I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to admit when I requested this book I did not see the religion in the genre. I did go on to read it. It does have a good description of what humans should be doing with their lives. I was not really sure what I was expecting to get out of this book, but what I did get was a new look at my life path for some direction. It did also make me questions a few more things in my existence. I am not sure if that is a good thing or bad things for I already question a lot of things already. I guess that means I will just have to think more on this topic.

“Be prepared to change everything you thought you knew about Creation, Time and Evolution.”



Your Origin and Destiny: Explore the Meaning of Life, Time and Creation by Ivan Rudolph is a book that I was very much looking forward to reading. I did not know quite what I was going to get from this book, but I was hoping for some clarity, a reason to hope that perhaps when one died, that wasn’t the end. And that is precisely the kind of book that Rudolph has delivered. Not only does he explore in great detail Near Death Experiences (NDEs) but he also tries to unravel the mystery of Time and the somewhat controversial subject of Creationism.

Rudolph really challenges the very concept of our understanding of what Time is in this book. The Bible states that God created the Earth in seven days, but Rudolph points out it does not state seven Earth days. Thus, he challenges us to think about what Time actually is, how it works, and why it might be different in Heaven, or the cosmos, as it is on Earth. This is not a new concept, and this idea is believed in various branches of Christianity, and it is one I have come across many times. However, Rudolph also challenges the idea that after the seventh day, God stopped creating. He states that throughout the ages, there have been witnesses to miracles that cannot be explained by medical science. Does this mean that if God is performing miracles, then he has not, in fact, stopped creating? Perhaps the seventh day was just a day of rest, and like the majority of us, He went back to work on Monday!

Rudolph also explores in great detail how Time is described in the Bible with his Two-State Process. He uses Isaiah 53:5 as an example to explain his theses. In this particular scripture, it suggests that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus had been as Rudolph elegantly states “a done deal”. So, does God in Heaven credit "...an event to have happened already when he decides it in Heaven and scripture records…” and therefore was Jesus’ life and death already decided before the Creation? Rudolph says, yes it was. So, what does that mean for us? Does God have a plan, a date in which we too will die? But we have free will, one may argue, so it is in our power to choose a different date for our passing than the one God has chosen for us, if we so wished it. This book does not answer all the questions one might have about a preordained life with a beginning and end date, but it does make one pause and think about life, death, and what that means on a very individual basis.

One might argue that the Bible from its original origin has been translated in such a way that one takes from it things that are simply not there, but Rudolph goes into great detail about why he thinks that the Two-State Process not only works but is staring us right in the face. Although the Two-State Process sounds, on the face of it, very complicated, Rudolph has explained his ideas with very easy to understand language. This book is not a dry read. One does not need a PHD in Theology to understand it, which I think adds to its appeal.

I was particularly looking forward to Rudolph's understanding and explanations of Near Death Experiences. The Near Death Experience is the only spiritual experience that we have a chance of examining in a scientific way. Of course, there are the sceptics who think that NDEs can be explained in medical terms — Temple Lobe Seizure, Oxygen Deprivation, Hallucinations, or, to put it very simply, a blatant lie told by attention seekers. With a careful, yet lucid account of first-hand testimonies, Rudolph explores a phenomenon that is widespread across the world and consistent in the telling. All of the stories that Rudolph uses for his examples describe a consciousness that is in no way connected to the physical body — a disembodied spirit that is still conscious. The human brain may be a physical system that instructs the body on how to process certain situations and to react accordingly, but Rudolph states that when we look at those who have experienced NDE, it is actually a Biblical experience that they have had and not a scientific one. Rudolph explores how those who have experienced NDEs are changed, usually for the better, from their experience.

Rudolph does explore the agony that people who have experienced an NDE had when they were mocked and ridiculed because one cannot understand the experience unless you have experienced it yourself. Likewise, Rudolph states that those who have heard God speak to them directly must be careful as to who they tell. He also asks his reader to be wary of Satan and his demons, whose mission on Earth is to mislead. However, what this book doesn’t do is scare the reader. If anything, it gives hope which I thought was rather refreshing. This is no damning sermon, and it certainly does not leave a bitter taste in the mouth.

Your Origin and Destiny: Explore the Meaning of Life, Time and Creation by Ivan Rudolph is a book that opens the mind but also offers comfort and hope for those facing death or are struggling with the loss of a loved one. I thought this book was absolutely fabulous from start to finish, and it really made me stop and think. It is certainly a book that deserves to be read, and then read again.

I Highly Recommend.

While reading this book, I understood that the author, Ivan Rudolph has done good research to write this book. There are relatable revelations that can be one of the explanations for our existence. The author’s explanation/definition of time throughout the book is amazing and different. The author tries his hand at existing conflict of evolution and god’s creation. This being my first non-fiction book, I felt the language is easy to read and understand.