TYPE AND SHADOWS
Solomon's Temple and Herod's Temple at the Time of Jesus
~ GOOD ! ~
What stopped the rampaging Roman army ? Which structure was built of
stones weighing up to 400 tons and capable of accommodating up to one
million people ? The answer to these questions is the Temple of Jerusalem.
The Second Temple was not only awe inspiring because of its religious
significance, but also for its physical dimensions, its grandeur and its
beauty. Thus as the Roman generals sat surveying Jerusalem and considering
the Temple’s future they hesitated before ordering its destruction. Jesus
cried at even the thought of its destruction, many Jews from that day to
this have yearned and prayed for its rebuilding, and tourists and religious
people alike have come to behold the site on which it once stood.
Unfortunately our impressions of the Temple are at best incomplete. Since
its destruction by the Romans, the only
available sources of information about the Temple have had some religious or
political bias. The New Testament, the Mishna [ the rabbinical exegesis of
the Old Testament, and the works of the Judeo-Roman historian Josephus
provide the bulk of our knowledge of the Temple. ] These in association with
archeological evidence at the site all point to a building so wondrous that
even today its construction remains a mystery.
An appreciation of the Temple is enhanced by a clearer understanding of
the geographical and historical setting in which it was
extended. During the period in question, Jerusalem was under Roman rule but
remained the capital of Judea and the international centre of Judaism.
Normally a city of 100 to 200 thousand people, three times a year on the
pilgrim festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, Jerusalem’s
population swelled to 1 million souls [ the exact number depending on the
source of population estimates. ] On these occasions this small ancient city
had to cope not only with the throng of people but also their sacrificial
animals and offerings, necessitating temporary increases in food supplies,
accommodation, ritual bathing facilities, and all aspects of commerce. It
was Herod, installed by the Romans as governor of Jerusalem, who faced these
logistical problems, and who consequently set about renovating the city and
the Temple to accommodate this massive periodic influx.
In order to meet the enormous increase in capacity the Temple required
for these festivals and to comply with the limitations placed on its
dimensions by Jewish law, Herod built a great plaza around the Temple. This
plaza is the Temple Mount of today where the Dome of the Rock and the El
Aqsa mosque stand. To construct this platform, Herod built a box around
Mount Moriah and filled it in. The plaza covered this box and expanded the
available land at the peak of the mountain. The plaza is approximately 480 x
300m [ about the size of six football fields. ] The retaining walls of this
box were themselves cause for wonder and the " Kotel " or Western Wall
[ the holiest site in modern Judaism) is one part of the western retaining
wall (but not actually a wall of the Temple proper. ] The walls are 5m thick
and made up of enormous stones weighing between 2 and 100 tons [ here is
even one that weighs 400 tons ] with an average stone being about 10 tons.
There is no mortar between the stones and they sit so closely together that
not even a piece of paper can fit between them. Such fine maneuvering of the
stones is incomprehensible given that even today’s modern machinery cannot
move such heavy stones.
Also worthy of comment was the overall appearance of the walls which were
about the height of a 20 storey building. Normally, standing at the base of
a twenty storey building an illusion is created in which the building
appears to be falling down on top of the viewer, but standing at the base of
the Temple’s retaining walls this did not happen. It was prevented by the
fact that the margins carved around the edge of the stones differed, being
slightly wider on the bottom than on the top. In addition, each level was
staggered with successive courses of stones indented 3 cm relative to the
course below. The precision with which stones weighing over 100 tons were
placed 2000 years ago is astounding and mystifying. Furthermore, these
stones were merely part of the retaining walls that supported the plaza on
which the Temple stood and thus only a prelude to the even more incredible
sight of the Temple itself.
Before work began on the Temple, Herod spent eight years stockpiling
materials for its construction. Then, a workforce of over 10,000 men began
its construction including a contingent of 1,500 specially trained priests
who were the only ones permitted to work on the innermost and holiest parts
of the Temple. Building continued for a further twenty years, though the
Temple was in a sufficiently ready state within three and a half years of
its commencement to be dedicated.
