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CHAPTER 10

Popes, Palestinians and Christ


THE POPE is of the opinion that the Palestinians should have a homeland. That is one thing. It is sad that so many of them abandoned Israel when its defeat seemed imminent in 1948, perhaps preparing to come in as conquerors.

Many people should have a homeland, but perhaps not in our back yards.

There is space to consider.

Israel is already so small that it is nearly a joke, except for the grimness of its magnificent fighting, not for mere survival, but for the destiny which, however blind the nation may be, and is to their own Messiah, certainly includes their restoration, not their dispossession into a fragment of territory of tragically diminutive proportions.

It is already so small, so vulnerable, so bombardable from the Golan Heights, so readily strangulated by short, swift and decisive cut through the narrow part, so subject to conjoined and concerted attack by its many pan-Islam neighbours, many sworn to its destruction by their joint action (cf. Teheran Conference of 1991), that it is difficult not to smile as at the comic, when people with grave mien talk of making it yet smaller. It is quite the vaudeville show when Jerusalem is to be SHARED, the place where their own Messiah was murdered! where the Lord placed His temple, where the mockery of the mosque now discloses the simple fact that the nation of Israel is still at war with God on His Son.

Is it any marvel that the other nations are also at war with it!

But the pope goes far too far if he intends that Israel should be the new homeland for Palestinians, when square miles in sheer, ecstatic abundance lie ready in the many BROTHERLANDS of Muhammad, all around about! It is just like the UN of 1946, which wanted to internationalise Jerusalem, as if they could play God. God played God and the wars of 1948, 1967, 1973, 1991 showed it (cf. SMR pp. 831ff.). This is precisely what He predicted for the post-resurrection time of the Jews, upon their return in Zechariah. Not merely that, but the burdensome, crushing character of the city of Jerusalem to those who sought to subdue it, this too was foretold, and how it too has been most vigorously fulfilled - ask Clinton and many others, such as Syria, Jordan and Iraq!

Categorically affirmed however is this (The Australian March 18-19, Clare Pendrick in Rome) that the pope signed with Yasser Arafat an affirmation indicating, to quote the report, that 'unilateral decisions on the status of the contested holy city were morally and legally unacceptable'. In just the same way, it seems, in the 18th century, the Italian people felt the unilateral dominion of the pope over its lands was morally and legally unacceptable. Perhaps it will be morally and legally outré for London to be unilaterally declared the capital of England or Britain.

After all, Jerusalem has far longer association with Israel, some 2 millenia before Muhammad was ever thought of in this world. Further, their credentials are appointed by the God of the Bible whose ways have this century been made subject of a refresher course for those who want to overthrow the Biblical predictions, which are part of the Biblical sanctions concerning the matter : Zechariah 12-14, incl. 12:6 -


Straight after this, in sequence, though it could be decades in time, we see the revelation of the crucified Messiah to the Jews, who repent of what they did. That of course is long after it happened, since you cannot repent for what you have not yet done!

That then is what GOD said. That is what is happening. That is fulfilled in great part already in the scenes of 1948, 1967, 173 and 1991, all part of the divinely created scenario: for God creates not ONLY the kinds of creation, but the kinds of history, and even details and stylises the relevant parts for His purpose, here and there, in His word, millenia before they actually get around to coming to pass.

On the other hand, that is NOT part of what the pope said. This man speaks as if the word of God were in abeyance when he opens his mouth on this issue; but his mouth will not prevail. What the pope says is not happening; though Biblically there will indeed be attempts to bring in a spurious peace, not founded on the word of God; but after a little this too will be confounded and the Lord will Himself come to the arena (Zechariah 14).

How remarkable that now again, there is a parliamentary prohibition in Israel (Time, March 13, 2000, p. 19). It occurred before in April 1990 (SMR pp. 835-836 R *6) when there was to be a possible but dangerous ceding of land, indeed of Jerusalem to some non-Jewish alignment or facility - a voting in which Arabs would be participants on this city topic. Around one decade ago, when such a situation arose, ONE man was able to block this, one solitary parliamentary member.Now IN 2000 A.D., the embargo is by a Knesset vote prohibiting the Prime Minister to cede the Golan Heights, or to make a 'Golan giveback', as the article puts it. This may change. Time magazine suggests that a small party may be willing to give the needed numbers to Barak if he gives it this and that... But the point is this: the prohibition once again is there!

