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Special - Part II (94)
"Watchman,
what of the night?"
"The hour has come, the hour is striking and striking at you,
the hour and the end!" Eze. 7:6 (Moffatt)
FINAL RAPID MOVEMENTS
In the 1992 July issue of WWN, we wrote:
"What is interesting is that 13 years elapsed between 1967 and 1980 when the transfer of the government from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was finalized and the declaration was made that Jerusalem united was the capital of Israel. If - and note, I write, ' if' - God is using the same cycle of time for the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 11:45 in relationship to the completion in Luke 21:24, then we stand indeed on the very borders of the close of all human probation. For when an 'alien' power plants ' the tabernacles of his palace in the glorious holy mountain,' Michael stands up. (Dan. 12:1)" (p. 7)
Thirteen years from 1980 brings one to 1993. As the year passed, the only
major activity between Israel and the Vatican, was the news that an exchange of
diplomatic recognition between the two governments was in the offing. An accord
was finally signed as the year ended. Given little publicity was the revelation
in an Italian newspaper, La Stampa, three days before Rabin and Arafat met in Washington to sign the Declaration of Principles, of a plan which called "for the extra-territoriality of the Old City and the airport at Atarot, which would become a world-wide meeting center."
The "Vaticanization Plan" offers "the sovereignty of Jerusalem's Old City to the Vatican. Jerusalem is to stay the capital of Israel but, the Old City will be administered by the Vatican." Other parts 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."
The above data is summarized in an editorial appearing in The Jewish Press, September 2, 1994.(See article p. 2, "The Selling of Jerusalem")
The design of the Vatican for Jerusalem has been known for some time. One
month before the Knesset passed a Basic Law making Jerusalem the capital of all
Israel, the Vatican placed a letter before the President of the Security Council
of the UN and asked that it be circulated as a document of that Council. This
document - S/ 14032 - called for a "corpus separatum" for Jerusalem and the surrounding area, in other words, a "territorial internationalization" of the city. The Vaticanization Plan prepared by Peres incorporates this concept.
In 1984, as the Catholic Jubilee Year of Redemption was closing, Pope John Paul II issued an Apostolic Letter, "Redemptionis Anno," which focused on his desire for Jerusalem. He wrote:
"Jerusalem stands out as a symbol of coming together, of union, and of universal peace for the human family."
Speaking of the peace he envisioned, he continued:
"I think of and long for the day on which we all shall be so 'taught of God' (John 6:45) that we shall listen to his message of peace and reconciliation. I think of the day on which Jews, Christians and Muslims will greet each other in the city of Jerusalem with the same greeting of peace with which Christ greeted the disciples after the resurrection: 'Peace be with you.' (John 20:19)"
The Pope closed his letter with a very significant comment about this peace: "This peace proclaimed by Jesus Christ in the name of the Father who is in heaven thus makes Jerusalem the living sign of the great ideal of unity, of brotherhood and of agreement among peoples according to the illuminating words of the Book of Isaiah: 'Many peoples shall come and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths' (Isa. 2:3)."
The objective of the Pope for Jerusalem, "as a symbol of coming together, of union," making Jerusalem "the living sign of the great ideal of unity, of brotherhood and of agreement among peoples," is echoed in the Peres Plan calling for "the Old City and the airport at Atarot" to become a "world-wide meeting center."
However, in the choice of Isaiah 2:3 to express his objective, the Pope cited a prophecy that needs careful consideration in the light of developing events. Satan is to appear as Christ, and what better place to make his appearance than Jerusalem to claim "the throne of his father David." All "three" great monotheistic religions envisioned in this union would accept him as Christ. Out of Jerusalem would "go forth the law." But "the Law" has already gone forth from Mt. Sinai. What then would be proclaimed?
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The Selling of Jerusalem
When PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat spoke in Johannesburg, some time ago, he inadvertently revealed the existence of a letter sent 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 Shachal, 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 administered 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.
Editorial
Jewish Press, Sept. 2, 1994
Via Fax
"While all the world is plunged in darkness
there will be light in every dwelling of the saints.
They will catch the first light of His second appearing."
des
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JOHN PAUL II and ARAFAT
According to the Editorial in The Jewish Press, Arafat was shown the Vaticanization Plan for Jerusalem just before signing the Declaration of Principles. He agreed not to oppose the plan and shared the information with a number of influential Palestinians who were in turn delighted with it. There are reasons for Arafat's cooperation with this plan.