If one was a pilgrim coming to Jerusalem, one would probably first go to
the bank to change money as the coins of the realm, engraved with the head
of Caesar were unacceptable for use in the Temple. The central " bank " in
Jerusalem and some of the Law courts could be found on the Temple mount
platform in a building called the royal portico or stoa. To reach this
building [ from which there was no direct access to the rest of the plaza ]
one climbed the stairs to an overpass that crossed over the main road and
the markets that ran by the western wall. This overpass was another unique
feat of engineering being the width of a four lane highway and possessing an
arch made with stones having a combined weight of over 1,000 tons. In order
to build this overpass the workers had to literally build a hill, construct
the overpass on it, and then remove the hill leaving the overpass standing.
Josephus describes the stoa that one reached via the overpass as follows:
".....It was a structure more noteworthy than any under the sun. The height
of the portico was so great that if anyone looked down from its rooftop he
would become dizzy and his vision would be unable to reach the end of so
measureless a depth.....; " this from a man who had seen Rome in all its
glory. He also describes the one hundred and sixty two columns that stood in
the stoa as being so large that three men standing in a circle could just
hold hands around one of their bases.
After
changing money and before entering the Temple, the people were required to
immerse themselves in a ritual bath. Despite the arid climate and meager
natural water sources there were many such baths in the city, filled using a
series of aqueducts and pipes that stretched over 50 miles, 80 km. After
ritual immersion the Temple was then accessed via the southern or Hulda
gates. These gates led to tunnels built under the plaza that then emerged on
to the plaza itself. The walls of these tunnels were lined with candles and
the ceilings were carved and painted with intricate geometric designs
simulating a Persian carpet.
The Destruction of the Second Temple Flavius Josephus: The Jewish War,
p. 303 ]Antiquities xi. 1.2 )The Jewish War, p. 292)The Jewish War, p. 323)
Despite the magnificence of all that has already been detailed,
undoubtedly the centrepiece of this majestic complex was the Temple itself.
A building of shining white marble and gold, with bronze entrance doors, it
was said that you could not look at the Temple in daylight as it would blind
you. The attention to detail in its construction is exemplified by the
placing of gold spikes on the roof line of the building to prevent birds
sitting on the Temple and soiling it.
On their arrival pilgrims could hear the sounds of the Levites who sang
and played musical instruments at the entrance. The pilgrims would circle
around the Temple seven times and then watch the various rituals, sit under
the columned porticos that surrounded the plaza and listen or talk to the
rabbis. The Temple area was divided into various areas for study,
sacrifices, libation etc. and further divided according to a social
hierarchy for gentiles, women, Israelites, Levites and Priests. Finally, in
the centre of the Temple was the holy of holies, the innermost chamber of
the Temple where the ark of the Law was kept. Only the High Priest was
allowed to enter this inner sanctum, and then only once a year, on the Day
of Atonement. So strict was the law governing entry to the holy of holies
that the High Priest had to wear a belt around his waist so that in case of
his unexpected death he could be pulled out without anyone else entering.
In the construction of the Temple nothing was overlooked. For example, in
order to stop the inevitable crowding at the gates that would follow
the conclusion of a service, the exiting stairs were designed to encourage
people to spread out over a larger area. This attention to detail and the
extraordinary feats of engineering were mirrored in the planning of the
remainder of the city and its unique surrounds. The roads were made of
paving stones weighing up to 19 tons, so stable that they hardly moved even
when the massive stones from the walls above fell on them during the
Temple’s destruction. Beneath these pavements was a complex sewerage and
water system that enabled collection of the run off water and conserved a
resource whose scarcity and value was accentuated by its requirement for
ritual bathing and the performing of sacrifices.
