Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Prophe-Zine Issue 037
PropheZine # 37
March 17, 1997
Ray Gano...Welcome To PropheZine #37
John Kinsella....Hale-Bopp, Saturn Like Objects, and the Bible
Berit Kjos ..... World Heritage "Protection" Unesco's War Against National Sovereignty
Ron Wallace....Day Of The Lord
Lori Eldridge ....Torah Codes 101 Pt 3
Matthew Hager......Four Horseman
Karen McDaniel....Why Do Some Women Cover Their Heads?
PropheZine NewsBytes
"HOT" SNS News... Red Heifer Signals Third Temple "HOT"
Compass Direct...News from the Frontlines
Maranatha Fellowship....Prophecy Conference
CLINTON does NOT deny UN takeover of US in Press Conference
Wayne Merrit .....China Leases US Navy Base
Robert Taylor .....Taco Bell and The Mark of the Beast?
Karen Lee Bixman.... UN swallowing 48 US national parks!
The Final Word: Shannon Straffin...... What is the World's Wealth?
*****************
Welcome To PropheZine #37
Hello all,
Welcome to PropheZine issue # 37. Well I have to say a BIG sorry to all the scare in regards to the bogus virus. My Tech Director, Bob Lally, chewed me out for putting that out without getting with him first. So if you have not heard, the virus scare was bogus. Yet another attempt by the enemy to shut us down. I am very grateful to have Bob on my staff for this reason. To keep my facts strait.
Well the HOT news is that there was a Red Heifer born in Israel and it DOES meet the standards in the Bible...
Numbers 19:2-7
2 This [is] the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein [is] no blemish, [and] upon which never came yoke:
3 And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and [one] shall slay her before his face:
4 And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:
5 And [one] shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
6 And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast [it] into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
(KJV)
So once again we see one more piece of the puzzle coming into place. This is really exciting news, the Lord's hand is at work.
I am also excited to have John Kinsella write a Exclusive article for PropheZine.
John has written a GREAT book called " The Eternal Generation" B
John Kinsella is a internet friend of mine. We have known each other for over 2 years now and we share the same interest in Bible Prophecy. If you do not know of John Kinsella, he is the former reporter for This Week In Bible Prophecy Program. He has also helped in research for Grant Jeffrey, Hal Lindsey, the Lalonde brothers plus many others in the field. He is VERY respected in the prophecy circles as a great researcher and author.
In one of our emails, John said he was writing a book about this generation. I told John that when
As a special note to you the PZ reader, you can order this book from John directly and he will autograph it for you. Just let him know you saw it in PropheZine.
To order his book, send $12.00 US or $15.00 CDN -- this is including book rate shipping to:
John Kinsella
8 Waterloo St.
Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
L2A 3J5
Allow 4 to 6 weeks delivery. Faster delivery is available, but the customer pays for courier fees. REMEMBER TO TELL HIM YOU SAW IT IN PROPHEZINE....
Also give him a good word of encouragement. We need more people like John and so many like him never hear how much we appreciate his work.
Another thing, when talking to John on the phone, he wanted me to make sure everyone knew that "All proceeds and royalties from the sale of this book go directly to the Calvary Baptist Church Evangelical Outreach for the purpose of proclaiming Christ to a lost and dying world." These words are taken right from the front cover of his book.
Hot news for all you in the Omaha area!! John will be speaking in Omaha, Nebraska in April at a conference coordinated by Joe Lape at Millard Social Hall. This will be located at Interstate 80 and Sapp Bros. Exit. He is sharing the podium with Dr. Randall Price, Terry Cook and Mark Spaulding. For more information, write Rev. Joe Lape, THIS, Inc., 9644 Boyd Circle, Omaha, NE 68134 or call (401) 573-1512
John is also available to speak at conferences or churches. His view is dispensationalist, pre tribulational, and fundamentalist and holds to the fundamentals of the Bible. You can contact him at the above address.
Well I hope that you enjoy this issue of PZ. I promise it to be virus free...grin. See ya later and make sure you read about the Red Heifer.
In His service,
Ray
PZ
*******************
HALE-BOPP, SATURN LIKE OBJECTS, AND THE BIBLE
by John Kinsella
Exclusive to PropheZine
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the big conspiracy theories making the rounds lately concerns the Hale-Bopp Comet. The latest theorizes that NASA is engaged in a cover up to conceal from the world the fact that Hale-Bopp is hiding an alien invasion force. To accept that, you have to throw logical thought out the window. For example, is everyone at NASA part of the conspiracy? Or just those at the top? If its only the top echelons, then those who actually do the work must be wondering why there is nothing on the news about a Doomsday Invasion Force From Outer Space. And, if there is a conspiracy to keep it quiet, it flies in the face of NASA's self interest. Budget restrictions cut deep at NASA. If NASA could find an alien invasion force headed toward Earth, Congress would throw money at them in giant bucketsful. For the conspiracy theory to work, everyone at NASA, from the top policymakers to the janitor would have to be in on it - and keep quiet, even if faced with budgetary layoffs. Makes no sense to me.
Planet Earth is bristling with telescopes - national observatories in places like Japan, Russia, China, Canada, Bolivia, etc., etc. would all have to be part of the cover up as well. Not to mention every amateur astronomer on the whole planet, except those few who are 'warning' the rest of us.
But that doesn't mean that Comet Hale-Bopp is without major significance to Bible prophecy.
A recent TV mini-series called "Asteroid" is capitalizing on the Hale-Bopp comet scare. The plot line revolves around a comet passing within a million miles of earth that disrupts an asteroid belt's gravitational scheme, pulling a number of giant asteroids out of their orbit, hurling them at Planet Earth.
Hale-Bopp has gotten a lot of coverage, mostly from the people who claim the government is covering up a possible 'companion' to the comet that some conspiracists claim is an alien space ship the size of Saturn. In that scenario, life imitates art - that is the plot line for last year's movie, "Independence Day." "Asteroid", on the other hand, is a case of art imitating life - the movie scenario is actually fairly plausible scientifically. Hale-Bopp could indeed suck some asteroids into its wake, and it will pass close enough to the earth to conceivably drop some of these cosmic hitchhikers onto our Big Blue Marble.
Scientists estimate that some 2,000 asteroids larger than a kilometer (0.6 mile) in diameter are in orbits that could someday intersect with Earth. So far, only about 200 have been located, but the other 1,800 are out there somewhere, they say. Every hour, about a ton of micro-meteoric dust hits the Earth. Every few hours, a lump as big as a baseball makes it through the atmosphere. Once a month, some extra terrestrial object detonates at high altitude somewhere above the earth with the force of a kiloton (2,200 pounds) or more of TNT.
At sunrise on June 30, 1908, the area near the Tunguska River in Siberia was the site of a tremendous explosion that had the force of a modern H-bomb and took place at an altitude of several miles. Though the explosion flattened trees for miles in all directions, no crater was formed, and aside from some microscopic nodules extracted from the soil, no recognizable fragments of an extraterrestrial object remain. Space scientists generally believe that the explosion was caused by a small comet that disintegrated in midair. And, last May, an object at least 1,000 feet in diameter appeared in the sky not much further from Earth than the moon's orbit. Such a scenario could be repeated any time, yesterday, ten years ago, a hundred years from now. Why, all of a sudden, in this generation, is it front page news?
"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;" - Luke 21:25
Based on what scientists now know, the odds that an object at least a mile in diameter will strike the earth in the next century work out to about 1 in 1,000. And, given current technology, the probability of seeing it in time to have any meaningful warning is zero. The damage from the impact of an object that large defies description. If it were to hit land, it would destroy all life within a 200 mile radius of ground zero. The impact would hurl molten lava as much as 100 miles in all directions, creating a rain of fire from the sky. Soot and debris would completely block out the sun, creating a kind of nuclear winter. That description could just as well be lifted directly from the pages of the Old Testament.
"And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come." - Joel 2:30,31
And if it hit in the ocean? The New Yorker described the hypothetical consequences of a large impact off the coast of Bermuda. Imagine a 600 foot wave traveling at 500 mph as it slams into Manhattan. Florida is already drowned. It goes on; "Before the day is out, most of Earth's low lying regions have been submerged, from Edinburgh, Copenhagen and Dublin to Hong Kong and Bangkok." Those not living in coastal regions will survive the flooding to become victims of firestorms, choking pollution or the nuclear winter effect. Could it happen. Indeed, the Bible says that it will happen - during the time of the Great Tribulation. We are even given a glimpse of the Divine mechanism.
"The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed." Rev 8:7-9
That is not to say that God will use asteroids - He is God, and He can and will use whatever method He chooses. But what was, for 2000 years, a terrifying image so miraculous that only true believers accepted it at face value, is today a scientific fact that is not only accepted as possible, but feared as probable.
From a Biblical perspective, the possibility that Hale-Bopp is hiding an alien invasion force is zero. But it doesn't reduce the prophetic importance of the hype and hoopla surrounding its arrival on April Fool's Day. (Appropriate, no?)
Jesus told us of the signs that would serve as mile markers to identify the generation that would see His triumphant return. Among them was this promise.
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." -Luke 21:28
*******************
WORLD HERITAGE "PROTECTION" UNESCO's War Against National Sovereignty
by Berit Kjos
What do the Statue of Liberty and a tropical rainforest in Australia have in common? What links the Grand Canyon and Yosemite to Stonehenge, the Great Pyramids, Machu Pichu, and Auschwitz Concentration Camp?
All these, along with hundreds of other scenic and cultural treasures around the world, have come under the "protection" of UNESCO through the World Heritage Convention. Signed by former President Nixon in 1973, this treaty gives the United Nations authority to guide the safe-keeping of international sites and monuments "considered to be of such exceptional interest and such universal value that their protection is the responsibility of all humanity." 1
What if some Heritage lands are privately owned?
It doesn't matter. In the eyes of UNESCO, private owners can't be trusted to guard "a World Heritage which belongs to all humanity"2 any more than parents can be trusted to properly raise their own children. The rights of the global collective must replace the old Western individual rights. To persuade the public, a new revolutionary way of thinking-often called holistic, integrated, or "systems thinking"-must replace the contrary old Western thoughts and ways.
"The real enemy is a dysfunctional way of thinking,"3 said Al Gore in Earth in the Balance. His solution? "A worldwide education program... We should actively search for ways to promote a new way of thinking about the current relationship between human civilization and the earth...."4 UNESCO is leading the way.
