Jonathan Cahn’s new book, “The Avatar,” is a profound exploration of the spiritual forces shaping today’s world, blending biblical prophecy, global encounters and modern political insight. Known for connecting Scripture to contemporary events, Cahn shared exclusive insights into this latest book with Charisma Media founder and CEO Stephen Strang on the Strang Report Podcast.
Cahn explains how an “avatar,” is “a vessel or manifestation or image of a god… it’s all over the world.” While rooted in Hindu tradition, the idea appears across cultures: humans can unknowingly become living embodiments of spiritual forces. Cahn asks a startling question: “Could there be an avatar on the stage?”
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Cahn’s insights are drawn not only from Scripture but from his personal experiences in nations steeped in spiritual activity. In India, he recounts a harrowing encounter on a foggy road between Agra and Delhi, where overturned vehicles mirrored the trickster god Krishna’s mythology. Later, when he sounded the shofar in front of 70,000 people, and said, “it was like a mass exorcism—people screaming, and the spirits fled,” he recalls. Across Africa and Brazil, he observed the same patterns: “They believe that the gods possess people, and the people become avatars—living, moving gods themselves.”
Cahn emphasizes that these global encounters are not merely curiosities—they serve as warnings for the West. Citing Jesus’ teaching that a cleansed space left empty allows the spirit to return with greater power, Cahn warns: “Any nation or civilization that empties itself of God—the gods are coming back. The spirits are coming back.” He points to cultural milestones, like the Olympic opening ceremony’s controversial depiction of the Last Supper replaced with pagan imagery, as evidence of a broader spiritual shift.
A central feature of “The Avatar” is its exploration of modern political leaders through the lens of biblical templates. Donald Trump is compared to Jehu, a biblical king raised by God to strike down the house of Ahab. Like Jehu, Trump is unpredictable, combative and uniquely positioned to confront anti-biblical agendas. “Trump is being used against the agenda of the gods,” Cahn explains. “His trumpet is also used of God… It doesn’t have to know; it just has to be filled with the breath of God.”
Yet, Cahn is quick to caution that political figures are vessels, not solutions. Just as Jehu did not fully eradicate idol worship, modern leaders alone cannot secure spiritual revival. “The answer isn’t political. Even though God uses politics, if we change the government but don’t change the people, the unchanged people will change the government,” he warns. The key, he insists, is national and personal revival—a turning back to God that will determine the trajectory of culture and governance.
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Jonathan Cahn’s message is a call to recognize the spiritual forces shaping our world and the ways leaders reflect ancient biblical patterns. This is the moment for Christians to awaken, pray and live with intentionality, understanding that the choices of today determine the spiritual and cultural destiny of tomorrow.
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
