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 was 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.