From individual to collective rights. Joe Baylis' gold mine was outside the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. It fulfilled all state and federal environmental requirements. But those facts didn't stop UNESCO from exercising its authority over Baylis' land. According to new holistic interpretations of the World Heritage treaty, UN jurisdiction now also includes "critical buffer zones." So when World Heritage Committee members from Europe and Asia appeared in Wyoming in 1995 to help radical environmentalist fight the environmentally friendly mining company, they claimed-and won-the right to censure human activity within the entire ecosystem.
What would be the boundaries of the Yellowstone World Heritage ecosystem? They are not yet established, explained Tony Barnosky, the moderator for the international hearing. But he admitted that it would include parts of "Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, an area of between 14 and 18 million acres."5 Yellowstone Park itself covers only about 2.2 million acres.6 Must the United States then submit to UN regulations for human activity within this entire region?
Ken Smith (not his real name)7 didn't believe this could happen to him. His farm in the "wet tropics" of north-eastern Australia included a small piece of rainforest which he had researched and lovingly nurtured through the years. But when government environmentalists discovered that Smith had preserved ancient trees that had long vanished from most of the government-owned rainforest around him, they coveted his superior piece.
Australia signed the World Heritage Convention in 1974, and in 1988 the wet tropics came under the watchful eye of the United Nations. Its Australian partners, operating through the Department of Environment, counted nearly a hundred species of "rare and threatened plants" on and near Smith's property along Cooper Creek. By 1991, the Cooper Creek catchment was recognized as one of Australia's most important botanical sites.
Smith didn't want to yield his control of his land to the World Heritage administrators, but they claimed it anyway. He tried to work with the environmental agencies established to carry out UN directives. But their irrational regulations made it impossible for him to continue growing tropical fruit in his small orchard adjacent to the forest. He suggested a land "swap" - his rainforest for a cleared piece of land - but the environmental bureaucrats didn't respond. Sad and embittered, he sold his limited land rights to Prue, Neil and Brian Hewett, who hoped to earn a living on the land through ecotourism.
Led to believe they had their government's consent, the Hewetts submitted a detailed plan for their forest's further protection. They also requested permission to extend their guided walks through the forest. The government not only ignored the petition, it began to direct tourism away from their area. When bureaucratic delays tested their patience and limited resources, the Hewetts challenged the Department of Environment to answer in court.
On December 10, 1996, the Department warned the Hewetts that any form of tourism in their area would be discouraged. Only botanists and zoologist would be welcome into an area of such "great scientific interest". In other words, the original terms of the agreement had been replaced by the new systemic perspective that would guide the new managers of the land and its people.
Yet, these globalist guardians did nothing to keep swimmers and sightseers from trampling the unprotected part of the Hewett's land. "We, the owners, are in the best position to protect our land," said Prue Hewett who genuinely wants to promote what she calls sustainable ecotourism. "The managers are far away at their desks in the cities. The local people here believe the government wants to reduce the population and get rid of the whole local community."
She may be right. Could it be that World Heritage bureaucrats really don't care that much about nature or "all humanity"?
FROM APATHY TO CONSENSUS. Those who have lost property rights and freedom would probably say "yes", but the rest of the world seems oblivious to the changes. It doesn't matter whether people live in the Northern or Southern hemisphere. Few are noticing the progressive steps from national sovereignty to a global management system.
After all, the promotional literature sounds so good! To the people I met in Australia and New Zealand on a recent tour of UNESCO lands, the World Heritage label means honor, recognition, and additional income.
"It's a benefit to eco-tourism," said a New Zealand tour guide eager for more business.
"Being a World Heritage Area helps us protect our environment," added a visitor from Australia.
UNESCO and other globalist change agents would have been proud. Their efforts to build public consensus and win approval are succeeding. Young and old are accepting the environmental media messages and believe the UN propaganda. Few check the facts behind the deceptive "science" and noble visions.
"How can you be so sure that human activity causes global warming," I asked some fellow travelers, knowing well that car exhaust and other "destructive greenhouse gasses" have little effect on nature compared to the massive output of chlorine gasses from major volcanoes and ocean evaporation.8
"The scientists tell us," was the confident answer. Few realize that environmental "scientists" who receive government funding and UN approval must provide "scientific" backing for this political agenda.9 The battle for public support is won by those who "inform" and persuade the people. "Saving the earth" provides the cause and crisis that persuades people to submit to unthinkable regulations.
As Stanford scientist Stephen Schneider said, "We'd like to... get some broad-based support, to capture the public's imagination. That, of course, entails getting loads of media coverage. So we have to offer up scary scenarios, make simplified, dramatic statements and make little mention of any doubts we might have...."10
With the media on their side, global greens are winning the war. Around the world, people are bombarded with the scary images and distorted information designed to change attitudes and boost compliance.
FROM SPECIFIC FACTS TO HOLISTIC AMBIGUITY. To pacify their opposition, globalists are redefining their terms and making nice-sounding but ambiguous promises subject to their own evolving interpretations. Remember, those who define the terms control the program, and UNESCO doesn't play by the old rules.
When the three World Heritage Committee members flew to Wyoming in September 1995 to exercise their authority over Yellowstone Park, they ignored the arguments given by the US Forest Service and state agencies. Federal and state assurances that the mine would cause no environmental problems made no difference. The mine wasn't the issue. What UNESCO sought was the right to impose its evolving regulations "on properties of World Heritage."
To gain control, it added new meaning to the agreement. In the seventies, the World Heritage Convention had defined "natural heritage" as "precisely delineated areas...." For Yellowstone, that "precise" delineation was a site measuring 2.2 million acres. Now the World Heritage leaders were claiming the right to "protect" what environmentalist considered an entire ecosystem of 14 to 18 million acres
World Heritage Committee Chairman Adul Wichiencharoen of Thailand explained the new terms. He suggested that Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being prepared by the US Forest Service was taking a "fragmented" rather than a more "holistic approach" to the Yellowstone ecosystem.
"It's a bit too much piecemeal, doesn't speak to the biological interactions outside park boundaries,"11 added Executive Director Bernd Von Droat, of Germany.
Joe Baylis, President of Crown Butte's New World gold mine, wasn't surprised. He viewed the attack on his project as part of a far greater attack on all kinds of development near the park. The UNESCO committee's call for a broadly defined ecosystem was simply a political strategy to overcome the rational but contrary facts presented by the U.S. Forest Service.
"The New World project as proposed will not threaten the park. It will benefit it," said Baylis, who had agreed to clean up all existing mine waste as well as to follow all the new state and federal regulations.
Since the UN and its army of radical environmentalists were writing the rules and standards for ecosystem management, it's no wonder the mining company lost. This new global partnership has little tolerance for commercial concerns or property rights. All who treasure the freedoms America has offered for over two hundred years share in that loss.
This loss meant victory to President Clinton. Defending UNESCO's claims, he signed the agreement that killed the gold mine. "This fight was not simply waged by those of you who live here for your families and your community and your future," he assured his army of eco-warriors. "You waged this fight for all the people in the United States and, indeed, the people of the world who believe in the preservation of our natural resources."12
Political paradigm shifts of this magnitude don't happen without opposition. So to minimize conflict, UN leaders and local partners seek the consent of a gullible public "informed" with the latest government approved "scientific" information.
"...information..." says Al Gore, "should be collected in a manner that facilitates public education and fosters a greater understanding of what the new information means within the larger context of rapid global change."23
The World Heritage Youth have been enlisted to speed the process. As members of UNESCO's "Young People Participating in World Heritage Preservation and Promotion," they are working with teachers on the production of a World Heritage Education Kit, which will be distributed to schools worldwide in 1997.24 Could we be seeing the rise of a worldwide "democratic" or "civil" government whereby the chosen elite rule by manipulating a well-indoctrinated public, starting with the youth?
In his second inaugural speech, President Clinton said "government must change. We need a new government for a new century." Could he be referring to the UN plans for managing and monitoring human and natural resources everywhere? His ambiguous visions fit the UN agenda, to which he has repeatedly pledged his support.
If global governance becomes reality, there will be no place for dissenters to hide-other than in Christ. Now is the time to watch for the signs, learn the facts, inform others, call Congress, and-above all-pray to the only God who can preserve His gift of freedom in this land.
To learn how globalists use our education system to persuade people and build consensus, read Brave New Schools by Berit Kjos. Available through Christian bookstores or call (1-800-829-5646).
Endnotes:
1 "World Heritage", UNESCO wall map and brochure, no date.
2 Ibid.
3 Al Gore, Earth in the Balance (Houghton-Mifflin, 1992), 274.
4 Ibid., 355.
5 Chris Tollefson, "UNESCO Group Focuses on Park Ecosystem," Star Tribune
(Casper WY), 9 September, 1995.
6 "Yellowstone National Park," The World Heritage website on Internet.
7 To protect the families involved in the controversy over this piece of
land, I prefer to maintain their anonymity. Anyone interested in contacted
them can call me for more information.
8 Read about environmental education in Chapter 5 of Brave New School.
9 See" Food Summit Speeds UN Agenda" in Media Bypass, January 1997.
10Jonathan Schell, "Our Fragile Earth," Discover (October 1989); 44.
11 Tollefson.
12 Tom DeWeese, "Yellowstone Update," The DeWeese Report, September 1996.
13 The Biodiversity Treaty has not yet been ratified by the U.S. Senate.
Tell your representatives not to yield to White House pressures to ratify.
14 Henry Lamb, "Meet Maurice Strong," Eco-Logic (Box 191, Powel Rock, TN 38342), November/December 1995.
15 Cliff Kincaid, "Reform farce at the UN starring Annan," The Washington Times, 1-31-97.
16 Lamb.
17 Ibid.
18 Our Global Neighborhood, The Commission on Global Governance (Oxford University Press, 1995), 214, 216.
19 Ibid., 110,111.
20 Ibid., 112.
21 Ibid., 240 241.
22 Toward A Rapid Reaction Capability for the United Nations, Report of the Government of Canada, 1995, 56.
23 Gore, 356.
24 The World Heritage Newsletter, No. 12, October 1996. Available on the World Heritage website.
**********************
DAY OF THE LORD
By Ron Wallace
Email: ronw@best.com
Suddenly
The land is cloaked with dark
So very thick;
The hand of God
So quick
Has covered sun and moon,
And chocked
The light's last spark.
