THE
JEWS AND JERUSALEM
Part 6
Trying
To Give Jerusalem To The Vatican
For
nearly 2,000 years, every Jew has prayed. "Next year in
Jerusalem.” After 1967, he no longer need pray that prayer, for that
year the Israelis gained military control over the city. The Jew could
go there any time he wanted to.
From
that time onward, he could send up a new prayer to heaven: "Next
year, the Temple.” But that prayer will never be answered. No
Israeli-made Temple will ever be reared In Old Jerusalem on the Temple
Mount.
The
Scriptures predicted that the Jews would never again have true ownership
of Jerusalem, and they never again will. Scripture will not be broken.
The
first Temple was destroyed In 586 B.C.: the second, in A.D. 70. There
will be no third temple on this earth before the Second Advent of
Christ —because the Jews do not actually have full control of
Jerusalem. And until they do, and can do what they want in that city,
they will not have "returned to Jerusalem," in the sense
that would be needed to break the Bible prophecies.
Millions
of Arabs believe that Muhammad ascended to heaven from the slab of rock,
now beneath an Islamic dome on the Temple Mount. They will never permit
the defiling Israelis to build an altar or a temple there. The Jews and
the West know it —and the West will not permit the Arabs, who control
the primary world oil reserves —to be so antagonized.
The
Jews may manage the land, but they will not possess it. That rule will
be shared with the sons of Ishmael "until He come whose right it
is."
In
May 1992, we published a lengthy, three-part study on the history of
Jerusalem, down to the 1967 War when the Israelis took Jerusalem
(Jerusalem and the Mount-Part 1-3 (WM-393-395]).
In
that study, we cited several lines of evidence, which clearly reveal
that, in the truest sense, the Jews had not returned to Jerusalem. The
Bible prophecy that Jerusalem would never again actually own that
fateful city has, to date, been proven true.
"And
thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when Iniquity
shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take
off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that Is low, and
abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it
shall be no more, until He come whose right It Is."-Ezekiel 21:25-27.
(Zechariah 6:12-13)
At
the Second Advent of Christ, He will return to be its eternal ruler.
But,
in recent years, the situation has become more and more precarious for
the Jews. Arab oil nations are applying strong pressure on the U.S. to
force Israel to give occupied territories back to the Palestinians; if
you will look on a map, you will be amazed at the large (large!) slices
of Israeli territory (the West Bank and Gaza Strip) which have been
given away this year alone.
Becoming
desperate at the situation. In 1993, Israeli leaders secretly began
negotiations on an agreement to give the Temple Mount to the Vatican, as
primary manager! Such an astounding act can only be seen as a desperate
attempt to Involve world Catholicism (and subservient Protestantism)
In the management of this vital part of Jerusalem, -in the hope that,
In this way, the Arabs will not eventually be given sole control of the
Mount by the Western powers.
The
Jews are only willing to give away the Temple Mount—because they do
not actually have it as theirs, to do with as they wish. But, if this
proposed plan were to take effect, Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim
leadership, would share, under Vatican leadership, in keeping anyone
group from gaining control of the Temple Mount. It is clear that the
Israelis do not actually own the Temple Mount, since they are willing to
give it to an international coalition, representing a variety of
religions! Yet the Temple Mount Is the heart of Jerusalem. If they do
not own the Temple Mount, the Israelis have not really returned to
Jerusalem.
And
they never will.
In
the next column is a reprint of an editorial in the Jewish Press,
published In the September 2,1994, edition of that newspaper.
On
the next three pages is clarifying information (from WM-39.5) on the
status of the ‘Temple Mount' and the certainty that the Bible
prophecies will not be broken. Gentiles, (non-Jews) will continue to
trample upon the Temple Mount, as they are now doing, until the Second
Advent of Christ!
The
Selling of Jerusalem
When
PLO Chairman Yassir Arafat spoke in Johannesburg, some time ago, he
inadvertently revealed the existence of a letter from Foreign Minister
Peres to the Norwegian Foreign Minister. That letter was sent In October
of 1993. It committed Israel to respect the PLO governing institutions
in Jerusalem.
When
Peres was asked about that letter, he flatly denied Its existence: In
fact, Police Minister Moshe Bhachal, who was asked by the Knesset If
such a letter existed, flatly denied the charge. Then he literally went
off the wall when he later found out that such a letter actually
existed.
When
Peres was pressed for a confirmation or denial, he declared, “If you
are insinuating that we would ever divide Jerusalem, then that's an ugly
slander!"
