And There Shall Be a New Heaven

and a New Earth

By Anthony E. Larson

Reviewed by Sam Checketts

“And There Shall be a New Heaven and a New Earth is the third in-
stallment in a trilogy by Anthony E. Larson called the Prophecy Trilogy.
These books contain information on Catastrophism, a belief that radical
changes have come to the earth throughout history as a result of planet/
comets coming dangerously close to the earth. According to catastrophist
theory, these near misses have caused things like the parting of the Red
Sea, Noah’s flood, and the day the earth stood still.
And There Shall be a New Heaven and a New Earth discusses the
myths around the planet Saturn and how ancient astronomers may
have been looking at a different firmament in the sky than what we see
today, explaining some of the stories that have been passed down from
our most earliest ancestors in the form of fables, and legends. Larson
submits that Saturn plays a huge role in the history of the earth includ-
ing the possibility that it was in orbit and rotating with the earth at the
earth’s north pole. Through catastrophic events in the solar system,
Saturn was torn away from the earth causing changes to the surface of
the earth, including oceans being formed and landmasses upheaving all
while man has been living on the earth.
Larson also discusses from a theological standpoint some of the mys-
teries surrounding the lost ten tribes of Israel and the City of Enoch. LDS
doctrine has been a big part of this series, and continues in the third book
with quotes from prominent LDS leaders who allude to some of these
same catastrophic ideas. It’s fascinating that even these non-scientific
church leaders understood theories of the universe and talked about them
as if they were common knowledge. Certainly these same catastrophic
theories are not taught in the mainstream today, but must be searched
out. The book of Revelations in the Bible is also mentioned as it describes
some of the events that will take place in the future. Larson has also writ-
ten a book explaining the book of Revelations for anyone interested in
exploring some of the cryptic messages and images described by early
Christian missionary, John the Revelator.
Larson’s books have piqued my interest in learning more about Sat-
urn myths and what kinds of events have shaped the earth’s histories.
There is more about Saturn and the planets in the ancient histories of
the Greeks and Romans that are not talked about or discussed in your
run-of-the-mill school science classes. Larson makes plenty of assump-
tions, but they are so logical that you just can’t help but wonder, “what
if..?” There are books available about Saturn, the lost City of Atlantis,
and other legends by catastrophists like David Talbott and Immanuel
Velikovsky. Many of them are not in print but still available through online
auctions and book sellers.
To conclude the Prophecy Trilogy by Anthony E. Larson—it is very
enlightening and entertaining. The explanations given are easy enough
to understand without needing extensive training in astronomy. More
books like these should be written to discuss the “alternative point of
view” on many of the things that we take for granted because we don’t
know any better. I suspect that if we could unravel the true history of our
planet many of us would be surprised at some of the mistakes that have
been made, but taught as truth. Let’s not forget that for the thousands
of years that man has inhabited the earth, he was taught the earth was
flat. It took someone with an unpopular idea to question that fact before
the truth was discovered. Thank you, Mr. Larson, for having the courage
to explore an unpopular idea and open our minds to searching for truth
wherever it may be.”

Sam Checketts is a Salt Lake City Book Examiner