World leaders promote the State of Israel

European leaders call for the creation of the State of Israel.

Did you know that world leaders quoted the Bible to promote national Israel?

COLONIAL TIMES [Vol. 29] Tuesday, February 23, 1841

Memorandum,
To the Protestant Powers of the North of Europe and America, - Victoria by the grace of God, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Frederick, (William) III, King of Prussia; William (Frederick) (Frederich), King of the Netherlands; Charles (John) XIV, King of Sweden and Norway: Frederick VI., King of Denmark; Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover; William, King of Württemberg; the Sovereign Princes and Electors of Germany; the Cantons of the Swiss Confederation professing the Reformed Religion; and the States of North America, zealous for the glory of God; grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
High and Mighty Ones,

The Most High God, who reigns in the kingdoms of men (Dan. iv, 32), by whom kings reign and princes decree justice (Prov. viii. 15), having in these days granted a season of repose to his witnessing church (Acts ix. 31, Rev. xii. 16), planted in the lands whereof ye are kings and governors (Isaiah xlix. 23); the vine of his planting among the Gentiles (Acts xxviii. 28) hath extended her boughs unto the seas and her branches unto the rivers (Isaiah xlix. 6), that now in nearly all the world the gospel of the kingdom is being lifted up as a witness unto all nations (Matt. xxiv. 14), and in the isles afar off. The days are drawing near (Rev. xxiii. 20) when the dominion, and the glory, and the kingdom, with all people, nations and languages, shall serve Him who cometh in the clouds of heaven (Dan. vii. 14, Rev. i. 7), whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Psalm xlv. 6), Blessed be He! He hath given him waiting people to hear the sound of His approaching footstep, and to mark the signs of His drawing near (1 Thess. v. 4). The fig-tree putteth forth her leaves again (Matt. xxvi. 32). Israel’s sons are asking the way to Zion, by which we know that the summer is at hand. Blessed are all they that wait (2 Thess. iii. 5) and hold fast (Rev. iii. 11), for quickly He cometh. Amen.

In the prospect of the Christian church, of the speedy appearing of her glorified head, the zeal of the Lord’s servants hath been stirred up (Rev. iii. 2), when the Son of God, as a man taking a journey into a far country, bade his servants occupy until he returned again (Luke xix. 13). With other responsibilities, the circumstances of one peculiar people, whom the Most High hath separated (Gen. iii, 7, Exod. xxxiv. 7), and which covenant no act of theirs, however iniquitous and rebellious, can repeal or destroy (Mal. iii. 6) whom He hath scattered in all lands as witnesses of His unity and power (Isa. xliii. 19) connected with whom the welfare of mankind is bound up, and in the lifting up of whose head the most stupendous consequences are made to depend (Rom. xi. 15) are presented at this eleventh hour for the repentance and faith of Christendom, that the blood of our brethren of the circumcision which has been unjustly shed may be atoned for in the blood of the Lamb (Matt. iii. 8) in presenting the children of this people continually at the throne of grace (1 Pet. ii. 5., Ps. cxxii. 6) for the atoning sacrifice of Christ to cover them (Joel. ii. 17); and as the Almighty, in His providential appointments, shall make the way plain to present the children of Israel who may be willing to go up as an offering to the Lord of Hosts in Mount Zion (Isa. xviii. 7.)

For 300 years the testimony of the churches, planted in the lands over which Almighty God hath made you rulers, hath been lifted up against that apostasy which usurped the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ in the earth (Rev. xvii. 5, and Rev. xviii. 5) daring presumptuously to assert power over nations (Rev. xviii. 7) and over kingdoms, to root up and to pull down, to build, to plant, and to destroy (Dan. vii. 20, Rev. xiii. 2, 7). The millstone which shall sink the Great Babylon in the abyss of an unfathomable perdition (Rev. xviii. 21) when her hour arrives (and it is very near!), with the judgment under which she hath long lain, for being drunken with the blood of the saints and of the martyrs of Jesus (Rev. xvii., 6) shall include the avenging of the wrongs of God’s ancient people (Isa. li. 22, 23) and a terrible account it is; and the issue shall be joy and gladness to the whole earth, for it is written, “Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people: for He avengeth the blood of His servant, and shall render vengeance unto His adversaries, and will be merciful to His land, and His people.” (Deut. xxxii. 43). “Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help and the sword of thy excellence; and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread on their high places.” (Deut. xxxiii. 29.)

In the events on which the eyes of nations are fixed, taking place around, whilst the continuance and stability of your thrones and sway, O kings, is the earnest prayer of the Christian church (1 Tim. ii. 2) she cannot but uphold the witness that the days draw nigh, when, under the hallowed sway of Messiah the Prince, the now despised nation of the Jews shall possess the kingdom (Dan. vii. 27) and she directs, with reverential awe, your eye to that mighty empire in the east which is crumbling to the dust , and drying up in all her streams (Rev. xvi. 12) to make way for the event. Palestine hath been a burdensome stone (Zech. xii. 2) unto the followers of the false Prophet (Rev. xvi. 13) as it was to the ancestors of many of you, O Princes, when, under the banners of the Popish Antichrist, their mistaken zeal sought to recover the Holy City from the Saracen’s grasp. But the fullness of the Gentiles is at hand (Rom. xi. 21) and unto Israel the dominion shall return. (Micah iv. 8.)

The apostate Julian sought to plant the children of this people in the seats of their fathers, in despite of that holy faith, one of the external evidences of whose truth was, that their house was left unto them desolate, until they should say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matt. xxiii., 38,39). But is it anywhere declared in the word of our God, that the children of Israel, scattered and pealed, humbled, and dispirited, impoverished and broken down, should not be presented as an offering in faith to Jehovah of Hosts in Mount Zion, that there their fathers (Isaiah xxv. 7) which is over their hearts (2 Cor. lii. 15) that there they may look on Him whom they have pierced? (Zech. xii. 10). Your attention, high and mighty ones, is directed to the recorded fact that such an offering is expected. And before that full and final gathering which follows the judgments poured out on all the earth (Isaiah lxiii. 15,16,20) a power, and that power a northern one, (Jer. iii. 12, xxxi.,6,9, xxiii., 7,8 - Isaiah xliii.,6, xlix., 12) shall be employed to lead a people wonderful from her beginning hitherto - a nation expecting and trampled underfoot - where land rivers have spoiled, unto the name of the Lord of Hosts in Mount Zion. (Isaiah xviii). These designs and purposes of the Lord God of Israel, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, are declared unto you, high and mighty ones, His servants (Dan. v. 23) that you may ponder them, and know His will, from the voice with which His is about to speak unto nations and unto men (Haggai ii, 6 - Isaiah 10) for the time is at hand (Rev. i. 7.)

