Customer Reviews

The Angelic Prophecy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rock star Michael Modesto is becoming increasingly tired of his Rolling Stone-ish lifestyle or is there something extrinsic that is driving him toward change? What ever it is he finds himself drawn, not like a moth to a light, but like your average cat on a leash, to a beautiful Christian woman, Mary Schaeffer, her charity cause, and ultimately to The Community Church of Jesus Christ. Along the way, beginning with his first meeting with Mary, Michael senses that he has a path open and powers granted to him by who or what has set him on this new and troubling journey in his life.

Michael isn't the only one aware that the Earth has a changed inhabitant, the Antichrist is aware that there is a new threat and has his minions seeking in order or locate and neutralize this threat from God. This isn't the first prophet that has had to be dealt with, so there is no panic, just confidence.

It become evident that God has a special purpose for Michael, but he passes more or less through Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' psychological stages of grief and despair, i.e. denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, along his path toward discovering what God's purpose is for him. The Antichrist and company are busy trying to defeat him and they discover, as do Michael, Mary and others, that Michael may be is own worst threat.

*** This is another apocalyptic tale, only it focuses not on some Hollywood melodrama or the Left Behind novel series, it attempts to focus on how a prophet emerges and who or what is the Antichrist. Michael struggles through the increasing confusion, burdens and self-doubts (gee, that sounds a lot like everyone's lives) and in the end, his love for a woman seems to be the one thing that keeps him together long enough to somehow defeat an Antichrist, a character that unfortunately never becomes as interesting as he could have been. The Angelic Prophecy shows the style and craftsmanship of a very good writer; unfortunately it never managed to satisfy me...a fairly good reader. I'm still trying to decide if the problem lies with The Angelic Prophecy not quite reaching the mark or with my being over-saturated by the genre. Until such time as I can decide or the Antichrist starts his reign (despite what some would have us believe, neither Tony Blair nor George Bush are he), the highest rating that I can give this book is three-stars. ***

Reviewed by Dr. Phil Rhyne for Huntress Reviews.

Michael Modesto is a rock star, a rock star to the full extreme with the alcohol and the girls, living life hard in the fast lane. Than all of a sudden he begins to tire, the pleasure begins to fade and at twenty-five he begins to question if he's getting too old for the music.

Than one night at one of so many parties he meets Mary Schaeffer, a nurse who pushes her way in determined to speak to him. She wants him to do a benefit concert for crack babies. Michael wants no part of it; he has a reputation, a selfish attitude towards such things. But finally agrees to go to the hospital with her to see the babies. While there Mary forces him to hold one of the babies and pain like a bolt of lightning races through his body till he passes out but the baby- the baby was healed! In the parking lot another miracle a fire ball of protection from two thugs who try to rob them.

From then on Michael decides to stay away from Mary and any thought of a benefit concert but he can't he's drawn to her. He tracks her down at her church to tell her he won't help but before he knows it he starts preaching like crazy words he never knew and doesn't even believe begin to flow out of him.

After that surviving the elevator crash with the message written on the wall that he is God's messenger, messenger of what, has him thinking he is losing his mind. While all the while Mary believes he is chosen for a purpose.

Than there's Ambassador Anthony Stonz and his assistant Selene who seem to appear out of nowhere to help the church but really are set on stopping Michael but know he is not like the others this one won't be easy to stop......

An awesome storyline set against the end times this novel will have you grabbing for your Bible! The author Robert L. Hecker does an amazing job in this mystery page turner. The showdown of good versus evil is a little typical of most end times books but the rest of the book is well worth the time.

But on a negative note if you are offended by profanity than give this book a pass as some Christians may find the language offensive. But otherwise an awesome read.

Michael Modesto is your average hard-driving rock star who is getting tired of the music life style. At a post-concert party, he meets a young woman named Mary Schaefer, who doesn't look or act like the typical groupie. Against his better judgment, he accompanies her to a local hospital that treats crack babies. He holds one of the babies, and is suddenly convulsed by extreme pain throughout his body. When he recovers, he finds that the baby is cured. Other things happen to Michael that convince him that something very strange is happening. In a vision, he is told, "I am the Word, and you are my messenger."

