AFRICA: A CONTINENT IN CHAOS

Vol. 9, No. 7 — August 1998 circulation: 90,000

CyprusThe Bridge to Jerusalem

Modern weaponryMerchants of Death

AfricaA Continent in Chaos

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The Last CrusadeMost people think the crusades are history—overforever. But they are wrong. There will be one finalcrusade, and it will be the bloodiest of all!

by Gerald Flurry

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History and Prophecy of the Middle EastThe prophet Daniel recorded centuries of since-documented history—before it happened.

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Personal: Taiwan Betrayal

Letters

Bible Study: Have You Heard the True Gospel?

Commentary: Hooray for the 2000 Bug

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ON THE COVER: Crusader Richardthe Lion-Hearted. (Corbis/Bettman)

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he U.S. President made a well-publicized trip toChina in July. It helped President Clinton’s image athome. But what about America’s image before thewhole world? And Taiwan?

While America has been trying to isolate Iran, thenumber-one terrorist nation in the Middle East, Chinahas been helping them (and other U.S. enemies) buildtheir military—including nuclear power. Chinese lead-ers have been called the “butch-ers of Tiananmen Square.”They have imprisoned and/orkilled their own young peoplefor seeking freedom.

The people of Taiwanbroke away from China’s tyran-nical rule in 1949. They nowhave 21 million citizens.America is their most importantally—the source of their mili-tary armaments. WithoutAmerica’s military and psycho-logical support, they wouldhave already been conquered bymainland China. They have lit-tle or no chance to survive with-out our support.

They have a strong democratic rule and they loveAmerica. Around 95 percent of their people are againstallying with China. On the other hand, China has beenone of America’s greatest enemies. And yet, thePresident let China write his script in what he saidabout Taiwan on this latest trip!

Here is a quote from the Dallas Morning News(emphasis mine): “What has shaken and disappointedMANY Taiwanese is a SCRIPTED STATEMENT Mr. Clintonmade Tuesday [June 30] AT THE URGING OF CHINESE

OFFICIALS. In Shanghai, Mr. Clinton expressed U.S.commitment to what is known in Taiwan and China asthe ‘three nos’: no U.S. support for a declaration ofindependence by Taiwan; no U.S. support for the exis-tence of ‘one China-one Taiwan’; and no U.S. supportfor Taiwan’s membership in international organiza-tions in which membership is based on statehood.…

“Mr. Clinton is the first U.S. President to PUBLICLYoppose Taiwanese indepen-dence and to verbalize such arestrictive policy towardTaiwan” (July 3).

So there was a heavy pricethe U.S. had to pay for thisgreatly publicized visit. TheChinese leaders pressured thePresident and America tospeak against our freedom-loving friends before the wholeworld. And he is the firstPresident ever to do so publicly!

The people of Taiwan fearfor their future. They feelbetrayed. Lee Kue-Hsiung,deputy director of the Instituteof International Relations in

Taipei, said this: “For a long time, U.S. support hasbeen vital to the psychological security of the people ofthis island. Now, I think a lot of people will feel threat-ened about the future security of Taiwan.” Many oth-ers who were interviewed expressed similar fears. ChenYu-Chang, a 20-year-old pre-med student at TaiwanUniversity, said, “I think the U.S. may put Chinaahead of Taiwan, and that worries me. If anything hap-pens, I’M AFRAID THE U.S. MIGHT SACRIFICE TAIWAN.”

Personal…

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Taiwan Betrayal

(continued on page 25)

“For a long time, U.S. sup-port has been vital to the psy-

chological security of thepeople of this island. Now, Ithink a lot of people will feelthreatened about the future

security of Taiwan.”—Lee Kue-Hsiung

Institute of International Relations in Taipei

2 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET AUGUST 1998

HE CRUSADES WERE Aseries of Catholic “holy”wars to wrest control of theHoly Land from Moslems.They produced some of the

bloodiest battles in history.Did you ever wonder how the

Catholics could reconcile that“holy” slaughter with the Bible,which states, “Thou shalt notkill”? Or how they can read theSermon on the Mount and stilllead the religious world inspilling rivers of blood?

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They are called the ChristianCrusades. That label itself is a decep-tion. They were primarily CatholicCrusades. Other Christian religionshave their problems, but let’s not blamethem for what the Catholics did—andare going to do. Some background willhelp us understand.

Pope Urban II

In 622 A.D., the Catholics foughtand were defeated in a crusade againstthe Persians and the Jews. Some 60,000Catholics were killed, and 35,000enslaved. The fall of Jerusalem left theCatholic world shocked and in mourn-ing.

This war left Catholics bitteragainst the Jews for the role they playedin the war. Much anti-Semitism beganbecause of it.

Some historians consider this theFirst Crusade. But the crusades we bestremember came later, beginning in theeleventh century.

Pope Urban II unleashed a savageCatholic army and started these latercrusades. This “righteous” armymarched 3,000 miles to conquer theHoly Land. What the Pope preachedand practiced came to be known bymost people as the Crusades.

THE LAST CTHE LAST C

The Holy Land: Jews, Moslemsand Catholics have spilled rivers of

blood for control of Jerusalem.

AUGUST 1998 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 3

the Catholics were deeply involved withthe Nazi war machine?

This subject is too important to letour emotions stand in the way. Becausethe worst is yet to come!

The last crusade is going to be thesupreme Inquisition of all history. It istime we understood their bloody histo-ry and let it be a warning!

The world seems almost unawareof these monstrous crimes.

Let’s continue the quote: “Urban’sarmy would also rescue Jerusalem, thespiritual (and therefore the physical)CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. He hoped thatthe redeemed Jerusalem would bedirectly ruled by the Church.

“Every man who enrolled for thestruggle must mark himself out bywearing a cross and, most important,vow to continue on his way until hereached Jerusalem.

“Urban’s method of raising thisarmy was completely original; as well aspay, he could offer paradise—anyonewho took part had all their sins forgiv-en. ‘Whoever for devotion alone, not togain honor or money, goes toJerusalem to liberate the Church ofGod can substitute this journey for allpenance.’ ”

Any Bible student ought to knowthat only God can offer paradise andforgive sins. But that is the big problemwith most Christians: They don’tbelieve and obey the Bible!

The whole world, including thereligious world, is deceived (Rev. 12:9).Enormous problems, like the Crusades,are going to continue until we confrontour own deception.

Let’s conclude the quote: “By

BY GERALD FLURRY

Here is a quote from the bookCrusades, by Terry Jones and AlanEreirao, which became a BBC televisionseries (emphasis mine): “By summon-ing an army under the banner of theCross, THE POPE WAS EXTENDING THECHURCH’S MANTLE OVER ALL CHRISTEN-DOM. THIS WAS THE IDEA AT THE VERYHEART OF THE REVOLUTIONARY PAPACY;in place of separate local churches atthe center of discreet communities,THERE WAS TO BE ONE OVERARCHING

CHURCH, RULED BY ONE OVERARCHINGPOPE. The Crusade was to be its expres-sion and its instrument.”

They state that this thinking was ATTHE HEART OF THE PAPACY. The popeswanted to rule any church calledChristian. Through the Holy RomanEmpire, they also tried repeatedly torule the entire world. They have suc-ceeded six times and are about to suc-ceed again, for the last time, accordingto Bible prophecy. (Write for our freebooklet The History and Prophecy ofGermany.)

The Protestant churches areprophesied to be brought back intothe Catholic Church (Isa. 47). Most ofit will be done through bloodshed.Remember, this thinking is at “thevery heart of the revolutionary papa-cy.” That means this philosophy hasmotivated them for nearly 2,000 years.And they still believe violent andbloody crusades are righteous. Has

anybody ever heard them repent of thiscondemning history? The answer is no.

History proves the CatholicChurch to be one of the most militantinstitutions ever created. They do notbelieve in a democratic philosophy.They have often “converted” people bythe sword. And yet, this world seemsunwilling to hold them accountable fortheir war crimes.

Modern historians have shownhow closely they worked with theNazis. It was through the CatholicChurch that most of the leading Nazisescaped after World War II. We haveshown in past articles how well-docu-mented that history is. No one shoulddoubt it. (Read The Unholy Trinity byMark Aarons and John Loftus.)

And doesn’t that crime reveal that

Most people think the crusades are a thingof the past— over forever. But they arewrong. There is going to be a final crusade,and it is going to be the bloodiest one of all!

RUSADERUSADE

Christian soldiers: Crusader savagery was motivated by false

notions of righteousness.

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coming. And it is far more predictablethan most historians believe. If youunderstand their history, their future isvery predictable. Add Bible prophecyto that equation and you will see thatthis world faces a frightening specter.

Fighting on Both Sides

The Crusades created rivers ofblood. And it was all done in the nameof God. Of course, the Moslemsresponded with massive slaughtersagainst the crusaders, also in the nameof God. Does it make any sense for Godto be fighting on both sides? Or arethese warring factions just giving ourGod of love a bloody reputation?

Jerusalem is considered a holyplace by both religions. It is indeed con-sidered the “center of the universe” tothe Catholics. They believe conqueringJerusalem makes them righteous. It hasbeen their ideology from the beginning.It is still true today. The fruits are thereto prove it. The Bible says that “by theirfruits you shall know them.” Theybelieve in war as an instrument toachieve their religious goals.

“The following morning theCrusaders re-enteredthe al-Aqsa Mosqueand slaughtered everyMoslem sheltering

there. No oneknows how many

died; the Moslem chronicler reports70,000. ONE OF THE CRUSADERS REPORTSPICKING HIS WAY THROUGH A MESS OF

BLOOD AND BODIES MORE THAN KNEE-DEEP” (ibid.). This is only one episodeof many. Many people have seen pic-tures of this very mosque.