And then like light'ning
Cross the blackened sky,
The Sun of Man arrives
And blinds the tribes of earth
With awesome fright,
While calling His elect
From all the world
To gather at His side.
9-18-96
***************************
TORAH CODES 101 pt 3
By: Lori Eldridge
Lorel@on-ramp.ior.com
Last week I explained what a matrix of two intersecting codes looks like. This week I want to point out what makes a matrix statistically interesting. Rather than give you all the mathematical formulas that the scientists use I'm going to try to go about it from a different angle so it won't be so confusing at first. I'll explain the more technical caluclations at another time.
If you have read the Statistical Science article entitled "Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis" by Witztum et. al, (1) you will notice that they use the word "array" instead of matrix. It is my understanding that these terms are synonymous therefore don't be confused if you hear both terms describing the same thing.
Words with related meanings, or word pairs, often occur encoded close together. For instance you may have heard of the combination of several codes regarding the Holocaust that contain the words Hitler, Eickman and Berlin that were found close together (2). There is a method whereby a diagram can be drawn up to show a spacial relationship of these words to each other and it is
called a matrix or an array.
One of the most important factors in determining if a group of codes are close enough to be statistically significant is compactness, i.e., the smaller the ELS (Equidistant Letter Sequencing) and the closer the encoded words are to each other the better. The reason being that the smaller the span of letters the less chance of it's occuring because of the difficulty of encoding it and still maintaining meaning in the surface text, whereas it would be fairly easy for someone to encode a message with a long span between letters. The more important combinations often have one word nudging up against another, only a few letters away, or crossing over one another.
Another important factor is that the key word should occur at it's minimum ELS within the book or series of books being searched. The ideal situation would be to have the shortest ELS for each word being represented in a matrix. However that is not always possible because some words have their shortest ELS in the thousands.
Sometimes short words, with the more common letters, are encoded so frequently that they will appear several times in every chapter. Therefore, using a short word with common letters, such as "Yeshua/Jesus", by itself is not very convincing statistically but in a matrix with other words that have a lesser probability of occurring by chance the statistical importance of the find would be enhanced. Also a phrase of two or more words lessens ambiguity when trying to prove that the words in the matrix are related in meaning.
Example of what could be an important Matrix:
Imagine that the following is a representation of a portion of the Hebrew Scriptures and that the x's are letters in the surface text. The 1's represent a word encoded at an ELS, or skip, of 2. The 2's represent a word encoded at an ELS of 16 crossing over 1 (the second letter of 1's being a common letter). The 3's represent a word encoded at an ELS of 17.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xx2xxxxxxxxxxxxx
1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x
xx2xxxxxx3xxxxxx
xx2xxxxxxx3xxxxx
xx2xxxxxxxx3xxxx
xx2xxxxxxxxx3xxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This matrix should be statistically significant because the span between letters in at least one case is very small and all the words are either touching one another or crossing over.
- - - -This Issue's Code sample
I found the phrase "Prince of Peace" encoded 7 times in the Torah under an ELS of 100--at least once in each book. I used the spelling in Isaiah 9:6 (Sar Shalom) where it gives several titles for our Lord.
I checked each occurrence of "Prince of Peace" and every one of them has the word "Yeshua" either in close proximity, crossing over, or within one verse. I believe these phrases of "Prince of Peace" also begin on a relevant word or passage--of course that is open to interpretation.
I have written out all the particulars of this find below. If the following chart does not appear in vertical columns open it up in a monospaced font such as Ariel, Courier or Monaco:
Where the phrase "Prince of Peace" and the word "Yeshua" occurred:
Book skip on on verse talking about:
chapter or word
verse ELS
----------------------------------------------------------
#1 Gen. 40:19 71 flesh Joseph interpreting a dream
about a man being hung on a
tree. Yeshua was hung on a tree.
Yeshua-Gen. 41:12 @ -71
#2 Gen. 43:17 39 Man Joseph is a type of Christ
who had been betrayed by his
brethren for the price of a
slave. He forgives them and
brings them into his house. A
"savior" of his people.
Yeshua-Gen. 43:16 @ 71
#3 Ex. 35:9 -12 onyx A stone that has a pattern
resembling a "nail" to be given
as an offering to the Lord.
Yeshua is the cornerstone. He
was "nailed" to the cross
as an offering.
Yeshua-Ex. 35:1 @ 94
#4 Lev.5:10 29 which A priest making atonement
for sin. Yeshua is our High
Priest who atoned for our
sins.
Yeshua-Lev. 5:11 @ -87
#5 Num.22:35 55 that Angel of lord talking to
Balaam. Yeshua is the Angel of
the Lord.
Yeshua-Num. 22:33 @ -56
#6 Num.29:26 52 fourteen 14 lambs without spot to
be sacrificed. Yeshua is
a lamb without spot that
was sacrificed.
Yeshua-Num. 29:26 @ 44
#7 Deut.6:1 -9 whither Speaking of commandments,
statutes and judgments
given to Israelites. Yeshua
came to fulfill the Law.
Yeshua-Deut. 6:3 @ -7
If you were to mark these codes off in your Bible you should have a rough idea of which one of them is more compact just by counting the lines (unless one of them has a minimum ELS in the hundreds or thousands and then this won't work). My Masoretic text is about 40 letters wide. Therefore the 7 codes I mentioned
above cover the following amount of lines in my Bible:
# Book/verse # of lines
_______________________
#1 Gen. 49:19 11
#2 Gen. 43:17 8
#3 Ex. 35:09 11
#4 Lev. 5:10 12
#5 Num. 22:35 21
#6 Num. 29:26 10
#7 Deu. 6:01 6
As you can see #5 has the longest spread with 21 lines and #7 the shortest with only 6 lines. The shorter the distance the better for compactness. A general guideline for compactness would be for it to fit into a matrix of approx. 600 letters total, i.e. 20 X 30, 10 X 60, 15 X 40, and etc.
Following are diagrams of each "Prince of Peace" code so you can get an idea of the different arrangements possible in a code array. I have arranged the text so that it is the width of the ELS of one of the codes (or a fraction thereof). The object is to display then in a manner where all the words are displayed in a straight line without being wrapped around to the next line. BTW, unless your text font is set at 10 these lines may wrap to the next line and distort the matrixes.
I'm using a transliteration to indicate the letters because English has more letters than the Hebrew. Therefore, for the words "Prince of Peace/Sar Shalom" we have $R$L!M and for "Jesus/Yeshua" we have '$!Y . All other letters are represented as x's. Some of the words are encoded backwars and thus appear upside down in the matrix.
#1 Gen. 49:19 at the width of the Sar Shalom code @ 71 which is also the width of the Yeshua code.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxYxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx$
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxR
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx$xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx$
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxL
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxM
This matrix takes up the space of 355 letters.
#2 Genesis 43:17 at the width of the Sar Shalom code @ 39
xxx'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxx$xxx$xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxx$xxxxxxxxxx!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxLxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxx!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxYxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxMxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This matrix takes up the space of 312 letters.
#3 Exodus 35:09 at the width of the Sar Shalom code @ 94
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx$
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx!
$xxxxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxx$xxxxxxxxxxxxLxxxxxxxxxxx!xxxxxxxxxxxxxMxxxxxxxxxxY
I had to cut off the left end of this matrix to get it to fit on the page so just imagine that there are 4 rows of 16 x's on the left end. This matrix (including the 4 rows of 16 that I cut off) take up the space of 376 letters.
#4 Lev. 5:10 at 1/3 the width of the Sar Shalom code @ 29 which is the width of the Yeshua Code.
Yxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
$xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx$xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx$xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx!xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxMxxxxxx
This matrix takes up the space of 435 letters.
#5 Num. 22:35 at the width of "Yeshua" @ 55.
Yxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
$xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxx$xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx$xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxLxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxx!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxMxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This matrix encompasses a total of 660 letters which is just over the limit but look at the two words. If we were to cut off all but the rectangle encompassing the words the total would be only 9 x 12 = 108 letters which would make this the smallest matrix of all although it looked like the biggest one when marked out in the text of the Bible. This is an example of when the 20 x 30 rule doesn't apply when all the words are grouped on one end of a long ELS.
#6 Numbers 29:26 at the width of the Yeshua code @ 44
xxxxxx'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxx$xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx$xxx
xxxxxx!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxYxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx$xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This matrix takes up the space of 308 letters.
#7 Deut. 6:1 at width of Sar Shalom @ 9
xxxxxxxMx
xxxxxxx!x
xxxxxxxLx
xxxxxxx$x
xxxxxxxRx
xxxxxxx$x
xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
Yxxxxxxxx
xx!xxxxxx
xxxx$xxxx
xxxxxx'xx
This matrix takes up the space of only 153 letters.
Although Number 7 has the minimum ELS for the words "Prince of Peace/Sar Shalom" Yeshua at an ELS of -7 has at least 60 smaller ELSs in the Torah so this will lessen the statistical significance of this find but interesting nevertheless.
If we look at all of these codes as a whole we have "Prince of Peace" encoded 7 times in the Torah under an ELS of 100--at least once in each book, all falling on a relevant word or verse, with the word "Yeshua" nearby, and everyone of them is well within the minimum of a 600 letter matrix (allowing for the one exception) which means they will all qualify for compactness.
Hallelujah!!!
Please show this to your favorite Documentary Hypothesist.
Next time I will use the same matrixes and calculate their compactness using a mathematical formula and compare the two methods to see how accurate they really are.
- - - - -Following are a list of books on codes.
_Fascinating Torah Prophecies- Currently Unfolding_ By: Rabbi Nisan Aryeh Novick, 1996. Contains many examples of codes. Hardback $22.95, soft cover $17.95, plus shipping. Available at the Israel Connection--1-800-722-5290, or fax (602) 256-1320.
_Signature of God by Grant Jeffrey, Frontier Research Publications, Inc., 1996. Box 129, Station U Toronto, Ontario Canada, M8Z-5M4. <http://www.GrantJeffrey.com/index.html
_Yeshua: The Name of Jesus Revealed in the Old Testament_, Frontier Research Pub., 1996. <http://home.cwnet.com/crm/yhf.html
_So What Do You Think: A Provocative Study In God's Word_, by Barbara Di Gilio, Mayim Hayim Ministry. P.O. Box 11911, Phoenix, AZ. 85061. (602) 937- 6141. Includes Gematria, ELS, and Shemology.
