Jihad Watch Board Vice President Hugh Fitzgerald discusses what might happen if Jerusalem is turned over to the "Palestinians," as Muslims around the world called for on Friday's Al-Quds Day:
The history of Muslim conquest all over the world is nothing less than a virtually unmitigated history of destruction. The Bamiyan Buddhas of Afghanistan, now lost forever to the violent fanaticism of the Taliban, were spared until recently only because in the past, machine-guns and Western-invented explosives were not available. Then there are the tens of thousands of Hindu temples, listed in a 2-volume work by Sita Ram Goel and others, and the churches of Constantinople alone: go to the second floor of the Archeological Museum at the Topkapi Complex, and you will see a diorama of Constantinople just before it was conquered by Mehmet Fatih on May 29, 1453, and a color-key will show you the hundreds of churches that existed then, and that no longer exist. And the same was true all over the Middle East and North Africa -- destroyed, the stone quarried to build mosques. Leaf through Paul Lester Stenhouse’s translation of the Futuh Al-Habasa and you will see the Muslim chronicler complacently noting the wholesale burning of Abyssinian churches by the warriors of jihad.In some cases a building that was not Islamic at all was appropriated for Islam. Thus the Dome of the Rock, it now appears from the convincing work of Christoph Luxenberg (see his essay in the just-published "Die dunkel Anfang"), while it has Arabic writing, the writing is neither Qur'anic, nor even Islamic, but rather Christian in its significance. Too many people confuse Arabic writing with Islam, but Arabic is independent of Islam, and certainly was in the first century of Islam. And the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus is nothing but a reworked version, an expansion upon, the Church of St. John the Baptist. And those who worked on it were Byzantine craftsmen working in the Byzantine tradition.
Of course, if the Muslim Brotherhood had its way in Egypt, the pyramids themselves, those pre-Islamic monuments, would be destroyed. The face of the Sphinx was defaced, over time, as it had to be according to Islamic tenets (statues are impermissible unless defaced or vandalized -- see Al-Qaradawi's book on the haram and the halal for easy confirmation). Yet almost no one has pointed out how, and why, the Sphinx's face was defaced -- though the first and second generation of Western archeologists, Austen Henry Layard, Howard Carter, Leonard Woolley, and all the others, knew exactly what Islam caused people to do.Now some Jewish holy books have been destroyed in Hebron. But perhaps more telling would be to show pictures of the attacks on the tombs of Rebecca and Joseph, and especially the chilling mound of rubble to which one of them -- I forget which -- was reduced by "Palestinians" (i.e. local Muslim Arabs), prompted by the teachings of Islam to behave in the way that they did.
We already know what would happen to the Jewish sites in Jerusalem. After all, between 1948 and 1967 even the "good" Jordanians, with the British-led Arab Legion (Glubb Pasha, Alec Kirkbride), managed to rip up the ancient Jewish tombstones from the cemetery on the Mount of Olives and use them to line the floor of Jordanian army latrines. They managed to blow up nearly every single synagogue (perhaps one was left) in the Old City.
Query: why didn't they do more damage to the Christian sites? Well, back then, before the oil revenues, local Christians, both Arab and non-Arab clergy, could be easily manipulated and exploited to do the bidding of local Muslims, to push the Muslim agenda, in order to win favor. The local Christians thought (and some still do) that for their own interests, and even possibly their own survival, they had to parrot the Muslim agenda. The Muslims, meanwhile, back then needed Western governments. Now, with OPEC money and the thirty years of Jihad that it has funded, there is a lot more naked expression of that hitherto cleverly disguised -- for Western audiences -- Jihadist impulse.
But were the Muslim Arabs to again take possession of any part of Jerusalem, given what they have done and have been doing, to Christians in Iraq and Egypt and Jordan and Lebanon, given what has been happening even to the most appeasement-minded Arab Christians among the "Palestinians," there is no doubt that the mask is off. The Jews of Israel are a warm-up for the Greater Jihad. And Christian sites, of every kind, should expect no mercy, no quarter.
That is why, one suspects, the Armenian Patriarch carefully put the Armenian Quarter of the Old City under Israeli and not "Palestinian" control (earning the fury of the local Arabs). He knew about Islam. He had reason to know.
When I visited Israel in 1990, I was impressed with the support, reverence even, with which historic Mosques were treated by the horrible evil Zionist entity. Their crusader-Zionist govenment supports them financially, and the despised Ape and Pig Jewish tourists enter them with respect, sure to cleave to the sensitivities of the worshippers. Surely this is a brutal reminder of the future of Islamic lands if they are not cleansed of the stain of Crusader and Zionist tyrrany.
