31 Metals These four sources of ancient past writings show that it - - PDF document

31 Metals

These four sources of ancient past writings show that it is not a new thing to interpret the metals of the statues of the dream in the Book of Daniel as the kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. Hippolytus in the third century discusses the toes as well. Hence Hippolytus, Josephus and Gibbon all use the same identification of Empires for the metals and kingdoms as described. Some point out that the metals progress from greatest to least value. Gold, silver,bronze,iron. They also point out that even as we progress from the precious to the base metals the metals become stronger and more suitable for warfare. The ten toes are both strong and weak however. Isaac Newton, b. Christmas 1643 . His father died before his birth. His mother remarried leaving him to grandparents. At Cambridge University he studied mathematics, optics, physics and

• astronomy. In 1665 a plague closed the university . At home for two years he thought about gravity,
• ptics , mathematics, and ‘fluxions’ (calculus). Returning he became professor of mathematics.

His reflecting telescope made him a fellow of the Royal Society. He discovered light is composed

• f rainbow colors (modern optics) . Newton’s work, ’Mathematical Principles of Natural

Philosophy’ showed gravity applied to all objects in the universe. Edward Gibbon (1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788. The Decline and Fall is known principally for the quality and irony of its prose, its use of primary sources. Isaac Asimov in his writing of The Foundation Trilogy, said it involved “a little bit of cribbin’ from the works of Edward Gibbon” Josephus (37 – c. 100 AD) also Yosef Ben Matityahu (Joseph son of Matthias) and Titus Flavius Josephus was a first-century Jewish historian of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded first century Jewish history, such as the First Jewish–Roman War which resulted in the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Newton understood that Revelation and Daniel are books to be studied together . His book on this topic is found in the Library of Congress having arrived in the initial donation by Thomas Jefferson to start the Library of Congress. Surprisingly showing the bias of this age his other Christian writings were found and offered to Harvard among other Ivy League schools who turned down the

• pportunity to be the storehouse of these writings. Ironically or providentially the Hebrew

University of Israel accepted them. Should they study his works they will need to study the New

• Testament. Without Revelation the book of Daniel is not as readily understood.

In summary in Prophecy there are 4 major kingdoms The Bible desires to inform the reader concerning. The last ten toes of the statue are the resurgence of the fourth

• kingdom. It will somehow have 10 principle kings. It will occur in the time of the end

and its brutal reign would be successful except for the return of Christ who shall destroy it and set up his 1000 year kingdom.

32 Ten Kings

Starting at the lower right one may see the Bibles decription of the ten kings . In the left hand upper corner is a quote from a 19th century book predicting the rise of a Roman Empire. The other two corners are quotes from an academic book of the 1990′s describing the prophecy subculture. The author does an excellent job of describing the consensus theory of the day. The consensus theory was described as involving ten kings. The ten toes or horns or kings are to be the final kingdom upon the earth that shall in some manner occupy Israel again as did all of the previous four kingdoms who are represented by the other metals in the statue of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar.

33 European Antichrist rules Ten kings

Note the consensus theory was that the Antichrist would be a European. The book ”When Time shall be no More” was written in 1992 and is helpful for our discussion so that you may understand the following: 1) The consensus of the many books this author read was that the “Antichrist” who would rise to rule the ten nation toes of the statue of Daniel was to arise from Europe. The term Antichrist simply means he will be an enemy of Christians and Christ. He may also attempt to take the place of Christ in the hearts of his citizens even as recent leaders such as Mao in China attempted to do. 2) His comment referencing Hippolytus demonstrates that this consensus view has roots going back to the early days of Christianity.

34 European Antichrist Leads Ten and extends his Influence Globally

Note that the consensus theory was the Antichrist would extend his domain worldwide. These are important main points which may be used to help some generation understand and identify this

• leader. Most authors suggest that the Antichrist will rise in a manner that the general world will not

have an idea as to his identity. Only in the later part of his reign and for a short time will he be revealed as a brutal but brilliant world ruler. Somehow and in some manner his rule has influence

• worldwide. Most authors do not think his influence is universal nor anywhere near complete. For

some period of time however his influence is dramatic across the globe and unfortunately it is in a time of great warfare in which he shows brilliance.

35 Israel and the Ten Kings

Note that all of the four metal empires occupied Israel. As a contrary example to the left one sees the Parthian Empire which while a major Empire did not

• ccupy Israel and therefor was not part of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

All of the nations who occupied the AREA of Israel at other times such as the Ottoman Empire or Britain are also NOT part of the prophetic picture because Israel did not exist when they occupied Israel. The history of the first four Kingdoms occurring while Israel was in the land provides the implication that the future fulfillment with the ten kingdoms represented by the ten toes will also be a time when Israel is in the land.

At some time Israel will come under the influence of the revived fourth kingdom as a new fifth kingdom with a ten nation component. In some manner Israel will at first see this fifth kingdom to be a friend but at a later time it will become an adversary who will control Israel until in the last years of the kingdom Jerusalem will be trodden down by the gentile nations of the world. The gentiles are believed to be predominately from the revised Roman Empire and to include military forces. It is to be a time of ever increasing difficulty called by some areas of scripture as the “Time of Jacobs trouble”.

36 Codependency

Note that this book from 1916 stated that the rise of Rome and Israel would occur at essentially the same time period. The understanding of this as a principle in the future fulfillment of prophecy was well understood nearly one hundred years ago. It was expected that Israel and a revived Roman empire would need to be in existence again together. In 1916 when this was written those requirements had not existed for nearly two thousand years. The concept was not something derived more recently. It was also expected that a ten fold form would be seen. In 1850 both of these were unlikely impossibilities. Certainly Napoleon Bonaparte and the later Napoleonic generation had pretensions to European rule and Bonaparte had almost succeeded in the first decade of the 19th century. The picture was incomplete until Israel could also arise on the scene. It was not until late in the 19th century that the world Zionist movement began. the Zionist movement hoped for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

37 Keep things in Order

Two books are referenced in this slide. In the book “Revelation Expounded” the author makes it clear that the little horn arises after the ten kingdoms and not before. This cannot be over

• emphasized. The ten nations arrive before the arrival of the little horn. It is this little horn that

is identified as the Antichrist. The little horn is separate and distinct from the other ten horns. The little horn arises AFTER the ten horns, ten Kings or ten Toes. Applying this understanding narrows the field.

I am unaware of a leader arising after a ten nation confederation in ancient, medieval or modern history prior to 1995. Here are the scriptures that apply. DAN 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. DAN 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, Napoleon, Hitler or Mussolini who were candidates for the little horn never arose as leaders of a ten nation grouping that arose before they did. Many who have written on the book of Daniel ignored this requirement of arising after the ten. The little horn was not to be responsible for bringing the federation into existence. We are to look for a ten nation grouping before we look for the leader who is to arrive after them.