Your wisdom hath been exercised to mark the boundaries of kingdoms, and to define the limits of empires; and has not the aggressor overleaped all barriers, and the strength of treaties snapped asunder as [low]? And why? Because when the Almighty awarded to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to number of the children of Israel (Deut. xxxii. 7, 8). By an un-repealed covenant, the Lord God declared unto Abraham, concerning the land of Palestine, “Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates” (Gen. xv. 18). This gift was ratified unto him for an everlasting possession, and to his seed after him, when the Almighty gave him His covenant, and changed his name to Abraham (Gen. xvii. 4, 8). For the purposes of infinite wisdom fast hastening to maturity, the Lord God hath scattered His inheritance to the four winds of heaven. But hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off. He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd doth his flock (Jer. xxxi. 10).
As the spirit of Cyrus, King of Persia, was stirred up to build the Lord’s Temple, which was in Jerusalem (1 Chron. xxxvi. 22-23), who is there among you, high and mighty ones of all the nations, to fulfill the good pleasure of the holy will of the Lord of Heaven, saying to Jerusalem, “Thou shalt be built,” and to the temple “Thy foundations shall be laid?” (Isaiah xliv. 28). The Lord God of Israel be with such. Great grace, mercy, and peace shall descend upon the people who offer themselves willingly; and the free offerings of their hearts and hands shall be those of a sweet-smelling savour unto Him who hath said, “I will bless them that bless thee (Gen. xii. 3), and contend with him who contendeth with thee” (Isa. xlix. 25).

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Signed and sealed in London, 8th of January, in the year of our Lord 1839, in the name of the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, on behalf of many who wait for the redemption of Israel.
(Copy 1.)

London, January 22, 1890.
May it please your Majesty, - I have the high honor of laying at your Majesty’s feet the accompanying memorandum relating to the present condition and future prospects of God’s ancient people, the Jews. Your Majesty’s pious feelings, I doubt not, will be excited to give the Scriptural hopes and expectations therein set forth your earnest attention, considering the high station which it hath pleased Almighty God to call this Protestant land to, as the great seat of the church.
According to the petitions of this peculiar people at the throne of grace, that in your Majesty’s reign, “Judah may be saved and Israel dwell safely,” is the prayer of your Majesty’s dutiful subject and servant.
Her most Gracious Majesty Victoria,
Queen of Great Britain and Ireland.
(Copy 2.)

My Lord, - I have the honor of transmitting through your Lordship a document which it is the desire of some of Her Majesty’s subjects should be laid at Her Majesty’s feet, relation to the Scriptural expectations of the church connected with the restoration of the Jews to Palestine, the land of their fathers.
I am induced to solicit your Lordship’s good offices as being the medium of communicating this document to Her Majesty, as the substance of it relates to the present rights of an ally of this county - namely, the Sublime Porte.
But I would respectfully press upon your Lordship’s attention, that, in holding forth the Scriptural hopes of God’s ancient people, those who emanate the accompanying document, never for one moment dream of political force to accomplish the end desired. When the hour comes of Israel’s planting it, doubtless Almighty God will not fail to raise up chosen instruments, who, with willing hands and hearts, shall accomplish the good pleasure of His will.
If we are wrong in the course we have taken to bring this memorandum before Her Majesty, we will be happy to be set right. Should your Lordship undertake the duty, desiring the glory of God in this matter to be furthered, the Lord God of Israel will not be slack to reward the labour of faith and love proceeding form a desire to honour His name.
I have the honour to be, &c.
The Rt. Hon. Lord Viscount Palmerston.
LORD PALMERSTON’S ANSWER.
(Copy, No. 3.)
Foreign-office, March 14, 1839.
I have to acknowledge your letter of the 13th of January, enclosing a letter and memorandum from some of Her Majesty’s subjects, who feel deeply interested in the welfare and future prospects of the Jews, and I have to acquaint you, that I have laid those documents before the Queen, and that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to receive the same.
I am, &c. PALMERSTON.
The Answer.
(Copy, No. 5.)
La Haye, le 13 Mai, 1939
Monsieur, - Le Roi, mon… Le Charge d’Affaires de Prusse,
CONTE DE WESTPHALEN.
Monsieur -------, Londre.
Letters of similar tenor follow, addressed to the Kings of Sweden, Hanover, Denmark, the Netherlands, Wertemberg, and the President of the United States, to which no answers are appended.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir, - Every right-minded person must feel gratified at the general expression of interest in the Jewish nation which has been elicited by the recent sufferings of their brethren at Damascus. It is to be hoped that the public feeling will not be allowed to evaporate in the mere expression of sympathy, but that some effectual measures may be adopted to prevent a recurrence of these atrocities, not merely in our own times, but in generations yet to come. We must not forget, when giving utterance to our indignation at the late transactions in the east, that but few centuries have passed since our country was the scene of similar enormities on a far larger scale. What reader of English history does not recall with shame and sorrow the wholesale tortures, executions, and massacres of the Jews who had sought shelter here, or who can estimate the amount of property seized and confiscated, or the number of hearts wrung by the endless repetition of cruelty and injustice? If in England they have till lately been thus treated, how can they look for more security elsewhere? Instead of wondering that they should become sordid and debased, the only cause for surprise is that any should rise to intelligence and respectability. Subject to the caprice and cruelty of any nation among whom they may dwell, fleeing from persecutions of one only to meet with like treatment from another, having no city of refuge where they can be in safeguard, on single spot to call their own, they are in a more pitiable condition than the Indian of the forest, or the Arab of the desert.

“The wild bird hath her nest, the fox his cave,
Mankind their country, Israel but the grave.”

Is this state of things always to continue? They think not. Though many hundreds of years of hope deferred might have been enough to quench the anticipations of most sanguine, they still hope on, and turn with constant and earnest longing to the land of their forefathers. Their little children are taught to expect that they shall one day see Jerusalem. They purchase no landed property and hold themselves in readiness at a few hours’ notice to revisit what they and we tacitly agree to call “their own land.” It is theirs by a right which no other nation can boast, for God gave it to them, and though dispossessed of it for so many ages, it is still but partially people, and held with a loose hand and a disputed title by a hostile power, as if in readiness for their return.

There are political reasons arising from the present aspect of affairs in Russia, Turkey, and Egypt, which would make it to the interest not only of England but of other European nations, either by purchase or by treaty, to procure the restoration of Judea to its rightful claimants. About a year since, I heard it said by a German Jew, that a proposal had some time before been made by our (then) Government to the late Baron Rothschild, that he should enter into a negotiation for this purpose, and that he declined, assigning as a reason, “Judea is our own; we will not buy it, we wait till God shall restore it to us.” The desirableness as well as the possibility of such a step seems daily to become more evident, but England has lately proved that she needs no selfish motives to induce her to discharge a debt of national honour and justice, or to perform an act of pure benevolence. The one now suggested would not, judging from appearances, cost 20,000,000 of money, or be unaccomplished after 50 years of exertion, or be so vast and so laborious an undertaking as the extinction of slavery throughout the world. It would be a noble thing for a Christian nation to restore these wanderers to their homes again. It would be a crowning point in the glory of England to bring about such an event. The special blessings promised in the Scriptures to those who befriend the Jews would rest upon her, and her sons and daughters would sit down with purer enjoyment to their domestic comforts when they thought that the persecuted outcasts of so many ages had, through their agency, been replaced in homes as happy and secure as theirs.

