Jerusalem Update #5
By Dr. Gary Collett
August 27, 2001
The "strategic" moves by the "Palestinians" now seem to
have moved again to sniper shootings at the Israeli Jewish as they drive on
roads near or through Palestinian "A" Autonomous areas as well as riot
/ demonstrations in designated areas. This morning at the area of Rachel’s
Tomb, in Bethlehem, I saw the road covered with stones that had been thrown at
the Israeli Military that protects the Tomb in conjunction with a gun battle in
the area last night. Also last night there was a several hour gun battle between
the area of Har Homa and Beit Saho’ur, which is next to Bethlehem. Several IDF
were killed in a gun battle in the Gaza area and an Israeli official stated that
if Arafat wants a war he will get a war if such conditions continue.
In response to the changing methods of Palestinian attacks the Israeli military
seems to be increasing the targeting of Palestinian terrorist leaders who engage
in the planning and/or carrying out of such attacks. It is reported that Lt.
Gen. Shaul Mofaz of Israel’s Defense Force stated it was the army's
"supreme mission'' to target militants who plan attacks on Israelis
(civilian populations). It is reported that Israel has acknowledged some of the
targeting, but has refused comment on others. This week the said "Top Bomb
Builder" was missed in a targeting but his son, a leader in a terrorist
organization was killed instead. Such an attitude and actions, by Israel, are
against the leadership of organizations, who are all subject to Arafat,
including Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hizballah, and who all seem to
understand from Arafat that they have a "green light" to continue
attacks against Israel. As a part of the "Targeting" the Israeli
Military is increasing short raids into Palestinian Autonomous "A"
areas in order to also destroy buildings used as cover for shooting at Israeli’s.
Such a move is expected against Beit Jala across from Gilo in Jerusalem at some
future point. Should this happen the "raid" would be of a magnitude
larger that any other "raid" simply because of the positioning and
size of Beit Jala and its proximity to Bethlehem. Such a move could easily
start-up the coming regional conflict.
News reports that a 30-year-old Palestinian "Folk Hero" is emerging as
the "Palestinian Rambo" in Samaria, north of Jerusalem, due to his
shooting dead eight Jewish Israeli’s, over a period of time, on their way
home. It is reported that this "Palestinian Rambo" left his wife and
children and is living in uninhabited areas of desert-like terrain in order to
avoid capture.
It was reported this week that a "Palestinian Ambulance", with proper
markings, pulled up and out jumped three terrorists who began to shoot at IDF in
the Gaza area. All three were killed in the shootout.
Keep in mind that it is still safe to visit Israel as tourism is not and has
not been a target!
A friend has sent us comments recently made, by those promoting the taking of a
"cornerstone" for the Temple onto the Temple Mount. I was asked to
comment on:
1) "There was a picture of one of the Cornerstones for the Temple and it was as big as a house".
Comment: The stone that has always been used is about waist high but if a
picture was taken at the right angle it might seem bigger.
2) The RED HEIFFER: It was said,
a) "During the 1st and 2nd Temple times only 9 red heifers were born in
Israel,
b) Jewish tradition said that once the 10th red heifer was born. It meant the
end times. The 10th red heifer was born in Israel after the 6-day war
in 1967.
c) Now there have been many red heifers born,
d) Red heifers were not born in America until after the 6 day war!"
Comments:
a) Actually, historically, only Red Heifers that were "offered" were counted ... so it is an assumption that only nine were born especially as out of the nine only seven were acceptable by Biblical Standards as offerings. Two out of nine historically were not acceptable as offerings Biblically! Those two unacceptable offerings do not seem to be "counted" except by those we have meet wanting to create hype in "Christian circles". It is more significant to us that seven heifers were acceptable and the eighth will be the Messiah (eight is His number), returned as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, which is why others who do not want to point to Christ choose nine, and then ten, instead.
b) We know of no old resource that makes this statement but if true then there
are still three "acceptable" offerings to go! "Jewish
Tradition" can be created by anyone "Jewish" making a statement
and then being repeated as "tradition". I would call this "Hupspah".
Also every red heifer born in Israel from 1948 to this date has been
disqualified as a potential "Red Heifer" due to one flaw or another.
Without ashes from the last offered heifer, which was offered before the
destruction of the Temple in AD 70, the acceptable Biblical site can not be
purified for a new offering. When the "ashes of old" are available
then a new heifer is obsolete!
c) A "red Heifer" born is only counted if the said heifer is offered
as a sacrifice otherwise what is the value or significance? Nothing! Because
ONLY the Red heifer to be used for the sacrifice was REDEEMED from the owners of
the herd of cattle, which was born to non-red parents somewhere in Israel! The
parents and place of birth are as important as the Heifer? Yes, just as Isaac
was a "promised" child as also the Messiah or Bethlehem as a place of
birth!
d) When did the Red Angus cattle or the Santa Gertrudis cattle of Texas begin in
the USA? The Santa Gertrudis are red and began to be a distinct breed in the
1920 to 30’s on the King Ranch! So definitely the statement of only after 1967
is untrue!
3) It was said that the southern retaining wall that the El Aska mosque sits on
has developed a 35-foot "bulge"!! The bulge has made the mosque
unstable and in danger of collapse!
Comments: Debra and I today went to the areas and found no "bulge"
in any of the walls below, under, or around the El Aska Mosque of the Temple
Mount area. All the walls were in their normal state. There has been no news we
have seen mentioning of a "bulge" problem. If there were was a problem
then it would be marked and roped off for safety in order to prevent anyone from
being under a collapsing wall (tourists can go there) and we would have seen the
area. We looked at each of the walls individually and there was NO BULGE!
4) It was said that permission has been asked to bring the
"Cornerstone" to the Temple Mount but denied until now for the first
time in a 34 year history after repeated requests having been denied, permission
was given to bring the stone to the southern gate instead. The southern gate is
right below this retaining wall. There was no bulge in the wall until the
cornerstone sat there and was prayed over and dedicated and vows were made that
the Temple WOULD be rebuilt!! Now 23 a "bulge" appears in the wall
making the mosque unstable!
Comments: From news archives we have seen the truck with the stone taken to
the Dung Gate area or Southern Gate area before so we do not think this is a
true statement. Also in Ezekiel 42: 20, which is considered as a part of
"the Third Temple era" there is a wall built, which separates the Holy
areas from the "profane place". The positioning of the "profane
place" would be the El Aska Mosque, which implies the Mosque or at least a
profane area is still there in the future when the Temple IS in a rebuilt state!
So a bulge even if it were in evidence would be of no importance!
Food for thought!
As this is a Faith Ministry reaching out to local and national communities we
depend on your faith gifts!
Blessings, --Gary and Debra
(Dr. GR Collett)
gcollett@netvision.net.il
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