38 Gathering the Outcasts

t was an important point for Biblical prophecy that Israel be reestablished in the land of Palestine. In the 19th century and earlier some attributed all of the scriptures speaking about the return of the Jews to Palestine to the previous returns. Others simply ignored those scriptures and still others saw that there was still a future time when Jews would again return to Israel. It would be in the “latter days”. Hundreds of books have been published which proclaimed this aspect of end times biblical

• prophecy. Scriptures which speak to this are shown in the slide.

Napoleon Bonaparte while walking through the Jewish quarter of a European city heard the praying and wailing of Jews mourning on the 9th of AV. He remarked that a people who had not forgotten their homeland after so many years and could still weep over it would someday have their dreams fulfilled.

The 9th of Av, Tisha b’Av, commemorates a list of catastrophes so severe it’s clearly a day specially cursed by G-d. Picture this: The year is 1313 BCE. The Israelites are in the desert, recently having experienced the miraculous Exodus, and are now poised to enter the Promised Land. But first they dispatch a reconnaissance mission to assist in formulating a prudent battle strategy. The spies return on the eighth day ofAv and report that the land is unconquerable. That night, the 9th of Av, the people cry. They insist that they’d rather go backThe Jews were shocked to realize that their Second Temple was destroyed the same day as the first to Egypt than be slaughtered by the Canaanites. G-d is highly displeased by this public demonstration of distrust in His power, and consequently that generation of Israelites never enters the Holy Land. Only their children have that privilege, after wandering in the desert for another 38 years. The First Temple was also destroyed on the 9th of Av (423 BCE). Five centuries later (in 69 CE), as the Romans drew closer to the Second Temple, ready to torch it, the Jews were shocked to realize that their Second Temple was destroyed the same day as the first. When the Jews rebelled against Roman rule, they believed that their leader,Simon bar Kochba, would fulfill their messianic longings. But their hopes were cruelly dashed in 133 CE as the Jewish rebels were brutally butchered in the final battle at Betar. The date of the massacre? Of course—the 9th of Av! One year after their conquest of Betar, the Romans plowed over the Temple Mount, the nation’s holiest site. The Jews were expelled from England in 1290 CE on Tisha b’Av. In 1492, the Golden Age of Spain came to a close when Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand ordered that the Jews be banished from the land. The edict of expulsion was signed on March 31, 1492, and the Jews were given exactly four months to put their affairs in order and leave the country. The Hebrew date on which no Jew was allowed any longer to remain in the land where he had enjoyed welcome and prosperity? —the 9th of Av. The Jews were expelled from England in 1290 CE on Tisha b’Av. World War II and the Holocaust some historians conclude, was actually the long drawn-out conclusion of World War I that began in

• 1914. And yes, amazingly enough, the First World War also began, on the Hebrew calendar, on the

9th of Av, Tisha b’Av.

What do we make of all this? Jews see this as another confirmation of the deeply held conviction that history isn’t haphazard; events – even terrible ones – are part of a Divine plan and have spiritual meaning. The message of time is that everything has a rational purpose, even though we don’t understand it.

39 When a Week equals Seven Years

Hippolytus stated in the third century AD that Israel and Rome would make a seven year covenant. But Israel was not in the land and before a treaty of seven years was ever signed even the Roman Empire ceased to be. Certainly the hypothesis about end time events must have appeared wrong to those who read the treatise by Hippolytus during those years. Undoubtedly fewer even read his writings over the ensuing centuries as they simply appeared wrong For those considering these writings in the last five hundreds years or more it required two major political events. The return of Israel to the land and the rise of a Roman Empire. When they are both to be found in together as nations on the earth Hippolytus stated there is to be a last week of years when the Jews will make an agreement. The agreement was understood to be for seven years. It is to occur when the ten toes of iron and clay are to be found in a Roman Empire. It was not until the 19th century that a significant body of literature began to consider the application of these

• scriptures. Some dared to think the Bible meant what it said.

40 Centerpiece of a theory Daniel 9:27

Hippolytus is quoted in the upper left quadrant and the other quadrants show that books over more than a century have expected a seven year Treaty. There are hundreds of such books written by as many authors. This derives from Daniel 9:27. which calls for the prince of the people that shall come to confirm a seven year covenant with the many and in the midst of it cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. The understanding in this theory is the prince is the same as the little horn.

Here is the the relevant scripture. Daniel 9:27 (New American Standard Bible) 27″And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering The Prince is the Antichrist. The people that shall come were the Romans who came in AD 70 and destroyed Jerusalem. The covenant is to be 1) with many including Israel 2) strengthened or made strong 3) timed for seven years long 4) likely includes Israel in that in the midst of it sacrifice is stopped. 5) It is strengthened by the Princely ruler.

41 Covenant/Instrument /Agreement/Treaty/Compact/Pact

King James Bible Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. The “futurist” position assumes a future fulfillment of these events. 1) he = the Prince of the people (Roman) that shall come (AD 70) 2) confirm, (strengthen, deepen, develop,) 3) covenant, (treaty, pact, compact, agreement, instrument) We do not know what type of an agreement is made.

John MacArthur and Wycliffe Bible commentators point out that we do not what type of treaty is

• confirmed. The scripture does not tell us anything about it in Daniel 9:27 So many have for so many

years referred to the seven year treaty as a peace treaty that they have a difficult time not viewing it in this way. It is reasonable to suspect the treaty does relate to peace as so often that is what Treaties are commonly concerned with. Also one must be careful to understand that it is not necessarily going to be called a covenant. Actually the term “covenant” is becoming slightly archaic and is no longer used in modern terminology about agreements between nations. Walvoord calls it a compact , John MacArthur calls it a treaty and “When Time Shall be no More” refers to it as a pact. 4) many (many people,many nations,) 5) One week = seven years. It is commonly understood that the term “heptad” used refers to seven years 6) cause the sacrifice to cease, (stop,prevent,inhibit sacrifice, cause to cease,put an end to) The other interpretations of Daniel 9:27 see it fulfilled in earlier historic events and do not take a futurist position. John Wesly writes that the sacrifce was stopped by Christ at His crucifixtion. Isaac Newton saw the sacrifice being stopped in AD 70 by the Roman Troops. The other word used in Daniel 9:27 is confirmed. Dictionaries for “confirm” apply synonyms that include strengthened or deepened.

42 (3 and 1/2 years) (42 Months)

The book of revelation suggests that the beast (Antichrist) is given power to continue for forty two

• months. This is three and one half years. The treaty was made for seven years but the beast is only

given authority for three and one half years. We may also see from the scriptures that this authority

• f 42 months is also the time when he is given authority over every tribe, people , language and
• nation. It is the time when he utters proud words and blasphemies. Apparently these things do not
• ccur prior to the 42 months. In the book of Revelation there are a number of events which are

shown to occur over 42 months.

43 Satan cast to the Earth

It is suggested by most writers that not only is the rule of the beast (Antichrist) limited to 42 months (three and one half years) but it is also concurrent with the last half of the week when Satan is cast to earth. They are of the opinion that three and one half years earlier the seven year treaty was signed by the Antichrist but that the Antichrist’s power to reign does not begin until the last three and one half years. It is concurrent with the satanic activity occurring when Satan has been cast to the earth.