Michael has no idea what this Message is, or how he is supposed to deliver it, but the thought that he is losing his mind is pretty tempting. He becomes part of a local church in Los Angeles, with which Mary is associated, as a Guest Evangelist. As a native of Texas, Michael has plenty of experience with the way evangelists are supposed to act and sound. His popularity grows like wildfire, with help from some public healings of the sick. The services are nationally televised, and the church moves to larger quarters. Michael attracts the attention of Anthony Stonz, a Washington power broker, who becomes Michael's biggest fan. For his own reasons, Anthony pushes for the construction of a huge, brand new cathedral, just for Michael. This is despite Michael's assertion that as soon as he delivers the Message, his evangelizing will stop. Suddenly, accusations of fraud against Michael, for "healing" people who are not really sick, and accusations of financial mismanagement make it look like the whole thing will collapse.

This is quite a book. It does a fine job looking at faith and religion for those who are not very religious. It has an interesting and plausible story, and is very much worth checking out.

Michael Modesto is just another rock star until he meets nurse Mary Schaeffer, who
wants his band to provide a benefit concert to help crack-addicted babies. Against his better judgment, Michael accompanies Mary to the hospital- and finds that his touching of a baby heals the addiction! A second incident and a certain death experience in a plunging elevator convince Michael he needs to deliver a message from God and so he ventures into the church. Before he realizes it, he has become a healing figure and the television cameras are once again focused on Michael Modesto, rock star turned messenger of God. But Ambassador Anthony Stonz has defeated other messengers. Will Michael be given time to both learn and reveal the message from God?

THE ANGELIC PROPHECY starts off with a bang as the mystery surrounding Michael's newly attained powers keeps the reader quickly turning the pages. The vision received by Michael adds another element to the overall mystery as Michael is only told he is a messenger of God and to beware the Antichrist. The inclusion of various other characters, including Selene and Reverend Gregory, keeps the story's progression continuing at a good pace while maintaining the secrecy surrounding Michael's message.

Robert L. Hecker provides an interesting contrast of good and evil in THE ANGELIC PROPHECY. Michael's own self doubt in his vision provides a sense of believability to the story and keeps Michael's character from seeming pretentious. The aura of mystery is well- managed until Anthony Stonz becomes more of a central figure and then the predictability of his actions somewhat spoils the conclusion of THE ANGELIC PROPHECY.

Overall, Robert L. Hecker has done a fascinating job at examining one man's search for the message of God in THE ANGELIC PROPHECY. The character development of Michael is simply phenomenal as readers will empathize with his doubts regarding his sanity while enjoying the growth of his feelings for Mary. THE ANGELIC PROPHECY is an interesting read that could be an exceptional story with a bit of work on the novel's climax.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Michael Modesto is a bandleader doing one-night gigs across the country, and living the life of wild parties, alcohol and women. He feels a stirring of discontent with his empty life style until a beautiful woman comes to him for help. Mary, a nurse asks Michael to help with a charity for crack-addicted babies. Although Michael wants no part of this, he is interested in Mary. She is a pretty woman--and that's all he needs. Michael's interest in Mary draws him in, and before he knows it, he is involved in much more than he bargained for.

When he visits a hospital, he touches a baby who is near death--and an extraordinary event happens. While holding the baby Michael experiences a black out. A vision appears to Michael and he is told that he has been chosen by God to be his messenger. The voice also says to "Beware the Antichrist," Michael is at a loss as to what has happened to him and why, but is drawn into the need to find out what God has in store for him.

The story unfolds like an easy-read mystery, while keeping you drawn in and interested to the end. Other characters are brought in to keep things moving along, and you can hardly wait to see how the
interaction of Good and Evil plays out.

Although the story moves along nicely and kept me interested, right up to the last two chapters, I felt the final struggle between Good and Evil was repetitive in its writing and words use. The last four pages were a let down, and if there was a re-write of just that part--this would be one of my favorite reads.

Armchair Interviews says: Good and Evil theme put in a new way.