Quijybo
20"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The rest of the story,
28When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
FYI, an Israeli archeologist has unearthed some ruins that may turn out to be King David's temple. I can't recall all the details but Solomonia may be able to provide.
It was the traditional site of Joseph's Tomb, near Nablus, that the Palestinians destroyed a few years ago.
I believe Hugh errs in writing about Rebecca's Tomb. According to tradition, Rebecca is buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
He likely means the traditional site of Rachel's Tomb, just north of Bethlehem. The area around that pretty little building has been heavily fortified and is under heavy Israeli guard because of Palestinian attacks on Jewish workshippers.
"Terror from every side! It is God who speaks. The fastest cannot escape, nor the bravest save himself: for there in the north, there by the river Euphrates, they have collapsed, have fallen." (Jer. 46:5-6).
Pointing to the temple mount and to its buildings, Jesus decreed, "You see all these? I tell you solemnly, not a single stone here will be left on another: everything will be destroyed." (Mt.24:2).
To this day, Christ's prophecy has not yet been wholly fulfilled. Even though most of the stones have come down, a few still remain in place, showing that more destruction still lies ahead.
Carolyn2 wrote:
"20'When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near...How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.'"
This prophecy seems to have been fulfilled by Rome in 70 a.D. That Israel has been reconstituted is an interesting development. Will it now, finally, recognize the Christ Who has come?
waterdragon52:
"...King David's temple."
If I remember correctly, the Temple was built by Solomon, since David had too much blood on his hands.
Regards,
Amillennialist
1- about the Dome of the Rock, this building covers a rock on the Temple Mount that Jewish tradition believed was the "foundation stone" [even shtiyyah] of the world. The structure is built in an octagon form similar to that of the Kathisma church, the remains of which were found by Israeli archeologists about ten years ago. The church was known from writings but its location was not known. Now it seems that the Dome of the Rock was modelled after the Kathisma and built by Byzantine craftsmen. However, as far as I know, the Arabic inscription around the inside of the dome is made up of two Quranic verses that are uncomplimentary to Christianity. So at this point I would not agree with Luxenberg.
Two reasons are usually given for building the Dome of the Rock, which is a Muslim shrine, not a mosque [the al-Aqsa mosque is nearby]. a) to build a structure that would rival the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in size, splendor, etc., in order to show Muslim dominance in Jerusalem; b) in order to set up a religious and pilgrimage center in the regions controlled by the Umayyad dynasty which would rival the "two holy places"[haramain] in Arabia, Mecca and Medina, which were controlled by rivals to the Umayyads at the time when construction was started on the Dome of the Rock, about 680 CE.
2- as to desecrating Christian sites, the Jerusalem Post reported about nine years ago that the Waqf, the Muslim authority in charge of Muslim communal property [and in Jerusalem, under the "Palestinian Authority" for about nine or ten years], had built a public bathroom over part of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher adjacent to a mosque under Waqf control. Also, a wall had been broken through from the mosque to living quarters of monks in that Church, again where the church was adjacent to the mosque, and one or two rooms had been appropriated by the Waqf, a monk's personal belongings removed, etc. This matter got little attention outside the Jerusalem Post, as I recall.
3- as to the Tomb of Joseph, here is an account of its history and how the "Palestinian Authority" claimed that it was the tomb of a Muslim shaykh named Yusuf. Link below:
http://ziontruth.blogspot.com/2005/07/josephs-tomb-in-shkhem-pas-big-lie.html
Eliyahu,
I read an article in JSAI from 2003 about the kathisma (sitting) church. The Dome was built as a replica of it.
As for the reason why it was built (the Dome), I've read in Suliman Bashear's articles that it was most likely the awaited 3rd Temple. In his article "Qur'an 2:114 and Jerusalem" he goes over this. I got the distinct impression that the Arabs saw themselves (if we can call them Arabs) as the harbingers of the Messiah.
"...King David's temple."
The remnants of the Tabernacle?
This prophecy seems to have been fulfilled by Rome in 70 a.D
I have heard arguments for and against.
When Jesus predicted the destruction of the Jewish temple and all of its buildings in Jerusalem, most of his words came true within just 40 years. The Roman army in 70 A.D. pulled down every building and portico on the temple compound.
Yet, a few stones were left intact and stand to this day. What remains standing in Jerusalem today from the time of Christ are not buildings, but a wall. and a foundation.
They are called 'Herod stones' because they were designed and carved by Herod's master architects, the hewn rocks which compose this wall constitute the fine stonework that adorned the structures and foundation platform (rock of Abraham) upon which the temple and all of its adjacent buildings once stood.