This abbreviated description of the Second Temple can only convey a
resemblance of the majestic sight that must have greeted the people of its
time. Although it is impossible to recapture their experience in its
entirety, the opportunity to visit the site in today’s Jerusalem should
not be missed. However the Greatest is yet to come as you
read in Revelation 21:1-27, concerning the " New Jerusalem " and VERSE 22, " And I saw no temple therein : for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. " Here is God's word on this matter and that should settle it, " a temple not made by hands. "
~ EVIL ! ~
Isn’t it interesting that the focus of world news is now on the Middle East, most specifically on Jerusalem.....and even more specifically.....on the Temple Mount. Peace negotiations seem unavoidably drawn to that location. One wonders if this is the beginning of what God meant when He said that He would make Jerusalem a stumbling stone for the nations, and that all nations would one day come against Jerusalem that exists in this woeld today. Many have set dates for certain end-time events.....particularly the rapture.....and a bad taste has been left in the mouths of many who are aware of many failed predictions. All of us who have attempted to set dates for specific end-time events up to today have been wrong. I don’t think people who make such predictions are heretics, as some say, but it does cast a shadow of doubt over what may be legitimate.....and not entirely speculative.....considerations of the timing of end-time events. Did God give us sign posts that we should be looking for ?
Many Bible students believe the references to the "temple" and the "altar" and the "outer court" in REVELATION, Chapter 11 are referring to the worship of those who are on earth during the " New World Movement, " during the 7 years of Great Tribulation and have to do with an actual physical rebuilt temple on the Temple Mount, by the Master of Deception. That may be true. But perhaps both the spiritual and natural interpretations are valid views, both by the believer and the un-believer. There will be one day soon a new temple being built on the Temple Mount, and if that should be the case, it will be almost certainly a bench-mark in the time scale of end-time events. Why would I say that and risk adding yet another "false prophetic" voice to the clamor of those already predicting specific dates ? Because I am not predicting a specific date. But the Bible gives us specific times.....and events not specific dates as a day or month of a particular year.....but specific intervals of days relative to certain events. When these events will start in terms of a specific day, month, or year is unknown. But when certain of these events do start, things will progress like clockwork, and that clockwork countdown is very clearly given to us in the Bible. We must neither add to.....nor subtract.....from what God has given us. We should not ignore the detailed information He has provided just because of the poor testimony of failed date-settings. He has given us specific time intervals in terms of days, months, and years regarding the unfolding of events, particularly during the last three and one-half years of the age. More is written in the Book of REVELATION about the last 7 years of the Great Tribulation age than all the rest of the prior two-thousand year history of the Church age. I believe He has given us specific times so that we could understand what is happening. But we must pay attention. We must WATCH .
God's concentration is on His plan for His Church in the last days just prior to Great Tribulation, that will be for 7 years of that age. Those will be days of incredible darkness and incredible light. Those will be the days of the final battle between Satan and the fully empowered Church of Jesus Christ. And the Church will win.....by the Blood of the Lamb, the word of her testimony, and by loving not her life unto death. The very wisdom of God in the form of the cross will be demonstrated through a Church brought to full stature in Jesus Christ. And there is a specific event that starts off this final three and one-half years of the age that everyone should be aware of. It is revealed in DANIEL Chapters 11 and 12 for all to read about. And the book of Daniel says that the wise will understand what is written and what will happen.
DANIEL 11:31 describes an event which is described as taking place in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount and seemingly in a physical temple. In the middle of the final seven years of the age, someone sets up an "abomination of desolation" in a "holy place" and from that day until the "end" there are 1290 days . . . not 1291 days, not 1289 days, but 1290 specific days. What are we to think of this ? Is all this reference to "temples" and "holy places" to be understood as reference entirely to spiritual matters, and not physical items which we could see or touch ? I think we should be flexible in our thinking, and be prepared for either or both possibilities.
Jesus said to His disciples that when they would see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, as described in the book of DANIEL the prophet, then those in Jerusalem should flee because then would begin a time of the Great Tribulation. Was Jesus referring to a spiritual temple, as He had been known to do, or was He referring to something His disciples could physically see ? I tend to take the simplest interpretation, and that to me is "when they would see" means "when they would SEE ."
If a physical temple is erected on the Temple Mount and if this abomination of desolation is something we can physically see, then we will be on a finite and specific countdown to the exact day of the end of the age. Since things won’t go really bad until that time when the anti-christ is revealed as the Master of Deception and the Great Tribulation starts, we should be fully warned and aware of what is happening. Why do I think that these things are physical as well as spiritual ?