The situation continues, and indeed, it is not lost of many Jews, despite their failure to go the second mile and find the Messiah (as they are predicted ALSO to do - Zechariah 12:10ff.), that the dry bones of the dispersed Israel are indeed back in place. Rabbi  Lau, ex-concentration camp inmate (The Australian , March 24, 2000, p. 8) declares by report: "I can stand before him in my home, my national home, in my holy city of Jerusalem, to look him straight in the eye and say to him: "The vision of the Prophet Ezekiel that the dry bones will come to life is taking place before our
eyes.' " The 'him' to whom he could may this declaration ? the pope.

However we also read (Advertiser, March 5, p. 51) of the event of a non-political religious meeting with the pope, at which the Israeli Chief Rabbi "appeared to equate the  Pope's pilgrimage to the Jewish state with 'recognition of Jerusalem as (Israel's) united, eternal capital city' ."  From the RC sector, the paper reports, someone shouted "the Pope never recognised that". It was NOT to be understood that he recognised Jerusalem as of the Jews, for the Jews. Indeed, the clamour to the contrary for the city in a vigorous exchange during the papal visit is fully in line with the normal European in general (over centuries) and papal in particular (over the same centuries) disregard of the Jewish people's normal human status, national aspiration and historic position. As elsewhere noted, Hosmer's Story of the Jews documents this in a manner which shows that Hitler's approach was merely the apex of a long journey.

Muslim cleric Yayseer Tamimi then made a "fiery political plea for a 'just peace' that would 'create an independent state on national land ... with Jerusalem as its eternal capital' ,"  though why there is any justice in the massive, multi-national, hostile and surrounding Arab and Muslim lands taking over the area of the nearly extinguished Jewish nation, when force to destroy and shove them usurped and weakened by the holocaust, into the sea, an earlier cry of the sixties, did not succeed, is far from clear.

Thus contention is, just as predicted (Zechariah 12), continuing beyond the earlier assaults on Jerusalem, this time verbal. The POPE did NOT apologise for the failure of the wartime pope, Pius XII to help the Jews. The cry that if he had then Roman Catholics would have been imperilled by Hitler, is not the stuff of which the faith is made. Since what hour has Christianity been concerned about suffering for the truth, for righteousness sake, and what does it say:
 


The concentration camps were yoke enough, and what represents Christ - let alone 'God Almighty on earth' does what Christ required. Indeed, newspaper report of a recent publication by a Roman Catholic given access to the pontifical papers of the Vatican has come out with much evidence that there was far worse than mere fear and timidity, ecclesiastical selfishness and lack of vision involved, on the part of Pius XII; rather there may have been considerable disregard if not a measure of contempt for the Jewish nation, or people as it then was. Dave Hunt in his "A Woman Rides the Beast" , p. 288, notes that neither Hitler nor Mussolini were ever excommunicated by the church. Nor (op.cit. p. 283) was Mein Kampf put on the forbidden papal book list. Nor did priests protest and the pope inveigh against the barbaric, inhuman and bestial treatment of Jews, even if, as claimed it would have given problems of conscience for loyal German soldiers, while their boss slaughtered Jewry (op.cit. p. 287).

Was the papal Concordat with Hitler (1933, officially declared) abolished WHILE HE WAS IN THE ASCENDANT, on moral grounds ? Can morality bow to fear; can the infallibility provisions fail when their need is greatest, and what is the infallibility which cannot pronounce because it is selfish, or afraid, or shrewdly conniving!

If Pius XII claimed his declarations were as binding as ex cathedras (op.cit. p. 289), then his silences bind Rome to the dust. NOTHING to say with such 'power and authority' when the world was a- buzz and slaughter yards soaking for years, amid yearning gas chambers and stolen goods!

It is as if Einstein apologised for having made a pretence of power in his field, when all along someone else did his equations, and he had no real knowledge of the subject, becoming prone before problems, and inert when challenged. It is not apology for error, but resignation from pretence that is needed. It is, for that matter, not apology for the sins of ‘some Christians’ which is to the point, but for the unsurpassable failure of the incredible arrogance, as 'pope' Gregory I of Rome put it, of a pope making himself universal bishop. Said Gregory, declining the title, this was a work of antichrist.

