Arcturus: Star of the Second Coming, by Daniel Speck

"Arcturus" has some interesting points and is worth at least a skim by those interested in the signs of the end times. This is a self-published book, so it is a little rough in places, but the author makes an interesting case for the explosion of the star Arcturus — the brightest star in our sky — as a supernova that lights up the sky as the sign of Christ’s Second Coming and the catalyst for the terrible judgments that will occur during the trumpet and bowls judgments during the Day of the Lord. He uses current scientific research and explanations to make his case, and at least from a layman’s perspective, it is an eye-opening possibility.

The author also lays out the case for other potential fulfillment of end-times prophecy in intriguing possibilities. While we often find such writings fanciful and not worth serious consideration, we found many of the author’s explanations to be worth the read. It is not often that a book claiming to offer suggestions for the fulfillment of end-times prophecy actually catches our interest, but this one did.  A secondary effect is the reader gets a very real sense of what the end times will be like. Unlike other presentations that are sensational and fanciful, this one held our interest as potentially a very real look at what these horrific times may be like.

This said, we do not recommend it for readers unfamiliar with end-times subjects. Novice readers will end up with a realistic and sobering picture of the end times, but as a first-time and non-professional author, the writing can sometimes be confusing, disjointed, and, in the order of end-times events, contradictory. The author does a very nice job of explaining scientific issues, but the analysis of the end-times sequence is lacking both in substance and organization. Readers with a strong background in this material can fill in the blanks, but readers unfamiliar with end-times scriptures may find themselves lost in places and not making the connections that the author intended.

Although the author calls his position "prewrath," he actually takes a posttribulation-pre-bowls rapture position, placing the rapture at the end of the trumpet judgments prior to the pouring out of the bowls. Although we disagree with much of his analysis of the order of end-times events, what is important is what we do agree on — the emphasis on the sovereignty of God and the necessity of spiritual preparedness on the part of the believer to enter the 70th Week. The author desires to encourage believers to strive for a closer, more mature walk with the Lord by understanding the sovereignty, character, and ultimately loving purposes of God and, whether or not you accept his end-times chronology, his entire work supports this purpose beautifully.

We recommend this book as an intelligent, thoughtful approach to signs of the end times and fulfillment of end-times prophecy, but not as a teaching text on the timing of the rapture or the order of end-times events.