Hoping that some master mind may be led to take up this subject in all its bearings, and to form some tangible plan for its accomplishment, and that some Wilberforce may be raised up to plead for it by all the powerful and heart-stirring arguments of which it is capable,
I am, Sir, your obedient servant.
AN ENGLISH CHRISTIAN.”—end transcription.

Anti-Semitism at the turn of the 1st Century AD.

Ignatius of Antioch

Ignatius of Antiochie, Neapolitan School of Painting, possibly Cesare Fracanzano (1605-1651) Galleria Borghese, Rome

Excerpts from THE FORGOTTEN AGE OF JUDAH: The Untold Story of Grace in the Second Temple Period, By Dr. Douglas Hamp, Chris Winters Steinle, Copyright 2021 by the Commonwealth of Israel Foundation, Phoenix, USA, Published by the Commonwealth of Israel Foundation. From Chapter 8: Antioch and Hellenistic Judaism

The Antiochian/Hellenistic (anti-Semitic) stance toward the Law was codified by the Church in the early part of the second century through the letters of Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch. It should be noted that around this same time, the heretic, Marcion, was also involved in the task of proving that Christianity and Judaism—grace and law—were mutually exclusive, and that they do not even proceed from the same deity. Dr. Hamp has written extensively on Marcionism’s continued detrimental effects on Christianity, despite the fact that Marcion was labeled a heretic by the Church![1] Ignatius, on the other hand, was sainted as a Christian martyr and his letters—practically canonized. The proclamations of Ignatius, who was considered to be one of the Apostolic Fathers, form the basis of what should properly be called, “Hellenistic Christianity.”

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[1] For further study see: Haunted Theology and the Ghost of Marcion by Dr. Douglas Hamp.

Ignatius was a bishop of Antioch, said to be appointed by Peter and according to tradition was the successor to Evodius. Tradition also holds that Ignatius was a friend of Polycarp and that both young men had been disciples of John the Apostle. It is also supposed that Ignatius was one of the children Jesus took in His arms and blessed. Add, then, to these accolades a martyr’s death and it is obvious why so much weight was placed on the opinions of Ignatius. Quotes from the letters written by Ignatius while purportedly being extradited to Rome for execution are presented below, followed by commentary.

Ignatius to the Magnesians, Ch. 8[1]:

1 Be not seduced by strange doctrines nor by antiquated fables, which are profitless.

For if even unto this day we live after the manner of Judaism, we avow that we have not received grace:

2 for the divine prophets lived after Christ Jesus. For this cause also they were persecuted, being inspired by His grace to the end that they which are disobedient might be fully persuaded that there is one God who manifested Himself through Jesus Christ His Son, who is His Word that proceeded from silence, who in all things was well-pleasing unto Him that sent Him.

Verse 1 clearly juxtaposes Judaism with grace, implying that traditional Judaism—keeping the Law—is prima facia evidence that an individual has not received (saving) grace. Verse 2 begins by stating that the prophets lived (after the manner) of Jesus, that is by grace rather than by obedience to the Law. This is simply absurd on several levels. First, Jesus obeyed the Law to the extent that He could ask: “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (Jn. 8:46). Furthermore, the prophets kept the law themselves. Secondly, Ignatius redirects “obedience” away from meaning “obedience to the Law” and defines the meaning of obedience as the belief that there is only one God—the very ploy of the Hellenistic Jews. Verse 2 ends with a true statement—that the Son was well-pleasing to the Father. But ending these phrases with a true statement does not somehow make the rest of the content true.

Ignatius to the Magnesians, Ch. 9

1 If then those who had walked in ancient practices attained unto newness of hope, no longer observing sabbaths but fashioning their lives after the Lord’s day, on which our life also arose through Him and through His death which some men deny – a mystery whereby we attained unto belief, and for this cause we endure patiently, that we may be found disciples of Jesus Christ our only teacher --

2 if this be so, how shall we be able to live apart from Him? seeing that even the prophets, being His disciples, were expecting Him as their teacher through the Spirit. And for this cause He whom they rightly awaited, when He came, raised them from the dead.

These are some mighty big “ifs.” The assumption presented by Ignatius is that because God’s “ancient” Elect were looking forward to participating in Christ’s resurrection, they therefore, to that extent, were “no longer observing sabbaths.” He thereby implies that the saints of old were, at least, disobedient to the Law in their hearts. Seriously? Yet the Church did take this notion seriously. Moreover, Ignatius imposed this hypothetical on his hearers by threatening that those who wish to participate in the life of Christ must, likewise, forsake the sabbath and honor “the Lord’s day.”

At this point we should wonder: To what degree had the Antiochian Hellenist already ceased to comply with the third commandment? This doctrinal position seems to roll off the tongue at the beginning of the second century—perhaps shortly after John’s death. It is far more likely that the Hellenized Church did not fall far from the tree of the Hellenistic Jewish community. The whole gist of Hellenism was, after all, adapting to the customs of the international community. As observed by historian Emil Schürer: “They who then wanted to affect anything in the political world must of necessity stand on a more or less friendly footing with Hellenism.”[2]

Ignatius to the Magnesians, Ch. 10

1 Therefore let us not be insensible to His goodness. For if He should imitate us according to our deeds, we are lost. For this cause, seeing that we are become His disciples, let us learn to live as beseemeth Christianity. For whoso is called by another name besides this, is not of God.

Here we must interject between stanzas what is implied by Ignatius, but not stated outright—that those who are called “Jews” instead of “Christians” would not be “of God.”

2 Therefore put away the vile leaven which hath waxed stale and sour, and betake yourselves to the new leaven, which is Jesus Christ. Be ye salted in Him, that none among you grow putrid, seeing that by your savour ye shall be proved.

3 It is monstrous to talk of Jesus Christ and to practise Judaism. For Christianity did not believe in Judaism, but Judaism in Christianity, wherein every tongue believed and was gathered together unto God.

Verse 3 begins by making it an abomination to speak of Messiah (who is the Lord—Acts 2:36) and, at the same time, to follow the Lord’s instructions. Whereas, the inverse of this statement is actually true. It is monstrous to speak of Jesus Christ while not obeying His commandments.

Next, Ignatius anthropomorphizes Judaism and Christianity and asserts, “Christianity did not believe in Judaism.” On the contrary, in Paul’s own words: “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets” (Acts 24:14, emphasis added). Indeed, Christian salvation is attained by the confession that Jesus is the same “LORD”—Gr. “Kurios”—of the Old Testament (Acts 10:9-10). Therefore, Christians believed in the Holy One of Israel and Jews continued to believe in the Holy One of Israel. And certainly, the words of the Lord are the final authority on this doctrine:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:17-20).