44 Stopping the sacrifice.

The consensus theory as reported by the book “When Time Shall be no More” is that it is in the last three and one half years after the sacrifice has been stopped that persecution of Jews (and gentiles) begins for those who resist the Antichrist’s blasphemous claims. This book reports that many believe the stopping of the sacrifice is in someway related to breaking the seven year treaty. We have seen directly from scripture that this is not explicitly stated. Daniel 9:27 (New International Version) 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. What is stated is that in some way he puts an end to sacrifice and offering The popularity of various ministries on Television and also the internet combined with the influence of the various popularized fictional renditions of the end times that show the stopping of the sacrifice occuring at the time of a breaking of the seven year treaty has caused many to see that concept as dogma. It is also usually assumed that in order to stop sacrifice it must have been restarted as well. This is a reasonable expectation but preventing any planned resumption might qualify as well. It is also not sure that it occurs exactly at the midpoint but is rather described as being in the midst of the seven years. Summary: This is a good approximation of the most commonly held scenario’s Matthew 24:21: “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time” Isaiah 10: 20-23 . The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people, Israel, be like the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return.” In Daniel 12:1 ”At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children

• f thy people [the angelic protector of Israel], and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was

since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people (some)shall be delivered .” Zechariah 13:8–14:2 ”It shall come to pass that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts in it shall

be cut off and die; but the third shall be left in it. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them as gold is tested; they shall call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be take, …and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, ” Two out of three in the land of Israel will die. The third will come to know the Lord. Matthew 24:3 ”What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age? ” Jesus describes the event that will cause the birth pains of verses 4-14 ”When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place.” THE ABOMINATION In Daniel 11 The Antichrist is described as the willful king who does his own will. He will worship military power. He will magnify himself . According to Daniel 2:40-43, there will be a revival of the Roman Empire. From the Roman Empire will rise a great leader in Europe. The Antichrist will make an alliance with Israel against the Soviet-Arab alliance ( Ezek. 38) that will come against them. Isaiah 10: Israel will lean on him, yet he will smite them. He will commit the abomination of Desolation, an act that will defile the Holy Place. From Acts : This is the man (Paul) that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place” (Acts 21:28). The Old Testament also refers to the Temple as the Holy Place (Ps. 24:3). In describing Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century B.C., Daniel 11 gives a foretaste of the abomination of desolation that will be committed by the Antichrist. Daniel 11:31 introduces a historical figure, who most agree is Antiochus Epiphanes. He was a Syrian king (175 to 163 B.C.) Epiphanes means “the great one.” The people called him Epimanes, ”maniac.” Verse 31 says about him: “Forces shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate.” In Antiochus Epiphanes, we have a picture of what the Antichrist will do. Antiochus Epiphanes was a persecutor of Israel. Antiochus desecrated the Temple by slaughtering a pig on the altar and set up an idol . That put a halt to the daily sacrifices. Daniel 9 In verse 24 ”Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” The weeks are weeks of years. Daniel shows there will be seventy times seven, or 490 years, to the Kingdom of Messiah. Verse 25 tells us when that 490-year period began: “Understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem.” In 445 B.C. King Artaxerxes

• f Persia issued a decree permitting the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem. From that date, sixty-nine weeks

(483 years) were to elapse before the coming of Messiah the Prince (Dan. 9:25). Calculations by Sir Robert Anderson (The Coming Prince) and by Harold Hoehner (Chronological Aspects of the Life

• f Christ have shown that the period from Artaxerxes’ decree to Christ’s presentation of Himself as

Israel’s Messiah (at His entry into Jerusalem) was 483 years–to the very day. That leaves one week unaccounted for. We know that the first sixty-nine weeks ended when Messiah came, but the seventieth week hasn’t come yet. That leaves us with an undetermined time gap between the sixty-ninth and the seventieth weeks. Daniel introduces us to a second prince in verse 26. This is not a reference to Antiochus Epiphanes because this prince is connected with the second coming of the Messiah, which is still future. He will cause desolation to come upon Israel. Verse 27 says he will make a covenant with Israel for one week (seven years). In the middle of that week (the seventieth week) he will cause the sacrifice and the offerings to cease. Halfway through the seventieth week (after three and a half years), the prince will cause the sacrifice to stop, and then he will bring “the overspreading of abominations” (v. 27). He will do this “until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate”–until the end of

the tribulation. Daniel 12 The last three and a half years of the tribulation will begin with the abomination of desolation– in the Holy Place. From Revelation “It was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues and nations.” ”All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him.” The Antichrist will set up an image of worship . A false prophet, who does great signs and wonders will cause worship of image of the Antichrist. Antiochus Epiphanes set up the image of a Greek god; the Antichrist will somehow exalt himself . Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, he will be the one who “exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” That is the abomination of desolation. What will drive Israel to rely upon the Antichrist? It may be fear of the Soviet Union and the Arabs. They know there is a Soviet-Arab alliance surrounding them.

45 By Peace He Shall Destroy Many

The reason many think the ending of the sacrifice in the midst of the seven year treaty is concurrent with the breaking of the treaty is it is surmised the treaty is a peace treaty. The Antichrist is also felt to be the rider on the White first horse of Revelation who makes a false peace. The book of Revelation has four well known “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” This leader is later given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. He conquers primarily or at least at the beginning by the many peace agreements he makes among the nations of the earth. He is boastful and exercises power for forty two months and persecutes those who do not accept his blasphemous

• claims. It is surmised that somewhere in this 42 months he is able to control buying and selling on

the earth and the number 6six6 becomes a mark. In some manner that number is associated with him and/or his name.

46 Relative Calm then all Hell breaks Loose

With all of the emphasis on the last half of the seven year period some believe the first half of the seven years is relatively uneventful. It is surmised by some authors that we know nothing specific about those first three and one half years. Others place this to be the time period of the beginning of sorrows and birth pangs Jesus spoke about in the book of Mathew. The book of Daniel speaks of the end “coming in as a Flood”. In the book of Mathew Jesus speaks of the very end as in the days of Noah “when the flood came and took them all away”. He states “they would be marrying and giving in marriage” up to the end. A principle idea is that the end will come upon the earth which is unsuspecting any such difficult time is coming it’s way. He states that it will be the worst time ever to come upon the earth and that “unless the time were cut short there would be no flesh saved”.

47 The AntiChrist

These are the names of the Antichrist. The next slide has a listing of those scriptures which the Antichrist can fulfill prior to the midst of the seven year treaty. The next slide tells us from these scriptures what type of man we would be looking for as a candidate Antichrist. Clicking on each slide will enlarge them so that you may study the . The character of the Antichrist is given extensive reference in scripture. The many specific actions attributed to the Antichrist should obviate any attempt to deal with the Antichrist as simply a personification of evil. He is to be a real man. The damage he causes to the earth will be very real. The lists given here are not exhaustive for all that is spoken of this character of evil but only highlight those things he does during the time prior to his rise to full power. Some events are difficult to place chronologically but those actions which occur almost assuredly in the midst of the last 3 and 1/2 years of great turmoil are excluded here.