_Torah Codes and Israel today_ by Haralick and Glazerson, 7 Western Wall St, P.O.B 16183 Jerusalem, Israel. tel 02-276395; 02-421469 home. Published in Jerusalem by Lev Eliyahu in 1996. Soon to be distributed in book stores but currently available for $24 through: Robert M. Haralick, 8651 Inverness Dr. NE, Seattle, WA 98115, tel: (206)-522-2836. Code findings mainly relate to Rabin, Peres, Arafat and the peace process.
_COMPUTORAH_, by Moshe Katz. Mount Zion Books/Sifrei Har Tzion/Torah Soft, 1996. Email address: books@zionbooks.com. $59.95 plus $15 shipping and tax (Bible Search code search program included--whole Tanach, for IBM only) The web site is http://www.zionbooks.com.
Also available at: Israel Connection (Jewish books and Gifts). Phoenix, Arizona 1-800-722-5290. Owners: Terry & Geri Epcar.
B'Otiyoteiha Nitna Torah ("Through its letters was given the Torah") by Moshe Katz, 1992. (In Hebrew) Jerusalem: Tel-Co.
HaMaymod HaNosaf ("The added dimension) by Doron Witztum, 1989. (In Hebrew) Jerusalem: Aguda L'Machkor Torani.
_Torat Chemed_ a book published by Rabbi Weismandel's students after his death in early 50's. Out of print.
----
Footnotes
1. Witztum, Doron, Rips, Rosenberg,"Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis," Statistical Science, 1994, Vol. 9, No. 3, 429-438.
2. Jeffrey, Grant, "The Signature of God", Frontier Research Publications, Inc.,1996, Box 129, Station U Toronto, Ontario Canada, M8Z-5M4 pp. 209-211. Grant's Home page: <http://www.GrantJeffrey.com/index.html
- - -
Lori Eldridge <Lorel@on-ramp.ior.com
Owner of TCODE--a mailing list for Torah Codes.
Internet Source List on the Codes available on request.
I will be moving in late January and be offline for several days so if you
don't get a response at the address above please contact my assistant
moderator at:"Francisco J. Maldonado" <tigre659@pacbell.net
******************
EDITORS NOTE: I am proud to present this article by Matt Hager. Matt contacted me in hopes that I would help him in his growing ministry. He is planning in possibly doing some missionary work down in Brazil next year, 1998. Mat has to find funding for all the money he will need while he is down there for the summer. Matt is a High School Student (Fresh. or Soph. ??) and I am VERY proud to be chosen to publish Matt's first article. If you are blessed by his work, I encourage you to write him and say so. GOOD JOB MATT!!!!
FOUR HORSEMAN
by Matthew Hager
In 1914 a war began that would forever change the entire planet. This was the beginning of the "Great War" and "The War to End All Wars" but we know it as World War I. Isn't it needless how men thought they would end all there troubles after a great war? But this war indirectly caused the Great Depression and directly caused the Second World War. This "Great War" caused much bitterness, after Germany had to admit they CAUSED the war, and pay a gigantic reparations bill.
This is somewhat like watching a fight, then joining the fight. Then when the fights over you get blamed for the whole thing! You have to pay the damages and admit you caused something you didn't. Can you imagine what kind of thing the mind of man could think up to deal with this? It's called bitterness.
In the economic chaos that followed World War I, Germany found itself with more and more radical gangs. National Socialists and Communists terrorized the country. But after 1933 the Communists were removed from their power, from the National Socialist's Leader, Adolf Hitler. This man was the epitome of bitterness. He watched his country be defeated in World War I, so he led his country into a war more brutal then the one he saw his country defeated in before!
Adolf Hitler, was aided by his Nazi party ally, Paul Joseph Goebbels. This man made Hitler look like a god to the German people. He made the Germans sound like they deserved to rule the world. The monster that went into hibernation back in 1815 when Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, was reawakened by Hitler in 1933 (this 'monster' could be called over-ambition or greed, or plainly put: SIN).
This whole thing closely parallels the first four seals of the Book of Revelation. I guess I should tell you what I mean by that, let's look at Revelation 6. First off is Revelation 6:2.
"And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conuering, and to conquer."
This white horse could represent the first man to look for a united Germany. The conqueror. His name was Prince Otto von Bismarck. He was the one who single-handedly put together the German Empire. But in 1890, he was removed by Kaiser Wilhelm I, because Wilhelm obviously wanted more power. This first seal could represent the uniting of Germany. Next comes Revelation 6:4.
"And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."
The next stage of German development happened in 1914, when Germany declared war on it's enemies, France and Great Britain. This war ended in a bitter defeat for German. This was the worsed war in the history of the world. At least 18,500,000 (army and civilian) died in this war. The depravity of man had gone this far. Most thought it would go no further (the war itself was named the "War to End All Wars"), but it did, let's look at another parallel in a development of the Germans and the third seal, in Revelation 6:5b-6.
"And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine."
The depression the Germans had in the 20s, spread to the whole world by the 30s. This was directly caused by the Great War, and the war debts that caused Germany to inflate it's money.
brought the whole world economy down to the ground. The whole thing was a great cause for a depression. It seems the rich people, with their "oil & wine" people, could afford to stay above the depression. Which really happened in the 20s and 30s. Next up WWII, in Revelation 6:8.
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."
After WWI, and during the depression, unrest spread across the world. But not quite upto one-quarter of the earth. World War II, covered large portions of the earth, but by no means one- quarter (I might be wrong here). World War II became the most destructive war in history, 60,000,000 people died (this includes WWII, and the Holocaust), or 3.25 TIMES as many as World War I. It also caused massive property damage, probably exceeding all the wars of history combined. This also ended in the self- destruction of Germany, and the end of the Third Reich.
Let's look at another parallel, this time in France. In the 1600s and early 1700s, France increased to the most powerful country in Europe (White Horse parallel). This took heavy tolls on the money supplies in France (Black Horse parallel). The foreign debt of France rose sharply. Then in 1789 the notorious Revolution happened (Red Horse parallel). Then came the Napoleonic Wars, the most destructive wars of the 18th, and early 19th century (Pale Horse parallel).
A much more recent (and much smaller) parallel happened in 1991, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait (White). Then the United States, and United Nations came and smashed the Iraqi army (Red). But no depression, and no secondary war have come from this. (Iraq's army for the most part is still intact, and it is a known fact that Saddam Hussein would like to invade Kuwait again.)
We are in a time of economic prosperity, just as we were the late 1890s. Unlike then, depraved men now have the potential of destroying the whole world. World War I & II, seem to be the basis of a growth of uniting nation (The European Union, or a United States of the America's, these groups of nations both come straight out of Rome). Then comes World War III, with the breakup of this 'empire'. Next comes a depression, that will overdue all the other depressions before it, last of all will come a 4th World War and most likely the "Great Tribulation" will follow this swiftly. These seem to set the stages for the rise of Antichrist. The most deranged of all mad dictators ever to walk on earth. He will make Hitler and Stalin look like little children playing with toys.
This probably sounds far-fetched, but it doesn't sound at all strange to me. World War III might be the last war before Jesus returns to set up his kingdom, or it may only set the stage for the entrance of the Antichrist. But it's interesting that there could be a World War III before the end of the next decade in 2010. This will have the effect of a depression-another war scenario depicted in Revelation 6. The 1st century of the 3rd millenium will probably become the most violent, and bloodiest ever!
But the greatest thing is, we are living in the last days, and the return of Jesus Christ is almost here. We have been reserved the right to see the unfolding of the last events leading upto God's eternal kingdom. We are entering a time of spiritual darkness never before seen. If our Saviour tarries longer, we will find ourselves being hated for the name which we hold to. Jesus Christ's name is more powerful than any other name in the earth, or heaven. As it says in Philippians, we must 'stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving for the faith of the gospel'. We must not forsake this great and eternal name no matter what happens.
Please let's just note, I'm not a prophet or a bible teacher, I have never even been in a Bible College. I probably am completely wrong on this point, but the similarities between World War I-Great Depression-World War II and those four things enumerated in the Book of Revelation can't be argued (can they? :)). I would like to know more, some of you probably no much more than I do. Could people send me other scenarios for this, that they think could be possible? I'd like to compare what I have above, with what other people think about this subject. E-mail me at misys@netheaven.com if you have an interesting scenario about this subject. Thanks, Matt Hager.
************************
EDITORS NOTE: When I first met Karen, she gave me this article. When I read this, even me being male, the Lord broke me and convicted me to the point of tears. Karen has such a great and graceful way with words without being judgmental or legalistic. I am proud to present the this article. Please take the time to REALLY read it, meditate on the message. If this article angers (convicts) you because I presented it, then I ask, "Who do you REALLY serve?...Ray Gano
WHY DO SOME WOMEN COVER THEIR HEADS?
By Karen McDaniel
As the fragile bird is driven instinctively to the protection of its winter home, in the approachin winter of life my tender spirit is driven to return to the security of my home of homes. I have found that home to be in God, and have found the warmth and solace I seek in returning to the grassroots of His Word. I have found that existence at any other level than being firmly grounded in His word has fallen severely short of life as I am intended to live it - short of the life in abundance spoken of in John 10:10. As the bird instinctively realizes the danger of staying behind in a climate which grows cold, my spirit senses the danger of becoming more entrenched each day into the climate of worldly things - those things which would draw me away from the true meaning of life. Therefore, I seek endlessly to return to the very heart of God's Word, wherein I find the vast richness of life I can know no other way - life in abundance that the world knows nothing of - life that satisfies the deepest longings of my spirit. Please bear with me in my expression of this deep need to go home, as it was necessary to share it on a personal level. The following will explain more explicitly the findings of the author during the pursuit of the personal search for home.
The author has found that the gospel according to man seems to be far removed from the gospel according to God. Man, for the most part, seems to view the gospel in God's word as a means by which to obtain all the earthly riches he can "coerce" God into giving him by "claiming" what he sees as isolated, and virtually unconditional "promises" in God's Word. Man does not want, however, any part in the persecutions of discipleship or the life of obedience that the whole gospel tells us will yield the fulfillment of these "promises"; therein being one of the most bizarre twists of the dangerous worldly climate. As man takes God's "promises" out of context and "claims" them in an effort to meet his own ends, he tries to use God to get something for nothing, and he finds it to be deadly to the very spirit within him. When greed tries to lay "claim" on the .,promises" of God, what can one expect? So often we make a profession, and strategically walk the very perimeters of the "Christian life" (as we know it in the 20th century), avoiding trials at all cost. Then we tell God how deserving we are, and demand that He give us whatever we desire (and we do this in the name of faith)! The problem is that the desires of our hearts are often distorted because our hearts are not yet truly yielded as He intends them to be.