Following a private meeting which Arafat had with Pope John Paul II, now more than a decade ago, he told the Pope the time would come when he would accompany the pope into Jerusalem and the pope "would receive a Palestinian welcome even equal to the one that he had received in Poland in 1979." Since that time "John Paul has maintained his personal links with Yasser Arafat." He "sees Arafat assuming the role of elder statesman in the Middle East affairs." The Holy See has favored a plan for the creation of "a homeland for the PL0" in connection with Jordan involving the West Bank and Gaza. This has been a factor which has delayed Vatican recognition of Israel and the establishment of diplomatic ties. The present peace process plus the Peres plan for Jerusalem has removed this factor.
The expectation of Arafat playing the role of "elder statesman" in Middle East affairs was prefaced with the condition - "provided he physically survives." The Vatican has been instrumental in seeing that Arafat has so survived. When Assad of Syria decided to remove Arafat from the Middle East cockpit, and bottled him up in the Lebanese port of Tripoli, it was papal intervention which saved his life. The papacy requested the Greek government "to make available five transport ships," and "helped persuade the French government to provide a naval armada." When the Israeli government brought in gunboats to shell Tripoli and prevent Arafat's escape, President Reagan was approached to enter the picture. He did, and Israel withdrew its gunboats thus permitting Arafat to be evacuated to Tunesia.
Revealing the covert diplomatic maneuvering which the Vatican had engaged in
during 1983 in behalf of the PLO, L'Osservatore Romano (Dec. 22, 1983) published with the full approval of John Paul a commentary in which Arafat was lauded "as an able and open-minded politician" even though admitting that he left Tripoli "with a new humiliation." Arafat has little choice but to accept the plan. The Vatican is orchestrating the whole Middle East peace process with its own personal objectives for Jerusalem as the chief priority. Behind the moves of the papacy is the inspiration of the one who designs to "sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north." (Isa. 14:13)
(All direct quotes and the source for the data in the above article are from
The Year of Armageddon published by Granada Ltd., London, 1984)
"INTO A PLACE CALLED..."
Not only does John Paul II envision Jerusalem as "a symbol of coming together, of union, and of universal peace for the human family," the Peres' Vaticanization Plan for Jerusalem envisions "the Old City and the airport at Atarot" as "a world-wide meeting center." The revelation which God gave to Jesus to give unto "His servants" unveils the sinister workings behind the present diplomatic maneuvering in the Middle East. The "spirits of devils" are gathering "the kings of the earth and of the whole world ... to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." These spirits gather them together "into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." (Rev. 16:14, 16)
To place these verses in their proper setting so as to understand their import, one must carefully note the structure of Revelation 16. In the outline of the Seven Last Plagues, in every case, there is a reason given for the plague. This reason is based on what man did in probationary time with only one exception, the cause for the third plague. For example, the first plague is to be "a noisome and grievous sore" upon men who worshiped the image of the beast and received his mark. This mark was received during probationary time. (16:2)
The sixth plague is "upon the great river Euphrates." (16:12) The why is
given in verses 13-14, 16. These verses will be fulfilled in probationary time.
In The Great Controversy, verses 13 & 14 are represented as being fulfilled "in the last remnant of time." (See pp. 561-562) Verse 16 which defines the place of the gathering coincides with the intent of Lucifer as revealed in Isaiah 14:13. In analyzing the word, Har-Magedon, the actual transliteration from the Greek, one must then find the corresponding designation in the Hebrew. This is Har-Mo'ed, "mount of the congregation," the same as is used
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in Isaiah 14:13 in noting Lucifer's objectives. The new "tower of Babel" instead of being erected on the plain in the land of Shinar is now to be erected on "the mount of the congregation" and is prophetically defined as "Babylon the great," the last attempt by man for universal unity.
In our continued blind attempt to structure the end-time events according to traditional perceptions, we have failed to note the new Roman Catholic approach. True Rome never changes her objectives, but she does alter her policy in attaining those objectives. We have not given due consideration to
what Archbishop Edward Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian
Unity stated at a press conference in connection with the Seventh Assembly of the WCC in Canberra in 1991. He spoke of "the diversity that one would look for in eventual unity of the Churches." He said, "We are not working
towards uniformity among the Churches of the world. We are working towards the
unity in faith and in communion." (The Catholic Leader, Feb. 24, 1991, p. 3; emphasis his).