48 Pursue Wisdom and avoid Folly

Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six These are some of the most well known but least understood verses in all scripture. Attempts to interpret what this number represents have been numerous and varied. Most recommend that no attention be given to this until the last generation arises which will “undoubtedly” be given the wisdom to know the answer as they will be the ones to need the answer. Most commentaries

however explain that six falls one short of seven which is the number of God’s perfection. Hence 6 is the number of man. Others find it interesting that the 666 person listed in the Bible appears to be Solomon and that he collected 666 talents of gold in two different years of tribute. It may be important that the statue of gold on the plains of Shinar (the kingdom of the statue of the head of gold in the dream in the book of Daniel) now has the king of Babylon insisting on the worship of a gold statue 60 cubits by 6 cubits. Attempts to use a variety of languages and the numerology associated with them has led to a great deal of manipulation and assuredly wrong answers to date in adding up the numbers of the name.

49 Where is the Holy Place?

The sacrifice to be stopped in the midst of the seven year treaty is by most writers assumed to be exactly at the midpoint but it may be allowed anytime up until the end of the seven year

• period. Midst is not a geometric term meaning a bisection of the time period.

It is usually assumed the sacrifice stopped is in a rebuilt Jewish Temple but the sacrifice might be the passover sacrifice which does not require a Temple. In addition the scripture in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 which is speaking of the “man of sin” going into the temple may actually refer instead to the Holy of Holies which may be located at several sites

• ne of which may be inside the Dome of the Rock. The verses in Daniel 9:27 have also

been translated to speak of an abominable Temple. Given that the Dome of the Rock on its outside surface proclaims that God has no son it might be considered an abominable Temple by Jehovah. Others now think a Temple will not be built prior to the difficult times of the “Tribulation”. They theorize that any treaty which might attempt to restrict Jews from ritual sacrifice might qualify. Many countries of the world have debated restricting the kosher sacrifice of animals. The state of Israel might resist such attempts but it is suggested by some that an attempted restriction might be enough to fulfill scripture.

50 Hope

This slide shows the timing of the “rapture” according to various writers. This is a fascinating study in itself and is beyond the scope of the presentation. Simply note that there exist writers who place the timing of this “snatching away” of the Christians from the earth well into the seven year period and some place it deep in the second half of the seven year period. A large number of contemporary writers place the rapture prior to the seven year treaty. This is from inference of a number of scriptures but cannot be definitively detailed by any

• ne specific scripture. It has some convenient psychological benefits in that the writer or speaker

need not consider for those being instructed any discussion of preparation in a physical sense for this time of trouble.

51 Blessed Hope

We will end this section with a positive note. Christians are taken from the earth in the “rapture” sometime prior to the end of the seven year period and Christ returns to the earth and destroys the kingdom of the Antichrist. This is described in the book of Daniel when the Rock cut without hands smashes the feet of iron and clay. The feet are part of the statue made of the metals representing all the past metal kingdoms. The rock representing Christ and His kingdom then grows to fill the whole earth in the millennial reign of Christ.

52 Looking for Fulfillment

Time for a break. The alarm clock is also to remind us that it is also time to wake up and look about us to see if there is anything of all this for our day. This is also the end our cursory review of Biblical Prophecy.

The next section will look at the events which gave rise to the return of Israel to the land

• f Palestine. We will start looking for fulfillment in the events of our world.

53 Israel Lost

When Daniel wrote the prophecies in his book Israel was in exile and Rome did not exist. When Hippolytus wrote about a Roman leader who would make a seven year treaty based on the book of Daniel Rome existed but Israel did not.

When the Plymouth Brethren wrote about a seven treaty between Israel and Rome again neither the Roman empire nor Israel existed. How did this happen? The story of the destruction of Jerusalem is discussed in the works of Josephus and also Eusebius. It was a very desperate time. The rebellious Jewish population had gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover Season.The Romans trapped the Jews within the city. The city starved to death. Many others were crucified outside the city until “there no trees that wanted for crucified and no crucified that lacked for trees”. One can understand how Jesus wept over the city as he knew the future they were building for themselves. The fact that Jewish Christians fled to Pella and avoided the Roman holocaust led to a renewed friction between the Jews and the Jewish converts. In 66 AD the Christians of Jerusalem understood to have been warned by an Oracle fled to the Greek city of Pella in northern Israel. This fact is reported in a history of Christianity by a professor

• f Theology at Harvard University writing in 1926. It seems now this bit of history often goes

unreported. The gold from the Jewish Temple provided the funds for the building of the Coliseum. In Rome today an arch of triumph records the victory with engraved relief showing the Roman soldiers carrying the Temple Artifacts to Rome. It is proof that the Jews occupied Jerusalem long before the Palestinians who claim the Jews were never there. Interestingly one of the Jews worst defeats provides proof of the claim to Jerusalem today. Additional irony is in seen in the fact the coliseum next provided a site for the persecution of Christians in the days of the gladiators. Despite the grandeur and power of Rome it went the way of all empires. Its decline and fall is recorded in Gibbons book by that title. He wrote the “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” In the book Gibbon referred to the Iron strength of Rome at its peak using the Biblical terminology of the book of Daniel. By the time the Plymouth Brethren in the early 19th century wrote about the seven year Treaty between Israel and a Roman Empire they had to see the outcome through eyes of faith in that neither existed.

54 Finding

• neself

n the 19th Century the basics of this theory was promulgated across Britain and America by men

such as Darby and later Scofield. The Scofield reference Bible is still available. Noted Atheist Mark Twain reportable commented that the Jews would never return to Palestine. He used more colorful language than that but his opinions were not uninformed. He had visited Palestine as but one of those many countries which became the basis for some of his later writings. He found Palestine to be a barren land. The deforestation of the land which had begun when the Romans had cut a million crosses to crucify the Jews during the rebellion continued even during the days of the Ottoman Empire which taxed you for every tree you owned. Taxation was an excellent inducement to cause someone to cut down the trees on his property. In the meantime the prayers of two millenia found there answer in the men the likes of Hertzl and Ben Yahuda. The prayer “next year in Jerusalem” prayed by the Godly Jew became the active goal

• f the Zionist. The first international Zionist conference was held in Basel Switzerland in 1895.

Hertzl barely outlived his conference but his efforts were seminal and today he is honored as one of the fathers of Israel. Ben Yahuda and his wife were pioneers in the restoration of the language of

• Israel. Ben Yahuda working with little but his intellect and ingenuity revived the ancient language
• f Israel. It was first spoken in their family but today is spoken across the land of Israel.

It may seem appropriate in its way that an avowed atheist such as Mark Twain should mock the apparent promises of the Bible but many a preacher of earlier years also was convinced that the Jews would never again regain Israel. A systematic theology series from Union Theological seminary in New York city from the late nineteenth century also stated that the Jews would never regain a national state in Israel.

