Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Obama's Peace Plan

Jim Hutchens
By Jim Hutchens

After surveying the threats Israel faces, internally and externally, Aaron Klein concludes in his best selling book, The Late Great State of Israel, “I trust and believe that Israel will ultimately survive against all odds and in spite of the threats from within and without only by the grace of God. But for now, things don’t look good.”

Indeed they don’t. And the primary reason things don’t look good is because of President Obama’s peace plan that he intends to impose on Israel. Never mind the fact that he has toured the Muslim world assuring them that American values will not be imposed on the Muslims. But the hypocrisy of double-standards is readily apparent when the President is quick to impose on Israel his own values that require a two-state solution with a divided Jerusalem. Caroline Glick, writing in the Jerusalem Post, is spot on when she concludes, “America’s betrayal of Israel by the present [Obama] government is a reality.”

While the evidence of that betrayal will evolve throughout the length of Obama administration, the decision for that betrayal has evidently already been made. Does this mean the ultimate and final demise of Israel as the Palestinian Jihadists want? No, and the reason is because of what Aaron Klein referred to in his astute insight Israel will survive, “only by the grace of God.”

Not only does the two-state solution with a divided Jerusalem lack any rational basis politically, economically, socially or militarily, but it is based on the total ignorance of God’s declared promise of this land as a national home land for the Jewish people. As a matter of fact the current U.S. policy regarding the Israel-Palestinian issue is founded on myth derived from an on-going revisionist history. Not only are God’s covenants with Israel summarily dismissed (if known at all), but all international law respecting this issue is totally ignored.

As we have noted in our Jerusalem Connection Peace Plan (see our web site http://www.tjci.org/ ) “The legal validity of the modern state of Israel must be recognized as having been established by international law. This is confirmed by The Balfour Declaration of November 1917, authenticated and formalized by the British Mandate of the League of Nations in July 1922, by the United Nations partition resolution of 1947, by the official recognition of the State of Israel by the United States in May of 1948 and Israel’s admission to the United Nations in 1949.”

If Israel’s so-called Palestinian peace partners refuse to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, refuse to denounce and stop violence against Israel and refuse to abide by any past agreements with Israel, where then is there any realistic hope for peace. There is none, and if the Obama administration thinks it can impose peace they are living in a fantasy land of their own making. Is there any hope?

Unfortunately 78% of American Jews voted for Obama. As they see the progressive erosion of support for Israel on the part of Obama, they should be jarred into action. The elected Jewish politicians, most of whom are Democrats, should demand a change in Obama’s policies toward Israel and be held accountable if they don’t. Only time will tell if they have the political courage to challenge their leader. As for Christian Zionists, they have seen the folly of the two-state solution from the get go.

Sooner or later, and hopefully sooner, we will all see the numskull notion of Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security as a figment of western befuddled imagination. It’s simply not going to happen. There will be no peace until there is victory. Peace negotiations always follows, never precedes, victory on the battle field. Which means Israel will have to decisively defeat all Palestinian Jihadists including Hizbollah, totally disarm them and destroy and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure. Any thing short of this is illusory.

The sad reality of this is, if Israel does defeat the Palestinian Jihadists they will suffer the world’s condemnation. If they don’t they have consigned themselves to a never-ending fight for their own survival. The same is true whether or not they preemptively take out Iran’s nuclear capability. They are dammed if they do and dammed if they don’t.

Recently I was on a panel at a seminar hosted by the EMET Group and the Heritage Foundation dealing with New Solution to Old Problems related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The panel included three prominent Israelis, including two Major Generals plus former CIA Director, James Woolsey and noted scholar and commentator Daniel Pipes. The panel’s consensus conclusion was that the two-state solution is no solution at all primarily because neither Israel nor the Palestinians want it for different reasons, of course. Indeed, Aaron’s Klein’s word appears prophetic, “for now things don’t look good.”

Which brings me back to Klein’s more positive observation, “Israel will survive but only by the grace of God.” The prophet Daniel envisions a similar scenario. “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. …It will be for three and a half years. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all things will be completed.” (12:1, 7). “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High.” (7:27). The moral of the unfolding drama with Israel is that God’s grace will prevail. Read the end of the Book, we win!

A recent poll question on Lou Dobbs Tonight was, “Is it a sign of the times that President Obama is called “a god” (by Newsweek editor Evan Thomas) and “a false prophet” (by Jon Voight)? 86% agreed it was a sign of the times. 14% said no. We were heartened to see that 86% agree with us, but then it is our job to “Discern the signs of the times.”

Related News

Israeli defense minister, US envoy meet in New York - Yahoo News
Barak optimistic after meeting US Mideast envoy Mitchell - Jerusalem Post
Israel Said Engaged In Buildup Near Lebanon - Middle East Newsline

The Iraqi Government Wants to Turn the Biblical Site of Babylon into a Major Tourist Attraction

Jimmy DeYoung
By Jimmy DeYoung

With the rapidly improving security conditions in Iraq, the surrounding Babel province has persuaded the US State Department and the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage to embark on a preservation project with plans to make the ancient city of Babylon a major tourist attraction.

This war torn nation sees an opportunity to restore this Biblical city to a stage that could attract visitors from all over the world to the site of such great historic figures as Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great.

The US and Iraq will work together on this project that they believe can become at least what it was before Saddam Hussein if they are not able to bring it to where it was when the ancient city of Babylon ruled the world.

Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News

As the US and Iraq work together to restore the ancient Biblical city of Babylon as a tourist attraction for war torn Iraq, the stage is being set for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

For many years, I have reported the restoration of the Biblical site of Babylon under the leadership of the late Saddam Hussein. There are reports that Saddam spent 500 million dollars to restore Babylon not necessarily as a tourist site, but because Saddam believed he was a reincarnation of King Nebuchadnezzar who ruled the world from Babylon 2,500 years ago.

This Babylon project is in reality setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. A number of ancient Jewish prophets wrote centuries ago that Babylon would once again come to power before it was totally and completely destroyed, which has never happened.

Revelation 18 calls for the literal city of Babylon to be the economic center of the world and to be ruled over by the Antichrist for the last three and a half years of the seven year Tribulation Period. Isaiah in his prophecy, chapters 13-14, Jeremiah in chapters 50-51 and John the Apostle, in Revelation 16:17-20 all call for the total and complete destruction of Babylon.

