judgment due to its collective turning away from divine principles. Through the device of the watchman, Cahn explores the psychological burden of bearing unwelcome truths and the courage required to sound the alarm in a culture deafened by pride and self-reliance. The recurring motifs of gates, towers, walls, and trees serve as powerful symbols of national identity, vulnerability, and hope. The narrative's emotional arc moves from awe and humility to dread and urgency, culminating in a final call to return—not just for the nation, but for each individual. The lessons are clear: history is not random, but guided by patterns that, if ignored, lead to destruction; leadership and words matter profoundly; and the window for repentance is finite. Ultimately, the book is both a warning and an invitation—to recognize the signs, heed the trumpet, and choose life before the days of awe give way to judgment.

Last updated: August 12, 2025