Partly it’s because of reference to the outer court in Revelation 11 being measured with a measuring rod and given over to the nations. Spiritual things are not usually measured with a "tape measure." Partly it’s because the Bible says Jerusalem will be trampled upon by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are complete ( that includes the outer court ). Partly it’s because I had opportunity several years ago to stand beside the Dome of the Spirits north of the Dome of the Rock and observe a large flat stone forming the floor of that cupola that looked like it could have been a threshing floor. It had been worn and polished to the extent that it was a smooth as . . . a mill stone. The surface resembled the well-worn surface of a flat river stone. It was almost perfectly flat. It took a lot of hours of "polishing" to make it look like that. I don’t think it was an art project. As I remember, it was about ten or twelve feet across. If indeed this is the original threshing floor that David purchased, and the site of the original Holy of Holies, the construction of a new temple would not necessarily interfere with the existing structures on the Temple Mount. Some archaeologists believe this is the case. There is an interesting website at :
http://www.excel.net/~hoy/temple.html
REMEMBER :
"Dr. Asher S. Kaufman concluded that the original site of the Temple was at the northwest corner of the Temple Mount; north of the Dome of the Rock. He has determined that the east-west line aligning the Mount of Olives with the Eastern Gate and the Temple bisect on a small shrine called the Dome of the Spirits. The Holy of Holies is thought to have been located on the bedrock covered by this small cupola. He noted that the bedrock inside this little domed area is the only such bedrock appearing on the Temple Mount.....it sticks up from the surface . The rest of the area around the Dome of the Rock has been paved. This is the " Eben Shetiyyah " [ Foundation stone ] that was the floor in the ancient Holy of Holies. "
Of course, we realize that any such peace will be a false peace that will fall apart at the middle of the final seven years of the age. I think we should keep these things in our back pockets for a rainy day when suddenly a peacemaker may appear on the scene, and part of the provision of the treaty he proposes is that the Jews can rebuild their new temple.....which they, those who have the mark of the beast and are standing in the wings this very day, prepared in a moments notice.....to begin.
And if this is the scenario, then we won’t have to wait until the middle of the final seven years to start the countdown. The book of DANIEL says "he" will confirm a covenant with the many for seven years. In the middle of the seven, "he" will set up the abomination of desolation and stop the regular sacrifice. The "he" that does this is defined in DANIEL 11:31 as none other than the "antichrist" we hear that is coming. I believe the reference to 2300 days in DANIEL 8:14 is particularly suggestive, because it is a period of time which includes not only the time from the abomination of desolation to the restoration of the "holy place", but also the time of the regular sacrifice . This time interval then would include the time that the regular sacrifice is in effect, the time of the abomination of desolation that stops the regular sacrifice, and the time interval to restore the holy place. Including the time of the regular sacrifice extends this period of time from three and one-half years to 220 days short of seven years. That 220 days is what the Temple Mount Faithful folks said in 1994 that it would approximately take to erect a new temple and restore sacrifices. The man I asked the question of said, "about six months." Keep this in your back pocket for that rainy day.....just in case.
God gave us these specific time intervals for a purpose. These intervals begin with specific events. If these events are spiritualized, it will be more difficult to define their start. But if they are physical events which everyone can see and mark on their calendars, then they will be definite bench-marks in the sequence of the end-time countdown.
When will it begin ? Only God knows. And He isn’t telling. At least He isn’t telling me.....or anyone else so far that has claimed they knew. But the signs of the times are there for us to observe, and we are counseled to know and understand them. When these events begin to unfold, they will unfold very quickly, right on schedule with the precise prophesied time intervals.....to the day. If we have these possibilities thought out, even though they be hypothetical, we will be better able to pick up on the understanding of these events when they begin to take place. We will be in better position to counsel others, as do those of DANIEL 12:3, who are called wise and will shine like stars forever.
TWO POWERS
We often hear conflicting moral teachings from our religious and secular leaders. Many claim to have the true message of God or the true message of Christianity. We hear about " Christian values, " or " God's
will, " or " The Bible says..., " or " Jesus says..., ", etc. How can we tell who is interpreting the Bible with true understanding and who is, consciously or unconsciously, merely using it to serve their own
ends ?