The move to make Babylon a tourist attraction is indeed Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

Related News

Rebuilding Babylon in Iraq, as prophesied - Examiner.com
Bible Skeptics Take Note: Babylon Is Being Rebuilt, Just as Prophesied - Bible Prophecy Today (Joel Rosenberg)
Soldiers help preserve history - TheRedBulls.org

Pulling Out of Iraq and Fighting Opium in Afghanistan

Chuck Missler

By Chuck Missler

US troops pulled out of major Iraqi cities on Monday, handing over responsibility for security to the US-trained Iraqi forces. The withdrawal was celebrated by parades and fireworks, but many in the US and Iraq wonder whether the Iraqi forces are ready to fight the insurgency on their own. In the meanwhile, Afghanistan faces another deeply rooted problem; the opium trade.

Iraq: Thousands of US soldiers left Baghdad and other Iraqi cities by Tuesday morning at midnight, officially pulling out by June 30th as outlined by the Status of Forces agreement signed last November. Tuesday was celebrated with a full military parade and declared "National Sovereignty Day," by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Maliki stood up for Iraq and encouraged his people saying,

"Those who think that Iraqis are unable to defend their country are committing a fatal mistake."
U.S. Commanding General Ray Odierno told Fox News,
"The Iraqi people should be very proud of the dedication, progress, and sacrifice of the Iraqi security forces and the government of Iraq."
The insurgents also celebrated the pullout with a car bombing in the northern city of Kirkuk. At least 20 people died and more were injured, in one of several acts of severe violence committed as the June 30th withdrawal date approached. The Iraqi people may celebrate the triumph of taking charge of their own country's security, but there is still fear that al-Qaida and remnants of Saddam Hussein's Baath party will take advantage of the US absence to overwhelm the Iraqi forces.

The US has handed the cities into the hands of the Iraqis, but US troops have not abandoned Iraq entirely. Some US soldiers will remain in order to advise and train Iraqi security forces. The Iraqi government still wants US forces to operate in rural areas and near the border for now. The June 30th pullout is the first of several steps to have US forces completely out of Iraq by the end of December 2011.

Afghanistan: In the meanwhile, the US is still battling the Taliban on several fronts in Afghanistan. There are more ways to fight the Taliban, though, than just bombs and guns. Afghanistan produces 93 percent of the world's opium supply, and the Taliban feeds off of money from the opium trade. The US and Britain have both supported the policy of eradication – going in and destroying the poppy crops that fuel the industry. However, the US has decided to change tactics, and is giving up on eradication. Instead, the US wants to encourage farmers to plant alternative crops.

Afghanistan's farmers grow the poppy out of necessity rather than desire. There is a lot of danger on the roads, and transporting crops to market can be a life-and-death situation. The men who purchase poppy crops, however, will come to a farmer's land and collect the crop there, keeping the farmer at home where he can keep his family protected. Most Afghanis are Muslims, and drugs like heroin are against their religion, but when it comes down to feeding their families, many see opium as their only real option.

The US has decided to change tactics and work on helping farmers choose to raise crops other than the poppy. The US formerly pumped money into eradication - destroying opium crops to prevent them from going into the market. It has become clear that this policy isn't working. There is massive corruption in the Afghani law enforcement, and too often those farmers who can pay to have their opium crops protected are passed over for eradication. The smaller, poorer farmers are getting their crops destroyed. The injustice and failure of democracy is pushing many people towards support of the Taliban. In the meanwhile, the Taliban isn't losing any money; they were still getting hundreds of millions of dollars from the opium trade.

Richard C. Holbrooke, the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, spoke at a Group of Eight summit dedicated to Afghanistan, saying he sees eradication as "a waste of money." He said it "might destroy some acreage, but it didn't reduce the amount of money the Taliban got by one dollar".

He added:
"The farmers are not our enemy, they're just growing a crop to make a living. It's the drug system. So the US policy was driving people into the hands of the Taliban."
The new policy will also include putting money into improving the rule of law in Afghanistan and interrupting the drug markets and drug convoys. The heroin that gets shipped into Russia, Europe and Asia from Afghanistan will kill about 100,000 people this year.

Related Links

Car Bomb Ends Party Mood In Iraq - Times Online
4 Us Soldiers Killed During Iraq Cities Pullout - New York Post
US Completes Pullout of Combat Forces From Iraq Cities - Fox News
Britain To Continue Poppy Eradication In Afghanistan Despite US Reversal - Telegraph.co.uk
New Course for Antidrug Efforts in Afghanistan - The New York Times
U.S. Makes Big Shift In Afghanistan Drug Policy - AP

Cap and Trade Congress

Joseph Farah
By Joseph Farah

I don't think you can cap and trade the production of water vapor, which is what the House of Representatives voted to do last week.

I don't think it would be advisable to do so even if it were feasible.

But I do know the American people have the ability and the justification to cap and trade Congress next year.

And that ought to be our slogan.

What the House did last week is potentially the most dangerous, destructive and unconstitutional attack on the American economy in history.

In case you missed it, members narrowly voted to institute caps on the production of so-called "greenhouse gases" that will result in huge new government taxes that will inevitably be passed on to consumers in massive new energy bills. Industry will also be permitted to trade "carbon credits" when they produce less of these so-called "greenhouse gases" than the government permits.

So what's wrong with that?

Don't we want to stop pollution?

Don't we want to prevent global warming?

First of all, this is not about pollution – unless you believe you are creating air pollution when you boil a kettle of tea or brew a pot of coffee.

The overwhelming amount of so-called "greenhouse gas," as defined by this legislation, is water vapor – about 75 percent, in fact.

Do you think water vapor is a pollutant? Do you think it's harmful? Do you think the amount of water vapor made by man's industry is even remotely significant given the amount of natural evaporation taking place around the world every day, every hour and every minute?

The other major gas reined in by cap and trade is carbon dioxide – also not a pollutant but a naturally occurring gas vital to life on the planet.

Every time you exhale, you release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than you breathed in. Plants love carbon dioxide. They breath it and produce oxygen. More CO2, more plants. More plants, more oxygen.

And there is no evidence that either of these innocuous, naturally occurring, beneficial gases are causing climate change. None, zip, zilch, nada.

Nevertheless, Congress is about to unleash the most severe punishment on the U.S. economy yet. Cap and trade is potentially a more lethal blow to free enterprise, the Constitution and simple reason and common sense than even Barack Obama's bailouts and deficit spending.