Somehow it seems that we should be trying to find out what we can be doing for God rather than dwelling upon what we expect God to do for us. Somehow, man in this era has learned to perceive abundance on a purely materialistic and physical level, but the abundant life is not a life of worldly things. It is a life filled with the vast richness of the joy that springs forth in the heart of one truly committed to the endless search of the truth of God's Word, and yielded in obedience to what is found therein. It is the outgrowth of a relationship that is built as we find our hearts driven to the only home we were ever truly meant to have - the home in the very heart of God.
Because God's Word to us is so critical in our pursuit of a deep and meaningful walk with Him, it is necessary to correctly "divide" it (II Timothy 2:15) in order to find out how it can enrich our lives. In the generations of the early church (when persecutions were intense, and the teachings of Jesus and the apostles were firmly imprinted on the human heart) the understanding of the "Christian walk" was much different than we perceive it to be today. Their understanding of the Scriptures and the truths embodied therein were complete, and they were taken to heart. Time, however, has a way of eroding the original meaning and intent of written word. As we view God's Word today, we view it from the perspectives of our age, with our own preconceptions, and those of the ones who have taught us. Over the centuries, this adaptation to modern theological interpretation has clouded, if not totally destroyed, many of the original intents of the gospel. Very few people today will spend the time to try to research the "Christian walk" from the perspective of the early Christians, and take a new and sensitive look at the Word of God from an unbiased stance, setting aside preconceptions, and simply seeking with a pure heart to know-the ultimate truths we were meant to know. Are we being true to the . God we profess to serve - or even to ourselves if we choose to do any less?
It seems that the original intent of many scriptural passages has been perverted, distorted, and twisted over the centuries. People today want to accept the views of the multitudes regarding God's Word, because they feel comfortable if their views align With many others. If enough people, however, believe that something which is wrong is right, does that make it right? Hardly! God's truths are eternal. The way man chooses to view them does not change them in the least. We will, however, be accountable for the way in which we choose to View them, so the author seeks to view them God's way, rather than through the eyes of the multitudes of man. Because man has altered the intent of God's Word, an honest attempt must be made to return to God's true intent. It was with much close examination of God's Word, trying to discern His intent and its impact upon our lives, that the author was lead to a very enlightening study in a specific area.
What does I Corinthians 11 really have to say? Why is it in our Bible today? How are we to react to it now in the last decade of the 20th century? Let's take a closer look at the passage so many people would rather pretend is not in their Bible. Let's confront the issue regarding head covering today.
The first issue at hand is to determine what is meant in verse 5 regarding any woman praying or prophesying with her head "uncovered". many people say that the "covering" in I Corinthians 11 is hair. In verse 5 then, does this then mean that she has taken her hair off? Some say it means long hair, but there is implication here that her head being uncovered is voluntary and immediately reversible. One obviously cannot lengthen ones hair except over a long period of time. Verse 6 further states that IF she be not covered, let her ALSO be shorn, which seems to rule out that her hair being cut was what was meant by IF she be not covered. Furthermore, verses 4 and 7 tell us that a man is not to wear headcovering. Would this mean he was to remove his hair, or to wear it extremely short? If so, how short? I Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is not the author of confusion, and it certainly seems that trying to inject hair of ANY nature here is at the very least confusing! (Could this be because hair of any length is a very recent interpretation by modern man to get away from the true and original intent of this passage? Man in this day and age has indeed become very style conscious.) Verse 10 says that women ought to wear it because of the angels. Would we be able to use hair or even long hair here as the reference ("that she ought to have hair on her head" or even "that she ought to have long hair on her head")? If it were hair or long hair, how could the angels differentiate between the appearance of the woman of God and the woman of the world? Apparently they need to be able, for whatever reasons, to see an outward and visible covering.
It should be obvious at this point that the intent of the covering in this passage is something that could be put on or taken off - a covering not provided by nature, but one we choose to wear or not to wear. The confusion regarding the use of hair as covering seems to come from verses 14 and 15. These verses tell us, however, that EVEN NATURE resounds God's will for woman to cover her head by ITSELF covering her head withlong hair. Her long hair is, in itself,,a glory to her, and
the essence of this entire passage is that the glory of woman should be covered. To cover this glory of woman would necessitate that something be worn on top of the hair itself.
I Thessalonians 5:23 indicates that we are composed of three parts, being the spirit, the soul, and the body. Some think that the instruction to wear headcovering is a third ordinance given to us by God, similar in importance to that of baptism and communion. Whereas baptism benefits the spirit (Acts 22:16), and communion benefits the body (I Corinthians 11:27-30), the wearing of headcovering benefits the soul, or the mind portion of our beings (I Corinthians 11:10). The benefit to the mind may be implied here, as this verse says that woman ought to have power on her head because of the angels. Because much about the spirit world is not spelled out in God's Word to us, this visible sign could have bearing on the interaction of the spirit world and the thoughts of man. Indeed many women who wear headcovering will testify to the peace of mind they have once they are firmly committed to wearing it. There is much speculation as to why the angels need to see the covering. Although it is interesting to contemplate this and other such speculations, it should be of little or no importance to us now to know why the angels need to see the covering. God indicates the need in His Word, and that is reason enough. Whether or not it is to be worn as a benefit for the mind is likewise a side issue at best. God says it should be worn, and, again, that is reason enough. The reasons will be made known to us one day. In the meantime, though, they are better left to God.
Presuming at this point, that a material covering of sorts is the intended covering, the next question that arises is whether this passage was just intended for the Corinthian Church. Well, if it is in our Bible, shouldn't it pertain to Christians of all times? God's Word is indeed eternal! If it is not for the 20th century, what else can we pick and choose to toss aside as "not for our time", or as "simply a cultural reference"? The letters to the churches in Revelation (though written to specific churches regarding specific problems) are included in our Bible because the omniscient Spirit of God knew they would apply to us in the 1990's as well. This same omniscient Spirit of God inspired the I Corinthian passage regarding headcovering as Paul wrote it, and knew that it would be chosen as a part of the holy and acceptable canon of God's Word for our use in the 1990's. If headcovering had been meant only for the Corinthian church, wouldn't a sovereign God have negated the use of it in a later portion of His word, or made that abundantly clear in the passage at hand? He did neither. Since there is no evidence in His Word that it was ever negated, observation of it must be intended for all time. How can mankind be so presumptuous as to attempt to limit the time intended for any part of God's Word to a specific time period rather than to acknowledge it as eternal truth? To attack any part of God's Word (with time limitations or otherwise) is to attack it all, casting doubt upon the importance of the entire Bible for this day and age!
The issue behind this passage appears to be God's governmental plan; the yielding to authority as He designed it. As Jesus
Christ is forever in-submission to the Father (Philippians 2:6-7, Matthew 26:39, and John 14:24), so the church is to be in submission to Christ. Ephesians 5:22-32 tells us that the man and woman in marriage are symbolic of Christ and His church. The woman should thus be in submission to the man, as the church is to Christ. The wearing of head covering is, thus a physical symbol of the willingness of the female to be yielded to the submission first of Christ, then toward the male, in recognition of his God-given authority over her. If married, particular emphasis would be upon submission to the husband before other males. For the single female it would be submission toward a male in position to oversee her, such as a pastor, etc., before
other males. As in any God-ordained governmental system, however, God must always be considered first, then man. Women are to submit to man only as long as there is no violation of conscience toward God and His will for her life. At such a point of contention, God must always be honored above any man! To do otherwise would be to quench the Spirit of God, expressly forbidden in I Thessalonians 5:19.
Stop to think for a moment about the condition of our society. Since woman has begun to assert her independence from her intended roll as a help to man in Genesis 2:18, we have experienced an incredible breakdown in the family unit, a rebellion in our children, a lack of respect toward one another, and a plummeting of social values that is unparalleled to anything our country has ever known. Will we ever wake up?
John 10:30 tells us that Jesus and his Father are one. Thus, we see that Jesus is spiritually equal to God the Father, but as it was pointed out before, he is forever submissive to God the Father in accordance with God's governmental plan. In Galatians 3:28 we are told that there is neither male nor female. In like manner, we see here that the female is spiritually equal to the male, but she is still to be submissive to the male in God's governmental plan. Isn't it time that we go back to God's system rather than encouraging man's devastating agenda?
Unless a woman has truly yielded to the submission of God's governmental plan, she should not wear headcovering. To do so would be hypocritical. It is to be symbolic of her willingness to bend her knee in submission and obedience to God's Word and His ordained governmental system. Wearing headcovering doesn't in any way make one more spiritual. Some who wear it, however, would say this step in obedience has resulted in a magnification of their sense of God's love and peace, and that since wearing it, they have noticed significant increase in spiritual strength, stability, and growth.
Some would say that wearing headcovering-is a form of legalism, and that we are under grace. Indeed it would be legalism if it was being worn as a work in order to get to heaven, but when it is worn freely in response to love and commitment to Christ, it becomes a beautiful tribute to the grace we so treasure. If the Holy Spirit convicts the heart about a request He has made in His Word, does it not become sin to ignore the conviction? Romans 6:1-2 addresses the issue of sin as it relates to grace. It is human nature to use grace as an excuse to live as we want to live, labeling as legalism anything that even remotely resembles a guideline for us in God's Word. These two verses make it abundantly clear that living under grace in no way entitles us to abuse that grace. If we feel a conviction of the Holy Spirit as we read His Word, we must honor that conviction or quench the Spirit of God!
The style of the head covering does not seem to be of a great deal of importance here, as it is not specifically addressed. Some believe that in order to cover the glory of the woman as nature gave her in the form of long hair, the hair must be completely covered. This may have some merit, and pictures of headcovering in the early church do indicate this type of covering. The emphasis, however, seems to be upon her willingness to submit to the wearing of a symbolic covering. Is she supposed to wear it at all times, or just at church? She's to wear it when she prays, so that would depend upon her pattern of prayer. If she prays without ceasing, as instructed in I Thessalonians 5:17, should the headcovering not be worn without ceasing? We are only given a brief reference to the use of headcovering. Its style and when it should be worn are questions to be worked out with God. Its importance, however, cannot be understated (especially in today's world) as an easily identifiable way to take a stand for God in the midst of today's corrupted, man-made standards.
