Book Review: The Coming Oil Storm - by Ron Rhodes

			The Coming Oil Storm by Ron Rhodes
I heard Ron Rhodes being interviewed on a radio show and was fascinated with the insight he brings to the topic of end-times Bible prophecy (a.k.a. "eschatology"), particularly from the perspective of how the oil industry could have a role in events foretold to happen in the Bible. Consequently I got a copy of his book (that day) and enjoyed it very much. He has obviously done a lot of research and supports what he says with convincing facts and analysis. Having also written a book about end-times events, I can report that Ron Rhodes has a rock solid understanding of eschatology. It was interesting to see him "explore" the topic at a deeper level than just lightly touching on a possible theory. As a result, The Coming Oil Storm is very convincing that, indeed, oil may be a catalyst in many of the end-times events we read about in scripture. Some of the main points I came away with, which I encourage you to read for yourself to understand better, is: Oil is a finite resource and is getting more difficult (and expensive) to extract. Much of the world's supply of oil is located in a very volatile region (the Middle East) in countries that are not friendly to the U.S. nor Israel. While the supply of oil is decreasing, the demand on oil is increasing because of the increase in consumption by countries such as China and India. Oil (or lack thereof) could be used as a weapon against the U.S. (it really is a matter of "national security"). Oil is vital to the economy and could also be used as an "economic weapon" against an already fragile economy. It is odd that the U.S., being a superpower and friend of Israel, is conspicuously absent from scripture that discusses the end times. Could the United States' reliance on oil be a reason why? The author also addresses other topics, such as how the purchase of oil essentially funds terrorism and how other events, coupled with oil (or the lack thereof) could influence end-times events. There is also an important section for people that also want to know "what to do" and for anyone that may not be a Christian. In summary: this book is very well researched and worth reading. - Jeffrey R. Camino, Author    Pray That You May Escape