It quite literally could destroy the U.S. economy. Yet, the plan is all based on pseudo-science and hysteria, not sound science. Man-made carbon dioxide and water vapor represent an infinitesimally small amount of the carbon dioxide and water vapor in our atmosphere. There is no evidence increases in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere even lead to warming. There is also no evidence that small fluctuations in global temperatures actually lead to devastating results. In fact, they are often beneficial – and they are cyclical. The planet has been much colder in man's history. And it has been much warmer in history. These trends occurred before man was involved in major industry.

Now, even if it were legal for the federal government to limit my production of water vapor and carbon dioxide, and even if it made sense and were the right thing to do, it will still not accomplish anything but the destruction of the U.S. economy.

The very same folks promoting this insanity are always talking about how we live in a "global village" and "global economy." Yet this legislation affects only production in America. It does nothing to rein in the other big producers – China and India. Both India and China are increasingly putting out more carbon dioxide than we could ever stop putting out. China has been adding a new 500 megawatt coal or gas-burning plant about every week or two, with hundreds more planned. So, even if the U.S. places on its own businesses strict limits on the production of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases," India and China will more than make up the difference by adding new carbon dioxide-emitting generating plants.

That means the worldwide emissions of CO2 are gong to continue to rise even if we decide to kill the American economy and go back to the horse-and-buggy days. And that's exactly what the House voted to do last week – take us back to the horse-and-buggy days.

We can't possibly do anything to reduce world levels of CO2 unless India and China stop developing cold in their tracks. They would indeed need to start shutting down some of those electrical generating plants and remain part of the "Third World." That is not going to happen.

"Cap and trade" is not a solution to the dubious theory of "climate change." It is a recipe for taking America down as a world power, as a free nation and as the most prosperous country on the planet.

It's really that bad, folks. It's really that bad.

And that's why we need "cap and trade" – but not on naturally occurring, life-sustaining gases. We need to cap and trade Congress in 2010.

Related News

Obama: Energy prices will ‘skyrocket’ - Ada Evening News
U.S. conservative Christians sound “cap and trade” alarms - Reuters Blogs
The Cap and Trade debacle must die in the Senate; thanks to House Republicans - Examiner.com

On Fire to Teach Bible Prophecy

Nathan Jones
By Nathan Jones

Eight Bible prophecy experts were asked, "Why do you teach Bible prophecy?" The following is how they responded.

Daymond Duck

God has laid it on me. He has laid about everything on me and I haven't always been willing to do all of these things. But, He opens doors for me and that's the way I pray, "God, if you got something you want me to do open the door, and if you don't want me to do it close the door." God opened the door for me to write. God has opened the door for me to be on television. God has opened the door for me to do all kinds of things that I never dreamed I would be able to do.

Ray Gano

In Jeremiah it talks about the fire burning in Jeremiah's bones. I am a watchman on the wall. I am a lay person. I am really nobody. But, I just have a love for God's Word. Ever since sixth grade I read a book that changed my life and it scared the tar out of me. Actually, it was by Salem Kirba. It was called 666 and it startled me. After that, I, of course, read Hal Lindsey and he scared the tar out of me, and from that point on when I was in sixth grade I have been studying Bible prophecy ever since. It was weird when I came back to the Lord, you know everybody does their prodigal son time. But, when I came back to the Lord, God hit me up with a two-by-four and said, "These things are going on, look at this, look at this, look at this!" And it was like "Wow! Where have I been?" And, that fire in my bones came up and ever since then I have not been able to be quiet. I have to proclaim the Good New., I have to proclaim the Gospel. I have to tell people about the blessed hope of our Lord's soon return. It is soon!

Don Perkins

Well, first of all, the Lord placed His burden in my heart to teach Bible prophecy, and with that burden He gave me a love for the End Time message. I love what this message produces for my heart. As a born-again teacher, it puts the urgency in my heart to want to reach the lost. This message, out of all the messages in the Bible, to me really again puts that urgency there. It keeps the fire of God in my heart. I love the results of this message. As I teach it around the country I see men's lives changed as a result of them hearing Bible prophecy.

So, I teach it because I love it, and God has burdened my heart to teach it. It is a wonderful tool to bring in the harvest.

Nathan Jones

Because of the sign of the times — Jesus is coming soon!

So much of our faith in Christ is based on His promises, and He promised He is going to return again. We can trust Christ based on His promises always being fulfilled. I want the world to know that Jesus is coming soon. It's this urgent need, it's the gift of prophecy you could say, to get out that Jesus is coming soon.

Get your life straight if you don't know Jesus. Accept Him now, or it's going to be a miserable seven years ahead of you, then death. We want people to know Jesus as their Savior and get right with Christ.

Phillip Goodman

Because the Lord called me — He put it on my heart. Way back while I was still in the education system, He just laid it on my heart. He sat me at His feet and He opened the Bible before me and He sent the Holy Spirit down and helped me learn the Scriptures. I sat at his feet and learned. And then I brought in great teachers and their books. But, here was The Book. God was the teacher through His Holy Spirit, and He called me to do it in that fashion. And so, I knew long before I retired that I would be going into the ministry.

Al Gist

Well, obviously the answer to that is because God called me to it. But, you know, God uses people to accomplish His work. We are the hands and feet and the voice of God in this world.

There was this one man shortly after I entered evangelism. I went to a Bible prophecy conference. Now, I had been a Bible prophecy student for many years and it was a very interesting area of study for me. I was committed to it and I enjoyed it greatly. Even as a pastor I did the many series where I taught through Daniel and Revelation and did Bible prophecy teaching and preaching. But, when I initially went into evangelism I just felt to teach evangelistically like I had always done. And God was good! He blessed it and we saw a lot of people saved and we saw many Christians rededicate their lives to Christ and it was going well.