55 A Little Help

World War I led to conflict between the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire which had ruled Jerusalem for 400 years. The city came under British control in December 1917. “Although he was a supreme master of cavalry horse warfare, before entering Jerusalem Allenby dismounted and together with his officers, entered the city on foot through the Jaffa Gate out of his great respect for the status of Jerusalem as the Holy City important to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam . He subsequently stated in his official report: “…I entered the city officially at noon, 11 December, with a few of my staff, the commanders of the French and Italian detachments, the heads of the political missions, and the Military Attaches of

France, Italy, and America. The procession was all afoot, and at Jaffa gate I was received by the guards representing England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, India, France, and Italy. The population received me well…” [2] He is also more controversially alleged to have said, ‘today the crusades have ended‘ The Golden Gate, as it is called in Christian literature, is the oldest of the current gates in Jerusalem’s Old City Walls. According to Jewish tradition, the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) used to appear through this gate, and will appear again when the Messiah comes (Ezekiel 44:1-3) and a new gate replaces the present one; that is why Jews used to pray for mercy at the former gate at this location.[1] Hence the name Sha’ar Harachamim the Gate of Mercy. In Christian apocryphal texts, the gate was the scene of a meeting between the parents of Mary, so that Joachim and Anne Meeting at the Golden Gate became a standard subject in cycles depicting the Life of the Virgin. In Arabic, it is known as the Gate of Eternal Life. In ancient times, the gate was known as the Beautiful Gate. The gate is located in the middle of the eastern side of the Temple Mount. The portal in this position was believed to have been used for ritual purposes in biblical times. In Jewish tradition, this is the gate through which the Messiah will enter Jerusalem. Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I sealed off the Golden Gate in 1541 to prevent the Messiah’s entrance. The Muslims also built a cemetery in front of the gate, in the belief that the precursor to the Messiah, Elijah, would not be able to pass through, since he is a Kohen. This belief is erroneous because a Cohen is permitted to enter a cemetery in which primarily non-Jews are buried. The Golden Gate is one of the few sealed gates in Jerusalem’s Old City Walls, along with the Huldah Gates, and a small Biblical and Crusader-era postern located several stories above ground

• n the southern side of the eastern wall.

Ezekiel 44:1 Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. 2 Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. 3 It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. The Golden Gate The Muslim name of the gate is Bab al-Dhahabi. It is a now-closed double gate.

The North portal is known as Bab al-T awba, the Gate of Repentance, and the Southern Portal, Bab al-Rahma, the Gate of Mercy. The ancient Eastern gate to Jerusalem could be the one mentioned as the “Beautiful Gate” in Acts 3:2,10. The term Golden Gate may have been derived from the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible: “In the earliest Greek New T estament, the word for ‘beautiful’ is oraia. When Jerome translated the New T estament into Latin in the 4th Century he changed the Greek oraia into the similar sounding Latin aurea, rather than to the Latin word for ‘beautiful.’ So the Latin Vulgate text read ‘Golden Gate’ instead of ‘Beautiful Gate.’” (BAR, Jan/Feb 1983, p.27). The Golden Gate has long interested many Muslims, most Jews and Christians as the place of the Last Judgment. Historically, judgments were rendered in the gates of the city (Gen. 19:1, 23:10, for instance). Since the Messiah was to come from the East (Matthew 24:27), it was concluded that his judgment would be at the eastern gate. This is one reason for the many Muslim, Christian, and Jewish graves on the Eastern slopes of the T emple Mount, in the Kidron Valley, and on the Western slopes of the Mount of Olives Some Muslims place Allah’s final judgment at this location also. Jews link the Messiah’s arrival with this gate and Christians have for centuries associated the Golden Gate with Palm Sunday and also with the Second Advent (Luke 19:35- 38). Jews expect the Messiah to come through the Golden Gate, Muslims also expect Jesus to return to our world at the end of the age to participate in the final judgment. Christians believe it will be Jesus Christ who will conduct that final judgment. Zechariah 14:4-5 clearly states that the Messiah of Israel will return to Jerusalem from the summit of the Mount of Olives and then surely proceed into Jerusalem from the East, in the direction of the Golden Gate. Muslims compare the final judgment of mankind to the crossing of a narrow knife blade which stretches from a mountain (the Mount of Olives is often mentioned in Arab legend) to the “gate of heaven.” This knife-edged bridge evidently spans the Kidron Valley – as did an ancient stone bridge in Roman times. Because of the Messianic association with the Golden Gate – which clearly symbolizes both judgment and mercy because of the Arabic names attached to the gate – adherents to all three faiths have wanted to be buried as close as possible to the Golden Gate. The assumption was that the dead in the immediate vicinity would be the first to be raised. In the Middle Ages the Jews were forbidden to bury on Mount Moriah. Instead they buried their dead

• pposite the gate and to the South on the Mount of Olives. This Jewish

cemetery is the oldest in continuous use anywhere in the world. A burial plot, it is said, if it were available there, could cost $50,000 or more. The Christian cemetery lies in the bottom of the Kidron Valley (in sad condition) while the Muslim burial area covers the eastern T emple Mount hillside up to and surrounding the Golden Gate.

At the end of the First T emple period the eastern gate was closed (see Ezekiel XLIV, I. “Then he brought me back the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.”)During the Second T emple period this was the site of the Shushan Gate, mentioned in the Mishnah (Middot 1, 3), or the Eastern Gate (Nehemiah III, 29). A causeway supported by arches ran from the gate across the Kidron Valley, and was known as the Causeway of the Heifer, since the High Priest used this way to reach the Mount of Olives where the ritual burning of the Red Heifer took place, to purify the pilgrims with its ashes (Parah 111, 6; Shekalim IV, 2). The Mercy Gate, 257 m north of the south-eastern corner of the T emple Mount, is the most beautiful of all the gates of Jerusalem. It is approached from within the T emple Mount by twenty-two stairs, which lead into a magnificent entrance, decorated with unusually intricate carvings of acanthus leaves, which appear to be moving. The gateroom is a hall with six domes supported by huge marble pillars. On the east side of the hall are two gateways, now blocked up, beautifully decorated on the outside. The New T estament (Acts IlI 2) calls this the Beautiful Gate; it may therefore be assumed to have existed during the period of Aelia

• Capitolina. However, its present beauty was not attained until the

reign of Justinian, in honour of the Christian tradition which fixes this as the site of Jesus’ entry to the T emple courtyard. The gate was probably open during the Byzantine period, and the Emperor Heraclius entered through it after taking Jerusalem in 629. After the Muslim Conquest, when the Dome of the Rock and the EI-Aksa Mosque were built, it was blocked to prevent unsupervised access to the mosque area. AI-Muqaddasi (985) mentions two arches to this gate, the southern