Jesus gives us the answer in the parable of the good and bad fruits. He tells us to judge a teacher or minister by his or her deeds, not by his or her claims. Just as a fig tree produces only figs, a good teacher will advocate
only good deeds and will live a life of good deeds. Just as a tree that produces poison fruit, a false teacher will advocate evil deeds and practice evil deeds, even while claiming to give godly advice.
" Beware of false teachers who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are wolves and will tear you apart.
You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You need never confuse grapevines
with thorn bushes or figs with thistles. Different kinds of fruit trees can quickly be identified by examining
their fruit. A variety that produces delicious fruit never produces an inedible kind. And a tree producing an inedible
kind can't produce what is good. So the trees having the inedible fruit are chopped down and thrown on the fire.
Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit produced. " Not all who sound religious
are really godly people. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but still won't get to heaven. For the decisive question
is whether they obey my Father in heaven. At the Judgment many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we told others about
you and used your name to cast out demons and to do many other great miracles.' But I will reply, 'You have never
been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil.' (TLB, Matthew 7:15-23)
The true teachings of the Bible will be consistent with the two great themes of the Ten Commandments and the Greatest Commandments of Jesus : reverence to God, our Creator, and respect for all persons, everywhere.
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things
out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (NIV, Luke 6:45)
False teachers will preach a doctrine filled with prejudice, hate, greed and covetous desire which is distorted
to sound as if these things were virtuous. False teachers will take Bible verses out of context and convolute their
meanings to serve their own ends. The Apostle Paul warned the people of his churches to be wary of those who teach
a false gospel.
Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching
which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites;
and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. (NAS, Romans 16:17-18)
The prophet Isaiah and Jesus both warned against misleading others into sin.
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter ! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever
in their own sight! (NAS, Isaiah 5:20-21)
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have
a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. "Woe to the world because
of the things that cause people to sin ! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come ! (NIV,
Matthew 18:6-7)
Learning the wisdom of the Bible helps us discern good from evil and good teachings from evil teachings. Even
when evil teachings are disguised as good, and argued shrewdly, we will not be easily fooled. There is no better
application for the wisdom of the Bible than to be able to distinguish good from evil, and to practice good in
our own lives.
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for
the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, Guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the
way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course. For wisdom
will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Discretion will guard you, understanding will
watch over you, To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave
the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; (NAS, Proverbs 2:6-13)
Wisdom is a buffer against life's constant battering of conflicting ideas and desires. Wisdom frees us from the tyranny of popular opinion and from the emptiness of a status-seeking existence. The wisdom of the Bible is
a solid foundation on which we can base our attitudes and actions. It is the key to making the best choices throughout
our lives.
Related verses to read : Matthew 5:17-18, Matthew 12:35, Matthew 15:13-19, Matthew 23:2-12, Matthew 24:3-5, Mark 7:20-23, Luke 21:8, John 3:20-21, Romans 2:19-23, Colossians 2:8-9
ISLAM :
Today, there are over 7,000,000 Muslims in the United States alone. That's more than all the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists combined. An extremely militant proselytizing program is under way in many major cities and in every State University. The Muslims are going to make the Mormon missionary effort look pale in comparison. As orthodox Christians, we are going to have to be ready to deal with what I believe may be the most aggressive attack on Christianity in its history.
Let's take a look at the faith of Mohammed. When he was born in Mecca in 570 AD, the black Kaaba Stone was the religious center of all Arabia. In Mohammed's day, 365 idols were worshipped there, standing in the great courtyard. One of those deities was called Allah and was the god of the Quarish tribe, of which Mohammed was a member. When the Quarish tribe took control of Mecca, all the idols except Allah, the idol of their tribe, were destroyed.
The Koran Tells us that Mohammed drove the other idols away; his god was now the only god and he was its messenger. But he kept the Kaaba as a holy, sacred place and confirmed that the black stone had the power to take away man's sins. He obligated every believer tomake a pilgrimage to the stone at least once in his lifetime. [ Sura 22:26-37 ]
~ THE SIX BELIEFS OF ISLAM ! ~
God : There is one true God, named Allah.