What power is this that is silent before the millions of corpses which it has found unworthy of protest, in its pleasant Nazi concordat! It is not improved by the fact that it is a Nazi government aided into office by its own very active papal 'errors' ?  (SMR pp. 968ff.). It was not so disinclined to take action in June 1933, when the Concordat was made!

 What Christian power is this that does not characterise the corpses that would be strewn over Europe, except for the circumstance that they were chemically reduced, or otherwise disposed of! What clean and correct Christian authority is this, that does not speak, while so blessed with such capacities to charge and challenge, expose and forcefully declaim against the work of the concordat partner, Nazi Germany! With what then is it allied ?

What papal powers are these that must have lain inert, unused, while Christ died, and did not abort His claims lest His servants should suffer, but rather told them how great their sufferings must be ? Did the truth then become ‘Aryan’ for a season, and for a reason, that it connived with calamity and was hidden in the hold of the Germanic ship while it sailed into such follies!

What Christian authority, in this detail, indeed, makes ‘peace’ in Israel, on State visit,  by failing to apologise for this little point at all! Indeed, it is not apology for error, but resignation from pretence that is needed. It is, for that matter, and in general, not apology for the sins of some Christians which is to the point, but for the unsurpassable failure of the incredible arrogance, as 'pope' Gregory I of Rome put it, of a pope’s carnal clamour, indeed of the papacy, giving to itself the office of  universal bishop. Said Gregory, this was a work of antichrist.

The Pope in humanity’s huge crisis, at peace with Hitler, in formal relationship with his government, pact-wise!

What then did he do in all those years to excommunicate the leaders, indict the assassins, declare in normal Roman horror, on his index of forbidden books, the writings such as Mein Kampf, to order his loyal troops (whether or not in uniform) to abstain from slaughter ? as if Christ were to say to Peter when he cut off the High Priest's servant's ear: " Oh I say, Peter, this really is rough. However, rather than injure your blessed conscience in a conflict of interest between your very natural desire to protect my person, and my claims of not wanting to rule this world but to die first, I shall not say anything. Let the wretched ear stay where it is! go for it if you must, but really, you know, it troubles me somewhat."

All this, for the picture in hand, would be a sotto voce aside. NOTHING WOULD BE SAID! But the case with Christ could not be more different. NOTHING said!
 

Whatever, then,  the pope's personal attitude as potential but failed Samaritan to the Jews in World War II - and with the evidences increasingly  sifted, and numerous authoritative Romanist statements of the war era available, those of people not disciplined for speaking in that belligerent way concerning the Jews, or the violence, prima facie the case is not attractive: Pius XII's horrific silence in view of his alleged powers and responsibilities, once and for all repudiate in practice what was clear in principle.

And that ? that this master of the brethren, whose place is forbidden by Christ, is as much a mirage as God's representative on earth, as it would be possible to be. What the papacy continues, the Moslems continue and the Jews continue, all three, to fail to come to terms with Christ, and THEREFORE with each other (cf. Barbs, Arrows and Balms 30, SMR pp. 1079ff., 1088Dff., 822ff.). The story of the persecutions of the Jews BEFORE Hitler is quite in line with the eventual outcome in the Aryan affirming dictator, so closely involved from the start with Romanist acceptance of his rule in Germany (cf. SMR pp. 968ff.).

But what is Pius’ personal silence like ? It is like that of a physician who faced with appalling plague killing half of a population adjacent to himself, does not dirty his hands, has his reasons for not acting at all, and does not mention the matter in medical literature, or though in charge of medicine for a whole quarter and claiming unique powers, allows all this to happen. After it is over, once more, he is august and remarkable, God on earth and the like. It rings like a cracked bell, better to make no sound at all!

Only Christ can heal the Middle East rift, where vociferous Jew, Roman and Moslem speak of their desires; and where the Jew alone is legitimate, but even he somewhat illegitimate. What then limits the legitimacy of the Jew ? It is this, that though the land is right, and the site is correct, and Jerusalem is the place of their due and just Biblical return, yet until their hearts return to the Messiah who was crucified in that city, it is perfectly clear that they too will be in turmoil, though in victory as well. In one sense, there failure to realise that all sacrifice is past (as in Isaiah 66:1-4 predictively, in view of Isaiah 53), is as bad as the Moslem failure to understand at all what the God of the Bible wants, demands and will secure.