Jesus’ only criticism of the Jews of His day concerning obedience to the Law was that it should be carried out with the love of God, and not neglect or replace the love of God.

Ignatius’ blatantly blind and baseless antagonism toward the Jews stemmed from nothing, more nor less, than from the Hellenistic determination that Jewish Traditionalism opposed the will of God; while the Hellenistic—watered down, so to speak—approach to obeying God’s laws was the ordained method that should be adopted by the Church.

Judah’s internal strife during the Second Temple period was simply the result of the God-fearing Jews’ apprehension that further exile could only be avoided by obeying God’s laws. From the “Set Apart”—who became the Pharisees, to the Traditionalists, and finally, the Zealots, all of these movements were established to promote the pure observance and practice of God’s precepts. The Hellenists had determined that God’s laws were a burden, and had preferred, rather, to mingle with nations. In most cases, international forces were brought into the three major conflicts listed above by those who opposed the religious purists. And, in turn, the liberal factions compromised their faith by bending to the norms of the current world empire; be it Persian, Greek, Syrian, or Roman.

On Keeping the Passover

The following quotations should be self-explanatory. These precious early writings prove that the Apostles and their immediate appointees—the first overseers and pastors—did, in fact keep the Passover as required by the Law of God. Yes, the Early Church, not just in Judea but in the Asian churches of modern day Turkey, kept the Law.Emphasis added.

Eusebius, Church History, Book V.

Chapter 23. The Question then agitated concerning the Passover.

1. A question of no small importance arose at that time. For the parishes of all Asia, as from an older tradition, held that the fourteenth day of the moon, on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should be observed as the feast of the Saviour’s Passover. It was therefore necessary to end their fast on that day, whatever day of the week it should happen to be.

Chapter 24:

1. But the bishops of Asia, led by Polycrates, decided to hold to the old custom handed down to them. He himself, in a letter which he addressed to Victor and the church of Rome, set forth in the following words the tradition which had come down to him:

2. We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord’s coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter, who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and, moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and, being a priest, wore the sacerdotal plate.

3. He fell asleep at Ephesus.

4. And Polycarp in Smyrna, who was a bishop and martyr...

6. All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven.

7. I, therefore, brethren, who have lived sixty-five years in the Lord, and have met with the brethren throughout the world, and have gone through every Holy Scripture, am not affrighted by terrifying words. For those greater than I have said ‘We ought to obey God rather than man.’ Acts 5:29

From Against Heresies, Book III, Ch. 2:4:

Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I [Irenaeus] also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true. To these things all the Asiatic Churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time. CONTINUE READING The Forgotten Age of Judah at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PJ2JTYF

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[1] IGNATIUS to the Magnesians, Apostolic Fathers, Lightfoot & Harmer, 1891 translation.

[2] Shurer, A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Christ, Div. 2, Vol. 2, P. 40.

Where did the Woke ideology come from?

What follows is an excerpt from THE RISE OF WESTERN LAWLESSNESS, which BTW, can also be picked up at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3un8vx5.

So check out what I had discovered a decade ago. I think you'll find this extremely interesting.

Begin excerpt:

The intention of the Communists to undermine conservative Christianity has been widely acknowledged since the close of WWII. What is not so well known are the revelations and forecasts made by Anatoliy Golitsyn, a former KGB agent. Golitsyn defected to the West in 1961. He began to file reports with the CIA to warn the United States of the Communists’ long range plan of deception.

After no action was taken by the government to counter Russia’s secret campaign, Golitsyn published his reports in the book New Lies for Old in 1984. He hoped that the American people could press the government into action. Golitsyn’s work continued to be generally ignored, and his knowledge of the secret goals of the Communists was dismissed by many authorities as a conspiracy theory.

In 1995, Golitsyn and Christopher Story co-authored a second book, The Perestroika Deception. By that time, 94% of the predictions made in New Lies for Old had been fulfilled. Both of Golitsyn’s books quickly went out of print and have not been republished. Christopher Story was assassinated in 2010 while investigating the Knights of Malta. (As a side note: The Knights of Malta were a continuation of the Knights Hospitallers. During the nineteenth century the Knights of Malta received 90% of their income from St. Petersburg, Russia.)

We will now examine Golitsyn’s knowledge of the Communists’ General Line, including some specifics on how the plan has been carried out to-date. Then we will note Golitsyn’s predictions which are either in progress, or yet to be fulfilled. The accuracy of Golitsyn’s inside knowledge of the Communist goals, and his methods for extrapolating the plans of the underground Politburo/KGB into the future, are undisputable.

In the two years prior to Golitsyn’s defection, from 1958 to 1960, the KGB and Politburo worked to improve the cause of global Communisms. The General Line might be thought of as the Communist Party Line, a platform similar to America’s Democrat and Republican Party Lines. However, the General Line was a permanent plan that didn’t change every four years. The General Line defined a general strategy by which the Communist agenda would advance. The tactical plans of the party could be altered as future circumstances might require. The General Line attempted to address the mistakes made by Stalin and Lenin, and to adopt the Leninist dialectic approach in order to overcome obstacles, particularly, the West’s growing anti-Communist sentiment.

The strategy was influenced by Chinese General Sun Tzu’s book, The Art of War. Two of Tzu’s keys to victory in war were adopted as the basis for Communist campaign of world domination: Appear to be weak and make the enemy think they are strong; and, Have a secret plan that doesn’t change—the enemy will lose because they don’t know the plan. The secret General Line was not to be changed. But tactics could be altered as needed to ensure the achievement of the overall goals. One of the primary goals was to condemn the repressive Stalinist approach to government. The strategists realized that hard-line Communism was repulsive to the rest of the world and was deterring the spread of Communism. Their tactical response was to give Communism a more acceptable image.

The initial objectives of the General Line called for a restructuring—“Perestroika.” It is obvious to any historian that leaders of an empire like the U.S.S.R. have never simply announced that they were going to release all of the nations within their control. Westphalia came after decades of bloody battle. What if the United States Congress suddenly announced that the U.S.A. would no longer be a union and all of the states were free to govern themselves? But the U.S.S.R. had a dissolution without a revolution. The Perestroika came from the inside out—it was a top-down decision. The Communists wanted to tickle the ears of the West by giving the appearance that capitalism had triumphed over socialism.

But the West didn’t know the secret plan that the KGB and Politburo would continue to control the so-called independent republics of the former U.S.S.R. The Party even created dissidents and opposition parties to give the impression that free forces were at work within the new republics.

The Soviet media portray Party-controlled strikes, demonstrations and disturbances in different parts of the USSR as real, domestic and nationalist outbreaks pointing to the disintegration and perhaps the collapse of the Soviet Empire. Orchestrated disputes between phony reformers and phony conservatives are reported as real struggles within the Party.

Series: Reagan White House Photographs, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989Collection: White House Photographic Collection, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Then they replaced the hardliner image of Communism, giving it a human face by appointing the cheerful and relaxed Gorbachev.