If after taking a closer look at this passage of God's word, and truly seeking His face about His intent therein, you do not agree with the author's views, the author would respect your views, and your choice to deny the observance of headcovering today. If, however, you begin to see things as the author now sees them, more questions should be considered. Is it your desire to grow in God, to walk in obedience, to serve Him to the best of your human ability? Where do you stand in your willingness to do as His word dictates? Why should you and/or female members of your family wear headcovering? Because God asks you to! How could you do any less for Him after what He did for you? God be with you as you seek His will regarding the wearing of headcovering for yourself and/or your family, an unpopular stand to take in this world of conformity.
*************************
PropheZine NewsBytes
RED HEIFER SIGNALS THIRD TEMPLE
The birth of a red heifer in Israel is being hailed by religious Jews as a sign from God that work can soon begin on building the Third Temple in Jerusalem.
A team of rabbinical experts last week confirmed that the animal, born six months ago on a religious kibbutz near the north Israeli port of Haifa, meets the correct Biblical criteria for a genuine holy cow.
According to the Book of Numbers (XIX: 2-7), the animal is needed for an ancient Jewish purification ritual.
"Speak unto the children of Israel that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke," says the fourth book of the Old Testament, also part of Jewish holy scripture, the Torah.
The heifer will be slaughtered and burned, and its ashes made into a liquid paste and used in a ceremony which religious Jews believe they must undergo before they can enter the old Temple site in Jerusalem to start building a new structure.
Since Herod's Temple was destroyed by the Roman emperor Titus in AD 70, no flawless red heifer has been born within the biblical land of Israel, according to rabbinical teaching.
The birth of the animal, to a black-and-white mother and a dun-colored bull, is being hailed as a "miracle" by activists who want to rebuild the Third Temple and prepare the way for the Jewish messiah's entry to Jerusalem.
The faithful will need to wait until the heifer is at least three before it can be used in a ritual sacrifice. That would enable religious Jews to start the new millennium (a Christian event, but
still regarded as portentous) in a state of purity.
News of the red heifer's appearance, however, will not be well received by Muslims. The site of the old Jewish temples in the Holy City is now occupied by one of Islam's holiest shrines, the Dome of the Rock. Jewish extremists want to destroy the Dome and the adjoining Al-Aqsa mosque to make way for a new temple. In 1985 a group of Jewish terrorists were jailed in Israel for planning to destroy the Dome with high explosives.
But Jewish activists say they regard it as their divine mission to build a new Temple. "We have been waiting 2,000 years for a sign from God, and now he has provided us with a red heifer," said Yehudah Etzion, the ringleader of the Eighties' plot to blow up the Dome, who was present at last week's inspection of the red heifer at Kfar Hassidim. "There were a couple of little white hairs which worried us, but the rabbis are satisfied that it is the red heifer referred to in the Bible," said Mr Etzion. (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH (London) 3/16
++++++++++++++++++++++
COMPASS DIRECT
Global News from the Frontlines
March 21, 1997 Issue
Copyright 1997 Compass Direct
Compass Direct is distributed monthly to raise awareness of and encourage prayer for Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith.
NINE RWANDAN PRIESTS, THREE NUNS SLAIN IN ZAIRE
by Richard Nyberg
GABORONE, Botswana (Compass)--Nine Rwandan Roman Catholic priests and three
nuns of the Hutu ethnic group have been murdered in eastern Zaire as fighting continues between government troops and rebel forces, according to Catholic sources.
Details of the February 25 attack are sketchy, but Catholic media reports at the Vatican said all 12 Catholics appear to have been killed in a refugee camp at Kalima two days after it was captured by rapidly advancing Tutsi rebel forces. Some 25,000 refugees fled the camp as the guerrilla army approached. The rebels have overrun several towns in eastern Zaire after taking up arms against the government last October.
Vatican Radio reported March 5 that the Rwandan refugee clerics apparently came from Bukavu near the border with Rwanda but were unable to reach Kasongo near Kalima because of insufficient transport.
An earlier report by the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, said only eight priests had been killed and another managed to escape. Exact circumstances of the massacre were not known.
Catholic missionary sources in the region could not immediately identify the slain priests, but noted that many other clerics were still "roaming" helplessly in Zaire's dense forests.
According to a petition signed February 28 by Father Patrice Nizeyumuremyi, a Rwandan in exile in Kenya, there were 29 priests, "a dozen" Catholic brothers, 40 nuns and 50 seminarians still "trapped" in eastern Zaire.
The clerics have been "abandoned by the international community," Nizeyumuremyi said soon after leaving a refugee camp in eastern Zaire.
Hundreds of thousands of Hutu refugees fled into eastern Zaire following Rwanda's civil war and genocide in 1994, which claimed the lives of more than 500,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus at the hands of former Hutu army soldiers and militiamen.
On March 3, Pope John Paul II met Zairian bishops and called for a more committed international response to the troubled Great Lakes region of Africa, most notably Zaire.
"The international community, including regional African organizations, must increase its political activity while at the same time finding quick solutions to the human and moral tragedy of Rwandan refugees who remain in Zaire," he said, adding that "no well-intentioned man could ignore the fate of people who live in conditions that insult one's human dignity and whose lives are constantly in danger."
The pope deplored repeated attacks against churches in Zaire, noting that Christian institutions in many areas were the only social structures still working.
The church in central African has been hard hit by ongoing strife in Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi. Religious workers, who have seen some atrocities first hand, have been targeted by unruly soldiers who do not want clergymen to testify against them at a later date.
In most cases, Catholics and Protestants have been caught up in the turmoil and bloodshed as refugees continue to be uprooted and chased en masse from camp to camp throughout the region. Efforts at forging a lasting cease-fire have been thwarted by government and rebel leaders.
-------------------------
MYANMAR'S KAREN CHRISTIANS FACING GENOCIDE
by Alex Buchan
HONG KONG (Compass)--Myanmar's largest ethnic minority--the Karen people--are facing genocide as government forces seek to push them out of the country in a massive offensive which began February 11 and has resulted in more than 30,000 Karens fleeing to neighboring Thailand. The Karen leadership claim they are being victimized because they have refused "on Christian principle" to assist the government in narcotics trafficking. (See Compass Direct, January 24, 1997)
The 2.6 million Karen are 40 percent Christian, although the leadership of the main faction--the Karen National Union (KNU)--are almost all Christians. Their general, Bo Mya, said it was "God's will" that the Karen should fight the Burmese, especially after peace talks broke down late last year when, according to KNU spokespersons, "We refused to help the government traffic opium." The military junta in Rangoon was further angered in January when the KNU came out publicly in support of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy, who won elections in 1990 but were refused power by military leaders.
However, aid workers among the now 110,000 Karen refugees in Thailand caution against adopting the view that "the Karen are Christian martyrs." One senior worker with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told Compass, "The leaders are often only very nominal Christians, and are adept at preying on Western sensibilities for support." The worker further cautioned, "This fight is primarily about land. The Karens have been wanting autonomy for decades and are prepared to fight, even kill and commit acts of terrorism, to get their way."
Two years ago a section of the KMU mutinied and formed the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), in part because of the Christian stance of the KNU. It was also a protest against what many foot soldiers felt was the unimaginative military leadership of Bo Mya. Some said, "He made us defend hopeless positions time and again, expecting us to die without question." The DKBA have apparently been cooperating with the forces of the ruling junta during this recent offensive, which has brought an extra bitterness to the religious divide among the Karen people.
Military forces have moved with increasing ferocity to just 20 kilometers from the Karen headquarters at Minthamee, driving tens of thousands of Karen refugees before them. International outrage followed the refusal of Thai soldiers to let male Karens cross into Thailand on February 26 on the grounds that they were soldiers. The Thai government has denied allegations that they forced refugees back, claiming they "returned voluntarily."
----------------------------------
HINDU POLITICAL PARTIES TARGET CHRISTIANS IN INDIA
Special to Compass Direct
BOMBAY, India (Compass)--A member of the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) introduced a Freedom of Religion Bill before the Maharashtra State Assembly in December which would ban conversions from one religion to another.
Mr. Mangalprabhat Lodha, who introduced the bill, said Christian missionaries had set a target of converting 100,000 Hindus in this Indian state by various means, including allurements and force. He explained that in the northeast Indian state of Nagaland there were only 250 Christian families at the turn of the century. Lodha contended that the number of Christians in Nagaland has since risen to 85 percent of the population, fueling a demand for independence. He urged the government to support the bill.
The current ruling government of Maharashtra is an alliance of the BJP and the Shiv Sena, both fundamentalist Hindu groups. Interestingly, the bill has been introduced in the state assembly at a time when the morale of the coalition government is at a low, and has been taking a battering in the local Bombay press.
Some church leaders responded quickly, describing the bill as a blatant violation of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees its citizens the freedom to choose their religion and practice and propagate their faith. Others said there is a feeling among Hindu groups like the Shiv Sena and BJP that Christians are actively proclaiming their faith, probably putting some Hindus on the defensive. Journalists in Bombay dismissed the bill, saying the coalition had run out of issues and was trying to whip up new ones to win elections in the state later this year.
A few weeks later, in what some Christian leaders view as part of a systematic attack on the church, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) party accused Christian missionaries of converting more than 5,000 families in Dharvi--the biggest slum in Asia, situated in West Bombay. The president of the VHP in Bombay, Mr. Ashok Chowgule, alleged that those who resist the pressure from missionaries are beaten up and severely assaulted. He said that despite complaints to the local police, little has been done to prevent conversions and accused Christians of taking advantage of the poor.
Despite the attacks, the church in Bombay is growing under pressure and experiencing revival. A Christian leader in Bombay said, "Our task as Christians is to shine in the city and to take the city for God."
Each month hundreds of church leaders gather for a walk around the perimeter of the city. Results of these walks are already being felt in Bombay. Viju Abraham of the Urban Growth Center says, "I can chart the difference prayer has made in Bombay from the early 1980s until now. I can see the relationship in the graph between intercession for Bombay and for the church, and the growth of the church in the city. The Freedom of Religion Bill might be a temporary setback. But the Holy Spirit is bringing the winds of change in the lives of the Christians and the church. This will reap a rich harvest of souls in the years to come."