How many Moslems still remem-ber their history of this mosque beingknee-deep in Arab blood? And all ofthis savagery supposedly made Catho-lics righteous! A warrior who burnedArab babies in the crusade was consid-ered worthy to gain glory for all eterni-ty! Does this really make sense to asound mind?

“But killing, the Pope nowdeclared, need not be a sin after all. Itdepended on who you killed. In fact, ifyou killed the enemies of Christ, killingdid not require penance—it was thepenance. HOLY SLAUGHTER COULD BE ASEFFECTIVE A DEVOTIONAL ACTIVITY AS

PRAYER, OR FASTING, OR PILGRIMAGE.…”The Pope said, “Now we are

proposing that you should fight warswhich contain the glorious reward ofmartyrdom, in which you can gain thetitle of present and eternal glory….”

“The Pope had also pointed outthe importance of rescuing Jerusalemfrom the infidel. He seems to have sug-gested that ‘rescue’ meant ‘seize andkeep’ ” (ibid.)

The Pope also said, “ Take the roadto the Holy Sepulcher, rescue that landfrom a dreadful race and rule over ityourselves.”

Moslem and Jewish inhabitants ofJerusalem were slaughtered like pigs.And all of this was done by Catholicswho presumably became more right-eous in the process.

Were these killers true Christians?A true Christian is one who followsChrist. If we look in the gospels, Christtells us to love our enemies, even die for

saying that carrying out a mili-tary/political enterprise would makeyou a better person, wiping out pastsins, Urban had invented a way bywhich every person could internalizepapal policy. Fighting in the Pope’scause was not only an obligation, itmade you righteous. With that oneidea, mass political action waslaunched. With that one idea, ideologywas born. With that one idea, theCrusade was set in motion. URBAN DIDNOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE HAD DONE.”

This Pope certainly did not knowwhat he had done. What he began ledto a number of indescribably brutalwars between Catholics and Moslems.

The real tragedy is that the world,like Pope Urban II, still does notunderstand what he did, and what theCatholic Church continues to do. Theirreal beliefs surface when they gainpower. And today, they are building thegreatest power they have ever had. Allwe need to do is understand just someof their history to predict what is

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The Crusades created rivers of blood—on both sides.

And it was all done in the name of God. Does it make

any sense for God to be fighting on both sides?

Or are these warring factions just giving our God of love a bloody reputation?

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them—not kill them!The memory of such horrendous

massacres still lives in the minds ofmany Arabs.

Those memories have provokedArabs and Jews to massacre Catholicsthroughout history in a similar man-ner—all in the name of religion.

The Fourth Crusade

The Fourth Crusade was launchedfrom the little Mediterranean island ofCyprus, which was captured by Cath-olic crusaders during the Third Cru-sade. Crusaders attacked Alexandria,Egypt, on their way to the Holy Land.

Here is what Steven Runcimanwrote about the Fourth Crusade in AHistory of the Crusades (emphasismine): “King Peter arrived at Rhodesearly in the month, and on the 25th thewhole Cypriot fleet sailed into the har-bor, 108 vessels in all, galleys, trans-ports, merchant ships and light skiffs.With the great galleys of the Venetiansand those provided by the Hospital, thearmada numbered 165 ships. They car-ried a full complement of men, withample horses, provisions and arms. Notsince the Third Crusade had a propor-tionate expedition set out for the HolyWar.…

“During the Friday night there wasfierce Moslem counterattack throughone of the southern gates, which theChristians in their excitement hadburned down. It was beaten off; and by

the Saturday afternoon, allAlexandria was in the crusaders’hands.

“THE VICTORY WAS CELEBRAT-ED WITH UNPARALLELED SAVAGERY.TWO AND A HALF CENTURIES OFHOLY WARFARE HAD TAUGHT THE

CRUSADERS NOTHING OF HUMANITY.The massacres were only equalled

by those of Jerusalem in 1099 andConstantinople in 1204. The Moslemshad not been so ferocious at Antioch orat Acre. Alexandria’s wealth had beenphenomenal; and the victors were mad-dened at the sight of so much booty.They spared no one. The nativeChristians and the Jews suffered asmuch as the Moslems; and even theEuropean merchants settled in the citysaw their factories and storehousesruthlessly looted. Mosques and tombswere raided and their ornaments stolenor destroyed; churches too weresacked, though a gallant crippledCoptic lady managed to save some ofthe treasures of her sect at the sacrificeof her private fortune. Houses wereentered, and HOUSEHOLDERS WHO DIDNOT IMMEDIATELY HAND OVER ALL THEIR

POSSESSIONS WERE SLAUGHTERED WITH

THEIR FAMILIES. Some 5,000 prisoners,Christians and Jews as well as Moslems,were taken to be sold as slaves. A longline of horses, asses and camels carriedthe loot to the ships in the harbor andthere having performed their task werekilled. THE WHOLE CITY STANK WITH THEODOR OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL CORPSES”(ibid.).

This author said, “THE CRUSADESWERE THE POPE’S WORK.” The crusadephilosophy has made Catholic popesthe bloodiest religious leaders ever!

Still, most people try to hide fromthis frightening reality. That is the mainreason why the worst Catholic crusade

is yet to come. Mankind refuses tobelieve the truth and believe God.

The world so quickly forgets. Andbecause they do, the massive bloodshedcontinues. The Catholics did theseappalling, despicable deeds before theworld. But has anyone heard themrepent before the world?

There is good news. Jesus Christ ispersonally going to stop the next cru-sade, but only after the worst sufferingever on this earth (Dan. 12:1; Matt.24:21-22).

Cyprus

More than one crusade has beenlaunched from Cyprus. Will we see thelast crusade launched from there aswell? Is history about to repeat itself?

Turkey, just north of Cyprus, hasbeen a strong member of NATO formany years. Yet, a German-led Euro-pean Union (EU) rejected them fromjoining the EU—even though they havebeen applying since 1963, when therewere only six members! Nine newcountries have joined since then, and11 more are on the waiting list.

Cyprus is also on the list to join theEU. Their chances look good.

Why has the EU consistentlyrejected Turkey? Is it because Turkey ispredominantly Islamic?

The EU is prophesied to be ulti-mately comprised of ten nations, domi-nated by Catholicism. Already the EUis being called the Holy Roman Empire.They have traditionally been the ene-mies of the Moslems.

And why does it look like tinyCyprus will become a member of theEU? Is the EU already thinking aboutCyprus as a launching pad from whichto protect their Jerusalem interests?

We don’t know if Cyprus willbecome a member or not. But you can

Pope Urban II“Now we are proposing that you should fight wars

which contain the glorious reward of martyrdom, inwhich you can gain the title of present and eternalglory….

“Take the road to the Holy Sepulcher, rescue thatland from a dreadful race and rule over it yourselves.”Urban II convinced followers of the con-cept of killing heretics for penance.

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how to protect the holy places in andaround Jerusalem. They have thoughtlike this for almost 2,000 years!

There is a real crisis in Cyprustoday. Some people fear a war betweenGreece and Turkey, who share the ruleof this island. Russia is about to sellmissiles to the Greek Cypriots, and theTurks say that means war.

Here is what Christopher Lock-wood, diplomatic editor in Nicosia,wrote in the Daily Telegraph, March 30:“The EU has maneuvered itself into aposition where it may soon have to takea bitterly divided island, with a propen-sity for violence and even war, into itsbosom.

“It has poisoned relations withTurkey, a crucial NATO ally; made asolution to the Cyprus problem harderto achieve than ever….”

Why would Europe risk such seri-ous problems, even warfare, over thistiny island?

Even the people building the EUdon’t fully understand what is happen-ing. Is there a spirit and force behindthese events which the world does notsee? Are they being led by a power witha master plan? “And I saw one of hisheads as it were wounded to death; andhis deadly wound was healed: and allthe world wondered after the beast.And THEY WORSHIPPED THE DRAGONWHICH GAVE POWER UNTO THE BEAST:and they worshipped the beast, saying,Who is like unto the beast? who is ableto make war with him? And there wasgiven unto him a mouth speaking greatthings and blasphemies; and power wasgiven unto him to continue forty andtwo months” (Rev. 13:3-5).

If this world truly understood whatis happening in Europe, they would betrembling in fear.

Does this great evil spirit being,Satan the devil, have plans for Cyprus?Is there a final crusade planned tobe launched into the MiddleEast from there? This evilspirit being knows Bibleprophecy and what thefuture holds.

The beast will hold power for threeand a half years, and then Christ isgoing to destroy that evil empire forev-er! We are entering the worst timesever, but they lead into the best newswe could ever receive!

Final Crusade Prophesied

One of the main tourist attractionsin Jordan is the Crusader castles. TheCatholics built most of them to waragainst the Moslems and controlJerusalem. These castles are starkreminders of the bloody past—and afar more bloody future!

Where is it all leading? Nothing ismore important for you to understand.History is about to be repeated. Bibleprophecy tells us so.

The Jews have Jerusalem now. Butnot for long. Both Moslems andCatholics have designs for Jerusalem.These two great powers are about toclash again—go head-to-head in thefinal crusade over Jerusalem!

Iran recently conducted major wargames code-named “Road to Jerusa-lem.” Between 150,000 and 500,00 sol-diers participated.

What could be more provocative?They are advertising their strategy tothe world. Few people understand thisMoslem passion for Jerusalem and itsholy sites! They are the kind of passionsthat cause war!