But, I had only been in full-time evangelism for about six months when God opened a door. A friend called me and said, "You know this guy named Dave Reagan is having a Bible Prophecy Conference at Bethel Baptist Church in Jennings, Louisiana." And he said, "Have you ever heard of him?" And I said, "Well, yeah, I have heard him on the radio." He said, "You should come with me and let's go to that." So I said, "Okay." And we went. During that conference, which was I think in the year 2000, Dr. Reagan preached and I honestly can't say what was preached about other then of course Bible prophecy and the return of Christ. And there was offered an invitation and I felt tremendously moved of God that something was just not right. I thought I was right in the center of God's will and that I was doing I thought what God had called me to do. I was a pastor and then He called me into full-time evangelism. "Lord what else do you want!?" And, not knowing, I went down to the altar and I just began to question God and I said, "Lord what do you want me to do?" There was an elderly gentleman in that church. His name is John Smith. I didn't know him at the time, and I didn't even see him. He is in bad health and he walked very slowly (my wife was telling me this later she saw it) and he came to the altar and as I was kneeling he came and put his hands on me. He prayed I think probably one of the most beautiful prayers I have ever heard in a very strong Cajun accent. With such simple power he in essence said, "God, this man is searching for something that you want him to do." It was almost like a light came on. I don't know how to explain that voice of God that you hear. But, what I heard of God that was at that time was that Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming and you need to tell people that Jesus is coming.

And so, in that particular Bible prophecy conference I surrendered to the idea that God wanted me to preach about the return of Christ. I began gradually to move my ministry in that direction. And within a few months, we were totally focused on that thing — to preach about the Return of Christ. I have continued to do that for about 8 years now.

Ed Hindson

I was convinced very early in life as a teenager of the promises of the Second Coming of Christ in the Scripture. I was influenced very early on by a book by a man called Harry Rimmer who wrote a book called The Shadow of Coming Events and The Coming War with Russia. Harry Rimmer was a professor who taught at Wheaton College way back in the 1940's who literally predicted the outcome of WWII based on his understanding of the book of Ezekiel. He had a great influence on Bible prophecy teachers and speakers. When I was 16 years old, I preached my very first sermon on the Second Coming of Christ. It's always been part of my heart and soul and passion. My pastor was very committed to Bible prophecy as part of his ministry and built a very successful church, a very evangelistic church.

I think prophecy reminds all of us that if Jesus is really coming back we have to face Him one day either as a Savior and Lord or as our Judge. Prophecy compels us to proclaim the message of the Gospel to reach out to the world in our lifetime and to do all that we can because we believe Jesus could come at any time.

David Reagan

I think Jeremiah 20:9 best sums up why I gave up 20 years in higher education as a professor of International Law and Politics to become a full-time preacher and teacher of Bible prophecy. Jeremiah said that he had to proclaim God's prophetic Word because it had become like a fire within him that he had to release because he could not endure it. Well, that is certainly how I felt. I became overwhelmingly convinced through my study of God's prophetic Word that we are living in the season of the Lord's return, and that I had been called along with many others to proclaim that message to as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

The common thread that seemed to run through all those wonderful testimonies was the call of God on their lives to proclaim the prophetic Word. Like a fire in their soul, these students of Bible prophecy feel driven to proclaim the Good News and soon return of Jesus Christ.

Have you felt that same calling by the Holy Spirit? And, if so, how have you responded?

(You can watch this Q&A at our website on Christ in Prophecy.)


Honduras May Be the Looking Glass of America's Future

Bill Wilson
By Bill Wilson

Honduran "President" Manuel Zelaya's term was to end in November on a Constitutional requirement that he cannot run for office again. The leftist Zelaya decided that he wanted to stay in office by holding a Constitutional referendum to suspend the Honduran Constitution so he could remain in office for as long as he wanted. The Honduran Congress thought better of it, and the military took Zelaya into custody and exiled him to Costa Rica. The Honduran Congress appointed an interim president, who says there will be elections in November to choose a new president. Currently, the world is calling it a military coup.

Zelaya was an ally of Venezuela's dictator Hugo Chavez, Communist leader of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega, and Cuba's Castro. The new interim president, Roberto Micheletti, says the ousting of Zelaya saved Honduras from becoming a radical "Venezuelan-Style" socialist country. Speaking to Reuters, Micheletti said there was no coup and that Honduras was more of a democracy now than it was three days ago. Micheletti, who reportedly has deep conservative beliefs, will lead the country until elections are held in November. It appears by the reaction of the world that "democracy" is more important than true liberty.

Democracy - rejected outright by America's Founding Fathers in favor of a Constitutional Republic - places nations in danger of totalitarian rule. Democracy is the rule of the majority, not the rule of law. And the communists and socialists have used "democracy" to make people think they are in control of their government, when in reality it has become an oppressed, controlled society. Democracy is being used in the United States in much the same way - starting with nationalization of the financial and auto industries, and with promises to do the same to healthcare. Even the new global warming legislation requires the government to inspect private homes before they can be sold.

Its no wonder the man who occupies the Oval Office sided with South American dictators regarding Honduras, saying he was "standing on the side of democracy." He also stood with oppressive democracy when Iran was killing protestors in the streets after its so-called democratic election. He deplored the violence, but opted instead not to endanger future talks with the world's most renown sponsor of terrorism. When the power of "democracy" fills a void of moral character in powerful leaders it endangers the rule of law and individual liberty. Proverbs 14:34 says,
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."
Will America face the same dilemma as Honduras in the future?

Related News

Honduras coup holds few risks for Latin leftists - Reuters
U.S. Cautious on Calling Honduras a 'Coup' - CBS News
Ousted Honduran President Vows To Return - Sky News
UN to hear ousted Honduran leader - BBC News

Monday, June 29, 2009

Iranian Regime Strengthens Grip on Power While IDF Continues Preparations for Attack

Chris Schang
By Chris Schang

Welcome to this edition of the Rapture Report. Today we will examine the latest situation regarding the recent Iranian elections and examine the latest news coming out of Israel. As many of you know there was considerable and widespread unrest in Iran as the result of the recent Iranian elections. There have been both calls for a full re-count as well as a re-vote of the votes. Despite the Iranian election authority previously finding numerous irregularities in the votes they did re-count, they nonetheless somehow decided that there was no need to re-count all the votes. To me, that sounds rather fishy and I think the Iranian people believe so as well. I would guess that the supreme ruler of Iran had something to do with the results being finalized despite what some termed the "mini-revolution" that we saw on the Iranian streets days after the election. The ruling regime in Iran is frantically trying to hold onto their control of the country despite the worst public protests in decades.