Gorbachev and his strategists are not true democrats and never will be. They remain committed to socialism and Communism. They are a new generation of revolutionaries who are using ‘democratic’ reform as a new way to achieve final victory. The Communist strategists appreciated that they could not implement their strategy of convergence using the old, obsolete, Stalinist, Communist Party structure and dormant institutions like the old Soviet parliament. But they do believe that they can carry it out using new, revitalized, ‘democratic’ structures. They are therefore reorganizing the Party system, the Presidency and the legislature to give them more power and prestige and at the same time greater likeness to their American equivalents. Meanwhile, the Communist Party is apparently relegated to the shadows. The Communist Party, however, has not surrendered its real monopoly of power. In fact, it has broadened it by giving power to its members in the Presidency and Congress to execute the strategy of ‘perestroika’ and convergence. Greater Presidential powers are needed to carry out the strategy throughout the world. This is not a transfer of power from the Party to the President. The President remains a member and an instrument of the Party, the executor of its strategy.

Another hallmark of Communism was the “class struggle.” In the introduction of the Communist Manifesto, Marx asserted that the entirety of human history was the story of class struggle. One of the tactics of the General Line was to discontinue the argument of class struggle because of its negative connotations in the western mind. The Communists also wanted to silence the anti-Communist voices of the West by making anti-Communists appear to be radicals.

The paramount global objective of the strategy of ‘perestroika’ is to weaken and neutralize anti-Communist ideology and the influence of anti-Communists in political life in the United States, Western Europe and elsewhere—presenting them as anachronistic survivors of the Cold War, reactionaries and obstacles to ‘restructuring’ and peace.

Without doubt, the most effective and subtle strategy in winning the world to Communism was the reforming of both the U.S.S.R. and the Atlantic nations. The process of cross-assimilation of Communism and Capitalism was called “Convergence.” While the Communists were taking on the appearance of Capitalism and openness, the West was to be gradually socialized. Under the section heading of “CONVERGENCE THROUGH TACTICAL CHANGES AND DISINFORMATION,” Golitsyn explains the tactics of disinformation.

Now, the purpose of the intensified disinformation on ‘conservative’ resistance to Gorbachev’s reforms and on the Yeltsin affair is to win Western support for further arguments in favour of convergence and to widen the gap between genuine conservatives and liberals in the United States.

The rationale of this disinformation is that that there are two sorts of people: those who recognise change and seek to promote it, and those who oppose it—the implication being that those who oppose it are ‘enemies of progress and peace’, ‘cold warriors’, etc. This was the explanation given by Gorbachev to the prominent Soviet expert Marshall Shulman at a White House reception. Gorbachev added that ‘we have both kinds of people in both our countries’.

In this way Gorbachev gave evidence of his intention to project and promote Soviet strategy through influential American intellectuals. There are indications that the dismissal of Yeltsin as head of the Moscow Party organisation was prearranged, timed and publicised by giving Mr Dan Rather permission to interview him on the subject, on the Central Broadcasting System one month in advance of Gorbachev’s visit to the United States. The purpose of that specific disinformation was further to exaggerate the alleged pressure being brought to bear on Gorbachev by Soviet ‘conservatives’ (to whom Gorbachev was under latent pressure to defer), to highlight the role of both Soviet and American conservatives as obstacles to reform and ‘progress’ and to create favourable conditions for an alliance between Soviet and American liberals for the intended purpose of the ‘restructuring’ of both societies.

—end excerpt from The Rise of Western Lawlessness, by C. W. Steinle.

Author page: https://cwsteinle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisWintersSteinle Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/cwsteinle Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWSteinle Blog: https://cwsteinle.blogspot.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CWSteinle

The New World Order is the Old World Order

The New World Order in Antiquity: A 4,000-year history

Two-headed eagle on sphinx located at the right of the Sphinx Gate, Alaca Höyük, Turkey.

Excerpts from THE FORGOTTEN AGE OF JUDAH: The Untold Story of Grace in the Second Temple Period, By Dr. Douglas Hamp, Chris Winters Steinle

Copyright 2021 by the Commonwealth of Israel Foundation, Phoenix, USA

Published by the Commonwealth of Israel Foundation.

Chapter 7: Collusion and the Judgment of Nations

Over the last 50 years, much attention has been focused on identifying the hidden powers that are expected to emerge as the One-World Government of the antichrist. There is, in fact, abundant evidence that the wealthy men of the world do hold sway over the course of world affairs. This is only to be expected, as asserted by James: “Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?” (James 2:6-7). Certainly, the Hapsburgs Dynasty did go underground around the time that democracy was proposed in Europe and America. But if these royal families did go broke, as purported, why do we still find them represented at such high-level meetings as the Bilderberger’s gatherings?

Despite the reality that social and political policy appears to the everyday observer to be pushed down from above, rather than rising from the populous, responses like the article below seem to be intended to quash any serious investigation into the existence of any such “world-ruling” body.

If you were really a member of the global élite, you’d know this already: the world is ruled by a powerful, secretive few. Many of the rest of us peons have heard that in 2004 both candidates for the White House were members of Yale University’s secretive Skull and Bones society, many of whose members have risen to powerful positions. But Skull and Bones is small potatoes compared with the mysterious cabals that occupy virtually every seat of power, from the corridors of government to the boardrooms of Wall Street.

Take the Illuminati, a sect said to have originated in 18th century Germany; and which is allegedly responsible for the pyramid-and-eye symbol adorning the $1 bill: they intend to foment world wars to strengthen the argument for the creation of a worldwide government (which would of course be Satanic in nature). Or consider the Freemasons, who tout their group as the “oldest and largest worldwide fraternity” and boast alumni like George Washington. Some think that despite donating heaps of cash to charity, they are secretly plotting your undoing at Masonic temples across the world. Or maybe, some theorize, the guys pulling the strings aren’t concealed in shadow at all. They might be the intelligentsia on the Council on Foreign Relations, a cadre of policy wonks who allegedly count their aims as publishing an erudite bimonthly journal and establishing a unified world government—not necessarily in that order.[1]

Some conspiracy theorists believe the secret elite will become so powerful, so confident, that in the end they will walk brazenly across the world stage in plain view. But what if these secret powers have never been secret at all—but well known and open to view? There was a time, however, when it was easier to expose the Kingdom of Man, in contrast to the Kingdom of God—represented on earth as His Elect, the people of God. Today, many nations around the world “identify” as the people of God. But 2,000 years ago, this was not the case.

At the close of the Second Temple Period, when it was apparent that yet another empire—this time the Roman Empire—was on the verge of taking Israel captive all over again, the Jewish sages were emboldened to identify the Kingdom of Man, once and for all.

Under the Banner of the Bird

Pertinent citations from 4 Ezra Chapter 11 and The Assumption of Moses, Section 10 are presented below without comment. The objects within these visions/analogies will become clear as this chapter develops.