Iran will undoubtedly lead whatthe Bible calls “the king of the south.”This power will be comprised of theradical Islamic movement. Iran isworking fiercely to lead this radicallymilitant religion.

Iran has virtually destroyed thepeace process single-handedly. But still,the world continues to talk aboutpeace. Iran and radical Islam don’twant peace, and words won’t deterthem.

Here is what Joseph de Courcy saidin a recent edition of Islamic AffairsAnalyst: “Subscribers should be inabsolutely no doubt about this. FromIran’s support for subversion inBahrain, through its improving tieswith Egypt, its support for Hezbollah inLebanon and the Islamist revolutionar-ies in Khartoum, to its close strategicalliance with Moscow, everything hasthe same ultimate purpose: the libera-tion of Jerusalem from under theZionist yoke.”

The U.S. has tried to isolate Iran.Almost no other nation supports us.This attempt has failed. The U.S. isfighting against Bible prophecy.

Iran has nuclear bombs. Theybelieve America can be neutralized byterrorism—perhaps nuclear terrorism.

Here is what Palestinian leaderYasser Arafat said in 1996: “We knowbut one word: struggle, struggle. Jihad,jihad, jihad. When we stop our intifada,when we stop our revolution, we go tothe greater jihad, the jihad of the inde-pendent Palestinian state with its capi-tal Jerusalem.”

Jihad is the Arab cry for holy war.They are going to get their war. But itisn’t going to be holy. It’s going to leadto the worst suffering this planet hasever experienced!

“And at the time of the end shallthe king of the south push at him: andthe king of the north shall come againsthim like a whirlwind, with chariots, andwith horsemen, and with many ships;and he shall enter into the countries,and shall overflow and pass over”(Dan. 11:40). This king of the south isundoubtedly the Iran-led radical Mos-lems. They are strong and are PUSHINGothers around in the Middle East.

Soon they are going to PUSH at theking of the north, or the so-called HolyRoman Empire—the same religiouspower that was behind the Crusades.

And that push is surely going torevolve around Jerusalem.

A bloody past: The remains of Shobak castle in Jordan.

AUGUST 1998 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 7

Just 20 years ago, nobody couldhave even imagined two world powerscoming out of the Middle East andEurope. But God knew exactly whatwas going to happen. Nobody but Godcould have inspired these prophecies.Everybody can see these two great pow-ers today.

Just look at what is happening inEurope—and has been for years. ThePope is working feverishly to revive theHoly Roman Empire. Here is what hesaid in Spain, November 9, 1981(emphasis mine): “It can be said thatthe European identity is not under-standable without Christianity and thatit is precisely in Christianity that arefound those common roots by whichthe continent has seen its civilizationmature: its culture, its dynamism, itsactivity, its capacity for constructiveexpansion in other continents as well;in a word, all that makes up its glory....

“Find yourself again. Be yourself.Discover your origins, revive yourroots. Return to those authentic valueswhich MADE YOUR HISTORY A GLORIOUSONE and your presence so beneficent inthe other continents.”

During the Inquisition, OVER 50MILLION innocent people WERE KILLED INTHE NAME OF “CHRISTIANITY”! That’sright—50 million! And you can addmany millions more as victims of theHoly Roman Empire. Shouldn’t thewhole world fear a Pope who wouldsay, “DISCOVER YOUR ORIGINS, REVIVEYOUR ROOTS. RETURN TO THOSE

AUTHENTIC VALUES WHICH MADE

YOUR HISTORY A GLORIOUS ONE”?Those “origins” and “roots” andthat “history” caused many mil-lions of people to die!

In Revelation 17, God paints avivid picture of a great church as alavishly dressed harlot, holdingsway over the nations. God seesthings as they truly are! Let’s lookat God’s view.

“And I saw the woman drunkenwith the blood of the saints, and withthe blood of the martyrs of Jesus: andwhen I saw her, I wondered with greatadmiration” (Rev. 17:6). God sees thiswhore “drunken” on the blood of thesaints! Is killing God’s saints “glori-ous”?

The Holy Roman Empire is goingto come at the king of the south like awhirlwind. Will there be a surpriseattack from Cyprus? Will we see thefinal crusade launched from there? Awhirlwind comes suddenly. So itdoesn’t appear the attack will belaunched from Europe.

We must understand the HolyRoman Empire and the Crusades tounderstand the Catholic passion forJerusalem. They have a long history ofspilling rivers of blood over Jerusalem.

Notice what their first action isafter they are victorious. “He shall enteralso into the GLORIOUS LAND, and manycountries shall be overthrown: butthese shall escape out of his hand, evenEdom, and Moab, and the chief of thechildren of Ammon” (Dan. 11:41).They “enter” into the glorious land, orthe Holy Land. The Hebrew indicatesthis is a peaceful entry—not forced.

The Jews appear to invite them inas peace keepers. But it leads to a greatdouble-cross, prophesied in Ezekielchapter 23. (Write for our free book-lets, The Ezekiel Watchman and

Hosea.)This will lead to a disaster where

no stone is left on top of another stoneat the Wailing Wall (Matt. 24:1-3).Those are Christ’s own words!

The Jews should remember the his-tory of the violence and bloodshed bythe crusaders. Then perhaps theywould choose differently.

“He shall stretch forth his handalso upon the countries: and the land ofEgypt shall not escape. But he shallhave power over the treasures of goldand of silver, and over all the preciousthings of Egypt: and the Libyans andthe Ethiopians shall be at his steps”(Dan. 11:42-43). Other countries aregoing to fall to this great power.

Twice it mentions that Egypt willnot escape. For the past 20 years, Egypthas been the most moderate nation inthe Middle East. Iran has PUSHED themtoward their camp. That is becauseEgypt fears terrorism and their ownradical Moslems. We have seen thathappen before our eyes, just as Godprophesied it would!

The Good News

Then the Holy Roman Empire isgoing to face disaster. “But tidings outof the east and out of the north shalltrouble him: therefore he shall go forthwith great fury to destroy, and utterlyto make away many” (v. 44). TheRussians and Chinese will then preparefor war with Europe. The Europeans

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Yasser Arafat“We know but one word: struggle, struggle.

Jihad, jihad, jihad. When we stop our intifada, when we stop our revolution, we go to the greater jihad,

the jihad of the independent Palestinian state with its capital Jerusalem.”

Islamist revolutionaries seek a completetakeover of Jerusalem at all costs.

Any child should understand that the

fruits of the Holy Warshave been diabolical

8 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET AUGUST 1998

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FOR MOST, THE FACT THAT DANIEL 10and 11 record nearly 400 years ofMiddle Eastern conflict is not abig deal. After all, there are thousandsof history books, many of which give amuch more detailed account of the his-tory than Daniel. But what makesDaniel’s version different is that it waswritten before the events happened!That’s right. Daniel wrote about 400years of history before it was history!That makes it FULFILLED PROPHECY. Butpart of this recorded history is yet to befulfilled. Daniel said it would happen atthe “time of the end.”

In this article, we will cover bothparts of Daniel’s prophecy: that whichhas already been fulfilled, and thatwhich will be fulfilled. Once you dis-cover how astonishingly accurateDaniel was in recording events thathave since happened, there should be

no question that what he saidwould happen in the near

future WILL, in fact, happen. As westudy this passage, please read along inyour own Bible, and learn this vitalMiddle East lesson in history andprophecy.

A Great Conflict

Daniel 10:10 through 12:4 is thelongest single vision in the Bible. Godrevealed it to Daniel during the thirdyear of the reign of Cyrus the Great(Dan. 10:1)—around 555 B.C. That datealone makes what Daniel wrote inchapter 11 astonishing.

Daniel 10:1 says the vision given toDaniel “was true, but the time appoint-ed was long.” Moffatt translates thisbetter: “the true revelation of a greatconflict.” That’s what this prophecy isabout—GREAT CONFLICT. Lange’s Com-mentary entitles this vision of Daniel“great tribulation.” It’s a vision about

will see it happening and strike first.They will, however, be defeated.

“And he shall plant the tabernaclesof his palace between the seas in theglorious holy mountain; yet HE SHALLCOME TO HIS END, and none shall helphim” (v. 45). Notice the religious leadermoves his headquarters to Jerusalem—and not just for protection. He couldhave gone to many other cities thatwould have been safer. But this is a reli-gious act of faith. Jerusalem is consid-ered to be his most holy place onearth—the “center of the universe.”Still, he comes to a most ignominiousend. Nobody is there to help him.

There should be no chapter breakbetween Daniel 11 and 12. The storyflow continues to illustrate that thisreligious war triggers a nuclear WorldWar III.

“And at that time shall Michaelstand up, the great prince whichstandeth for the children of thy people:and there shall be a time of trouble,such as never was since there was anation even to that same time: and atthat time thy people shall be delivered,every one that shall be found written inthe book” (Dan. 12:1). There has neverbefore been trouble like this. Godpromises to protect His people physi-cally. Otherwise, they would perish in anuclear nightmare.

As bad as this news is, IT LEADS TOTHE BEST NEWS THIS EARTH HAS EVER

HEARD! “And from the time that thedaily sacrifice shall be taken away, andthe abomination that maketh desolateset up, there shall be a thousand twohundred and ninety days” (v. 11). Thedaily sacrifice, or God’s Work, isremoved when God takes His people toa place of safety. That happens becausethe abomination of desolation, or theking of the north, conquers Americaand Britain—unless we repent (Matt.24:15; Luke 21:20-21). But when thathappens, you can start counting days tothe return of Jesus Christ. He will endthese so-called “holy wars” forever.