It was reported today in the Haaretz newspaper that Iran's top legislative body is making a final confirmation of the disputed election results. The newspaper reported:
Iran's top legislative body on Monday confirmed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in the contested June 12 presidential recount. The Guardian Council's official recount of the votes found that no irregularities in the election which brought about the largest protest on Iranian streets since the 1979 revolution. Protesters have claimed that the vote was imbued with massive fraud, but the legislative body has insisted that it was legitimate.
The Iranian opposition candidates have at this time refused a re-count and have demanded the elections be completely annulled. I, for one, can't blame them. How can you admit that there were irregularities in the vote while at the same time saying there weren't any irregularities. To me, all of this is simply a sleight of hand by the ruling regime and I think they are hoping all of this opposition to their rule will quietly die down. For their part they are harshly cracking down on public demonstrations and riots as seen by this Haaretz newspaper article:
Riot police clashed with up to 3,000 protesters near a mosque in north Tehran on Sunday, using tear gas and truncheons to break up Iran's first post-election demonstration in five days, witnesses said. Witnesses told The Associated Press that some protesters fought back, chanting: Where is my vote? They said others described scenes of brutality - including the alleged police beating of an elderly woman - in the clashes around the Ghoba Mosque.
While these clashes occurred on Sunday it is being reported that some areas of northern Iran are under some sort of resemblance to quasi-martial law as seen from one of the previous reported articles:
Witnesses said an atmosphere of quasi-martial law had descended on northern Tehran, as police officers, riot police and large numbers of security forces took up positions. In addition mobile phone networks were blocked again as of midday. Text-messaging systems have been blocked in the country for more than 18 days, since the crisis over the disputed presidential election began on June 13.
As we can see here the ruling regime is putting out all the stops to keep the unrest at bay. How long they can do so remains to be seen, but I would imagine that ultimately the ruling regime will prevail. As a sign of that, there have been some reports that about 70 different "academics" had suddenly disappeared" in Iran as a result of the ruling regime's crackdown. The article stated:
Iran is continuing its crackdown on dissidents protesting irregularities in the country's presidential elections with the arrest of 70 academics who met on Wednesday with challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi. The Kalemeh web site, which is linked to Mousavi's campaign, reported that it was not known where the professors were taken. Other prominent dissidents, as well as at least 10 foreign journalists and some 26 Iranian reporters, have "disappeared" in a similar manner in recent days.
All of these things do not sound good for the Iranian opposition. I believe we will have to keep watching the situation in Iran to see where it is headed, but it would appear to me that the ruling regime will have the final say one way or another. Also, current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was on record the other day saying that his 2nd term as president would be much "tougher" on the West. The Israel National News website is reporting:
The Obama administration's criticism of the Iranian crackdown on dissent following the June 12 election shows its offer of talks on Iran's nuclear program isn't genuine, said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a speech in which he vowed to take a tougher approach toward the West in his second term....Ahmadinejad said that "the government will have a more powerful and decisive approach in the new term," and lashed out at Western leaders calling them "the arrogants."
In other news, it is being reported that the Israel Air Force is currently upgrading their F-15's for long distance attack missions. The Israel National News is reporting:
The Israel Air Force's F-15 fleet is undergoing an upgrade, with systems that make it better equipped for complex long distance attack scenarios. The systems are being installed in both the F-15 and the F-15I - a model of the F-15 that was developed by its U.S. manufacturer specifically for the IAF. According to IDF journal BaMachaneh, the F-15I model is currently being fitted with two new systems - one called "Barad Pelada" ("Steel Hail"), and another named Lightning.
The article also went on to quote IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi as saying:
"The reelection of Iran's president, his grave utterances regarding his will to harm the state of Israel and Iran's continual effort to achieve unconventional weapons require us to maintain an army that is coiled and ready to spring into action, and an Air Force that is skilled and sharp as a razor, that will stand up to any enemy and remove any threat from our citizens and residents," IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said Thursday in an IAF ceremony for new pilots at the Hatzerim Air Force Base.
Folks, I believe these comments are very important in that it shows that while the ruling regime in Iran is starting to possibly regain control over Iran, the IDF is continuing to make the necessary preparations to strike Iran's nuclear program should the nuclear program issue fail to be resolved by diplomatic means. I believe an Israeli strike on Iran has the potential to escalate the prophetic situation on the ground leading us to potential Bible prophecy fulfillments. There are a good many Bible teachers today that are starting to believe that the prophecies of Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39 could be lurking just down the prophetic road. Whether they do or not remains to be seen, but students of Bible prophecy should continue to focus on being watchmen on the wall as we see the prophetic puzzle pieces moving into place. With events pointing to conflict coming soon down the road, believers should heed the words of the Lord and "look up, for your redemption draws nigh"!!

I hope this Rapture Report has been a blessing for you as it has been for me to write it. Let us keep watching and praying for the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God bless.

Related News

Iran police out in force as election result upheld - Khaleej Times
Iran's Guardian Council approves vote results - China Economic Net
Will Iran take the heat off Israel over settlements? - Rwanda New Times
'Ahmadinejad win requires primed IDF' - Jerusalem Post

Obama Tells Jews to Stop Building Homes – in Israel!

Aaron Klein
By Aaron Klein

The Obama administration told the Palestinian Authority the "golden era" of Israeli construction in sections of Jerusalem and the strategic West Bank will soon come to an end, a top PA negotiator told WND.
"The U.S. assured us that for the first time since 1967, we are going into a period where there will not be allowed a single construction effort on the part of the Israelis in the settlements, including in Gush Etzion, Maale Adumum and eastern Jerusalem," said the negotiator, speaking from Ramallah on condition his name be withheld.
Maale Adumim is located in eastern Jerusalem. Israel reunited the eastern and western sections of Jerusalem and the West Bank during the 1967 Six Day War. Eastern Jerusalem, claimed by the PA for a future state, includes the Temple Mount.

The negotiator told WND the positions of the PA and U.S. regarding ongoing Jewish construction in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem "are closer than ever."
"The U.S. used to differentiate between natural grown and adding new communities. Not anymore. No construction will be allowed, not even natural growth," the PA negotiator said.
"Natural growth" means adding additional housing to existing communities to accommodate the needs of a growing population.

The negotiator spoke yesterday just before Defense Minister Ehud Barak took off for Washington, D.C., for meetings with the Obama administration.

The negotiator claimed that while Barak might reach an understanding with the U.S. regarding possible West Bank movements, such a deal would be for Israeli political purposes and wouldn't translate into actual Jewish construction on the ground.