The Eagle and the Lion—4th Ezra/2 Esdras

2 Esdras 11, Common English Bible (CEB):

The Vision of the Eagle

1 On the second night I had a dream. I saw an eagle, with twelve feathered wings and three heads, rising up from the sea. 2 As I looked, it spread its wings over the whole earth, and all the winds of heaven blew toward it, and the clouds gathered around it. 3 Out of its wings grew opposing wings. These became small, tiny wings. 4 Its heads were at rest. The middle head was larger than the other heads, but it was also at rest with them.

5 I kept looking and saw the eagle flying with its wings to rule over the earth and over those who lived on the earth. 6 I saw how everything under heaven was made to submit to it, and no one opposed it, not a single creature that lives on the earth... (Verses 7-32 proceed to depict the interactions of various wings and heads—omitted here because they aren’t necessary for understanding the symbology of these “bird” representations).

The Vision of the Eagle and the Lion

33 After all this, I watched as the middle head, just like the wings, suddenly disappeared. 34 There were two heads left, however, which also ruled over the earth and over those who live on it. 35 I looked and watched as the head on the right side devoured the one on the left. 36 I heard a voice saying to me, “Look in front of you and consider what you see.” 37 I looked and saw something like a lion being roused, roaring out of the forest. I heard how he spoke in a human voice and said to the eagle, 38 “Listen, you, and I will speak to you. The Most High says to you, 39 ‘Aren’t you the last of the four beasts that I made to rule in my world so that I might bring about the end of my times through them? 40 You, the fourth that has come, conquered all the beasts that came before you, ruling over the world with much terror and over the whole world with harsh oppression. You have lived in the world with deceit for so long! 41 You judged the earth, but not in truth, 42 for you have oppressed the meek and injured those who caused no unrest. You hated those who spoke the truth and loved liars. You destroyed the dwellings of those who bore fruit and tore down the walls of those who had done you no harm. 43 Your insolence has ascended to the Most High and your pride to the mighty one. 44 The Most High has reviewed his times. Look! They are finished, and his ages are complete. 45 Therefore, eagle, you must utterly vanish, you and your terrifying wings, your dreadful little wings and your evil heads, and your dreadful talons and all your worthless body. 46 Then the whole earth will be refreshed and restored, set free from your violence, and will hope for the judgment and mercy of him who made it.’”

The Eagle and Israel—Assumption of Moses

The Assumption of Moses, Section 10.

The Church Fathers Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Didymus believed that Jude 9 was quoted from The Assumption of Moses. The translation below fills in some undecipherable text, rather than skipping the omitted characters in the manner of other translations.[2]

7. For the Most High will arise, the Eternal God alone,

And He will appear to punish the Gentiles,

And He will destroy all their idols.

8. Then thou, O Israel, wilt be happy,

And thou wilt mount upon the neck[s and wings] of the eagle,

And (the days of thy mourning) will be ended.

9. And God will exalt thee,

And He will cause thee to approach to the heaven of the stars,

And He will establish thy habitation among them.

10. And thou wilt look from on high and wilt see thy enemies in Ge(henna),

And thou wilt recognise them and rejoice,

And thou wilt give thanks and confess thy Creator.

By taking these two early Jewish writings together, we can easily deduce that the “Lion” in 4 Ezra 11 is analogous to “Israel” in The Assumption of Moses Sec. 10. However, in both passages the enemy of God’s people is represented with allusions to birds: the headed pairs of wings in Ezra, and the eagle—with necks and wings—in The Assumption. So, who or what do these birds symbolize? This question is not difficult to answer; all the necessary information is provided by studying World History. From the onset of the Age of Man, birds were the primary focus of worship.

Figure 1The Vulture Stone at Göbekli Tepe.

Göbekli Tepe is a c. 12,000-year-old archaeological site in Anatolia, Turkey. The deepest and oldest Layer III is also the most sophisticated with enclosures characterized by different thematic components and artistic representations. Pillar no. 43, the “Vulture Stone,” is shown in Figure 12 above. On the left-hand side, a vulture is holding an orb or egg in an outstretched wing.[3]

The older parts of the ancient tell may be more reliably dated to circa 9,000 B.C. For those readers who hold to a roughly 6,000-year-old “new earth” creation position, just appreciate that Göbekli Tepe is considered to be the oldest known site of worship on earth. To “secular” scientists, and those who favor the theory of a recently inhabited old earth, this site is placed on the timeline just at the close of the last Ice Age. The important thing to observe within the scope of our study is the display of various birds. Although the vulture is the predominant figure, the Ibis or Crane is easily visible—up and to the right of the vulture and egg. What we behold before our eyes is a real-life example of symbols of worship made like “birds and four-footed animals and creeping things” (Rom. 1:23). And do take notice that Paul begins his list with birds.

Supporting our thesis that the large birds, or birds of prey, were to become the emblems of the Kingdom of Man during this Age, we submit the “prehistoric” archaeological chamber known as the “Cave of the Birds,” located just below the surface of the Giza plateau. This location begs the question: Were the pyramids built at this ceremonial site of worship based on the importance of the Tomb of the Birds?

 

Figure 2 CollinsA2-Gizas Tomb of the Birds

Figure 3 Tomb of the Birds in relation to the Giza Pyramids (underground TOB cave circled).

The explorer and discoverer of the caves was unable to carry out research on the content of the tunnel, being interrupted indefinitely by Egyptian authorities. Below are his initial findings. His expectation, however, regarding the Ibis turned out to be correct.

Identifying what type of birds were interred might well provide some clue as to how the ancient Egyptians viewed the entrance to Giza’s cave world. My money would be on the birds being either ibises, indicative of the cult of Thoth (the Greek Hermes), or falcons, suggestive of the cult of Horus or more intriguingly that of Sokar, the guardian of the Memphite necropolis in its role as the Fifth Hour of the duat-underworld as portrayed in the Am-duat funerary text. Other bird types might include the vulture, indicative of the cult of Mut; the goose, the totem of the earth-god Geb, the eagle, examples of which were found recently in a new tomb discovered at Saqqara, or even the crane, which might hint at a very archaic cult indeed.[4]

More than 4 million sacred ibis mummies have been found in the catacombs of Tuna el-Gebel and 1.75 million have been discovered in the ancient burial ground of Saqqara. The vast majority were votive offerings to the god Thoth, a practice that had its heyday between 450BC and 250BC.[5]

The significance of the Ibis becomes clear when it is understood that the Ibis was central to an Egyptian creation story—a story that wholly contradicts the biblical account. The Ibis, therefore, became a symbol of the Egyptian religion. But the bird symbol was also one of the oldest carvings found on Hittite and Mesopotamian reliefs. Over the course of the next several millennia, the symbol of the bird took on the meaning that is ascribed to it today—the attributes of “kingdom” and “authority.” The winged sun or winged disk was a symbol of worship when it first began to be used; but by the time of Judah’s King Hezekiah, the winged disk had become synonymous with kingship.

