Mulling over LEE LOFASO to STEVE ASHER 23 Dec 2005

G'day Lee,

>SA>Iran and Armageddon

>SA>Charles Krauthammer / Syndicated columnist

>SA>WASHINGTON - Lest you get carried away with today's good news from
>SA>Iraq, consider what's happening next door in Iran. The wild
>SA>pronouncements of the new Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have
>SA>gotten sporadic press ever since he called for Israel to be wiped off
>SA>the map.

>LL>The Zionists of the 19th Century wanted the state of Israel to be
>LL>located in present-day Uganda.

SA>Interesting, I wasn't aware of that. It seems that it was proposed as
SA>a temporary refuge (British Uganda Program) that would not affect the
SA>ultimate aim ... a Jewish state in Israel.

 LL> That is basically correct.  But there were two different
 LL> approaches. 

 LL> There were actually two groups of Zionists - "Practical Zionists"
 LL> and "Political Zionists".  "Practical Zionists"
wanted to settle in
 LL> the land of Palestine and then develop a Jewish state from within. 
 LL> "Political Zionists", led by Theodore Herzl, wanted to get European
 LL> powers to establish a Jewish state, ultimately in the land of
 LL> Palestine.  After Herzl died in 1904, the "Practical Zionists" took
 LL> over.

There wouldn't be a lot of point in establishing a Jewish state anywhere
but in the "Holy Land". It was God who dispersed them, and who is bringing
them back to the lands He covenanted to them.

>SA>Except that there were no such camps, indeed no Holocaust at all, says
>SA>Ahmadinejad. Nothing but "myth," a "legend"
that was "fabricated ...
>SA>under the name 'Massacre of the Jews.' "

>LL>Roughly 11 million people were slaughtered (or died prematurely)
>LL>under the Nazis.  Of those 11 million, roughly 6 million were Jews.
>LL>And not all of those Jews died as a result of being gassed to
>LL>death.  Some died of disease, others of starvation, etc.  In any
>LL>event, 4 out of 5 European Jews died prematurely as a result of
>LL>Nazi rule.

SA>I have the figures for each nation in a book here, but I will accept
SA>your "4 out of 5" as about right.

 LL> Some Jews managed to flee Europe altoghether, going to Palestine or
 LL> to other places.  Other Jews somehow managed to survive while not
 LL> leaving Europe.  When one is trying to survive, one does what one
 LL> has to do. Even if those means are illegal.  :)

Some attempted to leave Europe for (eg) USA, but were turned back to
face death ... as you say, people will use illegal means to survive.

>SA>This brought the usual reaction from European and American officials,
>SA>who, with Churchillian rage and power, called these statements
>SA>unacceptable. That something serious may accrue to Iran for this
>SA>- say, expulsion from the U.N. for violating its most basic principle
>SA>by advocating the outright eradication of a member state - is, of course,
>SA>out of the question.

>LL>There are only two religious states in the world recognized by the
>LL>United Nations - Israel and Vatican City.  Of course, Iran is also
>LL>a religious state.  But that's beside the point.

>SA>[...]

>LL>Like the American president, the Iranian president wants to bring
>LL>about a self-fulfilling prophecy.  ;)

SA>I don't know about self-fulfilling, but certainly fulfilling Ezekiel 38.

 LL> Christian Fundamentalists want to bring about the Second Coming of
 LL> Christ.  In order to do that, the stage has to be set for
 LL> Armageddon. 

I don't see that Christian Fundamentalists (or anyone) has a mandate
to bring about the second coming of Christ, as we are specifically 
not told the hour or the day ... it could happen at any time. However,
Dominionists and Reconstructionists (ala Rushdoony) are seeking to
"take dominion" over the Earth & place it under "God's
Laws" in order
for Christ to return.

 LL> Islamist fanatics want to bring about the coming of the Mahdi.  
 LL> In order to do that, the stage has to be set for Armageddon.

The (Jewish) Temple Institute is working towards preparing the
instruments and accessories for priestly use in the as yet unbuilt
Temple, announcing this week the completion of the "me'il techelet";
the "blue robe" of the High Priest (cohen gadol). They hope this
will hasten the day when the High Priest will enter the Heichal
(Holy Sanctuary) and stand before the divine presence of the Almighty.
Unfortunately for them, the "divine presence" in the Sanctuary will
not be the Almighty, but the Abomination of Desolation (the Beast).

>SA>When Ahmadinejad unexpectedly won the presidential elections, he
>SA>immediately gave $17 million of government funds to the shrine. Last
>SA>month, Ahmadinejad said publicly that the main mission of the Islamic
>SA>Revolution is to pave the way for the reappearance of the Twelfth
>SA>Imam.

>LL>Somebody has to make it happen.  ;)

Could it be the followers of Helena Blavatsky, Benjamin Creme and
the like? Google blavatsky messiah mahdi for some links to check out.

>SA>And as in some versions of fundamentalist Christianity, the second
>SA>coming will be accompanied by the usual trials and tribulations,
>SA>death and destruction. Iranian journalist Hossein Bastani reported
>SA>Ahmadinejad saying in official meetings that the hidden imam will
>SA>reappear in two years.

>LL>For the Mahdi to appear, so too must the Dajjal.  As is well-known
>LL>in fido circles, I am he.  ;)

SA>But in Islamic circles, the finger of dajjal-hood is firmly pointed
SA>at Mister Bush ... according to google results, at least. :)

 LL> Darn!  Does that mean I have to wait until Bush leaves office?  :) 

Or is asked to leave office. :)

Cheers, Steve..

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