Angels : They are the servants of God, through whom he reveals his will. The greatest angel is Gabriel who appeared to Mohammed. Everyone has two "recording angels": one to record their good deeds, the other to record their bad deeds.
The Prophets : Allah has spoken through many prophets, but the final and greatest of these is Mohammed. Other prophets include Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.
The Holy Books : The Koran or Quran is the holiest book of Islam, believed to be Allah's final revelation to man and it supersedes all previous revelations, including the Bible. It contains Allah's word as passed on orally to Mohammed by Gabriel. It contains 114
chapters or Suras. Muslims also recognize the Law of Moses, the Psalms and the gospels but consider them to be badly corrupted.
The Day of Judgment : A terrible day on which each person's good and bad deeds will be balanced to determine his fate.
The Decree of God : Allah ordains the fate of all. Muslims are fatalistic. "If Allah, wills it", is the comment of a devout Muslim on almost every situation or decision he faces.
~ THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM ! ~
Affirmation : "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger" which is recited constantly by devout Muslims.
The Fast : Faithful Muslims fast from dawn to dusk every day during the ninth month of the Islamic calender, Ramadan, which is sacred.
Almsgiving : A worthy Muslim must give 2.5% of his income to the poor.
Prayer : Muslims are required to pray five times a day, kneeling and facing Mecca.
The Pilgrimage : Muslims are expected to journey to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.
~ IS ISLAM ANOTHER GOSPEL ? ~
Islam teaches that God is so far above man in every way that he is virtually
unknowable. He will send individuals to Paradise or Hell as he chooses.
Islam teaches that Jesus was a messenger of God, not the son of God. Muslims deny that He is Almighty God come in the flesh. [John 1:1-14, I John 4:1,2. ] They deny that He is divine. [ Col 2:9 ] They deny that He died on the Cross for our sins [ Most believe the Judas died in his place. ] They deny that He rose from the dead. [ Matt 26: 28, John 19:20 ] They deny that He is the final, conclusive revelation of God. [ Heb. 1: 1-2 ]
~ IS ALLAH ANOTHER GOD ? ~
Is this stone idol the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ? Just because Mohammed said so doesn't make it so ! Allah chose Hagar and her son, Ismael for his covenant. The God of the Bible chose Abraham's other son, Isaac, as heir to His covenant. [ Gen 21: 12, 22:2-18 ]
Allah is an impersonal being, impossible to approach or comprehend. The Bible's God befriends men like Abraham [ Is. 41:8 ] and talks with them [ Gen 18:23-33 ] He loved us so much He sent His only begotten Son to die for us ! [ John 3:16 ]
Allah is a god of fear and terrorism that commands destruction upon those who refuse toconvert to Islam. The Bible's God delights to show His boundless mercy. His gospel is the "Good News" of peace and forgiveness.
Allah requires total obedience to Islam and weighs the works of people. Allah and the Koran relegate Jesus to just the last prophet before Mohammed, below his authority. Jesus was not the Way, and could only point the way to Mohammed. The Bible's God can only be reached through Jesus Christ and trust in Him is the only way to Heaven. [ John 14:6. ]
Allah required the works of Mohammed to complete his words of judgment to man. The God Of The Bible sent His son who did the finished work of grace for man. [ John 19:30 ]
In the light of Allah's actual origin and his radical difference from the God of the Bible, we must conclude that Allah is not God. Nor is the name, Allah, a generic MidEast name for God, as even many Christians think. Allah is the name of a false god who can not save anyone from anything. Rather, through his false prophet, Mohammed, he continues to lead hundreds of millions into eternal darkness.
POLITICS
CAMPAIGN - FINANCE REFORMERS HAVE IT BACKWARDS.
The alleged problem, according to a recent New York Times editorial, is that
politicians are forced to " haul in vast corrupting sums from special interests
looking for favors. " Proposed solutions range from stricter limits on campaign
contributions ( the centerpiece of the McCain-Feingold plan, ) all the way to
what the Times calls its " ideal : " total government financing of federal elections.
But portraying businessmen as corrupt " fat cats " seeking to buy political
influence merely makes them scapegoats for the real villains: the politicians
who seek to exert influence over business.