The Winged Disk

 

Figure 4 Benben stone from the Pyramid of Amenemhat III, Twelfth Dynasty. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Copyright free image enhanced to feature the winged disk at the top.

The Benben stone is an object that is found in the mythology of ancient Egypt. Note the winged disk at the top of Figure 15. This mythical stone is thought to have been part of a shrine at the temple dedicated to the deity Atum in Heliopolis. The Benben stone is also an architectural term, and is the name given to the tip of an obelisk or the capstone placed on top of a pyramid. In the mythology of ancient Egypt, there are several accounts of the creation of the world. According to this version of the creation story, the universe was brought into being by Atum. It was believed that in the beginning, there was nothing but darkness and chaos. It was out of the dark waters that the primordial hill, known as the Benben arose, on top of which stood Atum. Because the Benben rose from the primeval waters, it has been suggested that this word is associated with the verb ‘weben’, which is the Egyptian hieroglyph for ‘to rise’.[6]

Next, we observe that the winged disk became a prominent icon throughout the eastern Mediterranean reaching into the Fertile Crescent. In early Egyptian religion, the symbol Behedeti represented Horus of Edfu, later identified with Ra-Harachte. As time passed (according to interpretation) all of the subordinated gods of Egypt were considered to be aspects of the sun god, including Khepri.

From roughly 2000 BC, the symbol also appears in the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor. It appears in reliefs with Assyrian rulers and in Hieroglyphic Anatolian as a symbol for royalty, transcribed into Latin as SOL SUUS (literally, “his own self, the Sun”, i.e., “His Majesty”).[7]

 

Figure 5 Winged-disk, Susa, Mesopotamia

 

Figure 6 The seal of Tudhaliya IV (1237–1228 B.C.) is stamped on this 4-inch-high fragment of a letter sent to the king of Ugarit. Although the letter is written in cuneiform, the seal is in Hittite hieroglyphics. Credit: Erich Lessing.

As early as 1900 B.C.E., an Indo-European people began to settle in what is now Turkey. By the 16th century B.C.E., they were powerful enough to invade Babylon. Their might continued to expand until they were a superpower on the level with Egypt and Assyria. The Hittites play a prominent role at key places in the Hebrew Bible: Ephron the Hittite sells Abraham the family burial ground (Genesis 23); Esau married Hittite women, and Rebecca despised them (Genesis 26:34); frequently they are listed as one of the inhabitants of Canaan (e.g., Exodus 13:5; Numbers 13:29; Joshua 11:3).[8]

L’melekh—Belonging to the King

From ca. the 8th century BC, the winged solar disk appears on Hebrew seals connected to the royal house of the Kingdom of Judah. Many of these are seals and jar handles from Hezekiah’s reign, together with the inscription l’melekh [LMLK] (“belonging to the king”).[9]

 

Figure 7 HEZEKIAH IN THE BIBLE. The royal seal of Hezekiah, king of Judah, was discovered in the Ophel excavations under the direction of archaeologist Eilat Mazar. Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Eilat Mazar; photo by Ouria Tadmor.

The bulla (Figure 18), which measures just over a centimeter in diameter, bears a seal impression depicting a two-winged sun disk flanked by ankh symbols and containing a Hebrew inscription that reads “Belonging to Hezekiah, (son of) Ahaz, king of Judah.”[10]

Figure 8 Hezekiah’s Seal

“Hezekiah Seal (Figure 19) Proves that Ancient Jerusalem was a Major Judahite Capital.” Similar seal impressions had already been found – by thieves. This one uniquely found in situ proves King Hezekiah’s connection to the LMLK symbols and the existence of an advanced Judahite administration.[11]

Regrettably, the Hezekiah Seal does not just prove ancient Jerusalem was a major Judahite capital. It also proves that the government of Judah had already been compromised by using the symbology of the Nations—and especially, the bird icon of Egypt and Canaan.

Leviticus 18:2-5: The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.

Although it is said that Hezekiah did what was right in the sight of God, the God who also said not to “take their name on your lips” could not have been pleased with the incorporation of this pagan symbol. Below is a map showing how possessing variations of the King’s bird seal showed allegiance to the king.

LMLK seals (with LMLK meaning ‘of the king’) are ancient Hebrew seals stamped on the handles of large storage jars first issued in the reign of King Hezekiah (circa 700 BC) and discovered mostly in and around Jerusalem. The iconography of the two and four winged symbols are representative of royal symbols whose meaning “was tailored in each kingdom to the local religion and ideology”.[12]

 

Figure 9 Sites where LMLK seals were found

This technique of making modifications to the King’s seal of authority was eventually copied internationally. Therefore, the “secret society” controlling world affairs has been no secret for at least the last 2,000 years. The long anticipated one-world government has indeed been in place since the onset of the Age of Man. The Coats of Arms image below represents merely a few of the “bird banners” used by nations all over the world. The bird symbol is an unspoken acknowledgment of submission to the king—the Kingdom of Man. There is simply no other way to explain why many otherwise hostile and alienated countries would choose the same mascot.

 

Figure 10 Coat of Arms with Eagle.[13]

Many Jewish historians look to the reign of Herod (the Edomite) as the point of infiltration by outsiders into Judah’s government. In the same way, many Christians look to the reign of Constantine as the time when the State took control of the Church. Yet, by recognizing the bird figure as the symbol of national—and international—authority, it can be seen that the influence of the overbearing state is more ubiquitous than could have been initiated by one king or one emperor. Both the Eastern and Western arms of the Christian Church had no reservations about displaying their true LMLK seals of belonging.

Figure 11 Double Eagle insignia of the Byzantine Empire.

 

Figure 12 Quaternionenadler, an eagle of the Holy Roman Empire that shows the shields of the member states by rank (1510).

Origins of the Double-headed Bird

Figure 13 Relief representing a two-headed eagle on the sphinx located at the right of the Sphinx Gate, Alaca Höyük, Turkey

The double-headed eagle motif has been used as an emblem by countries, nations, and royal houses in Europe since the early medieval period. Notable examples include the Byzantine House of Palaiologos, the Holy Roman Empire, the House of Habsburg, and the Ruriks and Romanovs of Russia. The Russian use of the double-headed eagle motif (dating from the adoption of it by Ivan III in 1497), though iconographically modeled after the Byzantine, was likely in imitation of the Hapsburgian.[14]

It would appear curious that regional Christian empires would choose for their mascot the Hittite double-headed eagle. The selection of the Hittite eagle is suspect because the “Cradle of Christianity”—Antioch of Syria—lies within the borders of the Ancient Hittite Empire. This possible spiritual connection will be addressed in the next chapter.