The "communion" aspect for unity involves the eucharist. Cassidy judged that sharing the eucharist is the "ultimate sign and seal" of church unity. (EPS 91.02.74) The "faith" aspect involves the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381 in regard to the Trinity. This objective is being spearheaded by the Faith and Order Commission of the WCC. The moderator of this Apostolic Faith Steering Group
is Jean-Marie Tillard O.P., cleric of the Roman Church. The goal is visible church unity. On the last day of the Fifth World Conference on Faith and Order held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Tillard in his address suggested, without giving a date, that consideration be given to "a gathering of all the major leaders in the churches - perhaps in Jerusalem - simply to sing the creed together. That would be a wonderful expression of the degree of unity already present and its origin," he concluded.
(One World, October. 1993, p. 15)
Add to this two Roman Catholic concepts and one can see the focus of the present movement among nations: 1)"While John Paul plays a more direct role in Vatican diplomacy than any of his recent predecessors, Holy See initiatives remain part of a system established over 400 years ago. Then as now, papal politics embody the truism that Church and State can never be entirely separate, in the sense that either side wishes to or can ignore the other."
(The Year of Armageddon, p. 5) And 2) John Paul II "insists that men have no reliable hope of creating a viable geopolitical system unless it is on the basis of Roman Catholic Christianity."
(Keys of this Blood, p.492)
DANIEL 11:45
Into this picture enters the prophecy of Daniel 11:45. The importance of understanding the meaning of this prophecy is the fact that when this verse is fulfilled in either one of its two parts or both: 1) the planting of "the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain," and/or 2) his coming "to his end" and none helping, Michael stands up. (Dan. 12:1) All human probation closes.
In the past several decades Daniel 11:45 has been interpreted as a symbolic prophecy by some and by others as a literal prophecy with varied interpretations regarding who is the "he," and speculation as to whom the kings of the north and south might refer. Uriah Smith in his monumental work - Thoughts on the Prophecies of Daniel - introduces Daniel 11 by noting: -"We now enter upon a prophecy of future events,
clothed not in figures and symbols, as in the visions of chapters 2, 7, and 8, but mostly
given in plain language." (p. 222, 1897 edition; emphasis supplied)
In regard to the kings of the north and the south, Smith states a very vital principle of interpretation: "Whatever changes might occur [in time due to wars and revolutions], the first divisions of the empire must determine the names which these portions of territory should ever afterward bear, or we have no standard by which to test the application of the prophecy; that is, whatever power at any time should occupy the territory which
at first constituted the kingdom of the north, that power, so long as it occupied that territory, would be the king of the north; and whatever power should occupy that which
at first constituted the kingdom of the south, that power would be the king of the south."
(ibid., pp. 224-225; emphasis his)
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Using this principle today, the powers resident in both territories of what were once the kings of the north and the south are Islamic.
OUR POSITION
In the lightning Seven-Day War of 1967, the Israeli armies recaptured Jerusalem. When we awakened to the significance of this event, we recognized that before our very eyes, a prophecy of Jesus recorded in Luke 21:24 had been fulfilled as verily as our spiritual forefathers saw the fulfillment of the other prophecies which Jesus gave in the same prophetic discourse such as the Dark Day, and the Falling of the Stars. (Matt. 24:29)
We recognized that the word translated, "Gentiles," can also be translated, "nations." This prophecy clearly indicated that the probationary "times of the nations," as corporate bodies, were being closed. We perceived also that "church" organizations were considered as "nations" in the Scriptures. (See Isa. 26:2; Eph. 2:12-13). This fact gave significance to the prophecy in Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, p. 247.
In 1980 when Israel moved its capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and declared that a Jerusalem united was the capital of Israel, we saw the complete fulfillment of this prophecy of Jesus.
With this evidence, we were left with only one conclusion. The nations of earth had been given into the hands of Satan to work his designs to muster of the "kings of earth" to a place called in the Hebrew, Har-Magedon. In the decade that has followed 1980, there has been seen the collapse of the Russian Communistic Empire, leaving only one remaining super power, and a papacy intent on not only world religious leadership, but also political dominance as well. The final last prophecies concerning the objectives of the papacy as given to Daniel (11:45) are on the verge of fulfillment as revealed in the plans for the future status of Jerusalem. Indeed the curtain is about to be lifted, and the rapid movements of the end-time consummated.
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