Any child should understand thatthe fruits of the “holy wars” have beendiabolical! There is no excuse forAmerica and Britain not knowing thetruth. God has been sending His mes-sage in power for over 60 years! Theyhave rejected it repeatedly. That is whythey now must suffer so intensely.Finally, God will get their attention andlead them to peace, full joy and abun-dance. �

Middle EastThe history and prophecy of the

BY STEPHEN FLURRY

Fulfilling prophecy: Cyrus,founder of the Persian Empire.

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Many scoff at Bible prophecy. But consider the fact that certain events in the book of Daniel concerning the MiddleEast are supported by documented history. Further, theBible recorded this history 400 years before it occurred.

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violence, warfare and bloodshed. Andas we shall see, it all revolves around theMiddle East.

Let’s pick up the story in verse 14:“Now I am come to make thee under-stand what shall befall thy people in thelatter days: for yet the vision is formany days.” “Latter days” means thetime just prior to the return of JesusChrist. Even though much of thisprophecy has been fulfilled centuriesago, the main fulfillment of this passageis during the latter days—the time weare living in now.

Verse 1 of chapter 11 is actually acontinuation of the thought in chapter10. We now come to the specifics ofthis incredible prophecy.

The End of Persia Prophesied

“And now will I show thee thetruth. Behold, there shall stand up yetthree kings in Persia; and the FOURTHshall be far richer than they all: and byhis strength through his riches he shallstir up all against the realm of Grecia”(v. 2). Remember, Daniel received thisvision during the third year of Cyrusthe Great—the founder of the Medo-Persian Empire. God said there wouldbe four more kings to reign after Cyrus.Actually, there were at least 12 morePersian kings after Cyrus, but there is areason God only drew attention to thefour who followed him.

Cyrus had two sons, Cambyses andSmerdis. After inheriting his father’sthrone, Cambyses secretly killed hisyounger brother Smerdis. Cambysesruled from 529 to 522 B.C. His reign wasshort-lived, because after returning toPersia from an Egyptian expedition in522, he found one by the name ofGomates who had usurped the throneby impersonating Cambyses’ deadbrother! Cambyses was so disheartenedhe committed suicide.

After discovering the imposter,however, Persian nobles rejected him infavor of Darius I, who ruled from 521to 484 B.C. This third king who followed

Cyrus hasbeen called “the secondfounder of the Persian Empire”because of his empirical expansionefforts and his popular domestic poli-cies.

Darius’ son, Xerxes, inherited thepowerful empire his father had built.He was the strongest and richest of allPersian kings, just like it says in Daniel11:2: “and when he has become strongthrough his riches, he shall stir up allAGAINST THE KINGDOM OF GREECE”(Revised Standard Version).

Let’s now get historical confirma-tion of these prophesied events fromMyers’ classic volume Ancient History:“After crushing the Egyptian revolt andsuppressing another uprising inBabylonia, the Great King [Xerxes] wasfree to devote his attention to the distantGreeks” (p. 93). Just as Daniel said!Xerxes stirred up his empire againstGreece. But it ended in disaster whenhis naval fleet, as Myers says, was “cutto pieces.” It was the beginning of theend for the Persian Empire, as Myersnotes: “The power and supremacy ofthe Persian monarchy passed away withthe reign of Xerxes. The last 140 yearsof the existence of the empire was atime of weakness and anarchy, whichpresents nothing that need claim ourattention in this place” (ibid.). Notethat! After Cyrus, Myers feels that onlyfour other Persian kings are worthmentioning!

As we continue from this remark-able prophecy, you will see that thereare just too many historical detailsrevealed in advance for this to be merecoincidence. Verse 3: “And a mightyking shall stand up, that shall rule withgreat dominion, and do according tohis will.” Verse 2 said Xerxes began tan-gling with Greece. And in verse 3, weread that a mighty Grecian king stoodto “rule with great dominion.” Hisname was Alexander the Great. Hearrived in 334 B.C. to crush what

remainedof the Persians.(It had been in asteady decline for overa hundred years, ever since Xerxesmade the mistake of attacking Greece.)

Myers notes that once Alexanderslew the weak Persian king, he regardedhimself not only as conqueror, but assuccessor to the Persian throne. This isespecially interesting considering whatGod revealed in Daniel 2 about fourworld-ruling empires that succeed eachother up until Jesus Christ returns tothis earth to set up His Kingdom. Alex-ander’s Grecian Empire was the third ofthese biblically prophesied world pow-ers. (First was the Chaldean Empire,then Medo-Persia, Greco-Macedonian,and finally the Roman Empire.)

Alexander’s Empire Divided

Continuing in Daniel 11, verse 5:“And when he [Alexander] shall standup, his kingdom shall be broken, andshall be divided toward the four windsof heaven; and not to his posterity, noraccording to his dominion which heruled: for his kingdom shall be pluckedup, even for others beside those.”Alexander’s reign was cut short in 323B.C. by his untimely death at age 32.There was no one strong enough to rulethe vast expanse of his territory. Thus,his kingdom was divided into fourparts, each ruled by one of Alexander’sgenerals. Myers describes the fragment-ed state of the empire after Alexander’sdeath: “Besides minor states, fourmonarchies rose out of the the ruins.Their rulers were Cassander, Lysi-machus, Seleucus Nicator, and Ptole-my, who had each assumed the title of

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king. The great horn was broken, andinstead of it came up four notable onestoward the four winds of heaven” (pp.286-287). Again, note that! In that lastsentence, Myers refers to Daniel 8:8!(Study Daniel 8:2-8, 20-22 as a parallelto Daniel 11:5.) Even Myers can’t helpbut draw attention to Daniel’s amaz-ingly accurate prophecy, written 200years before Alexander’s empire wasdivided among his four generals!

Cassander ruled over Greece andMacedonia and Lysimachus ruled AsiaMinor. These two were the weaker ofthe four generals.

The other two, however, are signif-icant, especially in how they set thestage for two centuries of conflict andstruggle in the Middle East. It is thesetwo kingdoms, one north of Jerusalem,the other south, that Daniel 11 primari-ly focuses on in the next several verses.

Kings of the North and South

Seleucus ended up with Alexan-der’s far-eastern territory, all the way toIndia. His western boundary includedthe region of Syria. He ruled the samegeneral region of ancient Assyria, andalso Babylon. “This kingdom,” accord-ing to Myers, “during the two centuriesand more of its existence, played animportant part in the civil history of theworld” (p. 290).

Ptolemy captured Egypt, Judea,and part of Syria. This kingdom wasperhaps the most important of the fourdivisions, insofar as its influence uponcivilization.

“And the king of the south shall bestrong, and one of his princes; and heshall be strong above him, and havedominion; his dominion shall be agreat dominion” (v. 5). This verse morespecifically explains how the twostrongest empires of the four divisions

developed. For a while,after Alexander’s death, Ptolemy

(Egypt) was the most powerful (“theking of the south shall be strong”).Seleucus Nicator was originally one ofPtolemy’s generals (or “princes”) inSyria. But while Ptolemy was tied up inwar after Alexander’s death, Seleucusgained control in the north, foundingthe dynasty of Seleucidæ in 312 B.C.And as verse 5 says, this dynasty actual-ly exceeded the king of the south inpower and might. It was the kingdomof Seleucus that then most closelyresembled the great empire underAlexander.

Notice the amazing details Godprovides in verse 6: “And in the end ofyears they shall join themselves [or‘associate themselves’] together; for theking’s daughter of the south shall cometo the king of the north to make anagreement….”

After 50 years, this prophecy wasfulfilled to the letter. By this time,

Antiochus II (called Theos) ruled thenorthern kingdom in Syria. His wife’sname was Laodice. Largely because ofhis wife’s influence, Antiochus II waspersuaded to initiate war with PtolemyPhiladelphus, king of the south, in 260B.C. The war was terminated in 252when, as prophesied, the king of thesouth’s daughter came to the north to“make an agreement.” AntiochusTheos banished his wife Laodice whenPhiladelphus offered his daughterBernice. The two married and bothkingdoms temporarily joined them-selves together. “But she shall not retainthe power of the arm; neither shall hestand, nor his arm…” (v. 6). In otherwords, though strengthened by thatunion, neither Antiochus Theos norBernice could retain that power.

Continuing from this incredibleverse: “But [Bernice] shall be given up,and they that brought her, and he thatbegat her, and he that strengthened herin these times.” Indeed, after PtolemyPhiladelphus died in 247 B.C., Theos

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promptly gave up Bernice and retainedLaodice as his wife. Still fuming frombeing banished years earlier, Laodicestayed with Theos long enough to con-ceive and then promptly murdered herhusband, thus securing the throne forher son, Seleucus II. She then trackeddown Bernice and assassinated her aswell, squelching the last hope of thePtolemies to have a descendent on theSeleucidæ throne in the north.

The story continues in Daniel 11:“But then shall arise a scion of her[Bernice’s] own family, in succession tohis father, who shall head an army toenter the fortress of the king of thenorth; he shall take action and masterthe men of the north” (v. 7, Moffatt).The King James translation says one“out of a branch of her roots” wouldstand and fight against the king of thenorth. This branch from her own fami-ly was none other than Ptolemy III,Bernice’s brother. He invaded Syria in245 B.C. and quickly avenged his sister’sdeath by murdering Laodice. Verse 7was precisely accurate in describingPtolemy’s victorious conquest. Heacquired most all of the Syrian realm,from Cilicia to the Tigris, and besieged“the fortress of the king of the north” inSyria.