• ne called Bab e-Rahma (Gate of Mercy) and the northern one Bab e-

T auba (Gate of Repentance); both were closed. The double gate is also mentioned by Nasir i-Khosrau (1047) and Mujir e-Din (1496). Shams e-Din e-Suyuti, who visited Jerusalem in 1470, ascribes a reference in the Koran (LVII, v3) to this gate: “Then there will separate them a wall wherein is a gate, the inner side whereof containeth mercy, while the outer side thereof is toward the doom.” According to this verse the inner gate, containing mercy, is Bab e-Rahma, while the

• uter one is Bab e-T

auba, indicating the punishment in Gehenna. The Kidron Valley is known in Arabic, among other names, as Wadi Jehennum (Valley of Gehenna) implying punishment and torture. The gate is also known in Arabic as Bab el-Dahariyeh (Gate of Eternity), recalling the visions of Joel (IV, 2 and 12), or the T win Gate, because of its shape, which can be seen quite clearly from the Mount of Olives. In the time of the Crusaders it was opened twice a year on Christian festivals: once in the spring, on Palm Sunday, recalling Jesus’ triumphal entry to the city through this gate (St. Matthew XXI, 1-8); and once in the autumn, to commemorate the entry of the Emperor

• Heraclius. The gate was finally closed under T

urkish rule.

Charles Warren examined the gate in 1867-69 and found a wall descending 13 m below the level of the gate, the wall of the T emple Mount at this point is thus 20 m high. 80 m further north Warren found the base of the wall at a depth of 40 m. Schick cleaned the gate in 1891. It is to be hoped that this magnificent gate will again served its original purpose, making possible pilgrimages to the T emple Mount from the Mount of Olives. (Menashe Har-El, This is Jerusalem, Canaan Publishing House, PO Box 7645, Jerusalem 1977) The pillars of the Golden Gate are said to be a gift of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon according to one ancient legend, but these would not be part of the present gate above the surface of the ground which is too recent. Some scholars have noted that the double gates of repentance and mercy contrast not only Law and Grace but are reminders of the two bronze pillars, Jachin, “in his counsel” and Boaz, “by his strength” which stood in the front of the First T

• emple. James 2:13 notes that God is just, but that his mercy

“triumphs” over judgment. According to James, although God is just and must judge the world with equity and impartiality, the mercy of God is a greater and higher attribute of the God of the Bible. He is ready to forgive all who seek him, and his mercy abounds. Penitents to the T emple entering the courts through the Northern Gate of Repentance in T emple Times could seek the forgiveness of the living God by sacrifice and petition in the T emple, and leave by the Southern Gate having

• btained mercy and grace. The Golden Gate is thus a wonderful reminder of

the unchanging character of God. The interior corridors of the Golden Gate are exceptionally beautiful and well- built according to published reports. Sadly, visitors to the T emple Mount today are not allowed to inspect the interior of the Golden Gate. Nor can tourists walk through the Muslim cemetery along the Eastern Wall to inspect the exterior of the gate. One can only hope that this gate can be reopened in the near future and fully restored for access to the T emple site by all nations. Thus says the LORD: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” For thus says the LORD: “T

• the

eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off. “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, every one who keeps the sabbath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of

prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:1-7) In the year 1969 Jerusalem archaeologist James Fleming was investigating the Eastern wall of the T emple where a Muslim cemetery has long been located. It had rained heavily the night before and the ground remained soggy the next

• day. As he investigated the area immediately in front of the Golden Gate, the

ground beneath his feet gave way and he dropped into a hole about eight feet

• deep. Fleming found himself “knee-deep in bones” and became suddenly

aware he had fallen into a mass burial site. T

• him, the most amazing aspect of

this incident was his clear view of five large wedge-shaped stones set into a massive arch. It appeared he had discovered an ancient gate under the present Golden Gate: “Then I noticed with astonishment that on the eastern face of the turret wall, directly beneath the Golden Gate itself, were five wedge- shaped stones neatly set in a massive arch spanning the turret wall. Here were the remains of an earlier gate to Jerusalem, below the Golden Gate, one that apparently had never been fully documented.” (BAR, Jan./Feb. 1983, p30) Very soon after this discovery the Muslims covered the chamber, cemented

• ver the top, and surrounded the mass grave with a protective iron fence.

Sadly, this means it is unlikely that Israeli archaeologists will be able to excavate the gate under the Golden Gate in the near future. In contrast visitors to the Damascus Gate are now able to visit an ancient, restored old Roman gate beneath the present Damascus Gate (the present upper Damascus Gate was reconstructed in 1537-38). Josephus states (Wars V, 184-189) that the Eastern temple enclosure wall was the only one not rebuilt by Herod the Great. The ancient gate beneath the Golden Gate may therefore date from Solomonic times or at least from the time

• f Nehemiah. Such a view of consistent with Asher Kaufman’s view that the

First and Second T emples were located 110 meters North of the Dome of the Rock in the immediate vicinity of the small Dome of the T ablets shrine on the main temple platform. “Moreover, it now seems clear that before the Golden Gate was constructed, the entrance to the T emple Mount from outside the city was in exactly the same location. Recently, part of an arch was discovered directly beneath the Golden Gate. This partial arch definitely belongs to an older gate, a gate that many date even to Solomonic times.” (Asher Kaufman, BAR, March/April 1983, p. 45). The mid-point of the Golden Gate is 348 feet North of the East-West center line

• f the Dome of the Rock allowing a straight-line access into the temple courts

from the East assuming Kaufman’s theory is correct. Kaufman’s model for the location of the First and Second T emples lines up the T emples, the Golden Gate and the Red Heifer Altar on the Mount of Olives. Kaufman’s location for the site

• f the Red Heifer offering is a small walled garden owned by the Armenian
• Church. It is located just across the summit road from the Muslim Mosque of

the Ascension which is a traditional location for the place of the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. Kaufman believes the Red Heifer altar site would have been sanctified ground made holy by a system of underground arches beneath

the garden designed to prevent any defilement from dead bodies from seeping upwards to the sanctified ground. There are locked cisterns in the garden which could be explored to test Kaufman’s hypothesis. Our scientific team sought to

• btain the necessary permission to explore the garden cisterns from the

Armenian Patriarch in our science and archaeology work in Israel in 1983, however it was not granted to us at that time. Rubble and earth, and the Muslim cemetery, extend high up on the Eastern Wall of the T emple Mount. Thus very little is known about the lower portions of this wall below the present ground level. Ezekiel 43:1-9 supports the Jewish tradition that the entire T emple Mount as well as the T emple itself is set aside in a special way for the service of the Holy One of Israel. God has evidently been, over many centuries, offended by the many defilements of this area. Cemeteries, tombs and burial places as well as idolatrous shrines are clearly inappropriate in the vicinity of the T emple Mount. Apparently these graves must all be removed before a temple acceptable to Yahweh can be built there: Afterward he [the Angel of the LORD] brought me [Ezekiel] to the gate, the gate [of the temple] facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel [the Shekinah] came from the east; and the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was like the vision which I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and like the vision which I had seen by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple. While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me

• ut of the temple; and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of

my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel for ever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their harlotry, and by the dead bodies of their kings, by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger. Now let them put away their idolatry and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst for ever.

