Grant R. Jeffrey was a beloved Canadian Bible teacher, evangelist and famous author, often referred to as a “great servant of God.” He touched many hearts with his excellent books and his love for the Lord was unmistakable. He was particularly interested in the Rapture and spoke about it often. His wife Kaye has shared that even on their first date over thirty-five years ago that Grant enthusiastically spoke to her about the Rapture. His mother has shared that Grant, as a young boy was amazed by a book he found in his father’s old book collection, a book on prophecy written by the late great Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse, which started him on the road to studying Bible prophecy and discussing prophecy with his father.
Those close to him can attest that Grant studied the Word of God “day and night” immersing himself in the study of Bible prophecy. On May 11, 2012 he was overcome by a heart attack and as Scripture tells us: “absent from the body, present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). On that day Grant was taken home to live pain free for eternity. Those close to him know that he suffered with much pain (neurological) throughout most of his life caused by a horrible accident when he was a teenager. He believed this pain caused him to slow down and reevaluate his future, which eventually led him to write about prophecy as the yearning for biblical truth consumed him. He never complained about his pain but instead used all the God-given inner strength within him to teach others about the Messiah of Israel.
He and his wife Kaye were in full-time ministry since 1988. Grant Jeffrey was the chairman of Frontier Research Publications, Inc., a leading publisher of books, tapes and videos. His 18 best selling books are printed in 23 languages throughout the world and have resulted in more than four million sales during the last thirteen years. He often appears on TV and radio as a Bible prophecy expert. He was a great advocate of dispensational teaching. Grant Jeffrey was passionate about research and acquired a personal library of over 7,000 books on prophecy, theology, church history and biblical archeology.
After studying at Philadelphia College of the Bible, before going into full-time ministry, Jeffrey entered the business world where he worked as a very successful financial planner for 18 years. During that time, he acquired a Chartered Life Underwriter degree, in 1982, as a part of the University of Toronto Extension Program. Approximately ten years later, he earned his Masters Degree and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Biblical Studies from Louisiana Baptist University. As his doctoral dissertation, Jeffrey tackled the project of editing the Marked Reference Prophecy Study Bible, the most comprehensive Prophecy Study Bible ever published by Zondervan Publishing Corporation.
Among his dozens of best selling books are: Armageddon: Appointment with Destiny, (Frontier Research Publications, reprint 1997); Heaven: The Mystery of Angels, (Whitaker House, 1998); Messiah, Apocalypse: The Coming Judgment of the Nations, (Bantam Books, reprint 1997); and Signature of God (Word Publishing, 1998).
Jeffrey’s prophetic novel, By Dawn’s Early Light (Word Publishing, 1999), received the respected Christy Award for the Best Prophetic Fiction novel of 1999. The emphasis of this book is the glorious hope that Christ will soon redeem His church and return with His resurrected saints to redeem the earth and establish His kingdom on earth forever.
By Dawn’s Early Light encourages the reader to study the deep truths of the future of prophecy while resting in the promises of God. While there was a great deal to admire about Grant Jeffrey, he became the proponent of some perplexing and disconcerting theories that may possibly have caused some people to question his credibility. His support and even promotion of the Bible code fad was very much a distraction from his superior works. Signature of God and The Mysterious Bible Codes attempt to prove that remarkable new computer technology has discovered compelling codes hidden in the text of the Bible. Jeffrey claims that these codes uncover the details of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as hundreds of other prophecies that prove the Bible to be infallible and supernatural. The problem is that these “codes” are far too easily disproved and are only “discovered” after the fact.
Grant Jeffrey also spent too much time and effort speculating and focusing on the so-called Y2K disaster, which obviously did not warrant concern. In his book, Millennium Meltdown, Jeffrey attempted to document proof that as the new millennium began millions of computers throughout the world would begin to crash. The lights would go out where the computers that run the electric power grid failed to make the transition to the next century. Jeffrey explained how the Y2K crisis was to be the most expensive and damaging crisis in history and how it could certainly set the stage for the rise of the antichrist and the Tribulation period. These beliefs were common for that time and, while they held hints of paranoia, they were not inherently wrong, just a waste of time.
In his books, Surveillance Society (2000), Journey into Eternity (Inner Traditions International, 2000), and Triumphant Return (Frontier Research Publications, 2001), Grant Jeffrey appeared to have returned to being the credible and reasonable scholar whom students of the Bible had come to depend upon. Surveillance Society, “examines fascinating predictions that are setting the stage for the rise of the Antichrist and world government in the last days.” This book uncovers the secret plans of NATO and the U.N. that will propel the world toward creating that one world government very soon. Freedom issues are also discussed by proving that previously unheard-of surveillance technology is already in place and that e-mail and Internet usage is currently being recorded and is available to be viewed. This is a great book for the skeptic who will not accept the truth about the current state of this world and particularly, this country.
On his website Jeffrey kept his readers up-to-date under the heading, “Intelligence Reports,” with articles about current events and prophecy as well as what to look for in the near future. Jeffrey further addressed the fast-growing concern about personal privacy in his article, “Technological Advances That Threaten Our Freedom and Privacy”:
How do you feel about government officials, the police or other inquisitive individuals knowing every private detail of your life? The complete record of your travel destination, your choice of books, newspapers, movies, your pay TV choices, your traffic tickets, your medical tests, and every purchase you make is now electronically recorded and “on file” for anyone who can access your computer data file. The technical capacity of the government to monitor every aspect of your life far outweighs your ability to protect your privacy. Despite the growing public concern with the issue of privacy of our computer records, the governments of the United States and Canada have totally failed to protect their citizens from the massive intrusion into their private lives by both government and private intelligence agencies. The truth is that privacy is now an illusion. If someone truly is determined to monitor your activities, they can do it.
While he may have had some dubious beliefs and may have suffered some credibility for them, Grant Jeffrey truly was an expert in the field of Bible Prophecy. Despite the few questionable teachings that Grant Jeffrey engaged in, the overall excellent work he did throughout his life is a testament to a man who was deeply committed to the sharing the prophetic Word and alerting others of the glorious future for all those who give their hearts and lives to the Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world.
Grant was a humble, generous, approachable man who was eager to share his latest research with the world. He was a wonderful friend to Israel; very involved with Israel’s dignitaries and co-chair of Christians United for Israel-Canada. He always said that he could not have had his ministry without the great support of his wife, Kaye. Grant Jeffrey’s contributions are something that will never be forgotten and continue to live on in his many books and television productions. He ran his race methodically with unwavering diligence and finished the course with flying colors. He will be missed by millions of people. Those who are believers can take great solace knowing that they will be reunited one day with Grant in glory — when called home either in the Rapture or by the Lord at their own specified God-determined time.