Take note that Jesus said the TEMPLE will never be rebuilt. There is a return and reconstruction of Jerusalem, even then, "Jerusalem" will be destroyed yet again.
"Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.'"
Those times are not yet fulfilled.
While Christians believe that Jesus is the true temple of God and that Peter is the actual 'rock' on which God's Church is built, the Jews still focus on the rock of Abraham. That is why the temple and the boulder on which it stood are so important to them.
Because of this importance, when the day recently came for the restoration of Jerusalem in fulfillment of Joel's prophecies, one of the very first Jewish priorities was the repair and restoration of the wailing wall.
For several years, however, they could not get at it. The Palestinian Arabs who controlled this part of Jerusalem had built their houses right up to the wall, blocking many portions of it and severely limiting Jewish access to it.
After the six-day war in 1967 when the Jews finally gained control of this sector of Jerusalem, they pulled down those Palestinian houses and opened up a large square in front of the wall.
In his prophesy about the restoration of Jerusalem, Isaiah foresaw this event: "You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you pulled down houses to strengthen the wall." (Is.22:10).
Isaiah's words warned the Jews that their rejoicing at this restoration was untimely, because it was leading to a day of panic and rout (Is.22:1-14), and that during this rout the walls of Jerusalem would be thrown down.
"For this, a day of panic and rout is from the Lord God Almighty. In the valley of Hinnom a wall is thrown down, they are shouting for help on the mountains. Persia takes up his quiver, Aram mounts his horse and Kir fetches out his shield. Your fairest valleys are filled with chariots and the horsemen take up positions at the gates; thus falls the defense of Judah." (Is.22:5-8).
Added support for Isaiah's warnings are clear in the prophecies of disaster which Jeremiah and Ezekiel announced would sweep the nation of Israel as the days of the End unfold.
These warnings are not veiled and they are unequivocal. The defense of Judah is destined to crumble in the last days under the onslaught of Persian invaders.
But Jewish ears are still tuned to Moses. Ignoring Jesus Christ, they have attempted to rebuild the old traditions there instead. Scripture has termed this misconstruction, 'plastering the old wall' rather than 'rebuilding' a new one. (Ez.13:10).
A 'new' wall would be one created by the encompassing power of the Holy Spirit --a power that could only be obtained through faith and baptism into Christ. This is a wall far different than one emplaced by the whitewashing of Herod stones.
The old traditions were quite militant, and the renewal of these traditions has follow suit. Not content to stay within the confines of the boundaries set for them by the United Nation's mandate, a powerful Jewish contingent has undertaken a concerted campaign to regain the ancient boundaries which Israel enjoyed at the time of Solomon.
Successful at war, Israel has expanded its borders into the neighboring countries of Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon -- occupying a part of each. (even though they were attacked, and rightfully should have annexed the land, Jews are bound by scripture, which is why we have seen such opposition around the world to Israel's legal occupation)
Until it rolled its tanks into Lebanon, the Jewish fighting had been predominately defensive in nature, but the Lebanese invasion was aggressive; and it steeled, as never before, the muslim world's resolve against them. Because of this, it has focused new attention on the pronouncement of the ancient prophet, Habbukuk:
"The cup from God's right hand comes round to you, and disgrace will overshadow your glory. For the violence done to Lebanon is going to overwhelm you, so will the slaughter of terrified beasts, for you have shed men's blood and ravished the country, the city and all who live in it." (Hab.2:16-17).
The slaughter of the 'terrified beasts' under Jewish forces in Beirut was (claimed to be) so inhumane it actually went to trial.
Before Israel invaded it, Beirut was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Called by many the 'Switzerland' of the Middle East because of its wealth, it boasted a fervent modernity unsurpassed in the civilized world. After the war, its ruins became the planet's specter for Armageddon. Habbakuk's prophecy warns that this image is to a be for Israel, a vision in a mirror.
In conquering and destroying Lebanon, the Jews brought to an end Christian rule in that country and caused the entire balance of power in the Middle East to shift away from the Arabs and into the hands of the Persian Shiites of Iran.
Not content to live legally under the protection of God in faith, the Jewish nation has embarked, instead, on a military solution to it's problems.
In pursuing that kind of remedy, they have invaded and confiscated lands in violation of the mandate of freedom given to them by the powers of Babylon -- a legal reprieve (approved by God) from the binding terms of the diaspora.
It is this conquest and occupation -- the usurping of lands that do not legally belong to them -- that has brought the nation of Israel to the brink of disaster in the last days.
For ordinary nations, the rules and spoils of war go to the strongest power, but the nations of God are judged by a higher authority. (Amos 3:2).
This is doubly true for the current Israel because it resides in Palestine today only by virtue of a treaty it had been bound by the nations to keep -- a codicil to the treaty Christ sealed with Babylon at the cross.