In today's mixed economy, with its enormous maze of taxes, subsidies and
regulations, government holds the power to cripple any private company.
What, then, is the meaning of, say, the $70,000 " soft money " contribution to
the Republican Party made by a large regional phone company that stood to
gain from pending telecommunications legislation ? Are donations like this an
attempt to subvert the political process.....or are they self-defense against a
political process that is already corrupted by virtue of government's vast
power to control the economy ?
Why should government be allowed to determine what services
telecommunications firms can offer, or what markets they can enter? In a free,
capitalist society, such matters should be decided by the uncoerced choices of
buyers and sellers. But if the government dictates such decisions, how are
private companies supposed to survive except by courting the favor of
politicians ?
Politicians supposedly exercise their power in the name of the " public
interest. " But this is a non-objective, undefinable term. There is no entity
labeled " the public ; " there is just a collection of individuals, with varying goals
and values. Thus, the standard of the " public interest " invites a perpetual war
to determine which ones are allowed to present themselves as the embodiment
of "the public"--and which ones are deemed outside " the public " and inimical
to its interest.
Are the owners of the local phone companies " the public ? " Or does that title
belong to the owners of the long-distance companies ? How about cable users ?
Or Internet users ? Or the poor and the phoneless ? Since there is no rational
means of making such determinations, they will be made on the arbitrary basis
of favoring those who have made campaign contributions. Is this bribery--or
the product of extortion ?
The problem is not that corporations are allowed to give money to political
parties, nor even that some businesses will seek to use these donations to buy
special, government-granted privileges. The problem is that the businessman's
existence hinges on the whims of the politicians, so that even the most honest
of businessmen are forced to curry political favors in an attempt to buy back
their freedom. This problem would disappear under a system in which
government has no power to interfere in the economy.
The proposed reforms, however, blame the victims. And instead of reducing
government's power, they actually increase it. The watered-down version of the
McCain-Feingold bill would impose $1,000-per-donor limits on donations to
political parties. The bill's stronger version would ban advertisements for or
against candidates by non-profit "advocacy groups." Bill Bradley has gone even
further, pointing out that " money in politics is a little bit like ants in your
kitchen; you have to block all the holes or some of them are going to find a way
in. " Thus, Bradley wants restrictions even on " issue ads " which aim, not even to
promote particular candidates, but to champion certain political ideas.
This ominous threat to free speech is the logical result of the reformers'
inverted priorities. Private political advocacy by businessmen is portrayed as a
threat to the integrity of politicians--so these private voices must be silenced.
But, in this bizarre view, no threat is posed by allowing politicians to dispense
taxpayers' funds to finance their own campaigns. Thus, as the solution to a
problem caused by a government empowered to restrict individual freedom and
to dispense favors at will, the reformers propose even further expansion of that
power.
The only real solution to the alleged corruption of politics by money is not to
punish and disenfranchise the money-makers. The solution is to limit the
power of the politicians, by returning to a system of laissez-faire capitalism. As
one economist puts it, " the only way to get money out of politics is to get
politics out of money-making. "
~ POLITICS ~
~ GOOD ! ~
Politics, some think of it as one of the most evil words ever invented. I am sure that some, actually most , of you have friends that think that anyone that would volunteer on a campaign or assistance in a governmental office is promoting evil. They think that everyone associated with politics is a wrongdoer and as corrupt as a member of a dictatorship. Let us look at what is politics. Politics, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition is " the art or science of government or governing, especially of a political entity, such as a nation, and
the administration and control of its internal and external affairs. "
To put it quite simply, politics is everything and for one to " not want to get involve in politics " is extremely shortsighted. Politics affects everything in each of our lives. Just think about it, do you think that politics has anything to do with you buying milk at the local supermarket ? Lets trace this little venture to see how much affect politics has. First, you have to get in your car and drive to the store. Once you hit the street you are now driving on pavement that has been paid for by your tax money. The money is allocated to the construction crew by people that you elect. Whether the locality receives state and/or federal funds also complicates the matter because that increases the agencies involved and the elected officials involved. Okay now you are on the street driving to the store. How fast can you drive ? Well, this is also regulated by elected officials.