Verse 8 says Ptolemy III wouldcarry many captives and spoils back toEgypt, which he did—history confirmsmore than 2,500 molten images andvessels. God also prophesied thatPtolemy’s reign would continue longerthan his counterpart in the north,Seleucus II. God was right again.Ptolemy outlasted him by four years.

“But his [Seleucus’] sons shall bestirred up, and shall assemble a multi-tude of great forces: and one shall cer-tainly come, and overflow, and passthrough: then shall he return, and bestirred up, even to his fortress” (v. 10).The plot thickens! After Seleucus IIdied, what was left of his kingdom wasdivided between his two sons, SeleucusIII (226-223) and Antiochus III, called“the Great” (223-187). The prophecy inverse 10 quickly narrows its focus toone of these sons, Antiochus III, nodoubt because the other died threeyears into his reign. Verse 10 describesthe two expeditions Antiochus ledagainst Egypt. The second one, after 27years, enabled him to re-capture hisfortress, Seleucia.

Verses 11-12 prophesied that theyoung Egyptian king, Ptolemy IV

(Philopater), would not wallow indefeat: “In a fit of mad rage the king ofthe south shall march out to fight theking of the north, who shall raise a largearmy, but it shall fall into the hands ofhis foe and be taken prisoner, to theproud joy of the king of the south, whoshall rout tens of thousands of them”(Moffatt).

Once again, Egypt gained controlof Judea, but only for a short time.Verse 13 foretold another resurgenceby the king of the north in this see-sawbattle over the Middle East. It says after“certain years” (actually it was 12 years,bringing us to 205 B.C.), Antiochus III

returned with greater riches and a big-ger army. Antiochus garnered militarysupport from Philip of Macedonia andothers. Jewish historian Josephus saysmany Jews helped in this fight againstEgypt.

Now consider how accurately Godforetold of this anti-Egyptian alliancehundreds of years in advance: “And inthose times there shall MANY stand upagainst the king of the south…” (v. 14).Indeed, Daniel 11 is an astonishingprophecy! The next time someone triesto cast aside the Bible as flawed anduninspired, have them try to explainaway this prophecy!

The next several verses give moredetails concerning Antiochus theGreat’s conquests. Verse 15 says hewould come upon Egypt and “take themost fenced cities,” a probable refer-ence to Antiochus’ capture of Sidon.Verse 16 says “he shall stand in theglorious land, which by his hand shallbe consumed.” The “glorious land”refers to the land of Judea. After Antio-chus captured Sidon, he defeated Egyptat Mount Panium in 198 B.C. andassumed control of Judea. This fulfilledprophecy is important because it setsthe stage for a latter-day prophecy dis-cussed at the end of Daniel 11, whichwill again revolve around the gloriousland.

In verse 17, Daniel wrote, “He shall

also set his face to enter with thestrength of his whole kingdom….”Antiochus’ success in Phoenicia, Syriaand Judea prompted him to go after the“whole kingdom,” meaning Egypt.Verse 17 continues, “And he shall givehim the daughter of women, corrupt-ing her: but she shall not stand on hisside, neither be for him.” After his mili-tary venture into Egypt in 198 B.C.,Antiochus the Great offered his daugh-ter Cleopatra (not the Egyptian queenof 31 B.C.) to the young Ptolemy, hop-ing to gain complete possession ofEgypt. It didn’t work, as verse 17 veri-fies. Cleopatra knew she was only beingoffered as bait. She betrayed her fatherand gave her full support to her newhusband, the king of Egypt.

Antiochus focused his energieselsewhere. “Thereafter he shall turn tothe coastlands of the West [off AsiaMinor] and capture many of them, buta certain Roman general shall put astop to his defiant insults and pay himback for them” (v. 18, Moffatt). By thistime, the Romans were beginning theirascension to world rule. The youngRoman general mentioned in thisscripture is Lucius Scipio Asiaticus. Hecrushed Antiochus’ forces in the Battleof Magnesia in 190 B.C.

Tail between his legs, Antiochus IIIreturned to his own land (v. 19). Hedied in 187 B.C.

“Then shall stand up in his estate araiser of taxes in the glory of the king-dom: but within few days he shall bedestroyed, neither in anger, nor in bat-tle” (v. 20). Antiochus was succeededby his son Seleucus Philopator (187-176). As the scripture notes, he wasfamous for collecting taxes. He sent atax collector by the name of Heliodorusthroughout Judea, hoping to raisemoney for the waning empire. Thescripture says his reign would be short-lived and that he would not die in angeror battle. History confirms that hisbrief, 11-year reign was cut short by histax-collector Heliodorus, who poi-soned him.

Since Seleucus left no heir, theother son of Antiochus the Great wasleft to wrest control of the empire fromHeliodorus. The other son was calledEpiphanes (Antiochus IV).

Thus we reach a critical turn in theDaniel 11 story. Antiochus Epiphaneswas responsible for setting up theabomination of desolation. This is sig-nificant because of a prophecy

The next time someonetries to cast aside the Bibleas flawed and uninspired,have them try to explain

away this prophecy.

concerning an end-time abominationof desolation (Matt. 24:15; Luke 21:20).(There is also a spiritual dimension tothis story because it revolved aroundthe temple anciently. Today, in this endtime, the Church is that temple; Eph.2:21.)

Antiochus Epiphanes

Antiochus Epiphanes was a ruth-less dictator who obtained rule throughdeceitful lies and flatteries. Verse 21 ofDaniel 11 said he would “come inpeaceably, and obtain the kingdom byflatteries.” Rawlinson gives the histori-cal account of this event in his authori-tative Manual of Ancient History:“Antiochus, assisted by Eumenes, dri-ves out Heliodorus, and obtains thethrone, B.C. 176. He astonishes his sub-jects by an affectation of Roman man-ners.” Antiochus Epiphanes gainedcontrol by pretending to be someonehe really wasn’t.

Continue in verse 22: “The oppos-ing forces shall be swept before himand shattered, and so shall God’s highpriest” (Moffatt). In this verse, webegin to see how much Antiochushated the Jews. Rulers before him hadtypically treated the Jews well. ButAntiochus Epiphanes’ ruthlessnesstoward the Jews far surpassed that ofhis fathers’ (v. 24). Verse 22 saysAntiochus would even go so far as tomurder the Jewish high priest. Historyconfirms that Onias III was high priestin Judea at the time, and that Antiochusput him to death in 172 B.C. Accordingto Rawlinson, Jews “were driven to des-peration by the mad project of this self-willed monarch.”

In 168 B.C., Antiochus pillaged anddesecrated the Jews’ temple in Jeru-salem. Greek historian Polybiusobserved that he “despoiled most sanc-tuaries.” He also burdened the Jewswith unbearable taxes. “Throughoutthe turbulent changes of its past histo-ry,” Werner Keller writes in The Bibleas History, “Israel had been sparednone of the horror and ignominy whichcould befall a nation. But never before,neither under the Assyrians nor underthe Babylonians, had it received such ablow as the edict issued by AntiochusEpiphanes by which he hoped to crushand destroy the faith of Israel” (p. 331;see also I Maccabees 1:44). Much of thisstruggle between the Jews and theSyrian Kingdom is recorded in thebook of Maccabees (in the Hebrew

Bible).Verse 23 shows that even though

this vile human being only had a fewsupporters at the outset, he eventuallygained a large following through deceitand flatteries.

Verse 24: “He shall enter peaceablyeven upon the fattest places of theprovince; and he shall do that which hisfathers have not done, nor his fathers’fathers; he shall scatter among them theprey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and heshall forecast his devices against thestrong holds, even for a time.” In thisend time, we will witness another forcethat enters into the Holy Land “peace-

ably.” But like Antiochus, the leader ofthis end-time, peace-keeping force willnot really want peace.

Verse 25 tells of another great clashbetween Epiphanes and the king of thesouth. It was his second successfulEgyptian campaign. This clash revolvedaround Jerusalem. Verse 27 says bothkings were mischievous and lied toeach other.

On his return from Egypt, Antio-chus encountered another Maccabeaninsurrection. Verse 28 reveals that hisheart was against the “holy covenant.”“He shall do exploits” means Antio-chus just did as he pleased against theJews. He massacred them.

In verse 29, God prophesied of athird campaign into Egypt. But this onedid not go well for Antiochus. Verse 30says the “ships of Chittim” cameagainst him. He was cut off by a Romanfleet from Cyprus. Defeated and deject-ed, Antiochus returned to the land ofJudea and took his frustration out onthe Jews. Verse 30 says he again had“indignation against the holy cove-nant”—God’s people. Then it says hehad intelligence with a disloyal contin-gent of God’s people. In other words,he was plotting deceitfully with peopleinside the temple.

Verse 31: “And arms shall stand onhis part, and they shall pollute the sanc-tuary of strength, and shall take away

the daily sacrifice, and they shall placethe ABOMINATION THAT MAKETH DESO-LATE.” Here we find the Bible’s first ref-erence to the abomination of desola-tion. Consider the scene as Danieldescribes it. Moffatt says “armed forcesshall be set on foot by” Antiochus. It istalking about an army in Jerusalem.This army is what makes Jerusalemdesolate. It desecrates the holy placeand takes away the daily sacrifice (seealso Dan. 8:11, 24). This happened in167 B.C. Tradition says that Antiochusbuilt a statue of Jupiter Olympus in theholy of holies—the holiest place insidethe temple. He tried to stamp out theJewish religion altogether.