56 Conception and Birth

The Balfour Declaration The largest photograph shows Lord Balfour touring Jerusalem. The following is from the Israeli Foreign Ministry Web page 2 Nov 1917 The Balfour Declaration November 2, 1917 During the First World War, British policy became gradually committed to the idea of establishing a

Jewish home in Palestine (Eretz Yisrael). After discussions in the British Cabinet, and consultation with Zionist leaders, the decision was made known in the form of a letter by Arthur James Lord Balfour to Lord Rothschild. The letter represents the first political recognition of Zionist aims by a Great Power. Foreign Office November 2nd, 1917 Dear Lord Rothschild, I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet. “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by

Jews in any other country.” I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation. Yours sincerely, Arthur James Balfour The Balfour Declaration 2 Nov 1917 During the First World War, British policy became gradually committed to the idea of establishing a Jewish home in Palestine (Eretz Yisrael). After discussions in the British Cabinet, and consultation with Zionist leaders, the decision was made known in the form of a letter by Arthur James Lord Balfour to Lord Rothschild. The letter represents the first political recognition of Zionist aims by a Great Power. A.B Simpson was one of the founding pastors of the Christian Missionary Alliance. He announced the Balfour Declaration from the pulpit and wept. Eyes of faith were rewarded. It was more than thirty years before the nation of Israel came into existence. That is a short time in the affairs of

• history. At this point surly the hypothesis was now a theory with visible events in the

world allowing for measuring and comparison of those events with the original hypothesis.

57 A Live Birth and Healthy Baby

David Ben Gurion served as one of the first leaders of the state of Israel. In one of the photos he is seen giving his speech declaring Israel becoming a nation among the nations of the earth. The next slide shows the various trappings of a nation. We see Israels national symbol,army, flag, currency and parliament the Knesset. The national emblem is the menorah. The birth and continued existence of the nation of Israel is the cornerstone of the prophetic theory presented in these slides. A secular writer in his book analyzing the historical understandings of the Antichrist in world culture over the centuries comments in the last slide . He begrudgingly states that events and prophecy have aligned. Millions of Christians worldwide do see the birth of Israel as a sign of Biblical prophetic fulfillment. Millions of others firmly believe a replacement theology whereby the existence of Israel is of little theological importance. Mark Twain who had said emphatically the Jews would not see a national homeland was wrong. The birth of Israel was within thirty eight years from the death of Mark Twain. Mark Twain was

not a prophet. Menorah and Olive Branches: A Whole Greater than the Sum of its Parts The emblem of the new state, adopted by unanimous vote of the Provisional Council of State, includes several ideas from the earlier designs (but omits one of them): the olive branches express the state’s peaceful intentions; the menorah attests to the link of the Jewish people with its glorious past in the homeland and the return of the state to its former luster (through the metaphor of the restoration of the menorah from the Arch of Titus to its place in Israel), and indirectly, the beginning

• f the end of the Diaspora. “Israel” is the new name of the State, but the inscription is also a

remnant of the phrase “Peace over Israel,” which had been part of the earlier proposal. The element that was dropped was Herzl’s seven stars. The emblem as we know it today clearly shows that in the struggle between the “secular camp,” which wanted to emphasize the state’s socialist and democratic present and future, and the “religious camp,” which wished to stress the grandeur of the past and its link to the God of Israel, the former won. Yet this is also inaccurate. There existed graphic precedents for the combination of the menorah and olive branches and this was not the invention of the Shamir brothers. In fact, the combination may be traced to a specific text, one of the mystical visions of the Prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 4:1-3, 11-14) Thus, the emblem of the State that has become familiar to us borrowed Zechariah’s vision to represent the Zionist idea of the newly established State of Israel. From this perspective, the establishment of the State corresponds to the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Return to Zion. The two olive trees evidently played an extremely important part in the perception of the new State, in which “religion” and “state” (the “two anointed dignitaries” – the high priest and the governor) stand together to realize the Zionist dream. The process of designing the emblem of the State, which began with the expression of a simple message, stressing the grandeur of the Jewish past as well as Herzl’s notions of social progress, led to the creation of a much more complex emblem. This emblem projects a sophisticated and multi- faceted message based on verbal metaphors and visual and textual quotations. All of these are embodied in a few elements. The three visual elements – the menorah, the olive branches, and the inscription “Israel” – faithfully and with maximum brevity and directness, project the message conceived by the designers.

Menorah and Olive Branches: A Whole Greater than the Sum of its PartsThe emblem of the new state, adopted by unanimous vote of the Provisional Council of State, includes several ideas from the earlier designs (but omits one of them): the olive branches express the state’s peaceful intentions; the menorah attests to the link of the Jewish people with its glorious past in the homeland and the return of the state to its former luster (through the metaphor of the restoration of the menorah from the Arch of Titus to its place in Israel), and indirectly, the beginning of the end of the Diaspora. “Israel” is the new name of the State, but the inscription is also a remnant of the phrase “Peace over Israel,” which had been part of the earlier proposal. The element that was dropped was Herzl’s seven stars. The emblem as we know it today clearly shows that in the struggle between the “secular camp,” which wanted to emphasize the state’s socialist and democratic present and future, and the “religious camp,” which wished to stress the grandeur of the past and its link to the God of Israel, the former won. Yet this is also inaccurate. There existed graphic precedents for the combination of the menorah and olive branches and this was not the invention of the Shamir brothers. In fact, the combination may be traced to a specific text, one of the mystical visions of the Prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 4:1-3, 11-14) Thus, the emblem of the State that has become familiar to us borrowed Zechariah’s vision to represent the Zionist idea of the newly established State of Israel. From this perspective, the establishment of the State corresponds to the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Return to Zion. The two olive trees evidently played an extremely important part in the perception of the new State, in which “religion” and “state” (the “two anointed dignitaries” – the high priest and the governor) stand together to realize the Zionist dream. The process of designing the emblem of the State, which began with the expression of a simple message, stressing the grandeur of the Jewish past as well as Herzl’s notions of social progress, led to the creation of a much more complex emblem. This emblem projects a sophisticated and multi- faceted message based on verbal metaphors and visual and textual quotations. All of these are embodied in a few elements. The three visual elements – the menorah, the olive branches, and the inscription “Israel” – faithfully and with maximum brevity and directness, project the message conceived by the designers.

58 Recognizing the Grandparents

Benjamin Netanyahu in 2010 speaking at one of the German World War II concentration camps

acknowledged a prophetic fulfillment in the establishment of Israel. While he may have been using the Bible as simple quality prose the very scriptures chosen are prophetic passages speaking of the rebuilding of the nation of Israel. Notice in reading the slide carefully that he not only specifically uses the Dry Bones standing their feet as an Old Testament connection but his reference to the nation sprouting new branches and putting down roots reminds the Christian of the reference by Christ to the fig tree. The fig tree is a symbol of Israel biblically and Jesus refers to this association in the New Testament related to the timing of His return. The Auschwitz concentration camp complex was the largest of its kind established by the Nazi

• regime. It included three main camps, all of which deployed incarcerated prisoners at forced labor.