When arsenic flowed into Europe's river system, there was no easy answer, except to wait, or get rid of it. So here also, until the fountain of blood is opened in Jerusalem, sacrificial and not merely military, the fountain of Zechariah 13:1, following 12:10, where they looked on HIM whom they had pierced and mourned with their hearts: until that blessed national time,  there will no real peace for any of the three.
 

Caesar (now dressed up as the UN), like the pope  and sometimes the two in collusion - has had much to say to the Jew; but the Lord is the ONLY ONE to whom they can and MUST look; and will, when the battle powder smells high, as it assuredly does in the realm of the predictive portrayal of just such a scene, in Zechariah 12-14. Indeed, they must bring with them words, as in Hosea 14, the prophet predicting the peace like this:
 
 "Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
'Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips..." (Hosea 14:2).

At that time, God has already so acted as to fulfil His word:

"I will ransom them from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
O Death, I will be our plagues!
O grace, I will be our destruction..." (Hosea 13:14).


In Christ, as in Isaiah 52-53, Psalm 40, this majestic action, this sublime intervention of divinity has already transpired in the very day of Daniel's predicted date (SMR pp. 886ff.). It has to be returned to,like a cross-roads, where the turning taken was ... WRONG!

SO the turmoil of a writhing Vatican, seeking to placate, to rule, to ... have it both ways; and the roiling waters in a Middle East with three-way conflict, subtlety, cunning and power play, continues. Not the papacy alone, but the UN  - the amoral Moses, which seeks to impose ethics without God, just as it sought to internationalise Jerusalem in 1947:   they all squirm and continue in confusion. Theirs is a third millenial frantic frothing and foaming. The peace of truth is as far from them all, yet, as it can be; but the time is coming when the words of Rabbi Lau - and former Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu (cf. News 70),  was also strong on this aspect - will be merely a foothill of testimony, leading to the testimony of truth, in which there will come peace to thousands of Jewish hearts, at last owning the crucified one, and submitting to the pierced. In Christ, as in Isaiah 52-53, Psalm 40, this majestic action, this sublime intervention of divinity has already transpired in the very day of Daniel's predicted date (SMR pp. 886ff.). It has to be returned to,like a cross-roads, where the turning taken was ... WRONG!

In this world's conclusions, such a solution would appear along with the thoughts of removing it all by atomic bombs; but this is far more powerful than that, constructive and not destructive. The only thing to be destroyed is self-confidence, in forbidden place of what is required: trust in the Messiah.The time for that solution, however, though near, is not quite yet; and meanwhile, the fomented triad, Judaism, Roman Catholicism and the Moslem belief, continue to recast the only Saviour there is, and so to be irremediable in their oppositions and conditions. Nothing can heal what refuses the healing of God, in His land.

Meanwhile, at cross purposes with Christ, these mighty currents of the 3 statistically major religions in residence in the turmoil of Israel, are at cross purposes with each other. They produce a disquieted vortex, as at the meeting of oceans, which sucks downwards what gets near. Inside, the force impels past all reason; and there is reason for that, namely that they do not reason with the Lord, and so receive His word:


and thus they fail to reach His peace. THAT peace is sudden, instant and effectual, as Zechariah puts it in 3:9: the iniquity is REMOVED IN ONE DAY!

But when is that to be ? It yet waits, FOR they need to attend to the divine witness as to where, how and why that peace is, in that SAME Christ Jesus who came, though God in heaven, to be man on earth, in flesh, equipped with one body as other men (Hebrews 2), yet without sin. They need to realise likewise that He came to bear it for all who would receive Him as he is - and NOT as bread, or mere man, to be moved here or there by papal direction, or re-created Moslem violence, to be stripped of deity by dreamers of all kinds, or desecrated by Jewish unbelief, indeed  rejected quite simply, as occurred in the case of that nation (though by no means, by that race). And how the Gentiles have followed the pattern (cf. SMR pp. 659ff., 857ff., 864ff. etc.)!

Without Him, whose life no man can lay down (John 10) since He does it Himself, Him GOD Almighty: what do we have here ?

It is only by

1) repentance of these things, as of any and all others, while adrift from the Lord's Christ and in return to His sacrificial splendour of Calvary;

2)  the personal investment of the place (Zechariah 14) BY the Prince of peace (cf. Isaiah 9:7), subduing the illicit and overcoming the violent at His return with all His saints (I Thess. 3:13, Psalm 2, Isaiah 59:17ff.) -

that the Middle East will have peace.
 