“And such as do wickedly againstthe covenant shall he corrupt by flatter-ies: but the people that do know theirGod shall be strong, and do exploits [orTAKE ACTION]” (v. 32). Most of the Jewswere deceived by flatteries. (The samehas occurred to God’s people in thisend time.) But there were a few who didmake a stand and take action. A fewMaccabees acted on what they knew tobe right. These few instructed themany, as it says in verse 33. Some ofthose faithful few even lost their livesfor doing what was right.

Throughout history, it has alwaysbeen the few who have stood up anddone what was right. There were just afew during Christ’s day. Many of themwere martyred. Jesus was crucified. (Inthis end time, it is again the few whohave resisted the deceit and stood forright.)

Verses 34-35: “Now when theyshall fall, they shall be helped with a lit-tle help: but many shall cleave to themwith flatteries. And some of them ofunderstanding shall fall, to try them,and to purge, and to make them white,even to the time of the end: because it isyet for a time appointed.” This prophe-cy describes the present conditionwithin God’s Church today. But it alsodescribes the history of God’s Churchin general. God says many of under-standing have fallen to deceitful liesand flatteries. When that happens, theironly “help” comes from the faithful fewwho take a stand.

The New King of the North

We now come to a critical transi-tion in Daniel 11. “And the KING shalldo according to his will; and he shallEXALT HIMSELF, and MAGNIFY HIMSELFabove every god, and shall speak

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In this end time, we willwitness another force thatenters into the Holy Land“peaceably.” But they will

not really want peace.

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marvellous things against the God ofgods, and shall prosper till the indigna-tion be accomplished: for that that isdetermined shall be done” (v. 36). IIThessalonians 2:4 shows that this versedirectly relates to an end-time prophe-cy being fulfilled in God’s Church. (Formore on this subject, request your freecopy of Malachi’s Message.)

But there is also important historyrecorded in verse 36. As we havealready noted, when Antiochus wentdown to Egypt for the third time, hisforces were resisted by Roman ships.Antiochus’ Syrian kingdom was on itslast leg. By 65 B.C., they were swallowedup by the Roman Empire. The regionbecame a Roman province.

Now here is the key point. Becausethe Roman emperor now controlledJudea, references to the king of thenorth from this point on in Daniel 11refer to the Roman Empire, not Antio-chus. Verse 36 is an apt description ofRoman emperors who have historicallydone according to their own will, evenexalting themselves above God.

Elsewhere in Daniel (chapters 2and 7), God prophesied of four world-ruling empires that would succeed eachother right up to the return of Christ atthe end of this age. The Roman Empirewas the fourth and final empire to rulebefore Christ’s return. True, the empirewas crushed in 476 A.D., but passages inDaniel and Revelation prophe-sied of seven resurrections ofwhat became known as the“Holy” Roman Empire. In 554A.D., Justinian began thatrestoration. Since that time,there have been five more res-urrections of the Holy RomanEmpire, meaning there is to beone more before Christreturns. That’s what makes thisprophecy at the end of Daniel11 so critical.

Verses 37-38 continue todescribe this new line ofRoman rulers in the regioncalled the “king of the north.”Historically, Roman emperorshave set themselves up to rulein God’s stead.

Verse 39: “Thus shall hedo in the most strong holdswith a strange god, whom heshall acknowledge and increasewith glory: and he shall causethem to rule over many, andshall divide the land for gain.”

These rulers of the king of the north dopractice a religion, but as verse 39 says,it’s the religion of a strange god.

Prophecy Shifts to End Time

Now we see how this amazingprophecy in Daniel 11 will affect every-one on this earth. Verse 40: “And at thetime of the end shall the king of thesouth push at him: and the king of thenorth shall come against him like awhirlwind, with chariots, and withhorsemen, and with many ships; and heshall enter into the countries, and shalloverflow and pass over.” This brings usright up to date with today’s news.Moffatt begins verse 40 by saying,“When the end arrives.” This refers tothe days we are living in right now.

God says that when the endarrives, the king of the south will pushat the king of the north—or the RomanEmpire, which, for the last 1500 years,has resided in the heart of Europe. Theword “push” in verse 40 means to strikeor to wage war against. It denotes vio-lence. Both sides will be motivated byradical religion. Centuries of recordedhistory prove that when it comes toreligion in the Middle East, it oftenmeans WAR.

Who is this king of the southwhich pushes so violently? Anciently, itwas south of Jerusalem in Egypt. In thisend time, it will comprise a conglomer-

ate of nations much larger and morepowerful than ancient Egypt. Much ofthis force will be south of Jerusalem,but not all of it. Certainly, though, weknow it will be south of the resurrectedRoman Empire.

The nations in and around theHoly Land, for the most part, areIslamic. It is this great power, fastbecoming a force to be reckoned with,which is the king of the south. Mostnotable among the rising tide of radicalIslam is Iran, which, since the end ofthe Iran-Iraq War in 1988, has accumu-lated massive military capability. Theyare considered the world’s number onesponsor of terrorism. And with thesupport of many other Islamic nations,like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon,Algeria, Egypt and Libya, Iran will beable to deliver a formidable “push”against the king of the north.

But as the next verse reveals, it willbe no match for the whirlwind responseof the European force it will encounter.We can see this force now developing,but the sheer force of its power will notbe unveiled until this moment. Verse41 says many nations “shall be over-thrown”—more than just Egypt (as inancient times), although verse 42 showsthat they will certainly be a part of it.God says Egypt will not escape thewhirlwind—neither will the rest of theking of the south.

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Abomination of desolation:Armies surrounding Jerusalem are a

sign that Christ is about to return—tothe Mount of Olives.

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The only peoples who will bespared are the Edomites, the Moabitesand the children of Ammon—the mod-ern-day region of Jordan.

Then the king of the north “enters”into the glorious land—or Jerusalem.The Hebrew word for “enter” indicatesa peaceful entry. But, like AntiochusEpiphanes, the king will deceive withflatteries, and what will be revealed isanother ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION.This king of the north will eventuallyconquer all the end-time nations ofIsrael. (For more on this subject, writefor The United States and Britain inProphecy.)

Verse 44: “But tidings out of theeast and out of the north shall troublehim: therefore he shall go forth withgreat fury to destroy, and utterly tomake away many.” Tidings to the east(the Orient) and the north (Russia) willworry the king of the north. Otherscriptural passages discuss this com-munist army which challenges the kingof the north for supremacy.

Verse 45 shows that the king of thenorth will establish its headquarters inJerusalem—in the “glorious holymountain.” But the communist hordeswill descend upon that holy mountain,gathering 55 miles north of Jerusalemin the place called Armageddon (Rev.16:16). The end of the “beast” and the“false prophet” will be near.

Now continue in Daniel 12:1.Remember, this is all one vision. Noticewhat these events lead to: “And AT THATTIME shall Michael stand up, the greatprince which standeth for the childrenof thy people: and there shall be a TIMEOF TROUBLE, such as never was sincethere was a nation even to that sametime: and at that time thy people shall

be delivered, every one that shall befound written in the book.” It leads toGod protecting His people in a place ofsafety.

Then, at the time of the resurrec-tion of the saints, Christ will return tothe Mount of Olives in Jerusalem—thatholy mountain—and put a stop to theviolence and bloodshed. The saints willrule with Jesus Christ and help to estab-lish God’s government over all theearth (Dan. 2:44; 7:13-14, 18, 27; seealso Rev. 11:15).

This vision, recorded from Daniel10:10 through 12:4, begins with thekingdoms of Syria and Egypt thatdeveloped soon after the death ofAlexander the Great 2,300 years ago.But it concludes with the resurrectionof the saints and the return of JesusChrist and the eventual peace and hap-piness He will bring to this world. Whata vision!

Now here is the point: Most of thatvision, as we have already noted, wasfulfilled to a tee centuries after the bookof Daniel was recorded. Now what doesthat mean to you? Doesn’t it mean thatthe remaining, unfulfilled details of thisvision are sure, and they WILL HAPPEN?Of course they will.

A European superpower is fastbecoming the world’s greatest power.The rise of Islam is there for all to see.These two powers will clash. Theabomination of desolation will be setup in Jerusalem one last time. And justas surely as those events will unfold,Jesus Christ will return to this earth inpower and glory, as dozens of scrip-tures confirm!

The question is not whether or notthose events will occur. The question is,What are you doing to prepare for it? �

NICOSIA, CYPRUS: “A CORNER OFEarth Touched by Heaven,”declares the Northern Cypriottourist commission. Yet this little islandnestled in the eastern Mediterraneanhas witnessed some of man’s bloodiesthistory.

Fortified by its high-tech militarybases and surrounded by water forgood natural defense, Cyprus has longenjoyed the favors of NATO and theBritish, Turks and Greeks. But now theisland is forming a new alliance withthe European Union.

Cyprus is no stranger to foreignrule. It has been governed by Assyria,Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Francs,the Venetians, the Ottoman Empireand Britain; it is now divided betweenthe Turkish Cypriots to the north, whopossess 37 percent of the island, and theGreek Cypriots to the south (63 per-cent).

The historical division of Cyprusbetween the Turks and Greeks came toa head in 1974, when Turkey annexedthe northern third of the island. A newcrisis looms due to Greek CypriotPresident Glafcos Clerides’ plan toacquire surface-to-air missiles fromRussia later this year.

Today we see foreign ministers,ambassadors and presidential envoysjet-setting to Cyprus to present theirlatest peace proposals to the opposingsides. All major world players areinvolved in the Cyprus crisis: theUnited States, Europe, Russia andNATO. Why so much interest inCyprus? What is behind all of the ten-sion, nationalistic rhetoric and negotia-tions? What does the future hold forthis tiny Mediterranean island? To

BY GARETH FRASER

Cyprus:

The BridgThe Mediterranean

powder keg is attractingmuch attention. What is

really happening inCyprus?