The Obama administration recently demanded Israel halt all settlement activity, including natural growth, in apparent abrogation of a deal made by President Bush to allow for natural growth.

The deal was forged just prior to Israel's 2005 retreat from the Gaza Strip. It was confirmed by Sharon aide Dov Weissglas in 2005, and in a Wall Street Journal column last week by Elliott Abrams, a former deputy national security adviser to Bush who reportedly negotiated the arrangement. The deal was in line with an official letter from Bush the year before stating Israel cannot be expected to withdraw from the entire West Bank and that the Jewish state would retain major settlement blocs there.

The West Bank borders major Israeli cities and is within rocket firing range of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport.

Military strategists long have estimated Israel must maintain the West Bank to defend itself from any ground invasion. Terrorist groups have warned if Israel withdraws, they will launch rockets from the West Bank into Israeli cities.

Many villages in the West Bank, which Israelis commonly refer to as the "biblical heartland," are mentioned throughout the Torah:

The book of Genesis says Abraham entered Israel at Shechem (Nablus) and received God's promise of land for his offspring. He later was buried in Hebron.

The nearby town of Beit El, anciently called Bethel, meaning "house of God," is where Scripture says the patriarch Jacob slept on a stone pillow and dreamed of angels ascending and descending a stairway to heaven. In that dream, God spoke directly to Jacob and reaffirmed the promise of territory.

And in Exodus, the holy tabernacle rested in Shiloh, believed to be the first area the ancient Israelites settled after fleeing Egypt.

Related News

Israel OKs West Bank Construction - Wall Street Journal
Israel to build 50 new homes at West Bank settlement - Reuters
Israel approves more settlement expansion as Barak heads to US - Daily Star (Lebanon)
Israel 'fed up' with US settlement demands - Israel Today

The Announcement by an Ethiopian Religious Leader that He Had the Holy Ark of the Covenant Has Been Proven to Be False

Jimmy DeYoung
By Jimmy DeYoung

Ark hunters and Bible enthusiasts recently were buzzing with the possibility that the Biblical Ark of the Covenant would be put on display in Rome, Italy. Now, they realize that the leader of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church patriarch Abuna Pauolos could not produce the Ark which he claims to have seen.

The Ethiopian patriarch had been in Rome to meet with Pope Benedict and he told the Pope that the Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia and has been there for many centuries and that he had actually seen the Ark which he described to be in very good condition.

Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News

Claims by an Ethiopian religious leader or anyone else that the Ark of the Covenant has been in Ethiopia contradicts the Word of God and sets the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

For a number of years, Ark hunters have been searching for the most important piece of furniture that was a part of the temple worship in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. The search was motivated by tradition that the third King of Israel, King Solomon, had given the Ark to the Queen of Sheba and she had taken it to Ethiopia, a tradition that Jewish scholars say has no basis of truth. Some Ark hunters do believe the Ark to be in Ethiopia and there are those who even say Israeli commandos raided the Ethiopian church where the Ark was supposedly housed and returned the holy relic to Jerusalem.

According to the Bible, all of these accounts of the Ark being in Ethiopia are totally false. I Kings 8 reveals that King Solomon placed the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in the Jewish temple that he built 3000 years ago. 400 years later, II Chronicles 35:3 reveals that King Josiah had the Levites place the Ark in a secret secluded hiding place underneath the temple in the 620's BC. During the Babylonian Captivity which took place from 605 BC through 539 BC, the Ark was still in that hiding place in Jerusalem according to Ezekiel 9:3 where it says that the glory of the Lord lifted off of the Ark of the Covenant to go back to the heavens.

Religious Jewish experts claim that the Ark of the Covenant is under the Temple Mount - underneath the Dome of the Rock - and will be brought out when the next temple stands in Jerusalem - according to Bible prophecy that may be fulfilled in the very near future.

Related Links

Has the Ark of the Covenant Been Found? - Bible Prophecy Today (Dr. David Reagan)
Where is the Ark of the Covenant? - The Temple Institute
The Ark is not going to be revealed, says Gebremedhin - Ethiopian Review

The King Is Dead - Again

Terry James
By Terry James

Michael Jackson’s death has dominated news since Thursday, June 26. The “King of Pop” sent the performer’s fans and media types into a frenzy of mourning and recounting his prolific successes over the years. We remember how fans and the world reacted to the death of the “King of Rock & Roll” in August of 1977. Elvis Presley’s death reverberates to this day, but now will have to share the posthumous stage lights of idolization with the man who gave the world “Thriller” and many other mega sellers, and who was at the center of producing the globalist anthem, “We Are the World.”

My friend Chris of New York City sent an article that sparked this week’s commentary. He said,
“I think that it's interesting that Google servers were shut down temporarily when it was announced that Michael Jackson had died.”
Chris called me Friday morning while I sat with my younger son, Nathan, in a restaurant at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. Chris said he had sent me a newspaper article, and made the observation that it was amazing, even eerie, how the death of a single performer could so affect a massive Internet entity. The article excerpt explains:
“The shocking news of the King of Pop's sudden death yesterday sparked so much Web traffic that Google's news-link Web site had to put a temporary block on "Michael Jackson" search requests. Google's computers incorrectly interpreted the flood of requests as a "denial of service" attack meant to crash the news site. The flood of chatter and tributes did bring down sites across the World Wide Web. The superstar's home page barely functioned after the announcement. Eventually, the site's links were removed, leaving only a depiction of Jackson in his trademark white T-shirt and black jacket and hat shown against a blood-red background with the words: ‘King of Pop.’ Also inaccessible was the home page for London's O2 concert venue, where Jackson was set to kick off an epic, 50-date tour next month. Three of the top five searches on Google last night related to Jackson. Twitter also was abuzz when rumors of the pop star's death -- the subject of hundreds of thousands of blog postings -- first began to circulate late yesterday afternoon…” (Tom Liddy, “Mass Mourning Results in Web Crash,” New York Post, June 26, 2009,)
My phone conversation with Chris the Friday following Jackson’s death and the subsequent Google crash centered around what will happen when millions upon millions suddenly vanish from earth. Specifically, we thought about Todd’s - I believe - Holy Spirit-engendered thinking and planning for the immediate reaction following the Rapture.