Adding
insult to injury, it has further been claimed that Peres also sent a
letter to Pope John Paul II. In that letter it is alleged that Peres outlined
his plans for changing Jerusalem. According to Mark Halter, a close
friend of Peres, who wu the one who delivered the letter to the Pope,
“Peres offered to hand over sovereignty of Jerusalem’s Old City to
the Vatican. Jerusalem is to stay the capital of Israel but, the Old
City will be administrated by the Vatican."
Halter
further explained, "According to the letter, the city would have an
Israeli mayor and a Palestinian mayor both under the control of the
Vatican."
Halter
claimed the program was originally submitted to the Vatican by Peres two
years ago, just before the Oslo talks began.
The
PLO was shown the Vaticanization Plan just before the signing of the
Declaration of Principles. At that time Arafat agreed not to oppose the
plan. Arafat had also consulted a number of influential Palestinians
who were delighted with the plan.
The
plan called for the extra-territoriality of the Old City and the airport
at Atarot, which would become a world-wide meeting center.
The
Italian newspaper La Stampa on September 10,1993, published the
Plan, three days before Rabin met Arafat in Washington. After the
Italian newspaper published the story, Peres ordered the Foreign
Ministry workers to deny that such a program existed. Today, we are
told, Foreign Ministry employees are not issuing denials and are
privately confirming the existence of such a plan.
Further
details of the plan claim Jerusalem is to become the second Vatican of
the world with all three major religions represented under the authority
of the Vatican. A Palestinian state is to emerge in confederation with
Jordan. Its religious capital is to be Jerusalem but its administrative
capital would be situated elsewhere, possibly Nablus.
A
member of the Foreign Ministry claims the plan is a good one because
Israel’s ties to the Catholic world will lead to trade, tourism and
prosperity. Further Peres believes with a strong governing authority,
future disputes between Arabs and Israelis will be easily resolved.
Despite
all this Information that has been made public, the Israeli government
continues to deny that the future of Jerusalem is being negotiated.
May
we be faithful to the Lord! Truly, we are nearing the end! It cannot be
long and Jesus will return for His people. And, a thousand years later,
He will step on the Mount of Olives—and take possession of an enlarged
New Jerusalem.
THE
JEWS AND JERUSALEM
Part 7
DAVIDIANS
FRIGHTENED THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT
Some of you will recall news reports which went out over the wires, in November,
to worldwide media. The Israeli government ejected a number of
fanatical Christians, because it feared they might commit terrorism or
kill themselves in a mass suicide as soon as New Year 2000 arrived.
It was a group of Davidians, which were responsible for all this furor.
If you have read either of my two books on the Shepherd's Rod!
Davidians, you will know that, over the years, they keep setting time (Davidians
of Waco 96 pp., 1993 $5.95 + $1.50 / What Really Happened at Waco, 80
pp., 1999, $6.00 + $1.50).
Well, this latest episode got some of them booted out of Israel. Winston
Rose first came to the notice of the Israeli government eight years ago.
Calling himself Solomon ben David (Solomon, son of David), and his
group "First Temple of the House of David," they set time for
the close of probation and the Second Advent-to occur shortly after the
turn of the century. He had about 40 members.
Rose had been with the Rod for years, and was said to have been present
when Victor Houteff, its founder, was buried in the 1950s. Winston later
dreamed that he resurrected Houteff's writings and was made the only
true interpreter of them.
In 1999, Winston and a "Brother David" would regularly go up to
the Mount of Olives, in preparation for Christ's return. One day,
after going into Hezekiah's Conduit in Jerusalem, they publicly
announced that a greatly increased flow of water would soon come from
the ancient spring on the side of the hill. This, of course, did not
happen. But then when the two men announced that they were
"Elijah," returned to the earth, the government really got
worried.
Winston's group maintained there would be a literal slaughter of the
leaders of the Adventist Church. This, of course, was but a repetition
of what Houteff had preached decades earlier. According to the theory,
as soon as the slaughter was finished, God would set up a literal kingdom
in Israel; for only those would be saved who united with Winston's
group. They would then rebuild the Temple.
Like many other false teachers, both Protestants and even Adventists,
Winston expected final events to center on developments in the Near
East.
Winston had thousands of tracts printed and distributed allover the
nation of Israel. Soldiers came and put him and some of his followers in
jail several times. Soldiers also combed the entire area, searching
for more of his followers.
Fearing a Jonestown-type suicide by this cult, in October the Israeli
government bought one-way tickets to New York for them, escorted them to
the plane, revoked their visas, and told them never to return.
Davidians (also known as Rodites) always quote Houteff, and declare that
"he is our prophet." When his statements conflict with the
Spirit of Prophecy, they take Houteff's word.
History reveals that something happens to the minds of long-term
Davidians,-and they become extremely gullible to the most outlandish
theories.
Stay with the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, and you will be safe.
-Reprinted from Checkpoints, July 2000.
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