14 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET AUGUST 1998

Fateful rendezvous:Armageddon, the gatheringplace of end-time armies.

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understand the events of today, it isnecessary to return to the history ofJerusalem and the Crusades.

Richard the Lion-Hearted

In 1171, the Moslem championSaladdin made himself the supremeruler of Islam in the East and preparedfor “jihad,” or holy war, to recoverJerusalem from the Christian crusaders.For Saladdin and the fanaticalMoslems, Jerusalem was their holyplace, their home.

The French king of Jerusalem, Guyde Lusignan, was greatly disliked by thecrusaders and was unable to exerciseany tangible control over the region.The passionate Moslem forces attackedthis weakness. In 1187, on the scorch-ing, sandy plains of Hittin, Guy deLusignan and his army were crushed.After a two-week siege, Jerusalem wastaken by the Moslems.

The fall of Jerusalem sent shockwaves throughout Christendom. Thethree great monarchies of Europe atthat time, England, France and Ger-many, were now forced to bury theirrivalries for one common goal—the

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recapture of Jerusalem. To meet theirobjectives in this crusade (historianslabel it the Third Crusade), they neededa base of operations off the coast ofPalestine. They decided that their unit-ed forces must take the city of Acre inIsrael. The Germans marched overland;King Philip of France and Richard theLion-Hearted of England agreed to takethe sea route together. In 1191, they setsail from Sicily, where they had spentthe winter.

While Philip sailed for Acre,Richard’s fleet was scattered by a fiercestorm and was forced to seek refuge inCrete and Rhodes. Three of his shipswere driven near the shores of Cypruswhere they sank. Surveying the scene oftragedy, Richard immediately landedhis crew and attacked the natives onshore. The islanders were ill-equippedand no match for the English archersand armored knights. The next day, theCypriot nobles sought audience withRichard, pledging their allegiance tothe King of England and accepting hissupreme authority over their strategicisland outpost. Cyprus had accidentallyfallen into Richard’s hand, and he

subsequently used the island as a sup-ply bridge on his road to Jerusalem.

Ruling powers in Cyprus havesince realized that holding the island isessential to exerting influence in theeastern Mediterranean. The British,who governed the island from 1879 to1960, and who oversaw its indepen-dence, currently manage two militarybases in southern Cyprus. These basesproved vital in the 1992 Gulf War, asthey supplied British and allied forcesin the Persian Gulf.

European Overtures to Cyprus

Recently, the European InvestmentBank (EIB) loaned over 42 millioneuros to Cyprus for two projects sup-porting the local economy as it gears upfor a closer relationship with theEuropean Union (EU). In 1991, the EIBmoved into the Mediterranean byinvesting in the Cyprus DevelopmentBank. Europe has expressed furtherinterest in the two-year-old CypriotStock Exchange, with many companiesestablishing financial portfolios andsubstantial investments. Also, Cyprus isa popular tourist destination for resi-dents of the European 15-nation team.

Cyprus, of recent years, looksmore to the EU for its security. Cypri-ots see no choice but to embrace mem-bership in the EU as soon as possible.Many feel this the only way to nationalsecurity and a solution to the Cyprusproblem. Since Cyprus is a Christiancountry surrounded mostly by Islam inthe Middle East, a union with Europewould provide the protection they havebeen eagerly searching for.

In the past, Greek Cypriots havebeen disillusioned with the efforts ofBritain, the U.S. and the UN to solvethe internal division on the island. Theturn in focus to the EU has been dra-matic in the last couple of years. BritishPrime Minister Tony Blair statedrecently that he is willing to give upBritish military bases in Cyprus in favorof a multinational force. That seems tobe a synonym for the UN or NATO or,more likely, a European conglomerate.

There are great parallels betweenBosnia, Albania, Cyprus and Israel.These areas of great ethnic conflict areincreasingly coming under the guidinginfluence of Europe. Europe needsCyprus for its strategic locality and isplaying its cards close to its chest toensure its integration into the Eurofamily.

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Because of common ethnic andreligious history, there is a blind love ofEU-member Greece among manyGreek Cypriots, in spite of the militaryjunta backing the coup of 1974 whichled to the invasion from Turkey. Thebond in the hearts of Greek Cypriotswith mother Greece eclipses the realityof the ineffectiveness of Greece to bringabout a solution for the island. ManyGreek Cypriots still desire “enosis,” orunion, of an undivided island withmother Greece. Greece’s EU member-ship provides the Cypriots the idealopportunity for achievement of enosis.

Already there are European troopsin Cyprus under the auspices of UNpeacekeeping forces. As the EU movesmore into Eastern Europe and theBalkans, repeating the history of the oldHoly Roman Empire, it would seeminevitable, given the facts of Bibleprophecy, that they will draw Cyprusinto their fold as a bridge into the HolyLand.

Europe Rejects Turkey & Islam

Previous editions of The Trumpethave pointed to mounting tensionsover Cyprus. First we highlighted cer-tain key factors to watch as the yearunfolded: “Greek-Turkish relations arecurrently under severe strain as a resultof Cyprus’ intention to purchaseRussian S-300 missile systems. Turkeyhas declared that this would mean war.Greece has declared that it will come tothe aid of Cyprus in the event of anyaggressive action by Turkey. Russia tooexhibits no signs of backing down”(Dec. 1997). Last month The Trumpetwarned, “Watch for more overt diplo-macy from the European Union, whichcan ill afford ructions between its mem-ber nation, Greece, and a Turkishnation already aggrieved by HelmutKohl’s rash rejection of their candidacyfor EU membership.”

Since 1963, the Turks have soughtcloser ties with Europe. They believethat their long history as power playerin Europe, their post-World War IItrack record as a cooperative NATOmember and their vibrant economyentitle them to better treatment by theEuropeans.

Turks were furious when theEuropeans accepted Greece but reject-ed their bid for EU membership. TheEU cited these reasons for rejectingTurkey: a poor human rights record,internal Kurdish conflict and current

disputes with EU member Greece.Recently the Union has begun dialoguewith the Greek Cypriot administrationand, so doing, ignited the tension fur-ther. On a recent visit to Nicosia,Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cemstated, “The treatment by the EU of theGreek Cypriot administration as therepresentative of the whole of Cyprusconstitutes the first step toward escala-tion in the eastern Mediterranean,which can be very dangerous.” Mr.Cem called upon the EU to evaluate itsfuture moves carefully before aiding inthe architecture of another war on theisland. In today’s diplomatic minefield,Europe’s actions in favor of the GreekCypriots are speaking louder than theircarefully spoken words.

The Turks sternly criticize Europeas a “Christian Association” unwillingto admit an Islamic member. They citeanti-Turkish discrimination in Ger-many, home to 2.5 million Turks, manyof them migrant workers. ManyGermans fear that EUmembership for Turkeywould prompt moreTurks to move to theFatherland for em-ployment. Turkish PrimeMinister Mesut Yilmaz,incensed by Germany’sinfluencing the EU’s neg-ative tack toward Turkey,likened its Europeanpolicies to those of AdolfHitler’s plan of aggres-sive eastward expansion.When asked why hiscountry had been deniedentry to the Union, hereplied, “Religious discrimination, ofcourse.”

Earlier this year, U.S. special envoyto Cyprus Richard Holbrook, address-ing a conference on German-Americanties, said, “I must say with all candorthat the decision on December 13 inLuxembourg [to exclude Turkey fromthe Union] severely complicated thesearch for stability and peace in theeastern Aegean.”

With Turkey as a vital ally of theUnited States and an active member ofNATO, and with its faltering relationswith the European Union, manyobservers fear that Ankara will begin toturn from its Western alliances.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Churchhas courted its wayward Orthodox chil-dren in Cyprus. Recently the Pope

awarded Greek Cypriot PresidentGlafcos Clerides the Gold Medal of theOrder of the Holy Sepulcher. This wasin recognition of his services andunderstanding while leading the dele-gation of the Joint Constitutional Com-mission of Roman Catholic religiousgroups in Cyprus. This clear show ofsupport from the Vatican did not gounnoticed by the Muslim Turks. Theywell remember the period in Cypruswhen the Pope ensured religious domi-nance of the island by the Vatican.

Russian Missile Crisis

The Greek Cypriot government’sdecision to spend $680 million onRussian S-300 missiles has served toheighten tensions on the island andabroad. The Greek Cypriot Presidenthas stated that the missiles are purelyfor defensive purposes—however, theS-300s provide a modern, mobile,highly lethal system capable of inter-cepting any kind of aircraft, cruise mis-

sile or tactical ballisticmissile. Covering bothlow- and high-altitudeengagements, the missilehas a range of 150 km. Itnot only will cover all ofCyprus, but also impor-tant areas of Turkeywhere major militaryinstallations are located.

NATO believes thatits enlargement is the keyto security in the area.However, with Russia’sstaunch decision to sellthe missiles to the GreekCypriots, NATO influ-

ence on Cyprus seems uncertain. Thischain of events will no doubt please theRussians, who are already opposed toany further expansion of NATO.

The inevitable addition of Russianpersonnel to install, train and assist inthe operation of the S-300 system hasmade Western sources edgy. The sys-tem will give both Russia and the EUthe capability to keep a “watchful eye”on further British and Americanmaneuvers in the region via the sophis-ticated radar system which comes withthe S-300s. As a countermeasure,Turkey has begun inspecting ships sail-ing in the Bosporus Straits, apparentlybent on preventing missile deployment.If unsuccessful here, it has also threat-ened to attack the missiles once theyare installed.