Reaction to the death of the “King of Pop” far surpassed in sheer global response the death of the “King of Rock & Roll.” The reaction almost instantly, because of the electrifying advances in communications since Elvis‘ death in 1977, touched the senses of every person within societies that have the technical capabilities to be informed.

When the Rapture of the church (all believers in Christ for salvation) happens, as Todd constantly reminds, the people of the planet will think of one word after the panic subsides a bit and people start searching in earnest for answers: “RAPTURE!”

When they type in the word, www.raptureready.com will leap at the searching eyes of a shocked, left-behind people. I believe the Lord has been preparing the senses of the people of this world for thinking this word - Rapture - for when the stupendous event occurs. Although I am the least person of technical savvy, especially when it comes to computers and the Internet, I understand enough to know that Todd plans to continue working toward mirror sites, and in other ways, to delay as long as possible the meltdown of the tremendous information about the Rapture and God’s salvation message when the Rapture takes place. More than that, however, is the conviction that the Lord himself will perform whatever miracles necessary to keep Rapture Ready and other websites containing His message of truth open for all who search the Net. I take the Lord at his Word when He said,
“ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
The “King of Rock & Roll” has passed away, the “King of Pop” has passed away, and so too one day, all of the hoopla surrounding those humanity has made their idols will pass away with the fallen world system. But, the King who truly deserves the praise, honor, and glory — His Word will never pass away. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords we are looking for to come again to make all things right. It is this truth, and all attendant to God’s glorious plan for mankind, to which Rapture Ready is committed and dedicated.

***Report on History Channel filming***

The “shoot,”--as the LA types call it--for The History Channel documentary went very well last Thursday, June 26. I honestly sensed the presence of the Lord while fielding the interview questions from the interviewer.

My thankfulness goes to Him, and my profound thanks goes to each of you who prayed for that endeavor, as I know you did. Your prayers were felt, I assure, and made all the difference in being able to do what I know is God’s will and work in this filming.

The History Channel folks were most kind, generous, and accommodating. I am indebted to them for their warm hospitality.

Thanks again to each of you for your prayers and thoughts, as together we strive to put forth God’s Word at every opportunity He presents to us.


Antichrist Will Be Headquartered in Rome

Nathan Jones
By Nathan Jones

Where will the headquarters of the Antichrist be located during the Great Tribulation? Will it be Rome, Jerusalem, New York, Babylon, or some other city? Twelve different Bible prophecy experts were asked this question. The following five answered that it would be some place else other than a rebuilt Babylon, or that it could be Babylon but they were not entirely convinced. Here are their responses.

Nathan Jones

I honestly don't know. I do believe that the Antichrist will rise from Rome. When it talks about the people destroying the Temple in 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Israel and the Temple. The Antichrist has to come out of Rome. Whether his capital, his actually physical capital building is in Rome, I am not sure. Babylon would be logical because if he has a peace treaty with Israel and it is all about the resources of the Middle East. It would be very smart to have a capital in the oil fields where you can defend it well.

Don Perkins

I believe it will be Rome. It may start off there and eventually go on to Jerusalem. I go back to 2 Thessalonians 2. I believe that it will end in Jerusalem because the heart of God is Jerusalem. I believe that Antichrist will eventually move his capital there because again he wants what God wants and Jerusalem is the apple of God's eye. But, I believe that it will start in Rome and eventually end up in Jerusalem.

Todd Strandberg

There are so many ways to look into that question. It says it will be destroyed and all the merchants of the world will mourn after it. That could be America or it could be Rome because of the revived Roman Empire. It could be Israel because the Antichrist will rule out of there. It could be Babylon and Iraq being rebuilt as some people propose. So, pick your choice there.

Ed Hindson

I personally believe that it will be Rome. I do not believe that it will literally be Babylon. I think that John is obviously using the term "Babylon" as a code word for Rome in the Book of the Revelation. The city that sits on seven hills in the ancient world was always understood as Rome. He is talking about a place where the martyrs of Jesus have been persecuted. He is talking about a place that has stood against the prophets of God and the people of God throughout the generations. I think he is making a very strong case for a great End Time system that will encompass the entire world.

The question is where will it be headquartered? Not likely in Babylon in Iraq. You are going to move the headquarters of the United Nations to Iraq and endure suicide bombers, Islamic threats, terrorism, etc? The Iraqis themselves have no real regard for Babylon. It is a pagan city, not an Islamic city. It is 50 miles from Bagdad. It's never been successfully rebuilt and it will never be successfully rebuilt according to Isaiah's prophecy. Alexander the Great tried to rebuild it and failed, Antiochus Epiphanies tried to rebuild it and failed, Saddam Hussein tried to rebuild it and failed, and if you try to rebuild it you'll fail.

David Reagan

I would agree that there are many prophecies in the Old Testament about Babylon that have not yet been fulfilled. And, I would agree that these prophecies apply to the End Time headquarters of the Antichrist. But, there is a problem with applying them to ancient Babylon. That problem is rooted in the fact that End Time Babylon is defined in the New Testament and the Book of Revelation, and I think those passages make it clear that the End Time Babylon will be Rome. For example, the End Time Babylon is identified in Revelation 17 as a "mystery" or as "Mystery Babylon" depending on the translations. But, either way, it seems to me to be a clear tip off that the author, the Apostle John, is speaking symbolically of some other city then ancient Babylon. In fact, John uses this very same literary technique a few chapters earlier in Revelation 11:8 when talking about the two witnesses of God that the Antichrist will kill in the middle of the Tribulation. The passage states that their bodies will lie in the streets of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt. He then goes on to identify the city as Jerusalem. He referred to it as Sodom because of its immorality, and he referred to it as Egypt because of its idolatry.

Returning to Revelation 17 where the End Time headquarters of the Antichrist is referred to as "Mystery Babylon," the rest of the chapter makes it clear I think that he is talking about Rome. In verse 9 he refers to it as the "city on seven mountains" which in that day and time could only refer to Rome. And, in verse 18, he refers to it as the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. At the time John wrote this in the First Century, that could only apply to Rome. Further evidence that he was speaking of Rome is to be found in 1 Peter 5:13 where the Apostle Peter ends his epistle with the greetings from "the church that is in Babylon." Well, there was no church in Babylon at that time, and Peter was writing from Rome. This passage makes it obvious that Christians in the First Century used Babylon as a code word for Rome.