---------------------------------
ISRAELI PARLIAMENT GIVES INITIAL APPROVAL TO 'ANTI-MISSIONARY' BILL
One-year Sentence Proposed for 'Inducing Religious Conversion'
By Barbara G. Baker
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Compass)--The Israeli Knesset gave preliminary approval February 19 to a law prohibiting any literature or advertisements containing "an inducement to religious conversion," punishable by one year in prison.
The bill's wording specifically prohibited the possession, production, reproduction, importation and distribution of literature or information which would persuade individuals to change their religion.
Proposed as an additional Paragraph 174C under Penal Code 5737, the bill would amend Israel's existing anti-bribery law, which already prohibits anyone from offering inducement to change another's religion for material gain.
Although only a small minority of Knesset members voted on the bill, it passed 21 to 7, sending the proposed law into committee. After any changes there it will be re-submitted to the Knesset, where it must pass three readings to become law--a process one local observer said could take place as quickly as within one hour.
The so-called "anti-missionary" bill was co-sponsored by Moshe Gafni of the Torah Judaism Party and Missim Zvili of the Labor Party.
Messianic Jews in Israel have expressed alarm over the proposed law, stating that it contradicts Articles 18 and 19 of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, which declare the right to "freedom of thought, conscience and religion...to hold opinions without interference and to seek, retrieve and impart information and ideas through any media."
According to a group called the Israel Messianic Action Committee, "It would radically transform Israeli society by instituting a state-sponsored religious censorship and denying freedom of religious expression, as is common in pariah nations such as Libya, Iran and Saudi Arabia."
Since terms such as "inducement for religious conversion" are not defined, one Messianic Jew noted, it allows for very arbitrary interpretation. "It constitutes an infringement of basic human freedoms/rights to believe and propagate one's faith freely, so long as fair and moral means are used to that end," the Israeli said.
An explanatory note to the proposed bill declared that "the state of Israel...is opposed to any missionary seduction to change religion, and is even more severe regarding the seduction of minors to change religion." The legislature took note of the "serious phenomenon" of different missionary sects who had recently begun to try to "seduce people to convert" through the mails and other advertising materials.
According to Messianic Jews who contacted Compass, the bill was prompted by last year's mailing of a million copies of an evangelistic booklet called "HaShalom" (The Peace) to a million households in Israel. The unsolicited booklets from abroad caused a public outcry, with thousands thrown in garbage cans and even ceremonially burned opposite the Knesset building.
"We were left with the task of going public on a national TV news show to declare that we had nothing to do with the mailings or the tactics behind them," Uri Marcus of the Nehemiah Trustees Covenant Fund explained in a March 5 release.
Various Jewish Messianic and Christian organizations in Israel have called for special prayer against "the enactment of this undemocratic and immoral law" by the international Christian community on Palm Sunday, March 23, which coincides with the Feast of Purim.
TWO ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS MURDERED PUBLICLY IN NORTHERN IRAQ
Shaqlawa Slayings Ordered by Kurdish Muslim Imam
By Sjoerd Poorta
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Compass)--Assyrian Christians inside Northern Iraq have confirmed reports from the Arabic press and church leaders abroad of the public murder of two Christian men by mob action in the streets of Shaqlawa near Arbil last month.
Lazar Matti, 54, and his son Haval, 25, were killed on the morning of February 10 by at least 200 Kurdish Muslims in the streets of Shaqlawa, an Assyrian clergyman who requested anonymity told Compass.
According to the church leader, the two Christians were accused of assassinating Mohammed Bawaker, a Kurdish Muslim in the city, the night before they were themselves murdered. The churchman's story was corroborated in the February 19 issue of the Arabic weekly Al-Hayat from London, as well as a joint press release from Northern Iraq's four Assyrian political parties, dated February 14.
Reportedly, Bawaker had a few years previously kidnapped Matti's daughter, not quite 15 at the time, and married her against her family's will. At that time, Bawaker was a member of Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of the two main Kurdish political parties in Northern Iraq. Recently, however, he had left the PUK to join one of the smaller Kurdish Islamic parties.
When Bawaker's body was found in a garden in Shaqlawa on the night of February 9, Matti and his son were arrested immediately by local police, who suspected the Christians of a revenge killing for the girl's kidnapping. Local Assyrians, however, claimed that it was widely believed in the city that Bawaker's desertion of his former party had prompted the PUK to kill him.
Nevertheless, the local imam (religious leader) of the city declared in the mosque that the two Assyrian Christians were the murderers. "The imam ordered publicly that the Muslims should shed the blood of these Christians," the clergyman reported, "since it was not accepted that a non-believer (Christian) should kill a Muslim."
That same morning, some 200 men gathered with their weapons. One group went and burned down Matti's house, while the other group went to the police station and forcibly took Matti and his son out of prison.
In a public lynching action, the two Christians were then "mistreated, tortured and killed in a barbaric way," the church leader reported.
Although the police made it known that they had captured some 30 suspects among the splinter Islamic groups in Shaqlawa, he said, they were all gradually set free.
"In this area, Christian blood is so cheap," he said. "I can say that since 1991, when Northern Iraq came under the control of the Kurdish people, in not one single case when a Christian was killed by a Kurd has any Kurd ever been punished.
"This is because public opinion is that when you are killing a Christian, you should not be punished, because you are not doing a wrong thing," he said. "You are just killing a person who has no support, no power behind him."
In the Arabic release, Assyrian Christians accused the government of Northern Iraq of knowing all about these things. "It has happened in front of their eyes, but they do not care. We have asked them to protect us and to punish the people responsible for these acts of violence," the report said.
It was later confirmed that Masoud Barzani, leader of the rival Kurdistan Democractic Party (KDP), attended the funeral of the two Christians. "It seems that he was admitting that there was a crime," the church leader observed. Barzani later received Archbishop Emanuel Dally, assistant to the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the Middle East in Baghdad, to discuss the incident.
It was not the first time Assyrian Christian prisoners have been wrested away from local authorities and killed publicly, with apparent impunity. In March of 1995, 24-year-old Edward Khoshaba Isho was kidnapped from his jail cell in Dohuk and then executed publicly in the village of Bakerman by members of the influential Zibari tribe.
Assyrian church leaders say they know of at least 20 Christian girls under the age of 18 who have been kidnapped and married to their Kurdish captors in Northern Iraq since the Gulf War. Local authorities, who consider this simply an old custom providing Muslims with cheap brides, normally close their eyes and do not investigate such cases. Moreover, relatives of the kidnapped girls often dare not protest, fearing even more threats and problems.
An estimated 40,000 Iraqi Christians still live among the 3.5 million Kurds in Northern Iraq. Like the Syrian Orthodox community in southeast Turkey, these Assyrian and Chaldean Christians are caught in middle of the region's political chaos as well as violent Kurdish rivalries.
Compass Direct is distributed monthly to raise awareness of and encourage prayer for Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Articles may be reprinted or edited by active subscribers for use in other media provided Compass Direct is acknowledged as the source of the material.
For subscription information, contact:
Compass Direct
P.O. Box 27250
Santa Ana, CA 92799
USA
Phone: 714-418-9150
FAX: 714-752-6536
E-mail: compassdr@compuserve.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Maranatha Fellowship
Prophecy meeting in FL
April 5th, 1997
Maranatha fellowship in lakeland, florida holds free prophecy conferences Quarterly with nationally known prophecy experts. In the past they have had Ray brubaker of "god's news behind the news" tv and host of the International prophecy conference, james wardner who wrote the books the Planned destruction of america and unholy alliances, steve wright author of we Ather modification and ufo's and superpowers in prophecy, and joe van Koevering of "god's news" and co-host of the i.p.c.
The spring '97 meeting will feature jeff baker of amerinet broadcasting co. Who will speak on "world war iii and caostan" as he calls the area of the World where all the action is.
The meeting will be held april 5, 1997 at 7:00 pm in the magnolia building on E. Orange st. In downtown lakeland. Contact jeanette jennings, director at Jen8130@aol.com for directions and any further information. Also look for "the trump of maranatha fellowship" in the prophecy alliance section of pz.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
CLINTON does NOT deny UN takeover of US in Press Conference
===================================================
In fact he takes the opportunity to go into great detail about how what he is NOT denying IS in fact NECESSARY... BTW, I have just heard that FEMA troops in Kentucky and Tennessee that are assisting in the FLOOD are wearing Blue Berets similar if not identical to UN BERETS...
ralph@TeamInfinity.com
From the 1997-03-07 Presidential Press Conference:
--------------------------------------------------
Q Sir, this is on another subject. We have a very great problem in this country today, and I wonder if you would use your leadership to counteract the rumor-mongers that are abroad in the land who are spreading all these rumors that are scaring people to death -- large segments of our citizens believe that the United Nations is taking over whole blocks of counties in Kentucky and Tennessee.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q And some of them, they believe that --
THE PRESIDENT: Now, you all are laughing, but --
Q -- you're going to put us in a concentration camp and you're going to give our army to Russia and all that baloney. Could you do something about this? Because it's hurting the unity of the United States.
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know, because the people who believe that think I'm the problem. (Laughter.) We're all laughing about it, but there is a not insubstantial number of people who believe that there is a plan out there for world domination and I'm trying to give American sovereignty over to the U.N. There was a --I read in our local Arkansas newspaper, one of them the other day had a letter to the editor saying that, there I go again, there's Clinton out there trying to give American sovereignty over to the United Nations.
Let me just say this: For people that are worried about it, I would say, there is a serious issue here that every American has to come to grips with, including Americans that don't much think about foreign policy until some great problem occurs, and that is, how can we be an independent, sovereign nation leading the world in a world that is increasingly interdependent, that requires us to cooperate with other people and then to deal with very difficult circumstances in trying to determine how best to cooperate.
That's the issue that you will all be reporting on for the next week in the Mexico certification issue. Did I do the right thing to certify Mexico? Are the members of Congress who disagree with me right when they say we should have decertified Mexico and then give it a national interest waiver so we could continue to cooperate economically and in others ways?
I strongly believe I was right. But we don't -- if you want to go into that, we can later, but the issue is, we live in an interdependent world. We have to cooperate with people. We're better off when we do. We're better off with NATO. We're better off with the United Nations. We're better off when these countries can work together. So I just think for folks that are worried about this out in the country, they need to be thinking about how -- we're not going to give up our freedom, our independence, but we're not going to go it alone into the 21st century either. We're going to work together and we have to.