Now you have pulled into the parking lot of the supermarket. Stepping into the store, you are now in a place that has to be regulated and inspected by the California Department of Health Services and various other California agencies.
I think you probably get the point by now. I could go on forever, because once we start discussing the milk then we have state and federal agencies and also commissions that regulate everything. The point is quite simple, we, as Americans, are very lucky and special people. We have, no matter what the liberals say, the best country in the world. There is one major advantage
that this country has other countries. America has a democracy and the representatives are elected by the people. The people consist of you and me. Thus if less and less people vote then we are no longer ruled by popularly elected people.
The real point behind this little instruction it that our country is great for a lot of reasons. Some of the reasons are our beloved Founding Fathers and the Constitution just to mention a few. But people are what make the whole system work. Without dedicated people who are actively helping to make this country work the country falls. For those of you who had been vigorously helping Republican candidates spread this vision of a better America you should be applauded. However, if you have not been that active in politics and have not donated sometime, please take a second to think about it. If everyone just gave a little bite of their time to help the party, whether it be at the local headquarters or for your local congressperson, assemblyperson, or state senator, just think how much better our party and our vision would be.
All of the parts of there to continue to take back this country and keep it on the right track, it just takes people to complete the mission. Thanks for all of your hard work.
THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ~ GOOD ~
Height : 1,368 and 1,362 feet (417 and 415 meters)
The World Trade Center is more than its signature twin towers: it is a complex of seven buildings on 16-acres, constructed and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey [ PANYNJ. ] The towers, One and Two World Trade Center, rise at the heart of the complex, each climbing more than 100 feet higher than the silver mast of the Empire State Building.
Construction of a world trade facility had been under consideration since the end of WWII. In the late 1950s the Port Authority took interest in the project and in 1962 fixed its site on the west side of Lower Manhattan on a superblock bounded by Vesey, Liberty, Church and West Streets. Architect Minoru Yamasaki was selected to design the project; architects Emery Roth & Sons handled production work, and, at the request of Yamasaki, the firm of Worthington, Skilling, Helle and Jackson served as engineers.
The Port Authority envisioned a project with a total of 10 million square feet of office space. To achieve this, Yamasaki considered more than a hundred different building configurations before settling on the concept of twin towers and three lower-rise structures. Designed to be very tall to maximize the area of the plaza, the towers were initially to rise to only 80-90 stories. Only later was it decided to construct them as the world's tallest buildings, following a suggestion said to have originated with the Port Authority's public relations staff.
Yamasaki and engineers John Skilling and Les Robertson worked closely, and the relationship between the towersí design and structure is clear. Faced with the difficulties of building to unprecedented heights, the engineers employed an innovative structural model: a rigid " hollow tube " of closely spaced steel columns with floor trusses extending across to a central core. The columns, finished with a silver-colored aluminum alloy, were 18 3/4 " wide and set only 22 " apart, making the towers appear from afar to have no windows at all.
Also unique to the engineering design were its core and elevator system. The twin towers were the first supertall buildings designed without any masonry. Worried that the intense air pressure created by the buildingsí high speed elevators might buckle conventional shafts, engineers designed a solution using a drywall system fixed to the reinforced steel core. For the elevators, to serve 110 stories with a traditional configuration would have required half the area of the lower stories be used for shaftways. Otis Elevators developed an express and local system, whereby passengers would change at " sky lobbies " on the 44th and 78th floors, halving the number of shaftways.
Construction began in 1966 and cost an estimated $1.5 billion. One World Trade Center was ready for its first tenants in late 1970, though the upper stories were not completed until 1972; Two World Trade Center was finished in 1973. Excavation to bedrock 70 feet below produced the material for the Battery Park City landfill project in the Hudson River. When complete, the Center met with mixed reviews, but at 1,368 and 1,362 feet and 110 stories each, the twin towers were the world's tallest, and largest, buildings until the Sears Tower surpassed them both in 1974.
~ EVIL ~
The Fall of the Twin Towers | washingtonpost.com
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~ THE BIBLE ~
,- - - I SURE DID ~ PASTOR BILL ~ GOD BLESS Y'ALL