Yazılıkaya is an ancient sanctuary that served the Hittite capital of Hattusa, located in modern-day Boğazkale, Turkey. The region (known as the “land of Hatti”) was first inhabited by the Hattians, around 2000 BC and was absorbed into a new Hittite state. Hattusa was established as the capital during the 17th century BC by King Hattusilis I. A large sanctuary, Yazılıkaya, was constructed outside the city gates across roofless chambers formed inside a group of rock outcroppings. The chambers depict various rock-cut reliefs portraying the gods of the Hittite pantheon such as the sun-goddess Hebat and the storm-god Teshub, with most of the reliefs dating from restorations by King Tudhaliya IV and king Suppiluliuma II in the late 13th century BC.[15]

Figure 14 Yazilikaya double-headed eagle relief[16]

Among the reliefs is the image of the double-headed eagle, thought to represent the deific daughter and granddaughter of the Tešub, the storm god. Such a record of the progeny and international battles of the “wings” is exactly what is described in the interim verses of the 4 Ezra citation, which were omitted, at the beginning of this chapter. The artwork from the Early Dynastic period of Early Mesopotamia has many double-headed king figures. Figure 25 shows a double-headed winged figure with a humanoid body (possibly representing a deity [or king]).

 

Figure 15 . Seal impression from Alalakh (Tell Atchana); from Assyrian Colony period (Collon 1987:Illustration 142[17].

Cylinder seals, common in Mesopotamia, are the main design influence on the Hittite stamp seals. The seal impression has imagery with Mesopotamian themes and motifs. The double-headed eagles in each exhibit has elongated necks and wide tails, with long, thin legs.[18]

Figure 16 Seal impression from Acem Hüyük; Assyrian Colony period (mirrored double headed winged creature—right half of imprint).[19]

“Bicephalous, or double-headed, images constitute a widely distributed class of objects of great variety about whose primordial relationships we know little.”[20] This is not the case in the ancient Near East, where the class of objects showing the double-headed eagle is much narrower, namely sculpture and seals, along with Hittite monumental architecture. Recognizing that much of Mesopotamian culture transmitted northwest from the southeast (Sumer) over time, and that the use of the double-headed eagle followed the same route, the relationships of the objects are generally understood, even if the meanings behind the iconography are not.[21]

“And thou wilt mount upon the neck[s and wings] of the eagle” (The Assumption of Moses 10:8). Notice the reference to the “necks” (plural) of the eagle (singular). The 4 Ezra passage quoted at the beginning of this chapter also mentions the two-headed bird; but then, one of its heads is removed. We see this same pattern over time, with the double-headed insignia used in the Old-World symbology of Eastern and Western Christianity. Whereas modern crests typically feature a single-headed bird of prey. Amazingly, it would appear that the Jewish sages were spot on in their understanding of Israel’s enemies, which more appropriately are the enemies of the Holy One of Israel.

What is revealed by this study of the Kingdom of Man?

·         World rulers have affiliated under a common ideology; and this religious system is based upon myths and false deities.

·         The camaraderie of the world’s nations and empires can be dated to nearly prehistoric times.

·         Wings, winged disks, and eagles have been used as a subtle—seemingly harmless—means to show that an entity is under authority (belonging to the king). Unfortunately, the king/deity of the world’s nations is Satan, the “ruler of this world.”

·         Sufficient influence by the heathen nations, on both Jewish and Christian leaders, is revealed by these religions’ incorporation of worldly bird symbols.

·         The infiltration of worldly/ungodly ideologies has influenced Judaism from ancient times; and this fellowship with the Nations persisted into the Post-Apostolic Early Church; and continues today.

Due to the reign of the “World Rulers” κοσμοκράτορας (kosmokratoras—Eph. 6:12) God has allowed for nearly 2,000 years the false doctrines that Judah was forsaken and replaced by a new chosen people, the Church; and more recently with Dispensationalism, that Judah was cut off along with the House of Israel and must wait for the “rapture of the Church.” The immediate response, though, of “the prince of the power of the air”—Eph. 2:2—was to “sell” these doctrinal narratives to the public by “scattering” Judah so that they, like the House of Israel, might lose their identity; something that God has never done.

 

---

[1] Time, “Separating Fact from Fiction: Secret Societies Control the World”; retrieved 5/22/2021. http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1861005,00.html

[2] The Assumption of Moses translated from the Latin sixth century MS. by R.H. Charles, M.A., Trinity College, Dublin, and Exeter College. Oxford, London, Adam and Charles Black, 1897.

[3] World History Encyclopedia, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13200/vulture-stone-gobekli-tepe.

[4] Which Bird Cult? Andrew Collins, http://www.andrewcollins.com/page/articles/sealed.htm, retrieved 5/21/2021.

[5] “Experts crack mystery of ancient Egypt’s sacred bird mummies: DNA analysis helps work out origin of nearly 6 million mummified ibises. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/nov/13/experts-crack-mystery-ancient-egypt-sacred-bird-mummies.

[6] Ancient Origins.net, Mythical Benben Stone: The Landing Site of Egyptian God Atum. https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/mythical-benben-stone-landing-site-egyptian-god-atum-006513, Retrieved 5/21/2021.

[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_sun

[8] Biblical Archaeology, “Who Were the Hittites?” Ellen White, May 19, 2021;

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/who-were-the-hittites

[9] Deutsch, Robert (July–August 2002). “Lasting Impressions: New bullae reveal Egyptian-style emblems on Judah’s royal seals”. Biblical Archaeology Review. 28 (4): 42–51. Retrieved 12 October 2014.

[10] King Hezekiah in the Bible: Royal Seal of Hezekiah Comes to Light, https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/king-hezekiah-in-the-bible-royal-seal-of-hezekiah-comes-to-light.

[11] https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/what-the-hezekiah-seal-proves-jerusalem-status-1.5385544.

[12] Na’aman, Nadav. “The lmlk seal impressions reconsidered.” Tel Aviv 43.1 (2016): 115.

[13] https://www.netclipart.com/down/iixxbmx_coat-of-arms-with-eagle.

[14] The Mesopotamian Origins of the Hittite Double-Headed Eagle. Jesse D. Chariton, UW-L Journal of Undergraduate Research XIV (2011).

[15] www.heritagedaily.com/2020/09/yazilikaya-the-sanctuary-of-the-hittites/134949, retrieved 7/17/2021.

[16] Paul Williams Photographer Funky Stock Photos

[17] Collon, Dominique. 1987 First Impressions: Cylinder Seals in the Ancient Near East. The University of Chicago. Press, Chicago.

[18] The Mesopotamian Origins of the Hittite Double-Headed Eagle. Jesse D. Chariton, UW-L Journal of Undergraduate Research XIV (2011).

[19] Collon, Dominique. 1987 First Impressions: Cylinder Seals in the Ancient Near East. The University of Chicago, Press, Chicago.

[20] Mundkur, Balaji, H.-G. Bandi, Stephen C. Jett, George Kubler, William Breen Murray, and Charles R. Wicke 1984 The Bicephalous “Animal Style” in Northern Eurasian Religious Art and Its Western Hemispheric Analogues. Current Anthropology 25(4): 451-482.

[21] Jesse D. Chariton.