� CYPRUS

Odd man out: Turkey’sYilmaz accuses the EU ofreligious discrimination.

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Russian economic and securityinterests in Cyprus have grown since1989 brought the fall of the Berlin Walland break up of the USSR. As a part ofthe expansion of Russian businessinterests, thousands of off-shore com-panies have registered in Cyprus, andmany more thousands of Russians havetaken up residence on the island.

Adding to the tension over themissiles, four Greek F-16s and twotransport carriers landed at the GreekCypriot military installation in June toverify the operational readiness of thebase. In defiant retaliation, six TurkishF-16s flew into Northern Cyprus.Turkey keeps 35,000 troops on highalert in North Cyprus and has repeat-edly stated that they are ready for anypotential conflict in the region.

Bridge to Jerusalem

If pro-Christian Europe has herway, which is likely from all indica-tions, this strategic sea gate of the east-ern Mediterranean may soon fly the 12-star flag of the EU.

Yet once again, the world is des-tined to see Islam pitched againstVatican-dominated Christianity in a“holy war,” with Jerusalem as the prize.Cyprus is to figure prominently in oneof these mighty battles for control ofthe strategic Middle East.

The prophet Daniel tells us howevents will unfold: “For ships fromCyprus shall come against him: there-fore he shall be grieved, and return inrage against the holy covenant, and dodamage. So he shall return and showregard for those who forsake the holycovenant. And forces shall be musteredby him, and they shall defile the sanctu-ary of strength; then they shall takeaway the daily sacrifices, and placethere the abomination of desolation”(Dan. 11:30-31, NKJV). This old navalbase which formed such a vital link inthe European thrust to Jerusalem dur-ing the Crusades will again see ships setto battle between a modern Europeanpower and a powerful Islamic force.

As with the First Crusade, thefanatical Islamic power bloc, havingpushed militarily at the king of thenorth, will be defeated (Dan. 11:40-41).

Cyprus once again will have playedits strategic role as the bridge toJerusalem for the powers of Europe intheir final resurrection of that ancientHoly Roman Empire. �

—with JAMES LEIGH in Cyprus

BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL ANDnuclear warfare is a nightmarejust waiting for a delivery sys-tem. Many experts consider

missile technology sales to terroristnations, especially in the Middle East,to be the world’s biggest threat to inter-national security.

Last June, the North Korean gov-ernment put a gun to mankind’s headby saying they won’t stop selling missiletechnology to other nations unlessAmerica ends the economic sanctionsimposed on North Korea after the1950-1953 Korean War. North Korea’smost recent customer: nuclear-equipped Pakistan.

China, too, is handing out ammu-nition to the madmen of the world bycontinuing its negotiations to sellimportant missile technology to Iranand Libya. The U.S. Congress ispresently investigating reports that thisAmerican missile technology was pro-vided to China (possibly illegally) andused to improve China’s strategicnuclear missiles. In spite of a 1994agreement not to sell such dangeroustechnology, Chinese leaders apparently

feel fully justified in their actions.The Middle East is a veritable tin-

derbox of doomsday arsenals. Iran,Iraq, Syria, Israel, Egypt and Libya allhave advanced missile technology andone or more forms of chemical, biolog-ical and/or nuclear capability. Accord-ing to arms-control experts, there are atleast 25 countries from the steppes ofAsia to the shores of the MediterraneanSea which now have or are developingweapons of mass destruction. The WallStreet Journal of February 18 stated,“The Middle East is thick with them,whether it be nuclear warheads inIsrael, anthrax in Iraq or missiles tippedwith nerve gas in Iran.”

Deadly Cargo

The real fear about spreading mis-sile technology is not the missiles them-selves, but the deadly cargo they cancarry.

After the collapse of the SovietUnion, over 30,000 nuclear weapons,plus weapons-grade uranium and plu-tonium sufficient to make an additional100,000 weapons, became accessible toterrorist nations. Intelligence Digest ofJune 26 states, “Russia’s one remainingstrength is its ability to supply arms and

The sale of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons isspreading at an irreversible rate. The world is beingswept toward Armageddon in a torrent of greed.

Merchants of DeathBY J. TIM THOMPSON

18 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET AUGUST 1998

� MODERN WEAPONS

technology to states that are blacklistedby the U.S. and Western Europe.”

Today, becoming a nuclear poweris more a matter of the pocketbookthan the brain. The materials and theexpertise can already be found in themarketplace—all it takes is money—and there is no way to undo the knowl-edge of how to make these nightmarishweapons. One of the lessons being writ-ten with the blood of human misery isthat there is always a market for thetechnology of death—no matter howmuch human suffering it causes.

Likewise, chemical and biologicalagents are easy and cheap to manufac-ture and can kill people by the hun-dreds of thousands. Chemical and bio-logical agents are the poor man’s atombomb. Recipes for biological weaponscan be found on the Internet. All that isneeded is about $10,000 for a beer fer-menter, a biological “starter” culture,and a gas mask.

Doesn’t human life mean anythingto these merchants of death? Has theirtwisted malice taken them beyond allhuman sensibilities and turned theminto vicious animals? Don’t they care

about the horrible suffering and agonywhich chemical and biological agentscause?

Witch’s Brew

One of the deadliest chemicalagents is a poison called VX. One tinydrop of the liquid form of VX absorbedthrough the skin causes nausea, con-vulsions and seizures, killing victimswithin minutes as they gasp helplesslyfor air because of paralyzed chest mus-cles. U.S. Defense Secretary WilliamCohen recently stated that Iraq still hasenough stockpiles of VX to “kill everyman, woman and child on the face ofthe earth”—as well as bombs and mis-siles capable of delivering the witch’sbrew.

Sarin nerve gas was used in 1995 bythe Aum Shinrikyo (Sacred Truth) cultin Tokyo’s subway to kill a dozen peo-ple and injure another 5,000. Iraq usedsarin in its war with Iran in the 1980s aswell as on unsuspecting and unprotect-ed Kurds and Marsh Arabs in March1988, massacring 4,000. Like all nervegases, sarin suffocates by paralyzingrespiratory muscles and can result in

death within 15 minutes.Mustard gas, which is easy to man-

ufacture, was also used by Iraq duringthe Iran-Iraq war. The horrors of mus-tard gas and its gruesome cousin, chlo-rine gas, were first introduced tohumanity during World War I.Exposure to mustard gas immediatelycauses severe eye and lung damage, aswell as serious skin blistering, and islethal in large doses.

Novichok is designed to beabsorbed directly through the skin andis up to ten times more toxic in humansthan VX. A microscopic amount cankill. In lethal doses, Novichok shutsdown the nervous system and causesparalysis, killing much like a pesticidekills an insect. But even in sub-lethalconcentration, the effects are devasta-ting, causing immediate choking andcollapse. And those “lucky enough” tolive are plagued with toxic hepatitis,chronic liver disease and epilepsy forthe rest of their tortured lives.

Botulinum is one of the mostdeadly biological agents known to sci-ence—15,000 times as powerful as VXnerve gas and 100,000 times worse thansarin. This extremely lethal toxin,derived from the bacteria which causesbotulism (a severe form of food poi-soning), likewise paralyzes the respira-tory muscles and suffocates its victimswithin 12 to 36 hours.

Anthrax spores are a powerful bio-logical poison produced by animal bac-teria which can be spread through theair, and cause black pustules, vomiting,fever, pneumonia, septic shock, menin-gitis and death by suffocation withintwo to four days. A gram of anthraxculture contains a trillion spores, theo-retically enough to kill 100 million peo-ple. U.N. inspectors have confirmedthat Iraq produced some 8,000 liters ofanthrax spores during the 1980s—enough to kill every person in theworld.

Ricin is a potent biological agentderived from the castor bean which canbe spread by aerosol or in liquid form.Ricin causes blood poisoning and leadsto heart failure, or worse, a collapse ofthe circulatory system, causing a slow,agonizing death. There is no antidote.

Even without a missile deliverysystem, chemical and biological weap-ons are a major threat wherever thereare people. By putting a chemical orbiological mixture into a paint sprayerpowered by an air compressor,

If they do understand what they risk unleashingon humanity, then truly they must be madmen.

Insanity of man: Testing the thermonuclear bomb in theMarshall Islands in 1950.

AUGUST 1998 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 19

triggered by a timing device, terroristscould easily kill and injure thousands.An office building could become a vir-tual coffin for hundreds of people sim-ply by slipping a toxic agent into airducts and letting the fans distribute theairborne death to unsuspecting work-ers who, within minutes, will bewrithing and dying in agony.

Horrors of Nuclear War

An article entitled “Practicing forArmageddon” in the March 9, 1992,Newsweek told about the horrifyingeffects of a nuclear detonation on thehuman body. It said, “Nuclear explo-sions produce thermal radiation, blastand nuclear radiation. Thermal radia-tion (heat and light) results from thefireball that forms when huge amountsof thermal energy superheat the air sur-rounding the detonation. Two pulses[of energy] are emitted. The heat fromthe first pulse destroys the fluid and/orother tissue in the human retina, caus-ing permanent [blindness in those whosurvive]. The second pulse inflicts skinburns so grotesque that a Hiroshimasurvivor, Dr. Michihiko Hachiya,reported patients with facial featuresmelted together.

“Next, a shock wave develops fromthe fireball’s expanding gases and highpressure, bringing death from unbe-lievable winds that LITERALLY RIP T