This is why Hosea's prophecy has such meaning today: "Because you have trusted in your chariots, and in your host of warriors, turmoil is going to break out in your towns, and all your fortresses will be laid waste..." (Hos.10:13-14).
Most Christians understand that the restoration of Jerusalem is for the purpose of the Jewish meeting with God's chosen king, Jesus Christ. But the Jews who went to Palestine had no intention of attending any such meeting.
They went there instead, with the single mind of returning to the old covenant and to the old boundaries.
Isaiah warned that such an event would happen: "In the middle you made a reservoir between the two walls for the waters of the old pool." (Is.22:11). The cisterns they have constructed are for Mosaic waters, not for the living waters Jesus offered. Any Jew who believes in Jesus is denied Israeli citizenship outright and must be deported.
Isaiah predicted that the Jews would misconstrue God's purpose in restoring them to Jerusalem and that, as a consequence, the conflagration of the last days would catch them unrepentant and sweep most of them away. (Is.22:5-14).
"Instead of my people rebuilding the wall, these people come and slap on plaster." (Ez.13:10).
God created, at the time of Christ, a wreckage in Jerusalem as a signal so that people everywhere would understand their need to rebuild their lives, not in walls and buildings, but in the grace of the Holy Spirit through faith in the king of Peace, Jesus Christ.
Instead of rebuilding themselves in the integrity of God's Gospel, however, the Jews have returned to Jerusalem with an idea of restoring the stones of king Herod.
As a sign to the world that the true wall of God is a life of integrity and not Herod stones, during the disaster of the last days the Bible states that the wall of king Herod will come crashing down.
"When I have exhausted my anger against the wall and those who plastered it, I shall say to you: The wall is gone, and so are those who slapped it over with plaster, these prophets of Israel who prophesy about Jerusalem and have visions of peace for her when there is no peace." (Ez.13:10-16)
Of course, this is only one interpretation of prophecy, but it seems to follow events quite well.
"Not content to live legally under the protection of God in faith, the Jewish nation has embarked, instead, on a military solution to it's problems.
I should have added that the recent withdrawl from these occupied territories has restored Israael back within these boundaries, and we have seen positive reaction around the world, and negativce reaction to the Arabs when they continued to attack.
Gods hand?
Re: the Temple Mount and the blasphemic dome of the rock, some commentarians believe that references to the "abomination that causes desolation" in Daniel, Matthew and Mark refers to that very dome.
Daniel 9:27
27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
Daniel 11:31
31 "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.
Daniel 12:11
11 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
Matthew 24:15
15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel-let the reader understand-
Mark 13:14
14 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong-let the reader understand-then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
I realize for some that these verses may appear to them out of context, or time, but IMHO the shoe fits.
To the various commenters who place quotations and analyses concerning biblical prophecies above (and in particular Mullahmasher):
Your messages are (to put it as diplomatically as I can) rather off-putting. I realize that you are sincere in your beliefs and faith, but not everyone has the same beliefs and faith. Perhaps you could take those, umm, analyses elsewhere, to other blogs?
Ummm Del? It's a message board. If you are intellectually confused or morally insulted - get over it.
Freedom of speech, even when you don't agree with it.
Anyway, recent history of the Muslims shows that there is no change to their actions. Case in point: When Israel completed their recent pullout, what was one of the first thing the occupiers of said land did?
That's right. Burn the Synagogues.
Ummm Dreadstone,
Get a clue. Its not about freedom of speech (the government is not involved). And its not about intellectual confusion (unless that would be your intellectual confusion-and I'm not quite saying it is, yet), nor is it about being "morally insulted" (whatever that is).
Its about disrespect, on the part of "true believers", of those who have different beliefs.
Further, Mullahmasher's knowledge of, and analysis of, events in Beirut appears to be hallucinatory.
There must be some website somewhere, where people can argue over their pet analysis of Biblical prophecies, and get whatever acclaim they deserve. Why do it here?
Its not unlikely that these pet analyses about the end-of-times antagonize far more people than they convince. Do any of you who post this stuff (especially the long-winded ones) realize that? Does that matter to you?
amillenialist:
The article to which I referred, in the Canadian Jewish News, spoke very definitely to a temple built by David, which wasn't the Great Temple of Solomon, but a temple all the same, generally contradicting the BS that's circulated about the absence of archeological evidence verifying the link between Jews and the Holy Land, which, sadly, started with Jewish archeologists who were kvetching about the paucity of Jewish relics and assumed this meant there never were any as opposed to the fact that there were, but they were either buried under more recent edifaces or destroyed centuries ago by the usual suspects.