One of them also functioned for an extended period as a killing center. The camps were located approximately 37 miles west of Krakow, near the prewar German-Polish border in Upper Silesia, an area that Nazi Germany annexed in 1939 after invading and conquering Poland. The SS authorities established three main camps near the Polish city of Oswiecim: Auschwitz I in May 1940; Auschwitz II (also called Auschwitz-Birkenau) in early 1942; and Auschwitz III (also called Auschwitz-Monowitz) in October 1942. In total, approximately 1.1 million Jews were deported to Auschwitz. SS and police authorities deported approximately 200,000 other victims to Auschwitz, including 140,000-150,000 non Jewish Poles, 23,000 Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war, and 25,000 others (Soviet civilians, Lithuanians, Czechs, French, Yugoslavs, Germans, Austrians, and Italians).

59 Where shall we live?

This slide is interesting as it shows a comparison of the past, present and prophetic future geographic extent of the nation of Israel. The last slide showing the prophetic future great size of Israel is sure to cause anger among modern day Arabs and confirm their worst fears. I think the correct spiritual application is to accept that someday all of those land by Gods actions will come to the nation of Israel. In the meantime “the iniquities of the Canaanites is not full”. Any action taken by Israel to initiate the taking of these lands would be without Gods blessing and would be like the actions of Rebekah. She acted with deceit to obtain the blessing for Jacob. God had already before their birth stated that the elder would serve the younger. Esau was to serve the younger Jacob. There was no need for Rebekah to act ahead of God’s timing. Jacob received the blessing by deceit

but there was much sorrow in it both for Jacob and Rebekah. Jacob moved away to escape the wrath of Esau and thereby Rebekah was bereaved of her son. Jacob suffered when Laban cheated him in a similar fashion and he had to serve an additional seven years for the marriage of Rachel. It is best to let God fulfill His own promises. Some sources state that in the days of King David the Kingdom in some manner extended to the River Euphrates. Israel has been called the navel of the earth and its geographic location between three continents does place it in a strategic location. The spiritual center of the earth is felt by some to be Jerusalem with the Temple Mount central to that and the Holy of Holies the ultimate center of the bull’s eye. In addition the first slide showing the location of the various tribes of Israel brings up the question what about the other tribes of Israel other than Judah and Benjamin which comprise the Jews. For clarification the term Hebrew goes all the way back before Abraham to Ur of the Chaldean City

• State. Abraham had many sons but the child of the promise was Isaac which then extended to Jacob

by passing Esau. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel which means Prince with God. (As an aside someday the Prince of the people that shall come (a Roman) Prince shall deal and

• ppress Israel a Prince with God until Jesus the Prince of Peace comes and declares in favor of the

Saints of the most High God.) Israel had twelve sons. From this point on all of the descendants of these tribes are children of the

• promise. After Solomon the Kingdom split into a northern Kingdom comprised of ten tribes and the

southern Kingdom comprised of two tribes. The southern Kingdom is made up of Judah and

• Benjamin. Later the northern ten tribes are taken into captivity by the Assyrian Empire. It is the

southern Kingdom which is captured by Babylon and which returns in the days of Nehemiah to rebuild the city and its walls. It is the southern kingdom comprised of Benjamin and Judah which existed in the land at the time of Jesus. They became known by the Judah name as Jews. Todays Jews derive from the southern Kingdom and consist of only two of the tribes of Israel. The other ten are lost to identification. Some writers believe they returned to Palestine at least in part and intermarried with others and were the Samaritans of Jesus day. Others believe they are as a group literally lost to follow up but will be brought back into remembrance and allotted their part and land in the Kingdom of Israel. This has led to a great deal of speculation which while interesting to muse

• n seems impossible at present to separate fact from fiction. Some surmise the American Indian

represented the lost tribes. Some identify then among the nations of the earth and surmise that Denmark represents DAN’s MARK or the tribe of Dan. I think we do not know with any certitude and will not likely know unless and until God Himself sorts it out. Modern day genetics has been brought to bear on some of these questions. The genetics of those claiming Jewish ancestry in Israel appears to have them sharing a common genetics associating themselves with each other in a degree that is greater than linkage to any other people group. In addition the Cohen or priestly class show on the Y chromosome mutation patterns and similarities which suggest that having the name Cohen is truly indicative of a common ancestry. The Cohen are descendants from Aaron and make up the priestly class. Over the nearly two thousand years of the diaspora non Cohen have apparently not been claiming false prerogatives as Cohen. They have not been falsely claiming the name.

60 Israel’s President suggests religious council

There seems to be no doubt that Israel is established and back in the land. Some believe that in the Theology of Islam is a strongly held belief in the continuing certitude of victory and the spread of

• Islam. A land once held by Islam may never be relinquished and if it happens it becomes a sign that

Islam is false and therefor its more devoted followers must swear eternal vigilance in bringing that land back into the fold. It is almost as though there is a fight to the death going on here between

Islam and Jehovah because many feel by scripture that when God returns Israel to the land He promises they shall never be removed again. This flies right in the face of the Islamic belief in perpetual sustainable geographic expansion. One may wonder if it is Jehovah who is using Israel to teach Islam a lesson. The birth rate of the Arab in Israel is such that they will out number the Jews if they remain as part

• f the country. These demographic issues are driving the need for the Jews to give up the West bank

and Gaza. Some Christians claim they will be sinning if they give up any of the land of Israel (the divide the land controversy). The problem is that if they do not divide the land and get the Arabs out

• f Israel they will eventually lose their country as a Jewish State. It is interesting that the US which

is not allowing itself to remain a Christian nation or a country of European ancestry will help Israel remain Jewish. It is a puzzle and a problem and a pickle for all involved. In 2001 the President of Israel called for the reestablishment of the Sanhedrin. No President of the United States could get away with calling for the reestablishment of a religious council to guide the US nation. It too is part of the incongruent position the Christian must take who supports Israel and their right to a Jewish cultural nation and a Jewish religious nation. Many Jews in Israel are “secular” and feel uncomfortable with the developing religious culture. In any case it has happened and the Sanhedrin exists. It seems to be part of the prophetic fulfillment going on in Israel because how can one have a sacrifice restarted unless there are religious authorities to take part in what is a highly ritualistic practice. Napoleon attempted to reestablish the Sanhedrin in his day but it was not God’s timing seems appropriate to say. Despite the highly secular nature of most of the Israeli society there is a growing acceptance of some aspects of ritualistic practice. Regardless of the degree of belief 100% of baby boys are circumcised on day

• eight. Now that Jews are in the land a growing attachment to the historical connections is occurring

in Israel..It may be partly religious but much of it may be looking for attachment to their historical past.