++++++++++++++++++++
China Leases US Navy Base
By Wayne Merrit
Associated Press- Sunday March 9th, 1997
Washington - Shuttered by military cutbacks, a historic Navy base in Long Beach is about to be lease to a China-owned shipping company under an agreement assisted by the White House President CLinton Twice met with Long Beach officials to push the plan forward - once in California last year and at a White House meeting in 1995 that included his chief of staff and the Pentagons no2 offical. The Deal approved by the Navy turns over the base --- valued by the city at $65 million and by preservationists at as much as $300 million ---free of charge to the City of Long Beach. The City has already agreed to lease it to COSCO, The CHina Ocean Shipping Co. which already has a small operation at the base.
****the Article goes on, but I am disgusted, same old stuff, different day or what I call the S(squared)D(squared) Factor (S2D2) *******
I dont know about you, but this DEAL was DONE without the National Security Council deeming it okay, or for that matter, no need was deemed necessary for this council to check it out, its only a Chinesee Shipping company, after all, the same country who threated to NUC LA during the Tawain Excursion if the US didnt stay out of it....
In 1994 I got orders off of a Frigate that was homeported in Long Beach Calif. The same ship that in 1993, was tasked during a Persian Gulf Deployment to watch (for over 1 week) a Chineese Merchant Ship called the Ying He that was carrying Biological and Chemical elements for warfare to Iran. Its 1997, did China Repent??
This is what I think: Theres a big world map, and the ELITE sit behind it and toy with the nations, setting up fear and war when needed, all to move into a World government - ok, I said it :)... I pray for this nation, that We will repent as a nation, I really do, But Jesus's Parable about New and Old Wine Skins always makes me think, are we old wine skins and the New Wine (the Gospel) is not going to hold and will burst out all over the place?
Well, God Bless, and have a Wonderful Week in His Name ~
Wayne
Psalms 2
+++++++++++++++++++
Taco Bell and The Mark of the Beast?
By Robert Taylor
Every child of the 70's remembers the Star Wars trilogy and the mythical new age "force" that guided the good and bad guys. A universal collective consciousness or something like that.
The Star Wars trilogy has been released for it's 20th anniversary with special promotions from Taco Bell. The television add states "feel the force" as the actors place the game piece to their forehead and hold it there as if to receive some new age communication.
Is this coincidence or what?
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...: 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 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. (Revelation 13:16-18).
+++++++++++++++++++
UN swallowing 48 US national parks!
The Taking of America
by Karen Lee Bixman
"Welcome to Death Valley International Biosphere." This sign, posted at the entrance of Death Valley National Park in the California desert alerts visitors that Death Valley is no longer a national park. Along with 48 other national park sites throughout the country, Death Valley has come under the guise and control of a United Nations advisory board that now supersedes the authority of the United States Park Service.
If this scenario sounds like an Orwellian plot, too unbelievable to be true, realize that while the American people have busied themselves in the essentials of raising their families and earning a living, our politicians in Washington have literally "given away the farm."
The Biosphere Reserve Program was the creation of the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Conceived in 1971,the objective of the program was to designate world-wide sites for preservation and to protect the biodiversity of chosen sites on a global level.
As in the case of Death Valley, and other sites within the United States, each biosphere is divided into three different sections: (1) Wilderness zones (2) Buffer zones, and (3) Cooperation zones. The wilderness area is designed to be the habitat of plants and animals; human inhabitancy or human intrusion is forbidden. A buffer zone surrounds the wilderness area: limited access is permitted within this zone. The Cooperation zone will be allocated as the only site where humans will be allowed to live. The Sierra Club is but one of the 126 environmental organizations that work hand-in-hand with the United Nations to enact the environmental-global agenda. UNESCO passed resolution 1296 in 1968, which grants consultative status to organizations like the Sierra Club which allows them to participate in UN environmental activities. In December 1972, UN Resolution 2997, which was adopted by the general assembly, created the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). This program has remapped the world into bioregions and is responsible for all of the environmental policy changes that have occurred globally in the last 20 years. Ideas spawned by the "chosen" 126 environmental groups are advanced by the UNEP.
It is the plan of the Sierra Club, the United Nations, and those followers of the "Green Agenda," to actually re-structure our society, as we now know it, and to relocate the human population of the United States within these bioregions. The time estimate given for the re-structuring is 50 to 100 years. Therefore, when private citizens are robbed of their land, be it in the form of new legislation such as the Desert Wilderness Protection Act, or through land taking by the EPA, realize that the redistribution of the human population out of the "wilderness zones" has begun. [Ed. Note: It is not only begun, but is well advanced. According to a map in National
Geographic, fully 1/3 of the land in the United States belongs to the federal government.]
According to the plan, each of these 21 bioregions will be governed by bioregional councils. Although in its infancy stage, the setting up of such a council is taking place in the U.S. South in conjunction with the Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee. In effect, when these councils come into play, local, state and national government will not be able to intervene with their enforcement. It will be under the strong arm of the UN that environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy and other green organizations will be given the green light and will be the enforcement arm of these councils at the local level.
Another hoax perpetuated against the American people has been the implementation of the World Heritage Treaty signed by Richard Nixon on November 21, 1972, ratified by the Senate and entered into force on December 17, 1975, this UN treaty was drafted during the general conference of UNESCO in 1972.
It addresses the cultural and natural heritage of lands throughout the world and contends that they're endangered and are being threatened by social and economic conditions. The treaty states, "Therefore, it is incumbent that the international community participate as a whole to use these heritage sites." Sites that qualify for protection under the title "Cultural Heritage" include any "monuments, archaeological works, buildings, and landscapes which have universal value from a historical, aesthetic or ethnological point of view." Sites that qualify for protection under the description "National Heritage" include "aesthetic views, geographical formations and acres of threatened habitat of species of animal and plants or natural areas of outstanding universal value from the point of science, conservation or natural beauty."
The treaty language is so vague that any property in the world can be rendered a Heritage site if the governing committee so deems. The actual property does not need to be a historical site in the true sense of the word, but, if for example, the site is of exceptional beauty, such as The Lake of the Ozarks, in Missouri, or for that matter, Yosemite National Park in California, the site can be classified a Heritage site and removed from public use.
Recently, an example of the World Heritage Committee flexing its international arm of control, was felt when Yellowstone National Park was selected as a World Heritage site.
For the past two years, the Crown Butte Company, owner of The New World Mine, had been undergoing an Environmental Impact Survey (EIS) in preparation of opening its gold mine outside the confines of Yellowstone National Park. According to Crown Butte owner, Joe Baylis, the mine was in compliance with all U.S. regulations. "In fact," stated Baylis, "new technology by the company actually serves to clean up the existing mine waste in the area."
In July of 1995, however, a report by the Heritage Committee made reference to several threats to the park, such as deforestation by a religious group, tourism impacts and wildlife policies. Other concerns mentioned were "tourists overcrowding and threatening grizzly bears."
Bernard von Droste, Director of the World Heritage Committee states "Park managers in Yellowstone and elsewhere must also figure out ways to manage people who may otherwise love this park to death."
In light of statements made by von Droste, popular recreation areas and other national parks could soon find their way on the World Heritage Committee hit list. In September of 1995, fearing that the New World Mine would pass its EIS and be allowed to open, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt appealed to the Heritage Committee to declare Yellowstone a World Heritage site.
In December of 1995, the World Heritage Committee complied. William Perry Pendly, an environmental attorney with the Mountain States Legal Foundation, stated in the February issue of The New American magazine that Yellowstone was threatened by the New World Mine.
"One of the misconceptions promoted by the mine's opponents is that it is right next to the park and that it would leave tailings and mine residue nearby, which would defile the park. But it is separated from Yellowstone by three mountain ridges. It is an area which has been mined since white men first went West and people have been smelting ore there since about 1870."
As has been the norm with the establishment of International Biospheres, the World Heritage Treaty also calls for the taxing of private property as well. In the case of Yellowstone, this argument is now being made by environmentalists that the ecosystem of Yellowstone extends far beyond the border of the 2.3 million acre park.
Tony Bemosky of the Mountain State Resources Center at Montana State University stated that there is general agreement that the ecosystem encompasses parts of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, an area of between 14 to 18 million acres.
The UN environmental agenda has been avidly supported and advanced by the Clinton administration. The Ecosystem Management Plan promoted by Vice President Al Gore, calls for 50 percent of the land within the United States to be returned to wilderness. Twenty federal agencies are being used to implement this plan and the EPA is the enforcer.
Through executive order, Bruce Babbit and his Department of the Interior, in September of 1993, created the Office of National Biological Survey. This survey will attempt to record the location of each species of plants and animals located throughout the United States. The end result will be a written record that will be used against the population whereby the EPA will then be justified in removing humans from areas where "endangered species" are located.
Through UN treaties and government proposals, the American people are being robbed of their most precious freedom, the right to own land. One can only hope that the populous, once armed with the facts, will rise up and eject these unconstitutional treaties, along with any governing body who would propose such a massive threat to the sovereignty of our country
++++++++++++++++++++
The Final Word.
NOTE: My good friend Shannon Straffin wrote this. and I am proud to use it and the "Final Word"..Ray PZ
What is the World's Wealth?
By: Shannon Straffin
The worldâs wealth is the love of God for all of mankind. This love is a treasure greater than any material wealth, because it is everlasting. It never depreciates, wears out, or grows old. No matter what we do, this love comes to us fresh and new with every morning. The best part about it is the gift is free--God Himself paid the price for making it available to us. We give Him ourselves, our needs, our frailties, our brokenness. In return, He gives us the healing and wholeness that is Himself, through the gifts of His word, His Son and His Spirit.
Godâs word, the Bible, contains the greatest love story ever told. It tells us who God is, why we were created, and how to live a truly rich and rewarding life in harmony with Him and with the people around us. The Bible contains wisdom that never grows stale; it is always applicable to todayâs problems.
Godâs Son, Jesus, is our Savior, who made possible the forgiveness of sins through His sacrifice. Once and for all, He created the way for us to be reconciled with God that can never be undone. All we have to do to have this kind of relationship with God is accept what Jesus has already done on our behalf.
Godâs Holy Spirit is our Counselor, who makes it possible for us to understand Godâs word, convicts us of our sin and Godâs truth, and gives us His strength to overcome the sin in our lives. The Spirit comes to live in our hearts when we enter a restored relationship with God, providing us with, even in this troubled world, a peace that transcends understanding.
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -- Luke 12:32-34, NIV