Yet even now, in this interim, so rapidly diminishing before His return, this space between. ... like the air between the two arms of the Sydney Harbour bridge as they were built nearer, nearer before they eventually met: there is hope.

For as to the Middle East, that cauldron will boil suddenly, and the flames will rise after the  coming short and delusive peace (I Thessalonians 5:3). To escape the whole series of vicious vortices of this clamorous world, to the peace of truth in personal knowledge of the God who made you, whose hand conducts the orchestra of history and the scenario of destiny: now is the time!

There is a time to be born, and there is a time when the would-be baby is frankly, post-mature. That! it can be a poisonous and deadly affair. Nor yet is it necessary, for our controls of body are written inside, and our minds are inscribed from above and our spirits are derived from His own, by creation, and it is necessary to accept His plan of salvation as much as His plan for the body. To ignore your brain or your members is not wise; nor to ignore the other plan, so much more important, for your spirit, is this anything but folly, wild and terrible.

The Middle East is yet one more of the multitudes of testimony that there is no rest, but in Him. How could there be, since we are His, whether we rebel or not, running like colts to our desire, or growing up on the farm with the one whose we are. As to that part of the farm where they killed the Master, that will no give up its inglorious history till He rules it, though Israel is yet in large national style, to join the many who acknowledge that THIS is the salvation of God, who recognises NO OTHER SAVIOUR BUT ... Himself (Isaiah 43:10-11, Acts 4:11-12). NO business done between men will ever prevail for peace and truth, until THIS business is done between man
 
 

THE REST OF HIS PEACE AND THE PEACE OF HIS REST

As to this business, He has done the works, prepared for man's use, the unsearchable riches of the Creator, in Christ the express image of His person and brightness of His glory, bought back the farm with application to all who put their trust in Him, and receiving Him, make peace with the Proprietor, alight now with His power by which bodily raised from the dead, He operates Lord of life and triumphant overlord of death, whose sting is now drawn. Now alive as from the dead, progressing in their growth in Him, these His people worship Him in the beauty of holiness, which the sunshine of His grace makes deep and abundant on the redeemed farm... His peace is so abundant that it is

1) MADE by the blood of the cross (Ephesians 2:13, 15-21, Colossians 1:21-22).
 

2) CONVEYED by His presence (John 16:33).
 

3) OF A DEPTH, like the lakes of beauty, that intimates holiness, not fear, in its surpassing wonder (Philippians 4:7).
 

4) IN COVERAGE like the waters of the sea, with the little waves of righteousness appearing without cease and without suppression (Isaiah 48:18).
 

5) IN CONSTANCY like the words of Christ reassuring the heart, astonishing the eyes at the resurrection and satisfying the mind (John 20:18-29).
 

6) INDEPENDENT of earthly variables (Philippians 4:6ff.), and soaring over all falls (Psalm 51, Romans 8:29ff., Hebrews 13:5-8), brought by the One who bought (Matthew 20:28, John 4:14),
 

7) GLOWING like light that leads (Psalm 43:3, Isaiah 35:8, Psalm 32:8).
 

8) CHARGED with fulness like dew on grass after rain, as He is sought (Philippians 4:6 cf. Psalm 72:6, Isaiah 26:4).
 

9) AT REST IN THE ASSURANCE OF THE RESURRECTION and re-assemblage with all the saints (I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Philippians 3:20-21).
 

10) REALISED NOT LESS BUT MORE, in the earnest and delighted seeking of His face, which is natural, normal and impelled by the love of Him (Philippians 3:7ff.), and
 

11) SINGULARLY REALISED as He is signally sought as surpassing all considerations (Matthew 13:44).
 

12) ASSOCIATED with glorying in the Cross of Christ by which we who are His are crucified to the world and the world to us (Galatians 5:22, 6:14).
 

FOR THE REST THAT IS IN CHRIST,
SEE SMR pp. 570ff., 611ff.
FOR THE WRESTLING THAT MAY PRECEDE IT,
SEE BIBLICAL BLESSINGS Ch. 10, Jacob the Wrestler
FOR THE PRELIMINARY DISCOVERY OF CHRIST THE REST,
SEE SMR pp. 582ff..