Finally, there is a prophecy in Isaiah that seems to me to state clearly that Babylon will never be built again once it falls to the Medes and the Persians. Here is how it reads, it reads,

"Behold I am going to stir up the Medes against them, against the Babylonians, who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold and their bows will mow down the young men, they will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb, nor will their eye pity children, and Babylon the beauty of kingdoms the glory of the Chaldeans pride will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation."
Now some people respond to this passage by saying it was not fulfilled in the time of the Medes because they did not destroy the city suddenly with fire the way Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. But, the context makes it clear that it is talking about the conquering of Babylon by the Medes. And furthermore, it does not say Babylon will be destroyed in the same manner as Sodom and Gomorrah. Rather, it says that after the Medes conquer the city it will become like Sodom and Gomorrah. In other words, it will become desolate, and that is exactly what happened. The city went into a long decline and by 141 B.C. when the Parthian Empire took over the region, Babylon was in complete desolation and obscurity and that is the way it has remained ever since.

Today, rumors abound that Babylon is being rebuild for habitation, but those rumors are not true. Saddam Hussein built one of his many presidential palaces on the edge of the ancient city and rebuilt some of the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar's Palace complex, but all of this was built for tourism, not for habitation. You can see from aerial photos that the ancient site of Babylon stands barren to this day.

So, my conclusion is that just as Isaiah says ancient Babylon will never be rebuilt again, and the headquarters of the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation will be Rome.

Regardless of the Bible prophecy experts' differences over the location of the Antichrist's headquarters, all agree that the Bible teaches there will be an Antichrist who will rule the world from either Rome or Babylon. And, at the end of the Tribulation, his headquarters will be destroyed suddenly by fire from God in one hour of one day just as was the case with ancient Sodom and Gomorrah.

You can watch this Q&A at our website on Christ in Prophecy.


Praying on the Temple Mount

Jim Fletcher
By Jim Fletcher

It’s happened again. An Israeli cabinet minister is being criticized for merely visiting Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

The site of the two Jewish temples, destroyed by Babylonian and Roman forces, is home to two Muslim shrines: the Dome of the Rock, and the Al-Aksa Mosque (from whence we get the diabolical “Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade,” a terrorist group supported by Fatah, the political wing of the PLO headed by none other than Mahmoud Abbas).

(By the way, if you haven’t already, you simply must get a terrific new book by WorldNetDaily correspondent Aaron Klein, The Late Great State of Israel. Don’t let the title fool you or offend you; he is merely alerting us to the dangers facing Israel and providing eyewitness reporting that is utterly fascinating.)

Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch just days ago visited the Temple Mount and predictably, the Palestinian Wakf — religious authority — denounced it as a “provocation.”

The denunciation is the provocation; do you get it? This is the Age of Disinformation, and the Wakf statement is more of the barrage of anti-Jew hatred being spewed everywhere, it seems.

Imagine this: today on the Temple Mount, Arabs can come and go freely. Non-Arabs can rarely visit the place. Israeli police guard the entrances and inquiring as to visit times always has a clandestine-feel to it. Usually, a visitor/tourist is told to come back early the next morning. Sometimes that works out.

But to simply walk up there is not allowed. Unless of course you are Palestinian.

Aharonovitch’s visit calls to mind the famous visit by Ariel Sharon in 2000. Surrounded by a huge security detail, Sharon simply walked around. The ensuing chaos generated by the Palestinian Authority left people dead. Who was blamed?

Israel.

How long will this lying go on? How long will it be tolerated? A while longer, apparently.

MK Taleb A-Sanaa (United Arab List) said of the recent visit:
"Aharonovitch is unwelcome at the Al-Aksa Mosque, and his purpose was to incense the Muslims and try to show them who's in charge."
The statement is absurd. But it passes for reasonableness in not only the Arab world, but in diplomatic circles. No one ever calls the Arabs on their silliness/hate-mongering. They just let it go.

If you ever visit the site, you will have limited access time, and you will notice Wakf rules posted in strategic places, urging you to respect the sensibilities of the Haram Al-Sharif, which is what the Arabs call the site. Prayer rugs are everywhere and you can see for yourself how the Palestinians have actually vandalized the world’s most famous archaeological site.

No one even sniffs at this outrage. But let a Jew visit and it’s an international incident.

More than a decade ago, I read an article on a United Methodist news site. The report quoted Yasser Arafat, visiting Washington D.C., as saying the Israelis do not allow freedom of worship.

This was a bald-faced lie, and the reporter counted on no one challenging it. When I contacted her and told her that I had just returned from Israel, and had been refused admittance to the Temple Mount because of Arab sensibilities, she was surprised that she had been challenged. Of course, a correction was never run, because that would have torpedoed her propaganda.

The point is, a lot of people spread lies about the Israelis because a whole lot of people don’t like Jews.

The only controlling entity that has ever guaranteed freedom of worship for all faiths in the Holy Land is the State of Israel. That is a documented, historical fact.

About the same time as the UMC propaganda hit-piece, then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green-light for a passageway to be opened along the base of the Temple Mount, leading into the Arab section, the area where Arab shops are. The opening was asked for because tourists entering a tunnel had to then back-track to exit. The new exit allowed not only a continuous, orderly flow of tourists at the site, but it opened into Arab shops.

The tunnel has been there for over 2,000 years. The Israelis merely cut a door at the end of it.

You’d have thought they’d started World War III. Arafat began circulating the lie that the Israelis were “tunneling” under the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aksa Mosque. Even Western journalists reported such insanity!

You see what we’re dealing with.

When I visit the Temple Mount, if I want to pray, I’d better be wearing sunglasses. The Wakf does not allow non-Muslim prayer there!

Is this not outrageous in the extreme? The truth is trampled and lies replace it. Truth is literally turned on its head…because doing so maligns the already hated Jews.

A funny irony at the site, though: years ago, a Muslim ruler, hearing a Jewish legend that the Messiah would one day enter through the Eastern Gate, had the gate bricked-up. He decided that would keep the Jewish King out!

But come He will, and just in time.

Thank God.

Related News

Temple Mount visit stirs anger - UPI
Arabs: Minister's Temple Mount visit a 'provocation' - Ynetnews
Israeli minister's visit to mosque sparks anger - Reuters
Government condemns Aharonovitch move - Jordan Times

 




Get Our Latest Posts Via Email - It's Free!


Delivered By FeedBurner